Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation reports the annual pace of housing starts jumped 22 per cent between March and April.
It says the increase is due to a 33 per cent rise in starts of multi-unit urban homes.
The national housing agency says the annual pace of housing starts was up 36 per cent in Vancouver, 54 per cent in Toronto and 43 per cent in Montreal.
The victim – a neighbourhood resident for 30 years – was walking to a bakery near Main Street and East Pender when he was pushed over by a stranger around 3:15 Tuesday afternoon. Several witnesses stopped to help the senior, who was taken to hospital.
Emergency Management BC says when rain falls after long dry spells, the parched soil can increase runoff and river flow. It says the transition to the rainy season doesn't typically cause extensive flooding and the devastation wreaked by last year's atmospheric rivers was rare.
The B.C. government says in a statement the Facilities Bargaining Association, which represents about 60,000 people delivering health services throughout the province, has ratified a new contract. It says the nine-union association is led by the Hospital Employees' Union, which represents about 93 per cent of the health workers covered by the agreement.
A statement from the regional district of Metro Vancouver says water use is up by 20 per cent for this time of year because of the extended dry, warm weather. It says the area's watersheds have received about 50 millimetres of rain since the start of August, when it would typically see about 400 millimetres between Aug. 1 and Oct. 1.
Joseph Saulnier told a sentencing hearing in B.C. Supreme Court that his client is already serving an 11-year sentence for similar offences against 33 young victims in the Netherlands and more prison time would be "unduly harsh."
The commemorative medal marks the 70th anniversary of the Late Queen Elizabeth's coronation. The honor was bestowed upon Thind by Fleetwood-Port Kells MP Ken Hardie. Hardie was present for the award at the Red FM 93.1 studio in Surrey.