Close X
Tuesday, December 24, 2024
ADVT 
National

Second mudslide victim's body found as more high winds strike B.C. coast

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 23 Dec, 2024 11:44 AM
  • Second mudslide victim's body found as more high winds strike B.C. coast

High winds are again hitting the coast of British Columbia, as gusts surpassing 100 km/h have been reported at several outlying islands.

The continuing stormy weather comes as police say emergency crews have recovered the body of a second victim killed in a mudslide in the Sea to Sky region during another windstorm last weekend.

Environment Canada says it has issued a wind warning for B.C.'s north and central coast including Haida Gwaii, northern and eastern Vancouver Island as well as parts of the Sunshine Coast, including Powell River.

The agency says winds in some areas may reach 120 km/h, presenting potentially hazardous driving conditions.

In response to the warnings, BC Ferries say a number of sailings in Haida Gwaii and the areas near Campbell River and Hornby Island were cancelled, although most crossings have resumed as conditions improve.

A weather advisory for Greater Victoria and the Southern Gulf Islands also warned of gusty winds in the area that may lead to power outages and disrupt travel plans.

Environment Canada data shows gusts reaching 140 km/h and beyond at Sartine and Solander islands off the northern coast of Vancouver Island today, while locations such as Sandspit and Masset in Haida Gwaii are reporting gusts of 90 km/h or above.

The frontal system that brought high winds to coastal B.C. this weekend also caused temperatures to spike in a number of communities, with Bella Bella, Prince Rupert, Qualicum Beach and West Vancouver all breaking decades-old high-temperature records on Saturday.

In response, Avalanche Canada has elevated the risk level to "considerable" for a number of alpine areas along B.C.'s coast, including most of Vancouver Island, much of the mountainous regions north of Metro Vancouver, as well as the area north of Kitimat to the provincial border with the Alaskan Panhandle.

The latest weather warnings come a day after winds exceeding 120 km/h pummeled B.C.'s central coast Saturday, while places such as Bella Bella and the Howe Sound north of Metro Vancouver reported gusts exceeding 90 km/h.

Earlier in the week, winds approaching 140 km/h were reported on Vancouver Island, while last weekend's severe windstorm led to the mudslide that closed a large section of the Sea to Sky Highway linking Vancouver and Whistler.

A home in the area was also struck by the mudslide, and police recovered the body of one of two occupants on Dec. 15 -- the day after the mudslide.

On Saturday night, Squamish RCMP confirmed that crews recovered the second occupant's body, but did not release the names of the victims.

MORE National ARTICLES

The Latest: Justin Trudeau shuffles his cabinet as his future remains in question

The Latest: Justin Trudeau shuffles his cabinet as his future remains in question
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is shuffling his cabinet today, filling vacancies left by Liberals who have left their posts or don't plan to run in the next federal election. The shuffle comes after Chrystia Freeland's resignation as finance minister and deputy prime minister sent shock waves in Canadian politics and intensified calls for the prime minister to step down.

The Latest: Justin Trudeau shuffles his cabinet as his future remains in question

Suspect arrested in ATM theft

Suspect arrested in ATM theft
Kelowna R-C-M-P have a suspect in custody in connection to an A-T-M theft at a business earlier this month. R-C-M-P say a male suspect, who's known to police, is believed to be responsible after he and a female suspect were seen using the same stolen pickup truck used in the "brazen" robbery. 

Suspect arrested in ATM theft

Break & enter investigation in Maple Ridge

Break & enter investigation in Maple Ridge
Police in Maple Ridge have seized stolen firearms, jewellery, and illegal drugs in relation to a break and enter investigation. Ridge Meadows R-C-M-P say they responded to a report of a break and enter back in November at a home in Maple Ridge and the alleged suspects were identified. 

Break & enter investigation in Maple Ridge

Arrest in smuggling operation: CBSA

Arrest in smuggling operation: CBSA
The Canada Border Services Agency says a 34-year-old Vancouver resident has been arrested for their suspected involvement in a cigarette smuggling operation. It says an investigation into the operation was launched in February after C-B-S-A officers intercepted numerous contraband cigarette shipments at Vancouver International Airport Commercial Operations and the Vancouver International Mail Centre.

Arrest in smuggling operation: CBSA

Landslide on tracks stops Amtrak passenger runs between Seattle and Vancouver

Landslide on tracks stops Amtrak passenger runs between Seattle and Vancouver
A landslide that blocked railway tracks has stopped Amtrak passenger service between Vancouver and Seattle. Amtrak says in a statement Thursday that the landslide near White Rock, B.C., led Burlington Northern Santa Fa Railway to place a 48-hour moratorium on passenger service. 

Landslide on tracks stops Amtrak passenger runs between Seattle and Vancouver

Emissions in Canada fell last year, though still far off Paris targets

Emissions in Canada fell last year, though still far off Paris targets
For the first time since the pandemic, Canada had a year-over-year decline in its greenhouse gas emissions — though it is still a long way off its 2030 target. A preliminary emissions report Thursday from the federal government shows greenhouse gases emitted in 2023 fell by six million tonnes compared to 2022, the equivalent to what about 1.4 million passenger vehicles emit over the course of a year.

Emissions in Canada fell last year, though still far off Paris targets