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Mark Lamb’s belief in a turnaround after his players dealt with a bout of sickness came up aces.

The Prince George Cougars capped off a perfect three-game road trip running the table after securing a dominant 5-1 victory over the Vancouver Giants on Sunday in front of 4,412 fans at the Langley Events Centre.

Carson Carels opened the scoring at 18:48 of the first period as his wrap around attempt snuck inside the bar past Giants goaltender Burke Hood for a 1-0 lead after 20 minutes.

PG the flexed its muscles in the middle frame with a trio of goals in a span of seven minutes.

Townes Kozicky transitioned the Cougars from defense to offense in a jiffy, chipping a loose puck to the stick of Dawson Seitz who then sprung Jett Lajoie on a breakaway who went five hole on Hood for a 2-0 edge.

Kozicky then made another smart play from just outside the Vancouver blueline flicking the puck to a streaking Riley Ashe who unleashed a backhand over the shoulder of Hood.

Arsenii Anisimov added insult to injury as his blooper shot from inside the Giants zone fooled Hood, going over the shoulder and rippling the mesh for a commanding 4-0 lead after 40 minutes.

Brett Olson spoiled the Josh Ravensbergen shutout bid with 4:05 remaining in the third period courtesy of a Kayden Hayes pass.

Dmitri Yakutsenak added an insurance marker via an empty net giving the Cougars its four-goal spread back.

Prince George outshot the Giants 50-32. Both teams went a combined 0-for-6 on the power-play. Ravensbergen made 31 saves in the victory.

Hood on the other hand, stopped 45 Cougar shots and was named third star in defeat.

PG (26-16-2-0) pulls within five points of the Penticton Vees (26-9-4-3) of the B.C. Division lead – the Vees, owners of an 11-game winning streak, have two games in hand.

This was the first of three consecutive meetings for the Cougars and Giants (18-25-1-2). Both clubs will lock horns Friday (7pm) and Saturday (6pm) at CN Centre.

Since returning from the World Juniors, Carels has points in seven consecutive games, tallying three goals and six assists in that span.

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Sports by Hartley Monday, January 19th, 2026  as of 12:05 a.m.

Canada West Basketball  (Saturday at Northern Sport Centre)

(Men)

Fraser Valley Cascades  81  UNBC Timberwolves  71

UNBC fourth-year point guard Justin Sunga became the program’s all-time assists leader.

(Women)

Fraser Valley Cascades  62  UNBC Timberwolves  51

The UNBC men and women have just six games left in their season.

The Timberwolves visit the Victoria Vikes Thursday (6 & 8 PM) and the Trinity Western Spartans Saturday (4 & 6 PM).

UNBC is 2-12 (men) and 1-13 (women).

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Around 100 protestors gathered on the corner of Opsika Boulevard and 18th Avenue this afternoon (Sunday), protesting the brutality ongoing in Iran.

“It’s been a massacre,” said Abbas Qaidari, one of the protestors.

“The recent assessment is showing it’s been more than 25,000 people massacred by the regime. More than 300,000 people being arrested, more than 30,000 people being wounded, for what? The entire Iranian nation, all over the world, we want peace, we want prosperity, we want to be empathetic, sympathetic with all of the nations around the region. We have been suffering from an extremist radical regime under the so called Islamic ideology for 47 years. Our national interest has been sacrificed for terrorism, for nuclear weapons, for missiles, our people are starving for basics.”

Qaidari said today’s protest is a call for peace and for freedom.

“Our hearts, our souls are with our compatriots in Iran, we’re fighting for freedom, and we know that the future will be bright. We know that there’s going to be an end for dictatorship all over the world, starting hopefully, fingers crossed, in Iran.”

Qaidari added protests were held all over Canada and the world yesterday.

“They wanted to just deliver their message to the world leaders, we are alone, we are on the streets peacefully, calling for peace and freedom,” he said.

“What we’re getting in exchange is radicalism and extremism, despite whatever the regime is doing to their opponents, inside and outside, we will stay peaceful, and we will keep chanting for our rights.”

Qaidari estimated there are between 300 and 400 Iranians living in Prince George.

“Mostly they are graduate students at UNBC, working professionals, in the healthcare sector, transportation sector, mining, engineering,”

He also said there are more than 9 million Iranian people living abroad because of the regime.

“We don’t have even the basic rights,” he said.

“What you wanted to wear, what you wanted to drink, what you wanted to eat, what you wanted to read, what you wanted to write, that brutal regime is interrupting every single aspect of our personal life. Not for now, for 47 years.”

Qadari added the community has been supporting each other very well.

“In my workplace, for instance, people are getting more involved in what’s going on in the Iranian crisis,” he said.

He added that people can be a shoulder or an ear to offer support.

“Myself, I didn’t talk with my family for 17 days now,” Qaidari said.

“All the time, I am freaking out, what if they are going to go after them in retaliation, what happened to my father? What happened to my brother? At the same time, we have to wake up, we have to go to work, we have to show and pretend that we are fine, that we are normal. Sympathy and empathy. That’s what we need.”

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Harm reduction advocates say British Columbia’s decision to end its decriminalization pilot marks a major setback for drug policy in Canada. 

Health Minister Josie Osborne said Wednesday the three-year pilot didn’t have the results the province hoped for. She said B.C. won’t ask Ottawa for an extension after it expires on Jan. 31.

The province said the pilot was aimed at reducing stigma around substance use and getting more people into treatment.

Speaking to reporters Thursday while in India for a trade mission, Premier David Eby said his government made the decision not to continue the program after hearing concerns from British Columbians about increased public drug use. He said the pilot couldn’t be continued in its current form. 

“We can’t have people smoking crack in a Tim Horton’s,” said Eby. 

B.C. is the only province to have been granted a federal exemption to the federal Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. It took effect in January 2023, removing criminal penalties for the possession of up to 2.5 grams of certain drugs. 

When developing the model, B.C. referenced successful decriminalization efforts in other countries like Portugal.

The program initially had the cautious support of police organizations and municipalities, but the tide soon changed amid mounting concerns about public drug use and street disorder. 

In May 2024, the federal government approved B.C.’s request to make any amount of drug possession in public illegal again. Since then, small amounts have only been permitted in private homes, shelters and treatment centres. 

That same month, Ottawa rejected a similar request from Toronto to decriminalize small amounts of drugs for personal use in the city — a request the Ontario government opposed.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford pointed to B.C.’s program, saying the province would never decriminalize “hardcore drugs” as long as he’s premier.

Andrew Chan, president of the B.C. Association of Chiefs of Police, said in an interview the association supports the decision not to continue the program. He said it had some “unintended consequences,” citing an increase in open-air drug use, public safety concerns, and a loss in confidence in the police. 

Chan, who is also a deputy chief constable with the Vancouver Police Department, said he doesn’t expect to see a return to decriminalization in its current form.

“We’ve always said that ‘decrim’ on its own wasn’t going to solve the problem, and that certainly wasn’t the case,” he said. 

Chan said police leaders will continue to advocate for increased investments in treatment, recovery, other types of harm reduction services.

DJ Larkin, executive director of the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition, said many other jurisdictions were keeping an eye on B.C.’s pilot. 

“It is extremely important right now to not be allowing people to say decriminalization failed,” said Larkin. “It didn’t. It just wasn’t politically supported in the way that it needed to be.”

Larkin said decriminalization is an essential piece of the puzzle of addressing drug use and access to care. 

“B.C. backtracking could set us back across multiple jurisdictions for a number of years,” said Larkin.

Osborne noted Wednesday that possession offences and drug seizures fell during the pilot, and the province saw more people accessing treatment sites. But she said it is difficult to attribute any outcome solely to decriminalization. 

A 2024 report by researchers at Simon Fraser University, based on interviews with dozens of people who use drugs, found some experienced better job security and social connection because of decriminalization.

It said many still felt societal stigma and shame around substance use, and more strategies were needed to alter deeply rooted stigma over the long-term. 

Leslie Mcbain is a co-founder of Moms Stop The Harm and a caregiver lead at the B.C. Centre on Substance Use. Mcbain said she was disappointed, but not surprised that the B.C. government decided not to continue the pilot. She believes the decision was politically motivated. 

Mcbain said the government should have focused more on educating the public about decriminalization. 

“There was a tremendous amount of misinformation and people getting it wrong,” she said.

“The original concept of decriminalization, the goals were to keep people out of the criminal justice system, to help people connect with services and to reduce stigma. The stigma part of it can only come with the education of the public on drug use,” said Mcbain. 

She said increased homelessness is also a factor in concerns about public drug use. 

The results of B.C. Housing’s latest point-in-time count, released in October, found homelessness rose in more than half of the 20 communities surveyed.

“Decriminalization was never meant to solve the whole problem of the toxic drug crisis,” said Mcbain. “It was a fairly small step to support the lives of people who use drugs.”

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The City of Prince George is inviting public comment on the upcoming budget.

On January 26th and 28th, City Council will meet for budget deliberations at 1:00 pm on both of those days.

According to a report presented to Council’s Standing Committee on Finance and Audit in December, City Council will discuss a potential 5.98 per cent tax increase.

That number could change if Council decides to cut or enhance services.

Additionally, the following service enhancements are being brought forward for Council consideration:

• Increase Police Support Services municipal employee staff by four: three Digital Evidence Management System (DEMS) Disclosure positions to support the implementation of body worn cameras ($287,416); and one Court Liaison Officer ($111,060) – total of $398,476 (0.27%)
• Increase Fire Protection staff by twelve: 12 Firefighters ($132,354 each including $20k of clothing/training) – total of $1,588,248 (1.06%)
• Increase Bylaw Services by four bylaw officers at $108,569 each plus $25,000 for uniforms, equipment and training – total of $459,276 (0.31%)
• Increase Human Resource staff by one recruitment and retention advisor $135.421 (0.09%)
• Increase Development Services staff by one heritage planner $124,792 (0.08%)

These combine for an additional 1.81 per cent.

Written comment must be received by 8:30 am on Monday, January 26 for them to be considered during the budget council meeting.

These written comments can be provided by:

• Email: [email protected]
• Submit online form: https://www.princegeorge.ca/form/comment-on-the-budget
• Hand deliver to Legislative Services, 5th Floor, City Hall

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Construction on the Keats Landing Dock has been completed, and the Sunshine Coast Regional District said vehicle traffic service will be restored in the coming weeks.  

“Staff will be working with a professional engineer to complete the required sign-off so that traffic service can be restored to the dock,” said the district.  

The dock was closed on Dec. 8 for maintenance, replacement, and repairs to the guard rails, deck boards, flashing and cross braces.  

Service on the Stormaway Ferry will resume its regular schedule. 

The SCRD said they appreciate everyone’s patience during the dock renovation process, and they’ll update the public once the dock is fully open to vehicle traffic. 

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The Williams Lake RCMP are asking the public for assistance in locating 13-year-old Bentley Bursey.

According to police, he was last scene in Williams Lake on Saturday, January 17th.

He is described as:

• 5′ 0″
• 130 lbs
• Red hair
• Green eyes

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Bentley Bursey is asked to contact the Williams Lake RCMP.

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Make that two in a row for the Prince George Cougars.

Carson Carels capped off a 3-2 overtime win over the Kelowna Rockets for the Cougars with an absolute beauty of a winner.

How it sounded from our broadcast location!

Carson. Freaking. Carels. pic.twitter.com/iOql9Gbw7W

— Prince George Cougars (@PGCougars) January 18, 2026

“That’s a fun one,” said Cougars Assistant Coach Carter Rigby on the post-game show on 94.3 the Goat.

“You’re happy for the kids, especially with what we’ve gone through in the last little bit here, to stick with it, be down one, come out in the third, and say screw it, let’s go to work boys.”

The Cougars came out flying to start the game, outshooting the Rockets 21-6 in the opening frame.

“We just kind of came into this game, let’s get loose, let’s get on the hunt here. I think Vaughaner set the tone, he goes out there, gets in a great tilt and then we just started to play,” Rigby said.

“That might have been the best period of hockey we played all year.”

Neither team scored in the first period. It took 13:24 into the second period for Ty Halabruda, newly acquired by the Rockets at the trade deadline, to break the ice.

TYYYYYY
HALABURDAAAAAA

Opens the scoring for the @Kelowna_Rockets! pic.twitter.com/OmpYuw1thu

— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) January 18, 2026

It didn’t take long for the Cougars to answer. 1:12 later, Terik Parascak tied the game by potting a rebound past Harrison Boettiger.

Terik Parascak’s 20th of the season ties the game!@Capitals | @CarlsJrCA https://t.co/ECZz5AwQ7A pic.twitter.com/NzM15VTgWB

— Prince George Cougars (@PGCougars) January 18, 2026

Coming into last night’s game, Parascak hadn’t scored a goal since November 28th against the Wenatchee Wild.

“That’s was almost like a lot of Perry’s goals his first year, just going to the net, grinding it out,” Rigby said.

“When you’re going through stuff like this you’ve got to switch things up. You don’t really care how they go in, they just go in. He’s been getting chances after chances, the breakaways haven’t been going his way, a few posts here tonight, but he’s getting the chances, and that’s the key.”

The Rockets took a lead into the dressing room, after Utah Mammoth prospect Tij Iginla fired one past Josh Ravensbergen on the powerplay.

IGGY WIGGY WOO WOO!!!! TIJ IGINLA!!!!@Kelowna_Rockets | @utahmammoth | #TusksUp pic.twitter.com/fMrVSk9bu6

— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) January 18, 2026

In the third, Riley Ashe tied the game 11:10 into the period, setting up overtime.

Ravensbergen made 29 saves for the Cougars, and Boettiger was excellent in net for the Rockets, making 46 saves on the 49 shots he faced.

The box score is here.

The Cougars (25-16-2-0) are second in the BC Division, seven points back of the Penticton Vees.

The WHL standings are here.

The Cougars are back in action this afternoon, finishing off their three-game road trip in Vancouver.

The full Cougars schedule is here.

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Sports by Darin, as of 6:00 am, Sunday, January 18th

WHL:

Prince George Cougars  3  Kelowna Rockets  2 (OT)

Carson Carels scored the overtime winner and it was a beauty.

How it sounded from our broadcast location!

Carson. Freaking. Carels. pic.twitter.com/iOql9Gbw7W

— Prince George Cougars (@PGCougars) January 18, 2026

Terik Parascak and Riley Ashe scored in regulation.

Josh Ravensbergen made 29 saves on the night.

The box score is here.

The Cougars (25-16-2-0) are second in the BC Division, seven points back of the Penticton Vees.

The WHL standings are here.

The Cougars are back in action this afternoon, finishing off their three-game road trip in Vancouver.

The full Cougars schedule is here.

NHL:

That’s a wrap on the 26th annual Scotiabank #HockeyDay in Canada where the @NHLFlames, @CanadiensMTL, @MapleLeafs and @EdmontonOilers all skated to wins.#NHLStats: https://t.co/D3g7HZswA4 pic.twitter.com/NCnFh7IFWE

— NHL Public Relations (@NHLPR) January 18, 2026

NFL:

Denver  33  Buffalo  30 (OT)

Seattle  41  San Francisco  6

Which teams play on? #NFLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/BG0Sq58TDl

— NFL (@NFL) January 18, 2026

NBA:

Dallas  138  Utah  120

Boston  132  Atlanta  106

Phoenix  106  New York  99

Detroit  121  Indiana  78

Miami  122  Oklahoma City  120  

San Antonio  126  Minnesota  123

Golden State  136  Charlotte  116

Denver  121  Washington  115

Portland  132  LA Lakers  116

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Creston and other communities across the Columbia Basin will be able to strengthen their response to climate change through funding from the Columbia Basin Trust for projects aimed at creating resilient, adaptive outdoor spaces.

The trust is investing nearly $670,000 to support nine projects through the Climate Adapted Community Spaces Grants program. 

These projects will span the basin area helping communities make parks, green spaces and streets safer and more resistant to changing climate conditions. 

“Communities are taking practical steps to adapt to climate change in ways that reflect their local needs and priorities. Whether responding to extreme heat, heavy rainfall, drought or wildfire, investments in trees, parks and natural spaces help reduce risk, support healthy ecosystems and improve quality of life for people across the Basin.” said Katie Kendall, Senior Manager, Delivery of Benefits for the Trust

To address these challenges, communities will use natural solutions such as planting trees to keep areas cooler, improving green spaces, managing rainwater to reduce flooding, and using drought-tolerant plants to reduce heat, all which will provide safety to people and wildlife.

The town of Creston will receive $69,000 to develop a new storm water retention pond in ʔak̓uǂni Park. The pond’s purpose is to collect rainwater during heavy storms, reduce flooding and erosion, help filter and replenish groundwater, and improve water quality. The pond will also enhance biodiversity, as native vegetation helps create a  habitat for birds, amphibians and aquatic species.

“ʔak̓uǂni Park can receive a significant amount of runoff during heavy rains. The pond will capture that water and gradually return it to the ground, using natural filtration processes to help improve water quality along the way. Once established, we hope the pond will be a focal point for gathering and education at the park.” said Natasha Ewashen, Municipal Services Coordinator and Planner with the Town of Creston. 

Local governments will also use funding to plan and execute urban forest inventories, heat mapping, flood-risk analysis, climate resilient landscaping using natural features such as tree planting, ponds, wetlands, fire resistant vegetation and pollinator-friendly corridors.

Be the first to know! Don’t miss out on breaking news and daily updates in your area. Sign up to MyCrestonNowNews Alerts.

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RockiesFest 2026 will focus on honouring the century of service and community impact of the Royal Canadian Legion, including the 100th anniversary of Cranbrook Legion Branch 24.

The theme will be featured throughout the festival, with special events, activities, acknowledgments, and partnerships emphasizing remembrance, service, community spirit and civic pride. 

Cranbrook residents, businesses, and service organizations will have opportunities to celebrate and reflect on the Royal Canadian Legion’s legacy, through initiatives highlighting the history of the Legion and Branch 24.

“RockiesFest has always been about celebrating the heart of our community. In 2026, we are honoured to recognize both the Royal Canadian Legion’s national legacy and the 100-year milestone of Cranbrook Legion Branch 24, whose impact has been deeply felt throughout our community.” said Missy Besanger, Chair of the Spirit of the Rockies Society. 

The celebration will recognize the Legion’s longstanding support of veterans, families and local initiatives, and its role in uniting the Cranbrook community.

RockiesFest, hosted by the Spirit of the Rockies Society, remains a key community festival in Cranbrook. The annual festival continues bringing people together through arts, culture, sports, entertainment, local organizations, partnerships and community engagement. 

Organizers say the 2026 theme is an opportunity to celebrate and engage the community while honouring the past, service and the spirit of the Legion’s contributions.

More details about events, schedules and participation opportunities will be shared in the coming months.

Be the first to know! Don’t miss out on breaking news and daily updates in your area. Sign up to MyEastKootenayNow News Alerts.

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Dr. David Shepherd is joining the Prince George Hospice Society as its new Medical Director.

The Society said Dr. Shepherd will be guiding its clinical direction, ensuring the highest standards of care for individuals and families in the region.

Executive Director Donna Flood said with their expansion of services, it adds another level of care they’re able to provide.

“By adding this additional level, it helps ensure that we’re able to support the physicians in the community, but also able to support some of the people in the north that may require some care but don’t have a doctor.”

Flood added that he will be doing education for their staff, as well as identify gaps in care and help figure out how the society can provide support for people.

Dr. Shepherd has been in Prince George since 2016, beginning his career in family practice, and is also a clinical instructor with the UBC Department of Family Practice.

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Support for addictions is closer, and access is going to be more available with the help from a comprehensive phone line to qualified healthcare professionals.  

According to the province and Island Health, the new line will connect addicts with treatment within 24 hours, and Minster of Health Josie Osbourne said the new line is one example on how the province is improving health care.  

“Supports like Access Central make a real difference for people on their road to recovery,” said Osbourne. “Recovery isn’t straightforward, which is why we’re taking action to strengthen addictions care across BC.” 

Osbourne said the new program will provide access to care across the whole scope of care. 

“We’re building a full continuum of addictions care, from early intervention to treatment, recovery and aftercare,” she said. “Road to recovery meets people where they are and connects them to timely, appropriate and culturally safe services.” 

Island Health said they recognize each person’s needs to recover from addictions are unique and the path should echo their needs, and that’s why president and CEO Sylvia Weir said the new pathways will remove barriers to match those in need with the level needed. 

“Recognizing that every person’s journey is different, Access Central prioritizes timely access to services by matching healthcare to patients’ needs,” said Weir. “This new pathway to care strengthens transitions and removes barriers so individuals can engage in appropriate care when it matters most.” 

The clinical phone line will also be available in Fraser Health and Interior Health regions.  

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Prince George will be host to over 1,600 Indigenous leaders, industry leaders, and government officials during the 23rd Annual BC Natural Resources Forum.

The three day event will be at the PG Conference and Civic Centre, sharing perspectives and ideas that will shape the future of the province’s resource sector.

Starting on Tuesday, the event will kick off with workshops, with the Celebrating Natural Resources Banquet in the evening that will have various speakers including Premier David Eby.

Other events during the three days include a Fireside Chat on Energy Regulation and Nation Building, Critical Minerals and Mining, and post secondary leaders discussing building talent for B.C.’s resource future.

Tuesday’s events will go from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., with Wednesday from 6:45 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Thursday from 6:45 a.m. to 5 p.m..

A full list of speakers and events can be found on the BC Natural Resources Forum website here.

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Access Central, a clinical phone line that helps adults get support for addictions, is now available in the Interior Health region.

Callers seeking support or information can receive a clinical assessment within 24 hours, seven days a week, and be connected to certified health providers quickly to get appropriate addiction services.

The service, first launched in Vancouver 2023, provides one phone number per region that acts as a single point of entry to care, giving more people in BC access to personalized substance use care plans.

“Recognizing that every person’s recovery journey is different, Access Central prioritizes timely access to services by matching health care to a patient’s current needs. This new pathway to care strengthens transitions and removes barriers so individuals can engage in appropriate care when it matters most.” said Sylvia Weir, president and CEO of Interior Health.

In Interior Health, Access Central can be reached at 1-866-777-1103 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Access Central supports include same or next day screening, detox or withdrawal management placement, outpatient care, opioid agonist therapy (OAT), anti-craving medications, and ongoing recovery support.

The program will continue to show results as the call line has received over 34,500 calls, given 9,210 clinical assessments, and provided shorter wait times since its start in 2023.

Along with Interior Health the government has expanded the program to Fraser Health, Island Health and will soon expand to Northern Health, making Access Central available provincewide.

Access Central is part of B.C. ‘s broader Road to Recovery strategy to improve mental health and addiction care, including new treatment beds, youth centers, First Nations healing facilities, and supportive housing units. Road to Recovery is a way the Government plans to build a voluntary seamless system providing mental health and substance use care to British Columbians.

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WHL:

The Prince George Cougars snapped their 7 game losing streak, after a high scoring 7-6 overtime victory over the Kamloops Blazers yesterday (Friday).

The Cougars continue their weekend road trip when they visit the Kelowna Rockets tonight (Saturday) at 6:05 and the Vancouver Giants Sunday afternoon at 4:00.

The PG Cougars regular season schedule and results are here.

The WHL standings are here.

BCHL:

The Prince George Spruce Kings have the weekend off before heading to Victoria to face off against the Grizzlies on Friday.

The Spruce Kings return home on January 30th to take on the Surrey Eagles.

Canada West Basketball:

The UNBC Timberwolves are hosting the Fraser Valley Cascades today (Saturday), starting with the women’s game at 5:00 followed by the men at 7:00.

The Canada West women’s basketball schedule is here.

The Canada West women’s basketball standings are here.

The Canada West men’s basketball schedule is here.

The Canada West men’s basketball standings are here.

BC Elite Hockey League:

The U-18 Cariboo Cougars and the U-18 Female Northern Capitals play league outdoor games this weekend in Fort St James.

The Capitals dropped their outdoor game last night, losing 5-1 to the Greater Vancouver Comets.

They complete their doubleheader inside at the Vanderhoof Arena this morning at 9:00.

The U-18 Cougars host the Fraser Valley Thunderbirds tonight at 6:30 outdoors with the rematch Sunday morning at 10:00 indoors.

The league standings are here.

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It wasn’t pretty, but the Prince George Cougars picked up their first win in 2026 in front of 3571 fans at Sandman Centre in Kamloops, nabbing a 7-6 overtime victory over the Blazers.

A three goal game, including the winner from sniper Jett Lajoie, helped end the team’s lengthy seven game losing streak.

“He’s had a full game, and that’s the type of player we know Jett can be, and he’s so valuable. When he gets like that he’s a little bit gritty, get a little chirping in your face, and when you can back it up like he did, it’s fun.” said assistant coach Carter Rigby on the post-game show on 94.3 the Goat.

The Blazers led 2-1 after one with Lajoie getting the P.G. goal sandwiched in between a pair of goals from rookie sensation JP Hurlburt.

Kamloops scored twice more in the first 6:09 of the second period to grab a brief 4-1 lead, ending the night for San Jose Sharks first round pick Josh Ravensbergen, who only stopped 10 of 14 shots before getting the hook.

33 seconds after Alexander Levshyn came into the P.G. net, defenceman Arsenii Anisimov, scored in his 100th WHL game to reduce the deficit to 4-2.

