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

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

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.''

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

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

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

The driver of a luxury vehicle has been given a ticket for excessive speeding. The driver was allegedly speeding near a SkyTrain station in Burnaby. According to Metro Vancouver Transit Police, a Ferrari driver was caught speeding at 133km/h in the 70km/h zone. Transit Police Enforcement Team on Twitter: Note to self...Don't excessively speed the day you buy your Ferrari. Just another way of provided safety to riders walking to the Lake City SkyTrain Station. This was 300 meters from the crosswalk to the station on Lougheed Highway.

One man has been injured in the latest shooting in Surrey. Police say they were called to a home in the Newton area just after seven last night and found a victim with non-life-threatening injuries who is now recovering. Investigators say their work is in the early stages, but it appears the attack was targeted. The shooting came barely 24 hours after a 19 year old man was shot and wounded in Surrey's Guildford neighbourhood and police say that case also appears targeted.

Premier John Horgan says drivers in British Columbia will get a one-time relief rebate to help drivers deal with the cost of rising gas prices caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.Horgan says the provincial government approached the Insurance Corporation of B.C. to provide drivers with a basic auto insurance policy with a $110 rebate and commercial drivers with $165.He says a one-time payment is a better approach than cutting fuel taxes because the price will only increase again at the pumps.Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth says the payment will cost $395 million.