Daily Digest — British Columbia — Feb. 18, 2026

After the Lapu Lapu tragedy, patient files were snooped on: a B.C. privacy investigation led by commissioner Michael Harvey found 71 unauthorized accesses by 36 health-care workers, affecting 16 patients (about half of those treated). The first breaches began on April 26; the report made nine recommendations — from better training to real-time monitoring — and health authorities accepted them as they work to rebuild trust.

Fraudulent QR-code stickers were found on 75 Kelowna parking meters, redirecting people to a fake payment site; staff reported the decals on Feb. 12 and crews removed them the same day. Security cameras show three people applying the stickers around 7 p.m. on Feb. 11; the RCMP is investigating and PayByPhone helped block the fake site.

B.C. is pausing its universal $10‑a‑day child care program for three years to stabilize the system rather than roll it back to income-tested eligibility. Education Minister Lisa Beare says new enrolment and expansion are paused while the province and federal partners work on sustainability; early-childhood leaders welcomed the pause but worry three years is too long.

A rockslide north of Radium Hot Springs closed Highway 93 between B.C. and Alberta; the slide was first reported Wednesday morning and DriveBC’s next update is set for 11 a.m. PT/noon MST on Thursday. There’s no local detour — drivers can use Highway 1 east from Golden to get into Alberta.

Temporary classrooms and bathroom trailers arrived in Tumbler Ridge a week after the Feb. 10 mass shooting so students and staff can return when they’re ready. Infrastructure Minister Bowinn Ma said no one should be pressured to go back; counsellors will be on site and larger temporary classrooms are expected within three weeks as a longer-term plan is developed.

Provinces are warning of record deficits driven by slow revenue growth, demographic shifts and economic uncertainty — B.C. projects a $13.3‑billion deficit next year while New Brunswick and Nova Scotia reported $1.33 billion and $1.4 billion shortfalls, and Alberta forecasts $6.4 billion. Economists say trade tensions, lower immigration and rising spending needs are key causes, and vulnerable services and lower-income people could feel the squeeze.

More than 6,000 B.C. paramedics voted 97% in favour of strike action as contract talks with the Health Employees Association of BC remain stalled. The union wants better protections against contracting out, improved rural deployment and stronger mental-health support; employers point to essential‑services rules that limit legal job action while talks continue.

B.C.’s Seniors Advocate Dan Levitt warns the provincial budget will worsen long‑term‑care strain after the government paused several care projects in Abbotsford, Campbell River, Chilliwack, Kelowna, Delta, Fort St. John and Squamish. B.C. is short about 2,000 beds with 7,000 people waiting now and projects needing up to 16,000 beds in a decade, Levitt says, urging more urgent building and supports for family caregivers.

The Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation says there may never be full consensus on how to handle the Kamloops Indian Residential School site, where investigations since 2021 identified areas that resemble burials. The nation is weighing options from excavation to preserving the orchard as a sacred memorial and says any remains would need careful repatriation and forensic work involving many Indigenous nations.

Finance Minister Brenda Bailey defended a “tough” B.C. budget that raises the base income tax rate by 0.54% and forecasts a record $13.3‑billion deficit, while the government plans to cut 15,000 full‑time public‑sector jobs over three years and slow some capital projects. Business groups wanted deeper cuts, unions fear frontline impacts, and Bailey says the plan focuses on structural changes and resource development to increase revenue.

Prime Minister Mark Carney returned to B.C. for Lunar New Year events and a $1,775‑ticket Liberal fundraiser less than a week after attending a vigil for the Tumbler Ridge shooting victims. He’ll visit Richmond and tour an affordable housing project but is not expected to make new announcements or return to Tumbler Ridge this trip.

Canadian immigration authorities are probing 296 people flagged by B.C.’s extortion task force; as of Feb. 4, CBSA investigations led to 32 removal orders (10 people already removed) and nine more awaiting hearings. The cases relate to India‑linked extortion and violence affecting South Asian communities, and federal and provincial officials are navigating complex ties between organized‑crime gangs like Lawrence Bishnoi’s and international security diplomacy.