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☆ Looking for ‘a Different Kind of Wow’: Next Level Hotel Experiences
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Amy Thomas | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Heli-hiking on a remote slice of Vancouver Island in Canada. Concocting your own perfume in southern France. Planning a shoot with a New York fashion photographer. Now that amenities like infinity pools and posh spas (rebranded as wellness centers) are practically de rigueur at upscale lodgings, many properties are trying to distinguish themselves with activities that are ever more bespoke and brag-worthy. Indeed, said Janelle Ruhumuliza, a travel adviser with Embark Beyond, “experiences have to go further than what they were before.” She notes that social media has amplified travelers’ desire to “one-up” what others are doing online.

Persons: ”, Ashley Isaacs Ganz, Janelle Ruhumuliza Organizations: Leisure Locations: Vancouver, Canada, France, New York

☆ A Norwegian Cruise Line worker is accused of stabbing people on board with scissors
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | by ( Mikhaila Friel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A cruise ship worker was accused of stabbing a passenger and attacking crew members. AdvertisementA cruise ship employee was arrested after he allegedly used scissors to stab three people aboard a ship that was traveling to Alaska. The employee, identified as Ntando Sogoni from South Africa, had recently started working on Norwegian Encore, a ship operated by Norwegian Cruise Line, according to an affidavit from FBI Special Agent Matthew Judy cited by AP News. The US Department of Transportation keeps a record of reported crimes on cruise ships through quarterly reports. The district attorney's office, Juneau's police department, Sogoni's lawyer, and Norwegian Cruise Line did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Persons: —, Matthew Judy, Sogoni Organizations: Service, Norwegian Cruise, AP News, FBI, US Department of Transportation, Cruise Locations: Alaska, Seattle, South Africa, Norwegian, Sogoni, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Juneau

☆ Take a look at the revolutionary housing developments Canada's First Nations are building on ancestral land
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-28 | by ( Dan Latu | Eliza Relman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Canada's First Nations are constructing dense new housing in the country's most expensive city. NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. AdvertisementCanada's First Nations are breaking new ground with several major housing developments in the city of Vancouver. One project minutes away from downtown Vancouver, being built by the Squamish Nation, will include 11 towers and 6,000 housing units. Take a look at these projects and the future of housing in Vancouver.

Persons: —, Brennan Cook, Cook Organizations: Service, Business, Nation, Nations, MST, Corporation Locations: Canada, Vancouver, —, Squamish, Waututh

☆ Canada's First Nations are building the densest neighborhood in the country by reclaiming their ancestral land and defying NIMBYs
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-27 | by ( Eliza Relman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

AdvertisementMindy Wight, CEO of the Squamish development group building Sen̓áḵw, called it "the creation of a modern Squamish village" in an interview with Business Insider. Canada's federal auditor general recently condemned a "distressing and persistent pattern of failure" by federal programs designed to support First Nations housing and infrastructure, among other services. The housing projects aren't the only major developments underway on indigenous land in Canada. There are no housing or infrastructure developments on US tribal land that match the scale of the First Nations projects in Canada. While some Native American tribes have spearheaded significant housing projects, most indigenous-owned land in the US isn't in the most valuable housing markets.

Persons: —, it's, Mindy Wight, Sen̓áḵw, Brennan Cook, Cook, Heather, reaps, Elisa Campbell, Jericho, Campbell, Heather Lands, Sen̓áḵw, Gordon Price, Price, Tyler Harper, aren't, Michelle Cyca, Alex Armlovich, Armlovich, Noah Smith Organizations: Service, Nations, First Nations, Business, Nation, MST, Corporation, MST Development Corporation, Vancouver City, Canada Lands Company, Energy, Technologies, British Columbia, CBC Vancouver, Bates, Niskanen Locations: Canada, Vancouver, Squamish, Squamish Nation, Wight, Jericho, British, American, MacLean's, Canadian

☆ She missed her flight to extend her Italy vacation romance. Here’s what happened next
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-01 | by ( Francesca Street | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +19 min

Bianca was in the harbor of Riomaggiore, the southernmost of the five picturesque fishing villages that make up the Italian Cinque Terre region. “Then, three days before I was leaving to go home, my friend said, ‘Let’s go to the Cinque Terre. After three days with Alessandro, Bianca didn’t want to leave, but she figured she had no choice. She fed me, of course.”Alessandro also took Bianca on the back of his scooter for hilltop rides around the Cinque Terre. The couple would take their daughter along too, and spend time with their Italian family.

