New record set as Canadians lose over $121 million to scammers in 2018

1 March 2019

CANADIANS lost over $121 million to scammers in 2018, moving up from $95 million in 2017, and more than doubling the amount from 2015.

While the losses continue to trend upwards, the percentage of victims that actually come forward to report the crime is still less than 10%, suggesting that actual losses are somewhere in the range of $3 billion this year.

“In the past, people believed scammers only targeted seniors, however, the statistics are telling a different story,’ says Danielle Primrose, President and CEO of Better Business Bureau (BBB) serving Mainland BC and representative for BBBs across Canada. “Scams are evolving – they are more aggressive, devastating, convincing and there is now a scam for everyone. Scammers are bolder than ever, which is why we need to keep informed and take proactive steps to protect our information and finances. I cannot stress enough how important it is to report every instance of scams and frauds.”

For over 25 years, BBB’s National List of Top 10 Scams has been instrumental in promoting scam awareness and fraud prevention across Canada. This year’s list was generated using key information from the BBB Scam Tracker, critical concerns highlighted by BBB’s community partners and sponsors, as well as collaborative input from the 10 BBB’s in the country and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.

This year, there are three new scams that have hit the Top 10 radar, as well as one scam that has evolved and extended its impact in such a way that it has earned the number one spot.

The Top 10 Scams of 2018

Romance scams
Income tax extortion scams
Online purchase scams
Employment scams
Phishing
Subscription scams
Advance fee loans
Tech support scams
Home improvement scams
Bank investigator scams

For more details on the Top 10 Scams and tips to avoid them, visit bit.ly/top10scams.

Reporting scams and frauds plays a vital role in assisting law enforcement and organizations like BBB to gather accurate statistics, as well as track, apprehend and prosecute criminals. If you are a victim or you have encountered a business or offer that sounds like an illegal scheme or fraud, tell BBB about it by visiting www.bbb.org/scamtracker. Scam Tracker not only allows you to report scams, but to also identity the ones that may be operating in your area.

Make cybersecurity a priority by regularly changing the passwords to your online accounts. Using strong passwords and changing them every few months makes it difficult for scammers and hackers to gain access to confidential information. On March 15, try changing the passwords for the top 3 online accounts you would not want to get hacked. Celebrate BBB Password Day by using #bbbpasswordday to show you have changed your passwords and that you are promoting proactive cybersecurity.

Prime Minister Trudeau announces small cabinet shuffle

1 March 2019

PRIME Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday announced the following changes within his ministry:

Lawrence MacAulay, currently Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, becomes Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence.

Marie-Claude Bibeau, currently Minister of International Development, becomes Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food.

Maryam Monsef retains her role as Minister for Women and Gender Equality and also becomes Minister of International Development.

The shuffle was the result of Jody Wilson-Raybould’s resignation as Minister of Veteran Affairs in February.

The Canadian Ministry

Air Canada’s flights to Delhi from Toronto and Vancouver operating with longer, alternative routings

1 March 2019

AIR Canada’s flights to Delhi from both Toronto and Vancouver resumed last night and are operating with longer, alternative routings, Air Canada spokesperson Angela Mah told The VOICE on Friday.

Return flights from Delhi to Toronto and Vancouver will also operate with alternate routings that entail a stop in Copenhagen for re-crewing and aircraft refueling.

Air Canada’s flights to Mumbai are operating as normal since the flights take a different routing.

Air Canada operates daily service from Toronto and Vancouver to Delhi and four times weekly from Toronto to Mumbai.

Earlier in the week, because of the closure of Pakistani airspace by its government, one Air Canada flight en route to Delhi on Tuesday night (February 26) turned back over the Atlantic Ocean and returned to Toronto on Wednesday, while a second flight from Vancouver to Delhi that was to depart on Tuesday night was cancelled.

Indian Air Force pilot Abhinandan returns to India

1 March 2019

Attari (Punjab) (IANS): IAF pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, captured by Pakistanis two days ago after his MiG-21 crashed in Pakistani territory, returned to India on Friday night.

Dressed in a blue coat, grey trousers and white shirt, he was received warmly by senior Border Security Force (BSF) officers at Zero Line that marks the India-Pakistan land border.

After the Pakistan Rangers escorted him till the border gates, one BSF officer put his arm around the Indian Air Force officer and led him away.

The air force officer looked calm as he waited for a while close to the border in Pakistani territory along with Indian High Commission officials from Islamabad and Pakistan Rangers before getting the final okay to cross over to India.

