BCFeb 01, 2021
Union representing employees of the Canada Line continues talks as 72 hours' strike notice served
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
BCFeb 01, 2021
FBI joins Saanich police, RCMP investigating 2008 unsolved murder of Lindsey Buziak
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
BCFeb 01, 2021
RCMP officer in B.C. suspended during criminal investigation and internal probe
An officer with the RCMP detachment in Surrey, B.C., has been suspended amid a criminal investigation that's expected to lead to formal charges. RCMP spokeswoman Dawn Roberts says the Mountie was arrested last week and released, noting an internal code-of-conduct investigation is also underway. She says the officer was still within a two-year probationary period after just a few months on the job. Roberts says the ongoing criminal investigation by members of the RCMP's provincial headquarters had been underway "for some time" before the Mountie was taken into custody. She declined to provide d
BCFeb 01, 2021
Possible brush with COVID-19 variant prompts tests at Maple Ridge, B.C. high school
Health officials in British Columbia say specific students and staff at a Maple Ridge high school will receive COVID-19 tests after a person at the school had close contact with someone carrying a new strain of the virus that causes the illness.Fraser Health says Garibaldi Secondary School remains open while efforts are underway to manage the exposure because the variant strain is not one currently in the community. Mutations of COVID-19 are known to spread more quickly, but doctors say they do not seem to cause more severe illness, interfere with the effectiveness of vaccines or affect testi
IndiaFeb 01, 2021
Punjab Congress MPs wear black gown to mark protest against farm laws
Congress MPs from Punjab -- Jasbir Singh Gill and Gurjeet Singh Aujla -- wore a black gown to the Parliament on Monday, as a mark of their protest against the three farm laws which have led to farmers protesting at Delhi borders for over two months.This comes at a day when Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is presenting Union Budget 2021-22 in Parliament."Internet has been suspended at Haryana borders. Is it a digital India? They are presenting the digital budget but do not provide access to the internet to people. The government is not listening to its people. We are here to be the voice of
BCJan 30, 2021
All long-term care staff and residents in B.C. have been offered COVID-19 vaccine: Dr. Bonnie Henry; 514 new cases and 5 deaths reported
BC's provincial health officer says the recent announcements about a drop in COVID-19 vaccine availability took her by surprise. Dr. Bonnie Henry says next week's supply of the Moderna vaccine will be reduced by 20 per cent, combined with previous vaccine shortfalls announced by Pfizer. She says more than 124,000 people have received a dose of vaccine, and all long-term care staff and residents have been offered it, which she says makes her feel relieved. Dr. Henry says it will be a challenging few weeks after seeing the benefits of a consistent supply of vaccines. But she says the federal go
CanadaJan 30, 2021
Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to cut back on its deliveries next week: PM Trudeau
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada's other vaccine supplier has to cut back on its deliveries next week. Moderna will ship only about three-quarters of the expected supply, cutting Canada's next shipment by more than 50,000 doses. Similar cuts are being made to Europe's deliveries, with Italy, France and Switzerland all reporting they, too, are getting less than 80 per cent of their expected doses. It is more bad news for Canada's already troubled vaccine supplies, after Pfizer cut back its deliveries by more than two-thirds since mid-January. Pfizer is also pushing Canada to change th
BCJan 29, 2021
Judge won't relax Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou's bail conditions
A British Columbia Supreme Court judge has refused to ease Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou's bail conditions, saying the current restrictions are the minimum required to ensure she does not flee Canada. Justice William Ehrcke dismissed Meng's application for changes to her bail conditions, which would have allowed her to leave her Vancouver home outside the hours of her overnight curfew without the presence of security. Meng's husband testified earlier this month that she has underlying health conditions and he believes she's at increased risk of contracting COVID-19 because of her proximity to
BCJan 29, 2021
B.C. supports international travel restrictions: Premier John Horgan
British Columbia's premier says the province supports the federal government's move to impose new travel restrictions due to COVID-19. John Horgan says in a statement the decision to limit international travel will help keep British Columbians safe. On Wednesday, Horgan said the province had no immediate plans to impose travel restrictions requiring anyone entering the province to self-isolate for 14 days. Health Minister Adrian Dix told a news conference today that B.C. has been concerned about the followup on quarantine protocols across the country. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced n