B.C. Indigenous Relations Minister Scott Fraser is set to meet with Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Carolyn Bennett today in Victoria amid ongoing rail blockades and protests for Indigenous land rights. The two were invited last week to meet by Gitxsan chief Norm Stephens after members of the First Nation erected a blockade near New Hazelton in support of neighbouring Wet'suwet'en chiefs who oppose a pipeline through their territory. The invitation was also extended to Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs. Today's meeting only involves Fraser and Bennett but they are sending a letter to heredita

Abbotsford Police are once again warning the public that a group of so-called distraction thieves is back in town and targeting elderly pedestrians. They say a female suspect got out of a grey vehicle and pushed an elderly woman to the ground before taking a gold chain from her neck and fleeing on Monday. Police say thieves struck again late this morning, when a female suspect got out of a white vehicle and approached another elderly woman, stealing her necklace. They say there appears to be more than one suspect involved and police are concerned by their escalating violence in the incidents

Police say pipeline protests outside government offices in Victoria on Friday were peaceful with much of the noise generated by passing motorists honking their car horns in support. Groups of protesters, ranging in numbers from about 20 to 100 people, stood outside numerous government office buildings, chanting slogans and waving placards supporting Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs opposed to the Coastal GasLink natural gas pipeline in their territories. The scene was much different from Tuesday outside the British Columbia legislature when hundreds blocked entrances to the building, yelling ``

A fifth case of the novel coronavirus has been presumptively confirmed in British Columbia. Provincial health officer Bonnie Henry says a woman in her 30s returned from Shanghai, China, in the past week through Vancouver's airport before travelling by car to her home in the Interior health region. Henry says the woman wore a mask on the plane and contacted health officials when she had symptoms of an illness before being tested positive Tuesday for the virus called COVID-19. She says officials will be contacting passengers who sat three rows ahead and behind the woman on the aircraft that arr

Thousands who rely on a commuter train to get to work in Vancouver from homes in the Fraser Valley or municipalities east of the city had to find some other mode of transport this morning as a blockade shut down the West Coast Express. Demonstrators supporting the Wet'suwet'en battle against a pipeline on traditional territories set up the blockade yesterday afternoon, forcing cancellation of all eastbound trains. Protesters stayed in place overnight, cancelling westbound trains this morning, but began packing up shortly after the end of the morning rush. TransLink says it has assurances from

The RCMP's Integrated Homicide Investigation Team is appealing to the public for help in its investigation into a fatal shooting in Langley last Friday night. Police say first responders found 42 year old Ravinder Singh Sandhu shot inside his vehicle at the parking lot of the Langley Crossing Shopping Centre around 9:30 pm. They say he was transported to hospital, where he remained in critical condition until just recently, when he died of his injuries.Sandhu was known to police and his murdered is believed to be targeted, and investigators are looking for witnesses and requesting dash cam vi

A Victoria judge has approved an injunction preventing anti-pipeline protesters from blocking access to B.C.'s legislature. The ruling comes as Victoria police anticipate traffic and other disruptions tomorrow when anti-pipeline protesters are expected to expand demonstrations. Police say they've heard protesters are planning to blockade public buildings in the provincial capital, just days after hundreds blocked the entrance to the legislature when the spring session kicked off inside. Speaker Darryl Plecas made the application and a B.C. Supreme Court judge granted the order, authorizing

B.C. and federal government officials are tentatively set to meet with provincial Indigenous leaders in the hope of ending an anti-pipeline rail blockade that has stalled travellers and choked Canada's economy. Premier John Horgan responded to a letter from a Gitxsan leader today, saying the government wants to meet with chiefs of the Gitxsan and Wet'suwet'en Nation over a rail blockade in New Hazelton. Indigenous Relations Minister Scott Fraser says he will represent the provincial government at the meeting with chiefs, and federal Crown Indigenous Relations Minister Carolyn Bennett will als

Homicide investigators in Metro Vancouver confirm a man shot last week in Langley has died in hospital. In a message posted to social media, the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team says the victim, who has not been named, died recently. He was attacked Feb. 7 in the parking lot of a mall in Langley, B.C. RCMP identified him only as an adult male and said he was in grave condition. They said the shooting did not appear random. Few other details of the case have been released.