B.C. and federal government officials are tentatively set to meet with provincial Indigenous leaders in the hope of ending an anti-pipeline rail blockade that has stalled travellers and choked Canada's economy. Premier John Horgan responded to a letter from a Gitxsan leader today, saying the government wants to meet with chiefs of the Gitxsan and Wet'suwet'en Nation over a rail blockade in New Hazelton. Indigenous Relations Minister Scott Fraser says he will represent the provincial government at the meeting with chiefs, and federal Crown Indigenous Relations Minister Carolyn Bennett will als

Former Conservative cabinet minister John Baird says he's not running to lead the federal Conservative party. His announcement puts an end to days of speculation that he could enter the race, talk that began late last month after both current MP Pierre Poilievre and former interim party leader Rona Ambrose decided not to run. Baird had been poised to run Poilievre's campaign, but Poilievre dropped out last month, saying his heart wasn't in it. The absence of what some in the party feel is a ``true blue'' voice in the contest a role some saw as belonging to either Poilievre or Ambrose _ put pr

Homicide investigators in Metro Vancouver confirm a man shot last week in Langley has died in hospital. In a message posted to social media, the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team says the victim, who has not been named, died recently. He was attacked Feb. 7 in the parking lot of a mall in Langley, B.C. RCMP identified him only as an adult male and said he was in grave condition. They said the shooting did not appear random. Few other details of the case have been released.

B.C.'s civil servants are being warned that a protest could affect government offices tomorrow. The head of the B.C. civil service has sent an email to employees saying demonstrators have vowed to ``shut down'' as many ministries as possible, just days after hundreds blocked the entrance to the B.C. legislature. Don Wright says a flexible plan has been developed in order to maintain as much service to the public as possible. But he asks government employees to ensure their safety is the first priority.

Japanese authorities might soon allow people quarantined aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship near Tokyo, where 12 Canadians have contracted the novel coronavirus, to disembark and finish out their isolation on land. The 3,500 passengers on the ship have been under quarantine since last week, and so far 218 have tested positive for the disease, which the World Health Organization has dubbed COVID-19. Foreign Affairs Minister Francois Philippe Champagne says it's the biggest concentration of confirmed cases outside of mainland China. Champagne says emergency response teams and consular offi

Bombardier is selling its remaining stake in the A-220 jet for nearly 600 million dollars in a deal that involves Airbus and the Quebec government.The Montreal based company is transferring its shares to Airbus and the province as it tries to emerge from more than 9 billion dollars in debt.Quebec Economy Minister Pierre Fitzgibbon calls the agreement a ``win-win'' for all partners.This morning Bombardier also reported a 2019 loss of 1.61 billion dollars.Rumours persist that it will sell one of its two main divisions later this year.

China is reporting 254 new deaths and a spike in virus cases of more than 15,000, after its hardest hit province applied a new system that broadens the scope of diagnoses for the outbreak, which has spread to more than 20 countries.Japan is also reporting its first death.The hardest hit Chinese province has replaced its top officials in an apparent response to public criticism of local authorities' handling of the epidemic.The total deaths in mainland China now are more than 1,300, with confirmed cases exceeding 59,000.That number now includes patients who have been diagnosed with a doctors'

A cruise ship turned away by other Asian and Pacific governments due to virus fears anchored Thursday off Cambodia, which is checking the health of its 2,200 passengers and crew. The Westerdam was unwelcome elsewhere even though operator Holland America Line said no cases of the COVID-19 viral illness have been confirmed among the 1,455 passengers and 802 crew members on board.The ship is anchored a kilometre (.6 miles) from the main Sihanoukville port and a team of health officials will conduct health checks and determine the disembarkation process, Preah Sihanoukville Gov. Kouch Chamrouen t

B.C. Premier John Horgan says anti-pipeline demonstrators who prevented people from entering the legislature for his government's throne speech on Tuesday need to respect the rights of others. ``Peaceful demonstration is fundamental to our success as a democracy,'' he told a news conference today. ``But to have a group of people say to others you are illegitimate, you are not allowed in here, you are somehow a sellout to the values of Canadians is just plain wrong, and I want to underline that.'' Horgan said he cancelled a news conference on Tuesday because he wanted to take 24 hours to refle