The BC government is moving to help the provincial forest industry survive the COVID-19 pandemic by delaying harvesting fees for three months. Forest Minister Doug Donaldson says deferring the stumpage fees will leave eligible companies with about 80 million dollars to pay workers, contractors and other bills, helping them stay afloat. The industry had been struggling before the pandemic with low timber prices and high operating costs, forcing layoffs and mill closures. The government also says major industries like pulp and paper mills and mines will have the opportunity to defer 50 per cent

A 28 year old woman is in hospital with stab wounds and Nanaimo RCMP have arrested a 31 year old male suspect on three charges. Police say they were called to a home early yesterday morning and learned a man who was known to the victim tried to rob her of cash. When the woman refused to hand over the money, police say she was stabbed. Mounties say the suspect was taken into custody a short time later and he has been charged with assault, robbery and uttering death threats.

Canada's airports are predicting around $2 billion in lost revenues this year. Travel restrictions from the COVID-19 pandemic have led to a precipitous decline in demand for plane tickets and, by extension, airport services. The bottom line, according to the industry, is anticipated losses of between $1.8 billion and $2.2 billion this year. Airports have resorted to terminal closures and layoffs, and at least six regional airports have lost scheduled passenger service altogether.

Canada's chief public health officer says ``things have been a little flat'' this week on the COVID-19 epidemic curve, and acknowledges it is making everyone excited about when we are going to be able to get out of our houses. Dr. Theresa Tam cautions that there are still significant challenges in some settings, including long-term care homes.

Ontario is reporting 459 new COVID-19 cases today, and 86 more deaths, the largest daily death toll so far. The province has now seen 16,187 cases, an increase of 2.9 per cent over the previous day. The total includes 1,082 deaths and 10,205 resolved cases. In the previous day there were 12,928 tests completed, despite a pledge from the province to reach 14,000 tests a day by then.

Quebec Premier Francois Legault says the province should expect the COVID-19 deaths in the province's care homes to continue over the next days and weeks as seriously-ill people succumb to the illness. There were 98 new deaths since yesterday, for a total of 1,859, and Legault said 92 occurred in care homes. There were also 944 new cases for a new total of 27,538. Legault said there are concerning situations at three hospitals in the Montreal area, as well as the north-end neighbourhood of Montreal-Nord.

A suspect has been arrested for the violent assault of a woman as she rode the SkyTrain last Saturday from Waterfront Station in Vancouver. Transit police say a man approached the woman and yelled that she was the person who was making his daughter sick before he punched her several times. Vancouver police responded to a call yesterday from someone who said they recognized the man in photos distributed by transit police. A 51 year old man of no-fixed address has been arrested and charges of charges of assault, theft and mischief have been recommended.

Parliament's budget watchdog says that it's likely the federal deficit for the year will hit $252.1 billion as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.The figure is an estimate based on the almost $146 billion in spending measures the government has announced to help cushion the economic blow from the pandemic, estimated declines in the country's gross domestic product, and the price of oil remaining well below previous expectations.Parliamentary budget officer Yves Giroux's report assumes real GDP will contract by 12 per cent this year, and help shoot the federal debt-to-GDP ratio to 48.4 percent.T

A Nova Scotia man says his daughter Abbigail Cowbrough is one of the victims of the Canadian military helicopter crash in the Mediterranean. Shane Cowbrough posted a message on Facebook this morning saying his daughter died when the Cyclone helicopter went down in the sea on Wednesday during a NATO training exercise. A Baptist church in Dartmouth, N.S., followed, saying the church family had lost ``a wonderful woman'' who played the bagpipes at a Remembrance Day service last fall. Cyclone helicopters carry a crew of four, including two pilots, a tactical operator and a sensor operator, with s