The federal government is tightening the rules for non-essential American travellers passing through Canada en route to Alaska, in order to reduce the time spent in the country during the COVID-19 pandemic. Canada Border Services Agency says U.S. travellers heading to Alaska will be required to use one of five designated border crossings: four in B.C. and one in Alberta.They must also take the most direct routes possible, avoiding all national parks and tourist activities, and will be issued a tag to hang from their vehicle's rear-view mirror for the duration of their trip to ensure compliance

Four major Canadian airports will begin taking passenger's temperatures starting today as part of the effort to curb the spread of COVID-19.The federal government says temperature screening stations are set up at airports in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto and Montreal.Transport Canada says temperature screening will be expanded to another 11 airports by September. The agency says employees who enter restricted areas of the airport will also be screened. Passengers who have temperatures above 38 degrees will not be allowed to travel and will be asked to re-book after two weeks.The new screening m

The question of how the Liberals will use the 912-million-dollars budgeted for a COVID-19 student-volunteer program remains unanswered, as Justin Trudeau wrapped up a 90-minute appearance before the House of Commons finance committee.Prime Minister Trudeau says the Canada Student Service Grant was another way to promote youth service and the Liberals will continue to look for opportunities to do that.During his testimony, Trudeau told the committee the country won't know whether going with WE Charity to run the program was the right decision, because the organization backed out. Trudeau's chi

There are 115,470 confirmed cases in Canada. Quebec: 59,073 confirmed (including 5,670 deaths, 50,886 resolved) Ontario: 38,986 confirmed (including 2,769 deaths, 34,741 resolved) Alberta: 10,603 confirmed (including 190 deaths, 8,983 resolved) British Columbia: 3,562 confirmed (including 194 deaths, 3,109 resolved) Saskatchewan: 1,268 confirmed (including 17 deaths, 929 resolved) Nova Scotia: 1,067 confirmed (including 64 deaths, 1,003 resolved) Manitoba: 393 confirmed (including 8 deaths, 325 resolved), 14 presumptive Newfoundland and Labrador: 266 confirmed (including 3 deaths, 259 resolve

The RCMP is investigating the assault of a woman of colour and her two teenage children reported to have occurred in Chilliwack last weekend.Corporal Mike Rail says a group of South Asian men allegedly directed a number of racial slurs toward the family during a fight at the Entrance Bay area at Cultus Lake.Rail says the two teenage children were treated in hospital for injuries and later released. He says Entrance Bay was crowded at the time of the incident on Saturday and police are asking anyone with information to contact them.

The Transportation Safety Board says a fire that broke out in the engine room of a container ship off Haida Gwaii was caused by poor maintenance. Five of the 22 crew members onboard the MOL Prestige were seriously hurt in the fire on Jan. 31, 2018. The board's report says the fire started when cold fuel oil was added into a high temperature tank caused oil to spew from the top and catch fire. It found equipment in the engine room hadn't been maintained as required and even though engine crew had identified hazards, they went unaddressed. The safety board says several other safety issues were

Most students from kindergarten to Grade 12 are to return to British Columbia schools full time in September.Education Minister Rob Fleming says enhanced safety measures and additional resources to prevent the spread of COVID-19 will allow the province to move its education restart plan ahead.Fleming says the classroom is an essential part of a child's social, academic and mental development, and that's why the province is working hard to ensure children can spend the school year with their teachers and classmates.He says on the advice of the provincial health officer, students will be organiz

Mara Soriano says her knees buckled as a two Good Samaritans handed her a bag containing a brown teddy bear in a red-and-white dress and white jacket.For the past four days Soriano has walked up and down Vancouver alleyways, looked under dumpsters, put up posters and responded to every email and tweet that she thought could lead her back to a teddy bear that carried her late mother's voice.Last night she sobbed with joy when she was reunited with the bear.The bear was stolen while she was moving to a new apartment on Friday, and Soriano put out a call for it on social media that soon went vir

MPs on the House of Commons ethics committee will meet this afternoon to push forward their own parliamentary probe of the federal government's aborted deal with WE Charity to run a student-volunteer program.The committee is seeking documents on the speaking fees the charity paid to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's immediate family, which amount to some $300,000 plus expenses.Opposition MPs, who outnumber Liberals, have also used their numbers to ask Trudeau to testify before the ethics committee as part of its work.Trudeau is set to testify tomorrow at the House of Commons finance committee a