The union representing port supervisors in British Columbia is formally challenging the legal and constitutional authority of the federal labour minister to order them back to work. In a legal document dated Tuesday, International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 514 says it's questioning whether the order issued by Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon last week violates the right to collective bargaining and the right to strike. The union says these rights are protecting by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. It says the questions will be considered by a panel of the Canada Industrial Relation

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency says it has detected the presence of highly pathogenic avian influenza in commercial poultry at additional locations in two British Columbia cities. The agency says the flu has been detected at two more premises in Abbotsford and Chilliwack, both of which have seen multiple cases since October. The CFIA says avian influenza is not a food safety concern, and there is no evidence to suggest that eating cooked poultry or eggs could transmit it to humans. It says additional primary control zones, which seek to prevent the flu’s spread, will be created as requi

Ambassador to Germany and former British Columbia premier John Horgan has died at the age of 65, after his third bout with cancer. Horgan served as B.C.'s New Democrat premier for five years before stepping down in 2022, then was appointed ambassador last year. But in June, Horgan announced he was on leave after being diagnosed with thyroid cancer.

Environment Canada has issued a rainfall warning along northern sections of east Vancouver Island, with downpours expected to begin this evening as a "vigorous Pacific frontal system" moves over the coast. It says steady rain will begin in the afternoon, intensifying in the evening and is expected to continue into Wednesday. Total rainfall near 50 millimetres are expected in that region, and the weather office is cautioning drivers about potential washouts, flash floods and water pooling on roads. Rainfall warnings also cover the northern sections of Metro Vancouver as well as Howe Sound, wher

Mounties in Burnaby say westbound lanes of Highway 1 near the city have been shut after a multi-vehicle crash. They say just before 3 a.m., officers responded to reports of a five-car collision on the highway, just east of the Kensington Avenue off-ramp. Police say five people were transported to hospital, three with minor injuries and two in serious condition, and the road was immediately closed. They say it is expected to be shut down for the rest of the morning and potentially into the afternoon. RCMP are advising commuters to take an alternate route and are asking people to work from home

Employers and the union representing supervisors embroiled in a labour dispute that triggered a lockout at British Columbia's ports will attempt to reach a deal when talks restart this weekend. A spokesman from the office of federal Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon has confirmed the minister spoke with leaders at both the BC Maritime Employers Association and International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 514, but did not invoke any section of the Canadian Labour Code that would force them back to talks. A statement from the ministry says MacKinnon instead "asked them to return to the negot

British Columbia's restaurant industry has expressed concern over the Trudeau government's tightening of the temporary foreign worker program, saying the move will increase food prices at restaurants. The government has banned low-wage temporary foreign workers in areas with an unemployment rate above 6 percent and raised the minimum hourly wage in BC to $34.62 for temporary workers hired under the high-wage stream. The intention is to ensure Canadian workers can find employment. However, the BC Restaurant and Food Services Association argues that restaurant sector wages cannot absorb these ch

British Columbia's new cabinet is set to be sworn in on Nov. 18, one month after the provincial election that gave Premier David Eby's NDP the slimmest of majorities, pending recounts. A statement from Eby's office says the swearing-in dates of cabinet and members of the legislature have been set based on the judicial recounts in three ridings and reporting information from Elections BC. Eby says the judicial recounts taking place Thursday and Friday will ensure every vote is counted. After those recounts, he says B.C. residents want to see "urgent action" on priorities including affordability

Doctors say they are seeing a spike in walking pneumonia cases in parts of Canada, particularly in kids, at a time when respiratory viruses typically circulate. Walking pneumonia is a mild form of pneumonia that often presents as a fever, cough or fatigue, but a small subset of severe cases can leave patients short of breath or with high fevers. Dr. Earl Rubin, director of the Infectious Disease Division at Montreal Children's Hospital, says he’s noticed more cases in toddlers, which is younger than the typical school-age and young adult demographic the bacterial infection usually impacts. A