A man serving a second-degree murder sentence has died in an Abbotsford prison.
Correctional Service of Canada says in a statement that Eugene Raymond Benoit died while in custody at the Abbotsford Regional Treatment Centre.
C-S-C officials say the 69-year-old man died of apparent natural causes on July 13th, and at the time of death, the inmate had been serving an indeterminate sentence.
They also say the police and coroner have been notified, with a review of the death pending.
A fourth man accused in the murder of British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar will next appear at provincial court on May 21, the same day the other three accused are scheduled for a hearing. The BC Prosecution Service says 22-year-old Amandeep Singh appeared via video link for his first appearance in a Surrey, B.C., court on Wednesday, and the matter has been put forward to next week.
A wildfire that has forced thousands out of their homes in the Alberta oilsands hub city of Fort McMurray was held in place Thursday as rain and cooler temperatures swept the area. Alberta Wildfire information officer Christie Tucker said the blaze remained out of control – the only such designated fire in the province – but it did not grow overnight and remained at 200 square kilometres in size.
Police on Vancouver Island have issued a warning after responding to a series of reports about people being struck in the face and neck by teenagers shooting what police describe as "water gel blasters" or soft air guns. The statement from Campbell River R-C-M-P says the teens are driving by and shooting at pedestrians.
BC Ferries is removing a four per cent fuel surcharge from all fares, as it expects a record number of people and vehicles on board its vessels this summer. It says the move set to take effect June 1st will increase affordability for customers.
Three men have been charged after a Vancouver Police investigation into an illicit drug lab that was producing fentanyl and other deadly street drugs. Police say the 14-month investigation targeted a group that was manufacturing and trafficking illicit drugs at various locations throughout the region.
The British Columbia government and social media giants have made what they call a "historic collaboration" for youth safety online. A joint statement from Premier David Eby and representatives of Meta, Google, TikTok, X and Snap Inc., the parent of Snapchat, says they met to help young people stay safe online, one of the most important challenges facing families, government and companies.