Year in Review: A look at some of the top stories of 2022
Posted December 26, 2022 7:00 am.
Last Updated December 25, 2022 10:58 pm.
As the world looked ahead to recovery from years of pandemic restrictions, there were many events — globally and locally — that headlined 2022.
From Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to Queen Elizabeth II’s death to major political changes in B.C. to mass demonstrations that would take over Canada’s capital, there were no shortages of major news events this past year.
Here is CityNews Vancouver’s Year in Review; a collection of some of the major headlines from the year. The stories below are listed in no particular order.
Queen Elizabeth II dies at 96
Arguably one of the biggest headlines of 2022 was the death of Queen Elizabeth II — the only monarch many Canadians have ever known.
She passed on Sept. 8, after she was put under medical supervision at her Balmoral estate in Scotland when doctors became concerned for her health.
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The Queen was mourned by people across the globe, her death coming several months after she marked her Platinum Jubilee.
King Charles III will be crowned at Westminster Abbey on May 6 in a ceremony that will embrace the past but look to the modern world.
‘Freedom convoy’ protests
The chants were loud and the message was clear as a so-called “freedom convoy” took over the Canadian capital earlier this year, speaking out against public health mandates and, essentially, the Trudeau government.
As the protest dragged on, several blockades also formed across the country, including at border crossings.
In an effort to address the situation, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoked the Emergencies Act for the first time — something that would later become the subject of an inquiry.
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Another protest convoy drives through Metro Vancouver as tensions flare across Canada
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In B.C., hundreds of people returned to a Canada-U.S. crossing on a brisk Saturday in mid-February, forcing the shutdown of the Pacific Highway Border crossing for the second time in as many weeks.
As the situation intensified, demonstrations turned aggressive at some points, with confrontations between protestors, counter-protestors, the media, and police continuing throughout the province and country for some time.
Coquitlam family calls for accountability after claims of racism in minor hockey
A South Asian family in Coquitlam spoke to CityNews about their experience of racism within the local minor hockey association — including an alleged assault against their 16-year-old son by a parent who had shared a KKK rally video in the parents’ group chat.
Following the coverage, a major sponsor of the Coquitlam Minor Hockey Association and the city’s BCHL team spoke out against racism in local sport. The city’s mayor and the local MLA were also vocal in their condemnation of racism.
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Coquitlam family calls for accountability after claims of racism, assault in minor hockey
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Under mounting pressure, the Coquitlam Minor Hockey told CityNews the matter is being investigated by BC Hockey and Hockey Canada, adding it takes these allegations “very seriously.”
The Coquitlam RCMP continues to investigate the alleged assault on Oct. 15, 2022, at the Poirier Arena. CityNews continues to keep a close eye on this story.
Murder of Burnaby RCMP Const. Shaelyn Yang
It was a moment that left Metro Vancouver rattled.
Burnaby RCMP Cons. Shaelyn Yang was killed in the line of duty in October. She was fatally stabbed while trying to help an unhoused person she thought had overdosed.
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Beyond Yang’s police work, in the days and weeks after her death, she was remembered for her volunteer work with BC Cancer and Canadian Blood Services.
As BC RCMP Commanding Officer Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald put it at Yang’s regimental funeral, “she always stepped up, without hesitation, whenever there was a need.”
Attempted bank robbery in Saanich
It was supposed to be a normal summer day in Saanich when absolute chaos erupted.
The first calls came in at about 11 a.m. on June 28 when reports surfaced of two armed men walking into a bank at Shelbourne and Pear streets.
Officers from various agencies quickly surrounded the area and were shot at multiple times.
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Amazingly, no members of the public were hurt, given the shootout between the would-be robbers and police played out mostly in the street and nearby parking lot. However, six members of both Saanich and Victoria Police were injured — with some undergoing emergency operations with a long road to recovery ahead.
The chief of Saanich Police, who’s been an officer for 27 years, said he had never seen this level of violence in the district.
Saanich Police, joined by Victoria Police and RCMP, respond to gunfire involving multiple people and injuries at a bank in Saanich, B.C., on Tuesday, June 28, 2022. The chief of police in Saanich says it is truly amazing that no members of the public were hurt during a gunfight at a bank in which two robbery suspects died. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito
The two involved had been wearing homemade body armour and carrying automatic rifles.
We eventually learned the two men were twin brothers who had no criminal records and died along with a motive we may never know.
B.C. gets a new premier
2022 brought a change at the top in British Columbia: a new premier.
Usually, this kind of change happens after a contentious election, but this time, it came after John Horgan made the decision to resign following a second battle with cancer.
“Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity. British Columbia, it has truly been the thrill of my life,” he said in June, noting he just didn’t have the stamina he used to.
It soon became clear the NDP caucus had chosen who was going to come next: David Eby, who at the time was attorney general.
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Despite unity in caucus, there was controversy in the leadership race.
Environmental activist Anjali Appadurai’s bid to take the reins was cut short when the party executive ousted her and her campaign for signing up members outside the party rules.
By the time Eby was sworn in though, that was just a footnote in the story.
The ceremony was held for the first time at a First Nation — the Musqueam First Nation in his Vancouver riding.
The new premier wasted no time getting to business, announcing new inflation relief credits and plans to tackle major issues facing his province.
Lower Mainland snow, chaos, and hours-long commutes
It was a Tuesday afternoon in November that turned into a nightmare commute for thousands of Lower Mainland drivers.
Heavy snow started falling at the beginning of the afternoon rush on Nov. 29, bringing major highways to a standstill and littering bridges with spun-out and stalled vehicles.
Many posted to social media saying it was taking them hours more to get home — some detailing 12-plus hours for a commute that would normally take 45 minutes. Others shared horrific scenes of dangerous traffic incident.
