Metro Vancouver Transit Police say a man has been arrested in connection with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl at the Scottsdale Exchange in Surrey earlier this year. Investigators say the incident happened around 9 p.m. on June 28, 2025, when a man in his late 30s approached a 16-year-old girl waiting for a bus. Police allege the suspect attempted to talk to her, tried to kiss her, and groped her before exposing himself. Two women nearby reportedly intervened, prompting the man to run away from the area. Following a joint investigation by the General Investigation and Criminal Int

The Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that mandatory minimum jail sentences for possessing or accessing child pornography violate the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. In its decision released Friday, the court found that the one-year minimum sentence removes a judge’s ability to consider individual circumstances and impose a more appropriate penalty when warranted. While the mandatory sentence was designed to promote denunciation and deterrence, the court said it also risked resulting in punishment that is cruel or unusual under Section 12 of the Charter. The ruling upholds a previous decisio

Canada’s economy lost ground in August, with national output falling 0.3 per cent as both goods-producing and service sectors declined, according to new figures from Statistics Canada. The agency said the drop largely erased July’s modest 0.3 per cent gain, which has been revised slightly upward. The August downturn was tied in part to an Air Canada flight attendants’ work stoppage that disrupted air transportation, along with weaker results in manufacturing, wholesale trade, and mining and quarrying industries. Retail trade was the main bright spot, showing growth that partially offset

Prime Minister Mark Carney says Canada’s relationship with China has reached a “turning point” following his first meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping since taking office. The two leaders met for 39 minutes on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in South Korea — marking the first formal leader-level contact between the two countries in eight years. Carney described the discussion as “long overdue,” saying both sides agreed to rebuild dialogue on trade and cooperation after years of strained ties. “This meeting creates opportunities for Canad

The federal government has announced $7 million in humanitarian aid to assist Caribbean nations struggling to recover from the destruction caused by Hurricane Melissa. Randeep Sarai, secretary of state for international development, said the funding includes $5 million for emergency health and relief operations through humanitarian organizations, and an additional $2 million to the World Food Programme to support food distribution in Jamaica. Sarai said Canada is also ready to send supplies from its emergency stockpile through the Red Cross if requested by affected countries. The government is

Surrey Police Service has arrested two men following an overnight shooting that damaged a home in the area of 56 Avenue and King George Boulevard early Thursday morning. Officers were called to the scene around 2 a.m. on October 30 after reports of gunfire. When they arrived, police confirmed that the exterior of a residence had been struck by bullets. Several people were inside the home at the time, but no one was injured. Frontline officers later located a suspect vehicle nearby and arrested two men, who remain in custody as the investigation continues. The SPS Frontline Investigative Suppor

The City of Surrey has renamed a neighbourhood park following concerns from residents of Japanese descent about its historical namesake. Senator Reid Park, located in the city’s north end, will now be known as North Ridge Park. The change follows a review prompted by community feedback highlighting Senator Thomas Reid’s role in supporting discriminatory policies against Japanese Canadians before, during and after the Second World War. City officials said the park, originally named in the 1990s, no longer reflects Surrey’s values of inclusivity and respect. Laurie Cavan, general manager o

Police in Surrey are investigating after gunfire caused property damage to a business in the city’s South Surrey area earlier this week. Surrey Police Service (SPS) and the RCMP Surrey Provincial Operations Support Unit (SPOSU) say the incident was reported around 11:35 a.m. on October 28. Officers were called to a business in the 15200 block of Croydon Drive, where they confirmed that the building’s exterior had been struck by bullets. Investigators believe the shooting took place sometime between 8:30 p.m. on October 27 and 8:30 a.m. the next morning. No one was inside the business at th

Statistics Canada says the country’s rate of police-reported drug crime has increased for the first time in more than a decade, marking a 13 per cent jump between 2023 and 2024. The new data shows the rise was driven by higher numbers of possession and trafficking charges involving cannabis, cocaine and opioids other than heroin. Despite the recent uptick, the national rate remains well below its historical peak. The 2024 figure stood at 128 incidents per 100,000 people – down 61 per cent from a high of 330 in 2011. The Northwest Territories recorded the highest rate of drug crime last yea