The City of Vancouver says it has submitted its final proposal for decriminalization of simple possession of drugs to Health Canada, making it the first jurisdiction in the country to apply for such an exemption for federal drug laws. The city says in a statement the so-called ``Vancouver Model'' proposes personal possession threshold levels for 15 common substances and would lead to a dramatic reduction in seizure by police. The news comes the same day the BC Coroners' Service said 176 British Columbians died from toxic illicit drugs in April, bringing the total number of deaths this year to

The family of a 48-year-old homicide victim has posted a 50,000 dollar reward for information that could lead to charges in the case. Relatives of Port Moody resident Trina Hunt announced the reward at a news conference today. The news conference was arranged by the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team. Hunt was last seen in January at her suburban Vancouver home and her body was found March 29th near Hope, although the identity of the remains was not confirmed for several days. The family is optimistic that the reward will produce new information that will help investigators. IHIT on Twitt

Preliminary reporting released by the BC Coroners Service confirms at least 176 British Columbians were lost to toxic illicit drugs in April, bringing the total number of deaths recorded in 2021 to 680."Once again, we're reminded that the scale of this public health emergency is truly unprecedented," said Lisa Lapointe, chief coroner. "I offer my heartfelt condolences to every family in the province that is experiencing the unimaginable pain of sudden and unexpected loss. Every life lost to toxic drugs in our province is a profound tragedy. Every one of them mattered, and every one of them wil

Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C.’s provincial health officer, and Adrian Dix, Minister of Health, have issued a joint statement regarding updates on the COVID-19 response in British Columbia. "Today, we are reporting on three periods. From May 28 to May 29, we had 258 new cases. From May 29 to May 30, we had 238 new cases and in the last 24 hours, we had a further 212 new cases."This results in a total of 708 new cases, for a total of 144,289 cases in British Columbia."There are 2,953 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, and a further 139,562 people who tested positive have recovered."Of the acti

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says no words can do justice to the children whose bodies were found in unmarked graves at a residential school in Kamloops. She started her COVID-19 briefing today by expressing her sorrow for the 215 Indigenous children and the countless others who died alone, scared and far from their families in residential schools. Dr. Henry pledged her commitment to changing systems and laws that continue to perpetuate racism that hurts Indigenous peoples in countless ways. She added Canadians can't get stuck in the shame and grief of what was done to First Nat

The BC RCMP has notified the Independent Investigations Office of British Columbia (IIO BC) of an incident in Prince George where one man sustained serious injuries.Shortly before 7:00 AM on Monday May 31st, 2021, a frontline officer of the Prince George RCMP was conducting an investigation in the area of 15th Avenue and Victoria Street in Prince George.During the course of the investigation a physical altercation ensured between the police officer and male suspect. During the altercation the officer discharged their firearm striking the man. Officers provided first aid and Emergency Health Se

Surrey RCMP is investigating an incident where shots were fired at a residence in the Newton area. On May 31, 2021, at approximately 1:00 am Surrey RCMP responded to a report of a mischief to a window in the 13500 block of 64A Avenue. Upon arrival and further investigation, it was determined that shots were fired at the residence. No persons were injured and the motive of the shooting is still under investigation. Based on the initial investigation there is nothing to suggest that there is any link to the Lower Mainland Gang Conflict. Investigators will be in the area today conducting furthe

On June 1, 2021, B.C.'s lowest paid workers will get a pay boost, with the general minimum wage increasing to $15.20 an hour and the lower discriminatory minimum wage for liquor servers ending.Over the past four years, B.C.'s general minimum wage has increased from $11.35 to $15.20 per hour. It has benefited close to 400,000 British Columbians over those years - the majority of whom are women, immigrants and youth."In 2017, our government made a commitment to increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour by June 2021, through regular, measured and predictable increases," said Harry Bains, Minister

Two people are in hospital after a fire on a boat in Pitt Lake. One of the injured is in critical condition. Emergency Health Services says crews were called to the Grand Narrows boat launch yesterday afternoon after reports of an explosion. One person was airlifted to hospital while the other was transported by ambulance. Video from the scene shows a small motorboat engulfed in flames and thick black smoke pouring out.