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Island Nagalis sponsors: BC Ferries’ Strategic Planning Manager Joanne Doyle and Lorraine Henderson from Wei Wai Kum First Nation. BC Ferries photo

New ferry breaks down one week after taking over Campbell River to Quadra Island route

Sister ship pressed into making up the loss of service

Victoria Fire Chief Paul Bruce and Mayor Lisa Helps tour the fire hall site. (Courtesy of City of Victoria)

Former Victoria mayor to advise premier on housing solutions

Lisa Helps appointed Premier David Eby’s housing solutions adviser

Canadian Forces Leopard 2A4 tanks are shown at CFB Gagetown in Oromocto, N.B., on September 13, 2012. THE CANADIAN PRESS/David Smith

Canada donating four Leopard battle tanks to Ukraine

‘These tanks will allow Ukraine to liberate even more of its territory and defend its people’

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FILE - In this Thursday, June 18, 2020 file photo, President Donald Trump looks at his phone during a roundtable with governors on the reopening of America's small businesses, in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington. On Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023, Facebook parent Meta said in a blog post it is reinstating former President Trump’s personal account after two-year suspension following the Jan. 6 insurrection. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)
Donald Trump to be allowed back on Facebook after 2-year ban
FILE - Justin Roiland poses for a portrait to promote the television series "Rick and Morty" on day two of Comic-Con International, July 21, 2017, in San Diego. Roiland, who created the animated series “Rick and Morty” and provides the voices of the two title characters, is awaiting trial on charges of felony domestic violence against a former girlfriend. A criminal complaint obtained Thursday, Jan. 12, 2023, by The Associated Press from prosecutors in Orange County, Calif., detailed the charges against him. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, File)
’Rick and Morty’ creator dropped by Hulu after abuse charges
FILE - Justin Bieber attends The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute benefit gala on Sept. 13, 2021, in New York. Bieber’s publishing rights, copyright ownership and all rights to his entire music catalog are now under Hipgnois. The deal reportedly cost $200 million which is one of the biggest sales for a musician as young as Bieber, who is 28 years old. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)
Justin Bieber sells rights to ‘Baby,’ rest of music catalog
FILE - Paris Hilton, left, and Carter Reum appear at the LACMA Art + Film Gala in Los Angeles on Nov. 6, 2021. Hilton has welcomed her first child, with her husband Reum. Hilton took to Instagram and posted a photo that shows the 41-year-old new mom holding her baby boy’s tiny hand. Details of the birth remain unclear and the heiress did not give any details or when her baby was born. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File)
Paris Hilton becomes a first-time mom to baby boy
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Alan Parfett won $100,000 after playing the British Columbia Lottery Corporation’s bingo grand scratch-and-win game. (Courtesy of the BCLC)

Victoria man wins $100K from scratch ticket

Alan Parfett bought the winning ticket at the Save-On-Foods on Pandora Avenue

  • Jan 26, 2023
Alan Parfett won $100,000 after playing the British Columbia Lottery Corporation’s bingo grand scratch-and-win game. (Courtesy of the BCLC)
A new Plant and Animal Health Centre will be built by the province in the Fraser Valley, as the current building is at risk of flooding again someday. The ministry of agriculture and food will have a business plan with some suitable locations highlighted by the end of 2023. (Pixabay photo)

Province announces plans to replace Abbotsford plant and animal health facility, citing flood risk

Current facility in Abbotsford was damaged by the flooding in 2021 but back in operation for now

A new Plant and Animal Health Centre will be built by the province in the Fraser Valley, as the current building is at risk of flooding again someday. The ministry of agriculture and food will have a business plan with some suitable locations highlighted by the end of 2023. (Pixabay photo)
Victoria police are investigating a Jan. 20 Richardson Street house fire as arson and have arrested one person in relation to the incident. (File photo courtesy of Ray Bernoties)

