In an effort to better protect the health and safety of women and girls, the Alberta government is working to strengthen legislation banning female genital mutilation (FGM) in the province. Bill 10, the Health Professions (Protecting Women and Girls) Amendment Act 2022, if passed, will mean health professionals and practitioners who perform or facilitate FGM would be removed from practicing medicine. Further, under Bill 10, if a health professional is convicted of having practiced FGM in another jurisdiction, they would not be allowed to practice in Alberta. Those who are witness to conduct r

Alberta's police watchdog says four Edmonton police officers shot and killed a suspect last week after shocking him twice with a stun gun. The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team says the 55 year old man had two potential improvised firearms and one modified imitation firearm. Investigators say officers first noticed him sitting at a picnic table and holding what appeared to be a handgun in front of Edmonton Police Service headquarters. The man is the fourth person to die in Edmonton police shootings since the start of the year.

The unsolved murders of Lisa Gavin and Glenna "Dusty" Sowan have been added to the Vancouver Police Department’s cold case website, with hopes someone will come forward with information to solve the 34-year-old killings. "No homicide case is ever closed until it’s solved, and we know there’s someone out there with information that can help solve these two murders," says Sergeant Steve Addison. "Even the smallest bit of information could lead to a break in these cases and help us catch the killers."Gavin and Sowan were friends when they were killed just six weeks apart in 1988.Gavin was l

Charges of aggravated assault have been approved for two youths arrested by Metro Vancouver Transit Police in connection with an alleged assault involving a machete in Coquitlam. On March 10, 2022, just after 6 p.m., a man was chased into the Burquitlam SkyTrain Station by two suspects, one of whom was seen carrying a large machete. The man attempted to use a pylon to protect himself, while one of the suspects allegedly swung the machete in his direction several times. The machete eventually made contact with the side of the victim’s head.The suspects then ran out of the station while a witn

Vaccinated travellers will no longer need a COVID-19 test to enter Canada as of Friday. The change is a departure from Canada's policy since the early days of the pandemic, and the struggling tourism industry describes it as a major boon. Travel agents say they've seen a surge in demand for flights since the change was announced two weeks ago. Domestic tourism groups also report a big bump in bookings over the last few weeks. While no test will be required after April 1 for people who are considered fully vaccinated, Health Canada still requires that anyone arriving from outside the country w

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada says the brakes on a CP Rail locomotive failed due to cold temperatures, leading to a 2019 train derailment that killed three workers. The train was parked on a grade near Field, BC, when it started rolling. Investigators found it gained speed before 99 grain cars and two locomotives plummeted off a bridge. An inbound train engineer had warned the trainmaster of brake system irregularities, but due to inexperience and a lack of training, he did not see that they were problematic. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada has released its findings into

One First Nations delegate who met with Pope Francis at the Vatican says he hopes the event marks the beginning of a new relationship. Chief Gerald Antoine, the head of the Assembly of First Nations delegation, says there is ``hope for change'' despite the collective grief and pain. The delegates were emotional as they walked out of the meeting, surrounded by the drumming of family and community members who waited in St. Peter's Square. They say they shared stories of residential schools and requested that the doctrine of discovery be rescinded and Indigenous lands returned. They also request

Toronto police have identified the woman whose dismembered body was found in a plastic bag Monday in the city's Leslieville neighbourhood. Homicide investigators identify the victim as 46-year-old Tien Ly of Toronto. Now, they are trying to locate her son, 20-year-old Dallas Ly. Investigators say they're concerned for his well-being based on evidence discovered in their apartment.

B.C. is reporting 291 new cases of COVID-19, for a total of 356,252 cases in the province.There are 276 individuals hospitalized with COVID-19 and 43 are in intensive care.In the past 24 hours, six new deaths have been reported, for an overall total of 2,996.From March 22-28, people not fully vaccinated accounted for 17.7% of cases. From March 15-28, they accounted for 20.4% of hospitalizations.Past week cases (March 22-28) - Total 1,583Not vaccinated: 256 (16.2%)Partially vaccinated: 23 (1.5%)Fully vaccinated: 1,304 (82.3%)Past two weeks cases hospitalized (March 15-28) - Total 363Not vaccina