British Columbia’s police watchdog says there are reasonable grounds for charges against three Mounties on Vancouver Island involved in the shooting death of an Indigenous man last year. The Independent Investigations Office says it will file a report to BC’s prosecution service to consider charges in the death of Jared Lowndes. At least one Campbell River RCMP officer opened fire on Lowndes in the parking lot of a coffee shop in Campbell River in July 2021. Police have said they were attempting to pull over the 38-year-old father of two for an outstanding warrant when he failed to stop.
Police say a 15-year-old is in custody after a series of carjacking’s in North Vancouver. RCMP allege the suspect pointed a replica firearm at someone at a gas station Wednesday and demanded the keys to his vehicle, however, the victim wrestled the gun away and pinned the suspect down until officers arrived. Police say they later connected the suspect to a break-and-enter in which a vehicle was stolen then crashed, and another carjacking of a vehicle that was later abandoned. Police say several stolen items were found at the teen’s home and the youth faces charges for robbery and firearm offences.
David Eby is to meet with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau today for the first time since becoming premier. They are expected to discuss the government’s plan to make child care more affordable for families. The pair will be joined by Karina Gould, federal minister of families, children and social development, and Katrina Chen, BC’s minister of state for child care. Trudeau also plans to attend a Liberal party fundraiser in Surrey this evening.
Metro Vancouver’s regional transit and transportation agency has dropped its COVID-19 vaccine mandate for workers. The policy, which was implemented last year, required all TransLink employees to have two doses of the vaccine. The transit authority says the change follows similar moves by the federal and local municipal governments, BC Ferries, BC Hydro, ICBC and others. It said earlier this fall that it’s looking to hire about 300 skilled workers for SkyTrain operations and maintenance immediately, with about 500 needed by 2028 when the Surrey-Langley SkyTrain line goes into service.
The Transportation Ministry says it’s ready for afternoon snow on the Lower Mainland, even as the forecast for heavy snowfall has been scaled back. It says road maintenance contractors will be out in full force, treating roads with brine in advance of any precipitation this afternoon. Drivers are encouraged to plan ahead, stay off the road if weather conditions worsen, and ensure their vehicles are properly equipped with snow tires. British Columbia’s auto insurer says the number of accident claims made Tuesday, when a major snowstorm hit the south coast, was nearly double that of the same day the week before.
Director Chris Breward says National Museums Scotland is pleased to transfer a totem pole back to the people and place in B-C where its spiritual significance is most keenly understood. Planning is underway to safely remove the Nisga’a totem from its display location and send it back to the First Nation. A delegation of Nisga’a leaders travelled to Edinburgh last August to ask that the memorial pole, which is believed to hold the spirit of an ancestor, be returned to its territory. It was taken without consent in 1929 by an ethnographer researching Nisga’a village, who then sold it to the Scottish museum where it has been on display since 1930.