British Columbians will move forward with safely restarting their province beginning in mid-May, according to a plan announced by Premier John Horgan. Under B.C.'s Restart Plan, government will work closely with public health officials, businesses and labour organizations to lift restrictions in phases, gradually allowing for more social and economic activity, while closely monitoring health information to minimize the risk to the public. "Our plan puts safety first. British Columbians have made enormous sacrifices so far, and it's thanks to them that we're able to begin to lift some restri

The province has announced 23 new cases of COVID-19, raising the total to 2,255 cases. Three more deaths have also been recorded. Two in the Vancouver Coastal Health region and one on Vancouver Island, for a total of 124 deaths. Two thirds of people who tested positive for the novel coronavirus have recovered. But chief health officer Doctor Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix say in a statement that cases would quickly surge without continued vigilance.

Police say Metro Vancouver gangs may be producing their own illegal drug supplies in an effort to get around border closures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Vancouver police announced officers uncovered millions of dollars worth of drugs, including 20 kilograms of what's suspected to be fentanyl, as part of a four month investigation. Inspector Bill Spearn says police believe the seizure shows gangs may be producing their own drugs to get around closer scrutiny at ports and the Canada-US border. He says it's another example of gangs changing drug trafficking methods to deal with law enforcem

Major crimes detectives have joined a missing person investigation in British Columbia's Interior looking into the disappearance of a man that RCMP say is suspicious.Mounties in Quesnel say 33-year-old Louis Korkowski was last seen or heard from on May 4.Efforts to locate the five-foot four-inch, 110-pound man have led to a possible link with two vehicles, a green 2003 Ford Explorer and a grey 2007 Toyota Matrix.Police say the Explorer has a dented passenger door and licence plate KF087R, while the Matrix has black paint and peeling damage on the roof, sticker residue on the passenger door an

BC is reporting only eight new cases of COVID-19 but four new deaths. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says that brings the total number of cases to 2,232 and 121 deaths. Henry says there are now active outbreaks at 22 long-term care centres but the one at Lynne Valley the first major outbreak in the province is over. She says the province has put the brakes on COVID-19 but it's too early for people to start planning play dates and expanding their social connections.

Highway 5-A could be closed for weeks after Stump Lake spilled over its banks and flooded the highway about 40 kilometres south of Kamloops. Kevin Skrepnek, the emergency co-ordinator with the Thompson Nicola Regional District, says water levels show the highway closure could last days or even weeks. He says the reopening will be up to the Ministry of Transportation, which will factor in public safety. Skrepnek says some outbuildings and basements on nearby properties have also been flooded.

A man is in custody after climbing a crane tower at a construction site on Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. Sergeant Aaron Roed says the man scaled the crane last night and was able to get into the operating booth and start the machine. Roed says power was cut before the man was able to move the crane arm or cause any damage. Officers then convinced the man to come down from his perch on his own and he was arrested without further incident.

The B.C. Wildfire Service is launching its new wildfire app, aimed at providing consistent, accurate and timely information about wildfires when they occur.A statement from the wildfire service says the app can provide real-time wildfire information and an interactive map that can be customized to display specific data.It could include everything from current fire danger ratings, active fires and evacuation orders or alerts to BC Parks closures and advisories or closures listed on DriveBC, the province's website providing road conditions.The map can also be customized to provide a ``near me''

One man has died in a single-vehicle crash along a section of British Columbia's Sea-to-Sky Highway just south of Squamish.RCMP say the crash happened midday Monday and involved a black BMW coupe.The driver, a man in his 20s, was airlifted from the scene with critical injuries and died in hospital.Traffic was tied up for hours and police say an investigation could take some time to complete.They want to speak to anyone who may have seen the car or have dashcam video of it as it travelled north between Horseshoe Bay and Squamish.All northbound traffic was rerouted into one of the southbound la