Western Premiers met in Vancouver over the past two days to discuss ways to build future prosperity in Canada’s Western provinces and territories.

Western Premiers acknowledged progress, as directed by Canada’s Premiers last year, on creating a national inventory of firefighting resources and ensuring that training is provided to Canadian Armed Forces personnel in wildfire firefighting techniques.

Western Premiers began their annual meeting in Vancouver with an expression of support for Fort McMurray and other affected northern communities.

The Provincial Health Services Authority and BC Mental Health & Substance Use Services issued a request for qualifications (RFQ) to design and build a new facility to support those living with complex mental health and substance use issues on the Riverview lands.

A total of 644 young British Columbians, who were in government care, found the love and security of a forever home over the past two years, with 2015-16 marking the highest annual adoption count since the Adoptions Act came into effect in 1997.

The Pacific Association of First Nations Women is putting crime prevention dollars to good use to help heal the lives of some of the city’s most vulnerable, abused women.

ACT-Autism Community Training is improving access to information for B.C. families with children with autism spectrum disorder by translating the Parent’s Autism Handbook into Arabic, Chinese, French, Japanese, Korean, Persian (Farsi), Punjabi and Spanish.

Todd Stone, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure, and Peter Fassbender, Minister of Community, Sport, and Cultural Development and Minister Responsible for TransLink, issued the following statement regarding recent meetings with the federal Minister of Infrastructure and Communities:

Thirty-two thousand, six hundred cubic metres of concrete have been poured and 4,600 tonnes of rebar installed at the Teck Acute Care Centre. Health Minister Terry Lake commemorated the occasion with staff, donors and project partners by unveiling a banner signed by young patients from throughout the province.

The Downtown Eastside (DTES) often conjures images of people who are homeless, addicted and suffering from mental-health challenges.