Vancouver police investigate discovery of infant found dead in portable toilet
Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 23 Apr, 2020 06:15 PM
Police say they are investigating the discovery of a dead infant in a portable public toilet in Vancouver. A statement from the police department says the remains were found Wednesday on the city's Downtown Eastside.
Const. Tania Visintin says officers were called to the area at around 6 p.m.She says it was obvious to responding officers that the baby was deceased.Visintin says there's concern for the physical and mental well-being of the mother and police are searching for her.
British Columbia is preparing to release its latest estimates of how the new coronavirus may spread through the province over the coming months. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry, Health Minister Adrian Dix and health ministry officials release the epidemiological modelling later today.
Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer refused Thursday to express confidence in Canada's chief public health officer, arguing the need to question her decisions around the COVID-19 pandemic is one of the reasons Parliament must resume. The four main parties in the House of Commons are locked in negotiations to determine if and how Parliament resumes on Monday, the deadline set for it to reconvene following its adjournment in mid-March.
The Vancouver Aquarium says it is facing bankruptcy and could be forced to close permanently if it can't arrange emergency funding. A statement from the facility says animal care and habitat costs for 70,000 animals exceed $1 million a month but revenues have dropped to almost zero since the COVID-19 outbreak forced it close last month.
Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry is adding another title to her long list of credentials — shoe muse. John Fluevog Shoes is launching a limited edition shoe called "The Dr. Henry," inspired by the public health official. The Vancouver designer says the pink-heeled tribute was made with Henry's blessing, and all proceeds from a pre-sale set to begin next week will be donated to Food Banks BC to support the fight against COVID-19.
The BC Wildfire Service says crews are making good progress on a ground fire that's so far charred one square kilometre of bush and trees in the Upper Squamish Valley. Marg Drysdale, an information officer with the Coastal Fire Centre, says calm weather has kept the fire's activity low Thursday afternoon as 37 firefighters and three helicopters work to get it under control.
Vancouver's mayor says community relief measures introduced Thursday by the British Columbia government are not enough to prevent city layoffs and service cuts. Kennedy Stewart said offering municipalities tax-payment delays as well as borrowing and debt initiatives is helpful but won't eliminate financial troubles related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
