A Fraser Valley resident is among the Metis and Inuit Canadians who met with Pope Francis at the Vatican today. Pixie Wells, from the Abbotsford area, says it was a proud moment to be a two-spirit person in the room with the pope. Wells says First Nations are bringing back the cultural importance of two-spirit individuals as leaders and healers, an importance that was lost during colonization and more than a century of forced residential schools. During today's meetings, the pope did not offer an apology for the Catholic Church's role in residential schools but more meetings are slated with t

Vancouver police say they tracked and arrested a suspect within 40 minutes of a violent assault in downtown Vancouver. A statement from police says yesterday's assault, the latest stranger attack in the city, briefly knocked out the 18-year-old victim as she walked through the downtown core around noon. Passers-by, including a doctor, helped the injured exchange student who was taken to hospital as a precaution, while officers canvassed businesses for video that could identify the suspect. Using those details, police say a 26-year-old Coquitlam man wanted on a Mental Health Act warrant was sp

The Liberal government is entering into final negotiations on purchasing the F-35 fighter jet. Procurement Minister Filomena Tassi and Defence Minister Anita Anand are announcing the decision at a news conference this afternoon. The move doesn't mean a deal to purchase the stealth fighter from U.S. defence giant Lockheed Martin is officially done. The government still has the option to begin talks with Saab about its Gripen fighter should negotiations with Lockheed Martin stall. Canada plans to buy 88 new fighter jets to replace its CF-18s, budgeting up to $19 billion for the purchase. The go

Actress Jada Pinkett Smith's hair loss is at the center of the most talked-about moment at Sunday's Oscars ceremony. Smith disclosed four years ago that she has alopecia and it's the reason she has shaved her head or worn turbans in public. The autoimmune disease attacks hair follicles. It's unclear if comedian Chris Rock knew about it when he joked about her baldness during the ceremony. But his comment prompted a smack and profane admonishment from Smith's husband, actor Will Smith. The National Institutes of Health says alopecia affects all racial groups, men and women equally. There is no

Brampton, Ontario Fire Chief Bill Boyes says firefighters' hearts are breaking after battling an early morning house fire that killed three children and two adults and sent a third adult to hospital in critical condition.The children are believed to have been six, eight and 11-years-old, and the two adults who died are believed to be theirparents.Two children were pronounced dead at a local hospital, while the third was pronounced dead at the scene.

RCMP say they are investigating a fire at a Walmart store in Surrey this week as a case of arson. Police tell CTV that they received a report on Wednesday night that a man in the store lit something on fire before running away. Walmart Canada says the upper floor of the store has been closed for cleanup and repairs and many items will likely need to be destroyed. It says no customers or staff were hurt but setting a fire while the store was open with people inside is ``shocking, dangerous and shameful.''

B.C. is reporting 218 new cases of COVID-19, for a total of 355,092 cases in the province.There are 260 individuals hospitalized with COVID-19 and 50 are in intensive care.In the past 24 hours, two new deaths have been reported, for an overall total of 2,983.There have been three new health-care facility outbreaks at Amica Douglas House, Acacia Ty Mawr and Sunridge Place Seniors (Island Health), for a total of seven facilities with ongoing outbreaks. From March 17-23, people not fully vaccinated accounted for 15.8% of cases.From March 10-23, they accounted for 26.2% of hospitalizations.Past we

Surrey RCMP is advising the public that a deceased man was located in Newton this morning and the investigation has now been turned over to the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT). On March 25, 2022 at approximately 7:45 a.m., Surrey RCMP responded to a report of a person sleeping in an alleyway in the 13000-block of 64 Avenue. Upon the arrival of first responders, it was determined the male was deceased. Surrey RCMP General Investigation Unit attended the location and in consultation with the on scene coroner from the BC Coroners Service, determined the circumstances of the death we

A second man accused in the fatal stabbing of a popular Calgary chef has testified there was never any plan to harm the victim. Tommie Holloway has testified that he and Anthony Dodgson wanted toget into the chef's new restaurant to rob an adjacent cannabis shop. The pair have pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder in the death of Christophe Herblin on March 14th, 2020. Herblin's new restaurant was weeks away from opening and he was stabbed in its parking lot after a report of a break-in. Dodgson is accused of stabbing Herblin, while the Crown alleges Holloway smashed the chef's car windo