News/Canada/British Columbia

The 911 call placed by a dorm-mate as University of Victoria student Sidney McIntyre-Starko was suffering a fatal fentanyl overdose was played for the jury on day two of the coroner's inquest into the 18-year-old's death.Known only as "Student 2," the dorm-mate, McIntyre-Starko and another female, "Student 3", had all snorted what was later determined to be a mix of cocaine and fentanyl in a bathroom of UVic's Sir Arthur Currie student residence.Within minutes of ingesting the drugs, McIntyre-Starko and Student 3 both passed out, started having seizures and started turning blue, according to testimony. The names of Student 2 and Student 3 are under a publication ban.The call to 911 runs almost 16 minutes. Confusion over the name and location of the dorm takes up the first 3 ½ minutes of th...

The mother of Sidney McIntyre-Starko, the 18-year-old who died of a fentanyl overdose in a University of Victoria dorm room last year, gave heart-wrenching and pointed testimony on day one of the coroner's inquest into her daughter's death.Dr. Caroline McIntyre said the university "lied" and put out a "completely false" timeline about the night her daughter died in January 2024.McIntyre, an emergency room physician, said despite claiming otherwise, the university never contacted Royal Jubilee Hospital to identify Sidney after she was taken there by ambulance. Instead, her daughter was listed as an unidentified person during the time emergency room staff were trying to save her life."I didn't make it there," said McIntyre. "She was unidentified, alone, and on a ventilator."McIntyre said she...

A new case of travel-related measles has been confirmed in B.C.'s Lower Mainland, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the province to six.Fraser Health officials say the latest case was confirmed in a visitor from Toronto, who arrived at Vancouver International Airport on April 20 and then was in Chilliwack for the following five days.Members of the public have been warned to check for symptoms of the disease, which has been seeing a resurgence in Canada — particularly in Ontario, where officials have counted 1,018 confirmed and probable cases of measles so far this year.While health officials in B.C. say most people are immune to the disease due to prior vaccination or infection, they're advising members of the public to monitor for measles symptoms for up to three weeks, as i...

RCMP say a 15-year-old has died of a suspected drug overdose in Campbell River, B.C., believed to involve the prescription opioid hydromorphone and cough medicine.Const. Maury Tyre with the Campbell River RCMP says in a statement that it's important for youth and parents to understand the risks posed by both prescription and non-prescription medications.The statement says an investigation into the teen's medical emergency led police to believe it was caused by a combination of Dilaudid, a brand name of hydromorphone, and non-prescription cough medicine.Dilaudid, a medication that provides those addicted to opioids a safe supply of the drug, sits on a counter in Wellness Pharmacy Abbott in Vancouver on July 25, 2023. (Maggie MacPherson/CBC)Dilaudid is available as a prescription medication...

A Federal Court judge will begin hearing arguments Tuesday in the case of a B.C. ostrich farm which has been ordered to cull its entire flock over avian flu concerns.Universal Ostrich is located on a rural road near Edgewood, in B.C.'s West Kootenay region, an approximately 175-kilometre drive east from Kelowna along a winding highway.Its entire flock of about 400 birds was ordered culled in February by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency after H5N1 avian flu was detected in December — but the farm managed to get its birds a stay of execution until the court could rule on the merits of the cull order.The two-day hearing, which is set to be conducted virtually starting Tuesday, is the latest development in a case that has pitted public opinion in favour of the birds against officials who sa...

Nine years ago, former B.C. provincial health officer Dr. Perry Kendall declared a public health emergency, in response to a sharp increase in deaths related to toxic drugs and drug overdoses. Overdose deaths had been climbing steadily since 2010; the 474 deaths in 2015 were a 30 per cent increase from the year before.Those annual numbers kept climbing, peaking at more than 2,500 deaths in 2023. More than 16,000 people have died as a result of toxic drugs across B.C. in those nine years. Although recent numbers show those numbers could be declining, officials remain steadfast in their commitment to saving lives.More than six British Columbians died per day due to toxic drugs last year."This crisis continues to have a devastating impact throughout our province, from families and communities...

Federal parties have pitched different approaches to dealing with the toxic drug crisis in B.C. — particularly when it comes to overdose prevention and supervised consumption sites. While the Conservatives have pledged to severely restrict overdose prevention sites, and the Liberals say they're reviewing their effectiveness, the federal NDP and Greens have come out in support of harm reduction for drug users and services like these.B.C.'s health minister defends the province's network of sites aimed at preventing overdoses, while one harm reduction advocate worries the life-saving services are becoming a political football.In New Westminster on Sunday, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre promised to close overdose prevention sites, which are regulated by the province and often run by non-...

Vancouver Coastal Health officials are urging residents, especially men who have sex with other men, to see if they are fully immunized against mpox amid a recent rise in cases.Mpox, a virus in the same family as smallpox, can cause painful rashes, fever, enlarged lymph nodes, and respiratory symptoms.Officials say the virus continues to spread primarily through person-to-person contact and is currently affecting gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men.The virus gained prominence in 2022, when it exploded and caused severe disease in communities around the world and was observed as being primarily transmitted through sexual contact.WATCH | Mpox cases spreading in Vancouver area: Mpox cases rising in Vancouver's gay and bisexual communities, health officials say B.C. health offici...

B.C.'s Human Rights Commissioner Kasari Govender says she has found "systemic discrimination" in how health authorities detain vulnerable adults who are at risk of harm.Adults who appear to be abused, neglected, or facing self-neglect and are unable to give consent for care in hospitals or care facilities are sometimes detained under the Adult Guardianship Act (AGA). However, the 134-page report found that seniors, disabled people, and those living unhoused are being disproportionately detained.These detentions, Govender said, often lack transparency, oversight, and legal authority."I have found that a significant number of vulnerable adults are being detained under this act through an opaque process with very little oversight," she said. "While adults are being held for their own safety, ...

Cancer patients in British Columbia will no longer be referred to clinics in Bellingham, Wash., for care, Health Minister Josie Osborne announced Monday.Osborne says the ministry's decision was not a result of the current U.S.-Canada trade war but due to declining participation in the program and shorter wait times for care in B.C."This has always been about delivering more cancer care for people closer to home," she said."The investments we've made in more oncologists, more radiation therapy, therapists, improving hospital facilities, that's what's been able to enable us to reduce those wait times."WATCH | How much does the U.S. cancer treatment plan cost B.C.? The cost of U.S-based cancer treatment for British ColumbiansThe B.C. government is now sharing how much it's costing taxpayers t...