British Columbia Archives - Page 6 of 9

18 Jan

Dense Fog Prompts Safety Advisory Across Parts of Metro Vancouver

Rajeev Sharma0 CommentsBritish Columbia, Canada, TrendingVancouver

Vancouver (Rajeev Sharma): Motorists in southwestern Metro Vancouver have been urged to exercise caution as thick fog continues to blanket parts of the region, significantly reducing visibility on roads and bridges. Environment and Climate Change Canada issued a fog advisory on Saturday afternoon, warning that conditions could deteriorate to near-zero visibility in areas including Richmond, Delta and Tsawwassen. The advisory is expected to remain in effect through Sunday afternoon. According to the weather agency, visibility may drop suddenly in some locations, creating hazardous driving conditions. Drivers have been advised to switch on their headlights, reduce speed and leave extra space…

18 Jan

Canadian Sikh Youth Federation Urges Ontario Government to Avoid Political Use of Gurdwaras Amid OINP Protest

Rajeev Sharma0 CommentsBritish Columbia, CanadaOntario

Toronto (Gaganjot): The Canadian Sikh Youth Federation (CSYF) has formally urged the Ontario government to refrain from using Sikh religious stages for political engagement until the ongoing Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) protest is resolved in a fair and transparent manner. In a letter addressed to Premier Doug Ford, Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development Minister David Piccini, Transportation Minister Prabhmeet Sarkaria, and MPP Hardeep Grewal and MPP Amarjot Sandhu, the organization expressed deep concern over what it described as prolonged inaction and unfulfilled assurances regarding the OINP issue. The federation emphasized that Sikh Gurdwaras are sacred and apolitical institutions,…

17 Jan

Haryana and British Columbia Explore Strategic Cooperation in Clean Energy, Trade and Technology

Rajeev Sharma0 CommentsBritish Columbia, Canada, Haryana, TrendingBritish Columbia, Haryana

Chandigarh (Rajeev Sharma/Balwinder Singh): Underscoring Haryana’s growing global engagement and its commitment to forging meaningful international partnerships, Chief Minister, Sh. Nayab Singh Saini on Friday held a meeting with a high-level delegation from British Columbia, Canada, led by the Premier Mr. David Eby. The interaction focused on exploring opportunities for collaboration across key sectors and strengthening State–Province level cooperation between Haryana and British Columbia. During this Chief Principal Secretary to CM Sh. Rajesh Khullar, Commissioner and Secretary, Foreign Cooperation Department Smt. Amneet P. Kumar also remained present. Welcoming the delegation, the Chief Minister said that the Government of Haryana attaches…

15 Jan

British Columbia to End Drug Decriminalisation Pilot After Mixed Outcomes

Rajeev Sharma0 CommentsBritish Columbia, CanadaBritish Columbia drug policy, drug decriminalisation Canada, harm reduction, opioid crisis

Vancouver, January 15, 2026: Canada’s western province of British Columbia has announced it will allow its drug decriminalisation pilot programme to lapse at the end of January, marking a significant shift in its approach to tackling the opioid crisis. Launched in 2023 as a three-year trial, the initiative was designed to reduce overdose deaths and encourage people struggling with addiction to seek treatment by removing criminal penalties for possession of small quantities of illicit drugs. British Columbia was the only province in the country to implement such a policy. However, provincial health authorities now say the programme has not produced…

15 Jan

Canada Resumes LMIA Processing in Eight Regions, Opening Doors for Foreign Workers

Rajeev Sharma0 CommentsBritish Columbia, CanadaCanada

Ottawa (Rajeev Sharma): Canada has officially resumed Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) processing under the Low-Wage stream of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) in eight regions, creating new opportunities for foreign workers and employers, according to Chanda Immigration. The move follows updated labour market data showing unemployment rates have fallen below the federal six per cent threshold, allowing low-wage hiring to resume in previously restricted areas. Eligible regions include Vancouver, Winnipeg, Halifax, Kingston, Montréal, Moncton, Saint John, and Fredericton. Employers in these regions can now submit LMIA applications to hire foreign workers across sectors such as hospitality, retail, caregiving,…

