The body of missing Port Moody woman Trina Hunt has been found, police said. The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) announced on May 1 that human remains discovered in Hope on March 29 have now been identified as those of Hunt. Foul play is suspected in the death, and IHIT is working with Port Moody Police as the investigation continues and has now officially transitioned into a case of homicide,” said IHIT Sergeant Frank Jang. Investigators noted that they had been working with the BC Coroners Service to identify the human remains since they were found over a month ago. An extensive search was launched for Hunt, 48, after she went missing on January 18.Hunt’s family called her disappearance “uncharacteristic,” and said she’s left home without her cell phone, keys, or wallet. Anyone with information is asked to contact the IHIT Information Line Anonymous tips can be made to Crime Stoppers. Her family and loved ones have extended their gratitude to the “community of friends, family and strangers (who now feel like friends)” who stepped up to help in the search for the Port Moody woman in the months since she was last seen.
When police in B.C. set up road checks to deter non-essential travel during COVID-19, drivers will be warned with roadside signs, and informed via social media posts. Under new travel restrictions, the province has been divided into three zones — the Lower Mainland/Fraser Valley, Vancouver Island, and Northern/Interior. On Friday, Minister of Public Safety Mike Farnworth said the “counter-attack style” checks will be set up on highway corridors that connect these zones. A statement from the Mounties says the force is still figuring out where the checks will be set up. Although fines can be issued to people who are travelling between regions, the RCMP say they expect the “vast majority” of people to comply voluntarily. To encourage this, drivers will be informed if they are approaching a checkpoint. Officers at checkpoints are only allowed to ask for information from the vehicle’s driver in order to determine if they are leaving their zone, and if they are doing so for an essential reason. The RCMP say drivers who are stopped and found to be travelling in violation of the order will be given the chance to reconsider, and comply.
An infectious diseases expert says May could be a “transformative month” in Canada’s fight against COVID-19, as provinces and territories continue to administer vaccines. A ramp up in vaccination efforts and the promise of more shots on the way is resulting in some promising trends across the country. The Public Health Agency of Canada tells the Globe and Mail that data shows relatively few cases of the coronavirus have been reported in people who’ve received their initial shot. Only a small percentage have gone on to develop COVID-19 and an even smaller share have fallen seriously ill or died. Dr. Isaac Bogoch, an infectious diseases specialist based out of Toronto General Hospital, says the developments based on the first-dose-fast strategy are great to see. While he believes May will bring a significant change, Bogoch says the health crisis isn’t over yet. Canada to date has fully vaccinated more than 1.13 million people and administered over 13.8 million doses. The country is on track to receive millions of doses in the coming months.
The website that B.C. students visit to manage their student loans appears to have been hacked. At around 9 p.m. Sunday people on Twitter reported the landing page for studentaidbc.ca was replaced with a black page with green writing and music playing in the background. On the page a green symbol is seen with the title, “Guardiran Security Team” followed by statements such as: “Mess with the best, die like the rest,” “Game Over for you but My Game has Just Begun,” and “When there is no justice, There is just us.” Less than an hour later at around 10 p.m. the site was fully down only showing an error message. This apparent hacking comes just days before the summer semester starts for students in early May. It is not clear if any personal information on students has been compromised, so far StudentAid BC has yet to comment on this situation. More to come
BC health officials are expected to give an update on COVID-19 figures for the weekend today. Provincial health officer Doctor Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix are scheduled to give the briefing just after 3 p-m. They are also expected to share more information about B-C’s vaccination plan. Last week, Health Canada announced that delivery of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine would be delayed amid safety concerns linked to a U-S production facility.
BC is reporting two-thousand-174 new cases of COVID-19 over the past three days, and another 15 deaths. Provincial health officer Doctor Bonnie Henry says the province has been on a steep upward trajectory over the past couple of weeks. Henry says there are some encouraging signs that B-C is starting to come down the other side of the curve but hospitalization rates remain far too high. She adds people need to continue following COVID-19 restrictions until enough B-C residents are vaccinated to avoid another upward climb.
Premier John Horgan is reaching out to community leaders for help in getting all adults in B-C to register on the province’s COVID-19 online vaccination system. Horgan says B-C is expecting one-million doses of the Pfizer vaccine in May and everyone 18 and older needs to register so they’re ready to get vaccinated as soon as possible. He plans to meet virtually with dozens of community leaders this week including Lower Mainland mayors, non-profits, youth, faith leaders and social media influencers. Horgan says he’ll enlist their help encouraging all community members to register for vaccination, especially in high transmission neighbourhoods.
Vancouver police say eight people were arrested following a protest that shut down traffic on the Granville Street bridge yesterday. A group called Extinction Rebellion said it was the second in five days of planned protests aimed at stopping climate change. Police say 30 to 40 protesters marched from downtown to the bridge and most ultimately left the bridge except for the eight who refused. Five adults were also arrested Saturday on similar charges of mischief and intimidation.