Top Stories – Feb 8 – Wanted!

Hockey memorabilia appears to be the target of a break-in early yesterday at Player’s Choice Sports in the 400 block of Cawston. A signed and numbered Wayne Gretzky “Racers” hockey jersey valued at $10,000 and boxes of various sports memorabilia cards worth about $20,000 were taken. There’s a shot of the suspect above and police are asking anyone who might have dashcam video from about 2:10am, to call them.

The BC NDP out did the Liberals, but just barely when it came to taking in donations in the last quarter of 2022. Elections BC says the NDP received 1.2 Million dollars while the Liberals got 1.1 Million. The Green Party took in 418-thousand, while the Conservatives received 15-grand.

One-third of Canadian households say their financial situation has worsened over the last year. According to a Leger poll commissioned by the Association for Canadian Studies, 58 per cent, said its about the same while 9 percent said they were better off. Respondents in BC were the most likely to report it stayed the same.

A former top health official with Interior Health has been convicted of sexually abusing a child when he lived in Alberta. Dr. Albert de Villiers was found guilty of sexual assault and sexual interference for repeatedly molesting the son of a family friend between 2018 and 2020 in Grande Prairie. He will face another trial on three sex offences involving another minor in that city in August.

The union representing WestJet pilots says contract negotiations with the airline have been unproductive and federal arbitration may be needed to avert a strike. ALPA Canada represents approximately 1,800 pilots at WestJet and Swoop, and says it has been negotiating with the company since September. It says they are at an impasse over issues like wages and scheduling.

The death toll continues to rise after Monday’s large earthquake in Turkey and Syria. The bodies of at least 7,700 people had been recovered as of late last night. Crews from around the world have gone to the area to help search hundreds of collapsed and pancaked buildings.

Home sales and prices were down in the Central Okanagan to start the year. The Association of Interior Realtors says single family sales were down 60% compared to a year ago while the benchmark price dipped under a Million bucks to 977-thousand. Condo sales fell 49%, with the price down just 4% to 493-thousand dollars.

The provincial government has introduced legislation to make September 30 a paid statutory holiday for the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. It follows the federal government’s decision to do the same in 2021. Victoria says it honours the strength and resilience of residential school survivors and remembers the children who never came home.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says his government will increase federal health-care transfers to the provinces by $196 Billion over the next 10 years, though only about one-quarter of that is new money. He says it will include an immediate and unconditional top-up of $2 billion to the Canada Health Transfer, to ease the intense pressure on hospitals.

Sports

In Prince George last night, the Rockets lost their first of two games against the Cougars by a score of 5-1. They’ll play again tonight with Regan Bartel’s pregame show at 6:35 on 1047 The Lizard.

The Canucks will try and bounce back tonight from that overtime loss on Monday in New Jersey. They’re in New York to take on the Rangers at 5.

Marty Walsh, the current U.S. Secretary of Labor, is set to be named executive director of the NHL Players’ Association. The Bostonian will replace Donald Fehr, who’s leaving the job after 12 years.

Tom Brady says he will begin his NFL broadcasting career with FOX in the 2024 season. He’s expected to eventually join Kevin Burkhardt on the network’s top team.