Workers in British Columbia will be eligible for a minimum of five paid sick days a year starting in January. The new sick leave policy goes into effect Jan. 1 and affects all workers covered by the province's Employment Standards Act. Labour Minister Harry Bains says the five paid days are fair and were determined following a consultation period that generated 60,000 responses. Bains says the government heard from some who suggested three paid days was an appropriate amount while others wanted 10 days or more. The government says more than one million workers in B.C. don't have paid sick lea

The Canadian Border Services Agency says there was a 24-hour period between Sunday and Monday where BC residents making short trips to the US for essential supplies received fines for not getting a negative COVID-19 test. The federal minister of emergency preparedness says border guards have since been advised that BC residents can cross into the United States for essential supplies because of flooding in the province. Bill Blair says the circumstances of those who received tickets for allegedly violating quarantine restrictions is being reviewed by the Public Health Agency of Canada. BC Publ

Richmond police are warning the public about romance-cryptocurrency scams after receiving five reports over a 10 day period this month. RCMP media relations officer Adriana O'Malley says these scams can be traumatizing for the victims who believe they are involved in a true romantic relationship. She says fraudsters often use dating apps or other social media sites to approach their victim, convince them to buy digital currencies and then, after receiving the funds, cut off all communication. O'Malley says Richmond police have investigated 73 fraud files related to cryptocurrency so far this

British Columbia's public safety minister is asking residents to pay close attention to the weather forecast as more storms are expected later this week.Mike Farnworth says more than 65-hundred people have been registered as evacuees, and those whose homes were flooded last week are eligible for a two-thousand dollar grant through the Canadian Red Cross and the province.Environment Canada is warning a new storm is expected to hit the B-C's inner south coast tonight, dropping 40 to 80 millimetres of rain before easing on Friday.The weather agency says another so-called atmospheric river is fore

Environment Canada is warning more rainfall is expected in B-C this week and that it will affect areas that are still recovering from last week's floods.They say another so-called atmospheric river is expected to bring 40 to 70 millimetres of rain in the Fraser Valley, and potentially more than 100 millimetres in the North Shore Mountains around Howe Sound.Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth says the federal government is working with Environment Canada to develop a ranking system for atmospheric rivers, which would help the province better understand potential risks.Farnworth says he's been

Over a three-day period, B.C. is reporting 1,052 new cases of COVID-19, including three epi-linked cases, for a total of 215,688 cases in the province:Nov. 19-20: 390 new casesNov. 20-21: 332 new casesNov. 21-22: 330 new casesThere are 3,132 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, and 210,070 people who tested positive have recovered. Of the active cases, 337 individuals are in hospital and 115 are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.In the last 72 hours, 10 new deaths have been reported, for an overall total of 2,303.The new deaths include:Fraser

Environment and Climate Change Canada is warning that more rainfall is expected in B.C. this week and it will likely affect areas that are still recovering from last week's floods. Warning preparedness meteorologist Armel Castellan said a "parade of storms" is expected throughout the fall and winter in the province. "The forecast going forward for the south coast is very wet," he said. "We are bracing for a record-breaking fall in terms of overall precipitation numbers for communities along the central and south coast." While the province won't likely see the same amounts of rainfall as it did

Surrey RCMP is proud to share that 34 officers are being honored by Alexa’s Team for their outstanding efforts removing 1,219 impaired drivers from roadways in 2020.Alexa’s Team was launched in 2008 as a tribute to four-year-old Alexa Middelar whose life was tragically taken by a drunk driver. Each year, Alexa’s Team recognizes police officers in B.C. who demonstrate extraordinary efforts in removing impaired drivers from B.C. roads.This year, 34 Surrey RCMP officers are being recognized by Alexa’s Team for their dedication and efforts taking impaired drivers off the roads in 2020. Con

Members of Parliament have re-elected Liberal Anthony Rota as Speaker of the House of Commons. His re-election was no surprise as he had been widely praised, even by opposition parties, for deftly steering the House through the COVID-19 pandemic. The last parliamentary session was unprecedented, with the introduction of a hybrid format to give MPs the option to participate virtually in proceedings to avoid spreading the virus. Rota had also been widely praised for his calm demeanour refereeing the Commons during what were often heated exchanges among MPs from rival parties. Six other MPs ran