BC marks five years since overdoses were declared a public health emergency. Sheila Malcolmson, mental health and addictions minister, says COVID-19 has had a large impact on people who use drugs. She says the government is committed to decriminalization. But advocates say the government needs to take decisive action. Sheila Malcolmson on Twitter: We are committed to turning this crisis around, before the pandemic, we were making progress and we can and will get back on track until one day, toxic drug poisonings will be something in our past.

The B.C. Restaurants and Food Association says it has been told that current health orders restricting in-person dining will be extended beyond next Monday's deadline.The group says they had a meeting with provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry Tuesday, who indicated that the health order would run through to May.It says the continued high number of daily cases and the province's desire to have restrictions in place limiting socialization and gathering indoors was given as the reason.B.C. Premier John Horgan said Tuesday that further COVID-19 restrictions may be on the way. He said his ca

British Columbia's NDP government is facing criticism from opponents in the legislature over a throne speech committing to an eventual return to normal life. Interim Liberal Leader Shirley Bond says the government should have promised more immediate support for businesses and people in the middle of the third wave of COVID-19 infections. Green Leader Sonia Furstenau says the speech represents only "minor tweaks to the status quo." Promises in the speech include record infrastructure spending, an expansion of 10-dollar-a-day daycare and the hiring of thousands of long-term care workers. BC Lib

A 16 year old has been arrested after allegedly telling a boy one year younger to remove his clothes and walk home naked. RCMP in Nanaimo say the victim was allegedly kicked and punched, then his cellphone and wallet were thrown in a lake. They say when the teen began walking home, a bystander gave him some clothing and a ride home, where his parents called police. The suspect is charged with assault causing bodily harm and robbery in connection with the incident.

British Columbia's provincial health officer is calling for patience among essential workers waiting for a vaccine that's being prioritized for people in areas where COVID-19 transmission is highest. Dr. Bonnie Henry says firefighters, police and paramedics are being vaccinated with the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines over the next few weeks alongside staff at schools and child-care centres. She says certain neighbourhoods will also be targeted as the province's age-based program currently books people aged 65 and up for immunization, though the Pfizer vaccine has not been arriving as re

Lt. Gov. Janet Austin has delivered the speech from the throne outlining government's commitment to supporting people, businesses and communities, while working to put the pandemic behind British Columbians and build a strong recovery for everyone."We have come a long way by looking out for each other and we can finally see the finish line in sight," said Premier John Horgan. "But in a marathon, the final push is the most difficult. The threat of new variants means we cannot let down our guard, not when we are this close to the end. Our top priority will continue to be on keeping British Colum

A judge in Hong Kong has approved a document-sharing agreement between telecom company Huawei and HSBC, in a deal that could affect the extradition case in Vancouver involving Meng Wanzhou. Meng, Huawei's chief financial officer, has been on bail in Vancouver since late 2018 and hopes the documents will prevent her extradition to the US, where she is wanted on allegations of bank fraud and violating US rules against trade with Iran. An earlier ruling by a British court stopped HSBC from sharing documents with her legal team, but Huawei says the Hong Kong court has now allowed the arrangement,

The Surrey RCMP Community Response Unit (CRU) has impounded four Ford Mustangs for street racing and excessive speeding, in Cloverdale. The investigation began on April 4, 2021 shortly before 10 p.m. when an officer observed a group of four Ford Mustangs racing down 184 Street near 53 Avenue. The vehicle were allegedly traveling at approximately 135 km/h in a 60 km/h zone.The Mustangs were pulled over and each of the drivers was issued a violation ticket for excessive speeding. These drivers won’t be back in the saddle for at least 7 days, as all four vehicles were impounded for street racin

Starting today, the City of Vancouver in partnership with the Vancouver School Board (VSB) is launching a four-week School Streets pilot at three elementary schools. A School Street is a car-free block beside a school open to walking, biking, and rolling during drop-off and pick-up. School volunteers will be leading the day-to-day implementation of the pilot program.The goals of the pilot are to help improve safety, encourage active travel and reduce carbon pollution, which is part of the Climate Emergency Action Plan and Transportation 2040 Plan. The School Streets pilot will be in place Apri