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Kelowna handyman chases suspected package thief — Rutland neighbourhood incident caught on video. Pavel Parviz, a general contractor with Woodex Construction, saw a man follow a delivery van after it dropped packages; video shows the suspect grabbing a parcel and attempting to leave. Confrontation and a short pursuit were recorded; no formal charges reported in initial coverage.
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Air India pilot removed at Vancouver airport after breath tests — Transport Canada asks airline to investigate. Incident on Dec. 23 at Vancouver International Airport: RCMP reportedly conducted two breathalyzer tests and removed a pilot from a Vancouver–Delhi flight for being unfit for duty. Air India says an alternate pilot completed the flight and the pilot has been taken off flying duties pending inquiry. Airline reiterates a zero-tolerance policy.
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Paramedics stretched as ER closures continue across B.C. — rural services hit hardest. Staffing shortages have forced emergency-room closures in multiple communities; example: 100 Mile District General Hospital ER closed at 7 a.m. on a recent Friday before temporary staffing adjustments. BC Paramedics Association warns ambulances are being redeployed provincewide, adding strain on response capacity and affecting patient transfers.
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Special deer hunt in Cranbrook to curb chronic wasting disease (CWD) — Jan. 5–31. B.C. has six confirmed CWD cases since first detection in 2024, centered in the Kootenays and Cranbrook area. Licensed hunters will be allowed one additional deer during Jan. 5–31 (on top of regional limit of two) to reduce transmission risk among mule deer, white-tailed deer, elk, moose and caribou.
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Unoccupied Port Alberni building destroyed by fire; now torn down — 3000 block of 4th Avenue. Fire broke out shortly after midnight; witnesses reported seeing smoke and flames across town and feeling heat "from quite a ways away." The derelict structure was demolished after the blaze; firefighters credited with saving adjacent heritage buildings.
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B.C. property assessments: Lower Mainland values generally down, North and Kootenays up. Key figures: average single-family home values down ~5% in Vancouver, ~6% in Surrey; Richmond and White Rock down ~8–9%. Condo values down ~2–5% across many areas. Vancouver Island and Southern Interior vary between −5% and +5%; some Northern B.C. and Kootenay properties rose ~15% on average.
B.C. Daily Digest — Jan. 2, 2026
Source Articles (8)
Kelowna handyman chases down attempted package thief
'It was kind of funny because it was right after Christmas,' he said. 'The first thought that hit me was that he looked like a Grinch, to be honest.'
B.C. charity warns of gift card scam after purchased and loaded card was blank
Experts say this kind of scam is becoming increasingly common, and in some cases, scammers pull gift cards from racks, record the PIN, and then put them back.
Special, rare deer hunt being held in Cranbrook to reduce chronic wasting disease
To date, there have been six confirmed cases of chronic wasting disease in B.C. after it was first detected in B.C.'s Kootenay region in 2024.
Unoccupied Port Alberni building goes up in flames, now torn down
Carol-Anne Zanette, who owns the SteamPunk Cafe, said when she arrived on the scene at 5 a.m., half of the building was already gone and crews were pulling down the second half.
B.C. property assessments show Lower Mainland values are down, but other areas are up
The average value of a single-family home in Vancouver is down five per cent, while in Surrey, assessments are down an average of six per cent.
Air India pilot removed from flight at Vancouver airport before takeoff
In a statement to the media, Air India said the flight from Vancouver to Delhi experienced a 'last-minute delay,' and an alternate pilot was brought in to operate the flight.
As emergency room closures continue in B.C., paramedics struggle to fill the gap
'It's not a coincidence when you look at the closures and ambulances in the background, this has become a part of our work the last few years,' Ian Tait said.
Kelowna businesses fed up with ongoing crime, pleading for change
Business owners describe a growing list of concerns, including open drug use, needles left on the ground, repeated break-ins and property damage.