Vancouver Rundown

Breaking news: One person has suffered serious burns in a house fire in Mission. The fire broke out on Cherry Avenue near Doersksen Drive at around 6:00 p.m. Thursday, quickly spreading through the home. There’s no early word on the cause. More breaking news: There’s been an apparent drowning at Mission’s Hayward Lake. Vancouver Rundown has learned fire crews performed CPR on an unresponsive victi...

Some buildings have now been lost as a massive wildfire continues to grow in the Fraser Canyon. As of Wednesday evening, the two massive fires near Boston Bar are now covering close to 20,000 hectares. Crews says strong winds and very dry conditions are making the fight against the Brunswick Complex fires difficult. More evacuation alerts have been issued, extending north into the Thompson-Nicola...

The U.S. has indicted two dozen suspected gangsters, including several from B.C., for transnational crimes including extortion and murder. It follows an investigation into the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. Two of those charged include those accused of shooting Hardeep Singh Nijjar in the parking lot of Surrey’s Guru Nanak Sikh Temple on June 18, 2023. Tuesday’s arrests followed searches in Surrey, White...

Air quality warnings are now in place as smoke from a Fraser Canyon wildfire funnels into the Lower Mainland. A yellow air quality warning has been issued due to high particulate matter - meanwhile some smoky haze is visible in many parts of the Fraser Valley. The Brunswick Creek wildfire continues to burn across the Fraser River from Boston Bar - local evacuation orders remain in place. The fire...

A wildfire in the Fraser Canyon continues to grow as evacuation orders remain in place. The Brunswick Creek wildfire is now at least 1,200 hectares forcing all residents of North Bend, across the river from Boston Bar, to leave. Crews have spent the weekend battling the fire from the air and on the ground. More hot, dry weather is in the forecast for the next few days.

The federal government will kick-in close to $3B for the new Fraser River Tunnel project. Prime Minister Mark Carney has mad that announcement in Vancouver as part of federal-provincial government partnership dubbed the Canada-B.C. Cooperative Prosperity Agreement. Some suggest the total cost of the Massey Tunnel replacement could be close to $9B - about double what the provincial government had p...

The Vancouver Park Board has hit Ken Sim with a legal opinion saying the mayor is making promises that are not included in the Board’s own plans. It’s demanding Sim and city council stop such announcements. Commissioner Tom Digby tells the Vancouver Sun the mayor can cross things off but he can’t add things. The Vancouver Charter gives the board exclusive power over parks and the ability to green...

A BC Supreme Court judge has tossed out a bid by a group of private land owners in Richmond to reopen the Cowichan case that asserts ownership rights over a swath of industrial land on the south arm of the Fraser River.. Justice Barbara Young says Richmond-based Montrose Properties tried to re-examine the Cowichan Tribes’ landmark Aboriginal title case which has already been settled. She calls it...

Canada has extended its World Cup run, beating South Africa 1-0 in Southern California. An estimated 25,000 Canadian fans watched the game at Los Angeles Stadium in Inglewood. In Vancouver, thousands packed watch parties and the Granville Entertainment District to celebrate Sunday afternoon. The win puts Canada in the final 16.

The Vancouver Aquatic Centre will close permanently on Sunday - a BC Supreme Court judge has rejected a bid to save it. The Save Vancouver Aquatic Centre Society had sought an interim injunction to tank the closure. The Society had argued Vancouver voters approved borrowing money to upgrade the existing pool. The City plans to start construction on a new, downsized pool before the end of the year.

Switzerland has defeated Canada 2-1 in World Cup soccer action at Vancouver’s BC Place Stadium. Despite the loss before a sellout crowd, Canada is in the knockout round and will now play in Los Angeles on Sunday instead of returning to BC Place on July 2. Fans gathered in the Granville Entertainment District Wednesday afternoon to celebrate Canada advancing. Extra police were out in force but ther...

A massive fire in Harrison Hot Springs has destroyed half-a-dozen trailers in an RV park. The fire broke out at the Springs RV Resort early Tuesday afternoon. Those in the area reported hearing several propane tanks explode. At least one person has been injured. There’s no word on the cause.

