A report examining thousands of deaths linked to illicit drugs in BC says the province must act over the next 90 days to develop a policy that delivers a safer supply of drugs. The death review panel report released by chief coroner Lisa Lapointe calls on the government, the BC Centre for Disease Control and the BC Centre on Substance Use to find a way toward a safer supply, with measurable action taken over the next 30, 60 and 90 days. The report looked at 6,000 deaths between August 2017 and July 2021 and found increasingly toxic drugs, coupled with a policy of prohibition, forces reliance

B.C. is reporting 254 new cases of COVID-19, including one epi-linked case, for a total of 351,141 cases in the province. There are 419 individuals hospitalized with COVID-19 and 63 are in intensive care.In the past 24 hours, one new death (Fraser Health) has been reported, for an overall total of 2,915.There have been no new health-care facility outbreaks. The outbreaks at Three Links Manor (Interior Health), Amica on the Gorge and Nanaimo Seniors Village (Island Health) are over, for a total of 14 facilities with ongoing outbreaks. Since December 2020, the Province has administered 11,382,63

RCMP say a man who just turned 18 has been charged with manslaughter in the death of another teen in Duncan a year ago. Police say they found a 17 year old boy suffering from stab wounds after they were called to a home at about 1:00 am on March 1st last year. They say the victim was taken to hospital where he later died of his injuries. The Mounties say a boy who was a youth at the time but has since turned 18 was arrested at the home and Crown counsel approved the manslaughter charge on February 27th.

New Westminster police are asking for the public's help in the search for two suspects who robbed a teenager at knife point. Police say the victim was walking home from school last Friday when he was approached by two other youths who demanded he hand over his jacket and backpack. They say one of the youths pointed at knife at the victim and the pair fled after he complied with their demands. Police are asking businesses in the area with security video, drivers with dash cam footage or anyone with information to contact them or Crime Stoppers.

Victoria police have released a photo of a suspect accused of threatening and spitting on a BC Transit driver last week. Police say the driver picked up the suspect a week ago described as a 25-to 35-year-old Caucasian man with a medium build and wearing a dark hat and dark jacket. They say the passenger immediately became confrontational and threatened to stab the driver, moved around the Plexiglas barrier, then spit on the driver's face before leaving. Police are asking anyone who recognizes the suspect or has information about the incident to contact them.

British Columbia has removed any mention of COVID-19 vaccination deadlines from its order requiring health-care professionals to report their vaccination status. A statement issued late Monday by the Health Ministry says the Office of the Provincial Health Officer has finalized its order covering 18 categories of health-care professionals, from doctors and nurses to massage therapists, pharmacists, dentists, naturopaths and traditional medicine practitioners. The new order says those 18 professional health colleges were told last week that they must give personal information about their regis

The federal and British Columbia governments are spending $830 million to provide access to high-speed internet across the province.In a news release, the province says the plan means many First Nations communities will have high-speed internet access for the first time.B.C. is promising that every home and community will have the service by 2027, which was also promised in the budget announced last month.The funding will be evenly split between the federal and provincial governments, which will cover the cost of infrastructure including low-orbit satellites or fixed and fibre internet connect

Members of the Tk'emlups te Secwepemc First Nation will gather later this week in Kamloops to share ideas about the upcoming delegation that will meet with the pope at the Vatican. Tk'emlups Chief Rosanne Casimir is among the Indigenous leaders chosen to attend the audience later this month but she has also been granted a one-on-one meeting with Pope Francis. She says band members should meet at 6 p-m Thursday ``with an open mind, suggestions and comments'' as she prepares for the audience. Casimir has said she intends to invite Pope Francis to Kamloops during his visit to Canada later this y

Over a three-day period, B.C. is reporting 997 new cases of COVID-19, for a total of 350,941 cases in the province:March 4-5: 385 new casesMarch 5-6: 327 new casesMarch 6-7: 285 new casesThere are 449 individuals hospitalized with COVID-19 and 63 are in intensive care.In the past 72 hours, 11 new deaths have been reported, for an overall total of 2,914. There have been no new health-care facility outbreaks. The outbreaks at Menno Home, Cascade Gardens Seniors Community (Fraser Health) and Sun Pointe Village (Interior Health) have been declared over, for a total of 17 facilities with ongoing ou