BCMar 29, 2022
B.C. reports 556 new COVID-19 cases and 6 deaths
Over a three-day period, B.C. is reporting 556 new cases of COVID-19, including one epi-linked case, for a total of 355,648 cases:March 25-26: 207 new casesMarch 26-27: 197 new casesMarch 27-28: 152 new casesThere are 288 individuals hospitalized with COVID-19 and 48 are in intensive care.In the past 72 hours, six new deaths have been reported, for an overall total of 2,989.There have been no new health-care facility outbreaks. The outbreak at Hillside Village (Interior Health) has been declared over, for a total of six facilities with ongoing outbreaks. From March 18-24, people not fully vacc
BCMar 28, 2022
B.C. prepares to strengthen protections for homebuyers
Amendments to the Property Law Act introduced on Monday, March 28, 2022, will enable the creation of a new Homebuyer Protection Period to protect people buying a home in a challenging real estate market. The Homebuyer Protection Period, sometimes called a "right of recission," responds to concerns that in the highly competitive housing market, buyers are reporting pressure to submit offers without basic conditions intended to protect their interests.The amendments would enable the creation of a period to give people buying a home more time to consider their offers, ensure financing and obtain
BCMar 28, 2022
Vancouver Police arrest suspect in Tatlow Park homicide
Vancouver Police have arrested a suspect in the killing of Justis Daniel, the beloved caretaker of Tatlow Park who was found murdered in his west-side home last December."VPD homicide investigators have worked meticulously for more than three months to gather and analyze evidence obtained from the crime scene and beyond," says Inspector Dale Weidman, officer in charge of VPD’s Major Crime Section. "After a painstaking review of all evidence, investigators identified a 51-year-old suspect. He was arrested without incident Saturday afternoon and has since been charged with murder."Daniel, 77,
BCMar 28, 2022
Metis and Inuit Canadians meet Pope Francis at the Vatican; Pope did not offer an apology
A Fraser Valley resident is among the Metis and Inuit Canadians who met with Pope Francis at the Vatican today. Pixie Wells, from the Abbotsford area, says it was a proud moment to be a two-spirit person in the room with the pope. Wells says First Nations are bringing back the cultural importance of two-spirit individuals as leaders and healers, an importance that was lost during colonization and more than a century of forced residential schools. During today's meetings, the pope did not offer an apology for the Catholic Church's role in residential schools but more meetings are slated with t
BCMar 28, 2022
Vancouver police track and arrest a suspect within 40 minutes of a violent assault in downtown Vancouver
Vancouver police say they tracked and arrested a suspect within 40 minutes of a violent assault in downtown Vancouver. A statement from police says yesterday's assault, the latest stranger attack in the city, briefly knocked out the 18-year-old victim as she walked through the downtown core around noon. Passers-by, including a doctor, helped the injured exchange student who was taken to hospital as a precaution, while officers canvassed businesses for video that could identify the suspect. Using those details, police say a 26-year-old Coquitlam man wanted on a Mental Health Act warrant was sp
BCMar 26, 2022
RCMP investigating a fire at a Walmart store in Surrey
RCMP say they are investigating a fire at a Walmart store in Surrey this week as a case of arson. Police tell CTV that they received a report on Wednesday night that a man in the store lit something on fire before running away. Walmart Canada says the upper floor of the store has been closed for cleanup and repairs and many items will likely need to be destroyed. It says no customers or staff were hurt but setting a fire while the store was open with people inside is ``shocking, dangerous and shameful.''
BCMar 26, 2022
B.C. reports 218 new COVID-19 cases and 2 deaths
B.C. is reporting 218 new cases of COVID-19, for a total of 355,092 cases in the province.There are 260 individuals hospitalized with COVID-19 and 50 are in intensive care.In the past 24 hours, two new deaths have been reported, for an overall total of 2,983.There have been three new health-care facility outbreaks at Amica Douglas House, Acacia Ty Mawr and Sunridge Place Seniors (Island Health), for a total of seven facilities with ongoing outbreaks. From March 17-23, people not fully vaccinated accounted for 15.8% of cases.From March 10-23, they accounted for 26.2% of hospitalizations.Past we
BCMar 26, 2022
IHIT taking conduct of investigation after man found dead in Surrey
Surrey RCMP is advising the public that a deceased man was located in Newton this morning and the investigation has now been turned over to the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT). On March 25, 2022 at approximately 7:45 a.m., Surrey RCMP responded to a report of a person sleeping in an alleyway in the 13000-block of 64 Avenue. Upon the arrival of first responders, it was determined the male was deceased. Surrey RCMP General Investigation Unit attended the location and in consultation with the on scene coroner from the BC Coroners Service, determined the circumstances of the death we
BCMar 25, 2022
Ryan Reynolds and his wife donate half a million dollars to support clean water for Indigenous communities
Vancouver-born actor Ryan Reynolds and his wife Blake Lively have donated half a million dollars to a charity that trains young Indigenous adults to become water treatment plant operators and environmental water science technicians. Water First Education & Training Inc. says the donation will help train more students and will support programs bringing water science to Indigenous children. Reynolds and Lively say in a social media statement that ``access to clean drinking water is a basic human right'' and ``there's no reason'' Indigenous communities should not have clean water. The couple