Captain Bauer Dumanski, just back after missing five games with an injury, tallied at 12:35 and Lajoie got his second goal of the game at 15:42 to get the Cats even 4-4 after two.

“We hemmed them in their zone a little bit, got some offence, got our forecheck back tonight which seemed like it was good.” said Rigby.

The Cougars got their first lead of the game on a Lee Shurgot goal at 9:53 of the third with Jordan Keller of the Blazers tying the game at 5 at 14:25.

Prince George went ahead 6-5 with just 2:27 left on a goal from Dmitri Yakutsenak but the Blazers secured a point when Hurlburt (the game’s second star) completed his hat trick on the power play with 25 seconds remaining in regulation time.

That set the scene for the Lajoie, the first star of the game, as he completed his hat trick by tallying the winner at 3:41 of extra time to give the Cougars their first victory since December 28th.

THE BOYS ARE GOING! JETT LAJOIE CALLS GAME WITH A HAT TRICK!@CarlsJrCA https://t.co/2R6D1EaItS pic.twitter.com/8xX7WBSFPO

— Prince George Cougars (@PGCougars) January 17, 2026

The (24-16-2) Cougars continue their weekend road trip when they visit the (21-14-3-2) Kelowna Rockets tonight (Saturday) at 6:05 and the (18-23-1-2) Vancouver Giants Sunday afternoon at 4:00.

The PG Cougars schedule is here.

The WHL standings are here.

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Two names will be on the ballot for the CRD Area A by-election.

Nicole Audet and Chris Helmink have been nominated to be the new Area A Director, replacing the late Mary Sjostrom.

The Nomination Period closed on Friday at 4 pm.

Advanced voting days will be held on Wednesday, February 11, and Tuesday, February 17, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Both days will have the polling station located at the Quesnel Recreation Centre.

General voting day will be Saturday, February 21, from 8 a.m to 8 p.m; the polls will be at the Red Bluff School and the Kersley Community Centre.

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North Island College’s Board of Governors will soon decide whether 15 programs will continue in the fall. 

The board will meet on Feb. 5 to consider whether to continue the following programs and courses: 

• Adventure Guiding Certificate 

• Hospital Unit Clerk Certificate 

• Bachelor of Business Administration – Marketing 

• Global Business Management Post-Graduate Diploma 

• Digital Design and Development Post Graduate Certificate 

• Digital Design and Development Post Graduate Diploma 

• Web and Mobile Application Development Diploma 

• Web Design Fundamentals Certificate 

• Advanced Digital Design and Development Diploma 

• Android Application Development Certificate 

• Fine Arts Diploma 

• Coastal Forestry Diploma 

• Costal Forestry Certificate 

• Furniture Design and Joinery Certificate 

• Human Services Diploma 

President of the North Island College Faculty Association Jen Wyre said the association disagrees with plans to suspend the programs and wants the community to be aware of potential changes and their impacts. 

“Education drives social and economic growth and is core infrastructure and our main concern is people living in the mid-island region would have viewer avenues to achieve their dreams to meet their goals.”

Wyre said she believes the changes are being considered because of a longstanding funding shortfall for post-secondary institutions. 

Affected programs would no longer accept students for the fall 2026 semester, although students already enrolled would have the chance to complete their studies. 

She said the current funding model, which was supplemented by revenue from international students, has decreased due to changes in immigration rules and led to fewer enrolments. 

“The Faculty Association just wants to ensure the public and the community are well aware of what the college is proposing to do, and we think this is an institution that exists to serve the community,” Wyre said. 

Although the programs could be suspended for the fall 2026 semester, it is not known whether they would be offered beyond then.

Wyre said the affected programs have strong student demand and meet local labour market needs, and she hopes to see an infusion of emergency provincial funding to help sustain them. 

She encourages affected community members to contact North Island College’s Board of Governors and advise against the suspension of the programs.

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The city of Fernie approved a sublease agreement with the Elk Valley Field House Society and the Fernie Outdoor Rink Society to allow them to operate this winter.

The Field House Society is in the process of setting up a new field house on the site of the outdoor rink.

It is a replacement for the community centre that had to be shut down.

However, they haven’t broken ground yet and are letting the Outdoor Rink Society to use that land for one more winter.

Fernie council agreed to allow it in a unanimous vote.

Board member of the Fernie Outdoor Rink Society Jorde Goethals said they have a lot of work to do to get it operational.

“There is still a lot of work to do in a very short time frame given we’re in mid January. We have to work on insurance, volunteer training, operating details, water, lights, etc.,” he said.

“We do believe we can get there but it is a lot to ask. With that said we remain hopeful and committed to best efforts to have ice this winter for at least a few weeks if possible.”

The rink had been decommissioned last spring.

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Shawnigan Lake RCMP are seeking public assistance to identify a suspect linked to a break-and-enter earlier this month.

Police responded to a home on Peterbrook Road on Jan. 13 after receiving a report of a break-and-enter. Mounties viewed surveillance video showing an individual entering the property around 12:20 p.m.

A statement from RCMP describes the suspect as a man between 30 and 40 years old, about five feet 10 inches tall with a brown beard. He was wearing a brown jacket and beige pants.

Investigators are urging residents in the vicinity to check their home cameras for relevant footage. Officers are especially interested in video from Ravenhill Road, Gregory Road and Culdip Road in the Shawnigan Lake Beach Estates.

“Police are asking anyone with home video surveillance in the area of Ravenhill Rd, Gregory Rd and Culdip Rd in the Shawnigan Lake Beach Estates on January 13, 2026 between 11:00 am and 2:00 pm to contact police,” said a statement from Shawnigan Lake RCMP. “Police are also reminding homeowners to lock their doors and to report suspicious activity right away.”

A photo of the suspect is available below.

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The Village of Cumberland is set to develop its 2026 budget and five-year financial plan through 2030.

The draft plan calls for an estimated 3.94 per cent increase to the municipal tax levy, which would cost an extra $26 a month for an average residential property.

This follows community consultation on the draft budget and financial plan in November, including public budget workshops and an open house.

Mayor Vickey Brown said the financial plan reflects the village’s strategy for responding to pressures such as aging infrastructure, rising costs for core services, rapid population growth, climate impacts and extreme weather, housing needs and broader economic uncertainty.

“The Financial Plan reflects how we put our vision into action and responds to the pressures we face: aging infrastructure, rising costs for core services, rapid population growth, climate impacts and extreme weather, housing needs, and the broader economic uncertainty affecting us all,” said Brown. “Our goal, as always, is to maintain or improve service levels, invest in asset renewal, strengthen reserves for long-term stability, and keep tax increases as reasonable as possible.”

Planned projects in the draft financial plan include major street reconstruction, utility upgrades and expanded pedestrian infrastructure.

A statement from the village about its draft budget and financial plan is available on its website.

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The Quesnel Kangaroos and Williams Lake Stampeders will face each other for the fifth time this season on Saturday, January 17th, in the Lake City.

So far, the Roos have had the Stampeders’ number, winning three out of four games, with the Stamps winning their last match-up in December.

Each game has been a close and punchy battle between the two close rivals.

Their final game against each other will be in Quesnel on January 31.

A Brief Look Back:

Last weekend, both teams snagged home wins over Smithers.

The Kangaroos won six to one on Saturday, January 10.

The Roos’ Alessio Tomassetti scored two goals, Christopher Thon and Brody Dale each scored a goal, and picked up two assists.

The Stampeders beat Smithers six to two the following day, on January 11.

Jace Myers and Dawson Forester on the Stamps both scored twice, and Brendan Pigeon picked up two assists.

On Smithers, Brendan Moore scored all three of their goals across last weekend.

The Kangaroos are currently third in the CIHL behind last year’s Coy Cup champions, the Terrace River Kings, and second-place Hazelton Wolverines.

The Roos have 10 wins and four losses this season. The Stampeders are just behind their Cariboo Rivals in fourth place, with eight wins, one overtime win, and six losses.

Brody Dale on Quesnel currently leads the CIHL in points with 40 points total, 21 goals, and 19 assists across 14 games. The Stampeders’ Brendan Pigeon is fourth overall, with 27 points, 10 goals, and 17 assists in the same number of games. And Alessio Tomassetti on the Roo’s in sixth overall, with 25 points, 14 goals, and 11 assists across 12 games.

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Blackwater Mine ended its inaugural operating year with a record quarterly production.

This comes from the quarter four (Q4) results from Artemis Gold Inc., announcing the mine, 160 kilometres southwest of Prince George, produced 68,480 ounces of gold.

It’s a 12 per cent increase when compared to the previous quarter, bringing the full production of 2025 to 192,808 ounces of gold.

The company said the increase was primarily driven by higher mill feed grades and higher processing recoveries.

Looking to this year, the company’s production guidance expects between 265,000 to 290,000 ounces of gold.

Full production results for 2025 and financials will be announced on February 18th, 2026, after the close of markets.

More detailed information about Artemis Gold Inc.’s Q4 can be found here.

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Coombs-Hilliers Volunteer Fire Department has a new chief and a new fire engine. 

The Regional District of Nanaimo said Enzo Calla has taken over as fire chief after the retirement of Ron Schildroth. Calla brings more than 30 years of experience in fire services and emergency management, the district said.  

A new Fort Garry 2025 fire engine will enter service later this month, replacing a 2004 truck that had reached the end of its life cycle. The district said the approximately $1.24-million cost is covered by reserves, short-term borrowing and provincial Community Works funds.  

The custom-built vehicle is designed to meet the challenges of rural firefighting and will help crews respond to a range of emergency and non-emergency calls, the district said.  

The Coombs-Hilliers Volunteer Fire Department serves the communities of Coombs, Hilliers and Whiskey Creek and operates with a team of paid on-call firefighters. 

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The Alzheimer’s Society of B.C. highlighted a pair of Gitxsan sisters who have been affected by dementia as part of Alzheimer’s Awareness Month.

Melody Daniels and Dustie Wilson lost six family members in 2021 including their father and three of his siblings.

The society said when someone in the First Nation passes, the community gathers a year later to share food and raise a headstone in their memory.

While the sisters waited, their mother Kay Wilson, did not.

“She purchased the headstone and put it up herself. That’s not the way of our Gitxsan people, but we know now it was because of dementia,” said Daniels.

She added their mother has helped several through the community including fundraising for youth basketball and managed a Kispiox gas bar for years.

“It sometimes feels like people forget she’s sick – like she doesn’t deserve their time,” Daniels said.

A public health nurse connected the two with the Alzheimer’s Society which helped them feel comfortable reaching out for help.

Daniels had found the website information to be overwhelming and instead turned to the First Link Dementia Helpline.

“The person I talked to was so helpful. She had compassion, she had knowledge, she was understanding and direct with me about what to do,” She said.

A package was mailed to Daniels with various local resources which she felt blessed to have in her reach.

The society added caring for their mother isn’t always easy for the sisters with verbal and physical outbursts of anger happening often.

It continued the older Wilson is a residential school survivor which her kids only learned of recently having never spoken about it before the dementia.

“I wouldn’t be able to do this without my sister and my son. When I’m having a rough day with my mom, I call my sister and she says the words I need to hear,” the younger Wilson said.

Alzheimer’s Awareness Month is an opportunity for people to have conversations about dementia with every journey being unique.

The society said a commonality is the uncertainty, silence, and fear, which Daniels and the younger Wilson described.

A poll done in November by Leger found almost half of Canadians wouldn’t know where to find support if they thought they might have Dementia.

One in four said they would rather not know they had it with two in five people reporting a personal connection to the disease.

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BC Hydro is warning of traffic impacts in Campbell River for an upcoming electrical upgrade project.

Starting Jan. 26, crews will begin work to upgrade critical electrical infrastructure along 16th Avenue between Maple Street and Roberts Reach Road.

The utility said the existing system is nearing capacity and needs reinforcement to support future demand and planned electrification projects.

“These upgrades are required to support future load growth, including BC Ferries’ electrification plans,” BC Hydro said in a written statement. “This work will include installing new underground cables and in some locations overhead pole modifications.”

The project will require lane closures, and the work is expected to continue into summer 2026.

BC Hydro said crews will mobilize to the site on Jan. 19 and are co-ordinating schedules with the City of Campbell River to manage traffic.

BC Hydro advised that electronic message boards and street signage will be installed at key locations, traffic control personnel will be on site, and drivers should plan ahead, drive with caution and expect delays.

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Public engagement on the proposed 2026-28 hunting and trapping regulations is open until February 13^th.

Every 2 years the Province reviews these regulations to support sustainable wildlife management and respect First Nation’s harvest rights, as well as balance conservation with economic and recreational opportunities.

The Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship said approximately 60 proposals are being considered which include changes related to limited-entry hunting and general open-season opportunities.

The Ministry said these proposals are intended to reflect updated wildlife information, conservation priorities and evolving community needs.

Finalized regulations will be published in the Hunting and Trapping Regulations Synopsis which will be in effect from July 1 2026 until June 30 2028.

You can review the proposed changes and provide feedback through the Angling, Hunting and Trapping Engagement website.

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Minister of State for Local Government and Rural Development Brittny Anderson visited Cranbrook to discuss a range of issues facing the city.

“We appreciate Minister Anderson taking the time to meet with us, giving Council the opportunity to share our local concerns and priorities,” said Mayor Wayne Price.

“It is important that we continue to keep the communication channels open between the City and the Province so we can keep advocating for the services and supports Cranbrook needs.”

Discussions revolved around provincial support for RCMP services and the balance between municipal and rural policing resources and how it impacts city taxpayers.

Council also advocated for the creation of a youth rehabilitation and detox centre for the region.

“People want to see their leaders working together to strengthen and protect services, address challenges and pursue opportunities,” said Anderson.

“I appreciate that Cranbrook city council took the time to connect with me about local concerns and priorities, and I look forward to bringing what I heard back to my colleagues.”

Lastly, council reiterated their opposition to provincial Bill M216.

MORE: Cranbrook opposes provincial bill limiting municipal input on developments (Nov. 26, 2025)

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The Village of Radium is welcoming applications for the 2026 intake of the grants in aid program.

Grant funds are given to programs or groups that benefit the community.

Applicants should provide the objective of their program or event, targeted audience, past history of the event, other sources of funding and expected benefits to the community.

Applications will be accepted until Feb. 9.

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City councillor Lynnette Wray has announced her intention to run for mayor of Cranbrook in the fall 2026 municipal election.

“After much thought and reflection, and thanks to the support of family, friends, and community members, I am humbled and honoured to announce my intention to run for Mayor of the City of Cranbrook in the 2026 fall election,” said Councillor Lynnette Wray.

Wray brings a decade of governance experience with a credit union and more than 30 years working in the non-profit sector.

“That has been such an excellent experience learning so much about governance and how to support excellence in operations, but from the governance side of things. I found in my time on council that that’s been really relevant and really helpful, so that’s a key part of what I bring to the table,” said Wray.

“Then of course a 30 year career in the nonprofit sector, and for those of us who work in the nonprofit sector, you know if anyone can make a budget stretch, it’s somebody in the nonprofit sector. If you can find a way to do something more efficiently and effectively, it’s in the nonprofit sector. So I bring that to the table as well,” Wray stated.

Wray said she has worked to make a positive impact during her time on council, focusing on practical solutions, communication and collaboration. She said her goal is to serve the best interests of all Cranbrook residents.

“It’s been such an honour to serve on council for these past three years, of course, I still have eight months to go to continue to serve as a busy and engaged city councillor. I really love Cranbrook, I love our community and I care deeply about Cranbrook’s long-term success and vibrancy. When I ask myself, where can I add the most value to our community in this coming election, I believe it’s as a candidate for Mayor,” Wray said.

Wray acknowledges the prominent issues the city is dealing with including the need for housing and the mental health and addictions crisis.

“There’s no doubt that we have more than a few challenges, many of which are shared by communities across BC and Canada, so we are not alone. Those challenges certainly include the need for housing across the full continuum. So that’s a full variety of housing, and it’s so awesome to see the construction that’s happening and all of the building permits that are going out,” said Wray.

“We know as well, that addictions and mental health is a crisis in our province and across the country. The city of Cranbrook is so fortunate to have such amazing community partners to work with, and together, we are doing such excellent work there. Those are difficult challenges, so that’s going to continue to be something we need to work on,” Wray added. 

She also pointed to external economic pressures affecting local businesses, along with the rising cost of replacing aging infrastructure.

“It’s really important to grow our local economy. We need to broaden our tax base and we can do that, by being welcoming to new businesses, by supporting our current businesses, and with our addition of housing, welcoming new residents to Cranbrook. So that’s all part of growing our revenue. So, of course, we want to be controlling expenses on that side of things, but we also want to be growing our revenue. And that’s how we can really try to create financial sustainability in our city,” said Wray.

“Another key issue to touch on is asset management, ageing infrastructure, again, an issue across BC. I believe Cranbrook is really getting ahead of the curve on that. We’ve got some senior managers at the city who are experts in this area, and we’ve made really good progress on asset management during this term, and I definitely will be looking to continue that moving forward,” Wray added.

Despite the challenges, Wray expresses the strengths of Cranbrook and opportunities that can lead to a more positive, stable community.

“At the same time, as a community, we have so many strengths and opportunities to build on: our creative and dedicated local business people; our vibrant and resilient non-profit sector; our leading role as a regional centre for education, health, and government services; and the natural beauty that surrounds us, just to name a few,” Wray said. 

Wray thanks the residents of Cranbrook for their support and emphasizes her focus on being impartial and unbiased.

“I’d like to thank the 3,200 plus folks who voted for me in the last election. I really appreciate your belief and faith in me, and I hope I’ve lived up to that. My job as a councillor has been to represent all citizens of Cranbrook, and that’s what I’ll bring to the table as mayor as well,” stated Wray.

“So my focus is definitely on being nonpartisan. We’re here for everybody who lives in our community, and although other levels of government have a partisan focus, that’s not what our local mayor and council is about. We are nonpartisan, we’re here to represent everyone,” said Wray

Wray hopes for purposeful discussions with residents on how they can enhance the City of Cranbrook.

“I’m here to be professional, proactive, and really look forward to talking with folks in the coming months. Hearing about their concerns, and also their strategies for success. I think we can become a community that really seeks solutions and creates solutions. As well as build a prosperous, healthy, and inclusive community and we can do that by working together. Please feel free to reach out to me, and let’s talk,” said Wray.

Wray also extends thanks to Mayor Price, the councillors, and city staff who devote their time to the community and its members.

“I would like to share my sincere thanks and appreciation with Mayor Price and all members of council as well as with the City’s management and staff; it is an honour and a privilege to work with such dedicated and caring people,” said Wray.

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The City of Cranbrook will be exploring ways to sway more doctors to set up shop in Cranbrook.

Council voted in favour to have an exploratory meeting with the East Kootenay Division of Family Practice.

Doctor recruitment is always a focus for the city but, they are looking to ramp up efforts as the province tries to recruit more doctors from the U.S.

The city is already taking some extra steps to improve their recruitment efforts, including doctor specific child care spaces.

“We’re currently in discussions with Interior Health around securing a few spaces in our new daycare that the city is building, strictly for the purpose of recruitment for healthcare,” said CAO Mark Fercho.

Mayor Wayne Price said child care availability is one of the main concerns they hear from health professionals.

“It’s something that is often forgotten,” he added.

“When we talk to professionals that are looking to move to Cranbrook, one of the top things they ask is do you have adequate daycare and we haven’t had adequate daycare here.”

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January is Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, with this year’s focus on reminding people living with dementia and those who support them that they are not alone.

Danielle Bywater, a support and education co-ordinator with the Alzheimer Society of B.C.’s First Link program for the West Kootenay region, said stigma and isolation remain major challenges for those affected by dementia.

“We want to ensure that people affected by dementia know that they are not alone, that’s both people who are living with the disease as well as their care partners,” said Bywater.

“We want to show that there’s others that have felt meaning, connection, and even joy after a dementia diagnosis.”

Despite growing awareness, Bywater said many people delay seeking help when symptoms begin because of fear or misunderstanding, sometimes even before receiving a formal diagnosis.

“People find that they are increasingly isolated when they get the diagnosis or even before they have that diagnosis and are noticing some changes but are not really wanting to get them checked out,” she said.

“It can lead to that reluctance. And we know that once they get that diagnosis, there’s new treatment options, there’s support options that can make that journey a little bit easier.”

As part of Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, the Alzheimer Society of B.C. is hosting a public information session in Nelson on Saturday, in partnership with the Nelson Seniors Coordinating Society.

The session will focus on dementia education and explore simple strategies that can create a more supportive, inclusive and welcoming community for people affected by the disease.

“Many people reach out to us because they want to help, but they’re not sure how,” Bywater said.

“We’ll start with some basic information about dementia, including signs and symptoms people might notice in family members or in day-to-day interactions.”

The session will also address stigma and barriers faced by people living with dementia, including challenges in public spaces.

“There’s environmental barriers for people living with dementia. For example, signage. Is it legible and easy to understand?” Bywater said.

“A dementia-friendly community goes through the community and works towards making it inclusive so that people living with dementia can thrive in their communities for as long as possible.”

The session is open to the public, but caregivers and people in the early stages of dementia are strongly encouraged to attend.

“It’s really for everyone, but I especially would encourage those people who are caring for someone or maybe suspect that someone they care for is showing signs.”

“Nelson has a really strong sense of community. This session is for anyone who wants to learn more our society and the resources we offer.”

Bywater said dementia does not affect only older adults, despite common misconceptions.

While age is the strongest risk factor, people can be diagnosed under 65, a condition known as young-onset dementia.

“People are diagnosed as early as in their 30s. It’s not just a disease that affects older people.”

According to Interior Health data, 253 people in Nelson had an official dementia diagnosis as of last year. 

“And we know that there’s many more,” Bywater said.“Dementia doesn’t just affect the person, it affects their entire family.”

Bywater hopes those attending Saturday’s session leave with both knowledge and reassurance.

“I hope people leave knowing they are not alone, and for those who aren’t personally affected, I hope they learn that it’s possible to live a fulfilling life with dementia and to create meaningful, supportive connections in the community.” 

The session will run from 2:15 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 17, at the Nelson Seniors Centre, 717 Vernon St.

More information about Alzheimer’s Awareness Month events and online webinars is available through the Alzheimer Society of B.C.’s website. 

The organization also operates a helpline for anyone seeking information or support. 

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Courtenay’s website shakeup last year has earned international recognition. 

The City of Courtenay said its website received a Gold AVA Digital Award in the website redesign category, recognising excellence in digital design, accessibility and production. 

Manager of communications Anne Guillo said the recognition reflects the work that goes into keeping the website up to date and accessible for users every day. 

“The website redesign was a shared effort with involvement from staff across all city departments, and we’re so pleased that this work has been recognized through this award.”

The AVA Digital Awards are an international competition that honours work in digital communication, including websites and digital experiences. 

The redesigned website, created by the city and its digital partner Upanup, was developed to improve access to information, support transparency and better serve users. 

The city gathered community feedback to help develop the new website, which was designed with a strong focus on accessibility and usability. 

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Kamloops-Centre MLA Peter Milobar said Friday he will run in the B.C. Conservative Party’s leadership race.

He made the announcement Friday outside the legislature, highlighting what he says is a health care system in crisis and concerns about private property being threatened by Indigenous title rights.

Milobar served as mayor of Kamloops from 2008 to 2017, when he was elected as a B.C. Liberal MLA. He held critic roles and served as Opposition house leader with the Liberals. He was finance critic after the party rebranded to B.C. United, a role he now holds with the B.C. Conservatives.

Fellow ex-Liberal Iain Black also announced Thursday he plans to enter the race.

Political commentator and former B.C. United vice-president and candidate Caroline Elliott also formally launched her campaign on Friday. Elliott is known for her criticism of “woke” political views and Indigenous reconciliation.

The North Vancouver resident posted a campaign video and a link to a campaign website to social media on Friday.

Her entrance into the contest was telegraphed earlier this week by high-profile conservative strategist Kory Teneycke, who revealed on a podcast he’d be managing her campaign.

The growing field of leadership hopefuls also includes Vancouver businessman Yuri Fulmer, Prince George-North Cariboo MLA Sheldon Clare and Rossland contractor Warren Hamm.

Surrey-White Rock MLA Trevor Halford took over as interim party leader after John Rustad bowed to pressure from his caucus and stepped down in early December.

The B.C. Conservatives said earlier this month they had formed a committee to oversee its leadership race, chaired by former Conservative Party of Canada president Scott Lamb.

Lamb said the committee is working on setting rules for the leadership contest and will announce an election as soon as possible.

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Ladysmith town council has finalized several key decisions as part of its 2026 budget deliberations.

Council approved a 5.82 per cent increase over last year’s tax levy as part of the ongoing financial planning process.

Early budget approvals include funding for several community priorities, including $1.19 million for artificial turf replacement at Forrest Field, $210,500 for a new playground at Brown Drive Park and $400,000 to replace a section of watermain on Buller Street.

Council also approved funding for environmental initiatives, including the final phase of the Uplands remediation, public engagement on City Hall options, storm main upgrades and new composting equipment.

The tax increase will support the maintenance of core services and advance infrastructure improvements as council continues work on its 2026–2030 financial plan.

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School District 72 is working to rebuild its online learning program to give students more options to stay engaged, complete graduation requirements and balance their schedules.

The board of education said work on the district’s online learning program stopped in 2021, after the Ministry of Education and Child Care indicated online learning programs would be centralized across the province.

