The union representing R-C-M-P officers says it’s concerned by Premier John Horgan’s suggestion that businesses should call police for help enforcing the province’s vaccine card rules. The National Police Federation says its members will always respond professionally to businesses and individuals in need of support. However, the union says police are being called to do more without additional resources or funding and they’re already stretched thin. This summer alone, it says more than 650 Mounties have been deployed to wildfire response and even more have been sent to enforce an injunction granted to a logging company at Fairy Creek on Vancouver Island.
For the second time this month, Surrey RCMP were called to a residence in the Guildford area of Surrey following reports of a shooting. The incident, during which two witnesses say a man was shot, happened around 3:45 a.m. Sunday (Aug.29.) at a home in the 9100-block of 148 Street, near Fraser Highway. It is the same residence where another shooting took place on Aug. 12, according to a Black Press freelancer on scene. The victim was reportedly transported to Royal Columbian Hospital with undetermined injuries. RCMP taped off the property and investigators were seen at the incident. There is no word so far on a motive for the shooting or the condition of the victim.
The three main federal party leaders will be busy today, making multiple stops. Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau will begin his day with an announcement this morning in Granby, Quebec. He will later head to Nunavut with campaign stops planned in Iqualuit. Trudeau was dogged over the weekend by obscenity spewing protesters angry about his pandemic vaccination policies. N-D-P Leader Jagmeet Singh has a multi-provincial day ahead in Ontario and then B-C. Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole, meanwhile, is sticking to the Greater Toronto Area
A Surrey parent and teacher made the plea for a stronger mask mandate before the 2021-22 school year starts on Sept. 7. The Safe Schools Coalition held its second rally to push for stronger COVID-19 measures going into the new school year. The Aug. 28 rally was held at Holland Park from noon to 1:30 p.m., with dozens in attendance. The coalition is a group of concerned parents, guardians and teachers. Amy Johnston, a music teacher at a Surrey school and a parent of a four-year-old who’s about to head into kindergarten, said “wearing a mask is the safest thing that we can do.” Like last spring, masks are mandatory for staff and students in grades 4 to 12 in all indoor spaces. However, masks are only “encouraged” for children in kindergarten to Grade 3, Whiteside said. Jennifer Heighton, one of the teacher organizers for the coalition, said the response for the rallies and online has been “quite phenomenal.”\ she ended off by saying: “In general, we overprotect our kids. So why is it we’re not doing it here?”
Surrey’s popular “House of Horrors” attraction will operate under a new name this year. The month-long Halloween event at Potter’s garden centre in Newton has been renamed Cougar Creek’s House of Horrors, following the sale of the business. The “haunted” houses were closed last year due to the pandemic, but the plan is to reopen Oct. 1 this year. “The House of Horrors has had to make a number of changes to the event,” says a post on the new-look event website, cougarcreekhouseofhorrors.com. “But not to worry, it’s still the same scary, fun event run by the same nutso crew!” Potter’s Garden Centre at the 72nd Avenue location was recently purchased by some longtime Potter’s employees, and the new garden centre has been renamed Cougar Creek Garden Centre The posted rules say all attendees must provide government ID and proof of at least one recent COVID vaccination, as per BC Health regulations. By Oct. 24, all attendees will need proof of full vaccination. Medical masks are highly recommended at this event. The website includes other pandemic-related safety measures and ticket information.
A COVID-19 outbreak has been declared at the Chilliwack General Hospital, where the Fraser Health authority says three patients have tested positive in a single unit. That’s after Northern Health announced a new COVID-19 outbreak at the Fort St. John Hospital over the weekend, where three patients and two staff tested positive. An outbreak was also ongoing at White Rock’s Peace Arch Hospital, along with 13 in long-term care and assisted living as of the province’s last update on Friday.
British Columbia health officials announced on Monday that there have been 1,853 new test-positive COVID-19 cases since Friday, bringing the total number of recorded cases in the province to 165,413. In a written statement, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix said that there are 5,918 active cases of COVID-19 in the province. Of the active cases, 176 individuals are currently hospitalized, 91 of whom are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation. There were 769 cases between Friday and Saturday, 581 between Saturday and Sunday, and 503 between Sunday and Monday. New cases, as well as total active cases, broken down by health region are as follows:
- Fraser Health: 531 new cases, 1,371 total active cases
- Vancouver Coastal Health: 295 new cases, 1,076 total active cases
- Interior Health: 707 new cases, 2,424 total active cases
- Northern Health: 142 new cases, 453 total active cases
- Island Health: 178 new cases, 587 total active cases
- Outside of Canada: No new cases, seven total active cases
There have been seven new COVID-19-related deaths for a total of 1,814 deaths in British Columbia. Of the new deaths, one was in Fraser Health, two were in Island Health, one was in Northern Health, and three were in Interior Health. Health officials in BC also shared data on COVID-19 cases in vaccinated and unvaccinated people:
Past week cases (August 20-26) – Total 4,565
- Not vaccinated: 3,255 (71.3%)
- Partially vaccinated: 477 (10.4%)
- Fully vaccinated: 833 (18.2%)
Past two weeks cases hospitalized (August 13-26) – Total 217
- Not vaccinated: 172 (79.3%)
- Partially vaccinated: 14 (6.5%)
- Fully vaccinated: 31 (14.3%)
Past week, cases per 100,000 population (August 20-26)
- Not vaccinated: 208.3
- Partially vaccinated: 111.1
- Fully vaccinated: 26.2
From August 13 to 26, people not fully vaccinated accounted for 81.7% of cases and 85.8% of hospitalizations. To date, 84.2% of all eligible people 12 and over have received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine; 76.4% have received their second dose. 157,419 people who tested positive have now recovered.
One of Victoria’s largest pubs, the Sticky Wicket, was among three restaurants at the Strathcona Hotel that were closed this weekend due to staffing shortages. But the BC Restaurant and Food Services Association says it’s no surprise, as the problem is plaguing much of the hospitality industry. Association president Ian Tostenson says cooks and servers are shying away from the industry due to financial uncertainty brought on by COVID-19 restrictions and closures over the last 18 months. He says the solution could be in more foreign workers, but the program for bringing those workers to Canada needs to be significantly accelerated to meet demand.