Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos says the federal government will commit another $2 billion to help provincial health systems work through their surgical and diagnostic backlogs caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The funding, contained in the newly tabled Bill C-17, follows a $4-billion top-up to the federal health transfer last summer and is expected to be a one-time payment. Throughout the pandemic hospitals across the country had to delay non-emergency procedures to make way for urgent COVID-19 cases. That's led to delayed care for millions of Canadians, on top of already lengthy wait lists

The driver of a luxury vehicle has been given a ticket for excessive speeding. The driver was allegedly speeding near a SkyTrain station in Burnaby. According to Metro Vancouver Transit Police, a Ferrari driver was caught speeding at 133km/h in the 70km/h zone. Transit Police Enforcement Team on Twitter: Note to self...Don't excessively speed the day you buy your Ferrari. Just another way of provided safety to riders walking to the Lake City SkyTrain Station. This was 300 meters from the crosswalk to the station on Lougheed Highway.

One man has been injured in the latest shooting in Surrey. Police say they were called to a home in the Newton area just after seven last night and found a victim with non-life-threatening injuries who is now recovering. Investigators say their work is in the early stages, but it appears the attack was targeted. The shooting came barely 24 hours after a 19 year old man was shot and wounded in Surrey's Guildford neighbourhood and police say that case also appears targeted.

Premier John Horgan says drivers in British Columbia will get a one-time relief rebate to help drivers deal with the cost of rising gas prices caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.Horgan says the provincial government approached the Insurance Corporation of B.C. to provide drivers with a basic auto insurance policy with a $110 rebate and commercial drivers with $165.He says a one-time payment is a better approach than cutting fuel taxes because the price will only increase again at the pumps.Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth says the payment will cost $395 million.

B.C. is reporting 271 new cases of COVID-19, for a total of 354,874 cases in the province.There are 255 individuals hospitalized with COVID-19 and 52 are in intensive care.In the past 24 hours, six new deaths have been reported, for an overall total of 2,981.There have been no new health-care facility outbreaks. The outbreak at Yucalta Lodge (Island Health) has been declared over, for a total of four facilities with ongoing outbreak. From March 16-22, people not fully vaccinated accounted for 16.1% of cases. From March 9-22, they accounted for 25.9% of hospitalizations.Past week cases (March 1

Vancouver Police arrested two men who allegedly stole more than $16,000 in merchandise after breaking into a Kitsilano clothing store early Wednesday morning. A 35-year-old woman, who lives near the store, called 9-1-1 around 4:20 a.m. yesterday after she was woken up by the sounds of glass smashing and a security alarm going off near Arbutus Street and West 4th Avenue.The suspects fled quickly and were gone when police arrived at the crime scene, but an alert VPD officer acting on a hunch tracked them down after spotting a taxi leaving the area with no lights on.Officers stopped the taxi to i

Surrey RCMP is advising the public of a shooting that occurred in Guildford overnight and requesting anyone with information or dash camera footage to contact police. On March 23, 2022, at 9:30 p.m., Surrey RCMP received several calls reporting shots fired in the 15200-block of Flamingo Place. A subsequent call was received reporting a male had been shot. Police were able to locate the man, who was suffering from non-life-threatening injuries at an alternate location in Newton. The 19-year old victim was transported to hospital. Frontline officers, Community Response Unit and Surrey Gang Enfo

Several constituency association presidents with Alberta's United Conservative Party say they're not content with changes to voting rules for an upcoming meeting to review Premier Jason Kenney's leadership. They are planning a news conference on the steps outside the legislature at noon. The leadership vote was to take place in person in Red Deer on April 9th. Yesterday, the party changed it to a mail-in vote.

Alberta's chief medical officer of health says the Omicron subvariant has become the dominant strain of COVID-19 in the province. Doctor Deena Hinshaw says about 60 per cent of positive cases are now the B-A-2 strain. She says the subvariant is more transmissible than Omicron, but doesn't appear to be causing more severe infections or outcomes. But she adds a surge in cases, even if not life-threatening, can still have a big effect on the public and health care. Dr. Hinshaw says she expects to see transmissions trending upwards in the coming weeks.