“The current program is a soft start, serving just under 60 students with two dedicated staff members embedded in local high schools,” the school district said in a release. “This model allows students to learn online while still having access to in-person support. Teachers can check in with students directly, offer drop-in help, and ensure no one is learning in isolation.”

The board said as the program continues to grow, the focus will remain on student well-being, choice and access.

Online learning principal Kai Taylor provided an update to the board at its meeting on Jan. 13, outlining a renewed focus on meeting students’ needs.

The district said online learning allows students to balance trades training, athletics, mental and physical health and other responsibilities.

“Every student’s reason is different,” Taylor said. “There is no single story. That flexibility is the strength of this model.”

The district said online learning is not intended to replace classroom instruction but offers an alternative for students whose needs differ from traditional in-class learning.

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They gave it the old college try.

A 25-point 4th quarter, which included some clutch shot making proved to be the difference for the UBC Thunderbirds in an 88-74 victory over the UNBC Timberwolves at the Northern Sports Centre on Thursday night.

It was a woeful night from long-range for UNBC going a chilly 5-for-34 in the game, while the Thunderbirds were 7-for-14 from three-point land.

UBC had six players reach double-digit points including Nicola Guzina who had a team-high 19 points to go along with seven rebounds.

Holt Tomie, Gus Goerzen, Nylan Roberts, Zeru Abera and Edouard Gauthier also tallied ten points or more in the contest as the Thunderbirds improved to 11-2 on the season.

Isiah Bias had a strong out in defeat for the 2-11 T-Wolves with 19 points. Second-year big-man Miller Davies hooped 18 points and had a perfect 8-for-8 showing on field goals.

UNBC was once again without Canada West leading top-scorer Evgeni Baukin due to injury.

In seven games this season, the fourth-year player has averaged 25.7 points per game.

In women’s action, the Thunderbirds improved 9-4 on the campaign after a convincing 84-49 win against UNBC.

Ten UBC players recorded at least one bucket in the game, including Cassie Joli-Coeur who put up a team high 20 points while coming off the bench.

Olivia Weeks proved to be a monster at both ends of the court for the visiting T-Birds tallying 14 points and 10 rebounds.

Her teammate and UBC Okanagan transfer Jaeli Ibbetson recorded six points and 15 rebounds.

Viktoriia Filatova recorded 14 points in 30 minutes of action for UNBC.

UBC went 31-for-79 on field goals while the Timberwolves (1-12), only converted on 24.6% of their attempts (14-for-57).

Both UNBC basketball teams are back in action on Saturday when they take on the Fraser Valley Cascades at 5pm (women) and 7pm (men) from Brownridge Court at the Northern Sports Centre.

Saturday also marks Shoot for the Cure Night, where the T-Wolves women’s basketball team will be wearing special pink jerseys.

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Tiny Tim is this week’s Pet of the Week from the BC SPCA in Castlegar!

Tiny Tim isn’t named for his size, but for his sweet looks and gentle, lovable personality. Though he may be overlooked at first because of his subtle coloring and slightly gimpy appearance, to the right person he will be a constant reminder of hope, resilience, and love.
Tim may start out shy, but once he feels comfortable, he blossoms into an affectionate, kind, and gentle little companion, spreading joy and warmth wherever he goes. He loves playtime, enjoys company, and thrives in a home where he feels appreciated, safe, and supported.

Tiny Tim would do best in a low-to-mid energy household with people who value patience, quiet companionship, and lots of affection. He also enjoys the company of friendly pets, making him happiest in a home where he can share love and play with gentle animal friends. Tim is the perfect little heart-stealer for someone ready to appreciate his unique charm and shower him with love.

If he sounds like the kitty for you, check out more about him here: https://adopt.spca.bc.ca/pets/788381/

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Prince George will be a bit busier next week, as the BC Natural Resources Forum will be at the Conference and Civic Centre.

The City said parking may be hard to find in the area, however, there are plenty of on and off-street options within a 400-meter radius of the Canfor Leisure Pool.

It’s reminding residents of the downtown parking regulations, including:

• Free parking in the Civic Plaza lot is available for patrons of the Prince George Conference and Civic Centre, Two Rivers Gallery, and the Canfor Leisure Pool, Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visitors must scan the QR code inside each facility to register their license plate and qualify for free parking.
• Overflow parking for pool users is available at the old Fire Hall #1 site, next to City Hall, during the event.
• Free on-street parking downtown is available for up to three hours except in designated no parking zones.
• Off-street parking can be purchased in parkades or surface parking lots for $1.50 per hour. Full-day parking passes are available for $8.
• Parking is free on weekends, statutory holidays, and on weekdays after 5 p.m. in all City lots and timed zones.

The BC Natural Resources Forum will go from January 20th to the 23rd, with a parking map of downtown PG here.

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A Prince George softball player is taking her talents south of the border.

Danaya McIsaac committed to the USC Union Landy Bantams Junior College program in South Carolina.

The Lady Bantams compete in the National Junior College Athletic Association.

McIsaac, who attends College Heights Secondary School, previously played for the Abbotsford Outlaws and the Prince George Thunderbirds.

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Comox Valley RCMP are seeking public assistance to locate a missing youth.

Police said 16-year-old Benton Smith was last seen in Courtenay on Jan. 8 and reported missing. Smith is described as Caucasian, 5 feet-10 inches tall and weighing 181 lb with brown hair and blue eyes.

RCMP said they are concerned for Smith’s health and well-being.

Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to contact RCMP or CrimeStoppers.

A photo of Smith is posted below.

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The Regional District of Kitimat-Stikine has issued an evacuation order, hazard notice, and declared a state of local emergency for Electoral Area B.

This is due to an ice jam which has caused the Kispiox River to flood.

Properties under the evacuation order include:

• 2240 Poplar Park Road
• 4917 Kispiox Valley Road
• Cassiar Land District Lot 2281
• 4637 Kispiox Valley Road

The Hazard Notice includes all properties adjacent to the river due to the risk of flooding.

Residents are being asked to avoid riverbanks and to move any vehicles, equipment, and property away from flood-prone areas.

The State of Emergency is currently set to expire on January 28th.

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A 46-year-old Castlegar man is in custody accused of break and enter and theft.

RCMP say on Dec. 16 a burglary was reported by a business in the 1000 block of Columbia Avenue. RCMP identified a local resident as a suspect and arrested him three days later. He was released on bail.

On Jan. 3, while following up on an investigation, police learned about a theft from a vehicle that occurred last June. The victim said tools and a portable speaker had been stolen, although the theft was not reported at the time.

Police say they reviewed surveillance footage from the theft and believed the same man arrested for the Dec. 16 break-in was responsible. He was arrested again on Jan. 13 and released again on bail, including a condition not to return to the property where the theft from the vehicle occurred.

However, the next day police received a report that he had returned to the same property in the 1900 block of Columbia Avenue. They say he was seen trying to enter a business and trying door handles on parked vehicles. He was later located and arrested for breaching bail conditions.

Erik Larsen has been charged with break and enter with intent to commit an indictable offence, theft under $5,000, and failing to comply with a condition of an undertaking.

He’s being held in custody at least until he appears in court on Feb. 11.

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The City of Cranbrook and BC Transit are launching a month long engagement survey regarding Cranbrook’s local transit system and the fares starting today.

Substantial changes for the transit network are being proposed with the creation of the Transit Future Service Plan (TFSP). 

You have until Feb.15, 2026 to have your say in the changes. 

Fill out the survey online at engage.bctransit.com/cranbrook-transit, or you can fill out a paper survey at one of the available locations, including City Hall, Public Library, Josephs Creek Care Village, F.W. Green Home, Kootenay Street Village, Community Living Centre, Western Financial Place at the pool desk or REALM Main Office.

This is your chance to ensure these suggested changes will work for you, as the TFSP will have a significant impact on transit in the region.

The survey will be open for input until Feb. 15, 2026

For more information visit bctransit.com/cranbrook.

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The Tsilhqot’in Nation announced yesterday (January 15) their commitment by advancing and funding urgent mitigation measures to prevent imminent rockfall at Farwell Canyon on the Chilcotin River, a critical corridor for Fraser River salmon migration.

The Tsilhqot’in National Government leads the Emergency Salmon Task Force created in response to the Chilcotin River landslide in 2024.

The Nation said the Task Force has warned further rockslides during the salmon migration period could be catastrophic and long-lasting creating migration delays similar to the 2019 Big Bar landslide.

“Salmon are the heart of our culture and who we are as People of the River,” Tribal Chief Otis Guichon Sr said, “These salmon feed Indigenous communities all along the Fraser River.”

The TNG said the Task Force has developed a proactive slope stabilization plan that includes manual scaling and target trim blasting, a well established and common approach for stabilizing slopes for infrastructure projects.

It was designed, assessed and supported for urgent action by all Task Force partners which include representatives of the Tsilhqot’in National Government, BC and the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and the Upper Fraser Fisheries Conservation Alliance.

“It’s unthinkable to us that Canada and BC would have full knowledge of this risk to salmon, have a mitigation plan that was developed together and ready to go, and still not take the steps needed to prevent catastrophe,” Guichon Sr said.

The Nation stated they were alarmed by recent indications from both Canada and BC that funding will not be made available to support this proactive mitigation plan before the 2026 migration.

To that, the TNG announced it’s commitment to fund this mitigation work itself if government will not step up to prevent this potential catastrophe.

The Nation said they have proactively engaged provincial and federal authorities to initiate permitting and is fully committed to consulting all impacted First Nations along the Fraser River who depend on these salmon for their sustenance and way of life.

“We ask government and all affected First Nations to stand with us and put the salmon first when they need us most,” Guichon Sr said.

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The ice in Trail’s Cominco Arena won’t be removed this spring.

Facilities maintenance manager Brenden Oglow told city council this week that the city has received feedback from user groups that they would like to see the ice left in all year.

Recent renovations to the arena floor and dehumidification system have provided the infrastructure to make it to happen.

Oglow said they will keep an eye on the costs. He said there will be increased electricity use, and it will require more staff to maintain, but it will be offset by time not spent on putting the ice in and taking it out.

“We believe the impact overall would be very positive for the community and for the West Kootenay in general,” he said. “We’d be the only rink running summertime ice. I think we’d attract a lot of users to the facility and to the area.”

Events that normally use the arena after the ice is removed, such as graduation ceremonies, will still be accommodated, Oglow said. The ice will be covered with plywood, something that will be tested next month during BC Winter Games ceremonies.

Council unanimously passed a motion endorsing the idea of year-round ice, and asked for a report back next year.

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Sports by Hartley Friday, January 16th, 2026  as of 12:05 a.m.

Canada West Basketball

(Men)

UBC Thunderbirds  88  UNBC Timberwolves  74

(Women)

UBC Thunderbirds  84  UNBC Timberwolves  49

The Timberwolves are back in action Saturday in Shoot for the Cure Night when they host the Fraser Valley Cascades starting with the women’s game at 5:00 followed by the men at 7:00.

UNBC is 2-11 (men) and 1-12 (women).

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FireSmart work is now complete on vacant hospital district lands in Westview.

The qathet Regional District said the project took place between late November and mid-December on property near Abbotsford Street, funded through the Union of B.C. Municipalities’ Community Resiliency Investment Program, which supports activities that reduce wildfire risk.

Crews focused on vegetation management, removing excess ground fuels and trimming lower tree branches to reduce wildfire risk.

FireSmart co-ordinator Noel Poulin said the improvements lower the risk of a major forest fire in the area and bring peace of mind to nearby residents.

“The Hospital Board Lands are in the heart of Westview and the fire smarting of this property will vastly reduce the hazard of a wide spread forest fire on this property,” said Poulin. “The limiting of this risk is a relief to the neighbours and the community in general, and we thank the UBCM for their generous support to complete this project.”

The qRD FireSmart program operates throughout the region, including Powell River and surrounding electoral areas, with an emphasis on wildfire education and prevention.

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The snowpack in the Prince George area was higher than normal to start the year.

According to the BC River Forecast Centre’s first Snow Survey and Water Supply Bulletin of 2026, the snowpack in the Upper Fraser East basin was at 115 per cent of normal as of January 1st, while the Upper Fraser West was at 96 per cent of normal.

The provincial average came in at 107 per cent of normal.

“It is skewed a little bit by the south coast, particularly the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island which are there areas that were below normal, because in general, most of the rest of the province is above normal, and in some cases well above normal,” said BC River Forecast Centre Hydrologist Jonathan Boyd.

Boyd said this was because of a snowy December.

“November ended up being, since 1988, it essentially tied for the lowest snow accumulation at the 50 stations or so that have the long-term record,” he said.

“Then December hit and it ended up being the snowiest December from provincial distribution at high level mountain snowpack since 1988, so it’s the highest that we’ve measured.”

Boyd added this came from the atmospheric rivers that pounded the southern part of our province, which spilled over into the interior parts of B.C. and a substantial increase.

Coming back to the Prince George area, Boyd noted the numbers tend to skewer to the higher elevation side of things.

“It’s just because there is more data in the snow that does occur when flooding occurs, which typically would be May or June, like the lower elevation snow will usually melt by March or April,” he said.

He added they’re anticipating a higher February 1st number.

“The snow has continued to accumulate at just a little bit above a normal pace for the first half of the month,” Boyd said.

“We may actually lose a little bit of snow in the mountains as well, just because of how warm it is, not necessarily expecting any dramatic changes but certainly the valley bottom snow is melting on a quicker pace, if it still even exists.”

Boyd added that January 1st, usually around half of the snowpack of the season has occurred.

“Essentially there’s still another half of the season to go for accumulation, and of course things can change by the 15th, as of today, it’s usually about 60 per cent,” he said.

“What that means we are trending towards a higher snowpack than normal, which means that this bulletin is the first heads up for the Prince George area that the freshet in the spring could be a risk for flooding.”

Boyd added any actual flooding would depend on precipitation and temperatures in April, May and June.

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School District 57 Trustees were caught in a lengthy discussion around special funds for secondary athletics during Tuesday’s public meeting.

The motion, put forward by Trustee Cory Antrim, highlighted the need to help ease financial and logistical barriers for student athletics, noting provincial funding cuts over the years.

While Trustees weren’t against the motion, Board Chair Craig Brennan said numerous questions and concerns were raised regarding specifics, equity, and how it would differ from existing grants.

“With an issue like this, it’s hard to argue against it, but you really want to understand what it is that’s on the table.”

“That’s the work I’m looking for now, is to take this concept that Trustee Antrim talked about as a motion, and it to be fully formed into something that we can have some healthy debate.”

Superintendent Jameel Aziz noted during discussions that a process of creating a District Athletics Council was also done last year, giving a more centralized approach to supporting athletics, similar to what other School Districts provide.

For what Trustees can do, Brennan said they can advocate to the government.

“As a board, we need to continue to advocate, so when we find a sort of a thread, we can healthily debate it and say hey, lets get loud about this and advocate to say ‘can we put resources back into this, it’ll be good for kids.’”

Brennan said while this issue falls under operations, it does have governance overlap, allowing for more discussion.

The motion to have the Superintendent work with staff, principals, athletic directors, and sports coaches to understand the landscape and opportunities for equity and report back at May’s board meeting was narrowly passed.

The vote ended 4-3, with the opposed being Trustees Shar McCrory, Sarah Holland, and Rachael Weber.

Other items discussed during the public meeting include the 2026-2031 Strategic Plan, catchment and capacity, and graduation rates.

The full agenda can be found here.

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The holiday season has come and gone, and Alert Bay RCMP is marking another successful year for its community Christmas sleigh.

The detachment said the sleigh has become a holiday tradition since its introduction in 2020. The project was the brainchild of Const. Scott MacDonald and the Whe-la-la-u area council.

“The Christmas sleigh is a wonderful example of what can happen when police, Indigenous partners and the community work together,” said Sgt. David Ribeiro, detachment commander of the Alert Bay RCMP. “Constable MacDonald put an incredible amount of heart and volunteer time into bringing this vision to life, and it has become a highlight of the Christmas season for so many families. We are proud to be part of something that brings people together year after year.”

The sleigh makes its rounds around Alert Bay each year on Dec. 18, towed by an RCMP cruiser, and remains in the town square until early January.

RCMP said the sleigh is now back in storage until next winter and the detachment looks forward to continuing the holiday tradition in 2026.

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The City of Nanaimo is reminding dog owners to renew their licences for the new year. 

“Dog licences are one of the most effective ways to keep your furry friend safe. Every year, hundreds of lost dogs are quickly reunited with their owners because they are licensed. Licensing is the most reliable way to ensure your pet finds its way home,” said Ana Francisco, manager of revenue services for the city.  

Licence fees vary based on whether the dog has been spayed or neutered, and there is a 16 per cent discount for renewals made on or before Feb. 28.  

Licences can be purchased online or at the City of Nanaimo’s Services and Resource Centre at 411 Dunsmuir Street and the Nanaimo Animal Shelter at 1260 Nanaimo Lakes Road.  

All dogs older than 12 weeks are required to be licenced, and all proceeds from the licences go to the Nanaimo Animal Shelter. 

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The West Kootenay snowpack is sitting well above normal levels for this time of year, but rapid temperature swings and repeated rain events are keeping avalanche forecasters cautious. 

Speaking at a State of the Snowpack event in Nelson on Wednesday, Jan. 14, Whitewater Ski Resort avalanche forecaster Jason Wishlow said the region is currently sitting at about 120 per cent of normal snowpack. 

“Historically, we’re in one of our better seasons,” said Wishlow.  

“We are seeing a significant amount of snow, and we’re also seeing a lot of water being held in the snowpack. That’s going to be really good for us in the summer when we’re 35 degrees.” 

Despite the strong levels, he said warm weather and rain events earlier this season created multiple crust layers, specifically below the 2,000-metre mark, including much of the Whitewater Ski Resort area. 

“So current state of the snowpack is changing rapidly, regularly, and it’s full of crusts,” said Wishlow. 

Those crusts, according to Wishlow, are generally helping keep the snowpack stable as they prevent deeper avalanche failures, creating what he said forecasters call a “right side up” snowpack. 

However, he warned that rain events can destabilize conditions quickly. 

“It is incredible how fast rain will destabilize a snowpack,” he said. 

“If you’re ever out and it starts raining [in the back country], take notice because you can really get caught and the world can start falling down in a hurry once it starts raining.” 

Warm temperatures earlier this week triggered a widespread natural avalanche cycle at Whitewater, including wet slab and wet loose avalanches up to size 2.5. 

As of Jan. 14, Avalanche Canada rated the local danger as moderate at alpine elevations. Wishlow said forecasters expect that hazard to drop temporarily as colder temperatures refreeze the surface. 

“we’re expecting a refreeze, which means all that moist snow we had freezes solid and basically you have one big crust that’s covering everything,’ explained Wishlow. “Now that doesn’t mean it’s impossible to trigger an avalanche. It just means it’s a lot harder.” 

Looking ahead, the region is forecast to enter another stretch of warmer, high-pressure weather, likely to bring spring-like temperatures during the day, followed by freezing overnight – an unusual pattern for January. 

“The roller coaster ride continues,” said Wishlow. “Conditions can change fast. Expect more variability this season. We’re going to get storms. We’re going to be skiing pow. We’re going to be super stoked. But the way the season’s going, I expect the highs and lows likely to continue.” 

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Former B.C. Liberal cabinet minister Iain Black says he plans to run in the B.C. Conservative leadership race.

Black made the announcement at an event in Port Coquitlam on Thursday.

He said in a statement the party needs a candidate who can hit the ground running.

“In my conversations with party members and supporters over the past six weeks, the message was clear: this cannot be a long-game solution. We must be ready to win now—and ready to govern immediately, with a disciplined team, a serious plan, and a clear focus on results,” said Black.

Black handled a number of portfolios in Gordon Campbell’s cabinet, including serving as labour minister until he resigned in 2011. He went on to head the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade until 2019.

He was a Conservative candidate for the Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam riding in last year’s federal election, losing to Liberal Ron McKinnon.

Black joins a growing list of candidates who have announced a bid for the party’s leadership. It includes Vancouver businessman Yuri Fulmer, Prince George-North Cariboo MLA Sheldon Clare, political commentator Caroline Elliot, and Rossland contractor Warren Hamm.

Surrey-White Rock MLA Trevor Halford is serving as interim leader of the party, and has said he doesn’t plan to run.

The party said it has formed a committee to develop the rules for the race and a leadership election would be announced soon.

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Congratulations, Comox — you don’t look a day older than 79.

A celebration Wednesday night at the Comox Archives and Museum and the Pearl Ellis Art Gallery marked the 80th anniversary of the incorporation of the Town of Comox.

The event featured several guests sharing stories about the town’s past and the unveiling of the museum’s 80 Years: A Comox Time Capsule exhibit.

Mayor Nicole Minions was pleased to see the community come together to celebrate the milestone anniversary.

Mayor Nicole Minions comments:

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If it felt warm in Sparwood on Wednesday, that’s because it was.

The area set a new daily high temperature record on Jan. 14, reaching 8.5 C. The previous record was 6.8 C, set in 1994.

Environment Canada data show weather records in the Sparwood area have been kept since 1969.

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Fernie council has approved the recipients of the 2026 discretionary grants.

Applications for this round of grants totaled $16,500, but only $8,000 is being given out.

The Cycling Without Age Fernie Foundation is getting $2,000. Funds will be used to support the free Trishaw rides that are provided to reconnect seniors and individuals with limited mobility to the outdoors.

Meanwhile, $2,000 is going to the Elk River Watershed Alliance for a youth education program.

Both the Elk Valley Rugby Football Club and Ghostrider Adventure Camp Foundation are getting $1,500 in funding.

Fernie Elks Lodge #81 rounds out the list with $1,000.

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The Rotary Club of Smithers has donated $14,500 to the Auntie’s Kitchen program.

The program was started by RCMP Victim Services worker Shannon William in collaboration with the Northern Society of Domestic Peace.

According to Rotary, the funds were half of what was raised through its 2025 online auction.

Police said the funds will be used to help sustain and expand workshops that give women the time, space, and support needed to heal, build confidence, and reconnect with their strengths.

“Auntie’s Kitchen shows how important it is to have services alongside policing, where connection can help prevent crises and support families as they rebuild,” said Staff Sergeant Ryan Law.

Through workshops, the program helps those participating explore topics like grief and loss, healthy relationships, food preservation, and communication styles.

“The women who take part are cycle breakers, creating safer and healthier futures for themselves, their families, and their communities,” said William.

Anyone looking for more information about the program, or are interested in future participation opportunities, is asked to contact the Smithers detachment.

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Stormwater may start as a weather problem but can quickly become an infrastructure problem.

The City of Campbell River is reviewing how it funds stormwater management to ensure the system is strong, protects infrastructure and waterways, and that costs are shared fairly.

Stormwater is rain, melting snow or ice that runs off impervious surfaces such as driveways, parking lots, roads and rooftops.

These surfaces often contain chemicals, oils and debris that can be carried into local waterways.

According to a study posted by the city, Campbell River’s stormwater system includes more than 165 km of storm sewers, 118 km of ditches, 4,313 catch basins, 83 outfalls and 14 km of culverts.

There are also 25 stormwater management ponds, 42,825 storm service connections and 2,911 maintenance holes.

The study said Campbell River’s stormwater system is aging and was designed before extreme weather events were widely considered.

“Proactive and sustainable funding for our stormwater system helps protect public and private property, keeps our waters clean and builds resilience so our community can better handle extreme weather events,” the study said.

According to the study, without regular investment the city risks flooding and property damage, polluted waterways and higher emergency response costs.

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A 57-year-old man has pleaded guilty one count of arson damaging property in relation to September’s CrossRoads Brewing fire to its downtown location.

Richard Titchener appeared in court on Monday. He was arrested by police on September 8th and was taken into custody.

Prince George Fire Crews responded to the blaze just before 3 o’clock that morning.

The damage estimate came out to $1.8 million dollars.

Titchener’s next court appearance is set for April 7th in PG to schedule a date for a sentencing hearing.

During a Standing Committee meeting on public safety, Crossroads owner Daryl Leiski stated they will not rebuild in this current climate citing there were multiple times they’ve asked for help from Bylaw Services for needles, human excrement, broken windows, or fires in the back alley.

The blaze put 50 out of work.

– with files from Darin Bain, MyPGNow.com staff

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Cranbrook council has decided to follow policy and won’t be granting funding to the Cranbrook and District Restorative Justice Society.

The society requested $10,000 in emergency bridge funding to sustain basic operations until longer-term funding decisions are finalized.

Councillor Stetski agreed to put a motion on the table for half of the request.

“I would like to propose a motion that we do support up to $5,000 from last year’s council contingency. We had a little over $5,000 left,” he said.

“After speaking with both the RCMP and Cranbrook staff, they pointed out that having restorative justice in place relieves a lot of the cost from the RCMP having to proceed with charges.”

However, other councillors didn’t want to open it up since, the group had applied in the city’s annual grant intake.

Councillor Norma Blissett didn’t feel good about just giving money to one group that applied, while other local groups also didn’t get funding.

“Then we should open it up that all the groups who didn’t get full funding come back to us and ask again, which we really don’t want,” she said.

“Yes this is a worthwhile group, but every group that applies for money from our grants is a worthwhile group. We spent a fare bit of time on that process and it is the will of council. We all submitted our input, weighed it out and made our decisions.”