Persons: Bianca Gignac, Bianca, ” Bianca, It’s, she’d, Florence –, “, ”, ‘ Let’s, ’, Alessandro Morelli, ” Alessandro, –, Alessandro, I’d, Bianca –, Artie, “ I’m, skeptically, let’s, She’d, Bianca Gignac Bianca, Bianca didn’t, “ Bianca, don’t, Paola, ‘ I’m, they’d, “ I’ve, I’m, ’ ” Bianca, Riomaggiore –, Alessandro’s, Italy Bianca, ” “ Patience, Bianca’s, ’ ”, Stefano Butturini Bianca, – we’re, ‘ Don’t, we’ve, “ She’s, Italy –, “ It’s, we’re Organizations: CNN, CNN Travel, Italian Cultural Institute of Vancouver, Terre, La Spezia, Getty Locations: Riomaggiore, Italian, Terre, Canadian, Italy, Europe, Florence, La, Cinque Terre, Rome, Canada, Terre wasn’t, La Spezia, Vancouver, Bianca’s, Costa Rica, Bianca

☆ A New ‘Holy Grail’ in the Housing Crisis: Statewide Rent Caps
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-23 | by ( David W. Chen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

For the last 10 years, Dominique Horn has worked for a community health organization in the fast-growing city of Vancouver in Washington State, helping people squeezed by soaring rents to try to avoid homelessness. Sometimes she wonders if she’s going to be her agency’s next client. With her husband struggling at times to find work, Ms. Horn has maxed out her credit cards to keep pace with the rent. The couple and their two children have moved so many times that she keeps sentimental items like photos and heirlooms boxed up, because no place feels like home yet. “I’m just in a constant state of waiting for the other shoe to drop,” said Ms. Horn, 42, whose current lease expires in May.

Persons: Dominique Horn, Horn, heirlooms, “ I’m, ”, “, Ms Locations: Vancouver, Washington State, Washington, Olympia

States require a gambler to be physically located within their borders in order to make online bets. Throughout Super Bowl weekend, GeoComply saw a total of 8.5 million active accounts, up 15% from last year's Super Bowl. “It was a bad Super Bowl for the sportsbook," said Tristan Davis, a senior trader at BetMGM. DraftKings would not release figures Monday about its performance during the Super Bowl. Several sportsbooks also issued odds for next year's Super Bowl winner, with the 49ers slightly ahead of the Chiefs.

Persons: Anna Sainsbury, GeoComply, Sportsbooks, Craig Mucklow, Travis Kelce, Isiah Pacheco, Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, Tristan Davis, bettors, FanDuel, sportsbooks, Wayne Parry Organizations: CITY, —, Super Bowl, U.S, The Kansas City Chiefs, San Francisco 49ers, NFL, Super, Chiefs, 49ers, Caesars Sportsbook, Caesars, Associated Press Locations: N.J, Florida, U.S, Las Vegas, Vancouver, Canada, The, BetMGM

More than 8.5 million abandoned homes in rural Japan are creating a "ghost town" problem. There are more than 8.5 million akiya , or abandoned homes, in rural Japan, according to the country's 2018 Housing and Land Survey, its most recent on record. The institute predicts akiya could exceed 30% of homes in Japan by 2033. As Richard Koo, the chief economist at NRI, told them at the time, the Japanese countryside has been hollowing out since the mid-'90s. Why aren't more Japanese people buying abandoned countryside homes?

