An expert on gangs says the very public nature of a recent series of shootings in Metro Vancouver may be attributed to COVID-19 restrictions, with rivals striking at the first chance they get.Martin Bouchard, a professor in Simon Fraser University's school of criminology, says the pandemic has changed people's routines and they aren't getting out of their homes often, which could play a role in the brazen nature of shootings.He says gang violence follows its own course regardless of what the initial motive was for the conflict.The comments come as police leaders meet today with Solicitor Gene

British Columbia will be holding its remaining stock of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine to use as second doses for residents. Health Minister Adrian Dix and provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry say the change is due to the limited availability of the vaccine. The pair say in a joint statement all currently scheduled vaccination appointments through pharmacies will proceed, but no additional appointments will be booked. British Columbia reported 600 new cases of COVID-19 Wednesday and 5,887 active infections, for a total of 137,223 since the pandemic began. It also reported one n

Business leaders in Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin have joined forces with their Canadian counterparts in the legal fight over the Line 5 pipeline. The U.S. and Canadian chambers of commerce are also included in a new legal brief filed with the U.S. District Court in Michigan.The filing comes after a similar brief was submitted yesterday by the federal Liberal government urging the court to keep the cross-border pipeline operating.The chambers spell out in detail a cascade of likely "severe, nationwide and international" consequences if the line running through Michigan is shut down.They argue

British Columbia recorded 515 new COVID-19 cases Tuesday, continuing a downward trend of infections as the vaccination rate accelerates. Health officials say in a news release that 6,020 people have active infections, 426 of whom are hospitalized, including 141 in intensive care. Two more people have died, bringing the death toll to 1,624. More than 2.2 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered, 110,516 of which are second doses. The government is also extending the provincial state of emergency through May 25, saying it would allow health and emergency management officials to

Workers will soon have access to a made-in-B.C. paid sick leave program that will support workers to stay home when they are sick during the pandemic and afterward, including permanent paid sick leave, as a result of legislation tabled Tuesday, May 11, 2021.To better support workers during the pandemic, amendments to the Employment Standards Act will bring in three days of paid sick leave related to COVID-19, such as having symptoms, self-isolating and waiting for a test result. Employers will be required to pay workers their full wages and the Province will reimburse employers without an exis

The Globe and Mail is reporting that Alberta has stopped administering first doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine in favour of other types of immunization. The newspaper quotes Kristin Klein, the co-lead of the province’s vaccine task force, as saying the province has decided to shift to mRNA vaccines for first doses.The report says the move is partly due to the greater supply of mRNA shots, such as the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna ones, and partly due to concerns over a rare blood clot condition linked to AstraZeneca.Klein says AstraZeneca shots will still be made available to t

BC is reporting 1,759 new cases of COVID-19 over the past three days. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry has also announced 20 additional deaths, bringing the total in the province to 1,622. Dr. Henry says more than two-million residents have now received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine and the immunization program is rapidly accelerating. She says that starting tonight, all those 40 and older will be able to book an appointment for a vaccination, as well as all those 18 and up in high risk areas. Dr. Henry says COVID-19 measures will eventually be loosened across the province

Surrey RCMP is reminding the public to be aware of investment scams after a persistent number of reports throughout 2021.Since January 2021, Surrey RCMP have received 59 reports of fraud involving crypto currency totaling approximately $612,748 lost by unsuspecting victims.The most commonly reported fraud still remains CRA / Police scams which accounted for 25 of the total reports. The scams usually involve fraudsters attempting to pass themselves off as someone in authority. They may impersonate a police officer or an employee of a business, financial institution or government agency such as

The death of a 28-year-old man outside the departure terminal at Vancouver International Airport is believed to be linked to the ongoing gang conflict that has gripped British Columbia's Lower Mainland, police say.Sgt. Frank Jang of the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team said the victim is known to police and the shooting needs to stop. ``I think we're all tired of seeing the violence that is taking place on our streets,'' Jang said during a late news conference Sunday. An SUV with at least two people inside was seen leaving the scene.A short time later, fire crews in Surrey were called to