National

The chief of Victoria's police department supports ending drug decriminalization in British Columbia, but says she doesn't expect to see a spike in arrests once the program ends this month, since it was already wound back 20 months ago.

VICTORIA — A councillor for the British Columbia city of Maple Ridge has been charged with four counts of sexual assault involving at least two people, almost a year after the appointment of a special prosecutor to look into his behaviour.

MUMBAI — British Columbia Premier David Eby said Indian companies and the delegation he is leading in the subcontinent have been holding "extensive discussions" about accessing the province's mining and energy sectors.

OTTAWA — Canada and China released a series of agreements Thursday aimed at boosting bilateral trade and investment — even if there is no resolution yet to the tariff dispute.

HALIFAX — The mother of two Nova Scotia children who were reported missing more than eight months ago alleges in newly unsealed court documents that her common-law partner was sometimes physically abusive during their three-year relationship.

Heavy snow hammered much of southern Ontario and parts of Quebec on Thursday, shuttering schools and causing commuter chaos throughout the day.

OTTAWA — The Federal Court of Appeal has dismissed a City of Ottawa request to overturn a lower court decision about property payments on federally owned buildings.

BEIJING — Canada is entering a "new era of relations" with China and the stage is set for talks on ways the two countries can become "strategic partners," Prime Minister Mark Carney said Thursday.

British Columbia's Forests Ministry has entered into a memorandum of understanding with China on modern wood construction, a development that the province hopes will bolster the provincial lumber sector as it seeks alternatives to the U.S. market.

TORONTO — Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand says a Canadian citizen has died in Iran as anti-government protests continue across the country.