Whale researchers are celebrating the birth of a new baby orca to the endangered southern resident killer whales. In a rare event, members of the J pod, K pod and L pod were all in the waters of the Haro Strait yesterday to meet the new calf. Ken Balcolm of the Center for Whale Research says it's important to temper expectations until the calf ages. He added that it is the fourth calf born to L-86 and two siblings didn't survive to adulthood. But he says it's unusual and exciting for all three pods to gather, especially in winter when they aren't usually found in the area.

Northern Health says it has identified new cases linked to an outbreak at the Brucejack Mine near Stewart, BC. The health authority says the new cases bring the total associated with the mine to 42, a dozen of which are active and self-isolating. There are about 485 employees working at the project site and anyone identified as cases or close contacts have been instructed to self-isolate either on-site or in their home communities, Northern Health said.Further south, Fraser Health announced an outbreak at the Mission Memorial Hospital. Three patients at the hospital tested positive. As a resu

RCMP say they were called Wednesday night to a report of an assault at a home in the Panorama Ridge area of south Surrey. The critically injured man was found outside the home. He was given CPR and other emergency treatment but police say he died at the scene. Officers believe the victim and his attacker knew each other, but details are still being gathered. The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team has joined the case and will handle the release of any further information.

British Columbia is recording 427 new COVID-19 cases today, bringing the total number of active cases in the province to 4,150. Health officials say three more people have died and the death toll now sits at 1,317. There are 232 people in hospital, 63 of whom are in intensive care. The remaining people with COVID-19 are recovering at home in self-isolation. Health Minister Adrian Dix and provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry say in a joint statement that chains of transmission are broken when everyone works together. To date, 176,015 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in B.

A 70 year old man was arrested Wednesday in the hit and run death of rapper Nicki Minaj's father. Police say Charles Polevich stopped briefly to ask the injured man if he was OK but didn't call for help. Polevich faces charges of leaving the scene of an incident and tampering with physical evidence in connection with the death last week of 64 year old Robert Maraj on New York's Long Island. Polevich splits time between Long Island and Guam. He is free on bail following an arraignment in Nassau County court. A message seeking comment was left with Polevich's lawyer.

A month-long crackdown has resulted in nearly 300 recommended criminal charges against people police allege are violent and prolific shoplifters working in downtown Vancouver. A statement from Vancouver police says officers worked closely with retailers and store security teams over four weeks, ending Feb. 12.The crackdown identified 250 alleged shoplifting incidents leading to 130 arrests and 268 recommended criminal charges.Police say just over $37,000 in stolen merchandise was recovered, along with 35 weapons, and 45 of those arrested were either the subject of a warrant or were allegedly b

Regional parks across Metro Vancouver are seeing record numbers of visitors as Lower Mainland residents seek outings that comply with pandemic rules. Park officials say more than 1.2-million people visited in January, more than double the number of visits in January 2020, while total visits last year were up 38 per cent as residents stayed close to home to avoid spreading COVID-19. All Metro Vancouver regional parks have stayed open throughout the pandemic. Although backcountry trails on North Shore parks, including the Grouse Grind on Grouse Mountain, are currently closed due to unsafe winte

BC has lost its application for a court injunction to halt services at three Fraser Valley churches whose members are defying rules against in-person gatherings. Chief Justice Christopher Hinkson turned down the application this morning after saying last week that the province was putting the court in an "impossible situation" by asking for it. The Attorney General's ministry and provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry requested the injunction after the three churches filed a petition alleging the ban on religious gatherings violates the rights of parishioners. The Riverside Calvary Chapel

Fraser Health is declaring two new community COVID-19 outbreaks at a school and childcare centre. The health authority says 35 COVID-19 cases were identified among staff and students at Timothy Christian School in Chilliwack on Saturday. It says the independent school voluntarily closed February 4th due to COVID-19 cases and Fraser Health is working with the school on a return to in-class instruction as early as next week. It says 24 COVID-19 cases were identified among staff and kids in five classes at the SFU Childcare Society in Burnaby. The remainder of classes are continuing operations.