🚑 Breaking & Incidents
- Fire spreads from vacant Powell Street building into two neighbouring structures. Tuesday’s blaze at 568 Powell Street damaged a restaurant and displaced people, and the neighbouring SRO owner at 566 Powell Street says he warned the city the derelict building was a fire hazard after it sat empty for four years; the city cited an active investigation and did not answer questions.
- Wildfire north of Sooke is burning out of control. Provincial reports list the fire north of Sooke as out of control, prompting continued wildfire response in the area.
- Vancouver records its sixth homicide of 2026 after a man found dead in CRAB Park. Police announced the death in CRAB Park as the city’s sixth homicide for 2026.
🏛️ Government & Politics
- David Eby promises "Built in B.C. and Canada" procurement rules, targets North Coast Transmission Line. Eby said new rules will require ministries, Crown agencies and health authorities to favour B.C. and Canadian materials and direct BC Hydro to build 70% of Phase 1 towers and 100% of Phase 2 towers for the North Coast Transmission Line with Canadian steel.
- Former B.C. Conservative leader John Rustad will not run in the next election. Rustad confirmed he is not seeking re-election.
💼 Economy & Business
- Airbnb data shows B.C. domestic searches up 40% and rural stays rising. Airbnb reports domestic destination searches in B.C. are up 40% year-over-year, Canada-wide domestic searches are up 25% and rural destinations are up 30% compared with 2025.
- Fire destroys structures at Sicamous ice cream shop D Dutchmen Dairy. Local reports say the fire destroyed structures at the long-standing Sicamous business.
🎨 Community & Culture
- Researchers examine red-eyed, parasitic, hairy-legged sea spiders from the Salish Sea in Vancouver. Vancouver scientists are studying these Salish Sea sea spiders under the microscope to document their biology.
- Vancouver author’s picture book is one of five finalists for CBC Kids Reads 2026. A Vancouver author’s picture book was named among five titles competing in the CBC Kids Reads 2026 list.
📰 Also Today
- Tumbler Ridge cancels annual Halloween fireworks after a recent mass shooting.
- Langley raccoon euthanized after leg trapped; $1,000 reward offered by The Fur-Bearers.
- Faulder families sift ashes after Bald Range wildfire that destroyed most homes in the community.
- Investigators called after multiple fires ignite in Boston Bar.
- Two dead in Kelowna bridge crash that closed the road for hours.
- Nanaimo moves to buy public art to commemorate lost Chinatowns.
- Opinion piece: Why David Eby is seemingly running against Donald Trump.
- Protein boom and dairy tariffs hitting Canadian producers and retailers.
- Kamloops man finds rare mastodon tooth on Interior B.C. lakeshore.
- (Duplicate ID listed above) sea spider study in Vancouver.
- (Duplicate) investigators called after Boston Bar fires.
- New closure along the Galloping Goose Trail in Victoria.
- Paddleboarder missing on Okanagan Lake after a summer of drownings.
- (Also covered above) Vancouver’s sixth homicide of 2026 in CRAB Park.
