BC's chief coroner says the status quo of making illicit drugs a crime has been an abject and costly failure and officials have to admit it won't stop overdose deaths. A coroner's report released today says 2,224 people died of suspected overdose deaths last year in BC, a jump of 26 per cent from the year before. Chief coroner Lisa Lapointe says making illicit drugs a crime has created chaos in communities, killed thousands across the country and made enormous profits for the drug trade. She says it's hard to see why anyone would think it was an effective system because it has resulted in sha

Canada's latest census shows British Columbia had the second-highest population growth among the provinces, second only to Prince Edward Island. The census released today says five million people call the western province home, after growth of 7.6 per cent between 2016 and 2021. Data also show resort towns like Squamish are among the fastest-growing communities in the country. But a population hike of 22.2 per cent since 2016 in the town north of Vancouver has fuelled competition among young buyers drawn to the area's world-class climbing, hiking and biking trails. A local Realtor says that's

RCMP say a man is critically injured and woman has serious wounds after they were shot late last night while inside a car in Surrey. Police say the attack appears related to the ongoing Lower Mainland gang conflict. The Integrated Homicide Investigation team has been called because the man's injuries are considered life threatening. No arrests have been made, but a statement from police says everything is being done to gather intelligence and target those posing the highest risk to the community.

Avalanche Canada warns the risk of a slide in alpine areas of mountains along the northwest coast is ranked as ``extreme'' and backcountry users are urged to stay clear for the next few days. Analysts say heavy snow, rain and rapidly rising temperatures will cause a widespread avalanche cycle in the region that includes Terrace and Kitimat. The extreme rating means large or very large natural and human-caused avalanches are a certainty. Environment Canada has issued rainfall warnings for a wide area of the north coast, including Terrace and Kitimat, as up to 60 millimetres of rain is expected

A 24 year old Prince George woman has won Canada's seventh medal of the Beijing Olympics, and the finish marks this country's first women's snowboard cross medal since a silver in 2014. Meryeta O'Dine wasn't expected to be a contender at this Olympics but qualified with the third fastest time and dominated her preliminary rounds. O'Dine grabbed bronze behind France's Chloe Trespeuch, who took silver, and American Lindsey Jacobellis who captured the USA's first gold of the Games. Another Prince George woman, Tess Critchlow, who trains out of Big White, was also in the snowboard cross final and

The leaders of the B-C Liberal and Green parties say the government's throne speech was more of the same and lacked vision. The throne speech yesterday highlighted a commitment to make health and safety through the COVID-19 pandemic the government's top priority. Kevin Falcon, the B-C Liberals' new leader, says the speech repeated previous N-D-P promises and was more of a look back than a look-ahead document. Green Leader Sonia Furstenau says it acknowledged the sacrifices of British Columbians but rather than offering a vision for the future the government patted itself on the back for pas

Britain's top diplomat has arrived in Moscow to try to defuse tensions raised by Russia's military buildup near Ukraine. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss warns that an invasion would mean ``massive consequences for all involved.'' Truss said Britain was strongly encouraging Russia to ``engage, de-escalate and choose the path of diplomacy,'' Russia has massed over 100,000 troops near Ukraine's border and has launched military maneuvers in the region, but says it has no plans to invade its neighbor. It wants guarantees from the West that NATO not allow Ukraine and other former Soviet nations as membe

Liberal MP Joel Lightbound says he has resigned as the party's Quebec caucus chairman. Lightbound announced the move on Twitter this afternoon after he criticized Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his government's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. He says he will be happy to support his successor in the continuation of the work of the caucus. Quebec Liberal MP Joel Lightbound says it's time his government stops dividing Canadians on the COVID-19 pandemic. Lightbound broke publicly with his political party today, telling reporters the government led by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau continues

Interim Conservative leader Candice Bergen is calling for the Liberal government to end all COVID-19-related restrictions and vaccine mandates, the same demand made by protesting truckers. During question period in the House of Commons today, Bergen said the measures have caused division among Canadians. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responded by saying that all Canadians are frustrated by the pandemic, but the government will continue to protect public health.