B.C. to end state of emergency as wildfire risk winds down
Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 14 Sep, 2023 05:12 PM
The British Columbia government says it is ending the state of emergency imposed last month when thousands of residents were chased out of their homes by wildfires.
The government says in a statement the wildfire risk is diminishing in much of the province as temperatures cool, allowing most residents to return home.
Canada will open an export development office in Jakarta and has named an Indo-Pacific trade representative to help Canadian businesses enter new markets in the region, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Tuesday while in Indonesia.
The government of British Columbia has said no schools were damaged by the fires that tore through parts of the province, but that doesn't mean students will be unaffected. The flames passed close by some schools in Kelowna, B.C., leaving destruction in their wake.
British Columbia's wildfire service says long weekend weather conditions caused "very aggressive fire activity" on several active blazes in the province's central fire zone. The service says the area covering the Vanderhoof and Fort St. James fire zone saw less humidity than expected, coupled with hot temperatures and strong winds over the long weekend.
Two premiers have sent letters to Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem urging the central bank to halt rate hikes ahead of its next rate decision tomorrow. Ontario Premier Doug Ford sent a letter on Sunday saying families and businesses cannot afford the "crushing impact of further rate hikes," echoing a letter British Columbia Premier David Eby sent on Thursday.
A man is in hospital and police are looking for a suspect vehicle after a shooting in Port Alberni. The R-C-M-P say it happened earlier today in a city back alley, leaving the victim with non-life-threatening injuries.
Prison officials in British Columbia say they've seized a large stash of contraband, including steroids and cellphones, smuggled into a maximum security institution outside Vancouver last week. Kim MacPherson, an assistant warden at Kent Institution, says the seizure was made on Aug. 24 thanks to staff vigilance.