The dispatcher that handles most of British Columbia's 911 calls says COVID-19 gave a different twist to some calls this year, but E-Comm's annual list of nuisance callers reveals little change elsewhere. In an effort to remind the public that 911 should only be dialed in an emergency, E-Comm has released its list of the top-10 nuisance calls of 2020. The dispatcher says inquiries such as the number-one-ranked complaint about missing food deliveries or the second-ranked call about a possible COVID-19 lockdown probably wouldn't have made previous nuisance lists. Even the third-ranked question

Ontario Premier Doug Ford says he found out his finance minister was travelling abroad roughly two weeks ago, and should have pushed then for his immediate return. Ford says Rod Phillips "never told anyone" he was going to St. Barts on December 13th, but the premier learned of the trip shortly after it began. Opposition leader calls for Phillips removal from the cabinet Opposition Leader Andrea Horwath is calling for Ontario Finance Minister Rod Phillips to be removed from cabinet. Phillips revealed yesterday that he flew to St. Barts on the 13th of the month, not knowing a provincewide lockd

Health Canada says it can't provide a definite timeline for when it will wrap up its review of the COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by AstraZeneca. This morning, Britain approved the use of the drug created by the UK based drugmaker and Oxford University. Health Canada says it needs more information before it can complete its analysis. Britain became the first country to authorize AstraZeneca’s inexpensive, easy-to-handle COVID-19 vaccine Wednesday, gaining another weapon against the virus amid a resurgence so severe that the government extended lockdowns to three-quarters of England’s popul

Quebec is reporting a record-high 2,511 new COVID-19 cases today as well as an 80 patient jump in hospitalizations. Another 41 people died from the virus, including 10 in the past 24 hours. Health Minister Christian Dube noted on Twitter that all the province's pandemic-related indicators are up, including hospitalizations, which broke the 1,200 mark. Of those in hospital with the disease, four more people were in intensive care compared with the prior day, for a total of 152. Ontario reports record breaking casesOntario is reporting a record-breaking 2,923 new COVID-19 infections today. The

A series of tremors have jolted central Croatia a day after a 6.3 magnitude earthquake killed at least seven people, injured dozens and left several towns and villages in ruins. Now officials warn of the coronavirus spread in crowded shelters. The strongest, 4.7 magnitude aftershock was recorded near the hardest-hit town of Petrinja, some 40 kilometres (25 miles) southeast of the Croatian capital, Zagreb. Many people spent the night in tents, their cars or military barracks. In the hard-hit village of Majske Poljane, where five people died a little boy could be seen sleeping inside a van, wea

Britain has authorized an easy-to-handle coronavirus vaccine and decided to stretch out the time between doses to allow more people to get some level of protection faster as infections surge.The first greenlight Wednesday for the shot dubbed the ``vaccine for the world'' brought a measure of hope that the pandemic could be brought under control.The vaccine developed by Oxford University and drugmaker AstraZeneca is expected to be relied on in many countries because of its low cost and the fact that it can be kept in refrigerators rather than at the ultra-cold or freezer temperatures some othe

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh spoke on being asked about farmers being termed as 'naxals' and 'khalistanis' ,said, "These allegations should not be made by anyone against farmers. We express our deepest respect towards them. Our heads bow in respect towards our farmers. They are our 'annadatas'." "Our Sikh brothers have always protected the culture of India. Their contribution will be remembered for protecting the country's self-respect. There is no question on their integrity," Defence Minister added.

British Columbia health officials are urging people to avoid gatherings in celebration of New Year's Eve. The request comes as the province released five days of COVID-19 figures over the holiday season, showing 2,206 new cases for a total of 50,815 infections since the pandemic began. The province also reported 74 deaths from the virus, largely among those living in long-term care or assisted-living facilities. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says people need to follow public health orders forbidding social gatherings ahead of New Year's Eve. Dr. Henry says there were lower COVID-

A 66 year old man has been found dead following a fire at a home in Abbotsford, B.C. Police say in a news release the Abbotsford Fire Rescue Service responded to a 911 call about a fire in a trailer on Monday. When crews arrived to the property they found the trailer engulfed in flames. Once firefighters were able to access the home, police say they found the man's body inside. The fire service, police and the BC Coroners Service are investigating the death. Police say the cause of the fire doesn't appear suspicious.