The BC Coroners Service has released data for the first four months of this year showing the number of BC deaths linked to illicit drug use outstripped the number of deaths caused by homicides, crashes, drownings, suicides and fires, combined. Chief coroner Lisa Lapointe says the volatile illicit drug supply means users risk their lives every time they consume something purchased from the unregulated market. She says at least 161 people died from toxic illicit drugs in April, equal to about 5.4 deaths per day, and 26 per cent were female, marking a shifting trend that has been growing since e

A commercial poultry farm in Langley Township is the latest to report an outbreak of avian flu in BC. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency says the H-5-N-1 strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza was confirmed on the farm yesterday. Data from the agency shows this is the first outbreak among flocks in Langley and a primary control zone is still being determined. It's the 16th confirmed outbreak in BC since the first was reported in the north Okanagan in mid-April and it's the fourth commercial flock to be affected.

Longtime British Columbia teacher, labour leader and politician Jinny Sims has announced her intention to run for mayor in Surrey when municipal elections are held this fall. Sims made it official Wednesday at an event with the newly formed municipal party Surrey Forward and the party's four declared council candidates, Ramon Bandong, Jim Bennett, June Liu and Theresa Pidcock. She has represented the provincial riding of Surrey-Panorama as a New Democrat since 2017 and also served as the NDP member of Parliament for the Newton-North Delta riding between 2011 and 2015. Sims also worked as a hi

At least three motorcycles, excessively speeding and weaving in and out of traffic on Highway 17, prompted over a dozen 9-1-1 calls to police Monday evening. On Monday, June 6 at 7 p.m. witnesses reported to police that the motorcycles were racing up and down Highway 17 in Saanich and then into neighbouring Central Saanich, North Saanich and Sidney. There are reports they were in the West Shore area as well.Traffic Safety Officers with the Saanich Police Department attended to the highway, observed the racing motorcycles and attempted to stop them. The riders failed to pull over and they conti

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is reporting more outbreaks of avian flu in British Columbia and Alberta. After a succession of outbreaks of the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus in both provinces during April and May, the agency website shows a reprieve of about 10 days at the end of last month.But the agency now confirms outbreaks in early June in small flocks in three widely separated B.C. farms in Peace River, Sechelt and Summerland, bringing the total number of infected farms in the province to 15.Outbreaks on June 2 have also been confirmed in two small flocks in Alberta,

British Columbia's health and safety agency for workers has imposed a hefty fine on BC Ferry Services Inc., over the death of one of its workers in June 2020. A statement on the WorkSafeBC site says a fine of $674,445 was imposed last month. It says one of the firm's employees was doing work on a ferry that was docked for maintenance in Richmond. The worker leaned onto a fabric webbing panel that broke away when he was trying to retrieve an item floating in the water, and he drowned. The agency says the worker wasn't wearing a life-jacket and the fabric panels were insufficient at stopping hi

Firefighters and number crunchers are joining forces in a bid to prevent house fires, reduce injuries and save lives. BC's fire commissioner, Brian Godlonton, says his office and Statistics Canada will work together to create a dashboard that identifies areas in communities that are at greatest risk of house fires. Godlonton says an increasing number of fire deaths is a ``concerning trend'' across BC and Canada and the dashboard will help fire officials know where to focus their prevention and safety programs. The fire commissioner's annual report shows a 119 per cent increase in fire-related

Amada Todd's mother has told the B.C. Supreme Court that her daughter let out "a shriek" before running downstairs to show her a Facebook profile using a topless photo of the Port Coquitlam teenager as its main image. Carol Todd testified Tuesday on the second day of the trial of Aydin Coban, a Dutch man who prosecutors say waged a campaign of "sextortion" against the teenager, who died in October 2012.Coban has pleaded not guilty to extortion, harassment, communication with a young person to commit a sexual offence and two counts of possessing child pornography.Todd told the jury trial that s

A former counsellor at a private school in West Vancouver has been sentenced to four months in jail and 18 months of probation after pleading guilty to possession of child pornography. 54 year old Luke Lawson was fired from Mulgrave School following his arrest in September 2020 after police found dozens of printed photos of nude girls aged eight to 13 years old inside his apartment. His lawyers had argued for a conditional discharge while the Crown had been seeking a six-month sentence. The judge ruled Lawson had suffered greatly for the offence but agreed jail time was appropriate because he