The capture of Abhinandan on Wednesday in Pakistani-administered Kashmir led to strong demands from New Delhi that he be handed over to India unharmed immediately.

US launched diplomatic effort before Varthaman’s release

1 March 2019

New York (IANS): The US had launched diplomatic efforts to tamp down the rising New Delhi-Islamabad tensions before Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s announcement that he was going to free the Indian pilot captured by his country and there were signs that Washington may have had advanced information about it.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said that he spent “a good deal of time” on Wednesday night with leaders of both neighbours before Khan made the announcement on Thursday, calling it a goodwill gesture.

Pompeo did not say to whom he had spoken on Wednesday, but in an earlier round on Tuesday, he talked to both External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi.

It would appear from the timeline of events leading up to Khan’s statement about freeing the Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot that US had advanced knowledge of it.

President Donald Trump said cryptically at a news conference that began at around 12.30 p.m. (Indian time) in Hanoi on Thursday: “We have, I think, reasonably attractive news from Pakistan and India… I think, hopefully, that (the confrontation) is going to be coming to an end.”

Hours later at a Pakistan National Assembly session to discuss the India-Pakistan situation that began in Islamabad at 3.30 p.m., Khan declared that Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman was going home to India.

Tellingly, Trump headlined the India-Pakistan issue in his statement to reporters in Hanoi, even ahead of the breakdown in talks with North Korea. He said the US had “been involved in trying to have them stop” and “been in the middle, trying to help them both out”.

Later in Manila, Pompeo made the New Delhi-Islamabad diplomacy the top item at his news conference.

He told the media that he had good conversations with leaders of India and Pakistan to ensure “there was good information exchanged” and hoped to lessen the tension on the sub-continent.

“I spent a good deal of time on the phone last night talking to leaders in both countries, making sure there was good information exchanged, encouraging each country to not take any action that would escalate and create increased risk.

“I had good conversations, and I am hopeful that we can take down the tension there, at least for the time being, so they can begin to have conversations that don’t portend risk of escalation to either of the two countries. So we’re working hard on that,” Pompeo added.

Neither Trump nor Pompeo took credit directly for Varthaman’s impending release or for Khan’s conciliatory tone, beyond the hints.

But it had echoes of the Kargil conflict in 1999 when India and Pakistan were on the brink of a major conflict and then-President Bill Clinton intervened to get Islamabad to back down.

After provoking India by sending its troops into Kargil and facing a defeat and isolation, Pakistan’s then-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif appealed to Clinton for help.

Clinton “made Pakistan’s withdrawal a precondition for a settlement and the price it must pay for the US diplomatic involvement it had long sought”, according to Strobe Talbott, who was the Deputy Secretary of State then.

Then as now, the nuclear factor did not work.

The killing of 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) troopers in a suicide bombing in Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir, on February 14 for which the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terror group claimed responsibility, created a fresh wave of revulsion in Washington and around the world sickened by terrorism.

Last week Trump made a statement that made India’s retaliation sound reasonable, when he said that he “understood” why New Delhi was seeking a strong response to the suicide bombing.

New Delhi is “looking for something strong” and “I can understand that also”.

After the Indian strike on a JeM base in Balakot, Pakistan, on Tuesday, Pompeo issued the sternest possible message to Pakistan offering a justification for the IAF’s actions by calling them “counter-terrorism actions”, a loaded phrase in international parlance.

He also mentioned “close security partnership” between the US and India.

If Islamabad had expected condemnation of India or even a measure of understanding from Washington when Qureshi called Pompeo soon after the Balakot raid, it was disappointed.

As the US negotiations with the Taliban enter a crucial phase and Washington plans to reduce the number of troops based there by half and eventually pullout completely in five years, it has to ensure that chaos on the subcontinent do not interfere with its plans.

Caregivers for B.C.’s most vulnerable get first pay increase in a decade

28 February 2019

FOSTER parents, adoptive caregivers, extended family members caring for children and Community Living BC (CLBC) home-share providers will each receive a boost in support payments – the first increase in 10 years – to make life more affordable and provide more support to some of B.C.’s most-vulnerable children and adults.

“Caregivers open their homes and hearts to children and adults who need their support,” said Premier John Horgan. “For 10 years, the cost of living has steadily increased while caregiver rates have stagnated. Our government is making different choices by increasing support rates for caregivers, to make life more affordable and build stronger, more inclusive communities.”

