Vancouver police say a 23-year-old man has been charged with one count of robbery after allegedly threatening a grocery store worker with a meat cleaver. Police say it happened yesterday morning at a grocery store in downtown Vancouver when the worker asked the suspect to put on a mask. It's alleged the man pulled the meat cleaver instead, threatened the worker and then left the store without paying for the groceries. Police arrested the man as he tried to hail a cab and he has since been released on bail and ordered to return to court next week.

Two men, one from Abbotsford, the other from Calgary, face numerous charges related to a series of robberies in Surrey, Langley and Abbotsford. The alleged heists by the 21 and 22 year old suspects happened on October 2nd, 10th and 11th during break-ins at separate cellphone stores in Surrey and Langley and a pharmacy in Abbotsford. The 21 year old Calgary man faces a total of 11 charges including robbery and forcible confinement, while the 22 year old Abbotsford resident is accused of two counts of robbery and two of forcible confinement. Both were arrested on December 20th and remain in cus

B.C. is reporting 9,332 new cases of COVID-19 since Friday. Health officials say a total of 264,181 cases have been reported in the province. The health ministry on Friday reduced the requirement to self-isolate after testing positive for COVID-19 to five days for fully vaccinated people without symptoms. It is encouraging people to wear a mask around others for an additional five days after leaving self-isolation. The ministry said people who haven't been vaccinated are still required to self-isolate for 10 days. It was also announced that visits to long-term care and assisted living fac

B.C. is reporting 4,383 new cases of COVID-19, including 21 epi-linked cases, for a total of 251,054 cases in the province.There are 17,357 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, and 230,784 people who tested positive have recovered. Of the active cases, 211 individuals are in hospital and 66 are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.The new/active cases include:2,319 new cases in Fraser HealthTotal active cases: 7,940977 new cases in Vancouver Coastal HealthTotal active cases: 6,424501 new cases in Interior HealthTotal active cases: 1,713122 new c

"The City of Surrey will be immediately proceeding on building the 84th Ave extension after the B.C. Supreme Court decision today that the City of Surrey is well within its rights to proceed." The Safe Surrey Coalition-led City Council approved this project in July largely due to the heavy congestion at 88thAvenue and King George Boulevard. For many years, this has been Surrey’s most dangerous intersection when it comes to motor vehicle collisions. The 84th Avenue extension will provide a safe, convenient and reliable alternative connection between Newton and Fleetwood that will alleviate pr

British Columbia is delaying the full return to classrooms in January to allow public health officials to assess the impact of the COVID-19 Omicron variant and give school staff time to implement enhanced safety measures. Education Minister Jennifer Whiteside says staff and students whose parents are health workers, as well as those who need extra support, will return to schools Jan. 3 or 4. All other students will return to classrooms Jan. 10. Whiteside says enhanced safety measures will include the cancellation of extracurricular sports and plans to control crowding at schools, such as thro

The Kelowna RCMP Drugs and Organized Crime Section have arrested two men for selling drugs to teens.Over the past year, the Kelowna RCMP has received numerous complaints about a male suspect selling psilocybin (magic mushrooms), LSD and cannabis to teens in Kelowna. Through investigation, the police identified two male suspects who were selling the substances throughout Kelowna. The teens would contact the suspects through text message and receive a menu for the illegal substances. They would then arrange to meet with the suspects at various locations.On December 9, 2021, the Kelowna RCMP Drug

The British Columbia Teachers Federation wants the province to delay the start of the winter term in public schools across B.C. as cases of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 mount. Several social media messages posted by the BCTF and retweeted by union president Teri Mooring say provincial and district officials ``need to do much more'' if they intend to keep schools open in January. The messages list eight expectations to safely reopen schools. Recommendations include: free N-95 masks and rapid tests in all schools; staggered class, recess and lunch times; and, ramped up testing and vaccinatio

British Columbia health officials are scheduled to release an update today on COVID-19 cases, vaccinations, hospitalizations and deaths in the province. The health ministry reported 1,785 new cases of the virus in B.C. on Tuesday. It said in a news release that the numbers are ``preliminary'' and Health Minister Adrian Dix and provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry will release an update at 3 p.m. Experts warn case numbers are likely to be much higher than reported because testing centres are overwhelmed and some patients might have decided not to get tested over the holidays. Henry sa