BCDec 17, 2020
B.C. police watchdog investigates Vancouver officers' use of force in arrest of man
BC's police complaints commissioner says it will launch a disciplinary-conduct investigation into the actions of seven Vancouver officers who took part in the arrest of a Sechelt man in August 2015. The BC Prosecution Service has said the injuries suffered by 33 year old Myles Gray during his arrest included a broken eye socket, a possible partially dislocated jaw and a voice box fracture. Gray died after going into cardiac arrest while he was being restrained. The prosecution service said none of the officers involved would be charged because the accusations couldn't be proven beyond a reaso
BCDec 17, 2020
Provincial government sets new target for cutting greenhouse gases by 2025
BC's government has set a new target for cutting greenhouse gases by 2025. Target has been set after determining it was further from reaching its goals than previously forecasted. The new target requires greenhouse gases in BC to fall 16 per cent below 2007 levels within the next five years. A government report says emissions rose in 2018 due to increases in fuel consumed in heavy-duty diesel vehicles, among other things. Environment Minister George Heyman says completing a plan to reach the legislated targets has been more challenging than anticipated.
BCDec 17, 2020
RCMP start criminal investigation into trail derailment near Field, B.C.
The RCMP say they've launched a criminal investigation into the fatal CP train derailment near the BC-Alberta boundary in February 2019. A train carrying more than 100 grain cars was parked on a grade near Field before it started moving on its own, gaining speeds far above the limit. Sergeant Janelle Shoihet says the investigation comes after a preliminary review of the incident that killed three rail company employees. She says police consulted with the Transportation Safety Board, Transport Canada and the BC Prosecution Service and determined further investigation was warranted. She would n
BCDec 17, 2020
Mother who gave birth while in a coma is awake, meets her newborn son for the first time
A mother who gave birth while in a coma due to complications from COVID-19 is awake and has met her newborn son for the first time. Name of the woman is Gillian McIntosh. Gillian was given an emergency C-section and placed in an induced coma after arriving at a hospital in Abbotsford, B.C., with COVID-19 symptoms in November. McIntosh's family says in a statement that she was eased out of sedation late last week and has been taken off the ventilator. She was able to meet her son, named Travis Len, for the first time over the weekend.
BCDec 17, 2020
640 new COVID-19 cases and 24 deaths reported in B.C.
B.C. reported 640 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, for a total of 44,103 since the pandemic began. Another 24 people have died, bringing the death toll to 692. The number of people who have died in B.C. because of COVID-19 has more than doubled in less than a month. The province says 362 people are hospitalized, while 91 of those are in intensive care. One new health-care facility outbreak has been declared at Sunrise of Vancouver. Among new cases 98 new cases of COVID-19 have been identified in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, 399 new cases in the Fraser Health region.
BCDec 17, 2020
New enforcement measures coming into effect as part of B.C.'s crackdown on those who refuse to follow COVID-19 restrictions
New enforcement measures are coming into effect as part of British Columbia's crackdown on those who refuse to follow COVID-19 restrictions. Mike Farnworth, minister of public safety and solicitor general, says in a statement that he has asked gaming investigators, conservation officers, community safety unit inspectors, as well as liquor and cannabis inspectors to support police and increase COVID-19 enforcement. Farnworth says he has also directed the Insurance Corp. of B.C. to send unpaid fines to collections after the initial 30 day payment or dispute period ends. According to provided in
BCDec 16, 2020
60 cases of COVID-19 linked to the Big White Ski Resort reported in Kelowna
Interior Health says an investigation has found 60 cases of COVID-19 linked to the Big White Ski Resort in Kelowna. It says large groups and social gatherings appear to be responsible for much of the transmission related to shared housing at the resort. The health authority says it's safe to visit Big White as long as people stick to their immediate household bubbles and avoid gathering with others. The resort's senior vice-president on Tuesday said, the company knows there are people residing on the mountain who have probably been gathering when they should not be. But Interior Health is agai
BCDec 16, 2020
Officials at UBC's Okanagan campus say they're aware of allegations of cheating in a first-year chemistry class
Officials at the University of British Columbia's Okanagan campus say they're aware of allegations of cheating in a first-year chemistry class, which recently had its final exam online. In a screenshot posted online, an instructor at UBC Okanagan says she's investigating how her final exam appeared on an academic website. UBC said last month it was investigating allegations of widespread cheating on a first-year math exam. Director of university affairs Matthew Ramsey couldn't say whether there was more cheating happening with many courses operating online during the COVID-19 pandemic.
BCDec 16, 2020
Man stabbed to death, Vancouver's 19th homicide of the year
Police are confirming Vancouver's 19th homicide of the year. The victim was stabbed near East 12th Avenue and Kingsway Tuesday, where investigators kept a smaller intersection closed for hours. The victim was taken to hospital, but died from the stabbing. According to reports 72 year old East Vancouver man, Alex Gortmaker, was stabbed to death. Investigators appeared focused on evidence markers placed around the Biltmore hotel.