A pedestrian has been taken to hospital with serious injuries after being struck by a semi-truck in Whalley. Police say the driver of the truck remained on scene and is co-operating. Officers say the investigation is in its early stages and they are still working to determine the circumstances that led to the crash. Anyone in the area of King George boulevard just north of 104 Avenue who witnessed the crash or has dash camera footage is asked to contact Surrey RCMP.
BC Highway Patrol says officers impounding seven vehicles due to aggressive and dangerous driving in the East Kootenays as part of a Thanksgiving weekend campaign. They say the worst example was a 22-year-old male from Edmonton caught driving 197 kilometres-per-hour more than twice the speed limit – in Kootenay National Park. The man was fined 483 dollars, and his vehicle impounded for seven days. Three other vehicles were impounded in the park – two for speeding and a third because the driver was found to be under the influence of alcohol.
The Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design has reached a tentative new contract with members of its faculty association. The association represents 300 faculty members working at the institution. Details of the new contract are not being released until it is ratified, but the institute says the deal was reached under the province’s shared recovery mandate. The mandate sets out specific wage increases, including inflation protection.
BC’s chief forester has reduced the annual cut in Lillooet’s timber supply area. The new mark of 375-thousand cubic metres is a 34 per cent reduction from the previous levels, but nine per cent above where it was from 2016 to 2021. The Ministry of Forests says in a statement that the change brings the annual cut in line with recent harvesting levels; supports old-growth management areas, riparian areas and wildlife habitat areas; and accounts for First Nations cultural heritage resources and practices. The changes take effect immediately.
The City of Vancouver is looking for public input on the future of the Gastown neighbourhood. A city statement says staff are working on a plan to create a destination with more seating, patios, live music, events, festivals and active transportation options. It says the plan will also explore transforming Water Street into a pedestrian zone, either seasonally or year-round. Members of the public can comment by completing an online survey or coming to various pop-up events planned for later this month.
A gas bar in Lake Cowichan got a visit from an unwanted patron Monday when a bear came walking through the front door. Store owner Karen deGoesbriand (duh-GOZE’-brand) says the bear walked right passed her husband, Jay, who was manning the store at the time. She says it bypassed ice cream, chocolate bars, a fully stocked bait fridge and a cooler full of pepperoni sticks before settling on a 70-cent bag of gummy bears. DeGoesbriand says the bear walked out and ate the gummy bears in the parking lot.