A man is in custody after a fire gutted a restaurant in Aldergrove early yesterday. Police and fire crews were called to the blaze at the eatery on Fraser Highway just after midnight. They say the building was fully engulfed when they got there. RCMP say the suspect was allegedly trying to keep warm when the fire got out of hand and that charges are pending.

B-C is reporting an increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations this week.The province's Centre for Disease Control says 485 COVID patients are in hospital -- up from 364 last week -- and 38 of them are receiving critical care.It says the province recorded 27 virus-related deaths during the week ending April 16th, compared with 23 the previous week.B-C recorded two-thousand and 36 COVID-19 cases, although health experts have said the actual number of cases is much higher.

Surrey R-C-M-P are investigating two reports of partial human remains being found in the city's downtown and are asking for anyone with any information to contact police.It says the first report of possible human remains came on Saturday and the second report came Sunday.The Mounties say the remains have not yet been identified, they are believed to be from the same victim.It says its serious crimes unit is working with the B-C Coroners Service to identify the remains.

Environment Canada says B-C has set almost two dozen cold weather temperature records in recent days.Environment Canada says most of the records were set Saturday as a deep trough of cool air covered much of province's central and southern regions.The communities of Princeton and Bella Coola broke cold weather temperatures for April 16th that had stood for more then 100 years.Environment Canada says even Vancouver, which recorded minus 1.2 Celsius, broke an April 16th cold weather temperature mark dating back to 1896.

After declining to consider a co-host role for the Soccer World Cup when it comes to Canada in 2026, BC is now back on the pitch. FIFA, international soccer's governing body, says Vancouver has joined Edmonton and Toronto as a ``candidate host city.'' BC backed out in 2018 citing unknown costs but, after a visit to BC Place, FIFA officials confirm Vancouver is onside again. BC's sport minister Melanie Mark says in a statement that hosting the event would be a ``once-in-a-generation opportunity'' for soccer fans and the province's tourism sector.

Vancouver police say they have found and arrested a man they described as a high-risk sex offender. Police said Kenneth Kirton had been missing since he failed to return to his Vancouver halfway house on Monday. A statement issued this morning says the 55 year old is in custody but it doesn't say where or when he was found. A Canada-wide warrant had been issued for Kirton, who was convicted of sexual assault in 1987 and is now serving a 10-year supervision order.

A case of avian flu has been confirmed on a poultry farm in the north Okanagan. Agriculture Minister Lana Popham says testing, surveillance and mapping of the outbreak area is being handled by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, and it is also managing the disposal of any infected birds. An order from BC's deputy chief veterinarian requires all commercial poultry producers with more than 100 birds to move them indoors at least until May 13th to separate them from wild birds. The H-5-N-1 strain of avian flu was detected in wild birds around Metro Vancouver earlier this year, and several provi

Travellers aboard a B.C. ferry heading to Nanaimo endured an epic late-night sailing when the vessel had engine trouble mid-voyage. BC Ferries says the Queen of Oak Bay departed Horseshoe Bay at about 8 p.m. Wednesday and was expected to reach Departure Bay on Vancouver Island before 10 p.m.But the 90-minute trip became a five-hour marathon when the company says the ship had mechanical difficulty with its steering gear.It says a tug was needed to bring the vessel into the dock in Nanaimo at about 1 a.m.Repairs forced cancellation of numerous sailings between Nanaimo and the mainland on Thursda

Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart says the building destroyed by fire that included low-income housing will likely be demolished. The number of people displaced by yesterday's fire in the city's Gastown neighbourhood has risen to 144. That includes 71 residents of the Winters Hotel and 73 others in the neighbouring Gastown Hotel that was damaged in the blaze. Vancouver officials say efforts are underway to find housing for the displaced residents, which will add pressure to the city's scare supply of housing stock for low-income residents.