Each week at Global BC we highlight our stories to bring a bright spot to your Friday and into the weekend.
Here are the five stories we wanted to share:
In-person Christmas feast returns for Vancouver’s most needy after pandemic halt
The Salvation Army says it will serve an in-person holiday meal to residents of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A statement from the charitable organization says 1,400 people are expected to attend the Christmas Day event at its Harbour Light Centre in Vancouver.
More than 500 kilograms of turkey will be carved, accompanied by all the traditional fixings including more than 300 litres of gravy, 76 litres of cranberry sauce, and 125 jumbo-sized pies.
Okanagan family of 4 wins Lake Life Lottery grand prize, home worth $1.75M
Stunned silence.
That was Anokha Babu’s reaction after learning she and her family of four had won the Lake Life Lottery grand prize, a new home in Lake Country worth $1.75 million.
In an interview with Global News from their two-bedroom apartment in Kelowna, Babu said the win was life-changing, calling it “an incredible blessing for our entire family.” The good news came five days ago, on Dec. 15, when Lake Life Lottery phoned her at home, where she works.
Babu says the family had “struck out finding a house within our budget so many times over the last year that my son has been praying for a place to call our own every night.”
Injured snowmobiler rescued near Big White as temperatures dipped below -30
An injured snowmobiler was rescued and hospitalized on Wednesday night after an incident near the Big White Ski Resort in Kelowna.
North Shore Rescue, Talon Helicopters, and Central Okanagan Search and Rescue responded to the distress call about 14 kilometres from the mountain around 7 p.m.
Their combined efforts may have saved the woman’s life as temperatures plummeted below -30 C, North Shore Rescue team leader Mike Danks said.
B.C. universities to receive $4.3 million for innovation research funding
Four British Columbia universities will receive $4.3 million from a government research and innovation program to help fund projects in the fields of health, technology and natural resources.
Jobs Minister Brenda Bailey said the University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, the University of Victoria and Vancouver Island University will receive the funding, with the bulk going to projects at the Vancouver and Okanagan UBC campuses.
She said the funds will contribute to 18 projects already underway at the universities.
Holiday fire truck to roll through Oliver, B.C. giving out candy and carolling
The Oliver Fire Department is spreading holiday cheer this Christmas by driving around in a decorated fire truck with Santa on board.
Crews will drive the lit-up fire truck in different neighbourhoods through Oliver each night leading up to Christmas.
“We try and load up as many families, as we can and drive around with our truck playing music, singing carols, giving out candy canes,” explained Oliver Fire Chief, Bob Graham.
“People can look forward to seeing Santa Claus on the fire truck and get a candy cane and welcome our families.”
With files from The Canadian Press
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