British Columbia’s September Snapshot: From Environmental Challenges to Economic Growth

10 September 2025 Environmental Issues

Environmental and Safety Challenges

British Columbia is currently dealing with wildfire challenges, with a recent incident behind the Lavington Canco gas station being one of nearly 150 wildfires burning across the province. The fire, suspected to be caused by human activity. The District of Coldstream issued evacuation orders and alerts, with residents in affected areas being advised to prepare for immediate departure. The Noble Canyon and Becker Lake areas are particularly affected, with the fire covering 66 hectares.

Healthcare and Education Expansion

Significant developments in healthcare education have emerged with the University of British Columbia (UBC) partnering with the University of Victoria (UVic) to expand two allied health profession programs – a master of physical therapy and a master of science in speech-language pathology – to Vancouver Island. In healthcare leadership, Dr. Roger Wong has taken the position of Vice President of Medicine and Academic Affairs at Vancouver Coastal Health as of September 1, 2025.

Economic and Infrastructure Development

Transportation infrastructure is expanding with Harbour Air announcing an enhanced network for 2025-2026, featuring 200 daily flights across 15 destinations. The expansion includes new winter service from Vancouver to Tofino and enhanced cross-border options ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026™. Additionally, digital infrastructure is improving as more than 400 households will soon have better access to high-speed internet across 11 rural Vancouver Island, northern and central coast communities.

Housing and Community Development

Prince George has shown remarkable progress in addressing housing needs, achieving 104% of its Year One Provincial Housing Target Order Goal. The city completed 284 units against a target of 273 net new housing units from August 2024 to July 2025. Looking ahead to 2026, the provincial government has announced that the maximum allowable rent increase will be 2.3%, maintaining its policy of tying the annual rent increase limit to inflation.