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

North Vancouver RCMP say a child has died after a skiing accident on a local mountain. Police say they were called to Mount Seymour at about 8 p.m. Saturday for reports of a seriously injured 12 year old. Mounties say the child was injured during a ski accident, but did not specify the nature of the accident. Paramedics took the child to BC Children's Hospital where they were pronounced dead. The BC Coroners Service says it is investigating, and would not be able to provide further details at this time. North Vancouver RCMP on Twitter: CORRECTION: A previous release listed the age of the child

Adults living and working in Whistler, B.C., will be able to receive their COVID-19 vaccination starting Monday. Vancouver Coastal Health says eligible residents will be required to provide proof of their permanent resident address in Whistler with a provincialdriver's licence or valid credit card statement, or present a recent paystub to confirm their employment in the area. Whistler adults between 18 and 54 years of age will receive a vaccination at the Whistler Conference Centre. Those 55 to 65 years old can receive the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine at a local pharmacy or wait to receive a P