Budget 2019 provides approximately $64 million over three years to the Ministry of Children and Family Development and $45 million over three years to the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction to boost monthly caregiver rates.

“I have met with so many foster parents and family caregivers, especially grandmothers, who have been struggling to provide for the children in their care. Their stories resonated with me and I knew this was the right thing to do,” said Katrine Conroy, Minister of Children and Family Development. “The most important thing is that children are raised in a safe, loving home, and I am proud to be part of a government that is addressing a long-standing inequity for extended families, especially Indigenous families, and investing in the well-being of all children when they need it most.”

For family members caring for children through the Extended Family Program, support will nearly double and will be paid at the same rate as foster caregivers. This increase is part of government’s commitment to meaningful reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and addresses recommendations by Grand Chief Ed John.

“I am pleased the B.C. government is taking steps to address this key recommendation of my report, which identified the disparity between the caregiver rates and extended family rates as being a clear barrier to permanency for many children in care,” said Grand Chief Ed John. “Bringing these rates in line will undoubtedly lead to both an increase of permanent placements as well as an increased quality of care for children placed with extended family members. This is especially important for Indigenous children in care as it will result in greater opportunities for placements with extended family within their communities, thereby maintaining access to their culture and language.”

Budget 2019 will provide foster parents with an additional $179 each month to help cover basic necessities for children in their care, including food, shelter and clothing.

Eligible adoptive parents, many of them adding children with special needs and/or sibling groups to their families, will receive an additional $105 to $120 per month for post-adoption assistance to help meet increases in the costs of living.

“This announcement is a wonderful acknowledgement of the work that foster parents and other caregivers do to emotionally and financially support children and youth in B.C.,” said Russell Pohl, a long-time foster and adoptive parent. “It’s good to know that this government is looking out for us and valuing our contribution.”

Community Living BC home-share provider rates are based on the individual needs of the person in care. The $45 million in funding over three years is a 15% increase for the program. After 10 years without an increase in home-share provider funding, CLBC is updating the program rate structure to better align with the disability-related needs of each individual.

“Home-share promotes social inclusion and helps keep people with developmental disabilities connected to their communities,” said Shane Simpson, Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction. “Over the last year, we have engaged with individuals with developmental disabilities and their families to look closely at CLBC supports and plot a new vision for the next 10 years. This increase recognizes the important work of home-share providers. It is long overdue, well deserved and one more step in the work we are doing with the community to create a truly accessible and inclusive province.”

CLBC will be working with home-share providers over the next few weeks to work through the details. The rate increases will vary under the new rate structure, but all home share providers will receive an increase over the next two years.

In 2018, CLBC engaged with home-share providers to find out how government can better support them in their vital work. The primary concern reported was low rates, which had not kept up with rising household costs and growing demand for the program.

Rate increases for Ministry of Children and Family Development caregivers will come into effect April 1, 2019.

For a breakdown of caregiver rate increases by caregiver type, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/files/maintenance_rate_increases_by_care_category.pdf

Masood Azhar is in Pakistan, Qureshi admits

28 February 2019

Islamabad (IANS): Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has admitted that Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Masood Azhar (see photo) is in Pakistan and is “very unwell”, adding that Islamabad is open to “any step” that will lead to a de-escalation of tensions with India.

Qureshi’s remarks during an exclusive CNN interview on Thursday came after Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said that Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, the captured Indian Air Force pilot, will be released on Friday as a “peace gesture”.

“Prime Minister Khan made the statement (about Varthaman’s release) while addressing a joint session of Parliament (on Thursday) and this is a goodwill gesture. This is an expression of Pakistan’s willingness to de-escalate,” the Minister told CNN.

When asked if Azhar was in Pakistan and if authorities would go after him in the wake of the escalation of tensions, Qureshi replied: “Well he is in Pakistan.

“According to my information, he is very unwell. He is unwell to the extent that he cannot leave his house.”

Queried about why has Pakistan not arrested Azhar, despite the fact that the JeM has been labelled a terrorist organisation which causes “incredible tension between the two highly armed neighbours”, the Minister said: “If they (India) give us evidence which is acceptable to the courts of Pakistan… If they have solid, inalienable proof, share it with us so that we can convince the people and the independent judiciary of Pakistan.”

Following the February 14 attack by a JeM suicide bomber on a CRPF convoy in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama causing the death of 40 troopers, the Pakistan Prime Minister had asked India to provide evidence to Islamabad to take necessary action.

