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BCDec 18, 2020

Surge in website applications slows process for B.C. COVID-19 benefit

A high volume of online applications for the British Columbia COVID-19 recovery benefit has slowed the process. Some users have reported getting an error on the site when making their application for the benefit of up to $1,000. A Finance Ministry spokeswoman says there were about 2,500 applications in the first few minutes of the site opening on Friday, but the page hasn't crashed and those applying are being urged to be patient. Finance Minister Selina Robinson has asked the public to be respectful to staff at a Service BC call centre as they help people apply for the benefit, which was pro
BCDec 18, 2020

Dedicated witness phone line and email set up after concluding a fire at Burnaby Hospital was set on purpose: RCMP

The RCMP has set up a dedicated witness phone line and email after concluding a fire at Burnaby Hospital last month was set on purpose. Fraser Health has said the November 15th fire contributed to COVID-19 outbreak declared at the hospital one week earlier. It says patients had to be moved for their immediate safety and at least 10 people died from COVID-19 during the outbreak. The hospital's emergency department was temporarily closed and some medical appointments and surgeries were rescheduled. Fraser Health said the fire started in one wing and affected several other parts of the building
BCDec 18, 2020

1,215 health-care workers have been vaccinated so far in B.C.: Dr. Bonnie Henry

British Columbia's top doctor is advising people with chronic health conditions to contact their family doctor to determine if they should get vaccinated for COVID-19. Dr. Bonnie Henry says the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was tested primarily on healthy people of varying ages and it's not known if it will work or is safe for those with chronic liver or kidney diseases, for example. Clinical trials of the Moderna vaccine, which is expected to be the next one to be approved in Canada, also excluded people who are immunocompromised. Dr. Henry says 1,215 health-care workers have been vaccinated so fa
BCDec 18, 2020

Province showing signs of rebuilding economy: Selina Robinson

Finance Minister Selina Robinson says the province is showing signs of rebuilding its economy despite the ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Robinson's latest economic update forecasts three per cent economic growth next year and says employment is steady. But she says 2020 was one of the most difficult years in the province's history and the economy is not expected to return to pre-pandemic levels until late 2022 or early 2023. She also reported that the projected deficit for this fiscal year has risen to 13.6 billion dollars from the 12.8 billion predicted in September. The Provi
BCDec 17, 2020

B.C. police watchdog investigates Vancouver officers' use of force in arrest of man

BC's police complaints commissioner says it will launch a disciplinary-conduct investigation into the actions of seven Vancouver officers who took part in the arrest of a Sechelt man in August 2015. The BC Prosecution Service has said the injuries suffered by 33 year old Myles Gray during his arrest included a broken eye socket, a possible partially dislocated jaw and a voice box fracture. Gray died after going into cardiac arrest while he was being restrained. The prosecution service said none of the officers involved would be charged because the accusations couldn't be proven beyond a reaso
provincial-government-sets-new-target-for-cutting-greenhouse-gases-by-2025
BCDec 17, 2020

Provincial government sets new target for cutting greenhouse gases by 2025

BC's government has set a new target for cutting greenhouse gases by 2025. Target has been set after determining it was further from reaching its goals than previously forecasted. The new target requires greenhouse gases in BC to fall 16 per cent below 2007 levels within the next five years. A government report says emissions rose in 2018 due to increases in fuel consumed in heavy-duty diesel vehicles, among other things. Environment Minister George Heyman says completing a plan to reach the legislated targets has been more challenging than anticipated.
BCDec 17, 2020

RCMP start criminal investigation into trail derailment near Field, B.C.

