RCMP say a couple in Nanaimo, B.C., who thought they had won more than $18 million and a luxury vehicle in a lottery were instead scammed out of almost $400,000. A statement from police says the couple, who are both in their late 80s, were contacted by phone early last year. They were told they had won $18.5 million and a Mercedes-Benz but would have to pay administrative fees in order to collect. Over the year, police say the couple received official-looking documents and weekly calls from the scammers directing them to pay taxes and other fees through bank drafts sent to various addresses.

The Surrey Board of Trade is the latest to call for an immediate halt to provincial fuel taxes as gas prices surge toward the two-dollar-and-17 cent per litre mark in some parts of BC. A statement from the board calls on John Horgan's NDP government to follow Alberta's lead and pause the carbon and other taxes that add as much as 73 cents to the cost of each litre of gas pumped in Metro Vancouver. Board president Anita Huberman says B-C's gas levies, in addition to complications from the pandemic and hikes in the cost of living and price of goods, are further burdens on the business community

A four-year Vancouver Police investigation has led to charges in the 2018 double murder that took the life of 15-year-old Alfred Wong, Vancouver Police Chief Constable Adam Palmer announced today."This was a long and complex investigation, which took some of VPD’s most experienced homicide investigators across the country to secure and gather evidence," Chief Palmer said, in announcing charges against Kane Carter for the January 2018 deaths of Wong and 23-year-old Kevin Whiteside. "Investigators interviewed hundreds of witnesses and processed thousands of exhibits. And while it has taken mor

A report examining thousands of deaths linked to illicit drugs in BC says the province must act over the next 90 days to develop a policy that delivers a safer supply of drugs. The death review panel report released by chief coroner Lisa Lapointe calls on the government, the BC Centre for Disease Control and the BC Centre on Substance Use to find a way toward a safer supply, with measurable action taken over the next 30, 60 and 90 days. The report looked at 6,000 deaths between August 2017 and July 2021 and found increasingly toxic drugs, coupled with a policy of prohibition, forces reliance

B.C. is reporting 254 new cases of COVID-19, including one epi-linked case, for a total of 351,141 cases in the province. There are 419 individuals hospitalized with COVID-19 and 63 are in intensive care.In the past 24 hours, one new death (Fraser Health) has been reported, for an overall total of 2,915.There have been no new health-care facility outbreaks. The outbreaks at Three Links Manor (Interior Health), Amica on the Gorge and Nanaimo Seniors Village (Island Health) are over, for a total of 14 facilities with ongoing outbreaks. Since December 2020, the Province has administered 11,382,63

RCMP say a man who just turned 18 has been charged with manslaughter in the death of another teen in Duncan a year ago. Police say they found a 17 year old boy suffering from stab wounds after they were called to a home at about 1:00 am on March 1st last year. They say the victim was taken to hospital where he later died of his injuries. The Mounties say a boy who was a youth at the time but has since turned 18 was arrested at the home and Crown counsel approved the manslaughter charge on February 27th.

New Westminster police are asking for the public's help in the search for two suspects who robbed a teenager at knife point. Police say the victim was walking home from school last Friday when he was approached by two other youths who demanded he hand over his jacket and backpack. They say one of the youths pointed at knife at the victim and the pair fled after he complied with their demands. Police are asking businesses in the area with security video, drivers with dash cam footage or anyone with information to contact them or Crime Stoppers.

Victoria police have released a photo of a suspect accused of threatening and spitting on a BC Transit driver last week. Police say the driver picked up the suspect a week ago described as a 25-to 35-year-old Caucasian man with a medium build and wearing a dark hat and dark jacket. They say the passenger immediately became confrontational and threatened to stab the driver, moved around the Plexiglas barrier, then spit on the driver's face before leaving. Police are asking anyone who recognizes the suspect or has information about the incident to contact them.

British Columbia has removed any mention of COVID-19 vaccination deadlines from its order requiring health-care professionals to report their vaccination status. A statement issued late Monday by the Health Ministry says the Office of the Provincial Health Officer has finalized its order covering 18 categories of health-care professionals, from doctors and nurses to massage therapists, pharmacists, dentists, naturopaths and traditional medicine practitioners. The new order says those 18 professional health colleges were told last week that they must give personal information about their regis