British Columbia has announced details on how it plans to spend $120 million in federal funds earmarked for cleaning up inactive oil and gas well sites across the province. Premier John Horgan says restoring more than 2,000 inactive oil and gas wells would support upwards of 1,200 jobs in B.C. The federal government announced $120 million for cleaning up so-called orphan wells in B.C. in mid-April, money the province says it intends to spend on three new programs once a final agreement is reached with Ottawa. B.C. says up to $100 million would be used to reclaim wells that have been inact

Provincial health official Doctor Bonnie Henry says the response to a COVID-19 survey launched by the province yesterday has been outstanding. Dr. Henry says 75,000 people had provided input by noon today on their experiences during the pandemic. She says the province wants information from a lot of people in order to understand the unintended consequences of public health measures put in place to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus. Henry reported 16 new cases of COVID-19 today and one new death, bringing the total to 2,376 cases with 132 fatalities.

Metro Vancouver Transit Police say a suspect in an alleged violent attack against a woman on a bus died of an apparent drug overdose a week after the incident in April. Police appealed to the public for help identifying the man on Tuesday. On Wednesday, they said he has been identified as a 48 year old Vancouver resident with no fixed address. Transit police say the suspect boarded a bus in the Downtown Eastside on April 15 and made remarks towards two Asian women who got on wearing masks. Police said in a statement on Tuesday that he stated ``words to the effect of 'Go back to your country;

Chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam says whether you should be wearing a mask in public depends on what's happening in your community and what you're doing. She says masks are beneficial in areas with community transmission of COVID-19, and in areas where it's difficult to stay away from others. That includes in certain stores and on public transit. But she says mandatory mask rules could disadvantage vulnerable people who can't afford or get access to one. "Canada will use a newly-approved antibody test" Chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam says Canada will use a newly-approve

Quebec is reporting 89 new deaths related to COVID-19 today, bringing the toll to 3,220. Premier Francois Legault says the province now has 39,931 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus, an increase of 706 cases. Legault says the province continues to miss its testing target of 14,000 tests per day, and is only able to administer 9,000 per day. The premier is once again urging people to wear masks when they leave the house, but says the government won't make wearing them mandatory for now.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says all Canadians should have access to two weeks of sick leave benefits as provinces start moving to reopen their economies. He says they will otherwise face an impossible choice of staying home to protect others from infection or being able to pay their bills. He says the government should cover the sick leave though the Canada Emergency Response Benefit or the employment insurance system. Singh says he will put the proposal forward as a motion in the House of Commons. The federal government declined to include the proposal its unanimous consent motion today, but E

Students and recent graduates will be able to apply for financial relief from the federal government on Friday.The Canada Emergency Student Benefit will provide students $1,250 per month for up to four months, with an extra $750 for students with disabilities or dependents.Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says students should preemptively create an account with the Canada Revenue Agency.The federal government is launching the regional relief recovery fund for businesses that don't qualify for other federal relief programs during the COVID-19 crisis.Several weeks ago, the government announced almo

Justin Trudeau says it's still too early for Canada to confront the challenges that will come with reopening the shared border with the United States.The prime minister says with the ban still in effect for another week, he's not ready to announce an extension just yet.A source familiar with the ongoing discussions between the two countries tells The Canadian Press that Canada has requested another 30-day extension to the current ban on non-essential travel.The source, who isn't authorized to share details of the talks publicly, says it will likely be several days before the U.S. formally agr

Health Canada says it has authorized the first COVID-19 serological test for use in the country to detect antibodies specific to the virus.DiaSorin, an Italian multinational biotechnology company, had developed the LIAISON test that was also recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.In a statement Tuesday, Health Canada says it will be used in Canadian laboratories to detect COVID-19 antibodies and help contribute to a better understanding of whether people who have been infected are immune to the virus.Health Canada says further research will also help understand the relation