Global National: Oct. 16, 2022 | Fears of BC and Alberta wildfires grow amid extreme drought

The extreme drought conditions across much of B.C. are leading to a rapid rise in wildfires, according to provincial officials. The B.C. Wildfire Service said that while it’s not unusual to see new fires sparking in October, the rate at which they’re starting this month is far from normal — raising concerns across Alberta as well. Heather Yourex-West reports. With the B.C. municipal elections having just wrapped up, the voters have spoken and they’ve made one thing clear: they want change. Across the province, voters turned up to turn out incumbent leaders. And nowhere was that mood more clear than in Metro Vancouver, where six cities dumped mayors who were sitting in office last term. Catherine Urquhart explains. Alberta is calling with promises of higher wages and a lower cost of living. But Premier Danielle Smith’s comments about unvaccinated Canadians, from a hospital recruitment pitch to an article in a world-renowned publication, have caught the eye of a growing number of