An agreement in principle that will see Ottawa pay billions in compensation to First Nations children harmed by an underfunded child welfare system is set to be announced in Ottawa today.Sources have confirmed to The Canadian Press that negotiations reached final stages on New Year's Eve, resulting in an agreement that may finally bring an end to a human rights challenge launched 14 years ago. The case has been a major sore point in reconciliation efforts with Indigenous Peoples in Canada, as both the former and current federal governments spent millions fighting it in court. The battle began

B.C. is reporting 4,383 new cases of COVID-19, including 21 epi-linked cases, for a total of 251,054 cases in the province.There are 17,357 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, and 230,784 people who tested positive have recovered. Of the active cases, 211 individuals are in hospital and 66 are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.The new/active cases include:2,319 new cases in Fraser HealthTotal active cases: 7,940977 new cases in Vancouver Coastal HealthTotal active cases: 6,424501 new cases in Interior HealthTotal active cases: 1,713122 new c

"The City of Surrey will be immediately proceeding on building the 84th Ave extension after the B.C. Supreme Court decision today that the City of Surrey is well within its rights to proceed." The Safe Surrey Coalition-led City Council approved this project in July largely due to the heavy congestion at 88thAvenue and King George Boulevard. For many years, this has been Surrey’s most dangerous intersection when it comes to motor vehicle collisions. The 84th Avenue extension will provide a safe, convenient and reliable alternative connection between Newton and Fleetwood that will alleviate pr

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has asked Canadians to celebrate new year while following the public health guidelines. PM Trudeau on Twitter: I know tomorrow’s a big day. We’re ready for the year to end, and we’re used to celebrating that with a bunch of our friends and family members. But just like we did last year, we’re going to have to switch things up - for our own safety, and for the safety of our loved ones. However you choose to celebrate tomorrow night, please, make sure you’re following the public health guidelines in your area. If we all do our part, we’ll be able to look

Ontario is reporting a record-breaking 13-thousand, 807 new COVID-19 infections and three more deaths.There are now 965 people hospitalized with COVID-19, including 200 in intensive care.Chief medical officer of health Dr. Kieran Moore has a news conference planned for this afternoon as parents wait to find out if their children are going back to classes next week.Some provinces are extending the winter break, while others are switching to virtual learning starting next week.

The British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell has been convicted of helping lure teenage girls to be sexually abused by the late Jeffrey Epstein. The verdict announced Wednesday capped a monthlong trial featuring accounts of the sexual exploitation of girls as young as 14. Jurors deliberated for five full days before finding Maxwell guilty of every count except one. She faces years in prison. It's an end long sought by women who spent years fighting to hold Maxwell accountable for abusing them. Her lawyers said she's being used as a scapegoat for crimes committed by Epstein, who killed himself in 2

British Columbia is delaying the full return to classrooms in January to allow public health officials to assess the impact of the COVID-19 Omicron variant and give school staff time to implement enhanced safety measures. Education Minister Jennifer Whiteside says staff and students whose parents are health workers, as well as those who need extra support, will return to schools Jan. 3 or 4. All other students will return to classrooms Jan. 10. Whiteside says enhanced safety measures will include the cancellation of extracurricular sports and plans to control crowding at schools, such as thro

The world junior men's hockey championship in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alta., was cancelled Wednesday in the face of lost games due to COVID-19. A third game forfeited in two days left the International Ice Hockey Federation, Hockey Canada and organizing committee with few options to continue a tournament with competitive integrity, and they opted to call off the 11-day, 10-country tournament in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alta. After two days of games, players testing positive for COVID-19 had put defending champion United States, Russia and Czechia into mandatory quarantines by Wednesday. Canada w

Mounties are on the scene of a train derailment in southern Alberta. They say the Canadian Pacific Rail train had an engine derail at 9:30 am and some empty fuel cars tipped over near Barons north of Lethbridge. Some diesel is spilling out. No injuries have been reported. Crews are clearing the scene of a train derailment near a small village in Saskatchewan. Canadian Pacific Railway says in a statement that a freight train carrying potash went off the tracks last night near Craven, which is about 38 kilometres northwest of Regina. The company says there were no injuries or public safety conc