Category: British Columbia

Evacuation Alerts Expanded as Floodwaters Rise on Some BC Rivers, Creeks

Hundreds of residents in British Columbia’s southern and central Interior have been warned they may have to leave quickly if floodwaters move in. Flood warnings, watches and advisories cover about half of the province, although the areas most under threat are the Boundary and Thompson regions. Heavy rain on Friday and today following a week…


Vancouver Man Selling Hard Drugs at ‘The Drugs Store’ Arrested

Jerry Martin, 51, opened his mobile The Drugs Store in downtown Vancouver on May 3 to sell cocaine, crack, methamphetamine, and heroin. Martin first announced his plans to open this store in January, when British Columbia decriminalized the possession of small amounts of these substances. He told media he understood the risk of arrest but…


Attorney General Alerts Online Companies to BC’s New Image-Sharing Law

British Columbia’s attorney general has sent a letter to technology companies warning they could face orders to stop the distribution of intimate images of B.C. residents that have been shared without their consent. Niki Sharma says the Intimate Images Protection Act will come into force in the coming months and create new legal mechanisms to…


Border Officers in Vancouver Find Cat in Parcel From China: SPCA

A cat the British Columbia SPCA says was mysteriously found in a parcel from China is now in foster care recovering from its apparent ordeal. The SPCA says in a statement it’s unclear how long the cat spent in transit, however it appeared healthy but scared. Binder Kooner, chief of operations for Canada Border Services…


Statistician Decries ‘Incongruence’ Around Official COVID-19 Data at National Citizen’s Inquiry

On the first day of the National Citizen’s Inquiry’s (NCI) stop in British Columbia, a statistician said that based on data from the province, COVID-19 was shown to be no more dangerous than the flu. “With the number of people who died within the median age of death, it’s very unlikely that none of them…


Nearly Half of BC’s Ministries Have Been Affected by Fraud, Mostly Theft: Auditor

A new report by British Columbia’s auditor general says almost half of the government’s ministries have been affected by some type of fraud between 2021 and 2022, most commonly theft. Michael Pickup says his results suggest not all ministries are following the same approach for managing risk or they don’t have a full understanding of…


Baby Found Dead in Victoria Parking Lot Died of Natural Causes: Police

Police in Victoria say an autopsy of a baby found dead in a parking lot Wednesday has concluded the newborn died of natural causes. A statement from the police department says they have located the mother of the baby and she is receiving medical care and support. Police say circumstances are still under investigation by…


BC Crown Says Bail Policy Changes Need to Come From Federal Government

British Columbia has one of Canada’s strictest bail condition policies for prosecutors to ask for custody orders, yet repeat violent offenders continue to be released in the majority of cases, Attorney General Niki Sharma said. Her comments come as the BC Prosecution Service released seven weeks of data in response to a directive issued last…


BC Stores Broke Privacy Laws on Facial ID Technology, Privacy Commissioner Says

British Columbia’s privacy commissioner says Canadian Tire stores that used facial recognition technology didn’t adequately notify their customers and didn’t get consent to collect the personal information. Michael McEvoy’s report says even if the four stores he investigated had obtained permission, they were still required to show a reasonable purpose for collecting the information, which the…


BC Enacts Regulation to Ensure Protection of Ozempic Supply for Diabetes Patients

British Columbia is bringing in a new regulation immediately to ensure diabetes patients don’t face a shortage of the drug Ozempic, touted by celebrities for its weight loss side effects. Health Minister Adrian Dix says the change will ensure patients in B.C. and Canada needing Ozempic to treat their Type 2 diabetes will continue to…