Qureshi said that Pakistan follows a “legal process” and will have to “satisfy that legal process” for the country to take any action against Azhar and his group.

The Minister told CNN that an all out war between India and Pakistan would be “mutual suicide”.

“When I learned about the tragic Pulwama attack, I condemned it and made a very balanced and sincere offer (to India). If you have evidence, share it with us, we will honestly and sincerely investigate.”

He said that the new Imran Khan government has a “new mindset”.

“After a very long time there is a government in Pakistan which supports the Pakistan Armed Forces. The civil and political leadership is on the same page.

“The policy of this government is that we will not allow our soil to be used by any organisation or individual for terrorism against anyone and that includes India,” Qureshi told CNN.

The Minister thanked US President Donald Trump “for taking an interest to de-escalate the situation”, adding that the “US can play a significant role”.

“The US and Pakistan have had good relations for decades. We have been allies. I am happy that they have taken notice of the situation… This is a very welcomed development.”

Final four set for Junior Girls Provincial Basketball Invitational Tournament

28 February 2019

Brookswood junior girls’ Imaan Lalli
Photo courtesy of Paul Yates Vancouver Sports Pictures

WHILE one semifinal features the No. 2 and 3 seeds, the other has the No. 1 seed up against the upstart No. 13 squad as it is down to the final four at the Junior Girls Basketball Provincial Invitational Tournament at Langley Events Centre.

The No. 1 Terry Fox Ravens remain perfect on the season with the No. 13 MEI Eagles standing in their way of a spot in Saturday’s championship game. On the other side of the draw the No. 2 Kelowna Owls go up against the No. 3 Riverside Rapids.

The semifinals are set for Friday at 6:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.

For full results from all day two for all 24 teams, click here.

No. 3 Riverside Rapids 50 No. 11 Okanagan Mission Huskies 45

Trailing 38-34 late in the third quarter, the Riverside Rapids (Port Coquitlam) held the Okanagan Mission Huskies (Kelowna) to just seven fourth-quarter points, rallying for the 50-45 victory.

The third-seeded Rapids overcame a slow start as they scored just nine points in the first quarter, scoring 15 in the second and then 13 in both quarters of the second half. The Huskies held the lead for much of the game but were plagued by turnovers and four missed free-throw attempts in the final eight minutes as the No. 11 seed looked for a second-straight upset victory.

The trio of Maria Kim (17 points), Lucy Caldwell (13 points) and Franscine Basiga (12 points) all reached double figures for the Rapids. Tatum Wade’s 16 points led the Huskies.

No. 2 Kelowna Owls 53 No. 10 Fleetwood Park Dragons 35

A 20-4 first quarter was largely the difference as the No. 2 seed Kelowna Owls advanced to the semifinals 53-35 over the No. 10 Fleetwood Park Dragons (Surrey).

The teams played to a standstill in the second quarter, each scoring 17 points, and the second half was low scoring with 16 points for Kelowna and 14 for Fleetwood Park.

Tessa Bentley led the Owls with 14 points and Avery Chalmers chipped in with a dozen. Keerat Sidhu had 13 for the Dragons.

No. 13 MEI Eagles 71 No. 12 Yale Lions 63

The MEI Eagles may have won the all-Abbotsford battle but the Yale Lions definitely had the support of those without a rooting interest in either team. The Lions, who only had six players available to begin with, were forced to play the end of regulation and then two three-minute overtime periods with just three players on the floor. Eventually, the Eagles were able to take advantage of the two extra bodies, outscoring the under-manned Lions by eight points in the second bonus period.

Makenna Reimer (21 points) and Gracie Corneau (19 points) led MEI.

Marissa Rodde led the Lions with 32 points, keeping her team in the game thanks to hitting 14 of her 16 foul shots in the fourth quarter and overtime. Julie Dueck hit a trio of three-pointers and finished with 21 points before fouling out.

No. Terry Fox 76 No. 9 Claremont Spartans 30

Four Terry Fox Ravens (Port Coquitlam) players scored in double figures as the tournament’s top seed continues their quest for a perfect season.

Lauren Clements (17 points), and Emily Sussex (15 points) led the way with another 13 points from Ana-Maria Misic and 11 from Cerys Merton.

Defensively, the Ravens did not surrender much, never allowing more than 10 points in a quarter.

Claremont’s Charlotte Westhaver had more than half her team’s points, scoring 16 of the 30.