The motion to approve $5,000 was shot down in a 5-1 vote.

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The District of Invermere is taking steps to address concerns about the compost site next to the off-leash dog park.

There have been issues with wildlife being attracted to the compost site and getting into altercations with dogs.

“We care deeply about dog safety and wildlife stewardship and appreciate your cooperation as we work toward a long-term solution,” said district officials.

In the short term, the compost has been tarped and staff will be monitoring the site.

The Regional District of East Kootenay owns the site. The District of Invermere said it will work with the regional district to explore options for relocation, improved fencing and better controls.

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The Fording River Mine expansion has formally entered British Columbia’s environmental assessment process public comment period.

Public feedback will be accepted until Feb. 15.

Elk Valley Resources is looking to expand its operations along the Fording River to extend the mine’s life by approximately 35 years.

There have been issues with high levels of selenium being discharged into waterways in the Elk Valley.

“The fact that this expansion is being proposed while existing Elk Valley mines pollute aquatic ecosystems and drinking water should be grounds alone for the B.C. government to reject this proposal,” said Simon Wiebe, Mining Impacts and Policy Lead at Wildsight.

“This public comment period is an opportunity for everyone affected by this crisis to speak up and make sure that B.C. listens.”

In October, the Ktunaxa Nation expressed their concerns with the expansion due to EVR’s water quality compliance.

The company has been fined multiple times for water quality violations and mitigation delays.

This is the second of four public comment periods on this project.

An online information session is planned for Jan. 22 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Two in person open houses will also take place.

One is from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Causeway Bay Hotel in Sparwood on Jan. 28.

The second is from 2:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Best Western Plus Fernie Mountain Lodge on Jan. 29.

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19 Wing Comox has secured another housing arrangement to support its members. 

North Island College and 19 Wing Comox have announced a temporary housing agreement that will see members accommodated in tul’al’txw, NIC’s new student housing complex. 

“This partnership reflects how we can work together to respond to real and immediate needs, while staying grounded in shared values of learning, service, and community,” said NIC President and CEO Lisa Domae. 

The agreement is the second housing announcement made by 19 Wing Comox in the past month, after they acquired a building on Cumberland Road in December. 

The partnership will provide 60 beds to members training at 19 Wing Comox until summer 2027, with the potential for renewal, while the base continues to seek longer-term housing solutions. 

Members who stay there will also be NIC students in a new digital course called Journeying to Reconciliation, developed in partnership with K’ómoks First Nation. 

“This arrangement is another innovative approach to support our members as we prepare for significant growth in the years ahead,” said Col. Christopher Shapka, wing commander of 19 Wing Comox. 

19 Wing Comox is expected to grow by more than 600 regular force members over the next decade and will see more than $1.5 billion in announced infrastructure projects. 

tul’al’txw opened its doors in September with 217 beds, meaning 19 Wing Comox will be occupying more than a quarter of the available spaces. 

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Smithers Fire Department was called to a blaze at the temporary overnight shelter this afternoon. (Thursday)

Crews were dispatched at about 12:30 with the blaze already extinguished when they arrived.

The fire department added no injuries resulted from the incident and crews returned to the hall 30 minutes after arriving.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

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Prince George City Council heard a year-in-review report from the Prince George RCMP at this week’s meeting.

The report was presented by Superintendent Darin Rappel and Inspector Chris Riddle.

The report showed the file count continued to decline in 2025, however only slightly. (This count includes files that take place in the rural areas covered by the Prince George RCMP)

There was also a slight decrease in charges forwarded to crown by 127, down to 1,801 in 2025.

Rappel noted there was an overall decrease in person offences, such as robberies and assaults, but there was a “troubling” increase in domestic violence by about 15 per cent.

“Increases in domestic violence can be attributed to changes in socio-economic factors, such as a loss of a job, significant changes to health, addiction issues, all of which can have big impacts on family stressors, that can unfortunately lead to the increase in domestic violence,” Rappel said.

Property crimes have continued to decrease over the last five years as well.

Riddle touched on the early successes of the Indigenous Diversion Centre (IDC), which opened in October.

“To be clear, this is not a get out of jail free card,” he said.

“The programs that are provided, while being culturally relevant, hold the person accountable and work to address underlying harms to both the individual and the community, while also meeting their individual needs concerning housing, addiction, mental wellness and even employment.”

Riddle added they’ve seen great success through the IDC already since opening last year.

“Where traditional justice systems take months before the matter may be heard in court, the IDC starts immediately,” he said.

“The IDC has been successful in getting some clients into treatment. It’s also helped to address housing concerns, and meet other individual needs while providing a culturally grounded and holistic approach, meant to address the root causes of harm, and stem recidivism.”

On downtown, Rappel said the overall number of calls for service is continuing to decrease, but numbers are still too high.

“The closure of the Lower Patricia Boulevard encampment and significant increases in housing options and enhanced policing with the downtown safety unit have made a positive impact,” Rappel said.

“We anticipate over the next year and beyond as more agencies increase their presence into a 24 hour period, for both the supportive services and enforcement roles, we’ll see this number continue to trend down.”

Following the presentation, Councillor Cori Ramsay suggested having these updates twice a year.

“We think of different things, and we think seasonally a lot of times in our community,” she said.

Rappel said they’d be willing to present twice a year.

Councillor Garth Frizzell also asked about the success of the See Something, Say Something campaign, launched in November to encourage more residents to get in contact with RCMP if they are seeing something suspicious or potentially criminal.

“A day late can be too late in some instances,” Rappel said.

“If you’re calling us within half an hour or the moment you see it and were there, they’ll be wearing the same clothes as when they committed the offence, they might have the property on them. All of these things make it so much easier to be successful in the court situation. A day later, the clothes change, the stolen property’s gone, and it’s an uphill battle.”

In December, Council voted on exploring joining the Auxiliary RCMP program, providing uniformed, unarmed community volunteers appointed by the province as peace officers.

Councillor Ron Polillo asked Rappel for his thoughts on the program.

“The program right now, wouldn’t take an enforcement role, it would be very similar to what our Citizens on Patrol (COP) do, with the addition of requiring police oversight,” Rappel said.

“Right now, COP reports to us and they go do their work, whether they’re going to do some speed control or things of that nature. The Auxiliary program would do the very same thing, only it would require a police officer to be attached to them directly, which ultimately would be burdensome in the sense that I’m going to lose a resource to accomplish what I currently already do with the COP program.”

Rappel said he felt the program would better fit smaller communities that may not have aa COP program.

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The Regional District of Nanaimo is seeking feedback to help guide the design of a new playground in Cedar. 

The district said the community has identified a need for a playground, and land adjacent to the Cedar skate park has been identified as a suitable location for the new play space. Outdoor pickleball and basketball courts in the Cedar area have also been identified as priorities, and the RDN is working with School District 68 on ways to accommodate community use of Cedar Community Secondary School lands for these amenities.  

The regional district is asking residents what they want in a playground. A survey is open online until Feb. 4, and a draft design will be created using the input gathered.  

There will be an open house and more opportunities to provide feedback on the draft before it is finalised later this year.  

Construction of a new bike pump track in Cedar is also expected to start this year. It was funded through a donation from the Stevie Smith Legacy Foundation. 

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The Quesnel River Rush announced a new trade.

The River Rush acquired 2006-born forward Luka Svircic from the Spokane Braves.

In return, Spokane will be receiving goaltender Jaiden Jakubowski.

Svircic was away representing Croatia in the Division 2 World Junior Championships in Romania.

While on Spokane this season, Svircic scored three goals with four assists in seven games. Before this year, Svircic played for the San Jose Jr. Sharks in the 18U AAA, where he scored five goals with eight assists, for 13 points across 42 games.

The trade was made at the deadline.

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Highway 3 is closed between the Paulson bridge and Paulson cross-country rec site.

DriveBC says a “vehicle incident” has all lanes blocked. It happened sometime before 11 a.m., but there are no other details. An update is expected around 1 p.m.

(MORE TO COME)

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Highway 3 is closed between the Paulson bridge and Paulson cross-country rec site.

DriveBC says a “vehicle incident” has all lanes blocked. It happened sometime before 11 a.m., but there are no other details. An update is expected around 1 p.m.

(MORE TO COME)

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The Caledonia Nordic Ski Club is coming off of a successful weekend, hosting the 2026 Teck BC Cup #1.

According to the club, over 350 athletes, 70 coaches, along with families and spectators took part in the event on Saturday and Sunday, travelling from across the province, Whitehorse, and Montana.

Northern B.C. clubs were also well represented from Mackenzie, Vanderhoof, Burns Lake, Smithers, Quesnel, 100 Mile House, and Williams Lake.

The event also had a large presence from both the UBC and UNBC Nordic Ski Teams, adding a university racing element.

Saturday’s highlighted event was the Interval Start Classic Technique races, with Sunday’s being the Mass Start Free Technique races.

Results for both events can be found here.

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Senior Support North Vancouver Island is introducing new programs, volunteers and staff in Campbell River.

The announcement was made in a news release outlining additions to the organization’s team and services.

According to the release, the agency provides seniors with practical and emotional support from trained volunteers and staff in Campbell River and the Comox Valley.

Added programs and new staff in Campbell River were made possible with funding from United Way British Columbia.

“We’re excited to expand our programs and services for seniors in Campbell River,” said Executive Director Christopher Bate. “The need is so great. And since 2026 has been acknowledged as the Year of the Volunteer, it’s a great time to build our volunteer program as well.”

The organization said its success depends on volunteers, and so a new volunteer coordinator, Ann McLeod, has been hired.

“We are grateful for our dedicated team of long-term volunteers who take such good care of our clients,” said McLeod. “But in order to help more seniors, we need more volunteers.”

Volunteers with Senior Support North Vancouver Island provide friendly visits to clients, assist with transportation and help with grocery shopping.

“We take care to match each senior with a compatible volunteer whenever possible and often, a genuine friendship develops,” said McLeod.

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The Daffodil Dash event will be making a return in Smithers this year.

The event was run annually as a fundraiser for the Canadian Cancer Society which hasn’t run since 2019.

“We did move very strongly to an online auction to great success from this community as usual,” said Committee Member Grant Harris.

He added the new committee is made up of both new and former members wanting to return the event because of its popularity.

“It was a fun event. It was family oriented, we had goofy challenges everyone enjoyed, the business community enjoyed being apart of such a positive event, and it felt like now was a good time to bring that back,” Harris said.

The dash is scheduled to run on April 26th with the silent online auction occurring before then.

In planning for the event, donations for the auction and volunteers are being sought to make the it successful.

Anyone wishing to donate or register as a volunteer can do so by messaging the event’s Facebook page.

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The Prince George Spruce Kings added some more depth up front acquiring 19-year-old forward Cooper Faughnan from the Victoria Grizzlies in exchange for future considerations.

Faughnan is 5’11, 181 pounds from Whitesboro, New York who is in his first season in the BCHL.

In 25 games with the Grizzlies, he has five goals and eight assists for 13 points.

PG is off this weekend and are back in action against the Grizzlies in Victoria on January 23rd.

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Williams Lake First Nation (WLFN) has established the Secwepemc Chilcotin River Emergency Table (SCRET) to address growing landslide risk.

The Nation stated it was created to support emergency preparedness and risk mitigation in response to continued inaction by the Province of BC and Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) to address a known and escalating risk at Farwell Canyon.

“It’s been a long coming,” WLFN Chief Willie Sellars said, “We have been actively trying to get a seat at the table and be a part of the Task Force that was established in regards to the Chilcotin River Landslide and we just haven’t had any uptake.”

Following the July 30, 2024 Chilcotin River landslide, geotechnical monitoring identified a growing tension crack just downstream of the Farwell Canyon Bridge.

“You can identify that there is a tension crack above the fishing area that is eventually going to fall into that river,” Sellars said, “There needs to be work done and work done in a timely manner, the timing is now. We look at being excluded from the current table that they have and not being able to provide our input and helping on the archaeological component, and permitting, and being a part of those works, it is incredibly frustrating.”

The Nation said despite repeated requests no coordinated emergency response has been established by provincial or federal authorities, and Secwepemc communities have been excluded by the Tsilhqot’in National Government (TNG) and Ecofish Research Ltd.

“Our insight and our input we think its very critical to making sure that this work is done properly and the protection of our history, our culture, our ancestors, and being rebuffed and turned aside, and not being able to provide that input, is only delaying these very important works that need to be done.”

Sellars said hopefully the Task Force leading those works sees that and they allow us at the table.

While SCRET was established to protect Secwepemc rights and titles in the Chilcotin River and Farwell Canyon area, Williams Lake First Nation said the table will be extending invitations to the TNG, the Province of British Columbia, and Fisheries and Oceans Canada to participate in the planning and other activities of the SCRET.

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A Nanaimo man is facing multiple charges after causing a disturbance at a waterfront coffee shop. 

Police responded to reports of a man destroying property around noon on Jan. 13. Nanaimo RCMP said a confrontation between the accused and the manager of the business resulted in an assault.  

The 40-year-old man is charged with assault with a weapon, mischief, committing an indecent act in a public place and exposure of an indecent exhibition. 

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North Cowichan continues to respond to the permanent closure of the Crofton pulp mill, which impacts more than 350 workers and significantly affects the local economy.

The municipality has established a new Mill Closure Response Working Group to guide recovery efforts, support affected workers, and explore long-term redevelopment options for the mill site.

Mayor Rob Douglas says coordinated action with provincial and federal partners is already underway, calling it an important step toward longer-term recovery.

A jobs fair hosted by Domtar takes place today until 7 p.m. at the Crofton Community Centre, with employers including Seaspan, BC Ferries, Island Health, and the Department of National Defence actively recruiting.

Additional worker support sessions are scheduled ahead of layoffs beginning February 2nd, while North Cowichan also continues discussions with potential investors interested in redeveloping the mill site for future industrial use.

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The City of Courtenay is seeking community feedback to help develop a new strategic transportation plan. 

The city said it is developing the plan to guide future transportation improvements and support a safe, efficient and sustainable network. 

Mayor Bob Wells said the survey will help the city build a transportation network that reflects community values and future needs.

“Our Strategic Transportation Plan will help support a safer, more connected and more accessible Courtenay for everyone, whether you walk, cycle, drive or take transit.”

The plan will set investment and action priorities for the next decade and help support the community’s mobility and growth for the next 25 years.  

An open house will take place at the Florence Filberg Centre conference hall on Jan. 30 from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., with presentations at 12:30 and 5:30 p.m. 

The survey can be found here. 

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The Kootenay International Junior Hockey League (KIJHL) has recognized Grand Forks Border Bruins forward Austin Tellefson as its Rookie of the Week for the period ending Jan. 11.

Tellefson tallied three goals and five points across two games, finishing with an impressive +6 rating. In a 5–2 victory over the Creston Valley Thunder Cats, he opened the scoring and later added an insurance goal. He followed that up with a short-handed goal and two assists—including the setup on Levi Astill’s game-winner—in a 5–1 win over the Golden Rockets.

“I played pretty good individually and with my line, which led to four points,” he said. “My line had lots of chemistry in the two games, having lots of points, not just for me, but Levi getting his 200th KIJHL point.

Reflecting on his performance, Tellefson credited his instincts and positioning.

“I did well to find the soft ice, which led to two goals in Creston, and I did a good job reading the plays and finding my teammates,” Tellefson added.

Border Bruins head coach and general manager Dave Hnatiuk praised Tellefson’s development and versatility.

“Austin has been playing well all season – he has progressed week by week and continues to do so,” said Border Bruins head coach-general manager Dave Hnatiuk. “He is finding a way to create offence, and he is being used in many situations and both special teams.”

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New year, new license. It’s time to renew your annual dog license in multiple East Kootenay communities. Dog licenses help pets find their way back to their owners if they get lost. 

Dogs four months or older in Fernie, Sparwood and Invermere must have a license. In Kimberley dogs six months or older require a license.  

Renew your pets license before the end of the month to ensure you can be contacted if your pet gets lost or injured. 

Stop by City Hall in Kimberley to obtain your pets license. 

Purchase your dog license at Invermere’s municipal office. License for unspayed/unneutered animals cost $35 while spayed/neutered animals cost $15. 

Spaying or neutering your pet improves their health and reduces unwanted litters. 

Fernie dog owners can pick up licenses at City Hall. Costs are $15 for spayed/neutered dogs and $35 for unspayed/unneutered.

In Sparwood payments can be made in person at 136 Spruce Avenue, Mailed to Box 520, Sparwood, BC,  V0B 2G0, or online at https://payment.optionpay.ca/district-of-sparwood/index.php. 

For a new license complete and submit the dog license form before submitting payment. Learn more at https://sparwood.ca/residents/animals-pets/.

Licenses are valid for one calendar year.  

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A childhood dream has come true for Carolina Hiller-Donnelly.

The Prince George speedskater has been named to the Canadian Olympic team for next month’s Winter Games in Italy.

The 28-year-old clinched her Olympic team spot at the Skate-Off competition in Quebec City two weeks ago.

Hiller-Donnelly is part of 15-member team consisting of eight women and seven men who will compete on the long-track oval in Milano, scheduled to race the 1,000m event February 9th and the 500m six days later.

The PG Blizzard alum wrapped up her final tune up in Germany.

In an interview with MyPGNow.com, this month, she stated after losing her mom to cancer last year, made it a trying time to compete.

“I didn’t know that I could make it this year after losing her. It was really hard to compete again and there was moments where I didn’t know if I could make it here but I truly felt her positive presence this weekend and she helped me. She totally did.”

“I executed exactly how I wanted to and when I crossed the line and saw that I came first I allowed myself to feel everything and had some happy tears. My dream has become a reality.”

She is part of a group that consists of four Olympic rookies that also includes sprinters like Rose Laliberté-Roy, Béatrice Lamarche as well as long distance specialist Laura Hall.

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The Prince George RCMP’s Serious Crime Unit has made an arrest in the 2024 investigation into a fentanyl-related overdose that resulted in the death of a 16-year-old youth.

According to police, the investigation began when officers were called to a home in the College Heights area for a report of a youth victim who had been located there unconscious.

The youth, who later died in hospital, was found to have high levels of fentanyl in their blood.

The B.C. Prosecution Service approved one charge of manslaughter in relation to this investigation and on Tuesday, police officers arrested a 17-year-old youth.

The youth was taken to court later that same morning and was released on conditions.

“This is a tragedy, and our thoughts continue to be with the deceased’s family. We also recognize that this event has had a larger impact on the community including the accused and their family. Prince George RCMP is committed to making every effort to ensure that our youth are safe; to that end, we are pleased that this matter will be addressed by the court. We also want to encourage parents, guardians and teachers to continue having hard conversations with youth about un-prescribed drug use and its inherent dangers,” stated Staff Sergeant Whitehouse, Plainclothes Commander for Prince George RCMP.

This investigation is now before the courts. No further updates will be made.

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A Prince George Mountie, who is facing a possible six-month jail sentence for obstruction of justice, will learn about his fate by the end of the month.

According to the BC Prosecution Service, a provincial court will now take a two-week period to weigh the evidence that was presented during a two-day sentencing hearing this week involving Cst. Arthur Dallman.

It’s in relation of the 2017 in-custody death of Indigenous man Dale Culver.

The prosecution service confirmed a date for the judge to render his decision will be made tomorrow (Friday).

On the evening of July 18th of that year police responded to a report of a man “casing vehicles” on the 1000 block of Central Street West – a struggle ensued, and pepper spray was deployed.

Once apprehended, the suspect had trouble breathing and requested medical assistance.

When the ambulance arrived, he collapsed and was pronounced dead shortly after.

In March of 2020, the Independent Investigations Office of BC sent a report to the BC Prosecution Service for consideration of charges against five Prince George Mounties.

Cst. Paul Ste-Marie and Cst. Jean Francois Monnette were each charged with manslaughter in February of 2023.

However, in April of 2024, the charges against two members were dropped by the BC Prosecution Service in a Stay of Proceedings.

Around 100 people gathered in front of the Prince George courthouse before the session was set to begin to demonstrate their anger and frustrations with the criminal justice system, and more than half of them entered the court to witness the Crown Counsel announce the Stay of Proceedings.

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It’s a chance to play in front of NCAA and NHL scouts and Smoke Eaters centreman Erik Pastro wants to make a big impression.

The 20-year-old believes his performance for Team Interior in Friday night’s BCHL Top Prospects Game could go a long way toward securing an NCAA Division-one scholarship.

“It’s an important game for myself, it’s going to be a lot of fun too,” said the Vernon native.

“It’s super important for me, my last one as a committed 20 (year-old), I’ll do everything I can to prove myself,” added Pastro who looks forward to spending some time with line mates Cash Carter and Christian Kim who are in Saturday night’s BCHL All Star Game.

“To have a weekend there with Cash and Kimmer there in Edmonton too, will be enjoyable,” Pastro said.

Pastro got off to a fast start in Trail after being acquired in a preseason trade with the Vipers.

His game took off for a second time this season when put on a line with Carter and Kim.

It started with two goals and three assists against his former team during a Nov. 28 clash against Vernon at Cominco Arena.

Pastro totaled nine goals and 14 points in the first nine games with Carter and Kim on his wings.

He credits diversity and chemistry between the trio.

“We all bring something different to the table,” Pastro said.

“At the start we were really clicking and we have found a way to adjust to each other’s playing styles and really just put the team first and make sure we play a heavy cycle game, getting pucks to the net and finding ways to bang in rebounds,” he explained, stating that their work together continues.

“A lot of it is trial and error in practice, I think in games we have been hot as a line, when things are going good it seems to be going really good, we’re just going to keep rolling with that,” according to the third year BCHL veteran.

Pastro is on pace to have a career year.

He scored 16 goals and 35 points as a Vipers rookie and has 12 goals and 26 points this season with 23 regular season games remaining.

Kim will play for Team World in the All Star game.

The 20-year-old Californian leads the Smoke Eaters with 37 points, including 26 assists and is tied for 10th in the BCHL points race.

Carter is having a breakthrough season.

The 19-year-old from Berrymoore, Alta. has already doubled his goal total from last season with 14. Carter also has 31 points, a 10 point improvement on last year’s total as a Smokies rookie.

He will play for Team Canada, with Smokies coach and GM Eric Thurston as head coach. Thurston is also a Team Interior assistant coach for the Top Prospects Game.

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Internationally renowned Indigenous business leader, economic strategist and author Carol Anne Hilton will deliver the keynote address at UNBC’s 3rd annual Faculty of Business and Economics dinner.

It is set for March 6th at the Courtyard Marriott Hotel.

Hilton’s keynote address will highlight the transformative power of incorporating diverse worldviews into economic systems to foster more resilient and sustainable communities.

A member of the Hesquiaht Nation on Vancouver Island, Hilton is an economic strategist whose groundbreaking work has reshaped conversations about Indigenous economic power and inclusive growth in Canada and beyond.

Coining the term “Indigenomics” in 2012, the founder and CEO of the Indigenomics Institute and the Global Centre of Indigenomics pioneered what has become an international movement that repositions Indigenous Peoples as central contributors to modern economies.

Her acclaimed book, Indigenomics: Taking a Seat at the Economic Table, lays out a bold vision for a $100 billion Indigenous economy and serves as a blueprint for economic reconciliation.

“Indigenomics is an economic framework rooted in Indigenous worldviews that emphasizes relationality, sustainability and collective generational prosperity,” said Hilton, who holds an international Masters Degree in Business Management (MBA) from the University of Hertfordshire, England.

“I look forward to sharing insights with students, faculty and community leaders at UNBC on how different ways of understanding value, relationships and economic opportunity can transform the systems we work within and inspire a more inclusive approach to community well-being.”

She has served on the Canadian Economic Growth Council, the B.C. Emerging Economy Task Force, and currently holds directorships with the McGill University Institute for the Study of Canada, Earth Charter International and the International Values Commission.

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The City of Rossland is looking into reports of problems with local cell service after a citizen’s complaint landed on council’s agenda this week.

Carolyn Gillis said she was concerned about “significant cell phone coverage issues” that began in the area around mid-November.

“These disruptions have raised serious safety and connectivity challenges for our community,” she wrote.

She asked that the city advocate for a fix with service providers and explore anything that would ensure reliable coverage for the area.

Mayor Andy Morel said in an interview that problems with cell coverage seem to affect all providers, not any one in particular.

He said some of it may have been tied to December’s big windstorm in the area.

“Not only did it leave a good part of the community without electricity, but also connection to cell service as well,” he said.

But he’s not sure why the problem has persisted.

“You’ve got to wonder, are [service providers] not keeping up to the hardware requirements?” he asked. “Or is there not technical experience available locally to deal with these issues when they come up?”

Morel said he is trying to get a handle on whether the issue is Rossland-specific or broader. He plans to bring it up at the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary’s east end services committee next week, and at the Association of Kootenay Boundary Local Governments conference this spring if necessary.

He said he has not heard that any local government has taken the matter up directly with service providers. We’ve asked Rogers, Telus, and Bell for comment.

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Sports by Hartley Thursday, January 15th, 2026  as of 12:05 a.m.

Canada West Basketball

Following a mid-season break, it is the return of Canada West basketball to the Northern Sport Centre.

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Kimberley council has been asked to approve the 2026 Project/Event Grant funding recommendations made by the Community Project/Event Grants Evaluation Committee, and to authorize the distribution of funds to confirmed applicants.

A proposed total of $60,000 is to be distributed to 20 local non-profit organizations for community projects and events in 2026, if approved.

