BC’s premier says a new 300-million-dollar program to protect more old-growth forests and valuable habitat areas includes a crowdsourcing component to raise funds from conservation groups and private donors. David Eby says the province will contribute 150-million-dollars to a conservation funding mechanism. He says that will be matched by a BC Parks Foundation commitment to raise 150-million dollars. Conservation groups including the Wilderness Committee and Ancient Forest Alliance say the fund has the power to create new protected areas by working with First Nations, government and private donors.
A former drug dealer has been sentenced to 18 months in jail for manslaughter in the overdose death of 14-year-old Carson Crimeni in 2019. The BC Supreme Court heard that other youth posted video of the boy’s distress on social media before he died. Justice Kathleen Ker handed the man who sold the teen an “exceedingly high” dosage a three-year sentence, with half to be spent in jail and the remaining 18 months to be served under conditional supervision in his Fraser Valley community. Crimeni’s father and grandfather say they hope the case offers lessons for other young people.
Parks Canada has closed all lakes and shorelines in Kootenay and Yoho National Parks until March 31st after a suspected case of whirling disease. The agency says young fish, such as rainbow and brook trout, are especially susceptible to whirling disease, with a mortality rate of about 90 per cent. It said in an earlier statement that once established it’s nearly impossible to eradicate the parasite, which is a known aquatic invasive species. Parks Canada now says officials are conducting further sampling on the Kicking Horse and Kootenay rivers, but preliminary test results found suspected cases of whirling disease in the Kicking Horse River, Wapta Lake, Finn Creek, Monarch Creek and the confluence of Emerald River and the Kicking Horse River.
DJ Larkin, the executive director of the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition – which operates out of Simon Fraser University – says there is concern about possible ramifications of the police decision to raid the offices of a Vancouver group calling for a safe supply of drugs. Larkin says police taking action against an organization providing life-saving harm reduction is “deeply problematic” and may result in more overdoses and deaths if people lose access to their safe supply. Police served search warrants at the offices of the Drug User Liberation Front – known as DULF – and at two east Vancouver homes Thursday as the group and its leaders have publicly admitted to trafficking controlled substances such as heroin. Police say two people connected with DULF were arrested and released, and that investigators are considering recommending possible drug charges.
Coquitlam Mounties are appealing for more information about the suspicious fire that destroyed the Hazel Trembath Elementary school earlier this month. Corporal Alexa Hodgins says investigators have collected 200 hours of surveillance video, conducted hundreds of witness statements and followed up on numerous tips from the community, but police still need more tips to push the investigation forward. She says the cause of the October 14th fire is still under investigation and will take several months to be determined. About 215 students attended Hazel Trembath Elementary School.
Police in New Westminster say one of the suspects charged in relation to a January 2022 shooting at a city residence has pleaded guilty at his trial. They say Justin Crowchild has been handed a 729-day sentence for discharging a firearm and a six-month sentence for possession of a firearm. Police say he was one of three people who were arrested and charged in the case. They say the trial for another accused is still before the courts, while the third person died before their trial could take place.