Latest news with #FortStJohn


CTV News
4 days ago
- CTV News
3 charged with manslaughter in northern B.C.
The RCMP logo is seen outside the force's 'E' division headquarters in Surrey, B.C., on March 16, 2023. (Darryl Dyck / The Canadian Press) Three people have been charged with manslaughter after an assault that turned fatal in Fort St. John earlier this week. The incident occurred on Tuesday, June 24, in the 9900 block of 99 Avenue. Police were called to the area around 6:45 p.m. that day and arrived to find the unresponsive victim, who was pronounced dead at the scene. On Friday night, Fort St. John RCMP announced an update in the case, saying in a news release that 'an intense investigation' had led to the arrest of three suspects, who have each been charged. Online court records identify two of those charged, while the third name is redacted due to a publication ban. The named suspects are Ethan Joseph Charles Dore and Dyllon John Cazes. Dore's year of birth is listed as 2000, while Cazes was born in 1993. Police said two of the suspects had been remanded into police custody and scheduled to appear in court on June 30, with the third was in police custody awaiting a bail hearing. Officers from Fort St. John RCMP and the B.C. RCMP's North District worked on the investigation, with multiple units from each agency involved. 'Our investigators worked tirelessly over the past few days to conduct a thorough investigation and arrest these three individuals,' said Cpl. Paul Waterman, of the Fort St John RCMP Serious Crimes Unit, in the release. 'We believe this to be an isolated incident with no additional threat to the public.'

CBC
7 days ago
- General
- CBC
New campaign encourages B.C. to 'squeal' on invasive pigs
Escaped domestic pigs are no joke. That's the message behind a new awareness campaign from the Invasive Species Council of B.C. aimed at preventing feral pig populations from growing and thriving in British Columbia, as they have elsewhere in North America. The campaign encourages British Columbians to "squeal on pigs" they believe have escaped into the wild, and offers farmers tips on how to prevent their animals from getting loose. "It's one of the species that we want to be very, very careful with," said Stanley Troyer, who grew up on a ranch and now owns a custom meat-cutting shop in Fort St. John in northeast B.C., one of the regions of the province where feral pigs are most likely to thrive. He said he once helped a friend track down a loose hog that travelled more than 50 kilometres in the middle of winter — a reminder of the animal's ability to survive in northern climates. "It's important that we don't underestimate the ability of hogs," he said. Gail Wallin, executive director of the Invasive Species Council of B.C., said escaped domesticated pigs can cause environmental damage and spread disease. "They're rooters. They'll destroy your crops or your wetlands or whatever lands are really important for other native species," she said. The campaign features pigs in places they shouldn't be — grocery stores, tractors, and kitchen cupboards — and asks people to act if they see any in real life. Wallin said the council has spent the last year working on resources for local governments and pork producers, as well as things like kids' activity books, to support the campaign. She said anyone who spots a pig can report it online through the council's website, by using an invasive species app or by calling in with information. She said having a photo of the animal is particularly important. "If it's a pig outside a fence, it's illegal in British Columbia. So, that goes to the province, and the province works out a response," she said. An alert posted by the provincial government said feral pigs have been reported in low numbers in the Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island, Thompson-Okanagan, Peace, Chilcotin and Kootenay regions. It said many were released or escaped from farms but they "have not yet established large populations in the province." Wallin said her organization has seen the damage invasive pigs can cause in other provinces, as well as in the United States, and it's a growing concern. "We don't want that here in British Columbia," she said. "We want to catch them when they're still in their early stages, and prevent new ones from coming in." Wild boars that aren't being raised as livestock are considered an invasive species in Alberta and are a provincially regulated "agricultural pest." The government of Alberta has said the pigs can compete with wildlife and destroy other sensitive natural habitats. The Alberta Invasive Species Council said that while there are no Canadian estimates, agricultural damage in the U.S. caused by wild boar at large is estimated to be $1.5 billion each year.

CBC
25-06-2025
- CBC
Street closed in downtown Fort St. John as police investigate homicide
An area of downtown Fort St. John, B.C., will be closed "for a significant amount of time" after a person was found dead there on Tuesday night, police say. Fort St. John RCMP say they responded to a report of an assault in the 9900-block of 99 Avenue at around 6:42 p.m. Tuesday. Officers found one person unresponsive who, despite life-saving measures, was pronounced dead. Police say the Fort St. John RCMP Serious Crime Unit has assumed conducted of the investigation, with support from the North District Major Crime Unit. They say they are treating the case as a homicide. "The area surrounding the scene will be cordoned off for a significant amount of time while police work to gather evidence," Mounties said in a statement Wednesday.


CTV News
25-06-2025
- CTV News
Homicide team looking into man's death in Fort St. John, B.C.
An RCMP patch is seen on the shoulder of an assistant commissioner, in Surrey, B.C., on Friday, April 28, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck A homicide investigation has been launched in Fort St. John, B.C., after a man who was reportedly assaulted Tuesday evening succumbed to his injuries. Officers were called to the 9900 block of 99 Avenue just before 6:45 p.m. amid a report of an assault, Fort St. John RCMP said in a statement Wednesday. 'Upon arrival one person was located unresponsive, despite life-saving measures he was pronounced deceased,' police said. The investigation is still in its early stages and the area surrounding the scene will be cordoned off for a 'significant amount of time,' the statement added. Anyone who believes they have relevant information or dash camera video is asked to contact Fort St. John RCMP at 250-787-8140.


Globe and Mail
19-06-2025
- Climate
- Globe and Mail
B.C. downgrades status of two major wildfires in northeast
Two of the three most significant wildfires in British Columbia have been downgraded and are no longer considered fires of note. They include the 263-square-kilometre Kiskatinaw River wildfire in northeastern B.C., which was deemed on Wednesday to be no longer out of control. The Pocket Knife Creek wildfire northwest of Fort. St. John, the biggest blaze in B.C. at more than 1,500 square kilometres, has also lost wildfire-of-note status, having earlier been removed from the out-of-control stage. Both fires are now considered to be held, meaning they aren't expected to grow beyond current perimeters, as fire crews get support from heavy rain in northeastern B.C. Outdated forestry rules increase wildfire risk, B.C. Forest Practices Board says That leaves the 800-square-kilometre Summit Creek wildfire burning out of control in the northeast as the province's only fire of note – indicating that either homes are threatened or it's highly visible. The BC Wildfire Service says there is a risk of thunderstorms across central and northern B.C. on Thursday, but the province will see cooler temperatures starting Friday and into the weekend with some areas expected to get heavy rain. There are currently about 85 wildfires actively burning in B.C.