Persons: —, who've, Richard Koo, There's, Chris McMorran, Koo, Douglas Southerland, McMorran, Natasha Durie, Durie, Eric McAskill, McAskill, Jaya Thursfield, Chihiro, Kurosawa, Joey Stockermans, akiya Organizations: Service, Survey, Nomura Research Institute, Business Insider's, NRI, National University of Singapore, of Anthropology, Ethnography, Oxford University, Canadian Real Estate Association Locations: Japan, Business Insider's Singapore, Gifu, Vancouver, Canada, Nagano Prefecture, England, Ibaraki Prefecture, London, North America, Kyushu, akiya

FORT SMITH, Northwest Territories (AP) — The death toll from a small plane crash in Canada's Northwest Territories was six, authorities said Wednesday. The Northwest Territories coroner’s office said that four passengers and two crew members from Northwestern Air Lease were killed in Tuesday's crash, while a lone survivor was taken to a hospital and later airlifted to Yellowknife. The plane took off from the airport in Fort Smith, and then crashed near the banks of the Slave River. The town of Fort Smith is about 2,100 kilometers (1,300 miles) northeast of Vancouver, British Columbia, near the border between Alberta and the Northwest Territories. The Canadian military responded when the plane lost contact shortly after taking off near Fort Smith.

Persons: Rio, Jakob Stausholm Organizations: Northwestern Air Lease, Rio Tinto Locations: SMITH, Northwest Territories, Canada's Northwest Territories, Rio Tinto, Territories, Yellowknife, Fort Smith, Rio, “, Vancouver , British Columbia, Alberta

☆ I earned a Guinness World Record for visiting all 193 countries alone. Here are my picks for 11 most beautiful countries in the world.
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Cassandra De Pecol | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

I cleared the record for "fastest time to visit all sovereign countries" and "fastest time to visit all sovereign countries (female)." These are my picks for the 11 most beautiful countries I've been to. South AfricaCape Town, South Africa where De Pecol ran her Iron man. UCGOver the last 10 years, I've been lucky enough to travel to South Africa for various reasons: a race, a convention, and my 196-country expedition. The very first time I visited Africa, the Cape of Good Hope,(located along the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula in South Africa), was the first bit of awe I'd experienced.

Persons: Cassandra De Pecol, —, Guinness, I'm, I'd, Switzerland De Pecol, that's, De Pecol, benedek, I've, Dominica De, United States De Pecol, Matthew Micah Wright, it's, Pecol, Carl Court, It's, Costa Rica De Pecol, Peru De Pecol, Jorge Fernández, Jordan De Pecol, Jordan, Good Hope Organizations: Guinness, Records, Service, World Records, Rockies, Costa Rica De, Puerto, New Zealand, UNESCO, South Africa Cape Locations: Canada, Taiwan, Kosovo, Palestine, Mongolia, Pecol, Russian, Switzerland, AscentXmedia Switzerland, Banff, Toronto, Quebec, Vancouver, Alberta, Dominica, Dominica De Pecol, Bahamas, St, Lucia, United States, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Guam, Vermont, Colorado, Arizona , California, Utah, Maldives, Costa Rica, Puerto Limon, Papagayo, Guanacaste, Peru, Machu Picchu, CAROLINA PAUCAR Peru, Picchu, New, New Zealand, Auckland, Queenstown, Jordan, Petra, Wadi Rum, South Africa, South Africa Cape Town , South Africa, Cape Town, Africa, Good

☆ The top U.S. city for expats is one of the worst in the world, according to people who live and work abroad there
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( Jennifer Liu | In Jljenniferliu | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

New York City is among the worst global cities for expats, but it continues to have a strong hold on people seeking a new life abroad. Among the 10 worst cities for expats this year are Paris (41st), London (42nd) and Berlin (45th). "One main problem with the big cities is that expats are less and less able to afford them," says Malte Zeeck, CEO and co-founder of Internations. The top three best global cities for expats are in Spain: Malaga, Alicante and Valencia. Want to be smarter and more successful with your money, work & life?

Persons: Malte Zeeck, It's, Arthur C, Brooks Organizations: New York, CNBC, Summit Locations: York City, expats, New York, Vancouver, U.S, York, Paris, London, Berlin, Spain, Malaga, Alicante, Valencia

☆ The promise and risks of deep-sea mining
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +13 min

The promise and risks of deep-sea mining A vast treasure of critical minerals lies on the ocean floor. All of these factors make deep-sea mining more appealing, supporters say. Environmentalists, however, say it’s a false dichotomy, as land mining will continue whether or not deep-sea mining is allowed. Any country can allow deep-sea mining in its territorial waters, and Norway, Japan and the Cook Islands are close to allowing it. For now, the ISA's members are hotly debating the best standards for deep-sea mining.

