A large fishing vessel capable of casting a net strong enough to hold a nearly 700-kilogram killer whale calf has arrived on northwestern Vancouver Island. It’s part of an effort to rescue the calf, which has been in a tidal lagoon near Zeballos for the past few weeks. The aluminum vessel has a built-in crane-like device for lifting heavy nets, and it’s expected to be deployed as part of rescue effort, which could happen any day now. The first rescue attempt last Friday was unsuccessful and involved a team of more than 50 people.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is in Victoria this morning. He’s expected to make an announcement related to strengthening Canadian research and education following the release of the latest federal budget. Budget 2024 makes a series of pledges to boost homegrown research, education and innovation, including 30-million dollars to support Indigenous participation. It also earmarks funding to increase the value of masters and doctoral student scholarships, along with post-doctoral fellowships.
The first police officer to enter a room where a woman was being held hostage in Surrey five years ago says he saw her lying on top of her captor, who was holding a knife to her throat and a gun in his other hand. Corporal Chris Dibblee told a BC coroners inquest he almost immediately felt he would need to shoot Randy Crosson to save hostage Nona McEwan, but he initially didn’t think he’d be able to without hitting her too. Dibblee testified that when McEwan moved and exposed Crosson’s torso, he shot at the man 14 times and other officers began firing as well. He told the inquest that officers who are trained medics treated McEwan for two gunshot wounds, but she later died in hospital.
Three Lower Mainland men have been fined and face a 10-year hunting ban after using a spotlight to hunt for deer at night and out of season. The BC Conservation Officer Service says a provincial court judge in Kamloops issued a fine of eight-thousand dollars for one man, while the others must pay five-thousand dollars each. The service says the men were caught in May 2020 by a conservation officer who was doing hunting compliance checks. It says the officer found two deer that had been shot, including one that was pregnant with twins, along with several grouse and a marmot, and the wildlife along with the men’s rifles were seized.
Police on Vancouver Island say they’re investigating the theft of a collection of Indigenous art valued at more than 60-thousand dollars. A statement from Saanich Police says the artworks were stolen from a home in the Gordon Head area on April 2nd. They say the collection includes several pieces by First Nations artist Calvin Moreberg, as well as Inuit carvings that are estimated to be more than 60 years old.
Police in Abbotsford say an elaborate operation would have been needed to steal a large shipping container from a rural property this week. The department says the 12-metre long container disappeared during daylight hours on Monday. Two flat-deck trucks with folding knuckle-boom cranes are suspected of being used to remove the container from the property. Police say the owner of the heavy equipment may have been unaware it was a theft, and they’re asking anyone with information to call them.