BC's Labour Minister Harry Bains says he understands the pressures facing employers during the COVID-19 pandemic, but workers are also struggling and the minimum wage will increase as planned on Monday.The BC government announced a series of minimum wage increases in 2018 and the June 1st wage boost goes up 75 cents per hour to $14.60.Bains says Labour Ministry data shows 60 per cent of people earning minimum wage in BC are female and 93 per cent of the province's minimum wage paying jobs are in the service sector, including cleaning services, grocery stores and restaurants.He says businesses

The province is reporting just four new cases of COVID-19 and no new deaths. That brings the total number of cases in B.C. to 2,562, including 164 deaths. 228 cases of COVID-19 remain active in B.C. The province says there have been no new health-care facility outbreaks, leaving 15 long-term care or assisted-living facilities and one acute-care unit with active cases.

The provincial government has purchased a former motel in Campbell River to house residents displaced by a blaze that left 92 people homeless in that city in April. BC Housing's purchase of the former Heritage River Inn will provide 41 units of stable, long-term, affordable rental housing for the low-income residents who escaped the fire. Finding a home in the Campbell River area is challenging at the best of times but the COVID-19 pandemic has made the search even more complicated. North Island MLA Claire Trevena says purchase of the old motel will provide security and peace of mind while th

Police in Metro Vancouver are searching for a woman who casually approached a senior who was using a walker, tripped her from behind and walked away.Burnaby RCMP have released video of the April 3 assault that was caught on surveillance cameras mounted at the Metrotown SkyTrain station.Police say the 84-year-old victim, who is of Asian descent, was shaken but not seriously hurt. The suspect is described as a woman, possibly Asian, wearing a face mask, a long, dark puffy jacket, dark tights, light shoes and carrying a large, beige purse.Investigators say there is no immediate indication the ca

The COVID-19 outbreak at the Mission prison in BC's Fraser Valley has been declared over. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says there have been no new cases for two incubation periods in what was one of the largest outbreaks in the province. More than 130 inmates and staff tested positive for the virus and one inmate died. Henry says the protocols that were developed to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the prison are being used in federal correctional facilities across the country. Two more people died in the province and nine others were diagnosed with the virus, while two thousan

A lottery ticket worth 24 million dollars has been purchased in Aldergrove. The B.C. Lottery Corporation says the ticket was the only one to match all six numbers in last night's Lotto 6/49 draw. The exact location where the ticket was bought will be announced once the winner comes forward to claim the jackpot. It's the second major prize to be won in the province in six weeks after a B.C. resident won 16-million dollars in the April 15th draw.

Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan had a conversation with Vijay Saini in the 'Sver Wala Show' on Connect FM this morning. Harjit Sajjan said that sending military to provide services in the long-term care homes in Ontario and Quebec was not a permanent solution to the situation. He added provincial governments should now hand over the responsibilities to trained staff. Harjit Sajjan specified that 39 military members have tested positive for COVID-19 while performing duties in these care homes. He also added, the government is making efforts to bring back Canadian permanent residents and citiz

A BC truck driver has died in a fiery crash that closed Highway 97 near Fort St. John for hours on Tuesday and early yesterday. A statement from RCMP Traffic Services says the unnamed central Interior man, who was in his late 40s, died when his southbound tanker truck veered across the highway, crashed in a ditch and exploded. It was carrying a full load of crude oil and police say concerns about the toxic fumes and smoke forced the brief evacuation of nearby cars and several homes, but those orders were lifted yesterday. Mounties from Fort St. John, Commercial Vehicle Safety Enforcement offi

British Columbia's overdose deaths spiked in March and April reaching the same heights recorded over a year earlier. The BC Coroners Service says 117 people died last month, matching the number of fatalities in March 2019, followed by a steady decline in deaths every month since then. However, the service says 112 deaths in March and 117 in April mark the first time since late 2018 that the province has recorded more than 100 fatalities two month in a row. The service reports 78 deaths in January, and 75 in February this year More than 4,700 people have died of overdoses since the B.C. governm