One arrested amid arson investigation into Victoria house fire

Nobody was home at the time but Richardson Street residence extensively damaged

Victoria police are investigating a Jan. 20 Richardson Street house fire as arson and have arrested one person in relation to the incident. (File photo courtesy of Ray Bernoties)
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Sidney resident Jimmy Queenanewest shot this video as he travelled on a ferry toward Tsawwassen from Swartz Bay on Jan. 5. (Courtesy of Jimmy Queenanewest)
VIDEO: BC Ferries vessel gets hammered with waves during bomb cyclone
FILE - Britney Spears arrives at the Los Angeles premiere of "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood," on July 22, 2019. A man once briefly married to Britney Spears was convicted Friday, Aug. 12, 2022, of aggravated trespassing and battery at the pop star’s June wedding. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)
Fans reportedly call police to Britney Spears’ home after she deletes Instagram
Sarah Polley arrives on the red carpet for “Women Talking,” at the Toronto International Film Festival, in Toronto, on Tuesday, September 13, 2022. Toronto filmmakers Polley and Domee Shi are among the Canadians competing in the top categories at this year’s Academy Awards. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young
Sarah Polley, Domee Shi among top Canadian Oscar nominees
Pope Francis speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at the Vatican, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023. Francis acknowledged that Catholic bishops in some parts of the world support laws that criminalize homosexuality or discriminate against the LGBTQ community, and he himself referred to homosexuality in terms of "sin." But he attributed attitudes to culture backgrounds, and said bishops in particular need to undergo a process of change to recognize the dignity of everyone. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
The World Briefly: Pope says homosexuality not a crime
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The empty streets of Banff are seen as Parks Canada is restricting vehicles in the national parks and national historic sites in Banff, Alta., on March 24, 2020. Banff tourism officials are joining the call for better management of visitor traffic in the most heavily visited parts of the national park. In a document outlining its development plans for the next decade, Banff and Lake Louise Tourism says it wants to reduce damaging traffic bottlenecks through improved public transit and fewer private vehicles. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

Banff tourism report seeks fewer private vehicles, more public transit in park

‘Vehicle traffic is one of the single biggest challenges in terms of…our ability to be sustainable’

The empty streets of Banff are seen as Parks Canada is restricting vehicles in the national parks and national historic sites in Banff, Alta., on March 24, 2020. Banff tourism officials are joining the call for better management of visitor traffic in the most heavily visited parts of the national park. In a document outlining its development plans for the next decade, Banff and Lake Louise Tourism says it wants to reduce damaging traffic bottlenecks through improved public transit and fewer private vehicles. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh
Northern Cafe and Grill was named the best-rated restaurant in Yelp’s list of the top 100 places to eat in Canada in 2023. (Northern Cafe and Grill/Special to The News)

B.C. cafe declared best place to eat in Canada in 2023

23 B.C. restaurants made Yelp’s annual list of top-rated eateries in the country

Northern Cafe and Grill was named the best-rated restaurant in Yelp’s list of the top 100 places to eat in Canada in 2023. (Northern Cafe and Grill/Special to The News)
Alina Durham holds a photo of her daughter Shaelene Bell in her home on Jan. 12, 2023. Bell went missing on Jan. 30, 2021 and her body was found on June 2, 2021 in the Fraser River near Coquitlam. Durham has been trying for 18 months to get Shaelene’s Missing Adult Alert in place, but nothing has happened. (Jenna Hauck/ Chilliwack Progress)

B.C. mom disheartened with no result after 18 months advocating for missing-adult alert

‘I believe it can be done, I believe it should be done and nothing is being done,’ says Alina Durham

Alina Durham holds a photo of her daughter Shaelene Bell in her home on Jan. 12, 2023. Bell went missing on Jan. 30, 2021 and her body was found on June 2, 2021 in the Fraser River near Coquitlam. Durham has been trying for 18 months to get Shaelene’s Missing Adult Alert in place, but nothing has happened. (Jenna Hauck/ Chilliwack Progress)
Khristina (last name withheld), seen here at Salish Park on Jan. 18, 2023, from Saskatchewan comes to Chilliwack twice a year to find her son who is living on the streets, and to hand out supplies to homeless people. (Paul Henderson/ Chilliwack Progress)

Saskatchewan cattle rancher visits Fraser Valley twice a year to find her homeless son

‘I spent time with him, and that has to be enough’

Khristina (last name withheld), seen here at Salish Park on Jan. 18, 2023, from Saskatchewan comes to Chilliwack twice a year to find her son who is living on the streets, and to hand out supplies to homeless people. (Paul Henderson/ Chilliwack Progress)
A health-care worker pushes a patient across a connecting bridge at a hospital in Montreal, Thursday, July 14, 2022. A new report says misinformation about COVID-19 contributed to more than 2,800 Canadian deaths and at least $300 million in hospital and ICU visits. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes

COVID-19 misinformation contributed to 2,800 Canadian deaths, report suggests

Findings: vaccine hesitancy affected more than 2.35 million people between March and November 2021

A health-care worker pushes a patient across a connecting bridge at a hospital in Montreal, Thursday, July 14, 2022. A new report says misinformation about COVID-19 contributed to more than 2,800 Canadian deaths and at least $300 million in hospital and ICU visits. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes
Police tape is shown in Toronto, Tuesday, May 2, 2017. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graeme Roy

Impersonators posing as homeowners linked to 32 fraud cases in Ontario and B.C.

