Mount Pleasant Shooting, UBCM DRIPA Focus & $13.8B Deficit — Vancouver Monday

🚑 Breaking & Incidents

1. Two people pulled from water after fishing vessel sank between Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island. BC Ferries says the Spirit of British Columbia and Coastal Renaissance launched rescue craft and brought the two boaters to the Tsawwassen terminal on Sunday; the operation delayed sailings and caused expected late-Sunday service disruptions.
2. Man charged after Mount Pleasant convenience-store shooting on Sept. 6. Vancouver Police say the injured man was shot in the leg near Main Street and 16th Avenue and transported to hospital; Victor Sorensen-Avila faces charges of aggravated assault and assault with a weapon and is in custody in Kamloops awaiting a bail hearing.

🚨 Crime & Public Safety

1. Knife-wielding suspect in Surrey road-rage incident captured on camera. Video posted to Hanomansing Tonight shows the incident in Surrey; police have circulated the footage publicly as part of their investigation.
2. Penticton killing case sees two more plea deals for 2021 death of Taig Savage. Family statement says two accused have reached manslaughter plea agreements after Savage’s body was found at Penticton Secondary School in September 2021; under the Youth Criminal Justice Act manslaughter carries a maximum three-year sentence.

🏛️ Government & Politics

1. Union of B.C. Municipalities convention opens in Vancouver with DRIPA top of agenda. UBCM president Cori Ramsay says nearly 2,000 delegates will discuss B.C.’s Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, housing, and public safety during the meeting that runs through Friday; delegates will press the provincial government on funding and FireSmart renewal.
2. New party led by Peter Milobar gains seventh MLA as Donegal Wilson joins. Donegal Wilson, MLA for Boundary-Similkameen, announced her defection on Monday; the group plans to sit as a caucus when the legislature resumes next month.

💼 Economy & Business

1. B.C. deficit forecast rises $450M to $13.8B after natural gas royalty calculation errors. Finance Minister Josie Osborne’s quarterly report shows the province’s deficit at about $13.8 billion and notes natural gas royalties are $531 million lower, including a $306 million error from Budget 2026 price forecasting.
2. Surrey prototype ‘Hillbilly Houseboat’ tested on Nicomekl River after city warnings. Owner Emilio Gilpo launched a camper-trailer-on-barges prototype moored near Portage Park; the City of Surrey issued a parking ticket when it was on city land and Transport Canada says it will follow up on safety and environmental compliance.

🎨 Community & Culture

1. Fishing guides call for stronger enforcement of illegal charters after fatal B.C. boat sinking. Guides are urging stricter action following a recent fatal sinking in B.C.; the call follows marine-safety concerns raised after the incident.
2. Tsawwassen First Nation welcomes back a sacred object taken away about a century ago. The community announced the return on Monday, marking the restoration of a culturally significant item removed roughly 100 years earlier.

📰 Also Today

• 2 boaters rescued after fishing vessel sinks between Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island.
• DRIPA and NDAs among themes at 2026 Union of B.C. Municipalities conference.
• Unique houseboat tied to rotting stump on Nicomekl River prompts Transport Canada follow-up.
• Windermere farm tests strawberry varieties to build local food resilience.
• Milobar's new party grows to 7 as another former B.C. Conservative MLA joins.
• B.C. Finance Minister Josie Osborne provides fiscal update.
• Former NHL exec Brian Burke makes cameo in “I Play Rocky” at TIFF.
• Two more plea deals reached in case of Penticton man killed in 2021.
• Owner of so-called ‘Hillbilly Houseboat’ speaks about invention in Surrey.