BC Weekly Digest — Feb 23 to Mar 1, 2026

Tumbler Ridge tragedy staying in the headlines: on Feb. 10 an 18‑year‑old shooter killed eight people including children, families want an independent public inquiry and the town’s schools are reopening with portables, extra counsellors and perimeter security while RCMP and politicians promise answers.

Federal ministers pressed OpenAI for clear action after revelations the Tumbler Ridge shooter’s ChatGPT activity was flagged months earlier; AI Minister Evan Solomon has demanded concrete steps and will meet CEO Sam Altman as Ottawa weighs tougher regulation.

OpenAI wrote to ministers saying its updated safety rules would have flagged the shooter’s account if in place then, and the company pledged to improve police referral thresholds, repeat‑offender detection and Canadian coordination.

A Vancouver public hearing into Myles Gray’s 2015 police‑involved death heard from his doctor that Gray had been injecting unprescribed testosterone; a 2023 coroner’s jury ruled the death a homicide and seven officers deny misconduct.

The Chilliwack family of John Kavaloff (58) and Valerie Smith (67) says 35 court dates in two and a half years have produced no trial yet in their parents’ 2023 double homicide, leaving loved ones frustrated and anxious.

The parents of four‑year‑old Leonardo — killed when a bus jumped the curb in Horseshoe Bay last year — say eight months on they still have few answers and are pressing for a completed investigation and clearer accountability under B.C.’s ICBC system.

Vernon man Ezra Cool, 22, died in a hit‑and‑run after escaping hospital during a mental‑health episode on Feb. 6; his family and Interior Health are calling for a review into how involuntary patients are monitored.

Breakthrough in gene editing: 19‑year‑old Kelowna resident Ty Sperle was cured of chronic granulomatous disease using prime editing in a world‑first clinical trial, offering hope for other rare genetic conditions.

Canadians stranded by cartel violence in Puerto Vallarta say they were ‘ghosted’ by WestJet after flights were canceled; travel chaos hit tens of thousands of Canadians and the Canadian Transportation Agency is investigating the airline’s response.

Questions and anger over Lapu Lapu Festival funds: United Way BC’s Kapwa Strong Fund raised more than $2 million and granted about $1.57M to 36 agencies, but victims (and some families) seek more transparency as organizers plan a new festival date April 17–19.

The long‑running Boundary Bay Airshow is cancelled for 2026, ending nearly 20 years of a free community summer tradition in Delta.

The Second Narrows rail bridge malfunctioned over the weekend, trapping 13 deep‑sea cargo vessels until CN completes repairs (work expected to finish Wednesday); rail service to North Shore was largely unaffected.

Environment Canada warns 40–60 cm of snow is likely on the Coquihalla Highway from Wednesday through Friday — drivers are urged to check DriveBC and travel with winter supplies.

Return‑to‑office mandates are pushing renewed demand for office space: major employers recalled staff in 2025 and federal employees will work in‑office four days a week this summer, reshaping urban leasing needs.

Pembina Pipeline approved two expansion projects in B.C. and Alberta totaling $425M (including a $310M, 95‑km line to move 120,000 bpd) even as Q4 earnings dipped to $489M from $572M a year earlier.

Kelowna RCMP arrested 10 people after an early‑morning armed robbery in Rutland; four remained in custody while the investigation continues and the property’s owner has pursued emergency eviction of tenants.

Transit authorities are tracking a wave of bus‑shelter vandalism across Metro Vancouver — about three dozen shelters hit recently — and cities are looking to tougher materials and wraps to lower repair costs.

Extortion‑related shootings and threats in Surrey have alarmed business owners; police reported 56 extortion incidents, 11 involving shots fired and 32 victims (18 repeat) as of Feb. 23, and community leaders warn the local economy is feeling the impact.

Ahead of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s India visit, police warned Sikh activist Moninder Singh of a credible threat to him and his family, reviving fears tied to past alleged foreign interference and the 2023 Nijjar killing that divided the community.

Two snowmobilers who fell through ice on Charlotte Lake on Feb. 17 were recovered Feb. 22; the victims, aged 65 and 58, underscore seasonal risks on variable ice.

A 14‑year‑old Okanagan Falls teen, Connell Hall, suffered a broken femur, broken wrist and traumatic brain injury in a skiing accident at Apex Mountain Resort and is being transferred for long‑term rehab; family and community have launched a fundraiser.

The Okanagan is seeing multiple wineries in foreclosure after tough years of COVID impacts, wildfires and damaging cold snaps that destroyed large portions of the grape crop.

A trial for a man accused in a slow‑speed tractor chase linked to an anti‑SOGI rally in Surrey was delayed because the defence counsel is ill; court scheduling continues as the case edges toward legal time limits.

A discipline finding says Vancouver police failed in their response to missing woman Tatyanna Harrison (reported May 3, 2022); two officers were found to have committed misconduct for not doing a risk assessment and advocates call for better missing‑person practices.

B.C.’s 2026 provincial budget drew sharp criticism from business groups who warn higher PST on services will raise costs and discourage investment, with industry leaders describing an ‘entrepreneurial drought.'