Visitors to long-term care homes in British Columbia will soon be allowed to see loved ones without COVID-19 restrictions as part of a plan to resume usual social activities for residents. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says high vaccination rates have made the return to unscheduled visits possible starting July 19, but staff will be required to report whether they have been immunized. She says unvaccinated workers must continue wearing a mask and take a rapid test three times a week, and all volunteers must be immunized. Dr. Henry has issued a new order for facilities to provide

A man and a police dog are dead in what RCMP in British Columbia say was a confrontation with officers that is now being investigated by the provincial police watchdog. A statement from the RCMP's head office in B.C. says it started Thursday morning when an officer tried to stop a vehicle over an outstanding warrant in Campbell River on Vancouver Island. Police say the vehicle failed to stop and other police officers were sent to the area. The vehicle was stopped a short time later by an officer who had a service dog and police say the confrontation resulted in the dog being stabbed and kille

A 33-year-old Coquitlam man has been charged with six offences related to possession of prohibited weapons, allegedly importing prohibited weapons and drug trafficking. The Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit, which focuses on gang activity in BC, says the charges stem from an investigation that began in January of last year. A statement from police says a search of a home and separate storage locker led to the discovery of four conducted energy weapons, often called Tasers, drugs, cash and police uniforms. The suspect is also charged with an attempt to import a firearm suppressor, a pro

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier John Horgan say BC and the federal government have reached an agreement on funding for 10-dollar-a-day child care. Speaking in Coquitlam this morning, Horgan and Trudeau say the two governments have agreed to reach 10-dollar-per-day spaces for children under six before 2026. Trudeau told a news conference in Coquitlam the agreement will bring the cost of regulated daycare in the province down significantly. The pact would create as many as 30-thousand spaces in BC while cutting fees in half for regulated spaces by next year. BC is the first province t

More than two dozen wildfires sparked overnight across British Columbia and the BC Wildfire Service website shows nearly half are believed to have been caused by lightning. One of those blazes has already charred more than two-square kilometres of bush in northwestern B.C., forcing an evacuation order and alerts for properties around Bulkley Lake. The wildfire service says the fire is classified as out of control but 15 firefighters, backed by five pieces of heavy equipment, worked through the night to keep flames away from any structures. The evacuation area covers a section of Highway 16 no

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and federal N-D-P Leader JagmeetSingh are in different regions of British Columbia. Trudeau's first stop is a meeting with members of his cabinet'sIncident Response Group in Metro Vancouver to discuss B-C'swildfires and the recent heat wave. B-C is the third province on Trudeau's cross-country tour,following visits to Alberta and Saskatchewan, while Singh launcheshis own tour, starting on Vancouver Island.

BC is reporting 59 new cases of COVID-19 and no new deaths. In the last 24 hours, no new deaths have been reported, for an overall total of 1,759. Health officials say there are currently 624 active cases in the province. Eighty-six people are in hospital, including 20 in intensive care. COVID-19 vaccinations have edged up with 78.2 per cent of residents aged 12 and older receiving their first dose and 38.2 per cent getting their second shot. Since December 2020, the Province has administered 5,404,047 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines.

Vancouver Police are appealing for witnesses after a two car collision claimed the life of an eleven month old child and injured her 31-year-old father yesterday evening. "This is an absolute tragedy," says Constable Tania Visintin, VPD. "Our most heart-felt condolences go out to the parents and family of this little girl." A black Ford Escape collided with a black Mclaren in the intersection of Smithe and Hornby streets just after 6 p.m. on July 6. As a result of the collision, one of the vehicles mounted the sidewalk and struck a man who was carrying his 11-month old daughter. The child died

A man who fatally stabbed a teenage girl in her high school's rotunda in Abbotsford, B.C., in 2016 will not be eligible to apply for parole for 16 years, after a judge ruled the impacts of his actions have been "powerful and far-reaching." Gabriel Klein was convicted of second-degree murder and aggravated assault in March 2020 in the attack that killed 13-year-old Letisha Reimer and seriously injured her friend. He receives an automatic life sentence and an additional seven-year sentence for the aggravated assault, to be served concurrently. However, Klein also received seven years' credit for