According to preliminary data, 109 people in British Columbia lost their lives to suspected unregulated drug toxicity in May 2026, equating to approximately 3.5 deaths per day. The preliminary data from May is the lowest number of monthly deaths due to suspected unregulated drug toxicity reported by the Coroners Service since February 2020 (79). During […]

Niki Sharma, Attorney General, has released the following statement about the B.C. Court of Appeal decision confirming British Columbia’s class-action lawsuits can proceed against opioid manufacturers and distributors, and their consultants: “Too many people in British Columbia have lost loved ones or continue to struggle because of the opioid crisis. That is why our government launched […]

The KBRH has requested the following press release be issued with changes to the section on Temporary Staff Parking: Starting July 2, 2026, the first phase of parking lot improvements at Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital (KBRH) will begin. Once complete, the project will add up to 38 new parking stalls and pave existing gravel parking areas, improving […]

The Regional District of Kootenay Boundary Emergency Management team is inviting Rossland residents to a free community preparedness evening designed to help people better understand how local emergency management works – and how simple steps taken now can make a big difference during emergencies. The event will take place on Wednesday, June 24 from 7:00 p.m. […]

In April 2026, 119 people in British Columbia lost their lives to suspected unregulated-drug toxicity according to preliminary data reported by the BC Coroners Service, equating to about four deaths per day. In 2026, deaths among those between the ages of 30 and 59 have accounted for 68% of drug-toxicity deaths in the province, and […]

The climate crisis is not simply an isolated technological challenge. It’s part of a much larger “polycrisis.” After all, everything is interconnected. The magnitude of this “system disequilibrium,” as Canadian author, social scientist and Cascade Institute executive director Thomas Homer-Dixon calls it, can cause a sense of hopelessness, but it is resolvable — with major […]

Selkirk College is developing a new Medical Laboratory Assistant Program, supported by more than $400,000 in funding from the Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills. The program will be delivered at its Trail Campus to respond directly to a critical shortage of medical laboratory assistants across Interior Health (IH) and the province. “Our government […]

During BC Seniors Week, a coalition of seniors’ organizations, caregivers, health providers and system advocates is calling on the Government of British Columbia to eliminate co-payments for publicly-subsidized home support for seniors. Home support services range from assistance with bathing and daily personal care, to more complex tasks such as catheter care, oxygen therapy and […]

A significant milestone in British Columbia’s coordinated approach to mental health crisis response has been reached with the near-complete rollout of HealthIM across the RCMP Southeast District, with final implementation expected in the coming weeks. HealthIM is now operational across the majority of the Southeast District, including detachments in the Central Okanagan, South Okanagan, North Okanagan and […]

With Environment Canada forecasting 2026 to be one of the hottest on record, the Alzheimer Society of BC and Yukon is urging the public to learn how to support people living with dementia ahead of what is expected to be an especially active wildfire season. Emergencies can pose serious risks to people living with dementia. […]