Persons: Gerard Barron, Margo Deiye, “ We’re, ”, Barron, “, Beth Orcutt, Jason Gillham, Joe Carr, Pradeep Singh, Kira Mizell, Julia Wolfe, Katy Daigle, Claudia Parsons Organizations: International Energy Agency, P Global, Authority, United Nations, ISA, Metals Co, Russia's JSC, Blue Minerals, Exploration, Metals, Clarion, Companies, U.S . Geological Survey, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, The Metals Co, Northwest, Maine's Bigelow Laboratory, Ocean Sciences, Impossible Metals, NOAA, Research, Aquarium Research, Bigelow Laboratory, Research Institute, Sustainability, . Geological Survey Locations: Brazil, Norway, Japan, Cook, Vancouver, Blue, Blue Minerals Jamaica, China, Hawaii, Mexico, Nauru, U.S, Russia, France, India, Poland, Tokyo, Monterey

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — A Canadian fishing boat rescued an American man one day after the U.S. Coast Guard ended its search for a missing commercial fishing boat from Washington state with two people board, authorities said. U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Steve Strohmaier said the Canada-based Ocean Sunset spotted a covered life raft drifting in open ocean about 75 kilometers (46 miles) off the west coast of Vancouver Island on Thursday. Strohmaier said the Ocean Sunset's crew found the man conscious on the raft, which was from the Evening fishing boat based in Gray's Harbor, Washington. The man was taken to shore by the Canadian Coast Guard and was reported in stable condition. Strohmaier said Coast Guard officials hoped to speak with the survivor soon to determine whether to renew the search.

Persons: Steve Strohmaier, Strohmaier Organizations: British Columbia, U.S . Coast Guard, . Coast Guard, Canadian Coast Guard, Coast Guard Locations: VANCOUVER, British, Canadian, Washington, Canada, Vancouver, Gray's Harbor , Washington, U.S, Gray’s Harbor

☆ Three Killed After Small Plane Crashes in Canada's British Columbia
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

By Kanishka Singh(Reuters) - Three people were killed on Friday after a small plane crashed in the city of Chilliwack in Canada's British Columbia province, officials said. The plane - a Piper PA-34 Seneca, a twin-engined light aircraft - crashed into trees and bushes behind a motel, near the local airport. All three people onboard, including the pilot, were killed and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said it was notifying the next of kin. Haylie Morris, who worked nearby, told the Vancouver Sun she watched the plane go down in front of her. "(I) started running and I saw it go into the forest across the street, crash through the trees," Morris told the newspaper.

Persons: Kanishka Singh, Haylie Morris, Morris, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Transportation Safety Board, Canada, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Vancouver Sun Locations: Chilliwack, Canada's British Columbia, Piper, Seneca, Vancouver, Washington

☆ TikTok's tinned fish obsession isn't just about affordable luxury in a can
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Kai Xiang Teo | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

With premium cans going up to $50 each, these creators say that tinned fish is being unfairly dismissed. Today, #tinnedfishtok videos feature TikTokers like Mei Liao, whose videos feature her peeling open her tinned fish hauls and reviewing them. "I believe the current state of the US economy is helping to fuel the popularity of tinned fish too," said Robert McGinnis, who reviews tinned fish on his TikTok channel. A collage of tinned fish dishes prepared by Molly Moss Molly MossHowever, the popularity of tinned fish isn't just about food on a budget. Moss said she got her start on Instagram, gaining 30,000 followers over two months with her videos about tinned fish.

Persons: —, TikToker Ali Hooke, Mei Liao, I w, Mei, ric e, Moss Moll y Moss, Moll y Moss, prem, ong, ann e d dace, alon, cann, eli, Moss, rena, ssance on T Organizations: Service, Acc Locations: Asia

But none have stepped up to condemn India for its alleged involvement in the June slaying on Canadian soil of a Sikh separatist, Hardeep Singh Nijjar. All that makes it hard for Canada's main allies — which are also some of India's main partners — to loudly speak out. The government’s allegations are particularly awkward now for the U.K., which is seeking a free trade deal with India. In 2018, for example, China-Canada relations nosedived after China detained former Canadian diplomat Michael Kovrig and Canadian entrepreneur Michael Spavor. Now the stakes are higher, and it's unclear — at least publicly — who Canada can count on for full-throated support.

