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  International student drowns while swimming in Thetis Lake

  A swimmer drowned in Thetis Lake Friday afternoon, according to West Shore RCMP.

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  Why does a group of B.C. killer whales harass and kill porpoises without eating them?

  A group of orcas that inhabit Canadian waters are known to harass and kill porpoises without eating them. A new study tries to explain why.

• Overdoses from smoking toxic drugs outpace B.C. prevention sites

  Nearly two-thirds of the overdose deaths in British Columbia this year came after smoking illicit drugs, yet only 40 per cent of the supervised consumption sites in the province offer a safe place to smoke, and the chief coroner says that needs to change.

• 'Reconciliation is a lifelong experience': Gov. Gen. Mary Simon reflects on Truth and Reconciliation

  On the third annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Gov. Gen. Mary Simon says that while she acknowledges the time it takes to fulfill calls to action, she also understands the frustrations that progress is too slow, and she feels 'we should speed things up.'

• B.C. tech holding company Tiny buys majority stake in film review platform Letterboxd

  Tech holding company Tiny Ltd. says it's buying a majority stake in movie review platform Letterboxd. Victoria, B.C.-based Tiny has not shared what it will pay for the 60 per cent stake it will take in the film diary and rating website.

• Federal Court ruling sets back health workers seeking psilocybin mushroom access

  Megan McLaren thought her future career was in law enforcement, but her path radically shifted thanks in part to psychedelic drug therapy, she says.

• 'It's beyond inappropriate': B.C. Green leader calls out Alberta 'war room' attacks on Nanaimo

  B.C.'s Green Party leader is dismayed Alberta's fossil fuel “war room” is targeting Nanaimo for phasing out natural gas hookups.

• Nisga'a Nation celebrates return of totem after it was taken almost a century ago

  The return of a memorial totem pole to a remote community in northwestern B.C. nearly 100 years after it was taken allows the Nisga'a Nation to reach back for old values of respect, helping to chart a new path of reconciliation, the nation's president says.

• West Shore RCMP report multiple complaints of Facebook Marketplace fraud

  Mounties on southern Vancouver Island are warning the public after officers received multiple complaints of fraud on the online reselling platform Facebook Marketplace.

• Comox comedian copes with cancer and dementia through laughter

  Syd Bosel was in the midst of a year-long motorcycle camping trip around Australia when she happened upon a handsome local.

• Suspect at large after UVic student sexually assaulted on campus

  Saanich police are investigating after a student was sexually assaulted inside a washroom on the University of Victoria campus.

• 'Flowerman' strives to make Comox Valley bloom with positivity

  Although he’s not faster than a speeding bullet, nor more powerful than a locomotive, this superhero of sorts does have a theme song.

• Malahat crash closes highway in both directions

  The Malahat highway was closed in both directions near Bamberton on Thursday afternoon due to a vehicle crash.

• Greater Victoria gas prices hit one-year high

  Gas prices hit a one-year high in Greater Victoria on Thursday, jumping by more than 12 cents per litre at many stations.

• Reconciliation and reckoning as Nisga'a totem pole returns to B.C. from Scotland museum

  A homecoming celebration for a memorial totem pole after an absence of almost 100 years will resonate far beyond the tiny Indigenous village in northwest British Columbia where it is being returned Friday.

• Nanaimo RCMP searching for man, 36, missing since March

  Investigators say William Hall was reported missing by a family member in early September after he had not been seen for about six months.

• B.C. launching fall vaccination campaign for COVID, influenza on Oct. 10

  B.C.'s public vaccination campaign for the fall respiratory illness season will begin Oct. 10, health officials announced Thursday.

• Developers and advocates weigh in on B.C.'s housing targets

  B.C. cities aren’t in the business of building homes; that’s what private developers do. And those private developers are preparing to get to work.

• Bylaw change could allow physician assistants to work in B.C. emergency rooms

  The B.C. Ministry of Health says a proposed bylaw change by the body that regulates doctors could allow physician assistants to work in provincial emergency rooms.

• Vancouver Island water restrictions lifted after 'significant rainfall' helps restore fish habitat

  After significant rainfall in some regions of Vancouver Island, the British Columbia government is rescinding water restrictions for the Koksilah and Tsolum river watersheds.