BC Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon says the province will be providing more than 300 new homes for people living on Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside over the next three months. The Vancouver Fire Rescue Service issued an order to remove tents and structures along East Hastings Street last July. Kahlon says this compelled governments and service providers to develop a co-ordinated response plan to help people get off the streets and safely into homes. The new initiative will include two temporary supportive housing projects and a mix of renovated single room occupancy and other supportive housing units, which Kahlon says will open “on a rolling basis” through April, May and June.
Mounties in Langley say one person has died after a collision between a car and a freight train in Langley. They say the lone occupant of the vehicle was pronounced dead at the scene yesterday and their next of kin is being notified. BC Emergency Health Services confirmed four ambulances were dispatched to the scene at Production Way and 200 Street just after 7 AM. Police say the investigation is ongoing, but there is no indication that the operator of the train was at fault.
Police in Vancouver say three pedestrians were sent to hospital after a car crashed into them this weekend. They say a white Nissan Leaf was driving west on Hastings near Campbell Avenue around 7 PM on Saturday when the driver struck the pedestrians in the intersection. Police say two people went to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries while a third had serious injuries. They say the driver is co-operating with their investigation, and speed and impairment are not believed to be the cause of the crash.
Vernon Search and Rescue says they successfully found three people and a dog who were reported missing after setting out for a day hike this weekend. It says 22 members responded to the call on Saturday afternoon, including ground searchers on snowshoes and a four-person sled team. The organization says some members in a helicopter spotted smoke, alerting them to where the hikers were located, and retrieved them with snowmobiles. It is now reminding people that while it feels like spring at lower elevations, it is still winter in the mountains and is urging people to plan ahead, wear appropriate clothing and bring necessary equipment when heading out.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has revoked a primary control zone for the highly contagious avian flu in BC. It says this happens when post-outbreak surveillance is completed and no further cases of avian influenza are detected. The agency’s website showed the number of birds that have been impacted in the province as of Wednesday was three-million 657-thousand. It says that while the virus affects birds, there is no evidence it can be passed to humans who consume poultry products.
Farmers in the Cowichan Valley say they are losing crops, and dealing with property and field damage caused by Roosevelt Elk. The threatened species typically moves to lower elevations during the winter months searching for more plentiful food, but in the last few years, some herds have been staying on farmland in the Duncan area year round. A University of Alberta research project intended to reduce human-elk conflict in the Cowichan Valley started in August 2021 and aims to test deterrents to keep elk out of farms. The researchers say they hope to share their work with farmers and the provincial government as a way to help with the management of Roosevelt Elk.