Mental health supports for immigrants on Vancouver Island
Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 20 Jun, 2023 03:55 PM
Refugees and immigrants on Vancouver Island will be getting more access to free and affordable mental-health supports.
The B-C government says it will spend 375-thousand dollars over three years to support child and youth counselling services at the Vancouver Island Counselling Centre for Immigrants and Refugees.
Mental Health and Addictions Minister Jennifer Whiteside says children often suffer from the effects of displacement and trauma and the centre provides tools that can help.
Today's announcement coincides with World Refugee Day.
B-C Green Party Leader Sonia Furstenau says it's time youth up to the age of 18 were allowed to ride free on transit. A statement from Furstenau says the B-C Green caucus wants the New Democrat government to expand free transit to youth.
A new text alert system to warn about batches of toxic drugs is being implemented in the Vancouver Coastal Health authority. Those who want the alerts can text JOIN to the number 2-5-3-7-8-7, while those who were already signed up on Radar will be added automatically.
Almost 700 firefighters from South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and the United States are set to arrive in Canada over the next two weeks to help with the unusually severe start to the wildfire season. There are 214 fires burning and 93 of them are out of control, up from 87 out-of-control fires Thursday.
The B.C. board says Vancouver's housing market is showing signs of heating up heading into the summer, as prices increased for the sixth consecutive month. The board says sales for the month totalled 3,411, which was 1.4 per cent below the 10-year seasonal average of 3,458.
After heated debates and decision reversals, most of Stanley Park’s temporary bike lanes set up during the pandemic have now been removed. It means cars now have two lanes along the main Park Drive and those cycling through will either have to share the road or go to the seawall for a slower pace.
Police in New Westminster say a woman is recovering in hospital after being pulled from the Fraser River. They say officers received a report around noon on Tuesday that woman who appeared to be in distress could be seen from the pier in the fast-moving water.
