Police in the Kootenays say a small plane suffered an engine failure Tuesday, forcing it to make an emergency landing on a stretch of highway outside the village of Salmo. RCMP say they received a report about a plane on the side of Highway 6 on Tuesday morning and a BC Highway Patrol officer responded and found a small, single-engine aircraft on the side of the road and the pilot nearby. Police say the pilot said the plane had suffered a catastrophic engine failure, forcing the emergency landing. Mounties say the aircraft’s engine was visibly damaged, but the pilot and the plane were otherwise unharmed.
The BC arm of the World Sikh Organization of Canada says it’s deeply concerned after a Sikh high school student was allegedly violently attacked in Kelowna on Monday. The organization says the Grade 11 student was taking a bus home from school when they were attacked, the second violent incident against a Sikh student on a bus in the city this year. The organization says the student was harassed by a pair of people before boarding the bus, then kicked and punched by the attackers, and the driver allegedly ordered the victim and the assailants off the bus. Kelowna RCMP say they’re investigating the incident, and have identified a suspect – also a teenage male – and say they’re still trying to determine motive for the attack.
The Squamish-Lillooet Regional District says 43 structures were destroyed by the Downton Lake wildfire, and 11 more suffered partial damage. The district says the evacuation order related to the blaze has been downgraded and residents are allowed to return to the Gun Lake and Gun Creek areas of Electoral Area A, where the structures were lost to the Downton Lake wildfire. Board chair Jen Ford says the wildfires have been distressing for property owners, adding there are still challenges that lie ahead. Ford says residents may be allowed to re-enter their areas now that the evacuation order has been downgraded to an alert, but urged caution because hazards still remain.
Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam residents can now access police data about crime in their cities online. The Coquitlam RCMP says it has launched its new property crime dashboard, allowing members of the public to explore crimes reported in the cities on an interactive map tool. Mounties say the dashboard can be accessed through the Coquitlam RCMP detachment’s website, and the mapping tool includes two years of past crime data, including auto thefts and break and enters. Mounties say the new dashboard is meant to help residents stay aware and be informed about crimes happening in their neighbourhoods.
The mayor of Penticton says he’s disappointed by the news that Air Canada is no longer offering flights to the city. Mayor Julius Bloomfield says there’s a demand for flights from Penticton to Vancouver, and the city will work with the local chamber of commerce and other airlines to ensure flight service to the community continues. Bloomfield says city officials hope to meet with other carriers during the Union of British Columbia Municipalities convention next week in Vancouver. The mayor says the city’s airport will remain a key player in keeping the city connected as they seek out new opportunities and partnerships.
The union representing members of the RCMP says people should avoid speculating about a police-involved death in Revelstoke last month. Jeff Swann with the National Police Federation says it’s now up to BC’s Independent Investigation Office to figure out if officers responding to a report of a stolen vehicle acted properly. Swann says fatal incidents involving police are always tragic, but urged people to allow the independent investigation to conclude without assuming the motives of the deceased man or police. The RCMP responded to a call of a stolen vehicle in late August in Revelstoke, and it ended in the fatal shooting of Garry Pashe Jr., an Indigenous man from Manitoba later publicly identified by a family member.