Persons: Justin Trudeau, —, They’ve, Hardeep Singh, Janice Stein, Sushant Singh, ”, Trudeau, India ramped, — Trudeau, Rishi Sunak’s, Max Blain, ” Trudeau, Sunak, Joe Biden, Mélanie Joly, John Kirby, “, Kirby, Biden, Robert Bothwell, Narendra Modi's, Putin, Vladimir Putin, Nijjar, Michael Kovrig, Michael Spavor, Meng Wanzhou, Meng, Donald Trump, Trump, Bothwell Organizations: TORONTO, Canadian, Munk School of Global Affairs, Policy Research, Canada, Canada’s The Globe, Mail, British, Canadian Foreign, White House, University of Toronto, Indian, Nijjar, White, Huawei, U.S, “ Locations: India, U.S, Britain, Australia, New Zealand, China, Japan, Germany, Toronto, New Delhi, West, Vancouver, Canada, Indian, Canadian, Canada’s The, South Asia, Pacific, Ottawa, Washington, Russia, Surrey, Saudi, Saudi Arabia, “, British

☆ Amazon devices unit morale wanes amid cuts, weak development pipeline
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Greg Bensinger | Thomson Reuters | Greg Bensinger Joined Reuters As A Technology Correspondent In Focusing On The World'S Largest Technology Companies. He Was Previously A Member Of The New York Times Editorial Board | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

Amazon hopes consumers will install Alexa-enabled devices in more rooms of their homes and become accustomed to using the system throughout the day, the sources said. Amazon has said its devices and services business is not profitable, without providing figures. Amazon is set to name as successor Microsoft's Panos Panay who oversaw development of the Surface, according to Bloomberg. Alexa employees were included in rounds of layoffs beginning last year resulting in 27,000 job cuts across Amazon. For years, Amazon has said it can sell devices for close to production cost and see a profit through services offered on them.

Persons: Jeff Bezos, Dave Limp, Alexa, Kinley Pearsall, Amazon, hasn’t, “, ”, Avi Greengart, Limp, Microsoft's Panos Panay, Gregg Zehr, Tom Taylor, Ken Washington, Andy Jassy, Siri, That’s, Bruno Borges, I‘m, Greg Bensinger, Ken Li, Claudia Parsons Organizations: FRANCISCO, Reuters, Alexa, Amazon, Devices, Google, Microsoft, Echo, “, Bloomberg, Astro, Medtronic, Intelligence, Amazon.com, Lightform, Thomson Locations: Amazon’s, Lab126, Alphabet’s, Vancouver, Canada

☆ India entry into geopolitical storm will be costly
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Una Galani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

MUMBAI, Sept 19 (Reuters Breakingviews) - India may pay a price from getting caught in the eye of a geopolitical storm, but it may be a small one. New Delhi has dismissed as “absurd” Canada’s allegation of its involvement in the June murder in British Columbia of a Sikh separatist leader that India had branded a “terrorist”. A trade deal with India, now stalled, may have helped Ottawa pivot away from the People’s Republic a little bit faster. But India accounted for barely $6.5 billion, or less than 1% of Canada’s trade with the world in 2020. Canada also expelled India's top intelligence agent following the row, while India expelled a senior Canadian diplomat.

Persons: Sajjan Jindal’s, Joe Biden, Narendra Modi, Jamal Khashoggi, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, –, Tesla, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Justin Trudeau, Nijjar, “, Trudeau, Lisa Jucca, Streisand Neto Organizations: Reuters, Resources, Crown, Canada, Apple, U.S . National Security Council, Thomson Locations: MUMBAI, India, New Delhi, British Columbia, China, Ottawa, People’s Republic, American, Vancouver, Australia, Canada, United States, Delhi, Saudi Arabia, Saudi, Istanbul . U.S, Canadian

☆ Canada to change how it counts foreign students, workers amid housing crunch
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Jennifer Gauthier/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOTTAWA, Aug 31 (Reuters) - Canada will change how it counts non-permanent residents, the main statistics agency said on Thursday, after an economist said the current methodology may have overlooked about a million foreign students, workers and others. Statistics Canada said it stood by its figures, but added that it will publish new, more detailed data on non-permanent residents next month using a revised methodology. Statscan's terminology for non-permanent residents covers people living in Canada with work or study permits and asylum seekers. Tal said Statscan's new approach would help to give a better sense of the actual numbers in the country. "A precondition for any policy in general, and housing policy in particular, is to know the size, the magnitude of the shortage," Tal said in a phone interview on Thursday.

