National

B.C. pastor charged for sex offences on children

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 09 Jan, 2023 01:01 PM

NEW WESTMINSTER, B.C. - A pastor who was servicing a Metro Vancouver church has been charged with sexual assault and sexual interference against children.

Police in New Westminster say they began an investigation after multiple reports came to them.

A police news release says the offences are alleged to have taken place between 2017 and 2021.

It says after a lengthy investigation by the department's major crime unit, three charges each of sexual assault and sexual interference have been laid against Pastor Edwin Alvarez.

Police haven't released which Christian church the pastor was caring for, other than to say it was at a small, Metro Vancouver location.

The statement says Alvarez was arrested with the help of the Saanich Police Department on Jan. 4.

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

Canada boosts Pakistan flood donation match to $5M

That matching campaign was due to end on Wednesday. In an interview, Sajjan says the campaign will go on and the amount is now capped at $5 million.

Canada boosts Pakistan flood donation match to $5M

Avg home price 67% higher than affordable level

A new report says the average home price reached a peak of $839,600 in February 2022, up 52 per cent from $551,100 in February 2020. Since then, however, prices have declined by seven per cent, down to $777,200 in August.

Avg home price 67% higher than affordable level

Boost to GST rebate would cost $2.6 billion: PBO

The government tabled a bill earlier this month to boost the rebate for six months in an effort to help low- and modest-income Canadians cope with high inflation. The proposal followed months of pressure from the NDP to help people who are struggling with the rising cost of living.

Boost to GST rebate would cost $2.6 billion: PBO

Canada overdue in Indo-Pacific strategy: experts

A new book urges the Liberals to outline its friends, foes and priorities in the region spanning India to British Columbia. Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly said this spring that a strategy was imminent, but her office still has no timeline for when it will be released.

Canada overdue in Indo-Pacific strategy: experts

B.C. cabinet minister Melanie Mark to take leave

Mark was the minister for tourism, arts, culture and sport. She will continue to represent the riding of Vancouver-Mount Pleasant in the legislature. Mark is the first First Nations woman elected to B.C.'s legislative assembly, and the first to serve as a cabinet minister.

B.C. cabinet minister Melanie Mark to take leave

Nearly 1,500 drug deaths in B.C. this year

New data from the service cites 169 drug deaths last month, representing a 12 per cent decrease from July, and equating to about 5.5 deaths per day. It says illicit drug toxicity is the leading cause of unnatural death in B.C., with an average of 184 drug deaths each month since October 2020.