Top seed South Kamloops still alive in repeat quest

28 February 2019

Deanna Tuchscherer of the G.W. Graham Grizzlies leads the fast break during quarter-final action vs. Vernon at the B.C. AA girls basketball championships at the Langley Events Centre on Thursday.
Photo courtesy of Dan Kinvig

THE defending champion South Kamloops Titans are one victory away from playing for a second consecutive provincial title.

The Titans, the top seed, will face the fifth seeded-St. Thomas Aquinas Fighting Saints in one of the semifinals on Friday, while the No. 2 Langley Christian are up against the No. 3 G.W. Graham Grizzlies at the B.C. Secondary School Girls AA Basketball Championships at Langley Events Centre.

The first game goes at 3:30 p.m. and the other at 5:15 p.m.

For full results from all day two for all 16 teams, click here.

No. 5 St. Thomas Aquinas Fighting Saints 72 No. 4 Britannia Bruins 66

A rematch of the Lower Mainland final went the way of the St. Thomas Aquinas Fighting Saints (North Vancouver) as they edged the Britannia Bruins (Vancouver) 72-66.

The game was tied four different times before the Fighting Saints took the lead for good late in the fourth quarter thanks to a 6-0 run.

Jessica Clarke had a huge game with 22 points and 21 rebounds for St. Thomas Aquinas with Olivia Thorpe (17 points, six rebounds) and Pasley VanderMye (16 point, seven rebounds) also have strong games.

Surprise Munie had 23 points, nine rebounds, seven assists and eight steals for the Bruins while Shemaiah Abatayo chipped in with 13 points and Iftu Taju had a dozen.

No. 1 South Kamloops Titans 76 Seycove Seyhawks 59

Last year’s reigning MVP dominated Thursday’s quarter-final matchup, scoring more than half her team’s points as the South Kamloops Titans defeated North Vancouver’s Seycove Seyhawks 76-59.

Maddy Gobeil had 38 points, 13 rebounds and five assists as her team shot better than 51 per cent from the field. Olivia Morgan-Cherchas and Kendra McDonald both dropped 14 points in the victory.

The Seyhawks were led by 19 points form Emma Bradshaw and another 16 from Sofia Bergman.

No. 2 Langley Christian 66 No. 10 St. Thomas More Collegiate Knights 49

The Langley Christian Lightning led by double digits throughout much of Thursday’s quarter-final, culminating in a 66-49 win over Burnaby’s St. Thomas More Collegiate Knights.

The Knights were looking for a second consecutive upset victory but were in tough against the tournament’s No. 2 seed as the Lightning used a balanced attack with three players in double figures for the 17-point victory.

Free throw shooting was a big difference as the Lightning hit 18 of their 28 from the stripe compared to the Knights’ 11 for 25.

Hailey Van Roekel led Langley Christian with 19 points, five rebounds, three steals, two assists and a blocked shot. Makenna Gardner was second on the team with 15 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and four steals and Ava Krepp had a dozen points and six rebounds.

The Knights were led by 18 points from Gigi Gaspar.

No. 3 G.W. Graham Grizzlies 59 No. 6 Vernon Panthers 44

Deanna Tuchscherer of the G.W. Graham Grizzlies surveys the Vernon defence during quarter-final action at the B.C. AA girls basketball championships at the Langley Events Centre on Thursday.
Photo courtesy of Dan Kinvig

The Vernon Panthers cut the deficit to six points in the fourth quarter, but Chilliwack’s G.W. Graham Grizzlies but an Aliza Dueck three-pointer gave the Grizzlies some breathing room and they closed things out with eight of the final 10 points in a 59-44 victory.

Deanna (22points, 19 rebounds) and Julia Tuchscherer (14 points, 16 rebounds) led the Grizzlies attack with a combined 36 points and 35 rebounds.

Kelsey Falk led Vernon with 19 points and 16 rebounds and Sarah Butler added a dozen points.

G.W. Graham Grizzlies fans.
Photo courtesy of Gary Ahuja Langley Events Centre

Final four set at Girls AAA Championships at LEC

28 February 2019

Yale Lions Tana Pankratz is defended by Kelowna Owls’ Katrina Fink during senior girls AAA quarter-final action at Langley Events Centre on February 28.
Paul Yates Vancouver Sports Pictures

THE defending champion Kelowna Owls are still alive following the narrowest of victories in their quarter-final match-up but if they hope to repeat, they will have to get through the undefeated No. 1 seed, the Semiahmoo Totems, in the semifinals.

