Chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam says there are signs of community spread of COVID-19 variants in several provinces. Dr. Tam says 148 cases of the mutations that first emerged in the United Kingdom and South Africa have been confirmed across the country, even as overall coronavirus case counts continue to decline. The country's top doctor says that provincial officials should be very cautious about relaxing safety measures, as the U.K. and South African strains are highly contagious. Dr. Tam says the variants' arrival in Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia means health authoritie

One worker is believed to have died and two others have been hurt at a mine just west of Kamloops, B.C. A statement from Toronto-based New Gold says the three were at working at the New Afton gold and copper mine around 1:40 a.m. when they were hit by what the company describes as a mud rush. The statement says one contract driller is presumed dead while the two New Gold employees have non-life-threatening injuries. New Gold says RCMP and provincial safety authorities have been notified and are at the scene. All activities at the mine have been suspended while an investigation is underway. Th

An RCMP dive team will be back in the North Thompson River in Kamloops today. Team is looking for a man who disappeared last week. Witnesses saw a man go into the river last Thursday around 7:30 pm and he apparently tried to swim across before disappearing. Constable Crystal Evelyn says crews are still looking after a weekend search with a K-9 unit, a dive team and police helicopter. She says police do not have an identity of the person who went in the water. Man has been described as white, slender and possibly in his 30s.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada has signed a tentative agreement for Novavax to produce millions of doses of its COVID-19 vaccine in Canada once it's approved for use here.The U.S. company is still doing clinical trials of its vaccine but if Health Canada approves it, a new National Research Council facility in Montreal will begin pumping out Novavax doses when the building is finished later this year.It would be the first COVID-19 vaccine to be produced domestically.Canada is currently at the mercy of foreign governments, which could at any time slam the doors shut to vaccine export

An all-party meeting is underway in Punjab Bhawan which is being chaired by the Chief Miniter Captain Amarinder Singh on the issue of Central Farmer Legislations, however, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has skipped the meeting. The meeting had been called to discuss the farmers' agitation against agricultural laws in the light of the recent developments in the national capital. The leaders will discuss the situation arising out of the recent developments in the ongoing farmers' agitation in Delhi, "especially in view of the Republic Day violence, the Singhu border attack on farmers and the mass

BC is reporting 1,158 new cases of COVID-19 over the past three days as well as 21 additional deaths. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says 18 cases of new COVID-19 variants have now been confirmed in the province, four of the South Africa variant and 14 of the fast-spreading virus first found in the UK. Dr. Henry says the province has stepped up testing for the new variants in outbreaks and among international travellers. She says cases of the new variants show why it's important to avoid social gatherings and she's urging people not to hold Super Bowl parties next weekend. British

Police say a Vancouver senior is "clinging to life" after being attacked by two men she believed were police officers.Sgt. Steve Addison says the 78-year-old lives alone in her home and was attacked early Sunday when she opened her door to the men.Addison says the victim likely lay injured in the home for several hours until police found her in response to a friend's request for a wellness check.The woman remains in hospital with what are described as life-threatening injuries.Police say the first suspect is white, six feet tall, with a long brown beard and a medium build, while the second man

A union representing employees of the Canada Line is expected to continue talks until at least 4 p.m. today in an effort to avert a strike. Stephanie Smith, president of the BC Government and Service Employees' Union, says negotiations with Protrans BC are proceeding with the help of a negotiator after 72 hours' strike notice was served. She says employees of the Canada Line, which runs between Richmond and Vancouver and to and from the airport, are paid three per cent less than those doing the same jobs on the SkyTrain. About 180 workers including attendants, control room operators and admini

Investigators from the United States have joined a new team taking a fresh look at the unsolved homicide of Victoria real estate agent Lindsey Buziak and police say there's movement in the 13 year old case. Buziak was 24 years old when she was fatally stabbed while showing a property in Saanich on Feb. 2, 2008. Saanich police Const. Markus Anastasiades says the new team includes representatives from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, as well as continued support from RCMP. In a statement released Sunday, he says technology developed since Buziak's death has highlighted additional leads and