The City of Surrey’s proposed Budget 2021 has set a general property tax increase of 2.9%, which is consistent with the rate that was set by Council in the two previous budgets. Despite the challenges that have been brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, Surrey’s Budget 2021 is balanced in accordance with the Local Government Act and the Community Charter. "It has been Council’s approach to manage our public dollars prudently and it is a testament to the economic strength of Surrey that we have been able to bring in a fully balanced budget that holds the line on property taxes. The rate se

A lawyer for a man who killed 10 people and injured 16 others in the Toronto van attack says his client has autism spectrum disorder and is not faking his symptoms. Alek Minassian has pleaded not guilty to 10 counts of first-degree murder and 16 counts of attempted murder. The 28 year old has asked court to find him not criminally responsible for his actions on April 23, 2018 due to a mental disorder. Defence lawyer Boris Bytensky says Minassian does not suffer from any psychopathy or anti-social disorder, and is not narcissistic. The case will turn solely on Minassian's state of mind at the

After hitting an all-time record high for monthly sales in September, the Canadian Real Estate Association says home sales dropped 0.7 per cent last month. But despite that, sales were still up 32.1 per cent compared with October last year, setting a new record for the month. The actual national average home price also set another record in October at 607,250 dollars, up 15.2 per cent from the same month last year. CREA says excluding sales in Greater Vancouver and the Greater Toronto Area, two of the most active and expensive housing markets, lowers the national average price by more than $1

A B.C. mom has given birth to her son while in a coma due to COVID-19. Dave McIntosh says his wife Gill's condition took a turn for the worse last week after her COVID-19 diagnosis. Dave says their son is in a neonatal intensive care unit but is healthy, while Gill remains in an induced coma and on a ventilator. He says BC residents need to start taking the COVID-19 virus more seriously, as it's not yet known how Gill contracted the virus.

For the second time this month, there's promising news from a COVID-19 vaccine candidate: Moderna said Monday its shots provide strong protection, a dash of hope against the grim backdrop of coronavirus surges in the U.S. and around the world. Moderna said its vaccine appears to be 94.5% effective, according to preliminary data from the company’s still ongoing study. A week ago, competitor Pfizer Inc. announced its own COVID-19 vaccine appeared similarly effective — news that puts both companies on track to seek permission within weeks for emergency use in the U.S. Prime Minister Justin

Surrey's Cambridge Elementary School has been ordered to close until Nov 30 due to a COVID-19 outbreak. At least seven people have tested positive and the transmission is reported to have occured on the school premises. The school's music teacher is in the ICU. Additionally, two other schools in the Fraser Health region are voluntarily closing for two weeks due to staffing issues because of COVID-19 "clusters". These schools are: Jarvis Elementary in Delta (76 Ave & 118 St) Al-Hidayah School, an independent school in New Westminster.

British Columbia health officials are urging residents to celebrate Diwali virtually this year, as the province reports a new daily record number of COVID-19 cases. B.C. recorded 617 new cases on Friday, for a total of 20,985. Officials also reported two new COVID-19-related fatalities, bringing the province's death toll to 290 over the course of the pandemic. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix say in a joint statement that the number of cases shows it is a critical time for B.C., and residents need to work together to slow the number of infections. They

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he's told premiers that while his government will always be there to help, federal resources are not "infinite." Trudeau says he's heard from premiers about the challenges they're facing, but he says making tough choices now will reduce the chance of facing "impossible decisions" later. He says his government is committed to collaborating on the distribution of a potential vaccine, though the fight against COVID-19 is far from over. Trudeau says Canada reached a new daily high of 5,000 new COVID-19 cases yesterday. Trudeau asks Canadians to do their part and

A Statistics Canada survey reveals 30 per cent of businesses don't know if they can keep going without laying off workers, closing or declaring bankruptcy. Nearly 20 per cent say they will have to take drastic action in less than six months as a second wave of COVID-19 sweeps the country. Canadian Chamber of Commerce chief economist Trevin Stratton is calling for sector-specific support to help the hospitality and arts and entertainment industries. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the government is investing another 1.5 billion dollars in the Workforce Development Agreement, which will help