Province strengthens response to combat downtown street crime, disorder

A Vancouver Police homicide investigation has led to the arrest of a suspect in the murder of a man in Crab Park in March. Brett MacDonald, 51, was shot on the north-west side of Crab Park along the gravel path just before 8:30 a.m. on March 22. He was found by a passerby who called police. Jason Hnatyshyn, 47, was arrested on April 10 in Red Deer, Alberta, by VPD homicide detectives. The BC Prosecution Service has approved one count of first-degree murder against Hnatyshyn. He remains in custody until his next court appearance.

A suspect has been arrested by Vancouver Police and charged with the sexual assault of a teenaged girl in a public bathroom – part of an alleged crime spree that included a bank robbery and the assault of a second woman who escaped serious harm Wednesday afternoon. The series of violent incidents began around 5:15 p.m. on May 28, and occurred inside an office building at Cambie Street and West 41st Avenue, near Oakridge Centre. A 58-year-old woman was leaving a medical appointment when she was grabbed in the hallway and assaulted by a stranger. She screamed and managed to get away without se

Canada's main opposition leader Pierre Poilievre has announced that he will vote against the Carney government's spending bill. This will be the first test for Prime Minister Mark Carney's minority government. Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre said that his party will vote against the Liberals' $486.9-billion spending bill on government programs and transfers. Poilievre said that the additional spending the government has sought approval from Parliament is not for investment, so his party is not going to support it. It is worth noting that the Liberals have 169 seats in the House of Com

The BC government is launching a new Community Safety and Targeted Enforcement program. It aims to increase police capacity to tackle street crimes that affect businesses and communities, such as robberies, shoplifting and property damage. The province is providing up to $5 million in funding for the initiative, which will help police increase their resources. The government says it has seen the Vancouver Police Department see its biggest two-year reduction in violent and property crime in Hastings Crossing in January 2025, thanks to a special investigation and targeted enforcement program.

Alberta's government says it's extending the deadline for a former judge to investigate allegations of high-level conflict of interest and arm-twisting in health care contracts. Former Manitoba provincial court chief judge Raymond Wyant was expected to submit an interim report to the government today, followed by a full report next month. The government employee facilitating the investigation says the number of documents provided and interviews requested by the former judge means that initial time frame is no longer feasible. Deputy minister of jobs Chris McPherson says Wyant wil