British Columbia's health minister says the province is working to set up a lab in Vancouver to determine if respirators and other equipment meet safety standards. Adrian Dix says B.C. is also rebuilding its reserve of personal protective equipment to prepare for a potential second wave of COVID-19 as it explores the possibility of locally made products. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says an increase in cases in some parts of the world suggest local measures to prevent the spread of the illness should not be relaxed too quickly. Henry says Beijing and the United States serve as c

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says his government's signature benefit for people whose jobs have vanished amid the COVID-19 pandemic will be extended by eight weeks. The Canada Emergency Response Benefit pays up to $500 a week and was slated to last 16 weeks starting in mid-March, meaning that people who signed up for it immediately would soon run out. Trudeau says the economy is recovering from the mass closures ordered to fight the spread of the novel coronavirus but there's a long way to go. Extending the CERB has been a demand from the New Democrats in exchange for the party's support for

British Columbia's top doctor says lifting more COVID-19 restrictions this week would not include allowing gathers beyond 50 people. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry was asked today about the possibility of restrictions being eased this week. Henry says any further openings would be on the lighter side of the scale, comparing it to adjusting a dimmer switch. But she said that would not involve increasing gatherings beyond 50 people. Restaurants, hair salons and personal services including dentist offices and physiotherapy clinics were permitted to reopen on May 19. Schools in B.C. h

The Liberals are putting together a plan to extend one of the key COVID-19 benefits ahead of a parliamentary showdown on Wednesday.Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he'll detail later this week how the Canada Emergency Response Benefit may remain in place for people who still can't return to work.Canadians were able to access the $2,000-a-month benefit for 16 weeks, and millions are about to hit the maximum number of weeks they can claim, but still don't have jobs. The New Democrats say a plan to extend the CERB is a must for them to support a massive government spending proposal due in the H

Trans Mountain says oil is flowing again through its pipeline after as much 190,000 litres of light crude spilled from a pumping facility in Abbotsford, B.C. A statement from the Crown-owned company says the pipeline was restarted Sunday afternoon. The line was shut down early Saturday when an alarm was triggered at the Sumas pump station. An investigation continues but Trans Mountain linked the cause to a fitting on a 2.5 centimetre pipe, and says the oil was contained, recovered and slated for disposal. A statement posted late Sunday by the Environment Ministry says Trans Mountain's is co-o

British Columbia's premier says calls for defunding police are a simplistic approach to a complex problem. John Horgan says police are increasingly burdened with a range of challenges in areas including homelessness, mental health and addiction which need more funding. He says it's inappropriate to expect law enforcement to take on those issues as they deal with public safety concerns. Horgan says he envisions expanding the capacity for communities to ensure they're not asking police for more than they're capable of delivering. He says defunding issues arising from George Floyd's police-involv

Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer wants Foreign Affairs Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne to explain how his holding two mortgages with a Chinese bank doesn't compromise his ability to deal with the People's Republic. Scheer wants Champagne to appear before the special House of Commons committee on Canada-China relations and he says Prime Minister Justin Trudeau needs to justify the cabinet appointment there too. Scheer says Champagne is Canada's top diplomat and China's communist leaders can use the $1.2 million he owes on two London properties to the Bank of China as leverage at a time of

New video has emerged of the violent arrest of a prominent chief of a northern Alberta First Nation. The Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation says the RCMP dash-camera video was released publicly as part of a court application to get criminal charges against Chief Allan Adam stayed. The 12-minute video, posted by several media outlets, shows an officer approaching Adam's truck outside a casino in Fort McMurray, Alta., early in the morning of March 10. The RCMP have said Adam's truck had expired plates and the video shows Adam getting in and out of the vehicle, aggressively removing his coat and us

British Columbia is marking the sixth day in a row with no additional deaths due to COVID-19. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says the death toll is still 167 and there have been no new community or health-care outbreaks identified since Wednesday. She says 14 more people have tested positive for the disease, bringing the total to 2,694. There are 183 active cases, including 13 people in hospital with five in intensive care. Henry says 2,344 people have recovered so far. Health Minister Adrian Dix says the situation in B.C. is not necessarily typical, since cases of COVID-19 a