British Columbia's education minister says capacity at school-based events will be capped at 50 per cent for spectators to provide some physical distancing because proof of vaccination will not be required. Jennifer Whiteside says the measure is in contrast to the lifting of capacity limits starting at midnight for community-based gatherings, where COVID-19 vaccine passports must still be shown. Whiteside says the capacity cap applies to extracurricular events, whether they are on or off school property, and marks a return to the rules that were in effect last fall. Provincial health officer

Two-time Olympic Bronze medallist Meryeta O'Dine received a boisterous welcome as she returned to her hometown of Prince George for the first time in five months. Family members and supporters waving welcome home signs cheered yesterday as O'Dine walked through the arrivals gate at the Prince George airport. She called the greeting ``just amazing,'' saying she's looking forward to a few days of rest and maybe a trip to her favourite fast-food restaurant. The 24 year old, who finished third in the women's and mixed snowboard cross events in Beijing, is the first Olympic medallist from Prince G

On February 15th at approximately 11:00 am, New Westminster Police Department officers were called to Glenbrook Middle School for a report of indecent exposure.Staff at the school phoned the New Westminster Police Department to report that an unknown male exposed his genitals to a group of children on the school grounds. The suspect is described as a Caucasian man, between 40 to 50 years of age, standing 5’6" tall, with a medium build, balding dark hair, wearing a blue puffy jacket, dark blue jeans, and black shoes. The suspect fled across 8th Avenue and towards McBride Boulevard and the Roy

Police say a man has died after being stabbed in Abbotsford. They say an officer was flagged down Tuesday afternoon and found the 30 year old man injured. Abbotsford police say he later died in hospital and RCMP homicide investigators are taking over the case. They say a suspect had yet to be identified. Abbotsford police on Twitter: Abbotsford Police Investigating a Homicide on Simon Ave. Victim is a 30-year-old male. Investigators are in the early stages. No information to suggest the public is at risk. IHIT has been called to scene.

There has been a big development in Kiran Dhesi's murder case. Kiran's boyfriend, Harjot Singh Deo has pleaded guilty to charges of manslaughter and indignity to human remains. Harjot appeared at Vancouver Supreme Court today for the hearing.Deo's lawyer stated that Deo was carrying a gun, which accidently fired. His lawyer added that thereafter Deo tried to take steps to try and hide her identity. Kiran Dhesi, a student of KPU was found dead in a burning car on August 2, 2017.The next hearing for this case is on Feburary 23rd.

British Columbia will drop capacity limits for indoor and outdoor gatherings including at sporting events, fitness centres, restaurants, bars and nightclubs starting tomorrow. People will be allowed to dance and mingle in public spaces starting at 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday but masks and the COVID-19 vaccine card will still be required at organized gatherings like weddings and sports tournaments. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says B.C. isn't out of the pandemic and officials know the virus could mutate into new variants that may evade immunity that has built up. Mask requirements, t

BMO Financial Group has partnered with Surrey Hospitals Foundation with a gift of $250,000 to help further the professional development of pediatric nurses. This is the largest grant invested for pediatric nursing professional development in Fraser Health's history, and will benefit the health care of children in region. Surrey Memorial Hospital is the pediatric hub of BC as the largest provider of newborn and pediatric health care in the province, treating more than 50,000 babies and children annually. The Maternity Clinics at Jim Pattison Outpatient Care and Surgery Centre (JPOCSC) see over

Over a three-day period, B.C. is reporting 2,701 new cases of COVID-19, for a total of 341,286 cases in the province:Feb. 11-12: 1,151 new casesFeb. 12-13: 883 new casesFeb. 13-14: 667 new casesNote: The numbers of new and total cases are provisional due to a system-wide downtime.The new cases include:Fraser Health: 783Vancouver Coastal Health: 495Interior Health: 676Northern Health: 324Island Health: 423People who reside outside of Canada: noneThere are 803 individuals hospitalized with COVID-19 and 119 are in intensive care.In the past 72 hours, 17 new deaths have been reported, for an overa

Police say they are investigating after a statue commemorating the founder of a Vancouver neighbourhood was pulled down during the annual Women's Memorial March on Monday.Police say several hundred people gathered around the statue of John Deighton, better known as "Gassy Jack," as the march wound past the landmark.They say in a statement that demonstrators tied ropes around the statue, pulled it down and then covered it in red paint.Deighton, who came to Vancouver from England in the mid-1800s is known for establishing Gastown, and his statue was given as a gift to the city on Valentine's Day