Through the Project/Events Grants Program, the City of Kimberley can provide financial assistance to groups supporting projects that enhance community well-being, inclusivity, cultural development and civic pride.

Applications for the grant program were open October to November 2025 which were then reviewed by staff who deemed 20 of the applications eligible.

On Jan. 5 of this year the Grants Evaluation Committee which consists of three council members and two staff members met to assign the available funding for the 20 organizations.

Final approval from Council is required before the committee can start distributing the funds, as specified in the City’s Community Grants Policy.

The total funding will be incorporated into the City of Kimberley’s 2026 Operating Budget.

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The City of Cranbrook is moving forward with a cross-connection control bylaw to meet a condition set by Interior Health.

In 2023, Interior Health placed four conditions on the city regarding its water system. One of those required the city to update its operations and maintenance plan, which includes implementing a cross-connection control program.

City staff said the purpose of the bylaw is to protect the drinking water from the possibility of contamination.

Backflow preventors are currently required to be installed as per BC Building/Plumbing codes, but the bylaw gives staff more support to continue that requirement and require annual testing.

City staff said the program mostly is record keeping and proactive following up.

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Creston town council is backing a proposed rental assistance program aimed at helping unhoused residents secure stable housing through community support and donations.

Council endorsed a letter of support for the proposal at its Jan. 13 meeting. The proposal is scheduled to be presented to the Creston Ministerial Association on Jan. 20.

The idea was brought forward by community member Nancy McLean and outlines a community-driven approach to transitional housing for people who are unhoused.

“This would be considered to be transitional housing, designed to meet the needs of the individual,” McLean said in a letter to council.

The program centres on gathering community pledges to help supplement rent for unhoused individuals who want to overcome barriers and improve their circumstances.

Donations would be funnelled through the Creston Ministerial Association, which would be asked to match each community pledge using existing ministerial funds, some of which have been provided by council.

“This would double the impact of our contributions for this proposal,” McLean noted.

Because the ministerial association is a registered charity, it is able to administer funds to support the service.

Proposed housing options include room-and-board arrangements or motel-style accommodations. These are considered short-term rentals and would not be subject to the Residential Tenancy Act.

McLean said the model provides flexibility for property owners and creates clear expectations for tenants.

“This puts the onus on the tenant to show proper behaviour and respect to the property and the landlord, the consequences for not adhering being eviction.”

Tenants would be required to follow several rules, including demonstrating proper behaviour, participating in counselling, being available to work, agreeing to mentoring and peer support and participating in other tailored supports.

Support would be time-limited, with a maximum assistance period of six months and a formal evaluation after three months.

McLean said housing is the key factor in successful homelessness intervention and pointed to research showing stable housing can reduce health-care and policing costs while improving outcomes for people experiencing homelessness.

“I have been doing research online over the past year and any program that has success comes down to one thing: Housing. There are so many powerful stories of lives changed since obtaining housing. There are so many communities who have had success with the Housing First initiative,” McLean wrote.

She also pointed to financial challenges faced by unhoused residents, noting provincial income assistance provides $550 a month with a shelter allowance of up to $500, which is only available once housing is secured.

Those eligible for the program would need to identify their need, demonstrate they can manage living independently and show a willingness to help themselves.

The program would then identify each participant’s income sources and how much they could contribute toward housing, as well as the amount the ministerial association would need to contribute monthly.

McLean said there are currently two people in the community who qualify for the program and are in immediate need of housing.

Both are long-time Creston residents. One lives in a tent under a gazebo structure in the courtyard of Trinity United Church. The other is an 80-year-old man who sleeps in various locations, mostly on a friend’s couch, but must leave by 8 a.m. each day.

McLean said so far, the community response has been strong. As of Jan. 6, there were $12,000 in pledges. If matched by the ministerial association, that amount would increase to $24,000.

Council supported the proposal, calling it a progressive solution.

“It’s a made-in-Creston solution for Creston people and it seems very progressive,” said Mayor Arnold DeBoon.

If approved by the ministerial association, McLean said the initiative could launch as early as February.

If the ministerial association chooses not to participate, pledged funds would be allocated to Trinity United Church to administer the program, without a matching contribution.

McLean said the proposal could also be considered by Creston’s newly established Situation Table if approved.

Want to get your business noticed? Have you considered advertising through your local radio station? Speak to one of our sales agents and find out how radio advertising can boost your business today. Call 250-365-7600 or email Vista Radio.

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Did it feel warmer than normal on Tuesday?

According to Environment Canada data, Powell River tied a record for its highest temperature for Jan. 13 at 12 C, matching the mark set on that day in 1986.

Elsewhere on the Sunshine Coast, new daily high temperature records were set for Jan. 13. In Sechelt and Gibsons, the mercury climbed to 13.7 C, surpassing the previous record of 12.6 C set in 2023.

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The City of Nanaimo is seeking a new member for its board of variance and is encouraging residents interested in local government to apply. 

The city said the successful applicant should have a basic understanding of building and zoning regulations, including the city’s zoning bylaws and the B.C. Building Code. Familiarity with interpreting architectural plans and related documents is also required. 

Board of variance members are appointed by council and have the authority to grant variances to relax zoning regulations, extend non-conforming uses and allow the reconstruction of non-conforming buildings. 

Applications will be accepted until Feb. 6. Forms are available online or at city hall. 

“This is a great opportunity to get involved with your community and contribute to the city’s decision-making process. I encourage anyone who has experience in zoning and building regulations to apply,” said director of legislative services Sheila Gurrie. 

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Prince George City Council made some adjustments to the City’s Purchasing Bylaw at this week’s meeting.

In November, a notice of Motion was put forward by Councillors Cori Ramsay and Brian Skakun, focused on the disposal of City assets which could possibly be used by non-profits, or have historical or cultural significance.

The notice of motion stated there are no provisions for selection of non-profit corporations and how these entities become aware of assets being disposed of.

It also stated the bylaw doesn’t have any provisions for disposal of assets that may have significant historical or cultural value to residents who may have contributed to their creation.

The final ask in the notice of motion called for clarity be added to the bylaw to identify formal and informal processes mentioned in the bylaw.

At this week’s meeting, Council was presented with bylaw amendments to address these concerns.

The amendment specified the use of a Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEOI) for a formal process when disposing of assets that retain financial value.

Administration would also use this process if an asset is deemed to have historical or cultural value.

Housekeeping changes were also presented, highlighting trade-ins for assets of similar use and purpose as a means of disposal.

In addition, it was recommended that the selection criteria for non-profit entities be part of the procurement procedure rather than the purchasing bylaw.

Additionally, criteria for asset disposal to non-profits included:

• Mus be a non-profit corporation, association or entity;
• Respondent must be from within the Prince George area, including rural areas from within 150 km of Prince George (preference would be given to entities within PG)
• Proposed use of the asset.

“Reading through the report, I think this satisfies all of my concerns, all of them have been addressed,” Ramsay said.

“I really appreciate the piece around looking at the City, the Regional District and communities within 150 kilometres, I think that is a really great approach, and kind of very neighbourly.”

“It’s transparent, it doesn’t give anybody an advantage because of who they know or whatever the case is,” Skakun added.

Council unanimously approved the amendments.

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School District 57 feels it’s back on track with graduation rates for grade 12 students.

Grad rates were one of the highlights during yesterday’s (Tuesday) public meeting, reaching 76.8 per cent in 2024-25.

The last time the School District had reached that number was 2018-19 with 76.81 per cent.

During the meeting, Superintendent Jameel Aziz said they were pleased but not satisfied, which Board Chair Craig Brennan highlighted.

“Yes, we are back to where we need to be in terms of progress, but it’s not the end of the story.” said Brennan.

“It just is a pause to say ‘great work, lets continue.’, because the goal is 100 per cent.”

Brennan attributed a part of the trend to the Grad Coaches they brought in to help facilitate discussions on where a student is and where they need to get them.

“That person becomes sort of the key person to make sure that all of the different classes are connecting in support of the students so that they’re going to reach the graduation level, because that’s really what you want.”

The trend upward began after School District’s grad rate dropped to 70.69 per cent in 2021-22.

Other items discussed during the public meeting include athletics special fund, the 2026-2031 Strategic Plan, and catchment and capacity.

The full agenda can be found here.

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The Cariboo Cougars and Northern Capitals will be taking the game outside this weekend.

Both under-18 teams will be playing an outdoor game at the Ernie Sam Memorial Arena on Nak’azdli Whut’en Territory in Fort Saint James as part of the B.C. Winter Classic.

The Capitals take on the Greater Vancouver Comets Friday night at 6:30.

Caps goaltender, Taylor Rutter who is from Houston told Vista Radio it’s a great feeling to play in the game after sitting out due to injury last season.

“I’m really excited to experience it since I wasn’t able to play in it last year and it was a pretty close call this year.”

Rutter added they would love nothing more than to exact some revenge on the Comets after losing to them in last year’s league final.

“We definitely have a bit of a rivalry with the Comets because we lost to them in the playoffs last year and I think it will be good to try and beat them this year in the outdoor game.”

The Capitals sit fourth in the five-team B.C. Elite Hockey with a mark of 8-12-1-1 but have been in a lot of close games this year only posting a minus ten goal differential.

Paxton Fraser leads the Capitals in scoring with 15 goals and 10 assists.

Captain and Smithers product Nicole Bateman along with first-year forward Khya Swanson are often excellent distributors of the puck dishing out 11 and 12 assists respectively.

Other secondary scorers include Johana Ketter, Reese Overton, Paige Umbach and Sofie Passeri.

The Comets who sit 15-4-0-0 are led by Zoe Wilcox who leads the team with nine goals followed by Lucy Peloso, Hana Nishi and Carolyn Koo.

Greater Vancouver often wins with defence allowing a paltry 26 goals.

Both teams play the second half of their double-header Saturday at 9am from the Vanderhoof Arena.

On the boys side, Cariboo takes on the Fraser Valley Thunderbirds Saturday at 6:30pm from the Ernie Sam.

The Cougars, who have won four straight, sit third in the seven-team league with a record of 13-8-2-1.

Fraser Valley is last with a mark of 6-12-3-1.

Cariboo captain and Prince George Cougars prospect Jaxon Larmand believes the team is rounding into form after dealing with injuries and inconsistencies during the first half.

“This past weekend was the first weekend with our full lineup. It was good having Callander (Wyatt) back so that was great and I think we figured out some of our inconsistencies.”

Larmand added no one on the roster takes the opportunity of playing outdoors for granted.

“You don’t get to play outdoors very often, especially at this level and last year and the year before was so much fun so its going to be great this year.”

The 17-year-old is tied for the team lead in scoring with fellow forward Nic Gordan at 31 points each.

Fellow PG Cougars prospect Kadric Mujcin has 21 points in 23 games. Cariboo has 11 players on its roster with double-digit points.

Between the pipes, Cariboo is led by Ivan Anderson who has a 8-3-0-2 record with a 2.15 goals against average.

Offense has been much harder to come by for the Thunderbirds who have scored a league-low 48 times.

Ryley Green leads Fraser Valley in goals with nine while Koltin Herfst, Riley Charlton and Wyatt Van Tongeren are the only other players on the roster who have ten points or more.

The second half of the men’s double header is Sunday at 10am from the Fort Forum.

During the weekend, the Capitals and Cougars will also visit local schools and participate in minor hockey practices with the kids prior to any games.

“It’s huge since girls hockey often struggles with the younger ages, it is really nice to see a lot of young girls want to push themselves and get involved with the sport,” added Rutter.

“The kids are so excited when we go to the schools. It’s so much fun to see how happy they are when you spend time with them because out there, they don’t watch too much hockey,” said Larmand.

Cariboo defenseman Ryan Richter is from Smithers.

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British Columbia’s decriminalization pilot will come to an end after this month.

Health Minister Josie Osborne said Wednesday the pilot didn’t meet expectations and won’t continue after it expires at the end of the month.

B.C.’s three-year exemption from the federal Controlled Drugs and Substances Act came into effect in January 2023. It was aimed at reducing stigma and getting more people into addiction treatment.

It allowed adults to possess up to 2.5 grams of certain illegal substances, including opioids, cocaine, methamphetamine and MDMA. Changes later limited possession to private homes, shelters and treatment centres.

Osborne said the province saw a decrease in possession offences and seizures during the pilot. But she said it’s difficult to measure any outcome in isolation and attribute it directly to decriminalization, such as the number of people seeking treatment.

The B.C. Conservatives and some mayors have said decriminalization has led to increased public drug use and disorder.

“The NDP government has finally admitted what British Columbians have known for years: drug decriminalization didn’t work,” said Skeena MLA and addictions critic Claire Rattée in a statement.

Harm reduction advocates say the pilot did not address the root causes of the toxic drug crisis, and the province should focus on expanding safer supply.

More to come.

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Lower than expected numbers have sparked a push by the Pacific Northwest Division of Family Practice to sign up for the Health Connect registry.

The list is run by HealthLink B.C. to help connect residents across the province with a local primary care provider.

“It has been around since 2023 but over time, we’ve noticed across the region our population is not matching how many people are actually registered,” said Attachment Lead Emma Anderson.

She added the issue with that discrepancy is it misrepresents the actual need for resources in the region and could limit funding.

Along with using the registry to connect patients, the division reaches out to those who have signed up to provide a list of local supports for unattached patients.

“We try to create an initial connection with folks so they know where to get their needs met while they wait for a provider,” said Anderson.

She said there were a few reasons she believes residents aren’t signing up for the registry, including that some think only one person in a family has to be registered.

A second is that the list in some areas might not be moving as fast as residents might hope.

“Eventually, the list will move when we get resources into those communities and while you’re waiting, we can support you.” Anderson said.

She’s also heard some people would start registering but not have their Personal Health Number on hand, forgetting to return to it later.

“I think what a lot of folks don’t know is they can call 8-1-1 and the person can register with them over the phone so you don’t need your PHN.”

Residents are also encouraged to update their home address if they move and contact info if it changes to keep their spot on the list.

More information about how to register can be found on HealthLink B.C.’s website.

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Work has begun to remove a retaining wall at Kus-kus-sum, a former sawmill site, the City of Courtenay, K’omoks First Nation and the Comox Valley Project Watershed Society said in a joint statement.

The project represents the final major step in restoring the area to a functioning estuary habitat.

K’omoks First Nation Chief Nicole Rempel said the restoration will return the lands to the community and support Chinook salmon habitat.

“K’ómoks peoples have lived in villages on both sides of the estuary since time immemorial. We have harvested and managed salmon using our fish trap complex here for millennia. We look forward to the full remediation of this former mill site, and the repatriation of the lands, restoring crucial Chinook habitat and our rightful relationship,” she said.

A barge mobilized at the site on Tuesday, Jan. 13, and work began Wednesday. The project is expected to take six to seven weeks, with crews working ten hours a day, six days per week.

Courtenay Mayor Bob Wells said the work reflects years of collaboration and shows a commitment to restoring the K’omoks Estuary.

“Beginning the removal of the steel wall marks a historic moment for our community,” he said. “This step reflects years of collaboration with K’ómoks First Nation, Project Watershed, and many dedicated partners and volunteers.”

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Campbell River city council has adopted a nuisance abatement and cost recovery bylaw, along with an amendment to the ticketing bylaw that will allow ticketing for bylaw offences.

The bylaws aim to deter nuisance behaviours and recover costs associated with responding to them.

According to a city news release, the newly adopted bylaws establish a process for council to declare certain properties as nuisance properties.

“Once declared, costs related to these calls could be recovered from owners or occupiers for repeated non-emergency calls to the RCMP, fire or bylaw services,” the release said. “The bylaws aim to deter nuisance behaviours such as loud parties, public intoxication, fighting and illegal activity, while excluding emergency or medical calls.”

The city said nuisance properties will typically include drug or party houses, and that bylaw enforcement will be complaint driven.

To declare a property a nuisance property, a multi-stage review will take place involving representatives from the city and the RCMP, who will consider complaints and any interventions with owners or occupiers.

According to the city, only if council approves recommendations would the city be allowed to recover costs for non-emergency RCMP, fire or bylaw responses.

Council adopted the bylaws during its meeting on Thursday, Jan. 8.

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Every month, a healing fire is held in front of the Courthouse in Prince George, put on by various local service organizations.

Hundreds of people attended today’s (Wednesday) healing fire, but one voice was missing.

The healing fire was also held as a vigil for Wesley Mitchell, a beloved community member who passed away last week.

Several friends, family members, and more gave words on Wesley, and shared songs he would share with the community wherever he went.

“A drumming circle is being held with the great Creator, honouring the earthly work of this humble, Wet’suwet’en Dutch warrior,” said Charles Fraser, who shared a poem for Wesley.

“He touched many lives, and left without saying goodbye physically, but gave each and everyone of us memories, he will never be forgotten.”

Luis Gonzalez, District Manager of Waste Management, where Wesley worked, shared a story of Wesley’s generosity.

“One of my favourite stories is, I remember being at the office one day, and he got nominated, a radio station was running a contest of who does a lot in our community that should be rewarded in some way,” Gonzalez said.

“He got a $100 gift card to Subway, and most people would have taken that card and gotten themselves lunch, he actually turned around and raised money to feed everybody here downtown, he ended up raising $1,400. Within four or five days, we brought down some stuff, and I remember him buying $1,400 worth of sandwiches.”

Cpl. Jennifer Cooper, Media Relations Officer for the Prince George RCMP shared a drum which Wesley made for the RCMP.

“I first met Wesley, when I first started this job about five years ago, and he started inviting us out to events and to drum with him,” Cooper said.

“He was a true ally, he called us allies, but I know that Wes was an ally for us as well.”

Mitchell was a co-founder of the UHNBC Drummers, a group that started drumming outside of the Hospital weekly during the pandemic.

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The UNBC Timberwolves have made a big recruiting splash with ‘double’ the impact.

Today (Wednesday), the school’s Women’s Basketball team signed twin sisters Annika and Ayanna Parr of Bella Coola for 2026-27 and beyond.

Annika and Ayanna are members of the Nuxalk Nation and have both been playing basketball since the age of five.

Annika, a point guard, is a three-time MVP, a two-time leading scorer, and a three-time champion with Acwsalcta high school.

She’s captured all-star honours in three previous zone championship tournaments along with two MVP honours. Her plan is to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology degree and one day wants to become a physiotherapist.

“I’m impressed by Coach Sergey’s basketball knowledge and his commitment to developing disciplined, well-rounded players,” shared Annika who visited UNBC in late December alongside Ayanna. “I’m also excited about my future teammates’ strong work ethic and competitiveness of my future teammates.”

Ayanna, a shooting guard, is 5’8” and prides herself on consistent shooting, positivity and her ability to draw fouls.

During play with Acwsalcta high school, Ayanna was a three-time first-team all-star and was also named Most Inspirational Player twice. She’s a two-time provincial first-team all-star and earned both all-star and MVP honours during Zone playoffs.

Academically she plans to become an occupational therapist once her time at UNBC is done.

“Basketball has been my passion since a very young age; teaching me about discipline, teamwork, and perseverance,” added Ayanna who credits UNBC’s culture, energy and their father’s persuasion for swaying her and her sister to commit to UNBC.

The T-Wolves are back in action tomorrow (Thursday) against UBC.

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Construction on 92 homes is underway in North Cowichan to help bring more affordable housing north of the Malahat. 

Cowichan Valley MLA Debra Toporowski said the $65-million project is a collaboration between the federal government, the province, the Municipality of North Cowichan and the Community Land Trust.  

Toporowski said the investment from all levels of government to build the cooperative housing units will provide the community with homes for all, regardless of income level. 

“Cooperative housing is more than a roof over your head,” she said. “It’s about community, stability, and creating spaces where people of different incomes and life stages can live, connect and belong.” 

Housing needs have grown in the Cowichan Valley, and Toporowski said the province has been working to get affordable units built across the region for some time.  

She added the development is a step forward for the region. 

“Housing people can afford is essential to strong, healthy communities,” she said. “This is a meaningful step forward for North Cowichan and the Cowichan Valley, and I look forward to welcoming residents to the new community in the years ahead.” 

The units are expected to be completed in early 2028 at 3181 Sherman Road. 

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There is just over two weeks left to donate to this year’s Starry Nights Fundraiser campaign.

The South Cariboo Health Foundations goal is to raise $130,000 to purchase an Ultra Sound Machine for the 100 Mile District General Hospital as well as 10 Tilt Chairs for Long Term Care.

Public Relations and Fundraiser Coordinator, Danielle Sabiston, said she’s really pleased with how the campaign is going thanks to the generosity of the community.

“I know we have raised enough to cover the Ultra Sound and we have some Tilt Chairs covered as well.

A lot of those are covered by grants, the Key Stone of Life Foundation gave us a grant to cover two of those chairs. I had a couple of personal donations come in from donors that have specifically said they’d like to do Tilt Chairs, and there are a couple of other grants we’re waiting to hear about so we’re hoping that they come through and we have enough.”

Anyone who like to donate to the Starry Nights Fundraiser before the end of the month, there are two ways you can do that.

Sabiston said they take donations through the Hospital in 100 Mile House, there is a reception desk through the South Cariboo Health Centre located around back.

“You can mail it to us at Bag 399 100 Mile House V0K 2E0, or you can go on our website and click on the donate now button and that will go through Charitable Impact website and they get the donation to us. Once again I want to thank the South Cariboo and 100 Mile House community for all their support. It’s wonderful here and it shows every time we do something like this the community shows up,” Sabiston added

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The Nanaimo Regional Hospital District will be chaired by Janice Perrino for another year. 

The board acclaimed Perrino as chair and Ian Thorpe as acting chair at its Jan. 13 meeting. 

“I’m honoured to remain chair of the Nanaimo Regional Hospital District Board. I look forward to continuing the board’s work to advance the remaining priority projects and working in partnership with the government of British Columbia to see the new patient tower and cardiac catheterization lab built at the Nanaimo Regional General Hospital,” Perrino said. 

The board identified five priority projects in 2022 and continues to work toward their completion. The province has approved and completed a new high-acuity unit, and the Nanaimo Cancer Centre is now under construction. 

A long-term care facility is in the design phase in Lantzville. In the fall of 2024, Premier David Eby committed to building a new patient tower and a cardiac catheterization lab at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital. 

“As acting chair, I support chair Perrino and our board in advancing and improving health care for our communities,” Thorpe said. “We are grateful to the government of British Columbia for their ongoing investments in health care in the region and for the significant projects approved to date. We remain committed to advocating for the remaining priority projects.” 

The hospital district has a financial strategy to support the projects, including a commitment to fully fund the cardiac catheterization lab. 

READ MORE: Nanaimo hospital board commits to funding cath lab   

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The Prince George RCMP are searching for 53-year-old Lash Leroux, who’s wanted on one unendorsed warrant.

Police say Leroux is wanted for:

• Operation while prohibited (Criminal Code) (2 counts)
• Driving while prohibited (Motor Vehicle Act)
• Driving while suspended (Motor Vehicle Act)

He’s described as:

• Caucasian male
• 5’10” (178 cm)
• 170 lb (77 kg)
• Brown hair
• Brown eyes
• Tattoo on right upper arm: tribal arm band
• Tattoo on left upper arm

Mounties say Leroux is considered dangerous and should not be approached, and anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to contact the Prince George RCMP at 250-561-3300.

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The Municipality of North Cowichan is considering several factors ahead of its upcoming budget, and despite efforts to limit the impact, staff have recommended a 10.62 per cent property tax increase. 

The recommendation followed a presentation by director of finance Teri Vetter, who outlined the need for the increase in a report to a committee of the whole meeting. The report cited higher costs related to RCMP detachment debt at $615,000, an increase of $943,000 to the RCMP contract, full-year contracts for 2025, inflationary increases to most expenses and a five per cent increase for CUPE employees. 

Council members expressed concern about the proposed 10.62 per cent increase, with most saying they would like to see the rate reduced by cutting services. However, chief administrative officer Ted Swabey said significant cuts would be required to make a meaningful reduction. 

“Just on the surface, council will have to make big changes to reduce the budget down to five per cent,” he said. “Council couldn’t find anything they were willing to cut, so to ‘cut around the edges,’ would be even worse because you’re (council) not going to reduce the budget by percentages.” 

With limited time remaining to present the budget to the public, Swabey urged council to act quickly if changes are to be made. 

“I know it’s hard, but we have very little time to meet the deadline to get this budget done,” he said. “If you (council) want to revisit the core reviews again, we need special meetings and we need to get on with it this week.” 

Despite council’s hesitation, Coun. Chris Istace said he supports a higher tax rate. 

“I think the taxes are too low, even with this increase,” he said. “We are a business that is thriving right now and has more demand than it even has, when there is a demand for services that is never the time to cut services.” 

Istace said departments are not receiving adequate funding under the current proposal. 

“We’re underfunding every department in the municipality,” he said. “We have to be responsible, and I think taxes are too low for the services we offer.” 

Mayor Rob Douglas said the budget was trimmed in an effort to reduce the increase to five per cent, but challenges have made that difficult. 

“We’re dealing with challenges around our infrastructure, and we’ve had a big jump in our cost for policing,” Douglas said. “We’re also facing costs associated with E-Comm 911. Although we knew that was going to be downloaded to us, it’s a big driver of why taxes are going up this year.” 

