Latest news with #Sahak
National Observer
8 hours ago
- Politics
- National Observer
Eby says explosive 'deliberately' set outside BC minister's office
An explosive device damaged and blasted open the front door of British Columbia Infrastructure Minister Bowinn Ma's office on Friday morning, police said, and they are investigating whether the "jarring incident" was linked to an earlier blast nearby. While politicians decried the explosion at Ma's constituency office in North Vancouver — with interim federal NDP leader Don Davies calling it a "blatant act of terror"— neither Ma nor Cpl. Mansoor Sahak with North Vancouver RCMP gave any indication of the possible motive. "I don't know if it's politically motivated. We're not calling it that, but we're investigating all possible avenues at this point," Sahak told a news briefing. Sahak said the 4:15 a.m. blast "breached the door and damaged the door frame." He said the blast was "indicative of an explosive device detonation" and no one was injured. 'This was a jarring incident that undoubtedly startled sleeping residents in the area,' said Sahak. Scorch marks were visible on the door at the office where there was a heavy police presence Friday afternoon. Ma said in statement that she was "grateful for the outpouring of support from community members and people across B.C., including MLAs from all sides of the House." "My staff, my family, and I are okay," Ma said. She said police are taking the incident seriously, and she had "full confidence in their ability to conduct a thorough investigation." Ma's constituency office on West Esplanade Street, not far from the Lonsdale Quay Seabus station, was cordoned off with police tape as investigators examined the damaged door. People who work in the building said Friday afternoon they were unaware of what occurred, and building management sent out an email about media coverage of the reported explosion without any additional information. Sahak said a previous explosion had been heard in the nearby 100 block of West 1st Avenue at 2:45 a.m. and police were looking into whether the blasts were connected. But no residue of the earlier explosion was found and Sahak said it wasn't known "if it was an explosive device or a firecracker or anything." Premier David Eby said police told him an explosive device had been "deliberately set" at Ma's office. He said the incident was "profoundly concerning" and struck at the heart of how elected officials performed their duties. "I am deeply concerned about trend lines, which basically mean an increasing separation of elected officials from the people they're meant to serve, which doesn't benefit anybody at all," Eby told an unrelated news conference. Eby said a "routine safety review" was being conducted for all MLA offices across the province, through the legislature's Sergeant-at-Arms. Sahak said police were seeking witnesses who were in North Vancouver near West Esplanade Avenue or who may have captured dashcam or CCTV footage from 2:30 a.m. to 4:30 a.m. on Friday. Ma said all meetings and appointments at the office had been cancelled for the day. "Thankfully, nobody was injured, but incidents like this can be quite frightening," she wrote. Ma didn't describe the incident and said that due to the active police investigation, she would not be able to provide more details about what happened, although she wanted to thank the officers who responded. "I appreciate the concern expressed by community members and am grateful to serve such a caring and compassionate community," she said. NDP leader Davies said on social media that he was "deeply alarmed" by the incident. "This blatant act of terror is an affront to democracy and has no place in our nation. We are grateful no one was hurt and hope those responsible are apprehended as soon as possible," Davies wrote. B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad said on social media that all members of the legislature "must stand with NDP MLA Bowinn Ma and her constituency office staff." "The idea that someone would set off a device to damage or somehow threaten an MLA's (constituency) office is deeply concerning," he said. City of North Vancouver Mayor Linda Buchanan said in a statement that the explosion "understandably caused concern in our community and I know residents may feel alarmed and uneasy. " She said the city is working with police as they investigate "all possible avenues," and said she is grateful to people who called police to report the blast.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Yahoo
RCMP share details on deadly North Vancouver boat crash
North Vancouver RCMP Cpl. Mansoor Sahak sat down with CBC's The Early Edition Tuesday to share what details they have on the deadly weekend boat crash. Sahak said they're looking at speed and alcohol as possible factors, and that having a case on the water complicates their investigation.
