B.C.

CHILLIWACK, B.C. – B.C. Conservative byelection candidate John Martin has jumped ship to the provincial Liberal party, saying it’s the only free enterprise party able to beat the NDP in the next election.

VANCOUVER – Policies and procedures are one thing, but Insp. Carol Bradley admits cultural change within the RCMP will take time.

VANCOUVER – The chief of staff for B.C. Premier Christy Clark has resigned over what is being described as an “incident of concern.”

VICTORIA – Mayors and councillors from across British Columbia are launching the annual Union of B.C. Municipalities convention by crowding into a debate calling for the decriminalization of marijuana.

VANCOUVER – Vancouver Police hope a suspect in the recent theft of a set of bagpipes will eventually face the music, but they admit they’re still looking for the music.

VICTORIA – A 35-year-old fuel truck driver who crashed his rig on the Malahat Highway north of Victoria last year has been given a conditional sentence for dangerous driving.

VANCOUVER – Shareholders of Western Wind Energy Corp. (TSX:WND) have rejected a dissident slate of nominees to its board, based on preliminary voting results. The company, embroiled in a fight with Savitr Capital, said Tuesday that the management slate of nominees have garnered 74 per cent of the proxy votes ahead of the annual meeting.

VANCOUVER – British Columbia is preparing for a possible increase in debris from the Japanese tsunami as winter storms begin to batter the coast.

VICTORIA – Premier Christy Clark says she wants to ensure innocent people involved in the inappropriate incident that led to the departure of her chief adviser are not hurt.

VANCOUVER – The judge leading the inquiry into the collapse of the 2009 sockeye salmon run on British Columbia’s Fraser River has been given another extension to submit his final report.

VANCOUVER – One of the most powerful foes of the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline through northern British Columbia is not a lawyer or a conservation group or any of the many First Nations who have lined up against the project.

VANCOUVER – A member of the Vancouver Canucks and his wife have donated $100,000 towards the construction of a new house to accommodate the families of children seeking medical treatment.

VANCOUVER – British Columbia birds outfitted with tiny backpacks have shown researchers that birds of a feather do not always flock together.

VANCOUVER – Alexco Resource Corp. (TSX:AXR) has completed the sale of its interest in the Brewery Creek property in Yukon Territory, under a follow-on agreement reached in February with Golden Predator Corp. (TSX:GPD) .

VANCOUVER – Eye drug developer QLT Inc. (TSX:QLT) said Thursday it plans to buy back up to 3.4 million of its shares over the next year as the first step in a plan to return $100 million in shareholders.

VICTORIA – NDP Leader Adrian Dix says if he’s elected premier, he’ll consider getting rid of British Columbia’s balanced budget legislation.

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. – Nothing short of a downpour between now and Sunday will keep Fort St. John, B.C., from reaching some dubious records.

VICTORIA – Premier Christy Clark is expected to tell B.C.’s municipal leaders where she plans to take the province in the months leading up to May’s election.

VANCOUVER – A union representing thousands of British Columbia government workers has reached a tentative agreement.

BURNS LAKE, B.C. – The northern B.C. First Nations community at the centre of a controversy over abuse allegations against former Olympic chief John Furlong says the RCMP must look into the matter.

VANCOUVER – British-born activist Don Staniford has won a major victory against the global salmon-farming industry, the third time he’s faced legal action over his campaigns.