According to the CFIB Business Barometer, B.C.'s 12-month small-business outlook index fell to 49.0 in October from 54.2 in September, below neutral 50. Meanwhile, 19% of B.C. businesses planned full-time staff reductions, and Vancouver metro retail sales rose 2.1% in August.
Pete Fry was sworn in as Vancouver mayor at The Orpheum Theatre, with 10 councillors also taking office. The Green leader, who received 98,748 votes in the Oct. 17 election, said budget balancing and community safety infrastructure were priorities.
The St’át’imc Chiefs Council filed a Federal Court challenge to Prime Minister Mark Carney’s national interest designation for the proposed Pacific Link oil pipeline. It argues the Building Canada Act designation was unlawful and unconstitutional, citing environmental risks and insufficient consultation.
Vancouver recorded one of its 10 driest Octobers in 130 years, with 38.8 mm of precipitation by Halloween versus an airport average of 123.9 mm, Environment Canada meteorologist Steve Boily said. Temperatures were near normal, and November is expected to be wetter, with a monthly average around 245 mm.
A lawyer for the woman Steven Galloway is suing for defamation told a Vancouver court she could not have foreseen the Canadian publishing fallout from her 2015 allegations. Galloway, a former UBC professor, denies the claims, which a university-ordered investigation found unsubstantiated.
B.C. First Nations filed eight legal challenges to Ottawa's national-interest designation of the proposed Pacific Link pipeline, including one from Tsartlip First Nation. It would largely follow the Trans Mountain route to a Metro Vancouver export terminal, with costs estimated at $35.2 billion to $42.7 billion.
Boily, an Environment Canada meteorologist, says roughly three weather systems are expected to deliver heavy rain and wind to Metro Vancouver from Wednesday, Nov. 4. The region could get 10 to 15 millimetres overnight Wednesday into Thursday and 25 to 30 mm with Friday's storm, while winds could gust to 60 km/h.
The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority says Burnaby's new four-lane Holdom Avenue overpass is expected to open to vehicles in spring 2027, with remaining work finishing that fall. The roughly $200 million project closes the Douglas Road rail crossing and is projected to increase trade capacity at North Shore port terminals.
Caleb Malhotra, the Vancouver Canucks’ 2026 third-overall pick, has five points in eight games at Boston University, including two assists on Oct. 24 and an overtime winner against Maine on Nov. 1. The 18-year-old centre is being used in key situations and has drawn praise for his early NCAA play.
Because British Columbia did not roll clocks back this year under its new Pacific Time zone, Vancouver's sunrise will be as late as 9:07 a.m. from Dec. 26 to Jan. 5. A UBC economics professor said the change is somewhat better than twice-yearly switching but that permanent standard time would have been preferable.
Vancouver police are seeking witnesses and dashcam footage after a woman was allegedly assaulted by an unknown man outside the Vancouver Art Gallery on West Georgia Street. Police say bystanders intervened, the suspect fled, and the victim did not suffer physical injuries.
ECCC meteorologist Matt Albers says a cold front is expected to bring rain to Vancouver from midweek, with up to 10–15 mm forecast Thursday. November normals include a 7.5°C daily average and 245.2 mm of rain, after Vancouver Harbour recorded 54 mm in October versus 156.8 mm normally.
British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, northwestern Ontario and the Northwest Territories will remain on daylight time year-round instead of falling back, while Saskatchewan already skips the change. Parents welcomed the shift, but some businesses and technology experts warned of scheduling and device problems.
Vancouver Coastal Health says no more rabid skunks have been found in downtown Vancouver after one skunk tested positive on Oct. 21. A small number of exposed people received followup care, and the health authority says the risk of rabies exposure in B.C. remains very low.
The Vancouver Whitecaps beat the Seattle Sounders 5-1 at home, with Brian White scoring twice and reaching 100 goals for the club. Vancouver had already secured the Western Conference's top seed and will open the playoffs at home on Nov. 22.
The Montreal Roses beat the Vancouver Rise 3-0 on Sunday in the opening game of their two-leg Northern Super League semifinal. Elyse Bennett, Marie-Yasmine Alidou and Lisa Pechersky scored for Montreal, and Game 2 is scheduled for next Sunday in Montreal.
Bruno Mars ate multiple times at several Vancouver restaurants during his stay, including five visits to Anh and Chi plus stops at La Casa Gelato and El Guapo. He also gave Anh and Chi and El Guapo staff a dozen concert tickets each.
The Vancouver Canucks lost a Halloween game to the Toronto Maple Leafs, whose lineup included several former Canucks such as Zack MacEwen, Teddy Blueger and Chris Tanev. Vancouver's coach and players cited progress despite another loss, while Leevi Meriläinen made a fourth straight start in goal.
BC Ferries aims to cut fleet underwater noise in Southern Resident orca habitat by 50 per cent by 2036 under a federal conservation agreement, using vessel replacements, modifications and operating changes. The plan was announced after a humpback died from a ferry strike, though the agreement was already in progress.
Metro Vancouver skywatchers can expect several November meteor showers, including the Southern Taurids' fireball peak on Nov. 4-5. Rosanna Tilbrook of the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre calls the Leonids the best, peaking around Nov. 18, with up to 13 meteors hourly before dawn and better views away from city lights.
