B.C. animal stories that lightened our mood in 2021
CBC
In a year shadowed by the ongoing pandemic and extreme natural disasters, it's been increasingly hard to find light-hearted headlines.
But in 2021, animals helped on that front — with stories that put a smile on our faces during a hard year.
Here's a roundup of the moments this year when animals made headlines and lightened our mood:
We start off with something completely out of left field involving a northern B.C. farmer who found a lynx in his chicken coop in February.
Instead of yelling at the wild animal, Chris Paulson grabbed the lynx by the scruff of its neck, scooped it from the coop and gave it a gentle scolding.
"He just looked ... a bit like [a kid] with its hand in the chocolate chip bag," Paulson told CBC News from his home near Decker Lake, west of Prince George.
"So I kind of gave him a little lecture and and then told him he shouldn't come back."
WATCH | Farmer Chris Paulson carries lynx back to the coop to survey the damage:
Speaking of unexpected animal encounters, a Quesnel, B.C. woman had the surprise of her life when she was sitting on her porch during a November evening and looked up to see a bear right in front of her.
"It came right up to me, right in front of me. And then it came around the right side and literally licked my hand," Melanie Porter said.
When Porter pulled her arm back, she said the bear was startled and and went on its hind legs. At that moment, she was able to take a video of the bear just inches away from her.
"I was like, 'nobody's going to believe this.' So I had to take a picture."
WATCH | A bear approaches and licks a woman on the hand in Quesnel, B.C.:
Talk about animals acting weirdly — a young male deer targeted a Rudolph-themed decoration in Fort Nelson, B.C., this holiday season — head-butting and stomping the living daylights out of what he thinks is a rival buck competing for the attention of female deer.
Snow and freezing rain could affect morning commutes on Tuesday, according to a special weather statement issued by Environment Canada.
Daniel Jolivet, 68, had his first taste of freedom this weekend after spending the last 33 years behind bars.
Peguis First Nation is suing former chief Glenn Hudson over allegations he failed to act in the best interest of the band and financially benefitted from breaches of duty — including claims that he enriched himself, his family and supporters.
The Saskatchewan NDP's pace in 2025 has been frenetic.
If you’re ever walking down this east Hamilton neighbourhood during the holiday season, there’s a festive house that just might grab your attention.
It was just a few months ago that U.S. President Donald Trump told the world he doesn’t want Canadian cars.
Flu cases across Canada are on the rise and may push hospitals to their limits over the holidays and into the new year, leading health officials in regions across the country to warn people not to visit emergency rooms unless it's absolutely necessary.
More than 30 years after Canada's military allowed women to serve in combat roles, it's now specifically designing uniforms and body armour to fit their bodies.
The holiday season has arrived in Thunder Bay, and that means reduced hours, or closures, for businesses, city offices, and other amenities.
As Toronto’s food scene continues to grow, some in the industry say the pool of professional chefs hasn’t kept up with demand.
Police have charged a truck driver from the Hamilton area in a hit-and-run crash that killed a tow truck operator who had been stopped while helping a driver on the side of Highway 401 outside Woodstock, Ont.
Power has been restored to most of Haines Junction after a problem earlier on Monday at the local generating station.
A 56-year-old man will return to court on Tuesday for a charge of second-degree murder, laid in a case London police have called an act of femicide.