The other semifinal pits a pair of Langley squads in the No. 2 Walnut Grove Gators and the No. 6 Brookswood Bobcats as it is down to the final four teams at the B.C. Secondary School Girls AAA Basketball Championships at Langley Events Centre.

The semifinals are at 7:00 and 8:45 p.m. on Friday night.

For full results from all day two for all 16 teams, click here.

No. 5 Kelowna Owls 65 No. 4 Yale Lions 64

Yale Lions’ Kyleigh Boldt is defended by Kelowna Owls’ Katrina Fink during senior girls AAA quarter-final action on Thursday, Feb. 28 at Langley Events Centre.
Paul Yates Vancouver Sports Pictures

The fifth-seed Kelowna Owls held off the No. 4 Yale Lions (Abbotsford) 65-64 to open the quarter-final round. The game was back-and-forth as the score was tied seven times with another seven lead changes.

Kelowna was down 63-60 with 2:47 to go but the Owls scored the next five points and then survived an late scare when the Lions’ were only able to knock down one of two free throws a chance to force overtime.

The Owls came flying out of the gates leading by as many as eight points in the first quarter before Yale took a two-point lead at the half.

Jaeli Ibbetson had a monster game for Kelowna with 21 points and 20 rebounds while Kennedy Dickie also had a double-double (15 points, 14 rebounds) and Rylee Semeniuk scored 13.

Yale Lions Lily Borseth battles for a rebound with Kelowna Owls’ Nicole Torozan during senior girls AAA quarter-final action at Langley Events Centre on February 28.
Paul Yates Vancouver Sports Pictures

The Lions, who had just six players available, received 26 points, a dozen boards, three steals and three blocked shots from Tana Pankratz and another 10 points, eight rebounds and five steals from Kyleigh Boldt. Jessica Day chipped in with six points, 12 rebounds and a pair of blocked shots.

Yale Lions Kyliegh Boldt goes up for the shot against Kelowna during senior girls AAA quarter-final action at Langley Events Centre on February 28.
Paul Yates Vancouver Sports Pictures

No. 1 Semiahmoo Totems 86 No. 8 Okanagan Mission Huskies 33

The Semiahmoo Totems big three of Grade 12 Faith Dut and Grade 10’s Izzy Forsyth and Tara Wallack combined for 57 points and 31 rebounds in a second-straight rout for the tournament’s top seed.

Forsyth scored a game-high 30 points on 11 of 24 shooting while grabbing a dozen boards. She also dished out five assists and came up with a pair of steals. Dut (15 points, 10 rebounds, four steals, one assist) and Wallack (12 points, nine rebounds, two assists, two steals, one block).

The Totems shot nearly 40 per cent from the field.

Jordan Robb (12 points) and Makenna Jacklin (11 points) were top scorers for the Huskies.

No. 6 Brookswood Bobcats 90 No. 3 Riverside Rapids 86

For the second straight game, the Brookswood Bobcats (Langley) were in a nail-biter down the stretch and once again the ‘Cats came through, holding off the Riverside Rapids (Port Coquitlam) 90-86.

Brookswood was up by 17 late in the second quarter but the Rapids came rushing back, trimming the deficit to 10 after three quarters and taking a four-point lead with 2:50 to go. But the Bobcats shooting was on the mark, connecting on 44.7 per cent of their field goals and 42.9 per cent of their three-point shots, while also holding a 50-32 advantage for points in the paint for the comeback victory.

Jenna Dick had her second consecutive big game, scoring 28 points and grabbing 11 rebounds (all on the defensive end). She also dished out eight assists and had five steals.

Olivia Ohlmann and Mackenzie Cox each had 14 points while Kelsey Lalonde finished with a dozen.

The Rapids were led by the duo of Jessica Parker (36 points) and Sammy Shields (32 points).

No. 2 Walnut Grove Gators 86 No. 7 Robert Bateman Timberwolves 45

The Walnut Grove Gators (Langley) hit as many three-pointers (11) as they did three-pointers in their 86-45 win over Abbotsford’s Robert Bateman Timberwolves.

A big advantage for the Gators was points off turnovers (32-7) and second-chance points (28-10) which both went in favour of Walnut Grove.

Jessica Wisotzki led the Gators with 30 points and 13 rebounds while Tavia Rowell had 20 points, five rebounds and five assists. Anneke Cairnie had a dozen rebounds to go along with two points.

Bateman’s Jayden Gill had a team-high 16 points and 12 rebounds.