John Rustad has taken to social media to describe his origin story as leader of British Columbia's Conservative Party, which he took from obscurity to the brink of power in Saturday's provincial election. The Conservatives went from taking less than two per cent of the vote in 2020 to being elected or leading in 45 ridings, two short of a majority and only one behind Premier David Eby's New Democrats.
Mounties in northeastern B-C say "extensive resources" including police dogs have been deployed in the search for a man who has failed to return from a 10-day camping trip in a remote provincial park. R-C-M-P say Sam Benastick's family reported him missing on Saturday, after he didn't come home from the trip to Redfern-Keily Park, about 250 kilometres northwest of Fort St. John.
A middle school in Victoria was forced into a lockdown after a man entered the building without permission, and police say they had to use a stun gun to make an arrest. Victoria police say officers received multiple calls around noon on Monday of an unknown male entering Central Middle School, leading staff to set off emergency procedures that put the building under lockdown.
Former B.C. Green leader Andrew Weaver knows what it's like to form a minority government with the NDP, but says such a deal to form the province's next government is less likely this time than seven years ago. Weaver struck a power-sharing agreement that resulted in John Horgan's NDP minority government in 2017, but says there is now more animosity between the two parties.
As an internal revolt brews, few Liberal MPs who are not in the cabinet are publicly defending the prime minister. The upcoming caucus meeting on Wednesday appears to present the most serious challenge to Trudeau's leadership to date.
What happens after British Columbia's indecisive election? British Columbians went to the polls Saturday, but now face a week or more before knowing the result, and whether the NDP's David Eby will keep his job as premier or if B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad will take charge, or if there might be a new election.