The province is ramping up its response to the leaping number of overdose deaths related to illicit drugs. The coroner says B-C set records for the highest number of overdose deaths in May and broke that record in June as supply issues during the pandemic have made illicit drugs increasingly toxic. Mental Health and Addictions Minister Judy Darcy says a total of 29 new supervised consumption or inhalation services will open around B-C and more staff will ensure users are connected to the help they need.She says the funds come from 10.5-million dollars set aside to aid those who have seen deva

The British Columbia government says new rules for private cannabis retailers will allow pot to be reserved and paid for online, but customers still have to pick up their orders in person.The province says the regulations now allow private cannabis stores to accept payments made on a website, app or by telephone. Previous licence conditions allowed customers to reserve cannabis products online, but required them to visit a store to complete the payment and obtain their purchases.The province says it changed its policies because of a request from private retailers, which felt online orders wou

RCMP say a shooting Saturday evening in Maple Ridge was targeted. Ridge Meadows RCMP say it happened at about 10:30 p.m. on August 1st and seriously injured a 30-year-old man they describe as known to them. He was sitting in his car when another vehicle drove by and someone inside fired several shots but investigators say the injured man was able to drive himself to hospital for treatment. Mounties say they responded quickly and determined the attack was isolated and not random, but have not said if a suspect has been identified.

The Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen has issued an evacuation alert for 43 properties northwest of Princeton as a small wildfire burns nearby. The blaze was sparked Sunday by lightning but had charred just 22 hectares by yesterday evening. A crew of 50, backed by heavy equipment, helicopters and airtankers, is assigned to contain the fire, which is the largest of just over 20 that broke out over the long weekend. The BC Wildfire Service lists the fire danger across much of the southern quarter of the province as high to extreme but Environment Canada says cooler weather and rain are

Adrian Dix, Minister of Health, and Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C.’s provincial health officer, have issued a joint statement regarding updates on the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) response in British Columbia. "Today, we are announcing 50 new cases, including five epi-linked cases, for a total of 3,641 cases in British Columbia. "There are 278 active cases of COVID-19 in the province and 3,168 people who tested positive have recovered. "Of the total COVID-19 cases, five individuals are hospitalized, two of whom are in intensive care. The remaining people with COVID-19 are recovering at home in self-

New COVID-19 guidelines for post-secondary institutions, ranging from transportation to support for international students, have been released as colleges and universities gear up for the start of classes in the fall. Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Training Melanie Mark says in a statement that the "Go Forward" guidelines will provide greater certainty to staff, students and faculty. She says the guidelines provide a minimum standard for institutions to follow. Mark says her ministry will work with the sector toward a full reopening, when it's safe. She expects all 25 of B.C.'s pos

The BC Prosecution Service says there will be no charges against a Langley RCMP officer involved in an off-duty motorcycle crash last year.The officer's SUV and the motorcycle collided in a Langley intersection on July 1, 2019, seriously injuring the motorcycle driver.B.C.'s police watchdog, the Independent Investigations Office, looked into the crash and filed its report in April to the prosecution service for consideration of charges.The officer faced potential charges including careless driving and unsafe lane change. But the prosecution service says the available evidence doesn't meet its

The number of fatal overdoses in Yukon has leaped to 13 so far this year, more than doubling the number recorded in the territory for all of last year. Yukon Health Minister Pauline Frost says most of the deaths are linked to increasingly toxic opioids that have replaced the regular supply of street drugs during the COVID-19 pandemic. She says drug testing will be stepped up across Yukon and several other harm reduction measures are being launched. Enhanced training on the use of naloxone, which can reverse opioid overdoses, begins next week in Watson Lake and the community will proclaim Augu

A worker at an overdose prevention site in Vancouver is being remembered as a ``beautiful person'' who ``saved many lives.'' Vancouver police say 41 year old Thomas Donaghy was fatally stabbed after being involved in a fight with an unknown man outside the overdose prevention clinic where he was working. Fellow volunteers at the clinic say Donaghy had just stepped out for a break at about 8:30 Monday when he was attacked and stabbed. Police are seeking dash cam video taken near St. Paul's Hospital at that time and say investigators believe several witnesses to the city's ninth murder of the y