The iconic White Rock has been vandalized with black spray paint, and the words ‘Black Lives Matter.’ The 486-ton boulder that is a symbol of the city, and is sacred to the Semiahmoo First Nation City Councillor Anthony Manning spotted the graffiti yesterday morning. He says he supports anyone to express their opinion, but there are ways to do it and there are ways not to do it. This is certainly a way not to do it. He also worries it will fuel opposition to the movement against anti-Black racism.
John Horgan says he would not have called an election for October 24th if he didn’t think it could be held safely. The New Democrat leader has been facing criticism from the leaders of the Liberal and Green parties for calling a snap election during a pandemic. Horgan says Elections B-C’s plan to increase the number of advanced polling days, provide sanitized voting stations and offer mail-in ballots ensures safe voting. Horgan says he made the final decision to call the election ahead of the October 2021 fixed date to try to bring stable government during the uncertain times created by the pandemic.
Shocking video making the rounds on social media shows a fight that broke out on a TransLink bus in Surrey on Saturday, all because one person refused to wear a mask. The video shows two men punching and shoving each other on the bus while people in the background yell for help. It happened in the area of 96 Ave and 120th Street and all started after after one man offered the other a mask. Transit Police are now trying to track down the suspect…According to TransLink, spot checks show about 95 per cent of customers are wearing masks on board transit vehicles.
B-C’s top doctor says 267 new cases of COVID-19 have been detected and three more people have died since Friday. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says the number of active cases ticked down to just over 13-hundred, including 69 people who are in hospital. More than 33-hundred people are being monitored by public health workers after being exposed to known cases and Henry says there has been a new community outbreak at a church in Kelowna. B.C. has reported eight-thousand-908 cases of COVID-19 so far.
Fraser Health confirms that a staff member at a Surrey long-term care facility has tested positive for COVID-19. It says a rapid response team has been deployed to the Harrison West at Elim Village facility operated by the Elim Housing Society. Fraser Health says the staff member is now self-isolating at home. It adds that it’s working to identify anyone who may have been exposed and is taking steps to protect the health of all staff, residents and families.
The global death toll from the COVID-19 pandemic is expected to reach one-million sometime today, but experts believe the true number is much higher, considering the difficulties in testing and identifying virus-related deaths early in the health crisis. The grim milestone also comes at a time when many countries are either approaching or are in the midst of a second wave of COVID-19.
The Canada Emergency Response Benefit has officially expired, even as COVID-19 cases rise across the country. Earlier this week, the Trudeau government sided with NDP demands to make the new employment insurance payments equal to that of the CERB — $2,000 per month. There are over two million Canadians currently collecting CERB payments… the E.I. program will only cover about half of the Canadians on the benefit.
Police are investigating an apparent drive-by shooting in North Delta Monday afternoon. Delta police are currently responding to reports of a shooting that occurred around 2:30 p.m. on Sept. 28.
“Gunfire was apparently exchanged between occupants of two vehicles near 120th Street [Scott Road] and 82nd Avenue in North Delta, and that “Police have recovered numerous bullet casings.”
Police are not aware of any victims and have not received any reports of injuries in relation to this incident. Officers are currently interviewing witnesses and at this time are not releasing information about the specific vehicles involved. However, anyone who was in the area at that time and may have relevant dash cam video, or who witnessed the incident and has not yet spoken to police, is asked to contact the Delta Police Department
B-C’s chief electoral officer says schools won’t be used as polling places during the upcoming election — at least not on weekdays. Anton Boegman says two days of advance polling fall on the
weekend, and school gyms and auditoriums will be used then — while election day is a Saturday, so school facilities will also be available. But he says advance polls slated for weekdays will be held in other facilities because he understands parents’ and teachers’ concerns about keeping COVID-19 exposures out of schools. Boegman says using schools for election activities on weekends means all necessary cleaning can be done by the time students return on the following Monday.