BCAug 18, 2020
B.C. officials announce 236 COVID-19 cases over three days, says penalties coming
Health Minister Adrian Dix says the B.C. government will announce stricter penalties this week for those who flout public health rules as COVID-19 cases climb in the province. Officials announced 236 new cases since Friday during a briefing today, including the second highest single-day increase of 100 since the pandemic began. Hospitalizations decreased from 12 cases to four. Deputy provincial health officer Dr. Reka Gustafson says most of those testing positive are young, which suggests the province has done a relatively good job of protecting the most vulnerable. However, she says young pe
CanadaAug 18, 2020
Finance Minister Bill Morneau resigns, plans to run for head of OECD
Bill Morneau is resigning as the federal minister of finance and a Liberal MP. Morneau says he is putting his name forward as a candidate to be the next secretary general of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he accepted Morneau's resignation earlier Monday and that Canada would ``vigorously support'' his efforts to take on the new role. Morneau has been finance minister since 2015, when the Liberals returned to power. For several weeks, opposition parties have been calling for Morneau's resignation over allegations that he had a con
BCAug 17, 2020
Police called when B.C. little league finds it bank accounts emptied of $230,000
Coquitlam Little League says it has barely $3,000 in the bank after funds totalling almost $230,000 disappeared from its account. A club statement says it was told in early June that more than 200,000 was on hand, but just weeks later members reported refunds for the pandemic-cancelled season had not arrived. Club president Sandon Fraser says the RCMP has taken over the case and the team's financial statements are being reviewed by an independent accountant. Coquitlam RCMP says it expects to issue a statement later today.
CanadaAug 17, 2020
New Brunswickers to head to polls during pandemic as Sept. 14 election called
New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs has called a snap election, saying the campaign leading up to the September 14th vote will be unlike any other. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, candidates will not be going door to door or leaving any pamphlets in mailboxes. Higgs says candidates will have to be creative and innovative. Last week, Higgs threatened to trigger a vote unless opposition parties agreed to keep his minority government in power until 2022. On Aug. 10, Higgs invited opposition leaders to talks to reach a formal agreement not to trigger an election until September 2022, or no earlier t
CanadaAug 17, 2020
CFL cancels 2020 season during pandemic, ends 100-plus year run for Grey Cup
The CFL has cancelled its 2020 season because of the COVID-19 pandemic, dashing hopes of a shortened season in the hub city of Winnipeg. It marks the first year the Grey Cup won't be presented since 1919. Commissioner Randy Ambrosie says the league governors decided it is in the best long-term interests of the CFL to concentrate on the future. The league couldn't secure financing from Ottawa which it said was necessary to stage a shortened season. The move comes after the CFL couldn't solve a number of issues in an effort to try to salvage a season. The league was unable to secure financing f
BCAug 17, 2020
Calgary woman standing for a photo slipped into a B.C. river and
A Calgary woman has died after slipping into a river and being swept away in B.C.'s Kootenay National Park.The RCMP say in a statement they were called Sunday and told a water rescue was underway in Marble Canyon. Police say they learned that a 34-year-old woman was being photographed near the river when she lost her footing and fell into the water.Cpl. Jesse O'Donaghey says the woman was pulled out of the water about a kilometre downstream and bystanders, including a medical professional, attempted resuscitation but she died at the scene. A 29-year-old Calgary man who also tried to save the
BCAug 17, 2020
Emergency support extended for B.C.'s most vulnerable amid Covid-19 situation
The BC government has announced a four month extension to its temporary crisis supplement for people on income or disability assistance. The funds also cover low-income seniors affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Poverty Reduction Minister Shane Simpson says B-C's restart plan is beginning to help some sectors affected by the pandemic, but low- or no-income people remain disproportionately affected. Payments will continue to be automatically added to assistance cheques through to December 16th and those eligible for the three-hundred dollar per month supplement must not be receiving other pand
BCAug 17, 2020
Health officials in northeast B.C. warn of COVID-19 exposure at religious event
The health authority in northern British Columbia has issued an alert after more than a dozen people tested positive for COVID-19. The alert says the outbreak is linked to a religious gathering held between July 30 and Aug. 2 in Deadwood, Alta. Anyone who attended the It Is Time event is asked to monitor themselves, self-isolate and seek testing if any COVID-19 symptoms develop. Northern Health says 17 lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been identified so far, with 12 related to attendance at the event and the other five linked to secondary exposures. Most of the cases are in Fort St. John,
CanadaAug 17, 2020
Canadian Real Estate Association says home sales hit record high in July
The Canadian Real Estate Association says home sales in July hit a record high as they continued their rebound from the lows of earlier this year when the COVID-19 pandemic froze the market.CREA says the 62,355 sales in July 2020 marked the highest monthly sales figure on record, with data going back more than 40 years.Sales in July were up 30.5 per cent compared with the same month a year ago.On a month-over-month basis, sales were up 26 per cent.The jump in sales came as the number of newly listed homes climbed by 7.6 per cent in July compared with June.CREA says the actual national average
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