A Maple Ridge city councillor is charged with four counts of sexual assault. A special prosecutor has laid the counts against Ahmed Yousef who was first elected to council in 2018. Yousef was forced to step down in May after being charged with other offences including assault and firearms counts. In recent months, Yousef has been active on social media promoting men’s rights in areas of family law. He’s active with the Canadian Centre for Men and Families. In the 2021 federal election, Yousef ran for the Liberals in Pitt Meadows-Maple Ridge but placed a distant third.

B.C. is ending its public drug use pilot project which allowed users to consume small amounts of hard drugs without the fear of arrest. Health Minister Josie Osborne admits it’s clear the project wasn’t working. The provincial government introduced the approach, three years ago, as a way to reduce the stigma while encouraging drug users to get treatment. Critics have complained about an increase in needles found in public places such as school yards and beaches.

A man has been found shot dead on a rural property in South Surrey. Surrey Police say they were called to the property on 176 Street near 36 Avenue during the noon hour on Tuesday. A burned vehicle was later discovered a few blocks away. There are no obvious links between this shooting and other recent violence in the area.

It’s Science World meets the Vancouver Aquarium - that’s how some people are describing a newly announced 49M revamp of North Vancouver’s Capilano River Hatchery. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans is rebuilding the facility, originally built in 1971. The new hatchery will be brought to seismic standards while continuing to serve as the flagship of the Pacific salmon enhancement program. The hatchery has been an iconic tourist and education attraction for millions of visitors since its inception.

An evacuation alert has been issued by the Fraser Valley Regional District for parts of the Chilliwack River Valley. People have been told to leave the area due to concerns over possible flooding. The alert comes as much of the B.C. Lower Mainland and South Coast remain under a heavy rainfall warning - a yellow alert. Up to 150 mm of rain is expected in some areas by Monday night as the region continues to get hit by an atmospheric river.

B.C. faces the prospects of weak financial growth in 2026 according to a new report by Deloitte Canada. The forecast is for 1.6 GDP growth as the province’s forestry sector continues to struggle. That comes despite an expected increase in LNG exports tied to the new terminal project in Prince Rupert. Alberta and Saskatchewan are each expected to have 2.1 per cent GDP growth. Overall, Canada’s growth is expected to be 1.5 per cent as the country struggles with U.S. tariffs.

Say goodbye to the London Drugs location on Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. The B.C. based chain says it’s closing the iconic Woodward’s location at the end of the month due to ongoing problems with crime and violence. President and CEO Clint Mahlman calls it a very difficult decision, noting the location continues to struggle. He says there’s a transition plan for staff. The location has lost more than $10M in its 15 years at the site of the old Woodward’s department store.

Refineries, not pipelines! That’s what B.C. Premier David Eby says should be the priority as the U.S. appears poised to takeover Venezuelan oil exports. Eby says if Canada has billions of dollars to spend it should go toward developing oil products for this country and for exports. The premier is holding firm on his opposition to building a new northern pipeline saying Trans Mountain to Burnaby is not at full capacity. Almost 90 per cent of Alberta’s oilsands exports currently go to the U.S.