The B.C. New Democrats have announced a renter's rebate as the latest plank of their election platform as parties prepare for the first televised debate of the provincial campaign. NDP Leader John Horgan says his party's plan also includes making a cap on rent increases permanent. Under the rebate plan, households that earn up to $80,000 a year will be entitled to $400 a year. Horgan also reiterated his party's support of freezing rents until the end of 2021. He accused the B.C. Liberals of giving tax breaks to the rich and says the NDP benefit would help those who need it most. The leaders o

BC is reporting 119 new cases of COVID-19 but no new deaths. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says there are 1,406 active cases of COVID-19 in the province. 68 of those patients are being treated in hospital, including 19 in intensive care. In a statement, Dr. Henry continues to urge people to do all they can to ensure they have safe celebrations over the Thanksgiving long weekend. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry is being awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Royal Roads University in Victoria. The university says it will bestow the honour on what it describes as

Ontario is imposing new restrictions in Toronto, Peel Region and Ottawa to help slow the spread of COVID-19. They will prohibit indoor dining at restaurants and bars, and close gyms, movie theatres and casinos. The measures will go into effect tomorrow and will be in place for at least 28 days. The government is also asking people in those areas to leave their homes only for essential purposes. The new restrictions come as Ontario marked a record 939 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, most of them in Toronto, Peel Region and Ottawa. The government says if current trends continue, the province c

Fishermen, kayakers and hikers are being warned of potential fluctuations in the water level of the Capilano River after a spillway gate on a dam was taken out of service. Metro Vancouver says the gate at the Cleveland Dam in North Vancouver will remain out of service throughout the winter. Without the gate being in operation, water levels could naturally be affected on the Capilano River from an upstream lake that serves as the main reservoir for the Lower Mainland. A statement from Metro Vancouver, which delivers services to municipalities in the Lower Mainland, says electronic signs have b

The BC Green party has released its plan to rebuild the provincial economy after COVID-19 with a focus on climate action. Campaigning in Nanaimo, Leader Sonia Furstenau says the Green promise goes even further than the existing Clean BC plan, which she says never would have happened under the minority NDP government if not for her party. Furstenau says a Green government would initiate a just transition program for workers to move to guaranteed jobs in the clean economy. The plan would establish a 1 billion dollar strategic investment fund to support business innovation, especially initiative

Unemployment continues to edge downward in BC and across the country, as Canada tries to shed the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Statistics Canada says 378,000 mainly full-time jobs were added last month, lowering the national jobless rate to nine per cent from 10.2 per cent in August. Unemployment reached a record-high of 13.7 per cent during the height of the pandemic in May and while September's number is encouraging, Stats Can says it would have been 11.9 per cent last month if people who wanted a job, but didn't look for work had been included in the calculation. In BC, more people ea

The federal government is boosting funding for food banks across the country. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced the government is adding another 100 million dollars to the Emergency Food Security Fund for food banks and Indigenous organizations. The first 100 million dollars in funding provided an estimated six-million meals to two-million people across the country. The money will help organizations like the Salvation Army and Food Banks Canada meet the surge in demand for their services caused by the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. During the height of the first wave back in

Deputy chief public health officer Dr. Howard Njoo says Canada is at a crisis point in the COVID-19 pandemic. He's cancelled his Thanksgiving plans with his son and says even close family members should stay apart if they don't live together. New restrictions go into effect tomorrow in Toronto, neighbouring Peel Region and Ottawa as COVID-19 infections continue to soar in Ontario. For at least 28 days there will be no indoor dining at restaurants and bars. The province is also shutting down gyms, movie theatres and casinos and asking people in those areas to leave their homes only for essenti

Two former eBay employees have pleaded guilty to taking part in a campaign to terrorize a married couple who edit and publish an online newsletter critical of the company. Stephanie Popp and Veronica Zea pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit cyberstalking and conspiracy to tamper with witnesses. The scheme included sending live spiders, a funeral wreath, bloody pig Halloween mask and other disturbing deliveries to the couple's home. The couple was targeted after their newsletter published an article about a lawsuit filed by eBay accusing Amazon of poaching its sellers.