Persons: Jennifer Gauthier, Benjamin Tal, Statscan, Tal, Ismail Shakil, Andrew Heavens Organizations: REUTERS, Rights OTTAWA, CIBC Capital, Statistics Canada, Thomson Locations: Vancouver , British Columbia, Canada, Ottawa

☆ Canadian economy set to show marked slowdown in second quarter, giving central bank cause to pause
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-27 | by ( Fergal Smith | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Condominium and office towers are seen on the mountain-backed skyline of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada September 30, 2020. The GDP report will be the last major piece of domestic data before the Canadian central bank makes its next policy decision on Sept. 6. The central bank has said it would study economic data closely before determining whether it raises interest rates further. The BoC has projected 1.5% growth for the third quarter, matching its second-quarter estimate. Some argue that the composition of growth in the second-quarter data, including the split between internal and external demand, could also be a consideration.

Persons: Jennifer Gauthier, Carlos Capistran, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Benjamin Reitzes, we've, Stephen Brown, Andrew Grantham, Fergal Smith, Denny Thomas, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Bank of Canada, BoC, Bank of America, BMO Capital Markets, Money, North, Capital Economics, CIBC Capital Markets, Thomson Locations: Vancouver , British Columbia, Canada, Canadian, Mexico, North America

☆ Wildfire-hit British Columbia blanketed with hazardous smoke pollution
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Nia Williams | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/4] A boat passes under the Lions Gate bridge to enter Vancouver Harbour, shrouded in a haze of wildfire smoke, as seen from Cypress Mountain in North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, August 21, 2023. REUTERS/Chris Helgren Acquire Licensing RightsREVELSTOKE, British Columbia, Aug 21 (Reuters) - Millions of people in the western Canadian province of British Columbia were under air quality warnings on Monday as hundreds of wildfires filled the skies with smoke and turned the sun orange. In the cities of Kelowna and Kamloops, the air quality index (AQI) was above 350, a "hazardous" level, real-time air quality information platform IQAir showed. Wildfire smoke is a seasonal occurrence for much of heavily-forested British Columbia, but the number of wildfires and amount of land burned is trending higher as a result of climate change, increasing concerns about the impact on human health. "This type of extreme smoke event covering all of our province does not happen every year," said Jalena Bennett, smoke information specialist with BlueSky Canada, adding 2018 was the last time wildfire smoke was so widespread.

Persons: Chris Helgren, Jalena Bennett, Ash, Marie, Eve Hervieux, Bobby Sekhon, Nia Williams, Denny Thomas, Josie Kao Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, British Columbia, BlueSky, Environment, Thomson Locations: Lions, Vancouver, Cypress Mountain, North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, Rights REVELSTOKE, Canadian, British, Kelowna, Kamloops, Lahore, Pakistan, BlueSky Canada, Shuswap Lake, Environment Canada, Metro Vancouver, Revelstoke

☆ As fires rage in British Columbia, more residents prepare for evacuations
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

By Saturday, more than 35,000 residents were under an evacuation order and another 30,000 were under an evacuation alert. Ministers and government officials urged residents living in evacuation order zones to take immediate action, in the interest of their own lives and that of the firefighters. British Columbia Premier Daniel Eby also imposed a ban on non-essential travel on Saturday, in order to free-up accommodation for evacuees and firefighters. Forest fires are not uncommon in Canada, but the spread of blazes and disruptions underscore the severity of its worst wildfire season yet. The fires have drained local resources and drawn in federal government assistance as well as support from 13 countries.

