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.
More coming.
Finance Minister Katrine Conroy outlined the province's financial performance in the government's public accounts for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2023. The government's budget forecasts have been on an up-and-down ride for the past two years, with the 2022-2023 budget originally forecast in February last year to show a $5.5 billion deficit, before that was revised to a surplus of almost $6 billion, then downgraded to a $3.6 billion surplus.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is headed to Asia next week for a whirlwind tour of Indonesia, Singapore and India. The trip involves the G20 leaders' summit in New Delhi, and a focus on economic ties in booming regions of Southeast Asia, as Canada seeks alternatives to a rising China.
Several major wildfires continue to burn out-of-control in British Columbia's Interior, where forecasted rain had been hoped to dampen blazes in parts of the Central Okanagan and the Shuswap. But Environment Canada data shows neither Kelowna's airport nor Salmon Arm recorded measurable precipitation Tuesday, after initial predictions called for possible rain and thunderstorms in the evening.
Victoria police say the man was arrested on Sunday after a lengthy investigation by the force's major crimes section. They say 42-year-old Edwin Singh now faces four counts of arson in connection with four fires this summer, three of which occurred on Government Street in Victoria in June and July and one in Saanich in mid-August.
Lawn watering was prohibited in Metro Vancouver's 23 local authority regions on Aug. 4, with the ban in place until Oct.15. Some homeowners are looking for alternatives including spray-painting or artificial turf, but others are embracing the golden look.
BC's police watchdog is investigating the death of a man who was shot by an officer in Revelstoke. R-C-M-P say it happened Sunday night after they responded to a call about a stolen vehicle.