British Columbia's provincial health officer expressed concern as she reported the first South African strain of COVID-19 uncovered in the province. Dr. Bonnie Henry says the person who contracted the South African variant had not travelled or had contact with anyone who did. She says officials are investigating where this person might have picked up the virus. Another person has also tested positive for the British variant of the virus, bringing that total to four cases, all connected to travel. Dr. Henry says there doesn't appear to have been any community spread of those infections. Offici

Canada has a new top military commander. Admiral Art McDonald was formally installed at a scaled-down COVID-19 ceremony in Ottawa. In a virtual appearance at the change of command ceremony, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau welcomed McDonald as Chief of the Defence staff, saying he is taking on the role at a very difficult time. Admiral McDonald succeeds General Jonathan Vance, who kicked off the ceremony by using his final speech in uniform to bid an emotional farewell to the troops. In a virtual appearance at the change of command ceremony, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau welcomed McDonald a

Operators of the Sea To Sky Gondola near Squamish say the tourist attraction is due to reopen in late spring or early summer. The update posted on the company's website says the complicated cleanup process has been completed after vandals cut the gondola cable late last year. The statement says orders have been placed for a new cable and 25 new cabins and the cable is already on its way to Squamish while discussions are underway with the cabin supplier on a timeline for arrival of that equipment. No arrests have been made but the company says an RCMP investigation is continuing after the cabl

A health authority says data showing schools in the Vancouver area are a low risk for the transmission of COVID-19 supports keeping classes open. Since schools reopened in September, Vancouver Coastal Health says it hasn't recorded a significant increase in COVID-19 cases among children aged five to 17. It says school-aged children accounted for six per cent of its COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic, despite representing 10 per cent of the population. Medical health officer Dr. Alex Choi says the authority wants educators, school staff, parents and students to feel reassured that

British Columbia's premier says his government is seeking legal advice on whether it can limit non-essential travel from people out of province during the pandemic. Premier John Horgan says there is concern about people coming from other provinces or territories and spreading COVID-19. Horgan says he and other premiers across the country have made the case for Canadians to stay home during the pandemic, but people continue to travel. He says the issue has been discussed for months and it's time to determine if the government can or can't act. The issue will be discussed during the NDP governm

A lawyer for a man convicted of stabbing two high school students in Abbotsford says his client was not in control of himself at the time of the offence. Martin Peters is arguing in the BC Supreme Court that Gabriel Klein should not be held criminally responsible for the crimes. Peters said in his closing arguments that Klein believed he was stabbing a witch and a zombie with maggots coming out of its back, not two girls. Klein has testified that he was following the directions of voices in his head and believed that stabbing monsters was "just." Klein was convicted of second-degree murder an

The 38 year old woman convicted of murdering teenager Reena Virk near Victoria in 1997 will be allowed to continue her day parole. The Parole Board of Canada has released its ruling on Kelly Ellard, who now goes by the name of Kerry Sim. In a decision released Thursday, the board says Sim, now the mother of two young children, remains "positive and compliant" in the community and continues to have high reintegration potential. Her day parole was expanded last summer to allow her to live away from a residential facility for up to five days each week and the parole board is continuing that orde

Federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is calling on the Liberal government to ease access to paid sick leave for Canadian workers to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Singh is criticizing the lag between filing for the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit and receiving it, a delay he compared to applying for employment insurance. He is asking Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to recall Parliament and legislate 10 days of paid sick leave for federally regulated employees through the Canada Labour Code, and to further promote the one-week, $500 benefit that is already in place. The New Democrat leader says upt

Bhupinder Singh Mann, the National President of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Mann) and Chairman of the All India Kisan Coordination Committee (AIKCC), on Thursday recused himself from the 4-member committee constituted by the Supreme Court to resolve the impasse between farmers and the Centre over the new farm laws.This comes a day before the Central government is scheduled to hold the next round of talks with farmers' unions in New Delhi on Friday.Former Rajya Sabha MP from Punjab, Mann said he is "thankful" to the top court for nominating him in the committee but would "sacrifice" any positio