Tossing bread crusts to geese or the remains of a sandwich to a raccoon will soon be an offence in any Vancouver park, punishable by a hefty fine. Vancouver park board commissioners have voted unanimously to amend park bylaws to prohibit the feeding of any wild animal, from pigeons and geese to squirrels, raccoons and coyotes. The approved proposal calls for a $500 fine for each offence but several commissioners also support a sliding scale that would include higher fines for repeat offences. Staff will draft a revised bylaw and return it to the board for consideration and final approval at a

Six candidates seeking the leadership of the BC Liberal Party meet tonight in the campaign's first debate streaming live on the party's website and Facebook page. The Liberals will elect a new leader February 5th to replace former leader Andrew Wilkinson who stepped down shortly after the party's election defeat last October. Stewart Prest, a political science lecturer at Simon Fraser University, says the Liberals are seeking new political directions after consecutive election losses, and the debate offers opportunities for the candidates to put forward new visions. The six candidates are: Va

Over a three-day period, B.C. is reporting 2,239 new cases of COVID-19, for a total of 184,780 cases in the province. Sept. 24-25: 876 new casesSept. 25-26: 657 new casesSept. 26-27: 706 new cases There are 6,098 active cases of COVID-19 in the province and 176,354 people who tested positive have recovered. Of the active cases, 303 individuals are in hospital and 141 are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation. In the past 72 hours, 18 new deaths have been reported, for an overall total of 1,940.The new deaths include:Fraser Health: threeInterior Health

A serious crash on the Port Mann bridge shut down the eastbound lanes on Highway 1 over the bridge for hours today and also affected some westbound traffic on the busy route. The BC Highway Patrol says its criminal collision investigation team was called after a delivery truck rammed the back of a disabled pickup just after 10 this morning, injuring the pickup driver who was outside the vehicle and trapping the delivery driver, who had to be freed by emergency crews. Drive BC on Twitter: PortMannBridge - the Eastbound [EB] multi-vehicle incident that occurred at approx 10:30 AM is still in th

The family of a young Indigenous woman is marking the fourth anniversary of her disappearance in Metro Vancouver as her parents appeal for any information that could help them find her. Kristina Ward was 20 years old when she left her home in Abbotsford to visit friends in Langley and was last seen on surveillance tape in Surrey on September 27th, 2017, walking with an unknown man. Her parents walked the stretch of 104th Avenue at 140th Street today, retracing their daughter's last known steps, and urged anyone with information to contact Langley RCMP about the 5 foot 5 inch, 130 pound woman

A Victoria police officer has been seriously injured after being struck by a vehicle on a city street. Police say in a news release that the officer was on special duty assignment, accompanying city bylaw staff on Monday morning, when he was hit. The department says the officer was standing next to his vehicle when he was hit from behind. The officer is being treated in hospital for serious but non-life-threatening injuries. The driver of the vehicle was arrested at the scene. Police say the man will be held while the investigation is ongoing.

University of BC president Santa Ono has issued a statement of condolence following the deaths of two students early Sunday. He says the accident that resulted in the deaths of two 18 year old students is an awful tragedy and the entire university is in mourning. University RCMP says the male and female students were walking together on the sidewalk on Northwest Marine Drive when a vehicle veered off the road and they were struck and killed. RCMP says the driver of the vehicle, a 21 year old male, was taken to hospital with minor injuries and was released to appear in court at a later date. U

Park board commissioners in Vancouver are preparing to vote on a proposal that could impose stiff fines for feeding any type of wildlife in city parks. Commissioners are considering amendments that include a fine of $500 for anyone feeding wild animals ranging from pigeons, crows and geese to squirrels, raccoons and coyotes. If the board adopts the recommendation at its meeting Monday night, a bylaw could be drafted and presented for enactment within weeks. Attracting or feeding dangerous wildlife, including as coyotes, bears or cougars, is already banned under the Provincial Wildlife Act and

Starting today, the only acceptable proof of vaccination in British Columbia to dine at restaurants and attend indoor recreational events is the B.C. Vaccine Card. The government says the transition period allowing people to present their vaccine records from their immunization appointments expired Sunday. The vaccine card, under orders from provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry, is required at most restaurants and indoor events to help ensure businesses can stay open and people can feel safe in these settings. Health Minister Adrian Dix says more than three million people in B.C. have a