BC Ferries says a combination of the fast-spreading Omicron COVID-19 variant, a global shortage of mariners, severe weather and the flu season has the potential to disrupt ferry service over the next few months. The company says in a statement that the problem may hit inter-island routes hardest. It says crewing regulations require that positions on ferries be filled with the appropriate crew or a vessel can't sail. Even if a small number of crew don't show up, it says finding replacements can be difficult. BC Ferries says it has a pool of staff in reserve and cross-trains crew members, but t

Another series of drenching storms is about to sweep over southern BC and Environment Canada says most of Vancouver Island and the inner south coast, including the Fraser Valley should see heavy rain between tomorrow and Thursday. The weather office says several storms are embedded in the approaching atmospheric river. The River Forecast Centre says the downpours, along with mild temperatures after about two weeks of frigid conditions and considerable snowfall, have the potential to melt lower-level snowpacks, possibly causing ``minor to significant flooding.'' The centre has posted high stre

RCMP in Surrey are investigating what they say appears to be a fatal shooting. The body of an unnamed man was found last night in a home in the Newton neighbourhood. A statement from police says the victim might have been killed in a shooting in the home earlier in the day but it went unreported until the body was found yesterday evening. Detectives remained at the home through the night and have not yet said if they consider the case targeted or if any suspects have been identified.

Today, January 10th, at 06:28 am, Abbotsford Police responded to a fight at a local apartment building within the 33400 block of George Ferguson Way. Upon police arrival, a 44-year-old male was located suffering from gunshot wounds. The male was transported to hospital with serious injuries.AbbyPD Major Crime Unit has taken over the investigation with the assistance of Patrol Officers and the Forensic Identification Section. Investigators are in the preliminary stages of this investigation; however, the initial investigation suggests this to be a targeted incident. Investigators seek witnesses

B-C Hydro is reminding British Columbians that a damaged or Fallen powerline is an emergency – even if it’s not buzzing or Sparking. The utility says in a tweet that knowing this could save your Life. It warns to stay back at least 10 metres – or the length of a Bus – keep others away and call 9-1-1 if you encounter a downed Power line. More than 23-hundred customers across B-C were affected by Outages yesterday, with the majority on north Vancouver Island.

COVID-19 cases are threatening to overwhelm hospitals in several parts of Canada, with hospitalizations nearing or reaching record highs in Quebec, Ontario, and New Brunswick. Former CEO of the University Health Network and Ontario deputy health minister Dr. Bob Bell says every Western country dealing with COVID's fast spreading Omicron variant has a stressed hospital system right now. But he says Canada will pursue lockdowns and restrictions sooner than places such as the United States because Canada has a lower tolerance for deaths from the virus. Meanwhile, students in British Columbia a

Students are heading back to school in British Columbia today after a one-week delay caused by the Omicron variant of COVID-19. The province has warned there may be functional closures due to staff illness and that COVID-19 exposure notices will no longer be sent unless there are significant dips in attendance. The back-to-class plan also includes mandatory three-layer masking in indoor areas, staggered start and break times and measures to reduce crowding in common areas. Despite an ongoing fifth wave of infections, provincial health officer Doctor Bonnie Henry has said schools need to rem

B.C. is reporting 3,144 new cases of COVID-19, including six epi-linked cases, for a total of 276,875 cases in the province.There are 33,184 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, and 240,198 people who tested positive have recovered. Of the active cases, 349 individuals are in hospital and 93 are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.The new/active cases include:1,416 new cases in Fraser HealthTotal active cases: 15,704483 new cases in Vancouver Coastal HealthTotal active cases: 9,449526 new cases in Interior HealthTotal active cases: 3,183244 new

On January 7th, just before 2:00 p.m., Langley RCMP was called to the intersection of 88 Avenue and 202 Stree after a report of a shooting was received. Upon police attendance, an adult male victim was located suffering from gunshot wounds. The male has succumbed to his injuries.Based on the investigative theory in this initial phase, this does not appear to be a random act. The area surrounding the scene will be cordoned off for a significant amount of time. The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) has been called and will be working in partnership with Langley RCMP.Police are curren