Vancouver City Council has approved a ban on the sale of bear bangers and other exploding animal deterrents within city limits. Council says the new rule takes effect immediately and violators face a maximum $1,000 fine. The ban comes as several neighbourhoods have been repeatedly rocked at all hours by blasts from bear bangers, devices with an explosive charge that is supposed to be used to scare away curious bruins. Council says Vancouver residents who need bear bangers outside the city can buy them online or in neighbouring communities while the city mulls a permitting system to provide th

The provincial government is significantly increasing fines for ``dooring'' to help reduce cycling collisions. The fine for opening the door of a parked car when it is not reasonably safe to do so will quardruple to 368 dollars effective September 21st. Transportation Minister Clair Trevena says the new fine reflects the fact that dooring can cause serious injury. Trevena says the province is also investing in a public education and awareness campaign to make sure everyone uses the roads safely.

Restrictions on the number of people using vacation rental properties is the next order being made by British Columbia's provincial health officer to limit the spread of COVID-19. Doctor Bonnie Henry says the onus will be on owner-operators to ensure they meet local bylaws and public-health requirements. She is expected to provide details in the coming days but says the limite on the number of people will be based on the size of a space, including houseboats. Dr. Henry says the measure is necessary after large numbers of young people at parties in Kelowna led to a recent spread of the virus t

Councillors in Vancouver have voted unanimously toban officers from conducting street checks _ the process ofarbitrarily demanding and recording identification, outside of any sort of police investigation.Mayor Kennedy Stewart praised the outcome of the vote in a social media statement late Wednesday, thanking the almost seven dozen speakers who offered their opinions on his motion. He says street checks disproportionately affect people of colour and the city's Black and Indigenous residents.Stewart, who chairs the Vancouver Police Board, says only the board has the power to abolish the checks

A jump in COVID-19 infections in British Columbia has prompted a tightening of restrictions by health officials for bars and nightclubs in the province. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says the rise in cases, including 34 more today, is a wake up call that residents need to pay more attention in areas where transmission is spread. The amended health order prohibits liquor self service and dance floors, and says all patrons of bars and clubs must be in designated seats and measures must be in place to reduce lineups. Henry says about 1,000 people are in self-isolation after being in

The 55 year old Abbotsford police officer critically injured when he intervened in a dispute while visiting in Nelson last week, has now died. Constable Allan Young had been on life support since the assault last Thursday and the Abbotsford Police Department says he died last night, surrounded by family. A statement from the department says the smile and character of the Scottish-born officer who immigrated to Canada in 1997 ``can never be replaced.'' A 26 year old was arrested in Nelson after Young was injured and Nelson police say the man remains in custody, currently charged with aggravate

A 5.4 magnitude earthquake shook an area about 200 kilometres off the west coast of Vancouver Island early this morning but did not generate a tsunami. It happened at 4:33 and seismologist John Cassidy says in a social media post that it was not strong enough to be felt on the Island. It occurred in the Cascadia subduction zone which Cassidy says is one of the most seismically active areas in Canada, ``with earthquakes every day.'' About five hours earlier an unrelated quake measuring 7.8 struck off the Alaska Peninsula and was strongly felt across the state but no damage has been reported an

Six more judges have been appointed to British Columbia's provincial court in an effort to clear away the backlog stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. The province says in an information bulletin that it has reappointed three senior judges and appointed three new judges. The bulletin says the appointments will increase the capacity of the provincial court and reduce court delays around the province. It says the senior judges will help address the backlog of cases and support the response to the impacts of COVID-19 on the judicial system. Jane Cartwright, Thomas Gove and Richard Miller are bac

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 reporting 30 new cases, including one epi-linked case since we reported on Monday, for a total of 3,328 cases in British Columbia. "There are 266 active cases of COVID-19 in the province and 2,873 people who tested positive have recovered. "Of the total COVID-19 cases, 15 individuals are hospitalized, three of whom are in intensive care. The remaining people with COVID-19 are reco