Four people suffered undetermined injuries when a water taxi with six people on board ran aground near Tofino, B.C. Navy Lt. Pamela Hogan, a public affairs officer, says the coast guard vessel Cape Ann responded to a report of a 7.6-metre vessel aground about 14 kilometres north of Tofino. She says four of the six people on board the taxi were initially taken to hospital in Tofino for treatment, and their injuries are unknown. Hogan says the Cape Ann towed the damaged water taxi to Tofino after the occupants were transported to the community dock on board another vessel. The incident was repo

B.C. is reporting 1,446 new cases of COVID-19, for a total of 314,522 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 32,468 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, and 277,285 people who tested positive have recovered. Of the active cases, 985 COVID-positive individuals are in hospital and 144 are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.The new/active cases include:508 new cases in Fraser HealthTotal active cases: 14,715309 new cases in Vancouve

British Columbia's vaccine card program is being extended until the end of June.Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says the government is trying to mitigate the risks of spreading COVID-19 and the vaccine card is specifically designed to allow certain businesses and activities to remain open.She says the province will re-examine the proposed end date if conditions improve.While the number of COVID-19 infections is dipping, Henry says hospitalizations are at the highest point of the pandemic.B.C.'s vaccine card, which shows proof of vaccination for those 12 years and older, is used to a

A First Nation in British Columbia says a preliminary geophysical investigation has identified 93 ``reflections'' that could indicate the number of children buried around the site of a former residential school. Chief Willie Sellars of the Williams Lake First Nation says only excavation would confirm the presence of human remains and much more work is needed to make final determinations. He says 14 of 470 hectares around the former St. Joseph's Mission Residential School have so far been examined as part of a process to discover what happened to children who didn't return home. The investigat

The North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP is seeking public assistance to locate Jesse Bennett and his 7-year-old daughter Violet who were reported missing yesterday afternoon. On January 23, 2022 North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP received a report from family that Jesse and Violet Bennett, 7, were missing from their residence which is located in the North Cowichan/Duncan, BC area.On January 20 Victoria Family Law Court set out a Joint Custody agreement and ordered Jesse Bennett to return Violet the same day to her mother.To date, police and family have not been able to make contact with Jesse or Violet Bennett

On January 19, 2022, a charge of 2nd degree murder was sworn against a 16 year old male for the murder of Clifton Johnston that occurred on March 27, 2021 on 4th Avenue in Port Alberni. An arrest warrant was issued.On January 20, 2022, Port Alberni RCMP members arrested the male; his identity cannot be provided due to the Youth Criminal Justice Act. Investigators have been working on this investigation continuously for nearly 10 months, awaiting Forensic Laboratory results and completing the significant disclosure these investigations require for charge approval. The investigation continues.Th

A man who allegedly robbed a senior and assaulted security guards at the Vancouver Public Library has been charged, following a Vancouver Police investigation.VPD arrested the suspect Friday, after he allegedly kicked open a stall door and stole a laptop from a 74-year-old man, who was using the lower-level washroom inside the library. When two security guards tried to stop the suspect from leaving, he allegedly pulled a weapon and fled.The suspect tried to run from police, but was tracked down near the library and arrested following a foot chase.Nobody was injured, and the suspect was taken t

The Williams Lake First Nation chief says the investigation into the former St. Joseph's Mission Residential School site has been challenging as people recounted stories of abuse. Willie Sellars says his key concern is the mental health and welfare of the school's survivors and their families. The preliminary finding results from a geophysical investigation of the former school will be announced later today. The investigation near Williams Lake was announced last June after radar found what is believed to be hundreds of unmarked graves at a former residential school in Kamloops. The ground an

Over a three-day period, B.C. is reporting 4,997 new cases of COVID-19, including three epi-linked cases, for a total of 313,076 cases in the province:Jan. 21-22: 2,163 new casesJan. 22-23: 1,489 new casesJan. 23-24: 1,345 new casesThere are 31,822 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, and 276,529 people who tested positive have recovered. Of the active cases, 987 COVID-positive individuals are in hospital and 129 are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.The new/active cases include:1,702 new cases in Fraser HealthTotal active cases: 14,431862 ne