British Columbians are invited to provide input into the development of made-in-B.C. permanent paid sick leave to support workers and protect workplaces."One of the most critical lessons from the pandemic was the importance of people staying home when they are sick, to contain the spread of an illness and keep workplaces productive," said Harry Bains, Minister of Labour. "But many workers, especially those in lower-paying jobs without benefits, simply can't afford to lose wages by missing work due to illness or personal injury. That's why we are creating a permanent paid sick leave entitlement

The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver says home sales dipped last month when compared with June's figures, but sales are still stronger than they were during the depths of the pandemic last year. The board says just over 33-hundred homes changed hands last month, a skid of more than 11 per cent since June, but up 6.3 per cent compared with July 2020. The board also says there are nine per cent fewer homes on the market since June and almost 20 per cent fewer when compared with last July. Despite that, economist Keith Stewart says prices haven't changed much since June and are up about 14

B.C. is reporting 342 new cases of COVID-19, including six epi-linked cases, for a total of 150,973 cases in the province.There are currently 1,764 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, and 147,409 people who tested positive have recovered. Of the active cases, 55 individuals are in hospital and 23 are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.The new/active cases include:66 new cases in Fraser HealthTotal active cases: 38857 new cases in Vancouver Coastal HealthTotal active cases: 258171 new cases in Interior HealthTotal active cases: 94513 new cases

The wildfire situation is continually evolving, and the information below is current as of 7 p.m. (Pacific time) on Tuesday, Aug. 3, 2021.For real-time updates on evacuation alerts and orders, visit: https://twitter.com/EmergencyInfoBCFor the latest wildfire information, visit: www.bcwildfire.caFiresWildfires currently burning in B.C.: 262Since April 1, 2021:1,336 wildfires557,459 hectares of area burnedActive fires by fire centre:Cariboo: 50Coastal: 20Southeast: 57Prince George: 53Northwest: 7Kamloops: 75ResourcesPersonnel:British Columbia: 2,737794 BCWS firefighters376 BCWS support/overhead

What's expected to be the last round of arguments in BC Supreme Court by lawyers for Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou got underway this morning with her legal team alleging the United States has ``misused'' the extradition process. Meng's lawyers say the U-S has been selective in what it disclosed to Canada in order to secure Meng's extradition and the ``egregious'' and ``troublesome'' actions have left Canada at the ``mercy'' of the US. Meng is wanted on allegations that she misled HSBC about Huawei's relationship with another company, putting the bank at risk of violating American sanctions ag

More daily temperature records have fallen in BC as heat warnings persist over the Howe Sound region and eastern Vancouver Island, while special weather statements continue for Whistler and central Vancouver Island. Environment Canada is calling for temperatures near 30 degrees, but feeling closer to 33 when humidity is added. Cache Creek, Clinton, Pemberton, Merritt, Lillooet and Lytton all set daily temperature records yesterday with a high of 38.9 in Cache Creek breaking a 48 year old record. While Lytton hit 40.2 degrees, eclipsing a mark of 39.4 degrees set 60 years ago. No Vancouver Isl

As COVID cases rebound in BC, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry is urging people to take advantage of ``walk-in Wednesday.'' Dr. Henry says anyone can walk into clinics set up across the province today to update their vaccinations or get their first shot. Dr. Henry says she knows some people have been displaced by wildfires or have had difficulties accessing vaccinations and now is the time to get a shot, especially as cases increase in the Interior. BC reported 742 new cases over a four-day period on Tuesday. The vaccination rate has slowed with 81.4 per cent of those eligible getti

Victoria police are asking for the public's help to locate a distinctive stolen urn. Police say they were called to a home to investigate a report of a break and enter and theft of the urn with an Indigenous artistic design carved on the exterior. The red and black wooden box contains a family member's remains. Police say other valuables at the residence were left untouched. Victoria police on Twitter: Please share & help us locate an urn containing a loved one's remains, stolen in a residential B&E over the weekend. The urn is made of wood, with Indigenous carving and artistic design

Saanich Police say a traffic stop resulted in the seizure of replica guns, drugs and the arrest of two people. Police say patrol officers pulled over a suspicious vehicle on the Patricia Bay Highway and found 10 replica handguns. They also seized drugs believed to be fentanyl, methamphetamine and psilocybin. Saanich Police says a man and woman known to police were arrested at the scene.