Persons: Columbia Premier Daniel Eby, Krista Flesjer, Kip Lumquist, Denny Thomas, Kim Coghill Organizations: U.S ., U.S . Pacific Northwest, Ministers, Columbia Premier, Authorities, Government, REUTERS Acquire, Thomson Locations: British Columbia, Kelowna, Vancouver, U.S, U.S . Pacific, Canada, New York, U.S . East Coast, Squilax, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Chase, Hope, Lytton, Craigellachie

☆ Canada to deploy military in British Columbia to tackle fast-spreading fires
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-20 | by ( Nia Williams | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Summary British Columbia declares state of emergency after wildfiresFlames have led to evacuation orders for more than 35,000 peopleAQI of some British Columbia cities at 'hazardous' levelsREVELSTOKE, British Columbia, Aug 20 (Reuters) - Canada is sending the military to tackle fast-spreading wildfires in British Columbia, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Sunday, as the western province deals with flames that have led to evacuation orders for more than 35,000 people. In some cities in British Columbia, the air quality index (AQI), which measures major pollutants including particulate matter produced by fires, was above 350, a "hazardous" level, IQAir, a real-time air quality information platform showed. West Kelowna fire chief Jason Brolund said he saw some hope after battling "epic" fires for the past four days. Since 2009, Canada has been spending more on fighting and suppressing wildfires than on maintaining its firefighting personnel and program. In British Columbia, the TransCanada highway was closed near Chase, about 400 km (250 miles) northeast of Vancouver.

Persons: Justin Trudeau, Jason Brolund, that's, Brolund, Trudeau, Krista Flesjer, Kip Lumquist, Lumquist, Nia Williams, Dan Whitcomb, Nilutpal, Denny Thomas, Mark Porter, Matthew Lewis, Lisa Shumaker, Gerry Doyle, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Columbia, Flames, British Columbia, Kelowna College, ., Canadian Broadcasting Corp, Reuters, U.S ., Canadian, REUTERS Acquire, Government, Thomson Locations: Columbia, REVELSTOKE, British Columbia, Canada, British, Kelowna, U.S, U.S . Pacific Northwest, Washington, Oregon, Squilax, Kamloops, New York, U.S . East Coast, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Chase, Vancouver, Craigellachie, Los Angeles, Bengaluru

☆ British Columbia wildfires intensify, doubling evacuations to over 35,000
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-20 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A resident sprays water on hot spots near a house in Celista, British Columbia, Canada, on Saturday, Aug. 19, 2023. Record-breaking wildfires in Canada, which have already scorched an area larger than Greece, are heading toward key population centers, forcing tens of thousands to evacuate. Forest fires in Canada's western province of British Columbia intensified on Saturday, with the number of people under evacuation orders doubling from a day earlier, as authorities warned of difficult days ahead. The fire is centered around Kelowna, a city some 300 kilometers (180 miles) east of Vancouver, with a population of about 150,000. Forest fires are not uncommon in Canada, but the spread of blazes and disruption underscore the severity of its worst wildfire season yet.

Persons: Daniel Eby, Eby Organizations: British Columbia Locations: Celista, British Columbia, Canada, Greece, Canada's, British, Columbia, Kelowna, Vancouver, New York

☆ British Columbia residents on high alert as wildfires force state of emergency
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-19 | by ( Chris Helgren | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Pat Kane Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies City of Yellowknife FollowKELOWNA, British Columbia, Aug 19 (Reuters) - Thousands of British Columbia residents were on high evacuation alert on Saturday after rapidly intensifying wildfires forced the western Canadian province to declare a state of emergency. By Friday, an out-of-control fire in southern British Columbia grew more than hundredfold in 24 hours and forced more than 2,400 properties to be evacuated. "This is an historic wildfire season for British Columbia," Eby told a briefing. "The state of emergency declaration ... communicates to people across the province the seriousness of the deteriorating situation," Eby said. The escalation in British Columbia comes as the northern Canadian city of Yellowknife evacuated most of its roughly 20,000 residents due to a large approaching blaze.

Persons: Pat Kane, Daniel Eby, Eby, Ismail Shakil, Denny Thomas, Kim Coghill Organizations: REUTERS, British Columbia, Northwest Territories, Thomson Locations: Yellowknife, Fort Providence, Northwest Territories, Canada, City, KELOWNA , British Columbia, British Columbia, Canadian, Kelowna, Vancouver, British, West Kelowna, New York, Northwest, Ottawa

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