The provincial government is in court today in a bid to get certification for a class-action lawsuit against dozens of health care and pharmaceutical companies over the cost of the opioid crisis. The fight began in 2018 when the province passed the Opioid Damages and Health Care Costs Recovery Act, seeking costs from companies alleged to have contributed to opioid addiction. The certification hearing is expected to last about four weeks and a civil trial would then have to be held to determine if the companies are liable. The hearing is going ahead even after the Supreme Court of Canada ruled earlier this month that it would hear a constitutional challenge arguing BC’s law is an overreach.
The number of BC cases of Salmonella, believed to be linked to cantaloupe, has now reached 12. The Public Health Agency of Canada says the cases are among the 63 total being investigated in British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador. Canada’s food inspection agency has issued multiple food recalls for Malichita brand cantaloupes sold between October 11th and November 14th, as well as Rudy brand cantaloupes sold between October 10th and November 24th. Across Canada, 17 people have been hospitalized and one person has died from the illness.
Mounties in Chilliwack are looking for witnesses after a fatal crash Saturday night. Police say a single vehicle became airborne before crashing near Chilliwack Lake Road just before 7 pm. They say police, fire and ambulance first responders all attended but the driver died at the scene. Police are asking anyone who witnessed or has information about the crash to call the detachment.
Police in Surrey are investigating a fatal crash where one of the drivers fled the scene. Mounties say a white Ford Mustang was travelling southbound when it collided with a black Toyota Corolla at an intersection causing significant damage to both vehicles. Police say the man driving the Mustang was transported to hospital with minor injuries while the male passenger of the Corolla died of his injuries. They say the driver of the Corolla fled the scene on foot and anyone with information or dashcam footage of the area is being asked to call police.
One person is in police custody after a tractor rolled over on Highway 1 in Surrey BC Highway Patrol say they encountered a person driving a tractor, possibly involved in a protest, on the highway just after 12:30 pm on Saturday. Police say they attempted to stop the tractor, resulting in a collision with a police vehicle and the tractor later rolled over after trying to take a westbound on-ramp. Police say the person in police custody was also taken to the hospital with unknown injuries.
The Cowichan Tribes have voted to take over authority of the child welfare system for its members. Results published by the First Nation show 83 per cent of voters were in favour of a new law that prioritizes providing supports to keep families together or places children with relatives or in other Indigenous homes. Negotiator Robert Morales says the First Nation is working on a co-ordination agreement with the other levels of government laying out what the transition will look like. He says they hope to take over in April.