A former RCMP officer testified that a British Columbia cabinet minister told him in 2009 that the gaming minister knew about organized crime at casinos but was more focused on the revenue generated by gambling. Fred Pinnock who was formerly in charge of the now-defunct illegal gambling enforcement team, made the comments yesterday at the provincial inquiry into money laundering. Pinnock says he met with then solicitor general Kash Heed, who told him his concerns were legitimate but that gaming minister Rich Coleman was ``all about the money.'' The inquiry also heard that the arrests of sever

British Columbia reported a record of 425 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, bringing the total number of cases to 16,560 across the province. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says a rise in cases was anticipated as people moved indoors during colder months. The request to temporarily end open houses follows an order last week by Henry to limit the size of gatherings in private residences to the immediate household plus their so-called "safe six." The bulk of the cases are in the Fraser Health region at 268 with another 126 in Vancouver Coastal health. The province now has 3,389 acti

New Westminster police say a 47 year old man has been charged with three counts of violating the Quarantine Act. A statement from police says Makhan Singh Parhar was arrested after the city resident refused to comply with a mandatory 14 day self-isolation period following a trip to the United States last month. Police say a violation ticket was first issued but when the man repeatedly left his home, he was arrested November 2nd. Parhar is being held in custody and his next court date is set for November 16th in New Westminster.

A Metro Vancouver Transit officer has been seriously hurt in a two-vehicle crash in Surrey. RCMP say the unnamed officer suffered undetermined injuries and a person from the second car was also taken to hospital. The crash occurred at about 11 last night in the Whalley neighbourhood. At least one of the vehicles careened through a section of fence along the back of a private home but there are few details about the cause of the crash and police say the investigation continues.

An inquiry into money laundering in BC has been told that efforts in 2017 to control the illegal practice at casinos across the province created a ``ghost town effect'' but only for a few weeks. Daryl Tottenham, manager of anti-money laundering programs for the BC Lottery Corporation testified this morning that the crackdown led to a dramatic reduction in casino revenues for two or three weeks. He says all gamblers, not just the high-end players stayed away, but the chill lifted quickly. Commissioner Austin Cullen is leading the inquiry which was launched by the NDP government after reports t

City council will wait until early 2021 before deciding whether Vancouver should make a bid for the 2030 Winter Olympics. In a message posted on social media, Coun. Melissa De Genova says she successfully delayed her motion until sometime in March 2021. She says the delay will allow time for a staff report on the merits of hosting the Games, and give the public a chance to register to speak on the issue. Council voted seven to four in favour of the referral request. De Genova put forward her original motion earlier this year calling on council to explore the merits of an Olympic bid but the e

Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C.’s provincial health officer and Adrian Dix, Minister of Health, have issued a joint statement regarding updates on the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) response in British Columbia. "Today, we are reporting 335 new cases, including seven epi-linked cases, for a total of 16,135 cases in British Columbia. "There are 3,120 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, 7,133 people who are under active public health monitoring as a result of identified exposure to known cases, and 12,659 people who tested positive have recovered. "Currently, 92 individuals are hospitalized with CO

While the City of Surrey has and continues to find ways to mitigate economic pressures created by COVID-19, the pandemichas nevertheless created a strain on the City’s finances. Today, the City of Surrey welcomes and is grateful for the nearly $15 million in federal and provincial funding from the COVID-19 Safe Restart Grant for Local Governments. "The City of Surrey has been working hard to safely navigate through the turbulent waters created by COVID-19," saidMayor Doug McCallum. "The $15 million in funding today helps to stabilize the sound foundation we have built for the city’s fiscal

Health officials are reminding everyone to keep social circles small, particularly in the Fraser Health region, which remains the epicentre of rising case counts in British Columbia. The province says in a release much of the recent transmission is connected to social gatherings and Fraser Health officials are asking residents to avoid hosting anyone from outside their household. B.C. reports 299 new cases of COVID-19 and three more deaths on Tuesday, bringing the death toll from the illness to 272. The province says 3,017 cases are currently active, including 92 people who are in hospital, w