Finance Minister Carole James says thousands of people applied for British Columbia's $1,000 tax-free emergency benefit in the first minutes of the program going online today.She says more than 16,000 people registered to receive the one-time B.C. Emergency Benefit for Workers in the first 45 minutes. James says the program is part of the province's $5 billion plan to help people, businesses and organizations affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.It is also available to people in B.C. who are receiving the federal Canada Emergency Response Benefit of $2,000 a month.To get the B.C. benefit, people

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the federal government is banning a range of assault-style guns, with an order that takes effect immediately.He says the order has a two-year amnesty period for current owners, and there will be a compensation program.In an announcement this morning, he cites numerous mass shootings, from Ecole Polytechnique in 1989 to the killings in Nova Scotia last week, as the reasons for the move.Stricter controls on firearms were a promise in the Liberals' election campaign platform last fall.Trudeau has said the government was on the verge of bringing in stricter gun-

Tiff Macklem, a former second in command at the Bank of Canada, is coming back to the central bank to take over the top job. Macklem, the dean of the business school at the University of Toronto, will take over the reins of the central bank as governor in early June when Stephen Poloz's seven-year term ends. Finance Minister Bill Morneau says Macklem brings a deep knowledge of and expertise in financial markets and will serve the central bank well as it navigates the an economic crisis like no other. The bank controls the country's money supply, trying to support economic growth and stability

Provincial health officer Doctor Bonnie Henry is reporting 25 new cases of COVID-19 and two new deaths as the province marks a milestone in its updates. Henry says it's been 100 days since B.C. issued its first statement about the novel coronavirus. She says lives have changed dramatically since then but Premier John Horgan will outline what she is describing as a go forward plan next week. The new cases include another 12 inmates at the Mission Institution, bringing the total to 120 with Henry saying more are expected to develop symptoms.

A Nova Scotia man says his daughter Abbigail Cowbrough is one of the victims of the Canadian military helicopter crash in the Mediterranean. Shane Cowbrough posted a message on Facebook this morning saying his daughter died when the Cyclone helicopter went down in the sea on Wednesday during a NATO training exercise. A Baptist church in Dartmouth, N.S., followed, saying the church family had lost ``a wonderful woman'' who played the bagpipes at a Remembrance Day service last fall. Cyclone helicopters carry a crew of four, including two pilots, a tactical operator and a sensor operator, with s

The Canadian military says it has lost contact with one of its helicopters in the Mediterranean. In a statement, the military says the aircraft from HMCS Fredericton went missing during an exercise off the coast of Greece. It says a search-and-rescue operation is underway. NATO spokeswoman Col. Juanita Chang earlier confirmed an incident involving a helicopter from a ship under NATO command. Chang did not reveal the nationality of the aircraft or vessels. HMCS Fredericton left Halifax for a six-month deployment around Europe in January with one of the Royal Canadian Air Force's new Cyclones o

Two more poultry processing plants in British Columbia say they have workers who have tested positive for COVID-19. Sofina Foods Inc. in Port Coquitlam and Fraser Valley Specialty Poultry in Chilliwack say each of their facilities has one worker who has tested positive. Sofina Foods says in a statement its employee lives with relatives who work at another plant that was recently closed after several workers tested positive for COVID-19. The company, which employees over 400 workers, says the plant remains fully operational, and that disinfection protocols and physical distancing measures are

The Manitoba government says it is going to start easing some of its COVID-19 related restrictions starting Monday.Premier Brian Pallister says dentists and physiotherapists will be allowed to resume services, and retail stores, hair salons and restaurant patios will be able to reopen but at no more than 50 per cent capacity.Campgrounds, museums, libraries and art galleries will also be allowed to open their doors, and all will have to maintain physical distancing among customers.Travel restrictions and the 10-person limit on public gatherings are to remain in place, but Pallister says the lim

There have been no new long-term care or assisted-living facility outbreaks in B.C. In total, 20 facilities and three acute-care units have active outbreaks, with outbreaks now declared over at 12 care facilities. Public health teams are also providing support to a number of community outbreaks, actively contact tracing those who may be directly affected and their close contacts. As of today, 46 employees have now been confirmed positive at Superior Poultry in Coquitlam, and 34 employees are confirmed positive at United Poultry in Vancouver. There are also 120 inmates and staff confirmed posi