A BC woman who was repatriated from a Syrian prison camp last year after marrying an ISIS fighter has been placed on an eight-month terrorism peace bond. Kimberly Polman must follow a number of conditions and could face a prison sentence if those conditions are breached. The conditions include following curfews, a ban from leaving BC, wearing electronic monitoring equipment and prohibitions against contacting certain people, including her ex-husband. Polman and another woman were returned to Canada in October 2022 and arrested on their return, but she had been out on bail pending the bond decision.
Vancouver police have released updated images of escaped sex offender Randall Hopley, who walked away from a halfway house last weekend before a scheduled court date. Police say they have received dozens of tips on Hopley’s whereabouts and believe the man wanted on a Canada-wide warrant is deliberately evading capture, possibly in a rural or isolated area. VPD say 18 officers are on the case and have reviewed 40 tips on possible sightings throughout Metro Vancouver and beyond. Police say 58-year-old Hopley removed an ankle monitor and didn’t return to his halfway house on November 4th in what they believe was an attempt to avoid a trial on Monday for allegedly breaching conditions of his release.
Online sales for tickets to Taylor Swift’s 2024 concerts in Vancouver are scheduled to start today, but not everyone will be eligible to make the purchase. Fans who won a lottery yesterday to receive presale codes will be able to buy the coveted tickets to the shows slated for December 6th, 7th and 8th next year. Ticketmaster says even recipients of the presale codes are not guaranteed a seat, since the tickets will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis. Ticket sales for the three concerts will be staggered at 11 a-m, 1 pm and 3 pm local time today for fans who received presale codes.
Police say two women have been taken to hospital after an SUV fled from police in downtown Vancouver, causing two separate crashes. Vancouver police say the driver of a grey Dodge Durango failed to stop for officers at about 7:30 am yesterday on Burrard Street after allegedly hitting a pedestrian near Howe and Hasting streets. The SUV then crashed into another vehicle near Robson and Cambie streets, and the offending driver has not been found by police. Investigators say the victims, one in her 30s and another in her 50s, were taken to hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
Construction is expected to start later this fall on an updated 42 thousand square foot community centre in the Marpole neighbourhood of Vancouver. City officials say the new 91 million dollar facility is intended to support the needs of the growing local population, something that the seven decade old existing community centre can no longer do. The project will include a gym, fitness centre and field house for users of the on-site sports field, as well as a child-care centre with a capacity of 74 children. The new community centre is anticipated to open in 2025.
Sightings of Bigg’s killer whales have broken records this year in the Salish Sea off the BC coast, with 12 hundred 70 instances in the first 10 months of 2023. The Pacific Whale Watch Association says the previous record was 12-hundred-and-20 unique sightings for the entire 12-month period last year. Association director Erin Glass says there have been sightings every day since March 12th this year in the Salish Sea. The success of the Bigg’s killer whale contrasts sharply with that of the endangered southern resident killer whale, which is on track for a near-record low in unique sightings this year.