BC Hydro says an online survey shows many households are stocked up but unprepared to ride out a major winter storm. It found 20 per cent of homeowners believe they are prepared for an extended power outage because they laid in supplies such as toilet paper, hand sanitizer and groceries. But the utility points out that stockpiling toilet paper won't help when storms cut power and leave people without heat, light or the ability to cook food and keep it from rotting for several days. But the online survey of 803 B.C. residents conducted in early October says more than half lack an emergency ki

A new survey by Simon Fraser University and Autism Community Training suggests caregivers for kids with autism are feeling especially squeezed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey of 238 families between July and September showed one third reported safety concerns and almost 10 per cent had considered putting their child into government care. The majority of caregivers reported provincial supports in response to the pandemic have been insufficient in meeting their needs and their kids are suffering as a result. Just three families reported the pandemic has positively affected their ch

Cineplex is reporting a 91 per cent drop in customers in its third quarter. Only 1.6 million people went to see a movie after Cineplex re-opened countrywide with limited showtimes and seating on August 21st, down from 17.5 million last summer. The Toronto-based theatre chain posted a third quarter net loss of 121.2 million dollars, down from a profit of 13.4 million a year ago. The company says it had revenue of $61 million in the three months ending Sept. 30, down from $418.4 million during the same period in 2019.

Donald Trump's aides say the US president is showing little interest in the growing COVID-19 crisis as he fumes about his election loss to Joe Biden. That's as new cases are skyrocketing, with 151,000 new infections recorded yesterday. The pandemic has killed more than 240-thousand Americans and infected more than 10 million people in the US. California has become the second state to record 1 million confirmed coronavirus infections. Texas reached the mark earlier this week.

The Prime Minister's Office says Justin Trudeau didn't try to tell the premiers what to do or cast blame as he held his 21st call of the pandemic with leaders. Later this morning at an Ottawa news conference, Trudeau is expected keep pushing the premiers to take tougher measures to curb the spread of COVID-19. Aides say Trudeau once again assured the premiers and territorial leaders that Ottawa will provide them with assistance so they can act now to protect everyone as cases surge across the country. Saskatchewan's Scott Moe says it was, ``extremely unhelpful'' for Trudeau to frame the issue

British Columbia's provincial health officer says contact tracers are ``stretched to the max'' and falling behind as they try to keep up with the province's growing COVID-19 infection rate. The latest modelling from provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry came as B.C. surpassed 20,000 cases of COVID-19 with 1,130 new cases detected over two days and four more deaths. Dr. Henry says one infection can cause a cascade of trouble and used the example of a small wedding where 15 people became positive, 10 of those had additional household cases and one person spread it to a long-term care home

Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland says detailed information on the latest proposed COVID-19 aid programs for hard-hit businesses will be released in the fall fiscal update. Testifying before the Senate's national finance committee, which is reviewing Bill C-9, Freeland would not commit to monthly reports on pandemic spending. Bill C-9 would extend the federal wage subsidy until next summer, cancel a previously planned decline in its value and expand a popular business loan program. It would also revamp a widely criticized commercial rent relief program.

The company that operates nine casinos in BC, from Victoria, Nanaimo and Vancouver north to Dawson Creek, is defending its acceptance of a 3.3 billion dollar takeover by Apollo Global Management. Great Canadian Gaming, which also has holdings in Ontario and parts of the Maritimes, says Apollo has agreed to pay 39 dollars per share for the company, an offer that's roughly 35 per cent above Great Canadian's recent value. But many minority shareholders say they will vote against the deal, arguing it doesn't reflect the true value of the company, which some analysts have pegged as high as 1.1 bil

Toronto police say two men arrested in a weekend shooting now face first-degree murder charges after the death of a 12 year old boy who was hit by a stray bullet. Police had said the boy was out shopping with his mother on Saturday when two men allegedly shot at a moving vehicle in the area. A 17 year old boy and two men in the vehicle were wounded but released from hospital later. Police had said earlier this week that the 12 year old boy was in life-threatening condition. Rashawn Chambers, 24, and 25 year old Jahwayne Smart were arrested in connection with the shooting and each face 28 charg