The BC government announced it has introduced legislation it says would prevent ``disruptive behaviour'' from affecting schools and health-care facilities. Premier John Horgan says in a statement that people protesting COVID-19 rules have blocked access to health-care facilities and schools, and while everyone has a right to protest, interference with patients and children is unacceptable. The province says the legislation would establish 20-metre zones preventing protests around hospitals, schools and COVID-19 vaccination and test centres, making it offence to impede access to the facilities

A search was set to continue today for anyone who may have been trapped in debris after a weekend of torrential rain led to several mudslides along BC highways, though there were no reports of fatalities on Monday. Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth told a news conference that 275 people had to be rescued by helicopter after being trapped by slides on Highway 7 between Agassiz and Hope, while another 50 vehicles had been stuck near Lillooet. Captain Jonathan Gormick with Vancouver's Urban Search and Rescue Team says crews would be searching today for signs of buried vehicles or anyone trap

A full slate of cabinet ministers will be in Washington with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau later this week for the North American Leaders' Summit.The list includes Global Affairs Minister Melanie Joly, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, International Trade Minister Mary Ng andPublic Safety Minister Marco Mendicino.Trudeau will sit down with U-S President Joe Biden and Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Thursday at the White House.

A loose barge drifted around Vancouver's False Creek on Monday before grounding itself on a Stanley Park beach. The Canadian Coast Guard said in a statement the barge's owner has been contacted and plans to retrieve it as soon as possible. It says it's not aware of anyone on board or any risks of pollution. There were no hydrocarbons on board. Its statement says coast guard crews from Kitsilano's base have been on the water near the barge ensuring the scene is safe.It says the owner of the barge is responsible for securing, salvaging and arranging a tow.

Over a three-day period, B.C. is reporting 1,270 new cases of COVID-19, including 10 epi-linked cases, for a total of 213,020 cases in the province: Nov. 12-13: 502 new casesNov. 13-14: 387 new casesNov. 14-15: 381 new casesThere are 3,837 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, and 206,665 people who tested positive have recovered. Of the active cases, 376 individuals are in hospital and 116 are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.In the past 72 hours, 16 new deaths have been reported, for an overall total of 2,273.The new deaths include:Fraser H

Former Wildrose Party leader Brian Jean has apologized for a social media post about a rival for the United Conservative Partynomination in an Alberta byelection.In a post that has since been amended, Jean said that Premier Jason Kenney's people were backing a candidate that Jean described as ``a Nigerian economist.''Joshua Gogo accused Jean of trying to make the nomination contest in Fort McMurry about his ethnicity and of trying to undermine hiscredibility by implying he is not Albertan.Jean says a campaign volunteer posted what he says was an inappropriate comment and he called Gogo to give

Alberta will receive 3.8-billion dollars in federal funding over the next five years after signing onto the federal government's universal child-care program.Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the program will make a huge difference in the lives of families in the province but also in Canada's economic recovery. Under the deal, fees in licenced child-care facilities are to be cut in half next year and fall to 10-dollars a day, on average, within five years.Choice of child care had been a sticking point in negotiations and Premier Jason Kenny says he will make subsidies eligible for alltypes of

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has shown concern about conditions in B.C. Trudeau tweeted about the situation and asked the people in the affected areas to stay safe. PM Trudeau's tweet: To the people of Merritt, and to all British Columbians affected by the flooding: please stay safe. And as Minister Blair said, we’re ready to provide whatever assistance is needed as you deal with and recover from the flooding and this extreme weather. We’re here for you.Bill Blayer's tweet: We will always be there for Canadians in need, and are closely monitoring the situation in Southern BC. We have been

A state of local emergency has been declared for the City of Abbotsford following extreme rainfall that has resulted in several localized emergencies within the City. Various small mud slides and localized flooding have occurred in many areas within the City. The honourable Mayor Henry Braun declared the state of local emergency on November 15, 2021 and it will remain in effect for seven days until November 23, 2021 at midnight unless cancelled by order of the City of Abbotsford Emergency Operations Centre. Declaring a state of local emergency allows the City of Abbotsford to provide enhanced