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 Palestinian death toll in the Israel-Hamas war has reached 8,805, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza. In the occupied West Bank, 130 Palestinians have been killed in violence and Israeli raids. More than 1,400 people in Israel have been killed, most of them civilians slain in the initial Oct. 7 attack by Hamas. In addition, around 240 hostages were taken from Israel into Gaza by the militant group.
New targets tabled in Parliament show the government plans to level out the number of new permanent residents to Canada in 2026, forecasting an end to record-breaking year-over-year immigration. Immigration Minister Marc Miller submitted new targets for the next three years, which call for the number of new permanent residents to hold steady at 500,000 in 2026.
A death review panel from the British Columbia Coroners Service is recommending community groups be allowed to hand out drugs without a prescription in an attempt to stop the relentless overdose death toll. The panel's report coincided with the monthly overdose death toll of 175 people in September, which the coroners service says is a 10 per cent drop from the same month a year ago, but still equal to 5.8 deaths a day across B.C.
A woman accused of stealing nearly two dozen vehicles -- many of them work vans loaded with expensive tools -- has been arrested in Abbotsford. Police in that Fraser Valley city say charges against Charlene Williams are linked to thefts stretching back to January.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced that former British Columbia premier John Horgan has been appointed as Canada's next ambassador to Germany. A statement from the Prime Minister's Office says Horgan has a proven track record of dedicated public service and will provide strategic advice to Trudeau in his new role.
A British Columbia man accused of a triple stabbing in Vancouver's Chinatown in September has lost his bid to seal a document that identified him as a "significant threat" before he was released from a forensic psychiatric hospital. A B.C. Review Board panel said the presumption of the board's open process overrides Blair Donnelly's concerns that releasing the documents would invade his personal privacy or prejudice an upcoming trial.