Vancouver could be host to NHL games under a proposal announced by the league to resume a 24 team playoff. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman says the league would split its playoff format in two hub cities that would host the top 12 teams in the Eastern and Western conferences. The hub cities have not yet been determined but Vancouver is on a shortlist that also includes Edmonton, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Chicago and Toronto. The league says it will make a final decision based on approval from local health officials but Bettman stresses the approval of the playoff plan doesn't guarantee the resump

British Columbia didn't report any new deaths from COVID-19 on Tuesday, but there have been 11 additional cases of the virus. A total of 2,542 people in B.C. have been diagnosed with COVID-19 and 2,122 have recovered. There have been 161 deaths. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry urged people to continue their approaches to protecting themselves from COVID-19 as B.C. enters the second week of its economic restart plan and more activities resume. Many B.C. businesses, including restaurants, hair salons and dentists' offices, started reopening last week. Henry says B.C. may see an incre

Vancouver police have made an arrest in what they say was a random, unprovoked incident in Chinatown on the weekend. Police say two Asian women were sitting inside a parked vehicle on Saturday when a man yelled obscenities at them and then smashed a window of the vehicle with a chisel. Sergeant Aaron Roed says the incident was particularly concerning considering the rash of anti-Asian crime and incidents seen in Vancouver recently. A suspect was arrested but released on an undertaking to appear which requires him to report to court on a future date.

The British Columbia government has announced a three-year, $10 million grant program to provide swift access to compassionate and comprehensive care for survivors of sexual assault. Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth says the COVID-19 pandemic has created challenging times and gender-based violence, including sexual assault, is known to increase during periods of crisis. He says the grant program will provide funds to front-line organizations across the province, including those working in Indigenous communities. Ending Violence Association of B.C. will administer the program to help orga

John Horgan, Premier of British Columbia; Brian Pallister, Premier of Manitoba; and Sandy Silver, Premier of Yukon; have issued the following joint statement regarding a proposed national sick leave program: "We're pleased that the federal government is looking at a sick leave program that protects people and businesses, and we look forward to advancing this initiative. Paid sick leave is crucial for the safe restart of our economy.""Yukon has already implemented a paid sick leave program for employers. A national program would ensure people can stay home from work when they are sick without f

Two people have been taken to hospital with serious injuries following a stabbing on Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. Constable Tania Visintin says officers were called at around 6 am to a report of a multiple stabbing. She says the two victims are expected to survive. No arrests have been made but investigators say there is no threat to the public. They say the stabbings appear to be isolated. Hastings Street just east of Main Street remains closed. Visintin says police will update the traffic situation via social media as conditions change.

A military report on five long-term care homes in Ontario details troubling allegations such as rooming COVID-19 positive patients with uninfected ones, insect infestations and aggressive resident feeding that led to choking. Ontario Premier Doug Ford called in military assistance last month for five long-term care homes dealing with COVID-19 outbreaks. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who has seen the report, calls it ``deeply disturbing.'' The allegations detailed by Canadian Armed Forces members also include failure to isolate COVID-19-positive patients and allowing them to wander outside of

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says in the last 10 weeks alone, over 40 flights have arrived in Canada carrying much needed personal protective equipment.He says it represents hundreds of thousands of items everything from masks to hospital gowns that have been shipped to our front line workers.The equipment has been in high demand world-wide, with every country competing for scarce supplies from a limited number of suppliers. Trudeau says his government is also continuing to invest in production here at home.He says Ottawa has signed a contract with General Motors to provide 10 million face m

A heat wave engulfing large swaths of Ontario and Quebec is forcing cities such as Toronto to rethink how they offer relief in light of restrictions meant to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.Libraries, community centres and pools spaces where residents can traditionally go to cool down remain closed due to COVID-19 related health measures as temperatures are expected to soar above 30C for several days.In Toronto, where hundreds of such spaces were identified as a heat relief network last year, officials say they will open six emergency cooling centres across the city.They say the cent