I did what Elicia L. suggested and researched brown recluse spiders. I could't find any reputable source that states these spiders are in BC.
However, within the top Google search results, I found an interesting article from an expert at the Royal BC Museum. Dr Bennett writes, "Over the last 20 or 30 years a large number of peer-reviewed articles published in professional medical journals, ranging from Canadian Family Physician to Lancet and the New England Journal of Medicine, have completely debunked the popular mythology surrounding brown recluse spiders and their bites..."
Before criticizing Castanet for inaccurate reporting please get your facts straight.
Troy LaPlante