British Columbia officials are reassuring residents that health and emergency services are ready to help people through another heat wave this week. The Health Ministry is urging those in areas where heat and smoky skies warnings have been posted to take steps to keep cool and stay safe as many parts of the province continue to experience poor air quality due to wildfires. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says in a statement that people must be extra vigilant and check in with those who are most at risk during heat waves, including seniors, infants, children and those with chronic he

The COVID-19 infection rate in British Columbia has leaped to 536, a figure not seen since mid-May. A Health Ministry statement says there are more than 3,500 active cases in the province and more than half of those are in the Interior Health region. New restrictions were introduced last week by provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry in the central Okanagan region as case counts multiplied, spurred by the more contagious Delta variant. There has been one more death and outbreaks are increasing in B.C.'s long-term care sector, with the discovery of COVID-19 in eight care homes around the p

Vancouver Police are warning the public about a significant increase in reported sexual assaults city-wide."We have seen a 129 per cent increase in stranger sexual assaults reported to us in July alone when compared to July of 2019," says Constable Tania Visintin, VPD. "In particular, there has been a 167 per cent increase in sexual assaults related to the Granville Entertainment District when compared to the three-year average for the month of July. This is obviously very concerning."Since July 1 of this year, there have been eight incidents related to the Granville Entertainment District. Th

The wildfire situation is continually evolving, and the information below is current as of 7 p.m. (Pacific time) on Tuesday, Aug. 10, 2021.FiresWildfires currently burning in B.C.: 260​Since April 1, 2021:1, 454 wildfires655,934 hectares of area burnedActive fires by fire centre:Cariboo: 33Coastal: 21Kamloops: 80Northwest: 6Prince George: 57Southeast: 63ResourcesFirefighters and other personnel currently fighting fires: 3,633Out-of-province firefighters: 341Helicopters and planes supporting ground crews: 203EvacuationsEvacuation orders: 60 (-3)Evacuation alerts: 105 (-3)Properties: Number of

B.C. is reporting 395 new cases of COVID-19, including two epi-linked cases, for a total of 153,313 cases in the province.There are 3,284 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, and 148,215 people who tested positive have recovered. Of the active cases, 71 individuals are in hospital and 23 are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation. In the past 24 hours, no new deaths have been reported, for an overall total of 1,777.There have been no new health-care facility outbreaks. There are seven active outbreaks in:long-term care: Holyrood Manor, Kin Village

Burnaby RCMP has shared information about an incident where a fast moving vehicle was stopped and investigation led to seizure of suspected drugs and cash. Burnaby RCMP on Twitter: BGET officers pulled a speeding vehicle over on Canada Way. Driver could not produce a DL & was arrested when police located OC spray at his feet.Suspected drugs were seized:➡️Crack➡️Cocaine➡️Heroin➡️FentanylAlso:Cell phone $1,250 cash Investigation is ongoing.

A 77 year old pedestrian has died three weeks after being hit while crossing a street in Burnaby. At the time of the accident on July 18th, near Burnaby's Central Park, police said the unnamed victim had life-altering injuries but was in stable condition. RCMP confirm the man died in hospital and investigators are again appealing for any dashcam video or any witnesses. The driver of the vehicle that hit the man remained at the scene and has spoken with police. Burnaby RCMP on Twitter: 77-year-old pedestrian involved in a motor vehicle collision on July 18, has died in hospitalhttps://bit.ly/3

Three First Nations have launched an initiative to find answers about the children who once attended St. Paul's Indian Residential School in North Vancouver but never made it home. The Squamish, Tsleil-Waututh and Musqueam nations have announced an Indigenous-led plan to find answers and confirm the oral histories told by St. Paul's survivors about children who disappeared. Squamish Nation representative Khelsilem says they know current archives document a number of children died at the school, but the records are "piecemeal." More than 2,000 Indigenous children representing six nations attend

The wildfire situation is continually evolving, and the information below is current as of 7 p.m. (Pacific time) on Monday, Aug. 9, 2021.Fires:Wildfires burning in B.C.: 260Since April 1, 2021:1,451 wildfires650,582 hectares burnedActive fires by fire centre:Cariboo: 32Coastal: 22Kamloops: 80Northwest: 6Prince George: 58Southeast: 62Crews and equipment:Firefighters and other personnel fighting the fires: 3,549Out-of-province firefighters: 364Helicopters and planes supporting ground crews: 209Evacuations:Evacuation orders: 63 (-3)Evacuation alerts: 108 (+2)Properties:Number of properties on ord