An economist says the Canadian housing market could be in for a rebound this year after a cautious 2023.
T-D Bank economist Rishi Sondhi says that optimism depends largely on the forecasts of the Bank of Canada cutting interest rates, which may begin as early as the second quarter.
Home prices softened in several areas late last year, including in the Fraser Valley.
Vancouver Realtor Tim Hill says he is optimistic of consumer sentiments slowly shifting as prices improve in recent months.
The federal government says it will give Toronto nearly half a billion dollars in housing funding. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made the announcement in Toronto this morning, saying the city will receive $471 million from the federal Housing Accelerator Fund.
The man who extorted and bullied British Columbia teenager Amanda Todd into suicide has had his 13-year sentence from a Canadian court converted to a six-year prison term in Europe. An Amsterdam court handed Aydin Coban the six-year sentence on Thursday, which is the maximum allowed under Dutch law and is longer than the 4 1/2 years prosecutors recommended to the court in July.
Police in British Columbia say a woman faces more than a dozen charges related to an alleged human trafficking scheme involving sexual exploitation of people under 18. Langley RCMP say Jennifer Lynn Stephens faces 14 criminal charges for her alleged role in a human trafficking and pimping operation, including forcible confinement, assault with a weapon, uttering threats, and benefiting and advertising sexual services.
BC Ferries says it’s adding more than 152 sailings between Metro Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland for people travelling over holidays. The additional sailings begin today and will operate until New Year’s Day with 112 extra sailings added along the Swartz Bay-Tsawwassen route.
Vancouver police say 268 people were arrested and over 100-thousand dollars in stolen merchandise was recovered in a recent shoplifting crackdown dubbed “Project Barcode.” Police say officers also seized 31 weapons at about 30 retailers between November 30th and December 15th.
Langley Mounties are hoping someone can help identify a pedestrian badly injured in a collision on Monday. Police say a woman was walking at dusk on 268th Street at 26-A Avenue when she was hit by a pickup truck.