15 Jan

ESCALATING EXTORTION ATTACKS PUT SURREY’S SMALL BUSINESSES UNDER PRESSURE

Rajeev Sharma0 CommentsBritish Columbia, Canada, TrendingSurrey

Surrey,/ Newton ( Rajeev Sharma): Surrey police are investigating a fresh case of suspected extortion related violence after a business in the Newton neighbourhood was targeted in a shooting early morning Wednesday, underscoring growing safety concerns for business owners across the region. According to the Surrey Police Service (SPS), officers responded to a shots-fired call at approximately 2:10 a.m. in the 8000 block of King George Boulevard, near 80th Street. When police arrived, they found the front of a business damaged, with multiple bullet holes visible in the windows. No one was inside at the time, and no injuries were…

15 Jan

Wedding Photography Business Owner Shot Dead in Surrey; IHIT Rules Out Gang Conflict

Rajeev Sharma0 CommentsBritish Columbia, Canada, TrendingSurrey

Surrey ( Rajeev Sharma) : Homicide investigators have released the identity of a man who was found suffering from fatal gunshot wounds on a Surrey street Tuesday afternoon. Shortly after 12 p.m., the Surrey Police Service (SPS) responded to reports of a man lying near a property on 176 Street, just north of the Grandview Heights area. When officers arrived, they located the injured man, who was later pronounced dead at the scene. The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) was called in shortly afterward and has since taken over the investigation. On Wednesday, in an effort to advance the case,…

14 Jan

Daylight Killing of Surrey Businessman Triggers Intensive Police Investigation

Rajeev Sharma0 CommentsBritish Columbia, Canada, TrendingCanada, Surrey

Surrey (Rajeev Sharma): A fatal shooting in the middle of the day has left Surrey residents shaken after a Punjabi businessman was killed near his property on Tuesday afternoon. Police confirmed that the incident occurred just after noon, at approximately 12:05 pm local time, outside a farm located near 176 Street and 35 Avenue. The victim, identified as 48-year-old Binder Garcha, was reportedly attacked near the gate of his land and was pronounced dead at the scene. First responders arrived within minutes of receiving emergency calls, but the victim had already suffered fatal injuries. The area was quickly cordoned off…

13 Jan

Abbotsford Shooting Claims Life of Young Man With Punjab Roots, Police Cite Gang Feud

Rajeev Sharma0 CommentsBritish Columbia, Canada, TrendingAbbotsford

Abbotsford (Rajeev Sharma): A late-night shooting in West Abbotsford has left a 28-year-old man of Punjabi descent dead, with investigators linking the incident to an intensifying feud among criminal networks tied to drug trafficking in British Columbia. The victim, Navpreet Singh Dhaliwal, was born and raised in Canada, though his family originates from Sudhar village in Punjab’s Ludhiana district. Authorities say the killing was premeditated and forms part of a broader pattern of violence connected to rival groups operating across the province. Police received an emergency call just after midnight on January 9 regarding gunfire at a home on Siskin…

12 Jan

British Columbia Faces “The Big One”: Is the Province Prepared for a Major Earthquake?

Rajeev Sharma0 CommentsBritish Columbia, Canada, TrendingBritish Columbia

Victoria, B.C. (Rajeev Sharma): A new provincial disaster report paints a stark picture of the potential devastation a major earthquake could bring to British Columbia—and underscores that preparation is just as crucial as the quake itself. The British Columbia Disaster and Climate Risk and Resilience Assessment (DCRRA), released in October 2025, describes a scenario that, while extreme, is considered highly plausible by experts. Imagine a midsummer heatwave during wildfire season: a megathrust magnitude 9.0 earthquake strikes off the coast of Vancouver Island. In minutes, violent shaking sweeps across Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland, damaging 18,000 buildings, killing more than…