Critics are slamming a plan by the federal and provincial governments to buy empty Metro Vancouver condos and sell them or rent them out at more affordable prices. That plan was announced by Prime Minister Mark Carney and B.C. Premier David Eby last week as part of a deal to boost the affordable housing supply. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says taxpayers will be left paying any difference...

Hundreds have fans have packed Vancouver area streets, parks and watch parties as Egypt claimed its first ever victory at a FIFA World Cup. Egypt fans gathered at Jonathan Rogers Park while New Zealand’s fans packed Gastown Sunday afternoon. Egypt defeated New Zealand 3-1 at BC Place Stadium. There are four World Cup matches left in Vancouver with Canada taking on Switzerland at noon on Wednesday.

Sports history has been made in Vancouver as Canada beat Qatar 6-0 in the FIFA World Cup. The win means Canada will face the Swiss on Wednesday - a match that will determine the Group B winner. Thursday’s win had fans packing both the Granville Entertainment District and various watch parties across the Lower Mainland.

Vancouver’s FIFA World Cup tickets are finally approaching sell-out levels. Only a handful of tickets are available for some of the games, a week after the event officially kicked off. Just over 52,000 people attended the city’s first game (Australia vs Turkey) last weekend. Canada vs Qatar and five other matches remain for Vancouver.

Some tense moments for those living in a waterfront community in the Okanagan. Several hundred people have returned to their homes in a West Kelowna neighbourhood after a wildfire came dangerously close to some houses Tuesday afternoon. More than 800 people had to evacuate from a hillside southwest of the Bill Bennett Bridge as flames quickly spread. Crews have managed to ‘hold’ the fire - it’s no...

A dozen children, most from a Port Coquitlam middle school, are injured after something went wrong at the Cultus Lake Waterpark late Monday morning. Reports from the scene suggest the students from Minnekhada Middle School suffered electrical burns. At least two were airlifted to hospital. All have been reported to be in stable condition. Cultus Lake Water Park says it will be closed for 48 hours...

All non-essential Metro Vancouver workers are making Monday their first day of a full scale strike. Close to 700 unionized outside workers who take care of regional parks, watersheds, drinking water and sewer services are now off the job. It’s unclear whether this will be a one-and-done walkout but the workers are backed by a 98 per cent strike mandate. They’ve been without a contract for close to...

Pedestrian zones are now in place as Vancouver heads into its first weekend of the FIFA World Cup. While not all downtown hotel rooms are sold-out, fans from across the country and around the world have been spotted with flags and jerseys in the Granville Entertainment District. City staff have set up viewing locations in some parks, including those on the Downtown Eastside. Ten community organiza...

Recover balance for the City of Vancouver and slow the pace of housing development. That’s a central plank for Colleen Hardwick as the former councillor runs for mayor for a second time. Hardwick tells The Tyee she hopes to ‘course correct’ for future generations. In 2022, Hardwick placed third in the race for mayor.

Vancouver Police have shot and killed the suspect in a hostage taking Monday night. The VPD says officers arrived at a home on Commercial Street after getting reports of a home invasion - that’s when they found the suspect holding a resident hostage. Police say they were forced to shoot when de-escalation efforts failed. The IIO is looking into the case as per protocol.

An A&W restaurant in Burnaby has been badly damaged by a Monday afternoon fire. Part of the building went up in flames shortly after 3:00 p.m. - Kingsway was closed at Arcola Street during the afternoon rush. Burnaby Fire says it was a stubborn, deep-seated fire within the restaurant’s structural components. There’s no word yet on the cause.

Coastal areas of B.C. have avoided any tsunami alerts following a 7.8 earthquake in the southern Philippines. It happened early Monday - so far there is no confirmed information about damage or the number of fatalities. The quake had a depth of about 35 kilometres.

A B.C. MLA has been charged with sexual assault. Jordan Kealy, a former Conservative who now sits as an Independent, is charged following a sexual assault investigation into a 2024 incident in Fort St. John, before he was elected. A special prosecutor has been appointed. Kealy says he’s innocent of the allegation.