Premier John Horgan says the government is making $5 million available for loans to help contractors who are in danger of losing their equipment due to a forest industry strike on Vancouver Island.He says the program for struggling forest industry contractors will be available by the end of this month with bridge loans to help save equipment.Horgan announced the funding during a speech to forest industry contractors at the annual Truck Loggers Association convention.He spent much of his speech addressing the labour dispute between Western Forests Products and the Steelworkers union, saying the

Canada's health minister says countries that have taken the step toward decriminalizing drugs have done so with supports in place to protect people struggling with addiction. Patty Hajdu toured the Molson Overdose Prevention Site in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside yesterday and says talk of decriminalization in order to deal with the opioid crisis in Canada is premature until comprehensive supports are available here. She says support services vary from province to province and a comprehensive approach includes prevention, treatment, harm reduction, housing and enforcement. Prime Minister Justi

The BC Prosecution Service says a special prosecutor has been appointed to independently review its conduct in a case that concluded in 2013, when a babysitter was convicted in a toddler's drowning in death Cranbrook. Tammy Bouvette was initially charged with second-degree murder in the death of 19-month-old Iyanna Teeple, who was found unconscious and not breathing in a bathtub while under Bouvette's care. Bouvette was later convicted of criminal negligence causing death. The prosecution service says the assistant deputy attorney general for B.C. determined that a special prosecutor should b

Premier John Horgan and George Heyman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy, have issued the following statements in response to today's Supreme Court of Canada ruling regarding the Trans Mountain Expansion Project: Premier John Horgan - "Clearly, we are disappointed by the decision, but this does not reduce our concerns regarding the potential of a catastrophic oil spill on our coast."Our government takes our responsibility to defend the interests of British Columbians seriously. When it comes to protecting our coast, our environment and our economy, we will continue do all we

Opponents of the Coastal GasLink pipeline construction across northwestern BC staged a protest, Thursday afternoon outside the RCMP's E-Division headquarters in Surrey. Organizers say the event is an “anti-RCMP checkpoint”. They say it mirrors the checkpoint set up on a forest service road in Wet'suwet'en territory outside Houston, and the Surrey checkpoint aims to enforce the “Indigenous rule of law.” The B-C Civil Liberties Association and Union of BC Indian Chiefs both argue the police checkpoint and exclusion zone along the pipeline right-of-way in northwestern BC violate Indig

Surrey RCMP Community Response Unit has made an arrest and seized hundreds of pieces of stolen mail and identification cards as a result of an investigation targeting mail theft in Surrey. This investigation began on November 12, 2019, after police received a report of the theft of mail from community mailboxes in North Surrey. As the investigation advanced, a suspect was identified and police obtained a search warrant for a residence 13000-block Balloch Drive in Surrey. As a result of the investigation police located and seized a large quantity of items believed to be part of a large scale m

Canada's high court will hear arguments Thursday on whether British Columbia can stop Alberta from shipping heavy oil through the Trans Mountain pipeline without a permit.B.C.'s NDP government brought the case in 2018 as it worked to fulfil an election promise to stop the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project.The province argues it should be able to limit the contents of the pipeline, because it would bear the brunt of environmental harm from any spill.The federal government will argue that B.C.'s move would give the province a veto over interprovincial projects it doesn't like, counter to

Richmond RCMP Serious Crimes Unit is releasing the photo of Satvir Singh Sanghera, the 49-year old Richmond resident accused in multiple allegations of crimes against vulnerable women and women in the sex trade. Original release here. “We acknowledge that persons in the community may be very sensitive to seeing the image of Mr. Sanghera. Our investigators have taken comprehensive steps to assist those victims with health services from our partner agencies in advance of this notification. We ask those that may be affected that have not already contacted our Detachment to seek professional su

RCMP say the alleged sale of illicit drugs at a home in Chilliwack has led to an investigation resulting in the separate arrests of three people. Police say officers also seized about 30 baggies containing what's believed to be crack cocaine, methamphetamine and fentanyl, along with drug paraphernalia and cash at another home in the Fraser Valley community. Property linked to thefts reported to police was also found at the second home. Police say a report recommending drug-related charges will be forwarded to the public prosecution service.