Two University of B.C. researchers are among five in Canada to be awarded a 100-thousand dollar Killam Prize for their work.Sarah Otto, an evolutionary biologist, has pioneered several mathematical models to understand how and why sexual reproduction happens in nature, while Pieter Cullis helped develop the targeted delivery of recently approved drugs for cancer and gene therapies as well as vaccines including the COVID-19 vaccine.Other winners include Charles Morin, a Laval University psychology professor, Praveen Jain, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at Queen's, and Guelph

The Transportation Safety Board says pilots in Canada need better guidelines for screening heart-related conditions. The independent federal agency says at least eight crashes since the early 2000s have been linked to heart attacks or other cardiovascular diseases among pilots. The recommendation follows the 2021 crash of an amateur-built plane in central Alberta that killed the pilot. An investigation into the crash in Lacombe, Alta., found evidence the pilot had a heart attack, but it was impossible to determine exactly when. The safety board is asking Transport Canada to routinely review an

New polling suggests the majority of Canadians want the federal government to call an independent inquiry into foreign interference in the last two federal elections, but still feel the country's electoral system is safe. Market research firm Leger surveyed 1,544 people between March 10 and 12, asking a range of questions about Canada's electoral system and allegations of foreign interference. The results suggest 71 per cent of Canadians feel the electoral system is safe, while 29 per cent feel it is not. And the majority, 69 per cent of respondents, said they generally trust the results of el

Police allege the driver of a pickup truck that killed two people and injured nine others in the eastern Quebec town of Amqui acted deliberately and with premeditation.Provincial police Sgt. Claude Doiron says the 38-year-old driver will appear in court later today.Doiron said the police investigation suggests the driver swerved from one side of the road to the other over a "certain distance" to hit victims who were chosen at random and who range in age from less than one year to 77.Gérald Charest, 65, and Jean Lafrenière, 73, were killed during the alleged attack.The injured include two chi

An indefinite general strike is underway at Quebec City's Université Laval, where nearly 1,300 professors are off the job.The unionized professors went on strike today after a negotiation blitz between management and their union did not result in a new contract.The most recent collective agreement expired on Dec. 1, and the union has made a number of demands including equitable distribution of positions, better administrative supports, better work-life balance and workload management.The union members voted 94.5 per cent in favour of a strike mandate during a meeting on March 2, when nearly t

The Jesuits of Canada have released a list of priests and brothers they say were credibly accused of sexually abusing minors over the past 70 years.The Jesuits, a religious order of the Roman Catholic Church, released the list of 27 names today following an audit that began in 2020 that looked at documents going back to the 1950s.Of the men named, all but three are dead.The order says in a statement that the release of the names is part of the Jesuits' effort to promote transparency, accountability, justice and healing for survivors of abuse.In most cases, the abuse came to light after the all

An Ontario judge has dismissed two breach of trust charges against a former Liberal MP who had been accused of using his political office for personal gain.Ontario Superior Court of Justice judge Sylvia Corthorn revealed her decision in Raj Grewal's case this morning, bringing an end to the criminal trial that has dragged on since last summer.She said a reasonable jury, properly instructed, would not have been able to render a guilty verdict, and she found Grewal not guilty as a result.Grewal’s lawyer argued in a directed verdict application last month that prosecutors did not present enough

Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos says he is clawing $82 million in federal health transfers to the provinces for charging patients for services that should have been covered by the public purse.Eight provinces will see reductions in their next health transfer from the federal government over fees charged to patients in 2020 and 2021.Most of the deductions are related to fees for diagnostic services such as MRIs and CT scans.The federal Liberal government enacted a new policy on diagnostic services in 2020 ensuring fees for such tests were covered by the Canada Health Act's single-payer policy.

A Liberal bill to delay the planned expansion of Canada's medically assisted dying regime has passed third reading in the Senate.The expansion, which was originally slated for March 17, would include people whose sole underlying condition is a mental disorder.Justice Minister David Lametti announced the delay in February, saying more time was needed to ensure health-care professionals and Canadian society were prepared for the expansion.That will now happen one year later, in March 2024.Federal officials say the delay will allow more time to develop practice standards and assessment guidelines