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
North Vancouver RCMP warn of scam targeting seniors
North Vancouver RCMP have noticed a recent spike in fraud targeting seniors. On May 15, 2025, police say an older woman was contacted by someone impersonating a financial institution fraud investigator. The woman was told that fraudulent purchases had been made on her account and that the chips on her cards had to be checked. She then handed them over to someone who visited her residence and claimed to be from her bank. She reported the incident to the police and her financial institution once she realized there were $23,000 in fraudulent charges on her account. "We continue to repeat our warnings, but we don't mind being a broken record. We need would-be targets to know how to recognize these scams," said Cpl. Mansoor Sahak of the North Vancouver RCMP in a news release. "We also need friends, family, neighbours, anyone who interacts with the elderly or those who are new to Canada to tell them about these scams, how to recognize them, and what to do if they are contacted by a scammer." The release says eight similar frauds have been reported in North Vancouver. Investigators have determined that the suspects may be travelling throughout the Lower Mainland, but the investigation is still active and ongoing. Sahak said to remember that anyone can be a target and that fraudsters can be extremely convincing. Some tips provided by the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre to avoid being victimized: Don't be afraid to say no. Do your research to verify organizations are legitimate. Don't give out personal information such as your name, your address, your birthdate, your Social Insurance Number (SIN) or your credit card or banking information. Beware of upfront fees. Protect your computer. Be careful who you share images with. Protect your online accounts with strong passwords and multi-factor authentication. Recognize spoofing, which is used to mislead victims and convince them they are communicating with legitimate people, companies and organizations. The RCMP urges people to contact their local police or call 911 if they have been the victim of a scam. They also point to scam reports on the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre website.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
North Vancouver RCMP warn of scam targeting seniors
North Vancouver RCMP have noticed a recent spike in fraud targeting seniors. On May 15, 2025, police say an older woman was contacted by someone impersonating a financial institution fraud investigator. The woman was told that fraudulent purchases had been made on her account and that the chips on her cards had to be checked. She then handed them over to someone who visited her residence and claimed to be from her bank. She reported the incident to the police and her financial institution once she realized there were $23,000 in fraudulent charges on her account. "We continue to repeat our warnings, but we don't mind being a broken record. We need would-be targets to know how to recognize these scams," said Cpl. Mansoor Sahak of the North Vancouver RCMP in a news release. "We also need friends, family, neighbours, anyone who interacts with the elderly or those who are new to Canada to tell them about these scams, how to recognize them, and what to do if they are contacted by a scammer." The release says eight similar frauds have been reported in North Vancouver. Investigators have determined that the suspects may be travelling throughout the Lower Mainland, but the investigation is still active and ongoing. Sahak said to remember that anyone can be a target and that fraudsters can be extremely convincing. Some tips provided by the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre to avoid being victimized: Don't be afraid to say no. Do your research to verify organizations are legitimate. Don't give out personal information such as your name, your address, your birthdate, your Social Insurance Number (SIN) or your credit card or banking information. Beware of upfront fees. Protect your computer. Be careful who you share images with. Protect your online accounts with strong passwords and multi-factor authentication. Recognize spoofing, which is used to mislead victims and convince them they are communicating with legitimate people, companies and organizations. The RCMP urges people to contact their local police or call 911 if they have been the victim of a scam. They also point to scam reports on the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre website.
Hamilton Spectator
17-05-2025
- Hamilton Spectator
Mock crash at North Vancouver high school shows students real risks of dangerous driving
It was a striking experience for dozens of North Vancouver high school students as they saw a mock crash unfold at Windsor Secondary Thursday morning. Police, firefighters and paramedics quickly arrived on scene as part of a fake reenactment responding to a car crash involving drama students from the high school. The mock crash is part of an annual educational event hosted by North Vancouver RCMP to teach students the risk of dangerous driving and making the right decisions when behind the wheel, but also showing the real, horrifying experiences of what can happen when not paying attention. 'What we're trying to prevent is kids from getting behind the wheel and dying,' said Cpl. Mansoor Sahak, media relations officer for North Vancouver RCMP. 'It's a real-life situation that we're trying to demonstrate to these kids.' The mock crash began with two young drivers involved in a collision. Shortly after, a student called 911, with District of North Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services, BC Emergency Health Services and local Mounties arriving quickly and getting to work, just as they would do at a real crash scene. Firefighters helped student actors get out of the vehicles, which were props from a previous, real collision, using a Jaws of Life tool to cut car doors. Then fire crews and paramedics put them on stretchers to take the actors to Lions Gate Hospital. One of the student drivers was impaired and arrested on scene. ICBC stats reveal that , on average, 28 youth ages 16 to 21 are killed in crashes every year in B.C., a number Sahak said first responders want to bring down. 'We're trying to bring that number down, bring it to zero, because they're preventable tragedies,' Sahak said. 'If we can demonstrate to them what we're doing here, and if they could take away something from that, then we've done our jobs.' ICBC data also notes contributing factors for crashes involving drivers age 16 to 21 resulting in injuries or death, including 22 per cent with speeding drivers, 13 per cent with impaired drivers and 14 per cent with distracted drivers. Driver inexperience, overestimating ability, driving without due care and thrill-seeking also play a role in the rate of youth crashes, according to ICBC's website. Brian Twaites, paramedic public information officer with British Columbia Emergency Health Services, said messages spread through mock crashes carry a domino effect. 'These students will go home, they'll talk to their family, relatives, friends about this scenario that they watched today,' Twaites said. 'So that also helps spread the word about distracted driving and the dangers involved.' The information officer said they usually stage mock crashes to coincide with grad season, but this year it worked out as another reminder to drive safely during long weekends. On top of the mock crash serving a safety reminder, he said it helps provide a good training exercise when first responders need to respond to real-life scenarios. 'Our paramedics are working closely with the fire department on patient care and extrication,' he said. 'So, it's a very good training exercise for our organization and the others as well.' 'But really it's about education for the students,' he added. 'If one student goes home and realizes, 'Hey, this isn't a safe thing to do … to me, that's a complete success of this exercise.' Abby Luciano is the Indigenous and civic affairs reporter for the North Shore News. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative .
