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B.C. election at a glance: NDP talks nursing ratios, Conservatives tout Surrey plan
B.C. election at a glance: Nursing, Surrey, arts
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
The British Columbia election campaign is in its closing stages, with advance voting wrapping up ahead of final voting day on Saturday.
Here are some of the latest developments on the campaign trail.
ADVANCE VOTING DROPS SHARPLY
Six days of advance voting have ended, with Elections BC data showing numbers are down more than 11 per cent compared to 2024, bucking a two-decade upward trend.
There were 891,348 advance votes cast from Friday to Wednesday, representing about 24 per cent of all registered voters.
That compares to more than one million advance votes cast in 2024, when numbers spiked 49 per cent over the previous election.
This year's advance voting period overlapped with the municipal election that had its final voting day last Saturday.
EBY AND DOERKSON FOCUS ON SURREY
Interim B.C. Conservative leader Lorne Doerkson has unveiled what he calls the "Surrey success plan" for B.C.'s second-largest city.
Both Doerkson and NDP leader Eby have been concentrating on vote-rich Surrey in the final week of the campaign.
Doerkson says his party's plan has three pillars, health care, transit and transportation.
Both parties have pledged new hospitals and to extend the SkyTrain to Surrey's Newton neighbourhood, but differ on how to handle traffic problems, with the Conservatoves vowing to scrap an upgrade of the Massey tunnel in favour of a 10-lane bridge.
Doerkson is scheduled to hold a rally in the city that has 10 ridings later Thursday, while Eby was in Surrey on Wednesday and held a rally near city hall that drew hundreds of supporters.
The NDP leader, campaigning in Vancouver on Thursday, called Surrey "a vitally important city in the province."
NDP VOWS TO PUT NURSE-PATIENT RATIOS INTO LAW
Eby says the NDP would put minimum nurse-to-patient ratios into law.
He says in a campaign stop outside Vancouver General Hospital, where he was surrounded by nurses and other health care workers that establishing the ratios is "technical work" and they will vary depending on what type of care is being provided.
Eby says that work is already underway, and putting the ratios into legislation will ensure "nurses are not diverted to other purposes."
The NDP says in a statement that Eby has committed to adding 1,000 training places for nurses, nurse practitioners, allied health workers and care aides.
GREENS ROLL OUT RED CARPET FOR THE ARTS
The BC Greens have announced the party's plan to support the arts, from the movie industry to local performing spaces.
Leader Emily Lowan says the party would make it easier to film, perform and create in B.C.
She says underinvestment in the arts and the "cost-of-living crisis" have meant the closure of community arts spaces and put "downward pressure" on artists who make the province vibrant.
The party says it will make B.C. the easiest place in North America for film permitting, bring in simpler zoning and lower fees for smaller venues booking local artists, and increase the BC Arts Council budget by more than 50 per cent to $65 million.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 22, 2026.
By Canadian Press Staff | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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Vancouver approves non-binding drug plebiscites that mayor-elect Pete Fry disavowed
Vancouver approves drug plebiscites
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ethan Cairns
Voters in Vancouver have voted by about two-thirds in favour of two plebiscite questions proposed by the city's outgoing mayor on drug use, despite ejecting him from office in the same election.
The City of Vancouver says about 137,000 people voted in favour of stronger laws on open-air hard-drug use, and about 136,000 voted for the city to ask the province to provide "100-plus" involuntary care beds in the city.
But the plebiscite questions were non-binding and mayor-elect Pete Fry said during the campaign that he did not think that putting them on the ballot was necessary, criticizing the questions as cynical and lacking details.
Fry has said he supports managing drug use in public spaces, but differs from outgoing Mayor Ken Sim in believing people should be diverted to supervised consumption sites or shelters.
Sim had said a "yes" vote would have given the city a stronger mandate to deal with drug use in Vancouver.
Fry convincingly defeated Sim in the Oct. 17 vote, which also saw progressive parties sweep Sim's ABC party out of all but one council seat.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 22, 2026.
Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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University of Toronto isn't the top school in Canada's best universities ranking for 2027
You might not expect some of the universities that are on this list.
A new ranking of the best universities in Canada for 2027 is out, and the top school isn't the University of Toronto.
Ontario post-secondary schools, including a few you might not expect, dominated the list but didn't get the number one spot.
Maclean's recently published the 2027 University Rankings for post-secondary schools in Canada.
It includes lists of the best large, mid-size and small universities, along with rankings based on student awards, graduation rates, faculty awards, scholarships, research, student services, reputation and other criteria.
There are 15 post-secondary schools ranked on Maclean's list of the top large universities. The Canadian universities must have more than 30,000 students and offer a wide range of programs at both the undergraduate and graduate level.
In the ranking of Canada's best large universities for 2027, the top school is McGill University.
Maclean's said that McGill has more Rhodes Scholars and Nobel Prize laureates than any other university in Canada. Its standout programs are Population and Global Health, Education in Global Contexts, and Food Science and Agricultural Chemistry.
Then, the University of Toronto is second, and the University of British Columbia is third.
University of Toronto is "in a class of its own," according to Maclean's, because it has more than 16,500 faculty, over 700 undergraduate programs and more than 102,000 students across three campuses. The standout programs are AI Engineering, Game Studies, and Management Co-op.
Maclean's said the University of British Columbia has an international reputation for research and graduate programs. The university's standout programs are Management, Indigenous Land Stewardship, and Freshwater Science.
Those schools are Canada's big three in university rankings, but the University of Toronto is typically the number one school in Canada, so you might not have expected McGill to take the top spot.
After the top three, the University of Waterloo is fourth, and Queen's University is fifth.
Then, the University of Alberta and McMaster University are tied for sixth, the University of Ottawa is eighth, the University of Calgary is ninth, and Western University is 10th, according to Maclean's.
Université Laval is 11th, Université de Montréal is 12th, York University is 13th, Toronto Metropolitan University is 14th, and Concordia University is 15th in this ranking of Canada's top universities.
Ontario is the most represented province, with eight schools in the province ranked in the top 15, compared to four in Quebec, two in Alberta and one in B.C.
READ NEXT: Canada's top schools fell in this best universities ranking but others aren't close to U of T
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8 activités qui vont t'en faire voir de toutes les couleurs ce week-end à Montréal
Pour démarrer le mois d'août en grand!
C'est le premier week-end du mois d'août et il te reste encore bien du temps pour profiter au max de l'été dans la métropole. Tu pourras donc encore faire le plein de festivals, de street food, de vues incroyables et de soirées qui n'en finissent plus.
Au programme pour ces trois jours de congé, faire une saucette à la piscine, découvrir un resto aux allures de la Californie, faire un tour au cinéma, faire la fête dans le Village et bien sûr, manger, manger, manger! Parce que Montréal est définitivement le meilleur endroit pour les foodies invétéré.es. Attention, car les prochaines semaines s'annoncent autant festives!
Participer au défilé du festival Fierté Montréal
Coût : gratuit
Quand : dimanche 7 août à 13 h
Adresse : rue Renée-Lévesque (Le Village) Montréal, QC
Pourquoi tu dois y aller : Viens célébrer les communautés 2SLGBTQI+ lors de la parade hyper colorée du festival Fierté Montréal. Sors tes plus beaux atours funky et va danser dans les rues du Village.
Accessibilité : Accessible aux fauteuils roulants et aux poussettes.
Site Web
Se bourrer la panse au Shack Attakk
Prix : 💸💸
Type de bouffe : casse-croûte, californien
Adresse : 2500, rue Beaubien E., Montréal, QC
Pourquoi tu dois y aller : Si tu rêves de la Californie, ce restaurant du quartier Rosemont devrait te faire de l'oeil. En plus de la décoration qui te plonge directement dans une beach house de Malibu, tu pourras y retrouver un menu hyper varié et hautement cochon. Ça vaut le détour!
