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.
The BC Wildfire Service website reported 380 active wildfires Thursday with 22 listed as fires of note and 232 out of control. There have been 1,246 wildfires so far this year, burning a record 14,500 square kilometres.
While advocates argue that providing comprehensive education about drug overdoses can empower students with life-saving knowledge and help them make informed decisions, opponents express concerns that discussing drug overdose education in schools may inadvertently normalize or encourage drug use among students.
Mounties with the drug and organized crime unit in Coquitlam say they launched the project in the fall of 2020 aimed at people operating within Port Coquitlam, Coquitlam, Richmond and Vancouver. The suspects range in age from 26 to 56 years old and are facing a series of drug and gun related charges.
RCMP say Verity Bolton was spotted by closed-circuit TV emerging from a grocery store with a loaded cart in Kamloops two days before she was expected to give her children, who are from Surrey, back to their father after a vacation. Surrey RCMP say in a news release that its serious crimes unit has taken over conduct of the investigation.
Fraser Health has launched a nine-million-dollar robotic surgery program, giving patients access to the latest in medical technology and treatment options. The program will operate out of Surrey Memorial and Royal Columbia hospitals, and will be available to qualified surgeons for numerous procedures, from cancer to ear, nose, and throat.
Dilbag 'Dylan' Hothi, an officer with the Surrey Police Service, was suspended in August 2022 amid a breach of trust investigation before he took his life in February. According to newly unsealed court documents, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) were probing Hothi for sending inappropriate texts to a teenager