Con artists posing as homeowners to list properties for sale

Police tape is shown in Toronto, Tuesday, May 2, 2017. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graeme Roy
Vancouver police constable Nicole Chan died by suicide on Jan. 27, 2019. A coroners’ inquest into her death is seeking to determine the facts around what happened. (Photo courtesy of Jennifer Chan)

Inquiry hears details on Vancouver Const. Nicole Chan’s final day from eyes of her boyfriend

Chan’s former boyfriend testified at the coroners’ inquest Wednesday

Vancouver police constable Nicole Chan died by suicide on Jan. 27, 2019. A coroners’ inquest into her death is seeking to determine the facts around what happened. (Photo courtesy of Jennifer Chan)
A sign commemorating victims of residential schools is attached to a fence line in front of homes east of Calgary near Gliechen, Alta., Tuesday, June 29, 2021. A new report from a group looking into children that died and went missing at an Alberta residential school says unpasteurized milk was responsible for the deaths of Indigenous children at the institution. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

Probe into Alberta residential school links unpasteurized milk to children’s deaths

Estimates say up to 400 children died while attending Blue Quills residential school

A sign commemorating victims of residential schools is attached to a fence line in front of homes east of Calgary near Gliechen, Alta., Tuesday, June 29, 2021. A new report from a group looking into children that died and went missing at an Alberta residential school says unpasteurized milk was responsible for the deaths of Indigenous children at the institution. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh
The Canadian border crossing is seen in Lacolle, Que. on Friday, Feb. 12, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson

Border agencies in Canada, U.S. detail how new Nexus trusted-traveller plan will work

Change to take effect in the spring could involve U.S. interviews in certain Canadian airports

The Canadian border crossing is seen in Lacolle, Que. on Friday, Feb. 12, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson
Tiff Macklem, Governor of the Bank of Canada, holds a press conference at the Bank of Canada in Ottawa on Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023. The Bank of Canada is taking a pause from raising interest rates to assess how the economy responds to higher borrowing costs, with one key indicator to watch being the labour market. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

As the Bank of Canada hits pause on hiking rates, all eyes are on the labour market

Labour groups have voiced concerns about the Bank of Canada’s rate hikes in recent months

Tiff Macklem, Governor of the Bank of Canada, holds a press conference at the Bank of Canada in Ottawa on Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023. The Bank of Canada is taking a pause from raising interest rates to assess how the economy responds to higher borrowing costs, with one key indicator to watch being the labour market. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
A provincial government report finds different levels of internet cell service for urban and rural regions of BC with rural residents paying more for worse services. (Black Press Media file photo)

Rural British Columbians pay more for worse internet, cell phone service: report

Nearly 30 per cent of provincial highways also lack cell coverage

A provincial government report finds different levels of internet cell service for urban and rural regions of BC with rural residents paying more for worse services. (Black Press Media file photo)
Stewart Prest of Quest University gives the New Democratic governemnt under David Eby an ‘incomplete’ some 50 days into its mandate, but praises specific aspects. (Photo courtesy of Stewart Prest)

Eby’s 100-day action plan gets mixed grade ahead of B.C. budget

Stewart Prest gives NDP government an ‘incomplete’ so far but praises specific aspects

Stewart Prest of Quest University gives the New Democratic governemnt under David Eby an ‘incomplete’ some 50 days into its mandate, but praises specific aspects. (Photo courtesy of Stewart Prest)
Ten pilot projects across B.C. promise to improve access to period products

10 period projects get funding across B.C. for those in need of menstruation products

Government says the projects will help develop better ways of delivering period products

Ten pilot projects across B.C. promise to improve access to period products
Jagmeet Singh and Gord Johns meet with a roundtable of experts on seniors health care at at a community centre in Qualicum on Tuesday, Jan. 24. (PHOTO COURTESY RIEL MCGUIRE)

Jagmeet Singh talks health care during central Vancouver Island stop

Singh and Courtenay-Alberni MP Gord Johns talked with experts in Qualicum Beach

Jagmeet Singh and Gord Johns meet with a roundtable of experts on seniors health care at at a community centre in Qualicum on Tuesday, Jan. 24. (PHOTO COURTESY RIEL MCGUIRE)