There will be an empty seat — British Columbia's — when premiers from across the country gather in Edmonton starting today.
Premier-designate John Horgan will be too busy being sworn in Tuesday as B.C.'s 36th premier.
That doesn't mean Horgan couldn't have been at the three-day gathering. The B.C. NDP argue the swearing-in is scheduled for Tuesday because the transition has taken time, and the government is moving as quickly as possible while trying to avoid making any mistakes.
An evacuation order has been issued for Williams Lake, B.C., and the surrounding areas due to the threat of wildfire.
Roughly 12,000 people live in the city, while another 12,000 live in the surrounding areas.
"We're a little anxious at the moment. I'll tell you that," said Sue LaChance, one of thousands of residents driving south out of the city. A wildfire near the city has blocked the highway heading north.
Tom Choy
Softball City, British Columbia
Fresh from their upset victory over 4th World ranked Australia in the World Cup of Softball in Oklahoma, USA, the Blu Girls beats 3rd ranked Canada in the Canada Cup in Surrey, British Columbia. The score was 6-2, Blu Girls over Canada.
With gusty winds in the weather forecast, the weekend could be a tough one for fire crews battling the many wildfires burning across B.C.'s Interior.
Although Friday saw new evacuation alerts and a new evacuation order, officials in British Columbia's Cariboo region savoured a relatively calm day.
"Mother Nature cooperated again and the firefighters were able to get some work done," Cariboo Regional District chair Al Richmond said. "The wind is potentially a concern."
Some smaller communities in B.C. are claiming they are the "forgotten towns" of the wildfires because road closures are cutting off valuable supplies.
According to the latest highway closures, supply trucks aren't able to access cities like Horsefly, B.C., northeast of Williams Lake.
Local rancher Santino Marazzo says a number of evacuees are visiting from other communities such as 100 Mile House, Williams Lake and Miocene.
The wildfires in the B.C. Interior that have forced some sawmills to halt operations have resulted in a boost in lumber prices at a time when forestry companies have been squeezed by softwood duties on exports to the U.S.
By Wednesday, the benchmark price of Western spruce-pine-fir lumber had risen by 5.5 per cent to $400 US per thousand board feet from $379 US last Friday, according to figures from Random Lengths, which tracks lumber and panel prices.
RCMP say the unintended victim of yesterday's shooting in the Newton area of Surrey is a 64-year-old woman.
Cpl. Scotty Schumann with Surrey RCMP says the woman is in town from Ontario to visit family.
"Certainly, it does strike a chord with officers because an innocent person was involved," Schumann said.
