Statistics Canada says the country's mortality rate rose in 2021 from 2020.
The agency says data shows cancer, heart disease, overdoses and COVID-19 were the leading causes of death.
StatCan says while cancer and heart disease remain the top two leading causes of death in the country, accidental deaths rose by 14.5 per cent in 2021.
COVID-19 was the fourth leading cause of death, with notable increases among young younger people.
Police in Nanaimo say a 24-year-old man has died of his injuries after a crash with a suspected impaired driver. Nanaimo R-C-M-P say the crash happened around 10 p-m on Wednesday, and the other driver remains in hospital.
The regional government says reservoir levels remain normal for the season, but water consumption is trending higher than the same time last year. It says water consumption peaked on July 5th with 1.56 billion litres used, even though it wasn't a day designated for watering lawns.
BC Wildfire Service spokesman Cliff Chapman says about 500 international firefighters are already in B.C., boosting the ranks of the more than 2,000 provincial wildfire service personnel on the front lines battling hundreds of blazes.
A statement on the website of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada Local 502 says that a tentative agreement has been reached with the BC Maritime Employers Association, and the ILWU will hold an "emergency contract caucus" today to decide if the deal will be sent to the full union membership for ratification.
The Liberals promised during their 2021 election campaign to table a Safe Long-Term Care Act, after widespread COVID-19 outbreaks drew attention to the struggle many homes faced to provide basic care to residents.
Police say they have recovered four stolen vehicles and arrested one male suspect after an operation in Kelowna. R-C-M-P say officers from its target team along with canine units executed a search warrant at a property in the 28-hundred block of Appaloosa Road on July 14th.