B.C. residents are scrambling to access the provincial government's one-thousand dollar benefit for those impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Finance Minister Carole James says almost 375 thousand people have applied for the help as of eight a.m. this morning. The one-time, tax-free benefit is for those who have lost their jobs, had their hours reduced or had to quit work to stay at home with their children. James says Premier John Horgan will reveal on Wednesday or Thursday the process of how the pandemic restrictions will be lifted.

British Columbia is reporting 53 new COVID-19 cases and three deaths since Saturday. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says B.C. now has a total of 2,224 positive COVID-19 cases, with 1,417 people having recovered. She says the provincial death total is now at 117 people. Henry says the three most recent deaths are people who were residents of long-term care centres. She says B.C.'s most recent COVID-19 modelling data continues to show dramatic decreases in cases since the province introduced physical distancing and other measures in March to slow the spread of the virus, but it cont

The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver says home sales dropped by 39.4 per cent in April from a year earlier to hit an almost four-decade low. The number of homes sold also fell to an almost 40 year low, with just 11-hundred and nine changing hands last month. But the average price for a home has climbed 2.5 per cent since April 2019 to 1.04 million dollars.

Transit users in Metro Vancouver will have to start paying bus fares again starting June 1. TransLink, the authority responsible for regional transportation, says fare collection and front-door boarding on buses will resume next month, although physical distancing measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19 remain in place. TransLink CEO Kevin Desmond says in a statement that Plexiglas or vinyl barriers will be installed on buses to ensure the safety of drivers. Fare collection was halted in mid-March and passengers were required to board buses by rear doors and use only designated seats as the

British Columbia's egg producers are joining the effort to keep Canadians fed during the COVID-19 pandemic. BC Egg, the organization representing all registered egg farmers in the province, says it will donate 25,000 dozen eggs to Food Banks BC every week. The organization says all egg farmers in B.C. will share the cost of the donation. Food Banks BC executive director Laura Lansink says protein is one of the most sought-after food bank items and more than 100,000 individuals, families and children who depend on food assistance every month will appreciate the donation.

The Abbotsford International Airshow has been cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Airshow society president Jim Reith says they had hoped the spread of virus would be minimized in time for the event in August. He says the primary goal of the airshow society is to put on an event that is safe for all spectators and participants, and the decision to cancel was necessary for health and safety reasons. The event attracts thousands of people to watch flight demonstrations from Canadian, American and international participants.

The RCMP say the bodies of two children have been recovered after an accident in a rural part of Chilliwack, B.C.Sgt. Krista Vrolyk said police were called Sunday afternoon after a side-by-side vehicle went off Foley Creek Forest Service Road, east of downtown.She said five people, all believed to be related, were in the vehicle when it became submerged in water about 4.5 metres deep.Two adults and a child escaped from the vehicle, but two youths went missing, and a dive team was sent in to search for them.In a statement issued late Sunday night, Sgt. Vrolyk said ``It is with deep sorrow, tha

British Columbia is reporting another 33 cases of COVID-19 and one more death. The province has 2,145 cases of COVID-19 and 112 deaths since the pandemic began. The death occurred in the region covered by the Fraser Health authority, which has also seen the highest number of cases. The province says 1,357 people who tested positive for COVID-19 have recovered.

Vancouver police say 20 hate-motivated incidents have been aimed at members of Vancouver's Asian community since the start of the year, and 11 occurred in April, alone. Constable Tania Visintin says one involving a man scrawling hateful graffiti on windows of the Chinese Cultural Centre is especially disturbing. She says the April 2nd attack was brazen because it occurred in the middle of the day and the man was clearly visible in surveillance cameras. Police say they have set up a safety trailer and camera in the area in an effort to halt any further incidents.