The co-founders of WE Charity testified before a House of Commons committee today as part of a parliamentary probe into a $912-million student-volunteer program. WE Charity co-founders Craig and Marc Kielburger say their organization was not tapped to run Ottawa's student-volunteer program because of any close ties to Liberal cabinet ministers. The brothers told a Parliamentary committee they regret not realizing how the deal would be perceived and that they would never have gotten involved if they had known it could jeopardize the work WE has done over 25 years. WE Charity backed out of ad

A berry packing plant in British Columbia's Fraser Valley is the newest site of a COVID-19 outbreak, where 15 cases have been linked. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says health authorities started the investigation Thursday and they're tracking down other potential contacts. She says 1,010 people have so far been told they must self-isolate because they've been exposed to others who have tested positive for the illness around the province. Changes to the rules around gatherings will limit the number of people in short-term vacation rentals, including hotel rooms and houseboats, to

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is to testify Thursday afternoon about his government's decision to get the WE organization to run a summer student-volunteer program. His chief of staff Katie Telford is to follow him for questioning by the House of Commons finance committee. WE backed out of the program in early July, citing the controversy over the Liberals' handing the organization a sole-sourced deal despite its ties to Trudeau and Finance Minister Bill Morneau. Several members of Trudeau's family have been paid hundreds of thousands of dollars between them for appearances at WE events, most

A nurse in Binghamton, New York was one of the first to get a shot this morning as the world's biggest COVID-19 vaccine study got underway.The world's biggest COVID-19 vaccine test got underway Monday with the first of 30,000 planned volunteers. Melissa Harting says she volunteered as a way to do her part to help out since she has other family members in front-line jobs that could expose them to the virus.The experimental vaccine is made by the National Institutes of Health and Moderna Inc., and it's one of several candidates in the final stretch of the global vaccine race.The needed proof: Wh

Canada's budget watchdog says the federal government lost at least $439 million so far this year in productivity through a policy that allows civil servants to stay home, with pay, during emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The Parliamentary Budget Office says most of that total was a result of employees at the Canada Revenue Agency staying home, unable to work, between March 15 and May 31. That one department accounted for just over $311 million in paid leave, far ahead of the second-costliest department, Correctional Services Canada, at more than $33.8 million. The PBO report was comp

Adrian Dix, Minister of Health, and Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C.’s provincial health officer, have issued the a joint statement regarding updates on the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) response in British Columbia. "Today, we are reporting 27 new cases, including one epi-linked case, for a total of 3,419 cases in British Columbia. "There are 294 active cases of COVID-19 in the province and 2,934 people who tested positive have recovered. "Of the total COVID-19 cases, 12 individuals are hospitalized, three of whom are in intensive care. The remaining people with COVID-19 are recovering at home in self

Outgoing Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer says Prime Minister Justin Trudeau should resign over his role in the controversy involving the We organization.Scheer has previously called for Finance Minister Bill Morneau to be fired for trips he and members of his family took in 2017, part of which were paid for by the WE organization.Scheer now says members of the Liberal caucus who do not want to be seen as complicit should demand that their leader quit.When asked if he would be willing to force an election over the issue in the minority Parliament, Scheer said such an opportunity will not come

Restrictions on the number of people using vacation rental properties is the next order being made by British Columbia's provincial health officer to limit the spread of COVID-19. Doctor Bonnie Henry says the onus will be on owner-operators to ensure they meet local bylaws and public-health requirements. She is expected to provide details in the coming days but says the limite on the number of people will be based on the size of a space, including houseboats. Dr. Henry says the measure is necessary after large numbers of young people at parties in Kelowna led to a recent spread of the virus t

Opposition parties are asking the federal ethics watchdog to widen his probe of Bill Morneau regarding the WE organization as the finance minister continues to face calls for his resignation.Conservatives and New Democrats have written to ethics commissioner Mario Dion to probe trips Morneau took three years ago, part of which were paid for by the WE organization.Morneau admitted Wednesday he had just repaid WE Charity more than $41,000 for expenses the group covered for trips his family took to Kenya and Ecuador in 2017 to see some of its humanitarian work.WE said the Morneau family trips we