Vancouver rundown for Thursday, January 15, 2026.
BC is ending its public drug use pilot project,
which allowed users to consume small amounts
of hard drugs without the fear of arrest. Health
Minister Josie Osborne admits it's clear the
project wasn't working. The provincial government
introduced the approach three years ago as a
way to reduce the stigma while encouraging drug
users to get treatment. Critics have complained
about an increase in needles found in public
places such as schoolyards and beaches. Other
news, a woman has been shot dead by RCMP in a
quiet neighborhood in Burnaby. Police say they
encountered a woman with a weapon after getting
a person in distress called to a home Tuesday
night. Police responded. Shots were fired. The
woman died at the scene near Oxford Street and
Carleton Avenue. The IIO is looking into the
circumstances. Another Surrey business has been
shot up in what police believe is more extortion
-related violence. The latest happened on King
George Boulevard near 80th Avenue early Wednesday
morning. No one was hit. A problem with a communications
cable is believed responsible for a massive disruption
on the Canada line on Wednesday. It started at
around 6 a .m. when a train stopped, forcing
other delays throughout the system. Service issues
continued for 14 hours, making it one of the
longest disruptions in the system's history.
The forecast is calling for dense fog for Thursday
morning. Otherwise, a mix of sun and cloud with
possible drizzle. Sunshine for Friday and Saturday.
For all the details on these local Vancouver
area stories, along with those links, go to VancouverRundown
.Substack .com.