RCMP and the Insurance Corporation of BC warn officers provincewide will be out this month targeting distracted drivers and anyone not wearing a seatbelt or other appropriate restraint. Superintendent Holly Turton, the Officer in Charge of BC Highway Patrol, says intensified distracted driving enforcement is planned in all areas during September and will cover much more than cellphone use or texting behind the wheel. She says drivers could be ticketed for activities such as personal grooming, eating or drinking, reading, insecure pets or improperly restrained passengers and not knowing their

RCMP in Surrey are search for witnesses who might have seen an altercation between Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum and the driver of a grey Ford Mustang. McCallum has said he was outside a Surrey grocery store on Saturday when the driver shouted at him and then drove over his foot, and a statement from police says the allegations are under investigation and they want to speak to anyone who saw what happened or has dashcam video. An online post by the group 'Keep the RCMP In Surrey' shows it was holding an event outside the grocery store at the time, gathering names on a petition opposing McCallum'

Part of a downtown Vancouver park is being temporarily closed as staff remove tents and other structures. The tents are being removed as staff enforce a bylaw restricting structures from being in CRAB Park, on the Vancouver Harbour waterfront just north of the Downtown Eastside. Donnie Rosa, the parks board general manager, says staff have been able to move some people camping in the park, but roughly 45 have refused to leave. Rosa says there are indoor housing options available for those currently camping in the park and they have until Thursday at 10 am to leave. Vancouver Park Board on Twi

A spokesman for the University of BC is discouraging students from attending frat parties after fines of three-thousand dollars were recently handed to frat house operators hosting parties. Matthew Ramsey says police also issued five thousand dollars in tickets at the Vancouver campus where gatherings were held in violation of guidelines. Ramsey says members of the community are mostly responsible but those that aren't should follow guidelines and provincial orders. He says a lot of work has gone into keeping the campus safe for students to resume in-person learning and it would be a shame if

The wildfire situation is continually evolving, and the information below is current as of 7 p.m. (Pacific time) on Monday, Sept. 6, 2021.Fires:Wildfires burning in B.C.: 211Since April 1, 2021:1,579 wildfires866,828 hectares of area burnedActive fires by fire centre:Cariboo: 25Coastal: 14Kamloops: 59Northwest: 5Prince George: 53Southeast: 55Resources:*Updated weekly and are current as of Aug. 31.Firefighters and other personnel fighting the fires: 2,522Out-of-province firefighters: 434Helicopters and planes supporting ground crews: 63Evacuations:Evacuation orders: 7Evacuation alerts: 26 Prope

A large outdoor party at the University of Victoria has raised concerns about the lack of COVID-19 restrictions as students head back to school. Saanich police say about a thousand students, most of them without masks, crowded together for a party Sunday night. Police say there aren't any restrictions on outdoor gatherings, wearing masks or physical distancing and officers issued only two tickets for underage drinking. The university is asking students to act responsibly and not gather in large numbers. University of Victoria on Twitter: We are strongly urging our students to act responsibly

Premier John Horgan is set to release details of British Columbia's incoming COVID-19 vaccine card system, which is to roll out next week.Horgan, Health Minister Adrian Dix and provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry are expected to provide the details at a news conference later today.The province had confirmed that a vaccine card system would begin Sept. 13, requiring proof of at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine in order to enter restaurants, movies, ticketed sporting events and many other non-essential venues.As of Oct. 24, those aged 12 and up will need to be fully vaccinated to acces

B.C. is reporting 671 new cases of COVID-19, including four epi-linked cases, for a total of 168,325 cases in the province.There are 5,872 active cases of COVID-19 in the province and 160,268 people who tested positive have recovered. Of the active cases, 215 individuals are in hospital and 118 are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.The new/active cases include:230 new cases in Fraser HealthTotal active cases: 1,68978 new cases in Vancouver Coastal HealthTotal active cases: 1,077230 new cases in Interior HealthTotal active cases: 1,96589 new cases

A Victoria police officer has been released from hospital with a head wound and a concussion after he was attacked by an unknown man in a park last night. He radioed for help and officers from Victoria, Saanich, the West Shore RCMP and military police from Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt flooded the area. They found the injured officer on the ground, but the suspect wasn't located. Police say no arrests have been made. Victoria police on Twitter: One of our Patrol officers was sent to hospital last night after a violent attack in Banfield Park. The incident occurred at approx 11:30 pm when the