British Columbia's top doctor says 47 cases of COVID-19 variants have been identified in the province, including one believed to be linked to Nigeria. Dr. Bonnie Henry says 29 cases are related to a variant first identified in the United Kingdom, 17 are associated with South Africa and the latest one involves a person who travelled to Nigeria and returned to the Interior Health region. Dr. Henry says lab teams in B.C. are working with their counterparts across Canada and internationally to get a better understanding of whether the Nigerian variant that has been identified elsewhere is also ea

The British Columbia government has approved single-use plastics bans in four more communities. Surrey, Nanaimo, Rossland and Esquimalt are the latest municipalities to implement bans based on their particular needs. The province approved similar bylaws in Victoria, Richmond, Saanich, Tofino and Ucluelet last September to prevent waste such as shopping bags and takeout containers from ending up in landfills and the ocean. Environment Minister George Heyman says B.C. continues to work on regulations allowing local governments to place bans on single-use plastics without the need for provincial

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau joined Canada's top doctors in warning that more infectious COVID-19 variants threaten to spark a third wave, even as he announced Canada would receive millions more vaccine doses than previously expected. Trudeau urged the public to refrain from unnecessary travel and gatherings as the long weekend approached, noting a fast-tracked shipment of millions of COVID-19 vaccines in coming months will not be enough to combat worrisome variants that have overtaken other countries. "Nobody wants a third wave to start, particularly not one comprised of new, more communica

The Surrey RCMP Robbery Unit is requesting the public’s assistance with identifying three suspects involved in a series of robberies where high-end gaming consoles were stolen, throughout the Lower Mainland, three of which occurred in Surrey. Surrey RCMP officers have been working with other Lower Mainland police agencies and have identified one of the four suspects. However, efforts to identify the remaining three suspects have been unsuccessful. Photos and descriptions are being released and police are asking for the public’s help to identify the men.All three suspects are described as S

Charges were approved Thursday by the BC Prosecution Service against a Vancouver man following a Vancouver Police sexual assault investigation."Thankfully this woman didn’t sustain any physical injuries from the assault and she was able to call police immediately after the incident occurred," says Constable Tania Visintin, VPD. The female victim had a massage booked at a business near West Broadway Avenue and Macdonald Street on February 10. It is alleged the unlicensed male massage practitioner assaulted her while she was laying on the massage table."We hope this result can bring peace to t

Vancouver Police seized numerous weapons and tactical items from a suite in a building near Yew Street and West 37th Avenue last month following a domestic dispute investigation. "This extensive seizure is concerning," says Constable Tania Visintin, VPD. "These are very dangerous weapons and we are pleased they are off the street and in police custody." Officers responded to a 9-1-1 call about an alleged domestic dispute the morning of January 26. A witness had told police they had heard a man and woman yelling for 45 minutes. When officers arrived on scene to speak to the couple, they observe

Strict new quarantine and testing measures for travellers arriving in Canada will begin Feb. 22. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the new measures are necessary to protect Canadians and help stop the spread of COVID-19, especially new variants. The government had previously announced incoming travellers will have to pay the cost of a 72-hour hotel stay and a COVID-19 test. More details of how that will work and who will be covered will come later today. Trudeau says there will be exceptions for some essential workers but says no one should be travelling for any non-essential reason right no

Homicide detectives confirm they are responding to a deadly attack in a residential area of southeast Burnaby, B.C. The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team says in a social media post that a man was fatally shot just after 10 p.m. Thursday. No other details have been released and police have not said if the case is considered targeted. The shooting occurred near the same Burnaby park where 32-year-old Chris Kenworthy was found dead from gunshot wounds on Feb. 3. Kenworthy's slaying was one of two that occurred within 12 hours in Metro Vancouver, and investigators have said both those attac

Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) spokesperson Rakesh Tikait on Friday said the ongoing farmers' protest will go on for indefinite period as there is no planning regarding the duration yet."Farmers' protest will go on for indefinite period as there is no plan currently. It might continue till October," Tikait told ANI.He said this in response to the statement of Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) leader Gurnam Singh Charni that the farmers' protest will continue till October.Tikait had earlier warned the farmers' agitation will not conclude unless government repeals the three newly enacted agriculture laws a