One of three American bulldogs that were stolen during a break-and-enter in Surrey has been recovered, according to Surrey RCMP, but the dogs’ owners are still trying to find the other two puppies. The theft happened Saturday afternoon at a house on 8 Avenue, near 176 Street, while the residents weren’t home. According to police, a member of the public got in touch after realizing the puppy they bought at a car show in Mission over the weekend was one of the stolen dogs, Rosie. “We’re glad that we got this one puppy back for the family,” said Sgt. Elanore Sturko. “We’re grateful that this person who had the puppy reached out to us.” Sturko said the person also provided further information to investigators, and it’s possible the two dogs that remain at large were also sold at the car show. Anyone with information is asked to contact Surrey RCMP or Crime Stoppers if they wish to remain anonymous.
B-C Premier John Horgan says his cabinet will discuss the possibility of new restrictions to be put in place due to COVID-19 later today. But he says the announcement would come Thursday from provincial health officer Doctor Bonnie Henry. B-C recorded 873 cases of COVID-19 Tuesday, along with two new deaths. Horgan is also concerned that more than 100 people who recently arrived in B-C have refused to follow federal quarantine rules. B-C has formally extended the provincial state of emergency to April 27th, giving health and emergency management officials extraordinary powers to support the province’s pandemic response.
Police say 22-year-old woman who was gunned down in a Surrey, B-C, home back in February was not the intended target. Sgt. Frank Jang with the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team says police believe the male survivor of the shooting was the actual target. The family of Shana Harris-Morris say they will be pushing for more support for children and family with mental health issues. The family is also appealing to the public for more information that will help IHIT track down her killers, who remain on the loose
With British Columbians across the province making plans to get outdoors, camp, and even travel locally in the weeks ahead, our premier isn’t ruling out the possibility of a travel ban. People continue to be urged to stay home in an effort to limit the spread of COVID-19 and address the third wave, which is being fuelled by more transmissible variants. Premier John Horgan and his cabinet are meeting on Wednesday and will likely discuss the feasibility of a travel ban, limiting British Columbians’ movements throughout the province. The premier notes that most people are doing the right thing, but not enough people are. They are also discussing implementing more restrictions and will announce tomorrow that they are extening the ban on indoor dinning. this follows B-C recorded 873 cases of COVID-19 Tuesday, along with two new deaths.
Canada now has one of the highest rates of new COVID-19 cases in the world, and a record number of patients in critical care. The battle between more contagious variants and vaccination efforts continues across the country. Vaccines are going into arms at a rate of almost seven per one-thousand Canadians per day, up from five just two weeks ago. But over the past week, new COVID-19 cases are up 33 per cent, hospitalizations are up 29 per cent and intensive care unit patients are up 24 per cent.
Health Canada is still recommending that Canadians get the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID vaccine, despite very rare cases of blood clots. Chief medical adviser Dr. Supriya Sharma says the vaccine, along with others approved for use so far, is safe for anyone to take. The decision from Health Canada comes a day after Canada reported its first-ever case of a blood clot in a patient who received the AstraZeneca vaccine in Quebec. Scientists haven’t yet been able to explain how the vaccine may be causing the rare clots.
R-C-M-P in Surrey say they issued 18 tickets last week for non-compliance with COVID-19 public health orders — most for large gatherings that are currently banned. The Mounties say the value of the fines totalled nearly 17,000 dollars. Ticket recipients included a person who organized a wedding with 22 people in attendance and a restaurant caught with customers dining inside. The Mounties say officers have seen the number of people and businesses ignoring public health orders creeping up recently, especially with sunny weather now here.
Surrey city council approved another lofty high rise tower proposal for the city centre Monday night, following a public hearing. The applicant, Tien Sher Whalley Fortuna Gateway Ltd., plans to build a 54-storey residential tower with a seven-storey office podium and retail space on the ground floor on a 1.88-acre site at 10761 King George Boulevard. The tower’s 479 residential units are expected to be ready for occupancy by early 2026.
The Queen has returned to royal duties, four days after the death of her husband, Prince Philip. The 94-year-old monarch attended a retirement ceremony for a senior royal official on Tuesday. The event is recorded in the Court Circular, the official record of royal engagements. The Royal Family is observing two weeks of mourning for Philip, who died last week at the age of 99.
The 50th anniversary edition of the Juno Awards is being postponed for a second time due to the pandemic. Organizers are pushing back the date from May 16th to June 6th out of what they call an abundance of caution. This year’s show was planned to be a splashy celebration with some of the country’s biggest stars, but organizers have been forced to scale their plans back and still haven’t announced any performers.