New Campbell River bylaw bans open use of drugs as B.C. decriminalizes possession
New Campbell River bylaw bans open use of drugs as B.C. decriminalizes possession
A city on Vancouver Island rushed in a new bylaw just before B.C. officially decriminalized the possession of small amounts of drugs.
The new bylaw in Campbell River, B.C., prohibits the open consumption of street drugs on public property, including in municipal parks, city facilities and roads.
The bylaw was introduced on Thursday, just ahead the province's decriminalization pilot project, which came into effect on Tuesday.
B.C. is now the first province in Canada to make it legal for adults to possess a combined 2.5 grams of drugs, such as opioids, cocaine, methamphetamine or MDMA.
Health officials say by decriminalizing the possession of small amounts of drugs, more people will be able to access medical services and there's an opportunity for the perception of substance use to shift from crime to public health.
Campbell River, like many cities across Canada, has been struggling with an addiction issue in its downtown core.
With the new bylaw in place, Campbell River’s director of community safety Peter Wipper says people can be fined $200 for consuming drugs in public spaces, similar to bylaws that are in place that prohibit the open consumption of alcohol or marijuana.
"I would think one of the main thrusts is to address the public's concern when they come downtown," said Wipper.
"Let's say they want to go to Spirit Square and sit down on the benches, are they going to feel safe there?" he said.
James Simon, who operates a business in downtown Campbell River, says he applauds the new bylaw, but he isn't sure how much of an effect it will have.
"It's getting worse," said Simon. "I don't feel any fear, but I do understand it."
The city has the power of enforcing the bylaw effective immediately, but whether they do, remains to be seen.
"[In] the dark evening, just like anywhere else, don't go into back alleys or anything," said Simon.
The Vatican on Thursday responded to Indigenous demands and formally repudiated the 'Doctrine of Discovery,' the theories backed by 15th-century 'papal bulls' that legitimized the colonial-era seizure of Native lands and form the basis of some property law today.
The Canada Revenue Agency will pilot a new automatic system next year to help vulnerable Canadians who don't file their taxes get their benefits. This week's federal budget says the Canada Revenue Agency will also present a plan in 2024 to expand the service, following consultations with stakeholders and community organizations.
When the doors close at night at the administration office at Yukon's Carcross Tagish First Nation, a van hits the road and drives through the communities to offer naloxone to reverse overdoses, drug testing kits, food and even a friendly face to help those struggling because of the opioid crisis.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, in a leaked cellphone call, commiserated with a COVID-19 protester about his trial while divulging to him there was an internal dispute over how Crown prosecutors were handling COVID-19 cases.
Months after Canada's ban on foreign homebuyers took effect on Jan. 1, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation has made several amendments to the legislation allowing non-Canadians to purchase residential properties in certain circumstances.
To help offset rising living expenses, the Government of Canada has introduced a one-time grocery rebate for low- and modest-income Canadians. Here is what we know about the rebate.
The family of a 37-year-old man who was stabbed to death in Vancouver last weekend says he was attacked after asking someone not to vape near his young daughter.
A new grocery rebate designed to offset food inflation, amendments to legislation on Canada’s ban on foreign homebuyers, and Alberta’s premier was heard on a call with a COVID-19 protester. Here's what you need to know to start your day.
The Riverview Hospital itself has been closed for more than a decade, but 289 people are currently receiving treatment for mental health, addictions or both at the old site.
Vancouver city council has asked staff to shape a policy that would require grant recipients to engage with officials in a "respectful manner," a move that one political scientist says suggests an attempt to prevent or punish criticism.
After a man was fatally stabbed outside of a Vancouver Starbucks in front of dozens of witnesses, video of the attack is circulating on social media, raising questions about why nobody stepped in to help.
Alberta's energy regulator has defended its finding that the province's largest recorded earthquake was caused by oilpatch activity, saying the pattern of temblors since last fall clearly points to a water disposal well even though there's no suggestion rules were flouted.
In an online video, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is heard speaking with outspoken Calgary pastor Artur Pawlowski, creating questions about her influence on Alberta court cases.
The Canada Revenue Agency will pilot a new automatic system next year to help vulnerable Canadians who don't file their taxes get their benefits. This week's federal budget says the Canada Revenue Agency will also present a plan in 2024 to expand the service, following consultations with stakeholders and community organizations.
A 15-year-old girl shot to death in the community of Martindale early Tuesday morning, has now been identified by friends and police as Sarah Alexis Jorquera.
Calgary police say they've arrested a woman in connection with a stabbing at the Lions Park LRT station that stemmed from a fight between several people.
A United Conservative Party candidate in Lethbridge claims teachers are exposing students to pornography and gender reassignment without parental knowledge.
It's been two weeks since a major fire ripped through a heritage building in the heart of Old Montreal, killing seven people and forever altering the lives of families across the globe. For the families of those who died, the grieving process is only starting.
The CAQ government has unveiled its long-promised plan to improve Quebec's public health network. Tabled at the Quebec legislature Wednesday by Health Minister Christian Dubé, Bill 15 promises a major shakeup.
A young man found wounded late Wednesday night in the parking lot of a shopping centre in northeast Montreal is believed to be the victim of an earlier shooting in the same area. Montreal police (SPVM) reported Thursday morning that the 18-year-old man's life was no longer in danger.
The eve of the release of the final report from the inquiry into Nova Scotia’s 2020 mass shooting is a reminder for residents of Portapique of their small community’s traumatic past.
After British Columbia singled out a Nova Scotia practitioner for writing thousands of Ozempic prescriptions to Americans through pharmacies in metro Vancouver, officials in Nova Scotia began looking into the matter.
Come the weekend, Manitobans will be paying more for gas and the price could climb even higher in the coming weeks and months according to a gas expert.
A Manitoba family has launched a lawsuit alleging their 23-year-old son had a stroke days after receiving a dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, leaving him legally blind.
A Winnipeg judge is set to make a court ruling on Thursday in the trial of a retired priest accused of assaulting a woman while she was a student at a residential school more than 50 years ago
What the United States Attorney’s Office is calling a “child sextortion scheme” run by a man from Coon Rapids, Minnesota involved a minor from Kitchener, Ont.
It was a packed house at Wilfrid Laurier University on Wednesday night, with many sitting in to listen to a key note speech by a peace activist known around the world as ‘the girl in the picture’.
A Saskatoon murder trial is being adjourned to allow police to follow-up on "significant information" that just came to the Crown prosecutor's attention Wednesday.
CTV News has learned a dog that attacked a five-year-old boy last week had been declared dangerous in February 2022, but the city had lost track of the owner a year ago.
The federal government unveiled its spring budget Tuesday, with a clean economy as the centrepiece, and detailing targeted measures to help Canadians deal with still-high inflation.
