Four new COVID-19 realted deaths reported in B.C., all at long-term care homes

A mother and daughter have died in a suspected grizzly bear attack in the Bella Coola area of British Columbia. The victims have been identified as 48-year-old Jennifer Balcarres and her 20-year-old daughter, Sela Reid. The two women went hiking along the Snooka West Trail on Saturday afternoon, about a five-minute walk from their home. However, when they failed to return, their family reported them missing on Sunday. The B.C. Conservation Officer Service found Jennifer's body in the trail area on Monday, while her daughter's body was recovered on Tuesday. Jennifer worked as an art therapist,

Surrey Police Service, along with local RCMP and an Emergency Response Team, conducted a raid at a residence on Findlay Road in Kelowna’s Rutland neighbourhood on Monday morning. At least two people were taken into custody during the operation. Witnesses reported that police smashed windows and deployed smoke grenades while entering the home. Surrey Police Senior Media Relations Officer Sgt. Lindsey Houghton confirmed that the raid was part of an ongoing sensitive investigation by the Surrey Police Service. However, police have not disclosed the nature of the alleged crime. Kelowna RCMP Medi

A man has pleaded guilty to brutally stabbing his pregnant wife to death while she was sleeping in Montreal. The 45-year-old accused, Mustapha Khalil Mechken, attacked his 32-year-old wife, Narjes Ben Yedder, with two kitchen knives at their apartment in the Pointe-aux-Trembles area near Montreal in January 2024. He stabbed her approximately 50 times, including 32 wounds to her abdomen. Yedder was 10 weeks pregnant with their first child. Following the killing, Mechken personally called 911 and calmly told the operator that he had murdered his wife. Shortly before the attack, he had searched o

Prime Minister Mark Carney has announced that Russia and Belarus will not be allowed to participate in the upcoming World Junior Hockey Championship in Canada next month. Speaking to reporters Thursday evening in Antigua, Carney said that as long as the war in Ukraine continues, Russian and Belarusian players will not be granted visas to represent their countries in Canada. The decision comes following a recent ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which called for Russia's return to International Ice Hockey Federation competitions. The Canadian government said its position is clear an

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has strongly defended a proposal to redraw the province’s electoral boundaries, which the Opposition NDP has described as fraudulent. A report released Monday proposes splitting Lethbridge’s two existing ridings into four. Under the proposal, one riding would be entirely urban, while the other three would combine parts of the city with neighbouring rural communities. Smith said such hybrid ridings are already an accepted practice and are working well in other parts of the province. “I think Lethbridge will be very well served by having four representatives,