National

Deaths of B.C. homeless people up by 75% in 2021

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 12 Oct, 2022 12:33 PM

VANCOUVER - The BC Coroners Service says deaths of homeless people in the province jumped 75 per cent in 2021 compared with the year before.

A preliminary report released by the service shows there were 247 deaths of people experiencing homelessness last year.

Chief coroner Lisa Lapointe says many homeless people are facing significant health concerns, including physical disabilities, mental-health challenges and substance-use issues.

The report says 93 per cent of all accidental deaths among people experiencing homelessness were caused by the illicit drug supply.

The coroners service says an average of 153 homeless people have died between 2016 and 2020.

The release of the report coincides with Homelessness Action Week in B.C.

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

Crashed plane pilot reported to Transport Canada

Azam Azami, a flight instructor based in Chilliwack, B.C., says he flagged an online ad posted by Abhi Handa in a report to Transport Canada in December, more than four months before the same plane in the ad went down.

Crashed plane pilot reported to Transport Canada

Canada pushed to waive COVID-19 vaccine patents

Dr. Madhukar Pai, a Canada Research Chair in epidemiology and global health at McGill University, told the House of Commons foreign affairs committee today he doesn't think rich countries like Canada have learned a thing from the first two years of the pandemic.

Canada pushed to waive COVID-19 vaccine patents

Tragic' investigation into B.C. boy's death: RCMP

Const. Richard Johns says 28-year-old Rykel Frank and 29-year-old Mitchell Frank will go before a judge this week following their arrest on Friday. 6 year-old Dontay Lucas was found dead in a home in Port Alberni in March 2018.

Tragic' investigation into B.C. boy's death: RCMP

Province launches Surrey Langley SkyTrain engagement

The new Surrey Langley Skytrain public engagement begins Monday, May 9, 2022, and runs until June 9. Open houses for members of the public are scheduled for May 25 in Surrey and for May 31 in Langley. Surrey Langley SkyTrain is currently scheduled for completion in late 2028, two years earlier than first estimated.

Province launches Surrey Langley SkyTrain engagement

Officials brace for busy border-crossing season

U.S. border officials also seem to be seeing more people trying to cross in the opposite direction. 6 Indian nationals were rescued from a boat sinking on the St. Regis River in northern New York late last month, part of what court documents allege was a human smuggling operation.

Officials brace for busy border-crossing season

Male dies in Coquitlam after stabbing, IHIT deployed

While the investigation is still in the early stages, investigators confirm one person is in custody at this point. Although one person has been arrested, police continue to treat this investigation as active and ongoing to determine the circumstances, states Corporal Paige Kuz, Coquitlam RCMP Media Relations Officer.