A federal court has ruled that Métis and other non-status Indians do indeed have status, and so fall under federal jurisdiction. That means about 600,000 people who live off-reserve in Canada now qualify for the same benefits from Ottawa as First Nations as the Inuit. The president of Métis Nation BC calls the ruling “an … [Read more...]
Mother of woman killed by drunk driver urges people to get home safely this New Year’s Eve
December 31, 2012 by
A plea from a mother who lost a child to a drunk driver: If you drink this New Year's Eve, don't get behind the wheel. Markita Kaulius, mother of 22-year-old Kassandra Kaulius, who died in Surrey last year when drunk driver Natasha Warren plowed into her car, says New Year’s Eve revellers have options. "So please make the choice to call a cab … [Read more...]
Help for Young People with Mental Health and Substance Use issues
December 29, 2012 by
It's a first for BC. A new initiative designed to help teens and young people with mental health issues and substance use is coming online in Surrey. The first program of its kind in BC "Speak Up" allows young people to share and learn from each other through peer support, targetted education in schools and new a online community. Doctor Karen Tee … [Read more...]
Heavy traffic not the only ‘silly’ reason people call 911
December 27, 2012 by
Heavy traffic at mall parking lots is only one of many silly calls made to 9-1-1. So says Jody Robertson, spokesperson for E-Comm, which handles the emergency line in B.C. This, after Burnaby RCMP had to remind Boxing Day shoppers not to call the number simply because of the traffic jams around malls and stores. Speaking on CKNW with guest … [Read more...]
Early morning fire displaces 18 people
December 24, 2012 by
18 people are out of their homes after an early morning fire. Crews responded around 6:30 this morning to the blaze on the ground floor of the London Hotel in the 700 block of Main Street. One man suffered smoke inhalation. Vancouver Police say the damage was isolated to part of the ground floor. Police and Fire are working with emergency social … [Read more...]
Three people rescued from flooding yacht
December 15, 2012 by
The Coast Guard has rescued three people from a yacht taking on water off the coast of Tsawwassen. Rescue Coordinator Colin Henthorne describes the situation. "It's a 37-foot yacht taking on water. It's about a mile and a quarter southeast of the Tsawwassen ferry terminal." Rescue crews are now trying to determine whether or not the boat, which is … [Read more...]
BC therapist says it’s normal for people all over to grieve over Connecticut shooting
December 14, 2012 by
A therapist in Victoria says the grief felt locally for those in Connecticut is a very normal reaction. Shelley Gordon says an incident like the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary triggers our compassion and empathy. "You know, it's just part of the human suffering that we all share when there's such a tragic loss and such a needless tragic loss, … [Read more...]
Families of people killed or injured by police meet in Vancouver
November 25, 2012 by
BC's new Independent Investigations Office will be on the agenda Sunday during a Vancouver workshop... bringing together the families of people killed or seriously wounded by police. Al Wright -- who lost his 22-year old son Alvin in a 2010 Langley RCMP shooting -- supports the new civilian-run review team, but he's not convinced it is completely … [Read more...]
Five people stabbed at Saanich hotel
November 17, 2012 by
One man is in custody after five people were stabbed at a hotel in Saanich Saturday afternoon. It happened at the Red Lion Inn in the 3200 block of Douglas Street. Sgt. Dean Jantzen says police were called shortly after 4 pm. Officers did a room-by-room and hallway-by-hallway search of the business end of the hotel, and found five victims in … [Read more...]
Arrow’s Berlanti Remakes “Tomorrow People”
November 13, 2012 by
"Arrow" executive producer Greg Berlanti and "The Vampire Diaries" executive producer Julie Plec are teaming for a remake of cult 70's British sci-fi series "Tomorrow People" at The CW. Created for ITV as a rival to the success of BBC's "Doctor Who", 'Tomorrow' followed several young people from around the world who possessed special powers (think … [Read more...]
