Metro Vancouver Transit Police are searching for two suspects after a woman reported being hit by people who refused to wear a mask on a SkyTrain. Masks are mandatory on the transit system to help curb the spread of COVID-19. The police say the woman was travelling through Burnaby Monday evening when she asked a man and a woman sitting near her if they had masks to put on. They say the female suspect then got up and allegedly struck the victim, causing her to fall out of her seat, and both suspects allegedly hit her while she was on the ground before they got off the SkyTrain at Metrotown sta

B.C. is reporting 525 new cases of COVID-19, for a total of 180,178 cases in the province.Note: The numbers of total and new cases are provisional due to a delayed data refresh and will be verified once confirmed.There are currently 5,282 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, and 172,624 people who tested positive have recovered. Of the active cases, 332 individuals are currently in hospital and 155 are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.In the past 24 hours, one new death (Vancouver Coastal Health) has been reported, for a total of 1,900.There

Premier John Horgan has issued the following statement regarding the Canadian federal election on Sept. 20, 2021:"I have spoken to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau this morning and offered my congratulations following yesterday’s federal election."We talked about continuing our work to make life better for British Columbians."We will further our collaborative efforts to tackle climate change, make quality child care more affordable for families and build the infrastructure we need to keep our people and economy moving. Of utmost importance are ongoing efforts to further reconciliation with Indi

British Columbia's top doctor is encouraging people who are pregnant, planning to get pregnant or breastfeeding to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Dr. Bonnie Henry says 40 pregnant women have received intensive care in the province in the last few months and while that group of people wasn't included in clinical trials, real-life evidence shows vaccination prevents severe illness and hospitalization. Henry says she also wants to ensure health-care workers who are in their child-bearing years get vaccinated to protect themselves, their colleagues and others who may be exposed to the virus. Sh

One person has been killed in a shooting near Vernon, B.C. RCMP say they responded to reports of a vehicle fleeing the scene of a possible shooting on Monday. A body was discovered when officers arrived. A suspect vehicle was spotted near Armstrong and RCMP say they arrested one man. RCMP Sgt. Janelle Shoihet says more details about the identity of the victim will be released after further investigation and once relatives are informed. She says police believe the suspect and victim knew each other and there is no ongoing threat to public safety.

British Columbians are waking up to a shift in the province's federal political landscape after last night's election saw both the Liberals and NDP pick up seats from the Conservatives. The Conservatives had hoped to make inroads in some of the battleground ridings around Metro Vancouver but instead saw their 17 seat lead drop by four. Meanwhile, incumbent candidates from all three parties will be returning to Parliament, including cabinet ministers Harjit Sajjan, Carla Qualtrough and Jonathan Wilkinson. NDP leader Jagmeet Singh held onto his Burnaby South seat, former Green Party leader Eliz

The president of the BC Nurses Union has resigned over what the union says is personal reasons. A brief statement on the BCNU website says Christine Sorensen will be pursuing other opportunities. Sorensen leaves just a week after the BC government announced mandatory vaccinations for all health-care workers in the province. The union has expressed its support for vaccinations, but has raised concerns that the order will contribute to the already severe nursing shortage. BCNU's message on website: Notice regarding BCNU President - The BC Nurses' Union thanks Christine Sorensen for her years of

Charges have been laid in connection with a fire that killed three people at a motel in Prince George, B.C. RCMP say 35 year old Justin Aster is charged with three counts of criminal negligence causing death and two arson-related offences. Court documents show he is well known to police and made his first appearance at a court in Williams Lake on Friday, when he was ordered to remain in custody until his next date on Thursday. Three people died in the fast-moving blaze at the Econo Lodge Motel on July 8, 2020. Several guests of the downtown motel narrowly escaped when flames broke out just be

Polls opened at 7 a.m. today in most of BC and will close at seven tonight as residents in this province cast their ballots in the federal election. Sixty-seven per cent of eligible BC voters turned out in the last federal election in 2019. Voter turnout was strong on the first day of advance polling this time around, but the ongoing pandemic has the potential to affect overall numbers. 42 ridings are up for grabs in BC including seats represented by federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh in Burnaby South and former Green Party Leader Elizabeth May in Saanich-Gulf Islands.