Police in Fernie have tackled more calls on the road over the past few months than in the past three years. Elk Valley RCMP responded to a total of 328 calls for service in Fernie from October to December 2025 - roughly 18 per cent higher than its figures in both 2023 and 2024. Motor vehicle incidents accounted for 25...

The national weather agency is urging residents to stay safe amid heavy showers forecast for tomorrow (Mar. 20). Environment and Climate Change Canada says roughly 30 to 50 millimetres of rain are expected for eastern Columbia and East Kootenay from now until Friday evening. Freezing levels are also expected to reach b...

The decision to move the East Kootenay to year-round Mountain Standard Time is drawing mixed reactions across the region. The Regional District of East Kootenay (RDEK) voted 8-7 in favour of the change during a March 13 board meeting, narrowly approving a plan to stop changing clocks. If approved by the provincial gove...

Residents in the Invermere area can expect to see increased wildfire mitigation work throughout 2026 as part of ongoing efforts to reduce wildfire risk. The Ministry of Forests' Wildfire Risk Reduction (WRR) program, in collaboration with the Invermere Fire Department, BC Wildfire Service, and the Canadian Wildlife Ser...

Columbia-Kootenay-Southern Rockies MP Rob Morrison says preserving the region's natural scenery is top of mind for a number of local government partnerships in East Kootenay. Morrison told reporters Wednesday afternoon that his team is working with officials from all levels, as well as the RCMP, to build the East Koote...

Motorists driving through one section of Highway 93 just north of Radium Hot Springs may need to take a different route. From now until noon on Saturday, March 21, a 90.9-kilometre stretch of Highway 93 between the West Boundary of Kootenay National Park and the end of Highway 93 will be closed due to higher avalanche ...

The City of Cranbrook recently hosted a full-day ConvergX event that brought together more than 30 participants from academia, government, and industry across the Kootenays, Alberta, and Washington State. Discussions focused on regional cooperation in aerospace, defence, and supply chains. According to the City, the ev...

The latest forecast for southern British Columbia calls for periods of heavy rain into Friday, setting off avalanche risks, flood watches and high streamflow advisories for area waterways. The warning in a joint statement from B.C.'s Emergency Management Ministry and the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship...

The Regional District of East Kootenay (RDEK) is advising residents of a planned power outage in Windermere. The outage, scheduled by BC Hydro, will take place on Tuesday, March 24, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. During the outage, the RDEK is asking residents of the East Side Lake Windermere Water System, the Holland Creek Wa...

Local municipalities are forging new steps to keep their residents safe this upcoming wildfire season, with a combined investment from the B.C. government and the Columbia Basin Trust. More than $3 million has been awarded to 23 organizations to implement FireSmart measures in their communities. Kris Belanger, senior m...