Canada's auditor general says COVID-19 benefits were delivered quickly and helped mitigate economic suffering, however, the federal government hasn’t done enough to recover overpayments. Karen Hogan says the programs delivered relief to workers and employers and helped the economy rebound. At the same time, the report says the Canada Revenue Agency and Employment and Social Development Canada have not followed up by verifying payments.Hogan estimates 4.6 billion dollars was paid to people who were not eligible, while another 27.4 billion dollars in payments to people and businesses should be

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Ontario Premier Doug Ford are celebrating the opening today of Canada's first full-scale electric vehicle manufacturing plant. Trudeau says electric delivery vans have started rolling off the line today at the General Motors CAMI production plant in Ingersoll, Ont., which has been retooled to build the company's BrightDrop all-electric vehicle brand. The prime minister was joined by Ford and the province's Economic Development Minister Vic Fedeli to mark the milestone. The provincial and federal governments each invested $259 million toward GM's $2-billion pl

Approximately one year ago, on December 7, 2021, the Delta Police reported that the community of Delta tragically lost one of our youth - 17-year-old Maaike Blom. Maaike had been reported missing by her family on December 5, 2021, and was located deceased on December 7, 2021, at a south Delta residence located in the 2400 Block Falcon Way.As a result of the circumstances surrounding Maaike’s disappearance and subsequent death, an investigation was initiated by the Delta Police Department Major Crime Section. The police investigation determined that Maaike did not die as a result of a homicid

BC's Medical Services Commission has applied to provincial Supreme Court for an injunction against Telus Health's LifePlus Program alleging contraventions of the Medicare Protection Act. Health Minister Adrian Dix says he asked the commission earlier this year to review Telus Health following public complaints of illegal extra billing. Dix says the province will allow the legal process to proceed as it should, but it will continue to strongly defend the public health-care system. BC Green Party leader Sonia Furstenau says she wonders why it's taken so long for Dix to act when she raised conce

Preliminary reporting from the BC Coroners Service shows that illicit drugs have caused the deaths of at least 1,827 British Columbians in the first 10 months of 2022. "Despite the efforts of many, this public-health emergency continues to devastate families thoughout our province," said Lisa Lapointe, chief coroner. "The increased toxicity and variability of the illicit drug supply has created an environment where everyone who uses substances is at risk. This vulnerability is even greater for individuals who live outside the urban centres where the limited number of safer supply programs are

Coquitlam RCMP is seeking video footage of an Abbotsford collision involving the vehicle of missing person, Jodine Millar. Abbotsford Police responded to a report of a single vehicle collision east-bound on Highway 1 at No. 3 Road in Abbotsford shortly after 8:50 p.m. on Monday, November 28, 2022. The vehicle involved belongs to Coquitlam RCMP’s high-risk missing person, Jodine Millar, who was reported missing from Coquitlam on Saturday, November 26, 2022. Witnesses advised that the brown 2011 Hyundai Tucson with Manitoba licence plate FXU195, had been speeding when it veered off the road an

On the evening of November 26th, AbbyPD officers were present at the Offspring Rock Concert at the Abbotsford Centre located at 33800 King Road. After the concert was let out, officers were dealing with a member of the public when an unrelated citizen, who became the subject of the video, began to interfere with the officer’s investigation.During this time, the man ignored police direction to disengage, but he continued. As a result of the man’s actions, police advised him that he was under arrest for obstruction. During the arrest, the man continued to be non-compliant, resulting in the o

Ridge Meadows RCMP are actively investigating a suspicious death that occurred overnight. On November 24, at approximately 11:15 pm, Ridge Meadows front line officers responded to a report of a vehicle fully engulfed at the 14300 block of 256th Street. Maple Ridge Fire Department was on scene to extinguish the fire. In the subsequent search of the vehicle, a body was located.It is still in the early stages of the investigation and the Ridge Meadows RCMP will be working with the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT). It is unknown at this time if this is related to the Lower Mainland ga

Four days before Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government invoked the Emergencies Act to deal with ``Freedom Convoy'' protesters, a key White House official made it clear the US wanted Canada to get the situation under control. A public inquiry has heard that Brian Deese, the director of President Joe Biden's National Economic Council, contacted Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland on February 10th. Freeland testified that she had spent a lot of time trying to convince Deese that Canada was a reliable trading partner. She says that reputation was challenged once protesters began blockading th