1. Kamloops property unearthed two skulls, ignites property-rights debate

• What happened: A private landowner in Kamloops, B.C., discovered two human skulls while excavating in June to build a seniors’ community garden.
• Key actors: RCMP, coroner’s office and Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc (Tk’emlúps First Nation) were notified; lawyer Christine Elliott represents the owner.
• Issues: Confusion over access to information — Elliott says she faced “two and a half months of silence.” The case raises scrutiny of B.C.’s First Nations archaeology law and private-property rights.

2. Surrey extortion shooting; occupants probed for returning fire

• Incident: Gunfire at a home on the 8600 block of Galway Crescent (near Bear Creek Park) around 2:20 a.m. on Saturday.
• Outcome: Residence damaged, no injuries reported. Police say residents had been getting threats tied to extortion; investigators are now probing whether someone inside fired back.
• Note: Number of shots and whether suspects’ vehicle was hit remain unknown.

3. Five more days of assessment ordered in RCMP officer’s death case

• Case: Jongwon Ham is charged with first-degree murder in the 2022 stabbing death of 31-year-old Const. Shaelyn Yang in Burnaby.
• Court action: A forensic psychiatrist requested more time; Ham objected. Judge ordered an additional five days of fitness assessment.

4. Public hearing opens into 2015 death of Myles Gray

• Hearing: Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner began a 10-week hearing into the 2015 beating death of Myles Gray.
• Facts: Seven Vancouver officers face scrutiny after a 2024 disciplinary authority cleared them; family sought the public review. Margaret Gray testified first.

5. Families of teens killed in 2022 crash say ICBC denied justice

• Victims: Yasbirat Habtamu Hailu, 17, and Samir Ali, 18, died July 26, 2022, when their vehicle was struck by a white sedan that Metro Vancouver Transit Police say was fleeing a traffic stop.
• Claim: Families say ICBC’s handling has left them “destroyed” and seeking accountability.

6. DTES crisis, decriminalization pilot declared a failure

• Policy: B.C.’s three-year decriminalization pilot (since Jan. 31, 2023) allowed adults to possess up to 2.5 grams of certain hard drugs.
• Update: Premier David Eby said on Jan. 6 the pilot failed; on Jan. 14 Minister Josie Osborne confirmed the province will not seek federal renewal. Front-line workers say the Downtown Eastside problem is not just housing.