It will take at least two more years to test the competency of 10,700 crane operators who have applied so far for professional certification in B.C.

OTTAWA -- NASA is funding research on a GPS-type system for the moon so astronauts won't have to stop for directions.

As robots go, Robo-Server is a modest little unit with limited skills and a lot of wires sticking out.

The little red ball is tossed upward and disappears into thin air, defying the laws of nature.

VANCOUVER - Usually, neighbourhoods are happy to get a new library. But a proposal to build a $14.5-million library at Hastings and Heatley has some Strathcona residents outraged because it would involve tearing down historic buildings in the city's oldest neighbourhood.

VANCOUVER - The city's park board has voted unanimously to save all but two of 15 commemorative cherry trees in Oppenheimer Park, reversing an earlier decision to take out 10.

METRO VANCOUVER - Police marine units will be increasing their presence at boat launches around Metro Vancouver during the HSBC Celebration of Light to ensure people heading out on the water stay safe.

A full-patch Hells Angel from Mission is being held in a B.C. jail for at least a week after being arrested on U.S. drug importation and money laundering charges.

The legal community continues to struggle to keep women in its ranks, a recent report from the Law Society of Upper Canada suggests, in spite of much discussion and the arrival of job flexibility and mentoring programs.

METRO VANCOUVER - Metro Vancouver plans to start surveying residents today about their drinking water habits as part of a bid to cut the use of bottled water by 20 per cent within two years.

EAST KOOTENAYS - A fire that grew from half of a hectare to 300 hectares in one day shut down Highway 93 on Tuesday afternoon. The Lakit Mountain fire, discovered at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, is burning about 20 km northeast of Cranbrook, said fire information officer Adam Brayford.

NORTH VANCOUVER - The family of a North Vancouver businessman imprisoned in Mexico is pleading with the Canadian government to intervene on his behalf and bring him home.

METRO VANCOUVER - A Richmond RCMP officer cleared Monday of one accusation of theft still faces another. Const. Khomphet (Kam) Khamphoune was cleared by Judge Ron Fratkin, who raised concerns about the way Richmond RCMP had conducted the investigation. "I certainly hope. . . this wasn't a show trial," Fratkin said.

METRO VANCOUVER - Lougheed Highway will be closed between 12:30 and 4:30 a.m. on July 28, 29 and 30 due to the construction of a new overpass east of Meadowtown Centre in Pitt Meadows.

CALGARY -- Albertans say Premier Ed Stelmach and his ministers are making too much money in the wake of recent lofty pay hikes, but they're less aghast at the salaries of backbench MLAs, a new poll shows.

LAKE LOUISE -- Often considered the most scenic drive in Canada, Highway 93 -- the Icefields Parkway -- between Lake Louise and Jasper National Park is proving to be dangerous, say police, who conducted a three-day speed and motorcycle safety initiative on the weekend.

RICHMOND - An RCMP officer accused of theft has been cleared. Judge Ron Fratkin has dismissed charges of theft against Const. Khomphet (Kam) Khamphoune. In doing so, Fratkin raised questions about the way Khamphoune's colleagues had conducted their investigation.

Global warming may indeed produce some unexpected impacts in the future. A new study detailed last week in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (U.S.) warns that as many as 2.3 million more people may develop kidney stones - mineral deposits in their kidneys - by the year 2050 as the result of a warming world. According to the study, more people will be at greater risk of dehydration ...

The Vancouver Sun's daily feature from all-traffic station AM730 to help readers with their commuting. Look to this space each day to find information on major road closures and continuing construction to avoid:

If you are of first nations ancestry, share your family's journey over the last 150 years. Did your family travel or stay in one area? What types of traditions and legends, wisdom from family elders or languages still spoken have been passed down through this time?