Coquitlam RCMP are seeking additional witnesses and video for a hit and run that has sent one child pedestrian to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

On Sunday, June 23, 2024 shortly before 4:00 p.m. Coquitlam RCMP were called to assist BC Ambulance Services after a 7-year-old child was hit by a vehicle in an alleyway north of Coquitlam Avenue near Wellington Street in Port Coquitlam. Police were advised that the vehicle, described as a 2016 grey Jeep Cherokee, had fled the scene.

The child was transported to hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.

“We would like to thank the initial witnesses who came to the aid of the child and provided critical information to our responding officers,” said Media Relations Officer, Corporal Alexa Hodgins. “We are releasing video of the driver and vehicle prior to the collision in the hopes that someone may recognize seeing this vehicle and the driver on Sunday, June 23, 2024.”

Nanaimo Media Advisory: July 3, 2024 – Nanaimo RCMP is investigating an assault with a weapon that occurred on May 27, 2024, at the corner of Fifth Street and Bruce Avenue. At approximately 4:30 pm the driver of a red Honda Civic followed the driver of a white Hyundai to the 7-Eleven store at the corner of Fifth Street and Bruce Avenue. Both male drivers exited their vehicles, and the Civic driver hit the Hyundai driver in the back with a baseball bat and then used the bat to smash the windshield of the Hyundai. The Hyundai driver sustained minor injuries. The police are urgently requesting that anyone who may have witnessed the altercation or have information about the incident to contact the Nanaimo RCMP (250)754-2345.

Cst Sherri WADE
Vulnerable Persons Unit
Nanaimo RCMP/Government of Canada
Nanaimo, BC V9R 2N3
Sherri.wade@rcmp-grc.gc.ca

Gend. Sherri Wade
Groupe des personnes vulnérables
GRC de Nanaimo
Nanaimo (C.-B.)  V9R 2N3
Sherri.wade@rcmp-grc.gc.ca

VICTORIA – A new website launching on July 18, 2024, will better protect renters from being evicted in bad faith and bring improvements to the process for landlords.
“With this new tool, we’re taking action to better protect tenants from being evicted under false pretences and ensure that landlords who need to legitimately reclaim their units have a straightforward pathway to do so,” said Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Housing. “The portal will also provide government with a window to better understand when and how often these evictions occur so that we can continue to build on our work to improve services for renters and landlords.”

While some landlords do need to reclaim their units (for example, a first-time homebuyer who wants to live in their new home), evictions initiated under false pretences continue to happen,
either deliberately or unknowingly. Some landlords evict tenants under the guise of landlord use, only to rent out the unit again at a significantly higher rent.

Starting July 18, 2024, landlords will be required to use the Landlord Use Web Portal to generate Notices to End Tenancy for personal occupancy or caretaker use. Landlords
generating Notices to End Tenancy will be required to include information about the persons moving into the home. Through this process, landlords are informed of the significant penalties
they could face if they are found to be evicting a tenant in bad faith. By requiring landlords to include the information of who will be occupying the home on the notice, tenants can have a
better sense of the landlords’ intentions and may provide this information at the dispute hearing if they believe the landlord is acting in bad faith.

“We’ve worked tirelessly through our BC Eviction project and systems change work to affect this type of change,” said Amanda Burrows, executive director, First United, a community provider for Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. “Today, we see that advocacy works and this new web portal to help prevent bad-faith evictions is a positive first step toward housing security for over one million B.C. renters. There is still work to do and we will continue to advocate for changes to prevent homelessness and displacement because housing is a human
right.”

Under the Residential Tenancy Act, a landlord can evict a tenant if the following people will be moving in:

• they or a close family member (parent, spouse or child);
• a purchaser of the property or a close family member of the purchaser; or
• a superintendent for the building.

Effective July 18, 2024, the Province will increase the amount of notice a tenant must receive and the amount of time they have to dispute an eviction. Landlords will also be required to give tenants four months’ notice instead of two months when evicting for personal or caretaker use, giving displaced tenants more time to find a new home. Tenants will have 30 days to dispute Notices to End Tenancy instead of the current 15 days. The person moving into the home must occupy it for a minimum of 12 months and landlords who evict in bad faith could be ordered to pay the displaced tenant 12 months’ rent.

“Protecting a landlord’s right to reclaim a rental unit for personal use is critical to maintaining a balanced rental housing market,” said David Hutniak, CEO, LandlordBC. “It is also important that landlords know their responsibilities when exercising this right and that they understand the risks of bad-faith evictions. The Landlord Use Web Portal will not only educate landlords about the process, but it will also standardize the process for improved efficiency while increasing transparency.”

The Landlord Use Web Portal will also allow the Residential Tenancy Branch (RTB) to conduct post-eviction compliance audits and provide information to the RTB about the frequency of these types of evictions. Changes to the process for evicting tenants for personal and caretaker use aim to support the rights and interests of both landlords and tenants, while creating a standardized process for ending tenancies for personal and caretaker use.