The RCMP say they've launched a criminal investigation into the fatal CP train derailment near the BC-Alberta boundary in February 2019. A train carrying more than 100 grain cars was parked on a grade near Field before it started moving on its own, gaining speeds far above the limit. Sergeant Janelle Shoihet says the investigation comes after a preliminary review of the incident that killed three rail company employees. She says police consulted with the Transportation Safety Board, Transport Canada and the BC Prosecution Service and determined further investigation was warranted. She would n
BCDec 17, 2020

Mother who gave birth while in a coma is awake, meets her newborn son for the first time

A mother who gave birth while in a coma due to complications from COVID-19 is awake and has met her newborn son for the first time. Name of the woman is Gillian McIntosh. Gillian was given an emergency C-section and placed in an induced coma after arriving at a hospital in Abbotsford, B.C., with COVID-19 symptoms in November. McIntosh's family says in a statement that she was eased out of sedation late last week and has been taken off the ventilator. She was able to meet her son, named Travis Len, for the first time over the weekend.
640-new-covid-19-cases-and-24-deaths-reported-in-b-c
BCDec 17, 2020

640 new COVID-19 cases and 24 deaths reported in B.C.

B.C. reported 640 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, for a total of 44,103 since the pandemic began. Another 24 people have died, bringing the death toll to 692. The number of people who have died in B.C. because of COVID-19 has more than doubled in less than a month. The province says 362 people are hospitalized, while 91 of those are in intensive care. One new health-care facility outbreak has been declared at Sunrise of Vancouver. Among new cases 98 new cases of COVID-19 have been identified in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, 399 new cases in the Fraser Health region.

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CanadaAug 01, 2025

Our trade talks with Washington will continue in the coming weeks: Dominic LeBlanc

Dominic LeBlanc, the minister responsible for Canada-US trade, says that our trade talks with Washington will continue in the coming weeks, his comments come after President Donald Trump raised tariffs on Canada from 25 percent to 35 percent. LeBlanc, who was in Washington during the time, said that no development is expected in the near future. Prime Minister Mark Carney's minister said that he will speak to US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick next week and that the two will meet face-to-face in late August to discuss the issue. LeBlanc said that Canada's ambassador to the US, Christine
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Charges laid in August 2024 homicide of Dillan Unger in Langley

Charges have been laid following an investigation into an August 2024 homicide in Langley, British Columbia. On August 2, 2024, at 12:46 a.m., Langley RCMP responded to a report of gun shots in the 7000-block of 202B Street in Langley. Two men suffering from gun shot wounds were subsequently located at the hospital. One of the men succumbed to his injuries and the second was released from hospital. To further the investigation, IHIT identified the victim as 41-year-old Dillan Unger of Langley. Throughout the course of this investigation, IHIT has worked in close partnership with the Langley
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BCAug 01, 2025

Falling tree kills mother, 26, and five-month-old baby at B.C. campground

A mother and her five-month-old baby have been killed by a tree that fell in a Vancouver Island campground. Police say emergency responders were called to the scene in Cumberland, B.C., on Thursday afternoon.RCMP say that the 26-year-old mother died at the scene and the infant was taken to hospital but did not survive.They say there is no criminality suspected in the initial investigation, and no further details on the case will be released.BC Emergency Health Services says they received a call for ambulances to attend in the 1100 block of Comox Lake Road, the address for Cumberland Lake Park
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WorldAug 01, 2025

Trump orders US nuclear subs repositioned over statements from ex-Russian leader Medvedev

President Donald Trump says he's ordering the repositioning of two U.S. nuclear submarines. This decision comes after what he calls ``highly provocative statements'' by former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. Trump posted on his social media site that he's taking action in case Medvedev's words are more than just rhetoric. He emphasizes the importance of words and hopes for no unintended consequences. The impact on U.S. nuclear subs,which routinely patrol global hotspots, remains unclear. This move escalates tensions between Washington and Moscow at a delicate time. Trump also mentions sen
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BCAug 01, 2025

B.C. park reopens, while search continues for man missing in Coquihalla River

Police say the Othello Tunnels in Coquihalla Canyon Provincial Park in Hope, B.C., has reopened, while a search to find a missing man who fell into the river last weekend continues. RCMP closed off the area in the park as a police underwater recovery team went into the Coquihalla River on Wednesday to try to find the 19-year-old man but was unsuccessful. There was also no sign of the man using a drone to search along the river on Thursday. RCMP say they will resume the search on Saturday, and parts of the park may be restricted to public access due to those efforts. Hope RCMP Staff Sgt. Mike S