Rapid increase in deaths among people experiencing homelessness in B.C. in 2021
Preliminary reporting from the BC Coroners Service shows 247 deaths of individuals experiencing homelessness were reported to the agency in 2021, which is a 75% increase over the number of lives lost in 2020. “This report reflects the risks and realities that people experiencing homelessness face every day,” said Lisa Lapointe,...
Issues with legal services? Province plans improvements, seeks input from public
British Columbians are encouraged to share their thoughts on the Province’s plans to simplify the regulatory framework for legal professionals so more people can connect to the legal supports and advice they need. Currently, lawyers are regulated by the Legal Profession Act and notaries are regulated by the Notaries Act. ...
Collision claims life of Kamloops motorcyclist at Cherry Creek
Police are looking for witnesses to a fatal crash in Cherry Creek Tuesday, according to BC Highway Patrol Cpl. Mike Halskov. "On Aug. 30, at approximately 4:50 p.m., Kamloops Rural RCMP and Emergency Services responded to a fatal two-vehicle collision on Hwy 1 at Rodeo Drive in Cherry Creek," Halskov said. "Upon arrival, it...
Police Dog Neeka gets her man on International Dog Day
What better way for Police Service Dog Neeka to celebrate International Dog Day than to help find a man with a warrant? Just after 8 a.m, on Aug. 26, frontline officers from the Kamloops RCMP were called to the 2000-block of Crescent Drive for a report of a suspicious man, according to Kamloops RCMP S/Sgt. Janelle Shoihet. ...
At least 10,000 lives lost to illicit drugs since declaration of public health emergency
At least 1,095 British Columbians are believed to have been lost to the toxic drug supply between January and June 2022, according to preliminary data released by the BC Coroners Service. “The ever-increasing toxicity of the unregulated, illicit drug market is taking a heart-breaking toll on the lives and well-being of members...
OP/ED: Demand the 9-1-1 Service You Deserve
An Open Letter to all British Columbians: As British Columbians, we all rely on certain core services being available at the most critical moments of our lives. Because when they aren’t, an urgent situation can become catastrophic. We are taught from a young age that, when there’s an emergency, we should reach for the nearest...
Seniors Advocate urges seniors and caregivers to prepare for rising temperatures
Hot and dry weather is forecast for many regions of B.C. and rising temperatures may put vulnerable seniors at risk. Currently, forecasted temperatures are not expected to rise to the level of an extreme heat emergency, however, they are forecast to be higher than normal and will create heat wave conditions in certain areas...
Crisis lines kept answering calls across BC during outage
Crisis lines across British Columbia continued to provide life-saving crisis support and suicide intervention during the recent Rogers service outage, while other services, including the national suicide prevention line and 911, could not. “We are proud to work as a network of crisis lines across British Columbia,” said Tabitha...
One phone call was enough to interrupt a possible child luring incident
Two City of Nanaimo employees with a keen sense of awareness are being credited with interrupting a potentially dangerous child luring incident, that involved a man in his 50s and a female youth between the ages of 11and15. The incident occurred at approximately 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday June 29, 2022, at Robins Park in south ...
B.C.’s COVID-19 immunization plan continues with fall boosters
People in B.C. can look ahead to their next COVID-19 vaccine dose with the Province announcing a fall booster program as the next step in its COVID-19 immunization plan. B.C.’s COVID-19 vaccination strategy has helped keep people protected from the severe illness associated with getting this virus. With the fall and winter ...
