All students from kindergarten to Grade 9 in British Columbia public schools will now be assessed with a proficiency scale instead of letter grades.A statement from the Education Ministry says that starting in the 2023-2024 school year, only students in grades 10, 11 and 12 will receive letter grades and percentages so post-secondary entry requirements are met.About half of B.C.'s students have already been getting the new progress reports in a pilot program through a curriculum modernization plan that started in 2016.The ministry says proficiency scale report cards use terms such as emerging,

The military has released the names of the two Royal Canadian Air Force members who were killed in a helicopter crash in eastern Ontario on Tuesday.Capt. David Domagala and Capt. Marc Larouche were taking part in a nighttime training exercise near Garrison Petawawa when their Chinook helicopter crashed into the Ottawa River.Their families have allowed the military to share their names publicly.Larouche, 53, was originally from Quebec and joined the 450 Tactical Helicopter Squadron in 2019.Domagala, 32, was from Woodstock, Ont., and was posted to the squadron the same year.Two other crew member

Member of Parliament Sukh Dhaliwal says the shooting death of a religious leader in the parking lot of a British Columbia temple has prompted a meeting with Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino and members of the Sikh Liberal caucus.Dhaliwal, who represents the Metro Vancouver riding of Surrey-Newton where the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar took place, posted a statement on Twitter, saying Sikh members of the Liberal caucus met with the minister regarding the tragic incident at Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara.Dhaliwal says the caucus members were assured the federal government is working closely w

A federal bill that will require Google and Meta to pay media outlets for news content that they share or otherwise repurpose on their platforms is set to become law.The Senate has passed the bill in a final vote and it is now awaiting royal assent amid a standoff between the Liberal government and Silicon Valley tech giants.Ottawa, which says the law creates a level playing field between online advertising giants and the shrinking news industry, is now waiting to see if Meta or Google will react by removing journalism from their platforms in Canada.Meta has said it plans to comply with the bi

Surrey RCMP is releasing photos of a fraud suspect and requesting anyone with information contact police.On March 18, 2023, Surrey RCMP received a report that a currency exchange business located in the 8000-block of 128 Street had been defrauded $237,000.Two separate bank drafts were cashed and later determined to be fraudulent.Through investigation it was determined that the person who uttered the fraudulent bank drafts was utilizing another person’s identity.The suspect is described as a South Asian female, 5’7", slim build, with shoulder length dark hair.She spoke Hindi, Punjabi and En

A Quebec based anti-gun unit says 45 people have been arrested and 440 guns have been seized in raids targeting manufacturers of 3D-printed or "ghost" guns across eight provinces.Police carried out 64 raids and seized 440 guns, including 3D-printed handguns, long guns and silencers, as well as other guns and 3D printers.The raids took place in Quebec, Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Manitoba and Saskatchewan, and resulted in 45 arrests.Authorities say they're increasingly concerned about untraceable ghost guns, which are assembled at home or 3D-printed without s

The New York lawyer who says he is both the representative and a friend of the Surrey Sikh leader fatally shot earlier this week, says Hardeep Singh Nijjar knew people wanted him dead.Gurpatwant Singh Pannun says in an email that Nijjar had been warned by Canadian intelligence officials that 'mercenaries' had targeted him for assassination.Pannun says he was told by Nijjar that he, too, was on the hit list because both men were advocating for a separate Sikh state of Khalistan, within India's Punjab region.No arrests have been made since Nijjar was shot and killed on Sunday night as he left th

Two crew members are missing after a CH-147 Chinook helicopter CH of the Canadian Air Force crashed in the Ottawa River.The Air Force is looking for them.According to the Air Force, the incident happened at around 12:10 a.m. local time near the Canadian Army base in eastern Ontario.The Canadian Air Force said the Chinook helicopter was operating near the Ottawa River in Garrison Petawawa.The accident occurred during a training flight.Four crew members were on board the helicopter.Two are admitted to a nearby hospital and 50 members of the Canadian Air Force are searching for the other two.The

Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth says the government has received the report it was waiting for from Surrey officials on the future of policing in the city.That's after Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke announced Friday that a majority on council had reviewed the report and voted to keep the R.C.M.P, reversing the transition to a municipal force that had been initiated by her predecessor.The B.C. government recommended in April that Surrey continue the transition to an independent force and Farnworth set out requirements for safe and effective policing, which the city would need to follow in orde