Surrey RCMP say they are conducting a review of a recent response to a weapons call which saw a Black family — including a 10-year-old girl — ordered out of their house with their hands up. Blanche Monabeka, 21, police showed up at their home around 5:30 p.m. Monday and parked outside. 10 – 15 minutes later after they made sure everything was okay and were back n their home, police yelled through a megaphone ‘Everybody out, put your hands up’. While Monabeka and her sisters — aged 18, 15 and 10 years of age — were outside, police proceeded to search the home, but found no weapon. Monabeka’s family has tenants in two adjoining units who are Caucasian , who she said were not ordered out of their homes. An RCMP officer reached out to the family to apologize Wednesday, two days after the incident, she said — but not until a video she made about the encounter began to spread on social media. Surrey RCMP Sgt. Elenore Sturko said police take the family’s concerns seriously, and were reviewing officers’ actions and how the file was handled. Monabeka says She’s hoping the RCMP’s review into the incident will lead to improved training for front-line officers.
Canada has approved the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, making it the fourth shot in the country’s arsenal against the coronavirus. The Johnson & Johnson shot, which is the first single-dose vaccine approved for emergency use against COVID-19, could greatly change Canada’s vaccination efforts. The Johnson & Johnson is approved for adults over the age of 18 at this time. Ongoing trials are expected to provide more information on the safety and efficacy of the shot in children and other groups. While the efficacy is a bit lower than the Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and AstraZeneca shots, experts say the Johnson & Johnson drug still provides a large amount of protection against the virus and will help get more people fully vaccinated quicker. “In clinical trials, it was shown to be 66 per cent effective overall in preventing moderate to severe COVID-19. Canada has pre-purchased 10 million doses of the vaccine, with the option to buy 28 million more.
B.C.’s top doctor is offering hope that we can return to some sense of normalcy within months. “Maybe I’m too optimistic, but we’re going to be in our post-pandemic world by the summer, if things continue to go the way that we want them to,” Dr. Bonnie Henry said Thursday. Henry expects many younger people will be able to get at least their first dose before the summer arrives, and confirms B.C.’s immunization committee is taking another look at who should receive the COVID-19 vaccine when, with the hope of developing a more detailed framework in two weeks. She says she is aiming to have an update by March 18. Earlier this week, Henry said the province is now lengthening the interval between the first and second doses of the COVID-19 shot to four months, instead of 42 days.
B-C’s top doctor says the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine will be given to first responders and essential workers, but the province still needs to determine which industries will be included. Dr. Bonnie Henry says the first shipments of the vaccine are expected in the province next week and represent an “added bonus.’ But Henry says essential workers and first responders make up a
broad group, so B-C’s immunization committee is reviewing how to prioritize B-C reported 564 new COVID-19 cases and four deaths yesterday.
Hockey fans all over Canada are offering condolences to the Gretzky family over the loss of a legendary hockey dad and big Leafs fan. Wayne Gretzky released a statement late last night that his
father and mentor Walter had passed away after several years battling Parkinson’s disease and other health issues As his son’s star rose in the hockey world, Walter Gretzky remained a blue-collar symbol of a devoted hockey parent in a country filled with them. The Edmonton Oilers, Wayne Gretzky’s first N-H-L team, say the memories created by Walter Gretzky’s tremendous character and
passion for the game “will remain with us forever. Walter Gretzky was 82 years old.
Vancouver Coastal Health says the number of new cases of COVID-19 in Whistler continue to fall — with eight fewer last week than the week earlier. In all, 720 cases of the virus have been reported in Whistler since New Year’s Day — and the health authority says most cases have been among young people infected in household settings. Social gatherings outside a person’s immediate bubble get the blame for many of the infections. Residents and visitors to the resort municipality are reminded to wash hands frequently, maintain physical distance and follow public health guidelines limiting gatherings outside the home.
Surrey Mounties have arrested a man suspected of committing four gas station robberies in Cloverdale. “Twenty-year-old Jake Eric Henderson was charged with four counts of robbery,” Sgt. Elenore Sturko, RCMP media relations officer, wrote in press release. Henderson was remanded in custody and will has yet to appear in court. Sturko said the RCMP Robbery Unit began an investigation after robberies “with similar circumstances” were reported to police on Jan. 18, 19, 23, and 27.
The province is moving ahead with some tax changes that were delayed by the pandemic — including the elimination of the sales tax exemption for sugary drinks. The government says the change set to take effect on April 1st is supported by health professionals. As of that date, the sales tax will apply to sweetened carbonated beverages dispensed through soda fountains or vending machines. Others changes will require the Canadian sellers of vaping products to collect the P-S-T on online or mail order sales to B-C customers.
Two people have been airlifted to hospital after a helicopter crash on Bowen Island, off West Vancouver. B-C Emergency Health Services says it received a report of the crash on the island at about 10 a-m this morning. It says the two people aboard have been taken to hospital in serious but stable condition. An island resident says he saw the helicopter flip upside down before it crashed and was surprised to find the two occupants alive and walking around when he arrived on the scene.
Teachers and bus drivers are among the essential workers arguing they should get priority when B-C begins administering the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine. Provincial health officer Dr. Henry said yesterday that a plan for the vaccine not recommended for those 65 and older would be released around March 18th. B-C Teachers’ Federation president Teri Mooring said her members should be included because of what she says are inadequate COVID-19 safety measures. The union representing Metro Vancouver bus drivers says its members should receive the vaccine because they have been at risk throughout the pandemic.
Some provinces are aiming to speed up their vaccine rollouts as Canada expands its stockpile of shots to protect against COVID-19. Health Canada approved the COVID-19 vaccine from Johnson and Johnson today, as federal officials announced that the manufacturer of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was expediting shipments of 3.5-million doses to arrive before the summer. As the country’s vaccination campaign continues to gain steam, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau assured Canadians that a growing share of the population would soon be immunized.
Provincial Labour Minister Harry Bains says it has been “impressive” to witness the resilience of Surrey businesses during the pandemic. “Here is Surrey, when I look around, I see a lot of good things happening,” Bains said, with the city’s SkyTrain expansion project in the works, the planning process for a new hospital in Cloverdale “well under way,” and the Pattullo Bridge replacement project “also moving ahead.” The long-term NDP MLA for Surrey Newton was the guest speaker today during a digital meeting hosted by the Surrey Board of Trade.