A homeless woman is unhurt but police want to catch the man who tried to set her blankets on fire as she slept on a Vancouver street. A statement from the Vancouver Police Department on Tuesday says the apparent arson happened at around 4 a.m. on Dec. 13. Sgt. Steve Addison says the woman, who's in her 30s, was wrapped in a jacket and blankets and the man paced around her as she lay on the ground, then set her belongings on fire and walked away. Addison says video the department just acquired shows the fire smouldering before flames emerge, but the woman woke up in time to avoid serious harm.

A First Nations community on Vancouver Island is fighting to contain a COVID-19 outbreak while facing intolerance from some members of the surrounding community. Cowichan Tribes general manager Derek Thompson says some members of his Duncan-area First Nation have faced discrimination in the community since COVID-19 cases were first reported this month. Thompson says there were no COVID-19 cases among their members for the first 10 months of the pandemic, but that has increased to 73 people since Jan. 1. The First Nation has issued a stay-at-home order for tribal members until Jan. 22 in an ef

Chinese tech executive Meng Wanzhou is back in British Columbia Supreme Court as her lawyers seek to ease bail conditions for the Huawei chief financial officer. Speaking English and aided by an interpreter, her husband Liu Xiaozong testified he believes Meng is at increased risk of contracting COVID-19 given her proximity to multiple security personnel whenever she leaves home. He says his wife is a survivor of thyroid cancer and has hypertension, while their daughter and her son are afraid of being publicly identified during visits to Vancouver due to the presence of private security. Her l

Avalanche Canada is warning of a high danger rating in several coastal BC locations. The forecaster says mountains and slopes on the South Coast, Sea to Sky, South Coast Inland and Northwest Coastal ranges all have high risk of slides in the alpine and treeline. On the southern mountain ranges, it says natural avalanches are expected today with buried weak layers that could produce large slab avalanches. Avalanche Canada says with new snow and extreme winds forecast for the Northwest Coastal ranges, avalanches are expected in many areas. In B.C. 4 people have been killed in snow sports in the

British Columbia's top doctor says the first dose of a vaccine for COVID-19 gives "amazing" immunity, so the government's decision to allow for a 35-day gap before the second dose is administered is rooted in science. Dr. Bonnie Henry's statements come as B.C. recorded a grim milestone Monday, reaching 1,000 COVID-19 related deaths. She says the decision to delay the second shot is about maximizing the vaccines' distribution, while balancing the supply and making sure the province has a safe and effective immunization program. Dr. Henry says the first dose primes the immune system while the s

Members of the Vancouver Canucks were back on the ice this morning after concerns about a possible COVID-19 exposure halted practice yesterday. The team says practice resumed at 11 a.m., and a media availability will be held later in the day. Team officials said in a social media post yesterday that practice had been cancelled "due to an abundance of caution" bud didn't say if the possible exposure involved a player or member of the coaching staff. The Canucks and the rest of the NHL launch a COVID-19-shortened 2021 season starting Wednesday. Vancouver would be in Edmonton to take on the Oile

A Vancouver police officer has been suspended and is facing charges of theft, breach of trust and drug possession linked to alleged on-duty activities. A statement from the VPD says Constable Neil Logan, who is in his early 40s, is no longer an active member of the department. It says the charges are linked to offences alleged to have occurred in Vancouver between May and October of last year. While a 20 year old associate of Logan also faces trafficking and possession charges. Police say an additional charge of theft and a charge of possession of a controlled substance have also been approve

Indigenous leaders are encouraging people to roll up their sleeves and start getting COVID-19 vaccines. The encouragement comes as First Nations across Canada start receiving doses of COVID-19 vaccines. Six of 14 Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations on Vancouver Island were priority recipients of doses of Moderna's vaccine last week. Mariah Charleson, vice-president of the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council, says the council employs nurses who are among those administering vaccinations so people see a familiar face they know and trust. She says health officials need to work with communities to ensure the

Officials at St. Paul's Hospital in downtown Vancouver confirm a COVID-19 outbreak has spread to two more units at its cardiac centre. In a memo to staff, the director of the St. Paul's Hospital Heart Centre says the outbreak declared last week on one unit has spread to a second unit and an intensive care unit. The memo, issued late Sunday on behalf of centre directors Amanda Harvey and Dr. Sean Virani, says the outbreak is on units 5A, 5B and the Cardiac Care Intensive Care Unit. The memo does not say how many patients, staff or visitors may be involved and a spokesman for Providence Health,