Seven BC mayors have added their support for Vancouver's application to decriminalize small amounts of illicit drugs. They say it's time Ottawa stepped up. The mayors say the ongoing opioid crisis also has harsh effects in their cities and decriminalization could encourage users to seek help. Vancouver has applied to Health Canada for decriminalization of simple possession of 15 different drugs, and has the support of a broad coalition, including Vancouver police, the province, chief coroner and provincial health officer. The mayors of Victoria, Nanaimo, Saanich, Kamloops, New Westminster, Bu

Vancouver Police are investigating after firearms were located during an inspection of an unlicensed marijuana store by the Province’s Community Safety Unit (CSU). "The Community Safety Unit has the authority to enter premises where cannabis is being sold without a provincial retail store licence and take enforcement action, including seizing cannabis," says Constable Tania Visintin, VPD. "Legislation states that a seller must be licensed by the provincial government and that product for sale must be sourced through the provincial government to ensure the safety of the product, and ultimatel

RCMP in Shawnigan Lake are investigating a fire that claimed a young woman's life in Mill Bay. Police say officers responded to the early-morning blaze yesterday after a report by the Malahat Nation. The residence was completely engulfed and four people who were outside were taken to hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. But an 18 year old woman who alerted others to the fire did not make it out of the house, and firefighters found her body inside after extinguishing the blaze.

The G-7 summit is now underway in Cornwall, England, with leaders expressing hope to end the COVID-19 pandemic by next year. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson this morning. The UK is expecting leaders to agree to give poorer countries access to one-billion doses of vaccines through donations and funding. Trudeau is the only leader who has yet to commit to specifics on vaccine sharing. But a Canadian government official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, says the country will pledge up to 100-million doses.

City councillors in Victoria have voted unanimously to cancel a planned Canada Day broadcast in order to permit a ``thoughtful reflection'' of what it means to be Canadian.A statement from the City of Victoria says council voted to scrap the virtual celebration following the discovery of what are believed to be the remains of 215 former students buried in unmarked graves on the site of the now-closed Kamloops Indian Residential School.The city says it will be guided by members of the local First Nation and will replace the broadcast with one that features Indigenous artists. The updated broad

A Special NIA Court of Delhi on Friday seeks Tihar Jail authority's response on an application of terror accused claiming that he was beaten up by other inmates inside the jail premises and forced to chant 'Jai Shri Ram' and sought appropriate direction to the superintendent to look into the matter.Special NIA Judge Praveen Singh sought a report from respondent Tihar Authority on the allegations made in the application and fixed the matter for June 14.In the application filed by advocates MS Khan and Quasar Khan, the counsel told the court that the accused, Rashid Zafar, was beaten up and forc

The wife of Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin ``El Chapo'' Guzman has pleaded guilty to charges in the U.S. that alleged she helped her husband run his multibillion-dollar criminal empire. Emma Coronel Aispuro pleaded guilty in federal court Thursday to three criminal charges. Those include knowingly and willfully conspiring to distribute heroin, cocaine, marijuana, methamphetamine. She also pleaded guilty to a money laundering conspiracy charge and engaging in transactions with a foreign narcotics trafficker. Her lawyer described her as a ``very minimal participant'' in her husband's drug empire.

British Columbia's top doctor says she's confident more COVID-19 restrictions can be lifted next week as planned due to dramatic declines in cases and because the person-to-person transmission rate has dropped. Dr. Bonnie Henry says fewer infections reflect the power of vaccines, with nearly 73 per cent of eligible residents aged 12 and up having had their first shot. However, only about eight per cent of those 18 and over have received both doses of a vaccine as the province pushes for more people to register for a second shot. B.C. is expected to move to the second of its four-step reopenin

A bulk quantity of suspected fentanyl and methamphetamine has been seized by the Surrey RCMP Gang Enforcement Team (SGET) as the result of a traffic stop in Cloverdale.On June 8, 2021 at 6:50 pm, SGET conducted a traffic stop with a vehicle for a motor vehicle infraction in the area of 176 Street and Fraser Highway. As they interacted with the driver, officers saw evidence of weapons possession, and the driver was arrested.Further investigation led to the seizure of a holster, two starter pistols, a large canister of bear mace, multiple knives, and $1200 in cash. Officers also located and seiz