Accessibilité : Accessible aux fauteuils roulants et aux poussettes.
Site Web
Voir un bon film au Cinéma Moderne
Coût : 15 $ pour l'admission générale
Adresse : 5150, boul. St-Laurent, Montréal, QC
Pourquoi y aller : Pour passer une soirée collé-collé avec ta personne préférée ou faire le plein de culture, direction le Cinéma Moderne, un établissement unique en son genre à Montréal. Ce cinoche du Plateau propose des films documentaires et des fictions internationales qui ont fait les palmarès de nombreux festivals. En plus du décor intime, tu peux y consommer de l'alcool durant la présentation puisqu'un bar se trouve sur les lieux.
Accessibilité : Accessible aux fauteuils roulants et aux poussettes.
Site Web
Faire un tour à l'événement culinaire les Premiers Vendredis
Coût : varié
Quand : du 5 au 7 août 2022
Adresse : Quai de l'Horloge, Montréal, QC
Pourquoi tu dois y aller : Pour cette édition spéciale du mois d'août, les Premiers Vendredis auront lieu au Vieux-Port de Montréal et se tiendront sur trois jours! Ainsi tu n'auras aucune raison de ne pas profiter de la bonne ambiance et du meilleur du street food de la métropole. Mets ça à ton agenda.
Accessibilité : Accessible aux fauteuils roulants et aux poussettes.
Site Web
Prendre un verre avec une vue sur la ville
Coût : 💸💸
Adresse : 55, rue Saint-Jacques 8e étage, Montréal, QC
Pourquoi tu dois y aller : L'été, rien de plus agréable que de prendre un verre sur une terrasse. Encore mieux lorsque celle-ci offre l'une des plus belles vues en ville. Cocktails, plats à partager et repas décadents : le menu de la Terrasse Place d'Armes est à faire saliver et l'horizon à couper le souffle. Ça promet une soirée que tu ne risques pas d'oublier.
Accessibilité : Accessible aux fauteuils roulants et aux poussettes.
Site Web
Faire du lèche-vitrine à la Grande Fabrique de Montréal
Quand : Les samedi 6 et dimanche 7 août
Adresse : rue Sainte-Catherine E., à l’est de l'avenue Bourbonnière, Montréal, QC
Pourquoi tu dois y aller : Un énorme marché extérieur prendra place sur la rue Sainte-Catherine ce week-end. Artisan.es, marchand.es, restaurateur.trices seront de la partie pour te proposer leurs spécialités et créations. Ça promet d'être un lèche-vitrine qui sort de l'ordinaire.
Accessibilité : Accessible aux fauteuils roulants et aux poussettes, site extérieur.
Site Web
Boire une bonne bière fruitée et rafraichissante
Prix : 💸💸
Type de bouffe : pub
Adresse : 380, rue Saint-Paul E, Montréal, QC
Pourquoi tu dois y aller : Tu ne sais pas si tu as plus envie d'une bière ou d'un cocktail? Le pub BreWskey dans le Vieux-Port t'offre un mélange des deux avec ces bières mousseuses aux fruits. Tu pourras goûter à une bière coco-framboise ou même à une stout crème à la glacée chocolat vanille.
Accessibilité : Accessible aux fauteuils roulants et aux poussettes.
Menu
Faire un pique-nique au Canal Lachine
Coût : gratuit
Adresse : Canal Lachine, Montréal, QC
Pourquoi tu dois y aller : Pour un joli panorama de la ville et un pique-nique instagrammable à souhait, tu dois te rendre sur les berges du canal de Lachine dans le quartier Sud-Ouest à Montréal. Tu peux faire tes emplettes au marché Atwater, aller te chercher des bières à la succursale de Tite Frette à quelques pas de là avant de t'étendre sur ta couverture dans l'herbe.
Accessibilité : Accessible aux fauteuils roulants et aux poussettes.