Staff also recommended creating a tax stabilization reserve that would add an additional two per cent to the tax rate. Staff said the reserve would provide a cushion for future increases. 

Council opposed the proposal. Douglas said it does not make sense to add further pressure on taxpayers at this time. 

“We’re already projecting this 10.62 per cent tax increase, and it doesn’t feel like the right time to pile more on top, recognizing that many residents are struggling with the high cost of living and many are mill workers in North Cowichan,” he said. 

Council directed staff to submit items for inclusion in the budget to help keep the rate lower. Staff responded with 39 items, including a 50 per cent reduction in council travel, increasing business licence fees from $100 to $150 and increasing the fire department’s capital allocation from $120,000 to $180,000. 

Town hall meetings for public engagement on the budget are scheduled for February to gather feedback on the 2026 budget. 

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A Williams Lake City Councillor says people no longer feel safe in the community.

Councillor Scott Nelson, speaking at Tuesday’s City Council meeting, was responding to a letter from Attorney General Nikki Sharma.

The letter had information and detailed steps that the Provincial and Federal governments say they have taken to be stricter on violent and repeat offenders. Which included amendments to Canada’s Criminal Code.

“It quite honestly is a bunch of ‘gar-baty gook,’” Nelson said. “It’s rehashing a lot of initiatives that we were targeting, and we knew a lot of these changes were coming down. The bottom line is that communities don’t feel safe with violent repeat offenders walking the streets.”

Sharma’s letter was responding to a meeting with a delegation from Williams Lake held during the 2025 UBCM Annual Convention in Victoria, and a letter that the Williams Lake delegation sent to the Premier’s and Attorney General’s offices.

Mayor Surinderpal Rathor said the meeting at UBCM “was good and positive,” and that City Staff were already following up on the steps in handling repeat offenders that were discussed in the meeting.

The rest of the City Council agreed that more needs to be done.

“This was a very welcome letter with a lot of updates from the province, but we need to stay on top of this with them as often as need be and as frequently as we can get their ear,” said Councillor Michael Moses. “I think the letter lets us know that we can keep pushing as well.”

Nelson continued by saying the issues with violent and repeat offenders are being felt across the entire province. Using Vancouver’s London Drugs store iminent shut down as an example of the struggles that many communities are facing, Nelson said the province’s actions “fall short of making communities safer.”

“People should feel comfortable in their own communities, and not have to look over their shoulders to see if a violent offender or a repeat offender is going to come out of the bushes and attack them. That’s the concern people are having. And if they [the offenders] are not attacking people, they are robbing people.”

The council unanimously voted the Attorney General’s letter in for information, and said they and City Staff will continue to push the province to make stricter changes to make communities safer.

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BC RCMP North District Major Crime Unit is still looking for answers in the homicide of Gordon Sims, who was killed a year ago.

Police say the crime took place in the 100 Block of 5th Street E, Vanderhoof, between Friday, January 10th and Tuesday, January 14th, 2025.

They wish to speak with the individual in the video who may have information pertaining to the event, and are asking for the public’s assistance in identifying them.

Mounties also released an image of Sims to help further the investigation.

Anyone with information about the homicide, or the individual in the video is asked to call the Vanderhoof RCMP at 250-567-2222.

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BC RCMP North District Major Crime Unit is still looking for answers in the homicide of Gordon Sims, who was killed a year ago.

Police say the crime took place in the 100 Block of 5th Street E, Vanderhoof, between Friday, January 10th and Tuesday, January 14th, 2025.

They wish to speak with the individual in the video who may have information pertaining to the event, and are asking for the public’s assistance in identifying them.

Mounties also released an image of Sims to help further the investigation.

Anyone with information about the homicide, or the individual in the video is asked to call the Vanderhoof RCMP at 250-567-2222.

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A new high temperature record for Burns Lake was set yesterday (Tuesday) according to Environment Canada.

The thermometer hit 8.5 degrees in the community compared to the previous record of 5.3 set in 1982.

According to Environment Canada’s website, temperatures could reach a high of seven degrees today before cooling to near freezing going into the weekend.

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City crews in Kimberley are working to remove snow in key areas over the next three days, prompting several road closures to local traffic.

Early Monday morning, Jan. 14, crews began hauling snow from the 00 block of Wallinger Avenue and Howard Street. Detours have been put in place, and the city is reminding the public to plan ahead and drive with caution.

Snow removal and road closures will continue in other areas in the coming days. On Jan. 15, crews will focus on hauling snow along Fourth Avenue between Tadanac Boulevard and Rossland Boulevard, before moving to the downtown area on Jan. 16.

The city said the goal is to keep streets safe and accessible for everyone, and thanked the community for its patience.

View the map for exact work locations on the City of Kimberley Facebook page.

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City council in Fernie has given three readings to a bylaw amendment that would raise water and wastewater utility rates for residents.

Water fees are set to rise by 14.5 per cent, which amounts to an additional $52.60 annually for the average single-family home.

The cost of a new operator is 7.5 per cent of that increase, while four per cent is for reserve contributions and three per cent for inflation.

Sewer will see a larger increase at 17 per cent, amounting to an additional $79.90 annually.

Four per cent is for reserve contributions, three per cent for inflation and 10 per cent for early savings for the sewage treatment plant.

The bylaw is expected to return for adoption at a future council meeting.

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A weapons complaint at the Tamarack Centre prompted a police response Saturday, but the report turned out to be unfounded.

Cranbrook RCMP said officers received a report at 4:30 p.m. on Jan. 13 that two men with guns had entered the shopping mall.

A tactical plan was immediately engaged and general duty members rushed to the scene.

However, officer quickly determined that the men with guns were uniformed security personnel engaged in their routine duties.

“Unaware of the eventual outcome, the responding members once again were prepared to put the safety of the community above their own” said S/Sgt Barry Graham.

Police are also once again asking the community to safely yield to all emergency vehicles with lights and sirens activated to help ensure a quick response.

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Cleanup is still underway following a train derailment that dumped coal onto Fording River Road near Elkford.

The Elk Valley RCMP was called out to the derailment at approximately 8:50 a.m. on Jan. 13.

Police said between 15 and 20 train cars carrying coal derailed, leaving the roadway covered in an estimated two to three feet of coal.

No injuries were reported.

CPKC Police are investigating the cause of the derailment.

Fording River Road has since reopened, but DriveBC reported single-lane alternating traffic in the area.

Drivers are advised to expect delays ranging from five minutes to one hour.

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The City of Castlegar is weighing whether to maintain or expand its response to homeless encampments. 

City staff provided council with a report outlining the city’s legal threshold for responding to encampments, as well as an overview of current supports and services. 

The report was prepared in response to community safety concerns surrounding encampments in the city. 

“This report is in response to some of the correspondence received by council at the end of 2025 in terms of some of the conflicts being experienced between residents and some of the encampments in and around the community,” said Director of Community Safety and Development Meeri Durand. 

Staff visited several known encampment sites in the city in November. 

At the time, staff identified and visited six sites within city limits, two of which were being used overnight and one during the day. 

Durand noted that an additional site was brought to the city’s attention after the report was prepared and was not visited by staff. 

The city estimates about 27 people in Castlegar lack shelter, though that number tends to fluctuate seasonally as people move between communities to access services in Nelson and Trail. 

Durand said the city’s response to people who lack adequate shelter options is constrained by legislation and human rights obligations. 

“At a legislative level and a human rights level, the city is quite restricted in our response when it comes to those that lack adequate shelter options. We are not able to relocate or evict residents of encampments.” 

Canadian law generally prohibits the closure or relocation of encampments unless viable shelter alternatives exist or a site has been deemed unsafe. 

The report emphasized a Housing First approach, noting that emergency shelters do not provide the day-to-day housing stability required to support wellness. 

It added that local governments lack consistent revenue tools to fund housing and social services and rely instead on provincial, federal and community partners. 

Durand outlined actions already taken by the city, including annual funding for encampment cleanups, fire safety education, outreach services and the granting of temporary use permits for an emergency shelter. 

“The city has used a variety of tools over the last several years to provide support both to residents of those encampments and proximate properties,” said Durand. 

“Our fire department and emergency personnel continue to provide support and education when it comes to safe campfires and just recently council approved funding for continued street outreach programming. So we are following best practice used elsewhere across the province and Canada.” 

Councillor Cherryl MacLeod raised concerns about wording in the report describing encampments as “survival spaces when better options are not available.” 

“It’s not like there isn’t spaces available. It’s that there’s spaces that they’re not willing to participate in. That’s kind of an interesting line in my mind because that puts the onus back on us,” said MacLeod. 

“It makes it sound like we’re not providing them with a place. But I know that there’s been people in those encampments that have been offered other places to be and to stay, and they’ve chosen not to.” 

Durand responded that availability does not always mean suitability. 

“It’s not necessarily that spaces aren’t available. It’s the appropriateness of that space for the individual’s specific needs,” she said, noting gaps in supportive housing regionwide and income levels that fall well below average local rents. 

Councillor Sue Heaton-Sherstobitoff said the city is doing what it can within its authority. 

“It’s a hard thing because in reality, this is a provincial and federal issue. It’s not a municipal issue, but it’s becoming more and more like that. Everything is being downloaded onto city,” said Heaton-Sherstobitoff. 

“We have been doing lots for people. And I agree, some people are not going to stay in a shelter. They just don’t feel safe and until we have adequate housing and costs for housing for everybody, we’re never going to solve this issue.” 

Mayor Maria McFaddin echoed Heaton-Sherstobitoff’s comments and warned against the city taking on responsibilities beyond its authority. 

“I think we do have to stay the course. I think it’s a very slippery slope if we try and start taking on responsibilities that aren’t ours.” 

Council did not direct staff to expand services but will consider next steps during future budget discussions. 

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Trail’s Community Action Team is sounding the alarm that an emergency warming centre may not operate in the city this year.

Chair Tammy McLean said her group has been meeting since September with the City of Trail, BC Housing, Interior Health, and ANKORS and expected to operate a warming centre in the basement of the United Church, as had been done for the previous two winters.

Each year the space has been subject to a fire inspection, but McLean said this time a building inspector also came along and deemed the space inappropriate for an emergency centre. She said the inspector gave the space the same classification as a care facility, which requires sprinklers.

The church doesn’t have sprinklers. McLean said they found another space behind the Skills Centre, but it doesn’t have sprinklers either, “so we’re a bit dead in the water.”

McLean said the Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness said they could potentially fund a warming centre, but no cots would be provided and no one could sleep there. McLean said while the ministry told her they wouldn’t monitor compliance with that requirement, she feels that ethically she can’t put staff or volunteers in a space where they have to keep people awake to prevent funding from being pulled.

“So I’m just feeling in a really difficult spot to mount a response for and house folks when the temperatures get to be minus-10,” she said.

McLean said a point-in-time homelessness count a month and a half ago found 67 people in Trail who were unhoused, of whom 25 have access to the shelter on Riverside Avenue, but that leaves another 40 people who could use a warming centre.

Such a centre would only be activated when the temperature is below minus-10, although McLean added “it’s pretty miserable when it’s wet right now at plus two or minus three.”

McLean, who is a nurse practitioner, said the situation is made worse by toxic drugs and a lack of housing. “The systems meant to support people who find themselves in pretty precarious situations are not rising to the occasion to meet the need,” she said.

McLean says in previous years, the warming centre has had three staff overnight who do regular fire rounds and ensure people are not overdosing. They also treat wounds, hypothermia, and otherwise prevent people from needing to go to the hospital.

“It’s an untenable situation that really needs to be looked at from a policy and governmental point of view,” she said. “How are we letting people fall through the cracks?” 

“What we need is an entire system that says, ‘this is important that people don’t die in cold, freezing weather. And we’re going to provide a response that allows people to come in, get rest, get food, have a shower, access bathrooms, and be treated as human beings worthy of that kind of support.’”

She said the community is fortunate this winter has been so mild, but that doesn’t mean people aren’t suffering outdoors. And she said if temperatures do plunge, there will be a “real crisis that’s going to put tremendous suffering upon vulnerable people and emergency systems as well.”

McLean said her group is calling on the RDKB to reconsider its classification of emergency warming centres, or advocate to the provincial government to amend the BC Building Code so warming centres don’t have to meet the same standards as care facilities.

We have asked the RDKB and Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness for comment.

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School District 57 took a look at enrollment restrictions during last night’s (Tuesday) public meeting.

A preliminary report was originally put forward at a Committee of the Whole meeting in December, outlining schools experiencing pressures of enrolment numbers.

During the meeting, Trustees voted to have Ecole College Heights Elementary’s French Immersion Kindergarten registration kept at 20, due to factors such as teacher recruitment.

Kindergarten enrollment at Heritage Elementary will be capped at 40 which will be effective September 1, 2026.

The report provided to Trustees noted that registration has been declining at Heritage over the last several years, with September 2025 seeing 37, and 41 in 2024.

Any additional Kindergarten students would be enrolled at Foothills Elementary.

Trustees also voted in favour to purchase two portables for Heritage Elementary using Local Capital Funds, which could be ready in the fall.

Other items discussed during the public meeting include graduation rates, athletics special fund, and the 2026-2031 Strategic Plan.

The full agenda can be found here.

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Highway 97 North of Mcleese Lake was temporarily closed last night (Tuesday).

Sargeant Brad Mckinnon said police responded after being advised of a single motor vehicle incident and upon arrival determined that a fuel truck had slid off the road due to icy conditions.

“Due to the nature of this incident the Ministry of Environment was engaged and steps taken to secure the area in question,” McKinnon said.

Highway 97 North of Mcleese Lake later re-opened to alternating traffic and police say it’s expected to remain this way for the day while crews work to assess the situation and ensure a proper clean up is completed.

Criminality is not suspected.

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Two new sculptures in Nanaimo draw inspiration from the city’s natural and cultural landscapes. 

“Forest Flowers” by Eliza Gardiner and Isaiah Kingdon and “Encrustation: Barnacles of Belonging” by Twyla Exner have been selected for the 2026 temporary public art program.  

“Forest Flowers” is a collaborative project that features a cluster of three large, brightly coloured flowers inspired by a rare wildflower, the Crown Brodiaea, according to a City of Nanaimo news release.  

“Evoking the quiet beauty of local meadows and forests, the sculptural flowers will appear to grow organically from the earth, casting tinted light onto the ground below and creating a playful and uplifting experience for park visitors,” the news release said. “An accompanying plant identification plaque will provide educational context, encouraging viewers to learn about local flora and deepen their connection to Nanaimo’s natural environment.”  

For the second piece, “Encrustation: Barnacles of Belonging,” artist Twyla Exner will host a hands-on workshop and have participants sculpt their own barnacles. They will then be cast in a durable material and placed along the city’s waterfront, the release said.  

“The resulting installation will form a dense cluster of larger-than-life barnacles, each carrying the unique imprint of its maker while contributing to a shared visual ecosystem. The work explores themes of belonging, attachment to place and the ways individuals leave traces on their surroundings,” the news release said. “By blending themes of nature with collaborative making, ‘Encrustation: Barnacles of Belonging’ will create a living archive of community participation – one that is playful, tactile and deeply connected to Nanaimo’s coastal character.” 

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Scheduled water system maintenance is underway on Steel, Bronze and Brass roads.

The District of Port Hardy said water service may be shut off or experience reduced pressure until 4 p.m. Jan. 15.

The district recommended affected residents turn off power to hot-water tanks to protect heating elements.

The district said some residents may notice temporary water discolouration when service is restored.

“This water is safe for use and should clear up within a few hours,” the release said.

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A blue substance being sold as “down” is still causing overdose events in Smithers according to the RCMP.

Northern Health issued a toxic drug alert for the substance on December 8th, which expired on the 22nd of that month.

Police said previous testing has confirmed the presence of medetomidine, which is a powerful non-opioid sedative that may result in a very low or absent pulse.

Mounties are reminding the public the risk of an overdose remains high.

Officers ask anyone with information about who is selling or distributing the substance to contact the Smithers detachment or Crime Stoppers.

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One lucky hockey fan will be taking home a nice wad of cash at the end of the month.

The Prince George RCMP and the Prince George Firefighters Charitable Society are launching the 50/50 draw for this year’s Sirens Cup Charity Hockey Game.

“From now until the day of the game, fans can go to the Rafflebox website to purchase their 50/50 tickets,” stated Cpl. Jennifer Cooper, Media Relations Officer for the Prince George RCMP.

“We’re excited to bring this back to our event and hope people will help us to raise as much money as possible to benefit our chosen charities: Cops for Cancer Tour de North and the Prince George Firefighters Charitable Society.”

In addition, fans can also look forward to a chuck-a-puck game and the annual fill-the-boot campaign, a friendly competition to see which boot fills faster: the RCMP High Brown or the Firefighter uniform boot.

General admission tickets for the game are are $5, which can be found at the Spruce Kings website.

Puck drop is at 4:30pm on January 31st at the Kopar Memorial Arena.

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The Regional District of Nanaimo has lifted all evacuation alerts and orders related to flooding in the region.

An evacuation order for the Pathfinder RV Resort near Parksville, along with alerts for multiple properties in Electoral Areas G and A near the Englishman and Nanaimo rivers, was rescinded Tuesday.

In the Cowichan Valley, an evacuation order for properties near the Chemainus River was lifted Monday.

A high streamflow advisory from the B.C. River Forecast Centre that had been in effect for Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast has ended, as rivers recede following recent heavy rain events.

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Castlegar City Council has approved a three-year temporary use permit allowing New Denver’s Kootenay Beds to relocate its operations to 2240 6th Avenue. 

Council heard on Monday that the New Denver-based company has grown too large for its current location and wants to set up operations in Castlegar. 

The applicants requested a light industrial use permit to accommodate their operations within the former Arrow Building Supplies building (RONA). 

The proposed lease area includes the older section of the building and would house an office, woodworking shop, finishing area and lumber storage. 

City planner Sarah Martin said the property is currently zoned C3 mixed use, housing a newspaper and a package delivery service. 

“Industrial light means an industrial use that does not significantly impact adjacent properties,” Martin explained, noting that the building is across from the city’s new shelter. 

She said temporary use permits allow non-permitted uses on a trial basis before permanent zoning changes are considered and can be issued for up to three years. 

Kootenay Beds would occupy the middle portion of the building for woodworking, finishing and assembly of furniture, along with lumber storage and shipping. The company may set up a small showroom, but it was noted it primarily operates through online sales.  

The work would occur inside the building, with only a small covered area outside used for finished products awaiting shipment. 

Martin said the proposal aligns with the city’s strategic plan and community plan. 

“The plans support business, employment and residential use in the Columbia Avenue corridor. Staff consider a small-scale craftsman and artisanal type manufacturing and production within a building to be compatible with these goals.” 

Council was largely supportive of granting the permit, with Councillor Brian Bogle noting the company’s small operation makes it a good fit for the location. 

“I went online and looked at the products that this company makes and it is currently a fairly small operation,” he said.

“It’s just the two people that own the company are working there. It’s not like it’s going to be operating 24 hours a day. So I would expect that there wouldn’t be much noise after 5 o’clock.” 

Mayor Maria McFaddin also expressed support, highlighting the potential for economic development. 

“At the economic development table, we’ve been talking often about manufacturing and that being a space that we need to increase,” McFadden said.  

“It says they’re hoping to employ six to eight people and their hours of operation are only seven to seven if that and I think the more we can support local businesses to expand and relocate to Castlegar as the central hub to be able to expand out of, I’m in complete support. “ 

The city will notify property owners and tenants within 100 metres of the property and publish notice in two consecutive issues of the local newspaper. 

Staff noted that the permit’s issuance is contingent upon submission of a complete building permit application to ensure safety and compliance with the B.C. Building Code. 

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The Exploration Place is bringing the evolution of video games to life with a highly interactive exhibition.

Game Changers was developed and produced by the Canada Science and Technology Museum and toured by Science North, and will take visitors on a hands-on journey from early arcade games like Pong to today’s immersive, photorealistic digital worlds.

Spanning approximately 3,000 square feet, the exhibition features more than 120 influential games and 16 playable experiences, including iconic titles such as Pac-Man, Super Mario Bros., Guitar Hero, Tetris, and Angry Birds.

The exhibit will examine the science and technology behind gameplay, graphics, sound, and storytelling, offering insight into how video games have transformed the way people interact with computers and digital media.

“We’re excited to bring Game Changers to Prince George,” said Alyssa Gerwing, Curator at The Exploration Place.

“This is an exhibition that bridges generations through a common interest. Adults can revisit the games they grew up playing and share those memories with their kids, while also discovering what today’s gamers are playing. It’s a hands-on experience where visitors of all ages can have a lot of fun and learn at the same time.”

It will open on January 26th and run until April 15th. .

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A house fire on the 1700 block of Norwood Street resulted in $150,000 damage is under investigation.

According to the city, fire rescue crews responded to the call just after 3pm yesterday (Tuesday).

Once on scene, firefighters found heavy smoke from the back of the residence and fire coming through the roof.

The building was vacant and had been boarded up, awaiting demolition. Due to the poor integrity of the structure, crews could not enter the building and had to fight it from the exterior.

No injuries were reported.

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The Village of Radium Hot Springs is in the midst of updating the community’s development cost charges.

Village staff said they are experiencing greater pressure on existing infrastructure due to recent growth.

The cost of Infrastructure projects have risen and current DCC rates no longer reflect the funding that is needed.

A virtual DCC information session is planned for Jan. 22 from 6-7:30 p.m. over ZOOM.

Proposed rates can be found here.

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Grand Forks city council isn’t promising a new community centre.

A line in the city’s strategic plan, adopted by council this week, originally said the city will find a funding source and buy a building for that purpose.

“I think that’s a pretty bold statement,” councillor Rod Zielinksi said. “A definite ‘will’ is not necessarily where we’re going.”

Council amended the wording to instead say they’ll “consider” buying a building.

The city’s efforts to secure a community centre date back more than 20 years. Most recently, residents defeated a 2022 referendum to spend up to $16.3 million on such a facility.

Council was told buying a building may or may not be subject to another vote, depending on how it is financed.

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Public hearings will be held on rezoning two Trail properties to host short-term rentals.

The properties are at 3249 Lilac Crescent in Glenmerry and 12 Hazelwood Drive in Sunningdale. In both cases the hosts would continue to live on the premises, although in the latter case, council was told the owners will be gone for half the year. The home is being converted into three units, but only one would be used for short-term rentals.

Mayor Colleen Jones said the Sunningdale proposal might be well suited to a pilot project, to be revisited in a year’s time, because it is a bigger development in a small area. Staff say that would mean issuing a temporary use permit rather than rezoning, which is a permanent change.

Council ultimately decided to approve first two readings of the rezoning applications for both properties and allow public hearings to go ahead. No dates have been scheduled.

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Teagan Kendrick is making quite a first impression in the NCAA.

The 21-year-old who starred last season with the Trail Smoke Eaters is the Atlantic Hockey rookie and goaltender of the month for December.

The six-foot-four puck stopping freshman at Sacred Heart University had a 1-1-1 record last month with a 2.30 goals against average and save percentage of .918.

The native of St. Albert, Alta. got his rookie season off to a resounding start.

Kendrick posted a shutout on Nov. 29, in a 3-0 win on the road against the Rochester Institute of Technology.

Teagan has an overall record at Sacred Heart of 5-2-1, with a 2.27 goals against average to go along with a save percentage of .926.

Kendrick was named BCHL Goaltender of the Year following his third and final season with the Smokies.

He had a 23-8-4 record with a goals against average of 2.69 and a save percentage of .915.

Teagan’s numbers were even better through six playoff games, with a 2.36 goals against average and save percentage of .922.

— With files from Drew Wilson

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Talk about experiencing both ends of the spectrum.

The U15 Cariboo Cougars felt the highest of the highs and the lowest of lows in a pair of matchups against the Okanagan Rockets in Kin 1.

A four-goal second period paced the the high-flying Rockets past the Cougars in a 7-0 thrashing on Saturday night.

Nathan Steele drove the bus offensively for the Rockets, tallying a four-goal performance while Nathan Sluggett, Declen Blondin and Kendal Knox adding singles.

Okanagan outshot Cariboo 47-23 in the contest. Linden Green made 40 saves in defeat for the Cougars while Callum Vos picked up the win in net for the visitors.

On Sunday, Cariboo picked themselves up off the mat and delivered a hard-fought 4-3-character victory over the 18-2 Rockets.

Secondary scoring set the pace for the Cougars as a Jackson Malo tip in and an Antero Ulrich rebound goal gave the hosts a 2-0 lead after 20 minutes.

The Cougars ran into some penalty trouble in the second as stalwart Rockets defender Aiden Potash blasted a point shot past Cariboo netminder Jayden Avery trimming the deficit to 2-1.

Hendrik Hesselgrave restored to the two-goal advantage for the Cougars picking up a juicy rebound that was slid past Jackson Zinner.

Jaxon Marchischuk notched Okanagan’s second power-play marker of the game, making it 3-2.

Trysten Schmidt restored the two-goal spread for the second time on the man-advantage.

Hudson Bishop lit the lamp late for the Rockets to make it a one-goal game.

At the final buzzer, Potash received a match penalty after connecting several shots to the back of Hesselgrave.

The U15 Cougars improve to 12-10-0-0 on the season and host the Fraser Valley Thunderbirds (19-2-0-0) January 24th and 25th from Kin 1.

In U17 action, Cariboo kept the winning vibes going on the road with a pair of victories against Fraser Valley.