But it wasn’t all doom and gloom. Some people shared heart-warming tales, with social media posts detailing moments when people showed up for one another, in some cases bringing treats to those who had been sitting in their cars for hours.
@sheenperltravel Thank you for this amazing couple giving us cookies for dinner. #goodsamaritan #stuckontraffic #royalavenue #newestminster #vancouver #patullobridge #surrey ♬ Paradise – Ikson
As for why the roads were so bad, officials said plows were stuck in the backups just like everyone else.
Metro Vancouver ‘crime spree’ brings traffic to a halt
On Nov. 22, many people heading home for the day in the afternoon rush were brought to a grinding halt.
A major police incident was unfolding around them, with investigators initially only describing what was happening as a “crime spree” that had drawn a major response.
It was later revealed that the police chase that brought vehicles to a standstill on Metro Vancouver roads from Burnaby well into Surrey, had started at a dealership in Port Coquitlam, where an armed robbery had taken place.
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Police, suspects exchange gunfire in Lower Mainland ‘crime spree’
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Suspects and officers shot at each other before four people got away — two eventually being arrested and later charged with robbery.
Posts online described a scene like something you’d see in a movie, with some people sharing videos of officers with large guns drawn weaving through traffic.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
In February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine, setting off a months-long war that has yet to end.
The full-scale invasion saw the Kremlin’s forces unleash airstrikes on cities and military bases. It sent troops and tanks from multiple directions in a move that would rewrite the world’s geopolitical landscape.
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Ukraine’s government pleaded for help as civilians piled into trains and cars to flee, with millions eventually leaving their home country, many of them coming to Canada for refuge.
As world leaders continue to condemn Russia, many have announced sanctions in the hopes of putting more pressure on Vladimir Putin to bring the violence to an end.
The invasion has also had a major economic impact globally. In Canada, the war has led to higher energy prices and increased inflation.
Langley shooting spree
On the morning of July 25, the City and Township of Langley were rocked by multiple shootings over a span of more than five hours, with questions about whether the victims were targeted because they were experiencing homelessness.
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It started at midnight at Cascades Casino and ended at Willowbrook Shopping Centre. Two people died and another two were hurt, the incident culminating in a confrontation with the RCMP that would leave the suspect dead.
The initial public alert went out before 6:30am, with an update at 7:30am pic.twitter.com/5bLWS2ItJZ
— Mike Lloyd ☕️ (@llikemoyd) July 25, 2022
The suspect was eventually identified as 28-year-old Jordan Daniel Goggin from Surrey.
At a vigil for the victims, advocates called for additional safe housing for people experiencing homelessness.
— Mike Lloyd ☕️ (@llikemoyd) July 25, 2022
Whistler gang shooting
On a sunny summer afternoon, the quaint Whistler Village was the scene of violence.
It was just after 12 p.m. on July 24 when a brazen daylight shooting killed two people, striking fear into residents and visitors alike in the tourist-heavy community.
Shots rang out outside the Sundial Hotel in the heart of the resort town. Investigators have said both victims were known to police.
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Daylight Whistler shooting leaves two dead, linked to gangs
Witnesses calling into CityNews during the chaos said they thought someone was setting off fireworks near the famed Whistler Gondola, reporting as many as 12 shots heard. The ordeal prompted the resort to shut down operations for the remainder of the day.
The RCMP have cleared the Whistler area of any imminent danger from today’s incident. Out of respect for all of those impacted, and our guests and team members, we will be closing for the rest of the day, effective immediately. (1/2)
— Whistler Blackcomb Operations (@wbmtnops) July 24, 2022
Eventually, it was confirmed the violence was linked to gang activity. Two suspects have been arrested and since charged with first-degree murder.
Metro Vancouver political changes
This year brought a municipal election in British Columbia. In Vancouver, then-Mayor Kennedy Stewart ran on a platform heavy on promises around housing.
However, crime and public safety became ballot box issues while the opioid crisis continued to spiral out of control.
That provided an opening for Ken Sim and his ABC Vancouver slate. Sim, who came within 1,000 votes of becoming mayor in 2018, handily defeated Stewart by more than 36,000 votes on Oct. 15, 2022.
Sim campaigned on a promise to add 100 more police officers and mental health nurses to the city’s payroll, without revealing how exactly he would pay for them.
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Public safety was also the top issue in Surrey, specifically whether to continue the transition away from the RCMP and toward a municipal police service. Creating the Surrey Police Service was one of now-former Mayor Doug McCallum’s signature promises in 2018. Undoing it was the signature promise of new Mayor Brenda Locke.
There is some debate over whether Locke’s victory was a referendum on policing or on McCallum himself. McCallum was charged with public mischief for claiming a “Keep the RCMP in Surrey” supporter ran over his foot in a grocery store parking lot. He was eventually found not guilty of the charge, but only after the election.
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Vancouver fires: SROs and Winters Hotel
At a time when rental spaces are at a premium, the Vancouver Fire Department says the city is on track for a record-breaking year for fires in rooming houses.
From January to November, 200 fires were reported in Single Room Occupancy (SRO) buildings alone, marking a 32 per cent increase over three years.
One building had 14 fires in 2022.
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Vancouver police identify victims of deadly Winters Hotel fire
The deadly Winters Hotel fire destroyed housing for 150 residents. Three people were hurt and the bodies of two others — a 53-year-old man and a 68-year-old woman — were found during the demolition of the building a week later.
Candles were the likely cause of this fire. It was determined the sprinkler system had been turned off in order to be serviced after a previous blaze.
“This is a very tragic situation. And it’s something hopefully we will be able to avoid in the future. These are some of the most at-risk people in our community. We need to continue to do a better job as a province to look after these people in these housing units,” Vancouver Fire Chief Karen Fry previously said.
Check back as we update this list.
