VicPD Community Services Division (CSD) officers, working with the Greater Victoria Emergency Response Team (GVERT), arrested a man and seized fentanyl, weapons, and cash after an investigation into drug trafficking in Victoria.In early October, CSD officers began an investigation into a suspected drug trafficker operating out of a suite in a multi-unit residential building in the 900-block of Johnson Street. On Friday, October 15th, members of GVERT arrested the suspect in the 900-block of Pandora Avenue. A loud distraction device was utilized in the course of the arrest due to concerns that

B.C. is reporting 696 new cases of COVID-19, including eight epi-linked cases, for a total of 199,534 cases in the province.There are 4,888 active cases of COVID-19 in the province and 192,189 people who tested positive have recovered. Of the active cases, 370 individuals are in hospital and 139 are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation. In the past 24 hours, six new deaths have been reported, for an overall total of 2,092.The new deaths include: Fraser Health: fiveVancouver Coastal Health: one There has been one new health-care facility outbreak at S

Charges against two men have been approved by BC Prosecution Services following a Vancouver Police project to target offenders responsible for catalytic converter thefts."Catalytic converter thefts have become an ongoing problem in Vancouver, costing car owners thousands of dollars in repairs," says Constable Tania Visintin, VPD. "Over the last seven days, there were 18 reported catalytic converter thefts in Vancouver alone."Beginning in July, VPD’s Property Crime Unit launched a project into two prolific catalytic converter theft suspects who they believed were responsible for numerous repo

Statistics Canada says the cost of living just keeps climbing, with the annual inflation rate reaching 4.4 per cent in September, up three-tenths of a point from its August setting. Economists say the 4.4 per cent jump since September of last year has pushed inflation to its highest level since February 2003, with soaring gas prices and a rebound from last year's pandemic lows blamed for a hefty chunk of the increase. Year-over-year inflation in BC was a little more modest as Stats Can says the September rate in the province didn't budge from its 3.5 per cent setting. Prices in Vancouver edge

Vancouver Police are investigating after two replica pipe bombs were found inside toilets at a safe injection site on the Downtown Eastside."Pipe bombs are extremely dangerous. They can eject pieces of shrapnel in all directions causing serious injuries or death," says Constable Tania Visintin. "At a glance, replica pipe bombs can appear very real. As such, we take these calls very seriously and must investigate them thoroughly."On October 16 just before 3 p.m., cleaning staff at the safe injection site near Pender and Abbott streets found what are now known as two replica pipe bombs inside th

The union representing some workers at LifeLabs, the largest provider of medical laboratory services in British Columbia, has issued strike notice on behalf of its members. The B.C. General Employees' Union says notice was issued Tuesday, putting its roughly 1,500 members in a legal strike position by Friday night. A statement from the union says the action comes after a 98 per cent strike mandate in July, followed by several months of negotiations, bargaining and mediation. Workers have been without a contract since April and the union says wages are the main issue, although LifeLabs says on

A motorcyclist has been killed in a crash in Richmond. It happened late yesterday afternoon on the Westminster Highway just west of the Alex Fraser Bridge. RCMP say a truck and the motorcycle collided but a cause of the crash is still under investigation. Police want to speak to witnesses or anyone with dashcam video.

The Vancouver Coastal Health Authority is taking over operations of a Vancouver care home where dozens of residents died during a COVID-19 outbreak that began last November and took months to contain. A statement from the health authority says the Ministry of Health has approved the transfer of operations and assets from Little Mountain Residential Care and Housing Society. The transfer includes Little Mountain Place, a 116-bed long-term care home for seniors, where 41 deaths and many more COVID-19 illnesses were reported last winter. The statement says the transition, which also includes a 9

B.C. is reporting 560 new cases of COVID-19, including eight epi-linked cases, for a total of 198,838 cases in the province.There are 4,913 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, and 191,476 people who tested positive have recovered. Of the active cases, 382 individuals are in hospital and 146 are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation. In the past 24 hours, five new deaths have been reported, for an overall total of 2,086.The new deaths include:Fraser Health: twoNorthern Health: twoIsland Health: oneThere has been one new health-care facility outbr