British Columbia's provincial health officer says she expects the province to catch up to Ontario in the proportion of variant COVID-19 cases that were first identified in the United Kingdom. Dr. Bonnie Henry says about a third of BC's cases are from that variant while the strain represents about 60 per cent of Ontario's new cases. But she expects BC to match that figure in about a month. Dr. Henry says the variants are worrying but of the three thousand, seven hundred and sixty six variant cases, only 266 are active. That represents about three per cent of all the active COVID-19 cases in BC

A commission of inquiry into money laundering in British Columbia is adding former and current cabinet ministers to its witness list. On its website, the Cullen commission says former premier Christy Clark is among those scheduled to testify later this month. Former B.C. Liberal cabinet ministers Rich Coleman, Michael de Jong and Kash Heed will also testify, along with Shirley Bond, the party's interim leader who served as Clark's public safety minister and attorney general. The commission says Attorney General David Eby will testify as well. They are expected to testify from April 19 to 30.

Surrey RCMP Special Victim’s Unit and Sophie’s Place are working in a coordinated effort in response to a report of a sexual assault involving a child and youth. On April 5, 2021, at approximately 1:30 p.m. Surrey RCMP responded to a report of a sexual assault at Blumsen Park in the 15400-block of 34 Avenue. The victim in this incidentis a child (a person 12 years of age or younger), and the suspect who has been identified, is a 13-year-old youth. The victim in this incident did not sustain any serious physical injuries; however, this is an upsetting incident for them and their family. Sur

Today the City of Surrey’s Community Safety section launched a new website dedicated to helping parents, caregivers and other trusted adults buildprotective factors among Surrey children and youth to reduce their susceptibility for gang involvement. Called Empower Surrey, the website aims to enhance the impact of the Surrey Anti Gang Family Empowerment program and is available in over 80 languages. It features information on Surrey’s unique gang landscape, how to identify and address risk factors, tips and tools to start early conversationswith children and youth, and links to free prevent

British Columbia is shifting into its next phase in the vaccine rollout, allowing people to book their appointments online. The provincial government wants people to register first to get a confirmation code, then book an appointment for a shot when they are contacted by email, text or phone.Starting today, people born in 1950 or earlier, Indigenous people 18 and older, and those who have certain medical conditions can book their appointments through the online portal.Those aged 55 to 65 and living in the Lower Mainland also have the option of booking at pharmacies to get an Oxford-AstraZenec

There have been more than four-thousand COVID-19 cases and 23 people have died over the last four days in British Columbia. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix also say there are three thousand 599 cases involving COVID-19 variants and almost 600 of those are still active. There are 318 people in hospital and the number of those in intensive care has grown to 95. More than 893 thousand doses of all three brands of the COVID-19 vaccine have been distributed. Starting tomorrow, people born in 1950 or earlier, those with certain medical conditions, and Indig

Wildfire season is officially underway in BC. The season runs from April 1st to October 1st and although there are no current fires of note, 10 small ones are considered active and the wildfire service says two were sparked yesterday. BC residents are being urged to try the new wildfire service app which can send information about wildfires directly to a mobile device. Wildfire service spokeswoman Kyla Fraser says the app is a great resource. Just under 145 square kilometres of timber and bush burned in BC last year, making the 2020 season one of the quietest in more than a decade.

One person has died in an early morning house fire in Surrey, not far from the boundary with Delta. Fire officials say a body was pulled from a basement suite as crews responded to the blaze after flames broke out at around 6 a.m. According to reports the house was located at 117B street and 96 Avenue. The identity of the victim has not been released. A cause of the fire remains under investigation and the name of the victim has not been released.

BC's public safety minister is promising consequences for businesses flouting provincial health orders against indoor dining as COVID-19 cases hit record highs. Mike Farnworth issued the warning after at least two Vancouver restaurants were served with closure notices in keeping with restrictions that will continue at least until April 19th. He says harassment of enforcement officers will not be tolerated and closure orders by Vancouver Coastal Health or any other health authority must be respected. The owner of a Vancouver restaurant that was packed with customers on Saturday when it was ser