BCJan 15, 2021
B.C. reports first case of South African COVID-19 strain, four now from the U.K.
British Columbia's provincial health officer expressed concern as she reported the first South African strain of COVID-19 uncovered in the province. Dr. Bonnie Henry says the person who contracted the South African variant had not travelled or had contact with anyone who did. She says officials are investigating where this person might have picked up the virus. Another person has also tested positive for the British variant of the virus, bringing that total to four cases, all connected to travel. Dr. Henry says there doesn't appear to have been any community spread of those infections. Offici
BCJan 15, 2021
Operators of the Sea To Sky Gondola say the tourist attraction is due to reopen in late spring or early summer
Operators of the Sea To Sky Gondola near Squamish say the tourist attraction is due to reopen in late spring or early summer. The update posted on the company's website says the complicated cleanup process has been completed after vandals cut the gondola cable late last year. The statement says orders have been placed for a new cable and 25 new cabins and the cable is already on its way to Squamish while discussions are underway with the cabin supplier on a timeline for arrival of that equipment. No arrests have been made but the company says an RCMP investigation is continuing after the cabl
BCJan 15, 2021
Vancouver Coastal Health says schools have low COVID-19 transmission rates
A health authority says data showing schools in the Vancouver area are a low risk for the transmission of COVID-19 supports keeping classes open. Since schools reopened in September, Vancouver Coastal Health says it hasn't recorded a significant increase in COVID-19 cases among children aged five to 17. It says school-aged children accounted for six per cent of its COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic, despite representing 10 per cent of the population. Medical health officer Dr. Alex Choi says the authority wants educators, school staff, parents and students to feel reassured that
BCJan 14, 2021
B.C. seeking legal advice on limiting interprovincial travel: Premier John Horgan
British Columbia's premier says his government is seeking legal advice on whether it can limit non-essential travel from people out of province during the pandemic. Premier John Horgan says there is concern about people coming from other provinces or territories and spreading COVID-19. Horgan says he and other premiers across the country have made the case for Canadians to stay home during the pandemic, but people continue to travel. He says the issue has been discussed for months and it's time to determine if the government can or can't act. The issue will be discussed during the NDP governm
BCJan 14, 2021
Lawyer tells court, Klein believed he was stabbing a witch and a zombie with maggots
A lawyer for a man convicted of stabbing two high school students in Abbotsford says his client was not in control of himself at the time of the offence. Martin Peters is arguing in the BC Supreme Court that Gabriel Klein should not be held criminally responsible for the crimes. Peters said in his closing arguments that Klein believed he was stabbing a witch and a zombie with maggots coming out of its back, not two girls. Klein has testified that he was following the directions of voices in his head and believed that stabbing monsters was "just." Klein was convicted of second-degree murder an
BCJan 14, 2021
24 years after Reena Virk's murder, parole board continues Kelly Ellard's release
The 38 year old woman convicted of murdering teenager Reena Virk near Victoria in 1997 will be allowed to continue her day parole. The Parole Board of Canada has released its ruling on Kelly Ellard, who now goes by the name of Kerry Sim. In a decision released Thursday, the board says Sim, now the mother of two young children, remains "positive and compliant" in the community and continues to have high reintegration potential. Her day parole was expanded last summer to allow her to live away from a residential facility for up to five days each week and the parole board is continuing that orde
BCJan 14, 2021
Active case count of COVID-19 cases dips below 5,000 in B.C.
British Columbia health officials say they've added a senior official to the province's immunization response team to help with the program as it gets more complex. Dr. Penny Ballem will be the executive lead and work with the health minister and other officials to ensure the province is ready for community immunization when the vaccine supply is more readily available in April. So far, 63,430 people have received a COVID-19 vaccine in B.C. and officials say work is underway to align the available supply with a person's level of risk. The province is reporting 519 new cases of COVID-19 and 12
BCJan 14, 2021
BC born gold medallist at two Olympic Games Kathleen Heddle, dead of cancer at 55
A BC born gold medallist at two Olympic Games has died of cancer. Rowing Canada says Kathleen Heddle died at home in Vancouver on Monday at the age of 55. Heddle and Marnie McBean won Olympic gold medals in rowing in 1992 and 1996 and Heddle also won another gold with the women's eight in 1992. A statement issued on behalf of her family says the rower born in Trail had been battling several forms of cancer for six years. Tweet from Rowing Canada Aviron: It is with great sadness that we share this news on behalf of the family of Kathleen Heddle: https://bit.ly/3oIEX5l
BCJan 14, 2021
B.C. judge reserves decision on Meng Wanzhou bail conditions
A judge says he will reserve his decision on whether to loosen bail restrictions for Chinese tech executive Meng Wanzhou. Meng's lawyers want her to be allowed to leave her Vancouver home outside the hours of her curfew without being accompanied by private security staff, who they say put her at greater risk of contracting COVID-19. The chief financial officer for Huawei is wanted in the United States on fraud charges based on allegations that both she and the company deny. Justice William Ehrcke of the B.C. Supreme Court says he will reserve his decision and raised the possibility of issuing
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