The British Columbia government says truck drivers will be safer and more skilled once they have completed the province's new mandatory entry-level training program. The Ministry of Transportation says in a written statement that beginning next Monday, anyone applying for a B.C. Class 1 driver's licence must successfully complete the training program before attempting a road test. A Class 1 licence is required by operators of truck and trailer rigs where the trailer is equipped with air brakes. The ministry statement says the program aligns with a new truck driver training framework introduce

A report from BC's seniors' advocate calls for mandatory vaccinations for all staff in assisted living and long-term care homes, along with booster shots for residents demands that the province had already started to act upon. The report from Isobel Mackenzie says seniors in all types and levels of care home are three-and-a-half times more likely to contract COVID-19 and 33 times more likely to die of it. Her review finds seniors especially those in care facilities have been the hardest hit by the pandemic because they are the most frequent victims of the virus. Provincial data shows just und

Vancouver police say three men have been stabbed in a series of attacks that began on the city's Downtown Eastside yesterday afternoon. A written statement from police says investigators are trying to determine if the stabbings are linked, but the public is not believed to be at risk. A 27 year old suspect was arrested after the first attack in a social housing complex at about 1 pm yesterday but Constable Tania Visintin says the other two victims were stabbed early this morning and no arrests have been made. She says the 27 year old suspect was tracked to an apartment building where he was f

The province's law enforcement watchdog is investigating police actions during a shooting in Richmond Tuesday. RCMP say police officers responded to calls about an armed man and when they arrived on scene shots were fired by police. They say officers provided medical assistance to the man before paramedics arrived and transported him to the hospital in critical condition. The Mounties say the Independent Investigations Office is looking into the incident but no other details were released.

One person is dead after a shooting in Surrey Tuesday night.RCMP were called to the 12200 block of 80 Avenue for a gunshot call at approximately 9:56 p.m.An adult victim was found with gunshot wounds, but died of their injuries at the scene.No details have been released about the victim.Police have not revealed a motive for the shooting, saying the investigation is in the evidence gathering phaseThe Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) has been called and will be working together with the Surrey RCMP Major Crime Section.

Surrey RCMP is seeking witnesses to a sexual assault that occurred in Bear Creek Park.On September 27, 2021, just before 5:00 pm, Surrey RCMP received a report that a woman walking in Bear Creek Park was grabbed from behind by an unknown man. The woman was able to quickly escape and the suspect fled the area on foot.The suspect is described as a 20-30 year old man with a darker complexion, black curly hair past his ears, medium build, approximately 5’10, and was wearing a grey hoody with baggy pants.Officers are working with the victim and consulting with a Forensic Sketch artist in order to

B.C. is reporting 593 new cases of COVID-19, including nine epi-linked cases, for a total of 190,372 cases in the province.There are 5,937 active cases of COVID-19 in the province and 182,045 people who tested positive have recovered. Of the active cases, 345 individuals are in hospital and 144 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 1,983.There has been one new health-care facility outbreak at the University Hospital of Northern BC (Northern Health). The outbreak at Men

A global human rights group says poor support from the provincial government during the heat wave in June compounded risks for the disabled and elderly. A researcher with the group Human Rights Watch says people with disabilities and older people are at high risk of heat stress, but they were left to cope with dangerous heat on their own. The BC Corners Service identified 569 heat-related deaths from June 20th to July 29th, and 79 per cent of those who died were aged 65 and older. Health Minister Adrian Dix said when he was asked about the study during question periods today that he was gutte

British Columbia's 30 thousand provincial employees will need to be fully vaccinated by November 22nd. The province has announced the new measure, saying it's supporting the effort to increase vaccination rates by making the requirement for its workers. It says as more employees return to their regular workplaces later this fall, full vaccination will provide an additional and reassuring layer of protection for them. The government says public service employees working in core government ministries will be required to provide proof of full vaccination using the BC Vaccine Card.