Health Minister Adrian Dix says the B.C. government will announce stricter penalties this week for those who flout public health rules as COVID-19 cases climb in the province. Officials announced 236 new cases since Friday during a briefing today, including the second highest single-day increase of 100 since the pandemic began. Hospitalizations decreased from 12 cases to four. Deputy provincial health officer Dr. Reka Gustafson says most of those testing positive are young, which suggests the province has done a relatively good job of protecting the most vulnerable. However, she says young pe

Coquitlam Little League says it has barely $3,000 in the bank after funds totalling almost $230,000 disappeared from its account. A club statement says it was told in early June that more than 200,000 was on hand, but just weeks later members reported refunds for the pandemic-cancelled season had not arrived. Club president Sandon Fraser says the RCMP has taken over the case and the team's financial statements are being reviewed by an independent accountant. Coquitlam RCMP says it expects to issue a statement later today.

A Calgary woman has died after slipping into a river and being swept away in B.C.'s Kootenay National Park.The RCMP say in a statement they were called Sunday and told a water rescue was underway in Marble Canyon. Police say they learned that a 34-year-old woman was being photographed near the river when she lost her footing and fell into the water.Cpl. Jesse O'Donaghey says the woman was pulled out of the water about a kilometre downstream and bystanders, including a medical professional, attempted resuscitation but she died at the scene. A 29-year-old Calgary man who also tried to save the

The BC government has announced a four month extension to its temporary crisis supplement for people on income or disability assistance. The funds also cover low-income seniors affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Poverty Reduction Minister Shane Simpson says B-C's restart plan is beginning to help some sectors affected by the pandemic, but low- or no-income people remain disproportionately affected. Payments will continue to be automatically added to assistance cheques through to December 16th and those eligible for the three-hundred dollar per month supplement must not be receiving other pand

The health authority in northern British Columbia has issued an alert after more than a dozen people tested positive for COVID-19. The alert says the outbreak is linked to a religious gathering held between July 30 and Aug. 2 in Deadwood, Alta. Anyone who attended the It Is Time event is asked to monitor themselves, self-isolate and seek testing if any COVID-19 symptoms develop. Northern Health says 17 lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been identified so far, with 12 related to attendance at the event and the other five linked to secondary exposures. Most of the cases are in Fort St. John,

British Columbia's health minister and provincial health officer are urging people to follow physical distancing guidelines amid a rise in COVID-19 cases across the province. Adrian Dix and Dr. Bonnie Henry issued a joint statement on Friday urging residents to stick together and keep a safe distance from people they may not know or who aren't in their social bubble. They say the province has the ability to bend the pandemic curve back down, but only if everyone takes part in measures related to the fight against COVID-19. Dix and Henry warn that transmission of the virus has forced nightclub

Three hikers who set out on one of Vancouver's North Shore mountain trails late yesterday afternoon had to call for help when darkness fell and they got lost. North Shore Rescue was called in at about 10:30, located the trio overnight, and although the three men were not hurt, they were helicoptered out of the area this morning. The call was one of three the rescue group says it received in the last 24 hours. One involved a hiker on Mount Seymour who set out late in the day yesterday and ended up spending the night on the mountain but was able to hike out this morning, while the third involve

A toddler who wandered away from his family on Wednesday was found three hours later and five kilometres away. Kelowna RCMP say the two year-old boy went missing on Wednesday in the Clark Lake recreational area. A search and rescue group believes the boy walked logging roads and quad trails before being found by an uncle. The boy did not suffer any injuries from the ordeal.

The British Columbia government says it is committing $36 million over nearly three years to fund more addiction treatment space for youth. Mental Health and Addictions Minister Judy Darcy says the investment will add 123 new treatment beds and more than double the current number of spaces available for youth aged 12 to 24. The province and local health authorities are discussing where the spaces should be located, but Darcy says some could be available within the next few months. The beds will form part of a continuum of care that Darcy says will include withdrawal management and detox space