Wild, domestic bird avian influenza in B.C.: update
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has confirmed that a small poultry flock in the Regional District of Central Kootenay has tested positive for the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus. B.C.’s Ministry of Agriculture and Food continues to work closely with the CFIA and B.C. poultry producers to ensure enhanced...
Fatal train collision in Maple Ridge
Ridge Meadows RCMP is investigating a train collision with a flatbed truck. On April 21, 2022 at approximately 5:45 pm, frontline police responded to the report of a truck with flatbed being struck by an oncoming train, resulting in the truck colliding with a black SUV in the 27200 block of Lougheed Highway. A flatbed truck...
B.C. Land Matching Program reaches new milestone
The B.C. Land Matching Program (BCLMP) delivered by Young Agrarians has achieved more than 200 matches, bringing farmers and landholders together to strengthen the province’s food supply. “Congratulations to all the farmers and landholders who are a part of this amazing milestone for the B.C. Land Matching Program, and thank...
Border crosser allegedly armed with loaded handguns and a stun gun doesn’t get far
A US man was arrested by BC RCMP Federal Policing Border Integrity officers after he apparently crossed the border into Canada illegally. On March 31, 2022 US citizen John Wright is alleged to have illegally entered Canada through the Surrey Peace Arch State Park border and joined a Canadian woman in a waiting cab. BC RCMP ...
More than 9,400 British Columbians lost to toxic illicit drugs since 2016
Preliminary data released by the BC Coroners Service reveals that the toxic drug supply has claimed the lives of 9,410 British Columbians since January 2016, and that at least 174 lives were lost in the month of February 2022. “As we approach the sixth anniversary of the declaration of the public-health emergency into...
B.C. shifts to weekly COVID-19 data reporting
As British Columbia continues to take the next step in its COVID-19 response, the Province is transitioning from daily to weekly COVID-19 reporting. Beginning on Thursday, April 7, 2022, COVID-19 dashboards and reports issued by the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control will be updated on weekly basis...
B.C. seeks public input on cannabis consumption spaces
British Columbians are invited to share their thoughts on non-medical cannabis consumption spaces. The Province is launching an online public engagement about cannabis consumption spaces to help inform decisions about whether to permit these spaces and how they could be regulated. The engagement runs April 6 to May 8, 2022....
RCMP officer stabbed during mental health call in Keremeos
A man has been arrested and a Keremeos RCMP officer is recovering after allegedly being stabbed by a man suffering a mental health crisis. Just after 2 a.m. on April 4, 2022, a frontline officer from the Keremeos RCMP was called to a report of a disturbance. The caller reported a man, who was known to her, was outside of her...
B.C. continues building support network to welcome Ukrainians
With thousands of displaced Ukrainians expected to relocate to British Columbia over the coming months, the Province is expanding services and supports to connect individuals and families to the help they need. “Ukrainians fleeing their country from Russia’s invasion have sacrificed so much in their pursuit for health and...
BC Assembly of First Nations Acknowledges Apology from Vatican as First Step Towards Reconciliation
The BC Assembly of First Nations acknowledges the apology from Pope Francis to First Nations, Metis and Inuit Peoples in Canada, for the Catholic Church's role in Indian Residential Schools, and the intergenerational traumas caused by atrocities committed to our children. A delegation of First Nations from BC, and across...