The BC Coroners Service has confirmed that the death of a woman at the Occupy Vancouver camp on Nov. 5 was caused by a drug overdose.

A woman nearly killed by arsenic poisoning and rendered quadriplegic is among five people sharing more than $340,000 as a result of a civil forfeiture involving a self-proclaimed "holistic healer" who allegedly promised to bring one client back from the dead.

The BC Coroners Service is investigating the discovery of a foot found this weekend washed up on the shore of Sasamat Lake in Port Moody. An autopsy held this morning confirmed that the bones of the foot, found encased in a sock in a hiking boot, are human in origin.

The cases of five teenagers who committed suicide in the Comox Valley since 2009 share few similarities, an analysis by the BC Coroners Service has found.

Catherine Romanko has been appointed public guardian and trustee of British Columbia. The appointment was effective Oct. 10, 2011, for a six-year term. Romanko succeeds Jay Chalke, who served for 11 years.

The BC Coroners Service has launched a forensic investigation to identify human remains found on Tuesday afternoon in False Creek in Vancouver.

Shirley Bond, the Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General, is urging motorists to drive defensively, stay alert and avoid drinking and driving this B.C. Day long weekend.

As B.C.'s chief coroner, I was very pleased with the auditor general's recent finding that the BC Coroners Service is meeting its core mandate - accurately and independently investigating all reported deaths, holding mandatory inquests and reviewing all children's deaths.

Two recent drowning-related fatalities this past weekend are a sobering reminder that this is the peak season for water-related deaths in the province.