To continue to increase safety during the COVID-19 pandemic, ICBC customers will soon need to make an appointment before their visit to five ICBC driver licensing offices. This pilot project begins Nov. 23, 2020, at the Burnaby Metrotown, Richmond Lansdowne, Surrey Guildford, Kamloops and Victoria Wharf Street driver licensing offices. The pilot will help minimize the number of customers waiting for service in-person, ensuring that the appropriate number of customers are in an office at the same time, while maintaining physical distancing as required by the Provincial Health Officer and WorkSa

President-elect Joe Biden says that more coronavirus deaths will be the consequence of the Trump administration refusing to share its vaccine distribution plans with his incoming administration. Asked about the importance of obtaining such plans, Biden said Monday after a speech in Wilmington, Delaware, that "more people may die if you don't co-ordinate." Biden and Vice-President-elect Kamala Harris have spoken about the dangers of the Trump administration's refusal to provide them with information and resources needed to ensure a smooth transition. President Donald Trump has continued to fal

Former finance minister Bill Morneau is heading back to the classroom next year. He has been appointed a senior fellow at Yale University's Jackson Institute for Global Affairs, where he will join other fellows such as former U.S. secretary of state John Kerry. The Ivy League university says Morneau will teach a graduate course on global economic policy-making in the spring semester. Morneau is also running to be secretary-general of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. He became Canada's candidate for the OECD job after resigning suddenly as finance minister and as a Li

The City of Surrey’s proposed Budget 2021 has set a general property tax increase of 2.9%, which is consistent with the rate that was set by Council in the two previous budgets. Despite the challenges that have been brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, Surrey’s Budget 2021 is balanced in accordance with the Local Government Act and the Community Charter. "It has been Council’s approach to manage our public dollars prudently and it is a testament to the economic strength of Surrey that we have been able to bring in a fully balanced budget that holds the line on property taxes. The rate se

A lawyer for a man who killed 10 people and injured 16 others in the Toronto van attack says his client has autism spectrum disorder and is not faking his symptoms. Alek Minassian has pleaded not guilty to 10 counts of first-degree murder and 16 counts of attempted murder. The 28 year old has asked court to find him not criminally responsible for his actions on April 23, 2018 due to a mental disorder. Defence lawyer Boris Bytensky says Minassian does not suffer from any psychopathy or anti-social disorder, and is not narcissistic. The case will turn solely on Minassian's state of mind at the

After hitting an all-time record high for monthly sales in September, the Canadian Real Estate Association says home sales dropped 0.7 per cent last month. But despite that, sales were still up 32.1 per cent compared with October last year, setting a new record for the month. The actual national average home price also set another record in October at 607,250 dollars, up 15.2 per cent from the same month last year. CREA says excluding sales in Greater Vancouver and the Greater Toronto Area, two of the most active and expensive housing markets, lowers the national average price by more than $1

A B.C. mom has given birth to her son while in a coma due to COVID-19. Dave McIntosh says his wife Gill's condition took a turn for the worse last week after her COVID-19 diagnosis. Dave says their son is in a neonatal intensive care unit but is healthy, while Gill remains in an induced coma and on a ventilator. He says BC residents need to start taking the COVID-19 virus more seriously, as it's not yet known how Gill contracted the virus.

For the second time this month, there's promising news from a COVID-19 vaccine candidate: Moderna said Monday its shots provide strong protection, a dash of hope against the grim backdrop of coronavirus surges in the U.S. and around the world. Moderna said its vaccine appears to be 94.5% effective, according to preliminary data from the company’s still ongoing study. A week ago, competitor Pfizer Inc. announced its own COVID-19 vaccine appeared similarly effective — news that puts both companies on track to seek permission within weeks for emergency use in the U.S. Prime Minister Justin

Surrey's Cambridge Elementary School has been ordered to close until Nov 30 due to a COVID-19 outbreak. At least seven people have tested positive and the transmission is reported to have occured on the school premises. The school's music teacher is in the ICU. Additionally, two other schools in the Fraser Health region are voluntarily closing for two weeks due to staffing issues because of COVID-19 "clusters". These schools are: Jarvis Elementary in Delta (76 Ave & 118 St) Al-Hidayah School, an independent school in New Westminster.