Top headlines from Vancouver and beyond for September 9 2011:

Canadian employers shed 5,500 jobs in August, marking the first downward tick in Canadian employment since March and lifting the national unemployment rate to 7.3%.

According to B.C. Finance Minister Kevin Falcon, the province’s deficit has tripled with the rejection of the HST. Speaking to reporters following the release of his first update of the fiscal year, Falcon said the referendum results have provided government with a mandate to slash spending to balance the books. Unsurprisingly, the government is hesitant to fix the problem by raising tax revenues…

Police have reported a possible sighting of the automobile belonging to Randall Hopley, the lone suspect in the disappearance of 3-year old Kienan Hebert. In Kelowna Thursday night, a tipster phoned in with a partial license plate number for a vehicle matching Hopley’s.

The Whistler Gran Fondo, a 122km bicycle race from Vancouver to Whistler, has attracted 7,000 participants, making it the largest mass cycling event in North America.

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