Fresh news from British Columbia: Burnaby has been named Canada’s fittest city, the labour market showed solid growth in May despite global challenges, and a Vancouver resident faces 21 charges after an arsenal and drugs were found in his home.
The fitness city: who beat Vancouver for healthiest residents
When it comes to healthy living in Canada, many immediately think of Vancouver — a city where jogging along the seawall and sunset yoga have become almost a religion. However, a recent study by MedExpress upends that perception. Analysts examined eight key health indicators across Canada’s largest cities and reached an unexpected conclusion: the fittest city in the country is Burnaby, not its better-known neighbour. Vancouver, despite record marathons and an active fitness community, ranked only fifth.
Researchers used an unusual approach, relying on Yelp and Google Trends data. They counted the number of gyms, yoga and pilates studios per 100,000 residents to assess “access to exercise.” “Access to healthy food” was measured separately by the number of health-food stores, juice and smoothie bars. “Fitness engagement” was defined by the total number of Yelp reviews in those categories and the frequency of searches like “gym near me” or “healthy restaurants near me” on Google. This comprehensive analysis revealed the true leader.
Burnaby outperformed competitors across the main categories. The city has 121.2 gyms per 100,000 people — the highest rate in the country. It also has the most yoga studios: 101.2 per 100,000 residents. Additionally, Burnaby leads in access to healthy food, offering the largest number of health-food markets and fresh bars. As MedExpress notes, “British Columbia dominates the top of the list.” Indeed, four of the top five spots are cities in the province: Richmond is second, Coquitlam fourth, and only Vancouver sits fifth.
Interestingly, Vancouver shows the highest demand for fitness — more than 41,000 gym-related searches per 100,000 residents per year. However, that demand is met with a significant supply shortfall. The city has only 34 gyms per 100,000 people — 87 fewer than Burnaby. This “gap between demand and access” is, analysts say, the main reason Vancouver’s ranking is not higher. At the same time, Vancouver leads in searches for healthy restaurants, indicating strong interest in proper nutrition among residents, though perhaps not its accessibility.
Previously, as reported by Daily Hive, Richmond was recognized as the most active place in British Columbia by Participation, an organization that measures physical activity in communities. Now Burnaby has overtaken it in the national ranking. Other provincial cities on the list include Abbotsford (23rd), Surrey (25th), Kelowna (26th), Saanich (27th) and Langley (29th). These results show that all of British Columbia—not just its biggest city—is a true epicentre of fitness culture in Canada, where even smaller cities boast impressive numbers.
British Columbia labour market: May 2026 showed solid growth despite global headwinds
Still, Canada’s current economic picture is not without paradoxes. Official labour market data for British Columbia in May show an impressive increase of 25,200 new jobs, which would normally be cause for celebration. But that joy is tempered by concern, as these gains come amid highly unstable geopolitical conditions, the imposition of tariffs by former U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration, and the ongoing conflict in Iran, which, the minister says, raises costs and creates uncertainty.
In this context, the official statement by Minister of Jobs and Economic Growth Ravi Kahlon, published on the BC Gov News site, sounds particularly upbeat. According to Statistics Canada, May marked the third consecutive month of growth in key sectors such as construction and manufacturing — nearly 19,000 jobs were created in those sectors over three months. It seems the province’s building boom continues to gather pace: Kahlon links this to record activity in rental housing, noting that starts in 2025 tripled compared to 2015.
The minister also pointed out that investor confidence remains strong, evidenced by $88 billion in proposals for major projects that, in his view, will create tens of thousands of well-paid jobs over the next three years. The private sector also recorded significant gains: the second-largest increase in Canada for May — plus 14,800 positions. Notably, with preparations for the FIFA World Cup 2026 and the Web Summit in Vancouver, the accommodation and food services sector added 5,700 new jobs in a month, and 17,400 jobs year-over-year. Logistics responded as well: 10,200 new employees in transportation and warehousing indicate rising trade activity and the importance of supply chains.
Average hourly wages in the province remain the highest among all provinces at $38.65. At the same time, the official says British Columbia is leading in rental decline, showing the largest drop among all regions. The government is betting on the “Look West strategy,” aimed at expanding trade links and retraining the workforce. Investments in skills training are doubling — to $241 million — to train youth and workers in in-demand trades, including funding up to 5,000 seats in trade schools. The historic Canada-Germany agreement on liquefied natural gas supplies from British Columbia was also highlighted, which is said to bolster the province’s global credibility.
Finally, the 2026 World Cup, kicking off this month, is expected to contribute roughly $1 billion to the province’s GDP during the tournament and over the following five years. It is estimated that Vancouver International Airport will handle 2.7 million passengers from June 8 to July 12, which is 5–10% more than last year. Authorities are also setting up a “British Columbia Business House” to connect local industries with investors. According to the minister, the province intends to use the event as a springboard to showcase its capabilities, maintaining optimism despite stormy conditions in the global economy.
Vancouver man faces 21 charges after arsenal and drugs found
A high-profile case is unfolding in British Columbia that began with routine work by Canada Border Services officers and led to the discovery of a real arsenal in a residential home. Dylan James Kennedy, a provincial resident, now faces 21 charges related to illegal weapons and drugs. According to information released by the Canada Border Services Agency, the incident stems from an operation carried out in August of last year.
It all began with an investigation by border service agents. In August 2024, together with the Vancouver Police, they searched a home in the city. The results were shocking: six firearms were found inside. Among the items, as Castanet reports, were three 3D-printed pistols — weapons that are becoming increasingly popular in criminal circles because they can be made without a serial number. Also found was a semi-automatic rifle, a substantial number of firearm replicas, ammunition and various barrel parts.
But the case was not limited to an arsenal. During the search, police uncovered a significant stock of illicit substances, including cocaine, ketamine, amphetamines and ecstasy. This greatly compounded the accused’s situation: in addition to charges for careless storage of weapons and possession of unregistered and prohibited firearms, Kennedy faces offences related to possession of drugs for the purpose of trafficking.
The accused appeared in Vancouver court on April 7 of this year. Despite the severity of the charges, he was released on bail pending trial. It is important to note that formal charges were laid on March 31. The case sheds light on modern trends in illegal weapons: the use of 3D printing to create plastic pistols that are difficult to detect with traditional metal detectors. The semi-automatic rifle points to access to more powerful, longer-range weaponry. The combination of findings — weapons, components and drugs — paints a picture of not just a single law violation but likely more serious criminal activity, possibly connected to illegal trafficking or attempted distribution. The court will determine Kennedy’s degree of guilt and hand down a sentence on this extensive list of charges.
