Forecasters say Sally, now an extremely dangerous Category 2 hurricane, could approach major hurricane strength as it nears the U.S. Gulf Coast.The National Hurricane Center said Monday that Sally has recently strengthened and developed an inner core, while the warm waters of the Gulf favour additional strengthen in the coming hours. The hurricane is currently packing 100-mph (155-kph) winds as it meanders offshore.The Miam-based forecasting centre said sustained winds of around 110 mph (177 kph) are now expected just before the hurricane makes landfall. That is just shy of a Category 3 hurri

Every member of the Bloc Quebecois caucus, including leader Yves-Francois Blanchet, are in a COVID-19 lockdown. A statement from the party says an employee got a positive test today, days after the Bloc held a full caucus meeting. Bloc spokeswoman Carolane Landry says everyone potentially affected will be screened to ensure they're healthy and will follow public health guidelines. The news comes as the parties in the House of Commons continue debating how the chamber will work once business resumes next week.

A waterfront park along the Fraser River in New Westminster, B.C., has been extensively damaged by a major fire. New Westminster Mayor Jonathan Cote called the situation at Pier Park ``devastating'' in a social media message posted late Sunday night. The park was built in 2009 and includes a lengthy boardwalk along a reclaimed pier just west of a SkyTrain bridge linking Surrey and New Westminster. Cote's Twitter message says it is likely the old pier has been destroyed, while fire officials say the blaze has worked into the creosote pilings beneath the boardwalk and could burn for days. Crews

Canadians should brace for a shortage of office furniture, such as desks and chairs, as people continue to study and work from home this fall. Ikea Canada spokeswoman Kristin Newbigging says the company has seen an increase in demand for office furnishings and other gear needed for work-from-home setups. This comes as a looming second wave of COVID-19 means many Canadians are not returning to the office or school just yet. At the same time, she says the company is experiencing the impacts of overseas suppliers still being closed for business, making it hard to meet demand. And when those supp

The British Columbia government has announced a new lung cancer screening program it says is the first of its kind in Canada aimed at early diagnosis of the deadliest form of the disease. Premier John Horgan says 70 per cent of all lung cancers are diagnosed at an advanced stage, but the program expected to begin by the spring of 2022 would improve survival rates.Horgan says the target population includes heavy smokers or those who have smoked heavily in the past and are between the ages of 55 and 74.Dr. Kim Chi, CEO of BC Cancer, says six British Columbians die every day of lung cancer and ea

The Environment Ministry confirms a CN Rail derailment has occurred at Hunter Creek, near Hope in the eastern Fraser Valley, but the ministry says no cargo is in the water. A statement from CN says at least 20 rail cars carrying potash jumped the rails today as the train crossed a bridge. The company says no one was hurt, no dangerous goods are involved and nothing burned. A cause of the derailment is under investigation and the Transportation Safety Board says it will send a team to the site in order to determine what happened.

A trio of federal cabinet minister is warning COVID-19 researchers to take additional precautions to protect their efforts from thieves and vandals.The statement today says the federal government is concerned about "hostile actors" targeting pandemic-related research in this country and urges government scientists, academics and private-sector workers to double- and triple-check their security measures.Signed by Industry Minister Navdeep Bains, Health Minister Patty Hajdu and Public Safety Minister Bill Blair, the statement recommends strong cyber- and physical-security protocols.It's not cle

The operators of a popular tourist gondola near Squamish, B.C., say the cable of the ride has been severed for the second time.Squamish RCMP say the damage to the Sea to Sky Gondola occurred at about 4 a.m. and no one was hurt.Police say they're working with the West Vancouver Police Department and Integrated Police Dog Services in the investigation and are asking people to stay out of the area, including climbers and hikers.Vandals were blamed for cutting the nearly six-centimetre thick cable in August 2019 while the ride was closed, sending about 30 gondolas smashing to the ground.Total dama

Canada's foreign affairs minister says the federal government is still trying to cool its dispute with the United States over aluminum exports, but remains poised to retaliate if necessary.Francois-Philippe Champagne says he believes the standoff is an opportunity to figure out new ways to bring manufacturing back to life across North America. But in the short term, Champagne says, Canada is fully prepared to impose dollar-for-dollar countermeasures against U.S.-made aluminum and products that contain it, beginning Wednesday.The Trump administration imposed the new national-security tariffs l