Down 3-1 on Saturday, Cariboo connected with four-unanswered goals skating away with a 5-3 victory.

Sawyer Latkowski notched the game winner with just over three minutes left to give the Cougars the edge.

Garrett Harrop and Rhys Barnes added singles in the third while Brody Bustard added a pair in the win, book-ending the scoring with the first and last goals.

Liam Shea, Drew Holek and Jovan Sangha scored in defeat for the T-Birds.

On Sunday, Cariboo eased its way to 5-2 win over Fraser Valley (11-13-2-0).

The Cougars held leads of 2-0 and 4-1 before putting it in cruise control in the final 20 minutes.

Liam Elstad, Barnes, Bustard, Gavin Parmar and Taryn Willis lit the lamp for Cariboo. Sangha and Volek scored in defeat for Fraser Valley.

The U17’s are 18-8-0-1 on the season, tied for top spot in the nine-team league with the Vancouver Northwest Hawks.

Cariboo returns home this weekend with a pair of games against the Okanagan Rockets (16-8-2-0) Saturday at 5:15pm from the Kopar Memorial Arena and Sunday at 9am from CN Centre.

Cariboo’s U18 program extended its B.C. Elite Hockey League win streak to four games after two victories against the Valley West Giants by scores of 6-2 (Saturday) and 2-1 (Sunday).

Jaxon Larmand, Blake Lambe and Nicholas Gordon paced the offense for the Cougars with a trio of first period markers. Joel Spence replied for the Giants.

In the second, Nathan Marvin Danielson trimmed the deficit to one with an even-strength marker for Valley West.

Not to be outdone, Larmand added his second of the game, while Landon Gillanders joined the offensive party with a goal of his own, extending the Cariboo lead to 5-2 after 40 minutes.

Miller Tedesco added a third period marker to salt away the win.

Larmand’s hot stick carried over into Sunday with a goal along with a Wyatt Callander marker to complete the weekend sweep.

Cody Smethurst collected a third period goal in defeat for the Giants.

Cariboo jumps to 13-8-2-1 and will take on the Fraser Valley Thunderbirds (6-12-3-1) Saturday (6:30pm) and 10am on Sunday from the Ernie Sam Memorial Arena and Fort Forum on Nak’azdli Whut’en territory in Fort Saint James.

In female under-18 action, the Northern Capitals dropped a pair of tight ones on the road against the Fraser Valley Rush by scores of 3-1 and 4-3 (OT).

A three-goal first period from Elena Osterberg, Maddy Dominato and Jiawei Wuan allowed the Rush to run and hide.

Tylor Jensen added a power-play marker in the third period for the Capitals.

Keira Pong made 26 saves in the victory while Taylor Rutter stopped 24 Fraser Valley shots.

On Sunday, the Capitals turned the tables and blasted to the lead like gangbusters.

Sofie Passeri and Paxton Fraser gave the visitors a 2-0 lead.

However, Fraser Valley regained its composure and evened the score prior to intermission thanks to Kalyn Halwas and Dyllann Nelson.

Paige Umbach (Capitals) and Gabby Verbian traded goals in the third to force overtime.

Verbian then played the hero at 2:39 of overtime to cap off the weekend sweep.

The Capitals drop to 8-12-1-1 on the season and gear up for B.C. Winter Classic weekend in Fort Saint James when they welcome the top-ranked Greater Vancouver Comets (15-4-0-0) on Friday at the Ernie Sam Memorial Arena and Saturday morning at 9am from the Vanderhoof Arena.

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School District 57 will be setting itself up for the next five years as work for the 2026-2031 Strategic Plan is underway.

The plan, which was discussed at this evening’s (Tuesday) public meeting, gives the School District priorities for how it can support students, staff, families, and schools through feedback of those it supports.

Board Chair Craig Brennan said they will be getting help from a consulting company.

“This plan will be created by this Board, and then we work with Roots & Rivers to facilitate it, and then all the other people who have input into the plan, and then we sort of gift it to the next Board that will be elected on October 17th, and that gives them a good starting point.”

Brennan adds that he’s unsure what the top priority could be until the plan is laid out, however, he hopes the main focus will be how to improve outcomes for students.

Opportunities for people to participate will be shared in the coming weeks, along with online engagements.

Other items discussed during the public meeting include graduation rates, athletics special fund, and catchment and capacity.

The full agenda can be found here.

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Coastal First Nations (CFN) said they had a positive meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney on Tuesday, even as the group remains opposed to any moves that would allow oil tankers off British Columbia’s north coast.

Carney met with CFN leaders in Prince Rupert, along with federal Energy Minister Tim Hodgson and Housing Minister Gregor Robertson.

Marilyn Slett, CFN president and elected chief councillor of the Heiltsuk Tribal Council, said the group’s stance on a proposed oil pipeline is unchanged, and they made that clear to Carney.

“We reiterated that there is no technology that can clean up an oil spill at sea, and that it would take just one spill to destroy our way of life,” said Slett.

A federal moratorium on oil tankers has been in place since 2019. It covers the area from the Alaska border down to a point on British Columbia’s mainland across from the northern tip of Vancouver Island, including Haida Gwaii.

A voluntary exclusion zone had been in place since 1985 due to environmental concerns.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is pushing for a new pipeline to carry bitumen to the West Coast to sell more oil to Asia. Alberta and Ottawa signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in November that included a commitment toward a potential pipeline project.

No route has been confirmed for the proposed project, but Smith has called on Ottawa to repeal the oil tanker ban.

“We heard directly from the prime minister that his government will seek our free, prior, and informed consent regarding any proposed projects in our territories, and that we will co-develop a transparent process moving forward,” said Slett.

Jason Alsop, vice-president of Coastal First Nations and president of the Haida Nation, said the coastal economy contributes more than $3 billion a year and is growing.

“That’s what was important to us to share and to start building a relationship with Prime Minister Carney and his government to expand on that,” said Alsop.

Premier David Eby has repeatedly said that lifting the tanker ban to accommodate a pipeline would jeopardize First Nations’ support for other major projects in the region.

The Ksi Lisims LNG project and LNG Canada Phase 2 are among the projects tapped for potential fast-tracking by Ottawa.

Other projects in the works in the northwest region include Cedar LNG, Kitimat LNG, and natural gas pipelines such as the Prince Rupert Gas Transmission project.

Slett said there are already concerns about the impact of increased shipping traffic from these proposed major projects. She said increased marine response capacity is needed to deal with the added risk.

“We can’t support oil tankers on top of that in any way,” said Slett.

Alsop said the meeting should have happened before the MOU was signed, but he hopes it marks the beginning of continued dialogue with Ottawa.

“Whatever process unfolds has to be factored into this bigger picture of existing traffic, other proposed projects, and the combined risks of all of these things happening together in this fragile, special ecosystem in our territories,” said Alsop.

He maintained there is no scenario in which CFN would support a pipeline project that involves lifting the oil tanker ban.

Slett said if a pipeline project goes ahead without the consent of First Nations, communities are prepared to use “every tool in the toolbox,” including legal challenges.

“But we’re also very reasonable, and we want to work toward an effort going forward that supports partnership and shared objectives instead of obstacles,” said Slett.

The Prime Minister’s Office issued a statement after the meeting highlighting its commitments to marine protection on B.C.’s coast. Those include funding for a government marine traffic risk assessment study and a pledge to ensure emergency towing capacity is consistent with shipping activity.

It was the first in-person meeting between Hodgson and CFN since backlash over comments he made during a CBC interview in November. In that interview, Hodgson dismissed concerns about the short notice he gave CFN ahead of a proposed meeting, saying, “It’s called Zoom.”

Slett said Hodgson apologized for the comments Tuesday and appeared to listen to the concerns of First Nations leaders during the meeting.

Carney’s visit to Prince Rupert came just before he departed for trade talks in Beijing.

-with files from Kolten Bezooyen 

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Smithers council gave the go ahead for the airport to purchase a new groundside plow and sanding truck during tonight’s (Tuesday) meeting.

According to the staff report, the airport’s current 1998 Freightliner FL80 is no longer operational due to significant internal corrosion.

It was supposed to be replaced several years ago but was given temporary life extensions through repairs.

Councillor Frank Wray was curious if staff had an option in mind already with the $50,000 budget.

“Unfortunately, one was just sold that we were interested in but we have some good criteria and will continue looking for vehicles,” said Manager Trevin Muscat.

He continued the airport hopes to purchase a vehicle with the plow and spreader already attached but are keeping the option open to buy them separately.

Currently, the hope is to purchase a smaller truck than the airport previously had, allowing for year round use and negating annual Motor Vehicle Inspections.

The report added the funds would come from the airport’s Machinery and Equipment Reserve as the Airport Capital Assistance Program wasn’t an option.

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Sports by Hartley Wednesday, January 14th, 2026  as of 12:05 a.m.

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Williams Lake City Councillor Sheila Boehm encouraged the public to stand up for their voices to be heard and to keep meetings public.

During Tuesday night’s Williams Lake City Council Meeting, Councillor Boehm addressed a letter from the Concerned Parents of Williams Lake (CPWL), who expressed deep concerns over the Cariboo-Chilcotin School District’s Board of Trustee’s proposed decision on December 15, 2025, to prevent members of the public from attending Board of Trustees meetings.

“I have huge issues with closing off open meetings and as elected officials, I think we’re elected to hear from who we’re elected by,” said Boehm in the Council Meeting.

“I would not want our council chambers to be closed off to the public, so I have a hard time with any other entity allowing it.”

Boehm, who was a School Board Trustee for several years, recounted how not allowing the public to speak at meetings was one of the reasons why she chose to run to be an elected official.

“I went to a school district meeting where I was not allowed to speak, and I actually heckled from the audience because I was not allowed to speak. I ran to be a school trustee, and the first thing I asked for was for meetings to be opened to the public, not to be shut off.”

The proposed changes to Board meetings would see the public no longer able to physically attend school board meetings. The public would have to attend via teleconferencing through Microsoft Teams. The Board Chair would also approve the members of the public to enter the meeting.

All delegations to the Board of Trustees would only be allowed to make a delegation through teleconferencing. All delegations would continue to seek approval as per the Procedural Bylaws.

Another proposed change was to the Procedural Bylaw, which would remove the members of the public’s ability to comment on Board agenda items. Instead, the public would have to submit comments, questions, and responses on agenda items before 2:00 p.m. on the day of the meeting. The Board Chair would then be able to choose which comments and questions they will read out in the meeting.

In its letter to Mayor and Council, CPWL says the proposed changes by School District 27’s Board of Trustees “only serve to further drive a wedge” between the public and the School Board. The CPWL also stated that the changes would give the board “ultimate power” to pick everything meeting-related, and the changes “thwart what little opportunity there was for the public to engage in meaningful dialogue with the board.”

Boehm supported CPWL’s letter and agreed with some of its statements, and encouraged more members of the public to use the Board’s proposed decision as a reason to “get active” and run for elected office, to make changes.

“There needs to be more people running, because as it was changed back to the old ways, and now even more restrictions are being offered, I feel people need to run,” said Boehm.

“I cannot condone this action of potentially closing off meetings. I would not condone it if we [Council] locked our doors, and I will not condone it to any public meetings that should be open to all attending.”

City Councillor Angie Delainey, who is also the Board Chair for the Cariboo-Chilcotin School District’s Board of Trustees, chose not to say anything on the matter during the City Council meeting.

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Prince George City Council discussed the preparation of a “downloading report” at last night’s (Monday) meeting.

The report would be used as an advocacy tool, outlining where the municipality has covered costs and responsibilities downloaded by senior levels of government (provincial or federal).

This was brought forward at a previous Standing Committee on Intergovernmental Affairs meeting.

“We’ve seen downloading reports where the information has been amalgamated on all of the different costs that the provincial government has been asking us to cover, where it is not our jurisdiction,” said Councillor Garth Frizzell, chair of the Standing Committee on Intergovernmental Affairs.

Frizzell noted Kamloops and Coquitlam have already prepared reports of these nature.

Director of Administrative Services Eric Depenau noted these reports took five months and a little more than a year to prepare.

“I think it’s going to really help make a difference while we’re talking to government, to be able to present facts on exactly dollar for dollar what their impacts of not providing the resources they’re responsible are having on communities like ours,” said Councillor Kyle Sampson.

Councillor Trudy Klassen noted the Kamloops report identified $134 million over five years in downloading costs.

“That’s $134 million less to build roads, bridges, trails, everything,” she said.

“I know we’ve discussed trying to get this information for quite some time, and I’m just so pleased to see this on the agenda, because if we’re going to the province and asking them to cover some of these things, we need the data, we need the information, we can’t just go and say ‘you need to cover this because you used to,’ we need to actually be able to identify this.”

Councillor Ron Polillo said the Kamloops report would likely be more comparable for Prince George, and asked if having a report returned before the UBCM conference in September.

Director of Finance and IT Services said his department would be very busy over the next few months, but that UBCM target is possible.

“We haven’t done a city-wide downloading exercise like these other cities have done, we’ve done one piece of it, so we don’t have the greatest head start, but we do have a bit of a head start,” he said.

Mayor Simon Yu added that municipalities are unable to run deficit budgets, meaning when downloading happens, the City has to give something up.

“Having said that, there is only really one taxpayer, one taxpayer, federally, provincially, municipality-wise,” Yu said.

Council voted in support of having the report prepared.

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An arson and home invasion on New Year’s Day is being investigated by the Houston RCMP.

According to police, three armed suspects arrived at a home in the 3700 Block of Baggerman Cressent, pointed a gun at the resident, and allegedly threatened to set fire to the residence.

Mounties and the Houston Fire Department immediately responded with a recreational vehicle fire being extinguished.

Officers added all three suspects were arrested.

Two search warrants were executed at a property in the 2000 block of Gushwa Crescent, police said, leading to various weapons, a vehicle, drug paraphernalia, ammunition, and cash being seized.

The investigation remains ongoing and anyone with information is asked to contact the Houston detachment.

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The City’s Standing Committee on Public Safety discussed the application of the City’s Nuisance Abatement Bylaw at today’s (Tuesday) meeting.

At a previous meeting, the Committee directed administration to return a report to the Committee on the application of the bylaw to non-profit organizations.

According to the report, staff confirm the bylaw is silent on non-profit organizations, and speaks only of “land”, “occupiers”, “owners” and “persons”.

“We don’t really care what’s happening on the property, it’s the nuisance behaviour that’s occurring that the bylaw targets,” said Director of Administrative Services Eric Depeneau.

“Staff are of the view that the bylaw applies to many of the property types that we regulate here in the municipality.”

“I know there is frustration when you go by St. Vincent de Paul and some of these other places, and there’s the mess outside and people that congregate there,” said Councillor Brian Skakun, who was chairing the meeting in the absence of Mayor Simon Yu.

“My opinion is, that for the most part, Northern Health is not providing enough resources for a lot of the non-profits downtown that actually tackle the issues that are happening outside of their doors.”

Skakun said he thinks there needs to be some measure of accountability.

“How do you do it?” he said.

“It might be tough but I do think there’s an opportunity where we can convey a message and say you’re responsible for this much geography.”

Skakun added he would like to see more done outside of some of these properties, but Northern Health has to be there to provide the resources necessary.

Eoin Foley, President of Downtown Prince George, said if the goal is to eliminate loitering outside of these venues, there needs to be a place for them to go.

“There needs to be a better solution for both the businesses around there, and the people that are actually on the street,”

“We need to entice them, create a space, I know it’s been something that’s been discussed around the First Avenue project, like can we just create an actual open courtyard where people can just be there, as long as they’re not being violent, you’ll be left alone. An open air space where, if there is drug consumption it’s not going to negatively affect others, because I think that’s really what we’re talking about.”

“You don’t want to be a heavy hammer on these people that are providing a much needed service,” said Councillor Trudy Klassen.

“We are a number of years past Covid, and everybody recognizes that during that time, many things just dropped off, we are now in a situation where we are regaining our community and our strength and ability.”

No action was taken on the discussion.

The bylaw has only been used a small number of times, most recently for a residence on Quentin Avenue.

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The Prince George Spruce Kings are getting a head start on next season.

Today (Tuesday), the BCHL club signed 2007 born forward Adam Crosby.

Crosby is 6’3, 196 pounds from Savage, Minnesota, who currently plays for Holy Family Catholic High School in the USHS-MN league, where he is one of the team captains.

This season, he has 5 goals and 8 assists in 15 games.

“I’m excited and fortunate to be joining Prince George in the BCHL. It’s a program with a long history of success and strong community support. I’m looking forward to making a positive impact.” added Crosby in a release.

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Quadra Island residents are invited to an event focused on settlement and housing in the community.

The Strathcona Regional District will host the event later this month to help residents learn more about the Area C Official Community Plan.

The regional district said feedback gathered at the event will help shape policies guiding future land use and housing in the community.

The event is scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 21, at the Quadra Island Community Centre at 5 p.m.

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B.C. Restaurant and Food Services Association President and CEO Ian Tostenson would like to see both levels of government pair down some of the red tape to ease the burden of their industry.

He says 48% of businesses are either breaking even or not making money with the chain restaurants showing a greater ability to handle industry challenges compared to independents.

Tostenson expects between 500 and 600 restaurants in BC to close again this year with a several new establishments opening and easing the blow.

“Typically, each year, we see sort of an contraction, expansion where you lose some and you gain some. I say that not so flippantly because when you talk about any restaurant, you talk about a person that has put there hard-earned money into it to try something and its hard to see them closing.”

“What we are really seeing is the people at the end of their lease and not renewing because its not worth it.”

“It’s not lucrative, the margins are tight and we are seeing more strength in chains where they have the ability on a more economic scale to handle things versus the independents,” added Tostenson.

A new forecast from Dalhousie University shows 7,000 restaurants went out of business across the country last year and predicts another four thousand to do the same this year.

Tostenson also mentioned the Temporary Foreign Worker roll backs from Ottawa will hurt regions like the north a little bit more due to the amount of resource projects that are either running or under construction.

“We start looking out for more projects in northern B.C. we need to feed the workers. It’s becoming more and more. That one we don’t seem to have any short term solution – right now, the government seems to be sort of stuck on that.”

“We are trying to get the government to re-think their approach and in a lot of cases with the provincial government and if you look at the municipal governments, Prince George is pretty good but Vancouver and Victoria often see significant delays to get an extension on their liquor license or patio license.”

He added there are 15,000 restaurants province-wide and the industry still has 15-thousand job openings, many of which are in need of cooks and back of the house staff.

“The federal government has clamped down on immigration and we understand that but we don’t believe that they should have clamped down so much that up north it could be a real problem. You have work camps, hospitals, and institutions. We need cooks and chefs all over the place,” said Tostenson.

Tostenson mentioned a campaign will be launched later this year to get as many restaurants on board to participate and show the FIFA World Cup games to help generate revenue for the industry.

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Emergency Management Cowichan and the City of Duncan are working together to reduce wildfire risk through vegetation management. 

The City of Duncan said work will take place in McAdam, Rotary and Centennial parks over the next few weeks. 

Officials said people in the area should keep pets under control and follow directions from crews on site. 

The work includes thinning dense brush, pruning tree branches, removing or topping trees that pose a hazard, removing some invasive species and planting FireSmart native plants. 

For more information, visit the city’s website. 

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Two northern B.C. indigenous artists are set to perform in Smithers at the Della Herman Theatre.

Kym Gouchie from Prince George is a Lheidli T’enneh singer and song writer, 2025 Children’s Album of the Year Juno Award Nominee, and winner of the 2025 Western Canadian Music Awards for Best Children’s Artist.

“I write songs that are relevant to my life in the north, as an intergenerational residential school survivor as my mother and late father attended,” she said.

Her music also touches on the land with how it holds and supports its residents.

Also performing will be Jeremy Pahl, better known as Gamksimoon, who’s worked with Gouchie on her music in the past.

“She did invite me to record guitar, fiddle, banjo, acoustic guitar, a whole bunch of stringed instruments on her last record so I’ll be stoked to play on a couple of those tunes,” he said.

The two have previously performed together both as a band and separately in the past with this being the first time in a while.

The pair will be playing on January 17th with tickets available at Mountain Eagle Books or on the Bulkley Valley Concert Association’s website.

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Recent warm, wet conditions at Mount Washington are affecting resort operations until colder, drier weather arrives. 

Mount Washington said as of Tuesday, Jan. 13, the Sunrise chairlift and terrain on that side of the mountain are closed, and conditions at the Nordic Centre and Raven Lodge trails have also been affected. 

As a result, alpine lift tickets and Nordic trail pass prices will be reduced accordingly, and quality guarantees are available at guest services. 

The resort’s mountain operations teams are working to protect the remaining snowpack and keep as many trails open as possible. 

Guests are being advised to check morning grooming and trail reports for details on what is open before arriving. 

Resort officials said the start of the season has served as a stark reminder that all aspects of the mountain are a shared experience, which includes uncontrollable weather. 

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Efforts are under way to find support for the 350 workers at the Crofton mill as their employment draws to a close, but North Cowichan’s mayor said the process has been difficult.  

Rob Douglas said the federal government has already announced temporary Employment Insurance measures in response to major economic conditions.  

“These measures include waiving the one-week waiting period, suspending the allocation of separation earnings, and extending benefit duration up to 65 weeks for long-tenured workers,” he said.  

While most of the workers are expected to be laid off next month, Douglas said 60 of them will be excluded from the enhanced employment insurance protections.  

“Approximately 250 mill workers will be laid off in February,” he said. “However, due to operational considerations, an additional group of 60 workers aren’t scheduled to receive layoffs until Apr. 14. 

“As a result, these workers will be excluded from the enhanced EI protections solely due to timing, despite being affected by the same closure and facing the same economic circumstances as their colleagues.” 

In an open letter to the minister of jobs and families, Patty Hajdu, Douglas asked the federal government to extend the temporary EI measures or introduce an exemption to ensure all Crofton mill workers are treated the same. 

The closure of the mill was announced in December. 

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An Alberta man is Mercedes-less for seven days after trying to put the blame on elk for going 60 kilometres/per hour over the speed limit.

The man was stopped on Highway 3/95 near Moyie on Dec. 30 after his Mercedes SUV was clocked going 160 km/h in a 100 zone.

He told police that he was going that fast to avoid elk.

Corporal Michael McLaughlin said that unfortunately doesn’t cut it as an excuse.

“The maximum speed of a North American elk is about 70 km/h, so they are just as athletic as they are majestic, but if you feel the need to get away, you still have plenty of room to spare in a 100 km/h zone,” he said.

“Instead of coming up with questionable excuses, consider leaving slightly earlier, slowing to the speed limit, and saving yourself the cost and hassle of losing your vehicle to an impound.”

The driver was issued a speeding ticket worth $483 and the cost of a tow truck and a seven-day vehicle impound.

“Luckily, no elk were harmed during this incident,” said McLaughlin.

“If you ever hit such a large creature while driving 160, it will end badly for you and very badly for the elk.”

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A brand of enoki mushrooms has been recalled in British Columbia due to possible listeria contamination.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) said Monday the recall is for Mushmoshi brand enoki mushrooms sold in 200-gram packages. The affected product has the code “16/02/2026 [G] 042” on its packaging.

The recall, issued by Richmond-based wholesaler Longsheng (Canada) Agricultural Products Ltd., follows testing by the CFIA. No illnesses have been reported.

The CFIA said its investigation may lead to the recall of other products.

Consumers are advised to throw out the recalled mushrooms or return them to the place of purchase.

It noted that food contaminated with listeria may not look or smell spoiled but can still make you sick. Symptoms can include vomiting, nausea, persistent fever, muscle aches, severe headache, and neck stiffness. Severe cases of listeria infection can be fatal.

Since 2020, the CFIA has recalled several brands of raw enoki mushrooms from South Korea and China due to listeria contamination.

The agency recommends ensuring the mushrooms are kept refrigerated and stored separate from foods that won’t be cooked to avoid potential cross-contamination.

It also recommends washing hands, surfaces, and utensils before and after handling raw enoki mushrooms.

Cooking the mushrooms to an internal temperature of 70 C for at least two minutes is recommended to reduce the risk of illness.

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The B.C. River Forecast Centre has downgraded Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast to a high streamflow advisory.

The advisory follows a period when the areas were covered by a flood watch and a flood warning around the Englishman River in Parksville because of recent heavy rain.

A high streamflow advisory indicates that although river levels may climb quickly, major floods are not forecast, though low-lying areas could experience minor flooding. The centre said most rivers have peaked and are receding but flows remain high.

Monday’s conditions prompted an evacuation order along the Chemainus River, authorities said, as rapidly rising water levels threatened properties. Roads remain affected in the area as river levels recede.

The Regional District of Nanaimo has also issued an evacuation order for one property at the Pathfinder Resort in Parksville because of flooding on the Englishman River.

Evacuation alerts were issued by the Regional District of Nanaimo for properties in Electoral Area G near the Englishman River and for other properties near the Nanaimo River in Cedar.

“Heavy rainfall and snowmelt over the past three days have led to high flows across the region,” said a B.C. River Forecast Centre statement. “Rainfall rates have eased, with light rain possible in areas on Tuesday morning before tapering off Tuesday afternoon.”

The evacuation order for properties near the Chemainus River was rescinded Monday afternoon, though the evacuation order and alerts for properties near the Englishman and Nanaimo rivers were still in effect as of Tuesday morning.