“No one should lose their homes because of bad-faith evictions,” said Spencer Chandra
Herbert, Premier’s liaison for renters and MLA for Vancouver West End. “Taking this step is a proactive way to help stop bad-faith evictions and keep people in their homes. The
introduction of the Landlord Use Web Portal aligns with recommendations made by the Rental Task Force to make the Residential Tenancy Branch more responsive, accessible and proactive with more opportunities to learn from and educate landlords and renters on their rights and responsibilities.”

The Province continues to take action to better protect renters, including recent changes to
ban illegal “renovictions,” strengthen the financial penalties for landlords who evict tenants in bad faith, eliminate rent increases when a child is added to a household and improve wait times at the RTB. The Landlord Use Web Portal supports the Homes for People Action Plan, further strengthening tenancies in B.C.

Quick Facts:

• Starting July 18, 2024, landlords will be required to use the Landlord Use Web Portal
  when they are issuing Notices to End Tenancy for personal or caretaker use, with a
  unique notice ID when ending a tenancy.
• Landlords using the website portal will be required to have a Basic BCeID to access the
  site.
• While using the website portal, landlords will be given information about the required
  conditions for ending a tenancy and the penalties associated with evicting in bad faith.
• They will also be informed about the amount of compensation they will be required to
  issue to evicted tenants.

Learn More:
To access the Residential Tenancy Branch Landlord Use Web Portal, which will go live on July 18, 2024, visit: https://tenancydispute.gov.bc.ca/LandlordUse/Login

To learn more about government’s new Homes for People action plan, visit:
https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2023HOUS0019-000436

To access residential tenancy resources, visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/housing-tenancy/residential-tenancies
To learn about the steps the Province is taking to tackle the housing crisis and deliver
affordable homes for people in British Columbia, visit: https://strongerbc.gov.bc.ca/housing

Contact:
Ministry of Housing
Media Relations
236 478-0251

Raymond Lin, Owner/General Manager, Nature’s Essence Health Products Inc. (left) and Spencer Gall, Campaign Director, Richmond Hospital Foundation (right)

Richmond, BC – For Richmond-based Nature’s Essence Health Products Incorporation, health is at the essence of both its business and its philanthropy. In alignment with this core value, the company has donated $34,000 to fund a new ultrasound system for Richmond Hospital.

“Giving back to the community is what we should do,” shares Raymond Lin, Owner and General Manager of Nature’s Essence Health Products Inc. “Our Richmond community has helped us grow over the years, and we are pleased to be there for them and their growing families. Meanwhile, Richmond as a community is also expanding, so we want to give back, support local health care services, and help build a healthier future.”

Nature’s Essence is a family-owned business that was established in Richmond in 1997 and is one of Canada’s top retailers of natural health products. A loyal supporter of Richmond Hospital Foundation since 2017, the family company completed a $100,000 donation for Richmond Hospital’s future acute care tower, the Yurkovich Family Pavilion in 2021.

“We are very fortunate to have Nature’s Essence’s generous support,” says Spencer Gall, Campaign Director of Richmond Hospital Foundation. “Nature’s Essence is a community enterprise that understands the importance of health and enhancing patient care to build a healthier community. Their donation will help strengthen the Richmond health care team’s ability to provide excellent care for our growing community.”

The new ultrasound system will improve the patient experience for those requiring intravenous (IV) procedures through advanced visualization, enhanced precision, and increased patient comfort. In particular, the new system will greatly assist medical staff with long-term IV access for cancer treatment, infections, and nutrition.

To learn about how you can support Richmond Hospital Foundation, visit https://www.richmondhospitalfoundation.com/ways-to-give/all-the-ways-to-give/

Richmond Hospital Foundation

Over the past 37 years, Richmond Hospital Foundation has raised over $160 million to help make possible the purchase of important medical equipment and the latest technologies, build infrastructure, enable new care initiatives, and conduct research and education programs. Our goal is to inspire joyful giving within our community to build a better and healthier future for Richmond.

On July 2, 2024, just after 3:30 p.m., Ladysmith RCMP responded to the intersection of Robert Street and Esplanade Avenue in Ladysmith for a report of a two-vehicle collision. Upon attendance, police learned that a blue Dodge Grand Caravan was travelling southbound on Esplanade while the white Pontiac Sunfire was travelling northbound prior to the collision.

The impact of the collision sent the Pontiac Sunfire to collide with a traffic control pole at the intersection. Both drivers and their passengers were transported to hospital by ambulance to be treated for injuries, ranging from minor to serious.

Investigators are asking anyone who witnessed the incident or have dash cam footage, to contact the Ladysmith RCMP at 250-245-2215.

Released by:

Cpl. Alex Bérubé
District Advisory NCO (Media Relations)
Island District
2881 Nanaimo St, Victoria, BC V8T 4Z8
Office: 250-380-6110