B.C. premier outlines measures to address safety on transit
With a string of violent assaults on Metro Vancouver transit in the past week, BC United questioned Monday whether the province is acting fast enough to make the system safer.
The NDP government was on the defensive during question period as the newly renamed opposition demanded to know what's being done to improve public safety.
BC United leader Kevin Falcon raised the case of Ethan Bespflug. The 17-year-old was stabbed on board a Surrey bus last week, and later died.
"Ethan's family, like so many others, is calling for change, an increase in security on public transit and in our own communities," Falcon said. "When is this premier and government finally going to take some concrete steps so people can feel safe in their communities again?"
Falcon accused the NDP of underfunding hundreds of policing positions while in power.
Premier David Eby responded with several measures, including some that pre-dated the deadly assault.
"Community safety officers, TransLink is already in the midst of hiring them. They're bringing on 24 community safety officers to increase security on our transit system. The RCMP and transit police are stepping up their presence and patrols on the transit system," Eby explained.
Both he and Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth say they're ready to provide more resources if needed.
Farnworth told reporters the issue of violent crime on transit systems is one provinces across the country are grappling with. He added he spoke with his counterpart, federal Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino, this weekend, to push for an expanded reverse onus when it comes to bail. He says Ottawa has committed to changes during the spring legislative session.
Farnworth explained the provinces are looking "to put as broad a possible definition when it comes to reverse onus so it's not just on firearms, it's on knives, it's on bear spray, it's on other weapons."
Reverse onus means the accused is likely to be detained unless they can prove that shouldn't be the case. It typically applies to the most serious of cases, including murder, attempted murder, and other Criminal Code violations involving firearms.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Infant dies in ATV crash, N.S. RCMP says alcohol may be a factor
An infant has died and three others, including another child, were taken to hospital following an ATV crash in Forties, N.S., on Monday.
'Do not drive': Nissan warns Canadian drivers of explosion risk impacting 48,000 vehicles
Car manufacturer Nissan has issued a do-not-drive warning for some older vehicles equipped with Takata airbag inflators, due to the risk of explosion during a crash.
WATCH LIVE Charges against world's top golfer Scottie Scheffler dropped after arrest outside PGA Championship
Criminal charges against Scottie Scheffler have been dismissed, ending a legal saga that began with images of the world’s top male golfer being arrested and handcuffed in Louisville during the PGA Championship.
'Scandals and secrets': On board the world's most exclusive private residential ship
It’s a floating city exclusively home to the 1 per cent, a playground for multimillionaires and billionaires that circumnavigates the world's oceans.
How Trump's hush money trial verdict could affect the 2024 election
Here is how three potential outcomes from the jury room ─ a guilty verdict, an acquittal or a hung jury ─ could affect the presidential campaign.
Tessa Virtue reveals she's expecting her first child. Here's what Canadians had to say
Canadian figure-skating icon Tessa Virtue is expecting her first child, she revealed via social media Tuesday.
An Iceland volcano starts erupting again, spewing lava into the sky
A volcano in southwestern Iceland erupted Wednesday for the fifth time since December, spewing red streams of lava in the latest display of nature’s power and triggering the evacuation of the popular Blue Lagoon geothermal spa.
'Are you driving?' U.S. man with suspended licence shows up on court Zoom call while behind the wheel
A Michigan man with a suspended driver's licence didn't appear to have thought through a recent court appearance made on video, joining the Zoom call while driving.
Heat-related monkey deaths are reported in several Mexican states
Heat-related howler monkeys deaths in Mexico have been recorded in a total of four states, environmental authorities said.