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Fernie city councillor Kyle Hamilton is throwing his hat in the ring, following Mayor Nic Milligan’s decision not to run for re-election.

Hamilton is serving his second term as a councillor in Fernie.

He said he’s learned a lot over that time.

“The most valuable lesson I’ve learned over the last two terms as a councillor is the value of the second and third-order ramifications of every decision,” he said.

“We really need to start taking a longer view of the impacts and consequences of each decision and where they potentially leave us in the next 10, 20 and even 30 years.”

He said the work done over those terms has prepared him for the top job.

“I want to be Fernie’s next mayor to really continue the work that’s been happening over the last couple terms and towards recognizing the infrastructure gap that we have in our community,” he added.

“I feel that my experience having been over all of these files for the last two terms really helps position me as the go to for this next term to continue that work.”

Hamilton said he has a good understanding of the issues facing the city.

“The wastewater issue has certainly come to light in the last five weeks with the atmospheric river we had here and the pipes over capacity,” he said.

“Fernie needs a mayor who understands our current struggles with failing infrastructure and has the experience to fight for updated funding models from higher governments, to help reduce the burden of increasing property taxes.”

Hamilton said Mayor Milligan will be missed and thanked him for the work he’s done this past term.

“I was a little bit disappointed to hear that Mayor Milligan was not seeking re-election,” he said.

“I think he has done a fantastic job guiding the community as mayor over the past four years, navigating a number of these large issues and doing a really good job of balancing both the needs of our community now and into the future.”

We are still a ways out from the 2026 municipal election.

The nomination period begins on Sept. 1 followed by the campaign period starting on Sept. 19 across the province.

General voting day is set for Oct. 17.

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Nanaimo has named a new youth poet laureate for the next two years. 

Jennavieve Strub is a fourth-year student at Vancouver Island University, where she is working toward a bachelor of arts with a dual focus in psychology and creative writing. 

“I’m honoured to be named the next youth poet laureate and grateful for the chance to help amplify the voices and stories of young people in our community. I’m excited to share how poetry can belong to everyone, not just to the classroom or the page. In this role, I hope to use poetry to make space for honesty, vulnerability, and to bring more youth into the conversations shaping the place we live,” said Strub. 

Strub was selected for her compelling work, strong community vision and commitment to making poetry accessible, inclusive and relevant to young people, according to a City of Nanaimo news release. 

The release said she proposed initiatives including youth poetry clubs, accessible poetry nights in all-ages venues, intergenerational writing exchanges and a project combining poetry with visual art and performance. 

“The youth poet laureate program continues to be an important platform for celebrating youth creativity and expression in Nanaimo. We are pleased to welcome Jennavieve Strub into this role and look forward to seeing her vision come to life through meaningful community poetry projects,” said Mayor Leonard Krog. 

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The first of five new transit exchanges being built in the Comox Valley is complete and ready for public use. 

B.C. Transit said the new transit exchange on College Campus Road, between the Comox Valley Aquatic Centre and the North Island Hospital, opened Monday, Jan. 12.  

The exchange increases bus capacity, improves the customer experience and enhances safety in the area.  

Construction began in late August after a contract was awarded to Wacor Holdings Ltd.

Final improvements such as lighting and landscaping touches will be installed in the coming months.  

Four other new transit exchanges are planned for south Courtenay, downtown Courtenay, downtown Comox, and Oyster River.  

Each exchange will include concrete bus bays for heavy-duty buses, improvements to pedestrian and road infrastructure, new bike racks and larger bus shelters.  

The exchanges were announced in February 2024 and have received $8.8 million in funding from the Government of Canada, the Province of British Columbia and the Comox Valley Regional District. 

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A young Cowichan Valley swimmer is being recognized for a strong showing on the national stage.

Gabi Williamson, a 15-year-old athlete with the Duncan Swim Team, recently returned from competition at the Ken Demchuk Para International Invitational, where she posted personal best times in most of her races and reached finals in every event she entered.

Williamson’s performance places her among a group of Cowichan Valley swimmers identified for Swim BC’s Pacific Peaks Pathway – Next Wave program, which recognizes developing athletes who have demonstrated consistent competitive progress throughout the season.

Officials with Swim BC say the pathway program is designed to support swimmers showing strong potential through high-level competition experience, technical development, and long-term athlete growth.

Williamson and her teammates were acknowledged for their achievements as part of the program’s seasonal recognition, highlighting a successful year for the Duncan Swim Team at both the provincial and national levels.

The results mark another positive milestone for competitive swimming in the Cowichan Valley.

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City crews will once again close Carney Street between 8th Avenue and 10th Avenue from 7 a.m. tomorrow (Wednesday) until 7 a.m. on Thursday for a water service replacement.

Staff will place a temporary asphalt patch Wednesday night to ensure the road remains drivable. Sidewalk access will not be available during the closure.

The work involves replacing a water service installed in the 1950s.

Nearby properties may experience temporary changes in water pressure or sediment. The water is safe to drink, and residents are advised to run their taps until the water clears if discolored.

Properties affected by water shutoffs will be notified in advance.

A detour will be in place along Burden Street and Douglas Street.

Motorists are asked to follow posted signage and use caution near the work area.

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A man charged with manslaughter in a Grand Forks shooting, who has skipped bail twice, is free again.

BC Prosecutions say there are strict conditions attached to Sean Tiessen’s release.

The 45-year-old was re-arrested for a second time a month ago after missing a court appearance in late September.

He was also taken back into custody for missing court in March 2024.

Tiessen is accused in the April 2023 death of 33-year-old Joshua Lockwood, who died in a rural home on Granby Road.

RCMP say Tiessen and Lockwood knew each other.

The charge was laid a year after the incident.

Tiessen is due back in Rossland court Jan. 26.

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A former senior administrator with the City of Trail who is suing the municipality for constructive dismissal is trying to pry loose materials that the city claims are privileged.

In an application filed last week in BC Supreme Court in Kelowna, Michelle McIsaac asks for an order declaring the minutes of a closed council meeting of Oct. 6, 2022 are not privileged.

She claims that at the meeting, council discussed her proposed terms to end her employment and that they made a decision, although her application does not indicate what that decision was. McIsaac alleges that after Colleen Jones was elected mayor later that month, Jones instructed the city manager to end negotiations with McIsaac. McIsaac says the city acted in bad faith by not implementing council’s decision.

McIsaac returned to work at the city in December 2022. In the spring of 2023, she viewed a video of the closed meeting in question, which she said she learned about while investigating a potential privacy breach as the city’s privacy officer. She said she reported the privacy breach to the city manager and the city’s legal counsel.

The city, however, says McIsaac should not have viewed the video, and has alleged that it was grounds to fire her, although it earlier said that she was not fired, but resigned.

In her statement of claim filed on Aug. 23, 2023, McIsaac alleged a workplace bullying and harassment claim filed in February 2022 was substantiated by a third-party investigator.

She named four city councillors, including Colleen Jones, and said the behaviour continued after Jones was elected mayor. Two other councillors didn’t seek re-election, while the third  was defeated at the polls.

The new council censured Jones in June 2023 for behavior “unbecoming of a member of city council” for the three code-of-conduct violations. A news release from the City of Trail also included a letter of apology from Jones, but McIsaac called the apology “misrepresenting.”

She is suing for her annual income of $123,967, pension contributions, benefits and court costs.

In addition to the minutes of the closed meeting in question, McIsaac is seeking an order that privileged-based objections raised by the city’s lawyer at an examination for discovery of city manager Colin McClure were improper. If granted, the order would force the city to answer certain questions and satisfy other disclosure requests.

The city hasn’t yet responded to McIsaac’s latest application, which will be heard on Jan. 19, but it argued that materials filed in support of the application should be sealed and that the hearing should be held in camera. A judge agreed to seal an initial hearing, including an unfiled application and affidavit that McIsaac submitted. However, the judge ordered a copy of the same affidavit to be filed with a few redactions and refused to seal an allegation that Colleen Jones engaged in bullying.

The trial is expected to be heard in Kelowna in March.

— With files from Drew Wilson

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Local conservationists are applauding the B.C. government for adding nearly one thousand and sixty hectares of primary forest habitat to West Twin Provincial Park, two hours east of Prince George.

The new habitat protection is in the globally-important Inland Temperate Rainforest and includes areas identified as rare old growth by technical experts in 2021.

“It’s a modest amount of new protection for this endangered ecosystem, and we’re pleased that it’s happening,” said Conservation North volunteer Jenn Matthews.

It is considered by scientists to be a biodiversity hotspot, and at-risk of irreparable harm if industrial logging rates don’t change soon.

Carrier Lumber, Canfor and West Fraser continue to log this rainforest for economically-valuable wood.

“We’re glad that the BC government is protecting wildlife habitat in our region; this is the kind of leadership that the public wants to see more of,” according to Conservation North’s director Michelle Connolly.

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The West Kootenay SPCA animal centre has been running at capacity and says it could use more help from the community.

Manager Danielle Jackman said in November and December they had a couple of large intakes of cats, including 33 from one property, many of whom were ill.

“They had about three different types of upper respiratory diseases,” she said. “They also had ear mites and fleas and internal parasites. So they needed to be treated for about six weeks in our care before we could find homes for them.”

Four of those cats are still available for adoption.

Jackman said as a small shelter, they are limited on how many animals they can help at once.

“We really relied heavily on volunteer support to help get through the end of the year. And we’ve already, in the new year, had an intake of 10 [animals], and we’re expecting another 12 in the next week or so.”

Last year the local SPCA centre, which is in Castlegar, took in over 500 animals and was able to find homes for about 350 of them. Others were transferred to different SPCA branches.

Jackman said the animals that appear for adoption on their website don’t always represent all of those they are caring for, if some are still being treated.

She said other shelters around the province are in similar situations with large numbers of animals. She suspects it has to do with the economy and people being unable to afford veterinary care or to spay or neuter their pets.

The SPCA closed its Nelson adoption centre in November 2024. Jackman said they have been able to manage the transition, and saw about 100 more animals last year that the Nelson branch previously would have been able to help with.

She also said they have expanded their foster network, so some animals are cared for in the community rather than in the shelter while they await permanent homes.

The shelter has a staff of six, ranging from casual to full-time and about 60 regular volunteers. But Jackman said they could use more, given that they are a seven-day-per-week, year-round operation.

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Sports by Hartley Tuesday, January 13th, 2026  as of 12:05 a.m.

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Prince George City Council made an amendment to upcoming changes to stormwater funding in the City.

In September 2024, City Council voted to create a utility fee based on the actual measurement of hard surface area, creating a dedicated funding source for stormwater infrastructure.

Previously, stormwater infrastructure was funded through the general tax levy, meaning it would have to compete with other service categories for funding.

In October 2025, City Council opted for a phased in approach for the changes, which will begin in 2027, and increase to the full funding level in 2029.

In December 2025, City Council gave the first three readings for the bylaws to make these changes.

However, after first three readings were given, questions were raised about properties that are not benefitting from the City’s stormwater system.

At tonight’s (Monday) meeting, Staff presented Council with an amendment regarding exemptions, which would be determined through the combined use of the City’s Geographical Information System, orthophotos (aerial photos), and site inspections.

When asked by Councillor Brian Skakun, Director of Civic Operations Blake McIntosh told Council that there’s not a current per centage outlined on how many properties would be exempt.

“It would be up to the owner to bring their challenge forward,” he said.

“It would be reviewed, there’d be an administration fee to go through that review, and should they be exempt, then they wouldn’t pay the utility.”

Councillor Cori Ramsay asked if the original calculations were done with exemptions in mind, and what the impact would be of pulling those out.

“It shouldn’t create a substantial difference in our revenue,” said Director of Finance and IT Services Kris Dalio.

“For every property that is successful in a challenge, it would affect our revenue, but we’re not expecting a lot of properties to not meet the definitions in these bylaws.”

Councillor Tim Bennett asked what the impact of incentives would be, and if this would have to push back the implementation.

“We were directed by Council to still explore incentives, it will just come back to Council at a later time, there’s some work that has to come through with that,” Dalio said.

“I think it’s roughly the late summer of this year that we’re going to be planning for that, so as far as we are concerned, we’re still on track for a January 1st, 2027 start, and we can consider incentives before we get there.”

City Council voted to rescind the original third reading, and then to add the amendment.

Council then re-gave third reading, with Mayor Yu, and Councillors Trudy Klassen and Brian Skakun opposed.

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Several Prince George Cougars are catching the eyes of NHL scouts.

Five members of the current roster cracked the Central Scouting Mid-Term Rankings for the upcoming NHL Draft.

Star defenseman Carson Carels was named the third-rated skater in North America, trailing fellow world junior teammates Keaton Verhoeff (2nd) and Gavin McKenna (1st).

17-year-old forward Kayden Lemire is rated 64th while Dmitry Yakutsenak (148th), Brock Souch (166th) and Phoenix Cahill (192nd) also made the cut.

This year’s NHL Draft is slated for the KeyBank Centre in Buffalo, New York on June 26th and 27th.

The Cougars are back in action Friday in Kamloops against the Blazers to kick off a three-game, three-day road swing.

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Sunshine Coast RCMP are seeking the public’s assistance to locate a missing 38-year-old woman.

RCMP said Hadley Elizabeth Forsythe left Sechelt hospital against medical advice at about 1:30 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 12.

Police described her as Caucasian, five feet seven inches tall with a slim build and long dyed blonde hair. She was last seen wearing beige Carhartt pants, a black shirt and a red-and-black plaid long-sleeved shirt.

“Hadley Forsythe has a residence in Halfmoon Bay and family in Gibsons but she has not been located at either location,” RCMP said in a statement.

A photo of Forsythe captured by hospital CCTV is posted below. Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to contact RCMP or Crime Stoppers.

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British Columbia again led the country in rent declines in December, according to the latest report from Rentals.ca and Urbanation.

The report, released Monday, said average asking rents in B.C. fell 5.8 per cent last month to $2,382.

The average rent for a studio unit in B.C. was down about one per cent to $1,906 in December. The average for a one-bedroom fell more than four per cent to $2,082.

B.C. rents were down 5.4 per cent compared to a year ago.

Vancouver rents hit their lowest levels since early 2022, though the city still topped the list of the most expensive cities in Canada for renters.

A one-bedroom unit in North Vancouver averaged $2,469 last month, down 7.5 per cent compared to a year ago. In Vancouver, the average rent for a one-bedroom was $2,391, a 4.8 per cent year-over-year decline.

Housing Minister Christine Boyle said rental asking prices for apartments in B.C. have dropped 12.1 per cent over the past three years.

“Since 2017, our government has worked to strengthen protections for renters, crack down on speculation, and implement changes to help build more rental homes across B.C. These efforts are showing results,” said Boyle.

Across Canada, average rents were down 2.3 per cent to $2,060.

Despite the downward trend, rents were still more than 14 per cent above pre-pandemic levels.

The report said rents fell throughout 2025 due to affordability constraints, following strong rent increases in the previous three years. It said that despite the decline last year, rent growth since 2020 has remained in line with the long-term historical average of 2.9 per cent per year.

“A combination of record-high apartment completions, slowing population growth, economic uncertainty, and affordability challenges has worked together to push down rents,” said Urbanation President Shaun Hildebrand. “Looking ahead, rents are likely to continue trending down in the near term as these conditions persist.”

Statistics Canada said B.C. recorded its first annual population decline on record in 2025, due to lower international migration.

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Prime Minister Mark Carney will be in Prince Rupert on Tuesday for a meeting with Coastal First Nations.

He will be joined by federal Energy and Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson and Housing and Infrastructure Minister Gregor Robertson.

They are expected to discuss major projects in the region and common priorities like marine conservation.

Coastal First Nations is a non-profit formed by several First Nations on B.C.’s north coast.

The visit comes after Ottawa and Alberta signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in November that includes a commitment toward a new bitumen pipeline to B.C.’s coast.

Coastal First Nations has said repealing the federal oil tanker moratorium in B.C.’s northern waters to route a pipeline there would threaten the environment and local economies.

“This pipeline project will never happen,” said President Marilyn Slett, elected Chief of the Heiltsuk Nation, just ahead of the MOU announcement. She said First Nations had been met by a “wall of silence” from Ottawa regarding the agreement.

Premier David Eby and Coastal First Nations signed a joint declaration in early November, calling on the federal government to uphold the oil tanker ban.

Eby has repeatedly dismissed the pipeline proposal, noting there is no private backing for the project. He has said repealing the oil tanker ban would threaten First Nations’ support for other major projects in B.C.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has long called on Ottawa to repeal the ban, saying it’s one of several barriers to securing a proponent for a pipeline project.

Hodgson’s visit comes after he issued an apology to Coastal First Nations in late November for comments he made in a CBC interview.

In the interview, Hodgson dismissed concerns raised by Slett about the short notice given for a meeting he had offered the organization, saying “it’s called Zoom.”

Hodgson later said in a social media post he regretted the comments and he had reached out to Coastal First Nations to arrange an in-person meeting “at their convenience.”

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Welcome to Hartley’s Cat Scan!

This is a weekly podcast featuring the ‘who’s who’ of the Prince George Cougars.

Hartley’s guests this week are Cougars defenceman Carson Carels and goaltender Josh Ravensbergen

During the episode, they discussed several topics including:

• What does the bronze medal from the World Juniors mean to them?
• Short turnaround for Bronze Medal game; getting rid of semis disappointment to Czechs
• Carels seizing opportunity to play at World Juniors
• Josh on being the 3rd goalie for Canada
• Media attention with Team Canada
• Advice for Carson on draft experience, trying to break out of current slump

You can also find this podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google, Stitcher, and TuneIn.

LISTEN:

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The Prince George Public Library (PGPL) and Prince George Airport are launching a new partnership to help make waiting at the Airport a bit more bearable.

Through this partnership, passengers can sign up for a free PGPL library card, and instantly access the Library’s digital collections while waiting fora flight, travelling, or upon arrival by using their electronic device.

No physical visit to the library is required, and this service is free.

“We all know that travel often comes with waiting,” said Manager of Communications and Engagement at PGPL Steve Hamilton.

“This partnership turns that down time into something meaningful. Whether you are at the gate, in the air, or on the beach, your Library is right there with you.”

“We’re proud to partner with the Prince George Public Library to help elevate access to literacy and learning in our community,” said Prince George Airport Authority President and CEO Geoff Ritchie.

“It’s a meaningful way to enhance the travel experience and connect passengers with the joy of reading on their journey.”

Digital collections are available 24/7, and includes thousands of titles.

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Ever since the calendar changed to January it certainly hasn’t felt much like a traditional Cariboo winter.

Environment Canada Meteorologist Derrek Lee said with the above normal temperatures in the region there is one community that is in the running to break or tie record.

“For Williams Lake we’ll be needing around 8 to 9 degrees for a daytime high. Actually our forecast right now of up to 9 degrees it will likely be tying or at least on the way to breaking a daily record for today and tomorrow (January 12 & 13). For Quesnel and 100 mile House the high would have to be around 10 to 12 degrees and the current forecast for those communities is around 6 to 7 degrees.”

Lee attributes the warmer temperatures to an atmospheric river that’s bringing a lot of warm, tropical air to the province.

“Right now we’re sitting at about 10 to 15 degrees above normal however we are looking at a cooler period coming later in the week. By cooling I’m saying it won’t be as high as 10 to 15 degrees normal, it will still likely be around 5 to 10 degrees warmer than normal with daytime highs above zero.”

Lee said overnight lows will be slightly chilly sometimes down to minus 8 but but it most cases it will be about minus 2 to minus 4.

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A fourth player on the Trail Smoke Eaters 2025-26 roster has landed a scholarship.

Twenty-year-old Dylan Lariviere is committed beginning next season to Brock University.

The six-foot-six winger says discussions with the U-Sport school started during the BCHL Showcase in early October and it was a visit to the campus in St. Catherines, Ont. which is close to where he grew up in Welland, that sold him on the program.

“Funny enough, I’m pretty close to the school, which is nice,” said the second year Smokie.

“But I didn’t know a whole lot about it, so getting to learn more and being able to go and visit and see the majority of the school and all of their facilities was very good,” he added.

“It’s a first class school, they run things well, aligned with what I was looking for at the next level and when I felt I was going to get a chance to move on and keep playing (hockey) and get a good education, everything lined up well,” Lariviere explained, noting that securing the scholarship was a relief.

“It’s really easy to say you don’t really think about it and you try to let it take care of itself, but it’s always in the back of your mind and it’s kind of weighing over you,” Lariviere stated.

“So it’s nice to find a spot where I feel comfortable with and am excited to be at and I don’t have to really worry about where I’m going to be next year,” said Lariviere, who now has a single focus for the rest of the season.

“Definitely now I can no go and just play and focus on this year and hopefully go on a good run.”

Lariviere has already the equaled goal totals of his past two seasons in the BCHL, one with Merritt, the other in Trail, scoring his 12th of the campaign last Friday night against West Kelowna.

One goal for this season was increasing his offensive stats, but Lariviere remains diligent when it comes to the small details, like recovering the puck during battles along the boards.

“A lot of the game is played in the dirty areas, in the corners, on the walls,” he stressed, explaining that winning those battles can create scoring chances and prevent goals against.

“You see both sides of it where if you’re in the d-zone (in your end) if you don’t get it (the puck) out it’s normally in the back of your net,” Lariviere said, noting the same applies in the offensive zone, resulting in goals for.

However, Lariviere says in both instances you have to pay the price for success.

“It maybe isn’t the most fun to do all the time, you get beat up pretty good, but at the end of the day you want to win and those things matter just as much as scoring an putting points up on the board,” Lariviere said, adding that it’s a part of the game he takes pride in.

“It’s tough but you’ve got to find a way to enjoy it and I’ve just been able to find little things that work and little different things that where you can win battles a little bit differently and throw a little bit of a wrench at other teams.”

Other Smokies to secure scholarships this season are defenseman Max Hense (St. Lawrence University), winger Louis Jonerheim (Rochester Institute of Technology), and defenseman Colton Whitfield (Army).

The Smokies don’t play again until Jan. 20 in Spruce Grove, Alta., and return to Cominco Arena Saturday, Jan. 24 against the Blackfalds Bulldogs.

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Across most of the Bulkley Valley and Lakes District, the number of properties sold last year were nearly identical to 2024.

That’s according to the latest numbers from the B.C. Northern Real Estate Board.

To close 2025, 161 sales were made in the Smithers area worth a combined $85.9 million.

That’s compared to 160 the year prior worth about $82.2 million in total.

More properties were on the market to close last year at 80 compared to 53 in 2024.

In Burns Lake, 66 properties changed hands in 2025, identical to the number sold in 2024, but saw the total value increase about $1 million to $20.8 million.

Still available were 51 properties versus the 54 available to close the year prior.

One fewer property sold in Houston last year at 60 compared to 2024 with the combined value being nearly the same at $16.4 million with 33 lots still available for purchase.

The Hazeltons saw a slightly different story with 37 properties selling in 2025, 20 sold in the year prior.

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The mayor of Cranbrook said he’s pleased with how this year’s municipal budget is shaping up, with a projected tax levy increase lower than in recent years.

The city is looking at a 5.67 per cent increase compared to last year’s 6.4 per cent hike.

“One per cent of that is our dedicated road tax. So without the dedicated road tax it would be more like 4.5 per cent this year,” said Mayor Wayne Price.

“So it took a lot of work, but we started with probably around 12 per cent. Our finance staff and administration did a great job getting it down to a respectable number.”

The city has one more dedicated special budget meeting left, which is scheduled for Jan. 21.

The five-year financial plan will then make its way through council before final adoption.

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Courtenay residents’ views will be discussed at the city’s first council meeting of 2026. 

Council will review the results of the 2025 resident satisfaction survey at its Wednesday, Jan. 12 meeting. 

The survey asked residents about their experience living in the city, whether they would recommend Courtenay to a friend or colleague, and the top issues facing the community. 

Thirty-five per cent of surveyed residents said homelessness is the top issue in the city, a decline of seven percentage points from the previous year. 

Other top issues included the lack of affordable housing, mental health and drug-addiction issues and traffic congestion, each at seven per cent. 

Eighty-one per cent of residents said they have a positive impression of the quality of life in Courtenay, a three percentage-point drop from 2024. 

Despite the overall drop in positive impressions, 33 per cent of respondents said living in Courtenay was very good, up from 25 per cent a year ago. 

Forty-nine per cent of residents said the quality of life in the city has stayed the same, 43 per cent said it has worsened, while eight per cent said it has improved. 

The top three reasons a resident would not recommend Courtenay as a place to live were the high cost of living at 19 per cent, it being too crowded also at 19 per cent and the cost of housing at 18 per cent. 

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The City of Nanaimo is seeking more input from residents as it enters the third phase of creating an area plan for Woodgrove. 

City officials said the project aims to create a complete community in the area and that the current phase focuses on the policies and actions needed to reach that goal.  

“City Plan identifies six secondary urban centres, including the Woodgrove area, to become dynamic, complete communities where development is encouraged. The Woodgrove Area Plan will be an important guide and provide clarity for the future of the area,” said Mayor Leonard Krog in a news release.  

The Woodgrove Area Plan will provide detailed land use and policy guidelines to direct future development, with the aim of supporting housing, transportation and daily needs in a compact, livable community.  

The city received more than 440 responses from survey and workshop participants last year on three potential growth scenarios and will now collect feedback on policies that can guide growth.