A two week court hearing into a First Nation’s challenge over BC’s online registry that automatically grants mineral rights begins today at the Supreme Court in Vancouver. The Gitxaala (GHEET’-khat-lah) Nation initially filed a petition in 2021 seeking a judicial review. It argued the process doesn’t require the government to consult the First Nation and simply grants the claim and is asking the courts to quash seven mineral claims on Banks Island, south of Prince Rupert, and claim staking in Gitxaa?a territory. The Nation’s leaders are hosting a news conference ahead of the hearings this morning.
The deputy chief of the Vancouver Police Department has taken to Twitter to defend officers who were working at the International Transgender Day of Visibility rally. Deputy Chief Howard Chow called the comments “vile and abusive,” adding that protecting the right to free speech is one of the most important aspects of policing. This came after the department and its officers faced online criticism for not arresting anyone after people attending Friday’s demonstration confronted a group of counter-protesters inside Vancouver’s Grandview Park. The department says in a news release that it is investigating at least two “violent confrontations” that happened at Friday’s rally, and Chow says arrests may still be made following their investigation.
Legendary Vancouver disc radio personality Red Robinson has died at 86. His family made the announcement on Facebook, saying he passed away on Saturday morning. Robinson began his radio career in 1954 at Vancouver’s C-JOR, and his website credits him as the first DJ in Canada to play rock ‘n’ roll music on a regular basis. It says he was elected into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994, the Canadian Broadcast Hall of Fame in 1997 and the Rockabilly Hall of Fame in 2000.
Mounties in Chilliwack are investigating a shooting that left one person dead and another with serious injuries in the city’s Sardis area. They say officers responded to reports of shots fired just before 7 PM Saturday and found the injured men. The RCMP say investigators believe the shooting was targeted and related to gang conflict. Police say the investigation is still in its early stages and are asking anyone with information to come forward.
The Volunteer Cancer Driver Society says it is facing a shortage of volunteers to drive cancer patients to their appointments. The organization says the current 350 volunteers are not enough to keep pace with demand — particularly because only about 70 of the drivers are based in Vancouver, where more than half of the appointments are located. In an effort to attract new volunteers, it has launched a new campaign to recruit 100 new drivers in 100 days. The society, which began in 2016, says all of the volunteers are offered a vehicle allowance to help cover car costs.