Canada's allegations about India's links to the killing of activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar have significantly bolstered vocal support for the movement calling for an independent Sikh state, said organizers of an upcoming referendum. The group Sikhs For Justice is scheduled to hold a second round of voting for its unofficial referendum on Khalistan — referring to an independent Sikh state in India — on Sunday at the gurdwara in Surrey, B.C., where Nijjar was shot on June 18.
Police in New Westminster say one of the suspects charged in relation to a January 2022 shooting at a city residence has pleaded guilty at his trial. They say Justin Crowchild has been handed a 729-day sentence for discharging a firearm and a six-month sentence for possession of a firearm.
Coquitlam Mounties are appealing for more information about the suspicious fire that destroyed the Hazel Trembath Elementary school earlier this month. Corporal Alexa Hodgins says investigators have collected 200 hours of surveillance video, conducted hundreds of witness statements and followed up on numerous tips from the community, but police still need more tips to push the investigation forward.
A former drug dealer has been sentenced to 18 months in jail for manslaughter in the overdose death of 14-year-old Carson Crimeni in 2019. The B-C Supreme Court heard that other youth posted video of the boy’s distress on social media before he died.
Colleges and universities that issue acceptance letters to international students will have to confirm all of them with the federal immigration department as Canada moves to crack down on fraud. Immigration Minister Marc Miller announced the new rules Friday following an investigation this summer into more than 100 cases involving fake admission letters.
Investigators have determined that a body found at the scene of an explosion in Langley, B.C., was not murder. The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team says in a statement that police came to the conclusion along with the BC Coroners Service, although it didn't explain why.