Municipal leaders gathering in Vancouver this week for the annual Union of British Columbia Municipalities convention are expected to focus on the province’s ongoing record wildfire season and the lessons learned. UBCM President Jen Ford says drug decriminalization, housing needs and wildfire responses are expected to be major areas of focus. She says a record number of delegates from across BC are expected to attend the gathering. Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry is leading off the convention at a forum on decriminalization and public use of drugs, and the gathering will conclude Friday with a speech by Premier David Eby.
A seismologist with Natural Resources Canada says the so-called swarm of more than 30 minor earthquakes that have struck off the coast of northern Vancouver Island since Thursday is completely normal. Andrew Schaeffer says that’s because it’s in a region where three tectonic plates meet, which causes increased seismic activity. Earthquakes Canada reported three of those small quakes early yesterday, all of which happened around 200 kilometres west of Port Hardy, north of Vancouver Island. It says there are no reports of any damage from those quakes and no tsunami is expected.
The Central Okanagan Emergency Operations Centre has issued evacuation orders for eight recreational properties near Peachland due to the Glen Lake Wildfire. It also issued an evacuation alert for all areas south of Peachland Forest Service Road. The BC Wildfire Service says that blaze is highly visible to the surrounding communities and along Highway 97. It is reporting more than 400 active blazes burning across the province, with more than 150 ranked as out of control.
Mounties in Burnaby are asking for the public’s help after a man was found dead at the scene of a shooting in Burnaby this weekend. They say about 15 minutes later, officers were called to a vehicle fire several blocks away in the Bainbridge Avenue and Greenwood Street area. The Mounties have also identified the victim as 29-year-old Gagandeep Sandhu of Abbotsford. The RCMP Integrated Homicide Investigation Team has been called in to investigate but police say they believe the shooting was targeted, and there is no risk to the public.
Three people have been sent to hospital with serious injuries following a violent incident in Abbotsford. Mounties say two victims suffering from apparent life-threatening stab wounds were found at a residential complex on McCallum Road around 7 pm on Saturday. They say paramedics and firefighters applied life-saving measures to the victims, who were then taken to a nearby hospital. Police say a short time later they found the suspect, who was placed into custody and taken to hospital with what appeared to be self-inflicted injuries.
Mounties in Sooke say a 21 year old man has been arrested after two people were stabbed this weekend. They say police responded to a call about a stabbing and found the two men injured. The RCMP says officers administered first aid until an ambulance arrived and took both men to the hospital with serious injuries. The Mounties say their investigation indicates an altercation started between a group of people and eventually led to the stabbings