British Columbia's provincial health officer is advising businesses to put contingency plans in place to continue operating as up to one-third of their staff could be off sick with the Omicron variant of COVID-19. Dr. Bonnie Henry says private companies, schools and health-care sites must all prepare for a wave of illness by reinforcing safety protocols like physical distancing to protect as many people as possible. She says businesses that require employees to come into a workplace should stagger shifts and break times, use Plexiglas barriers and limit the number of customers entering the pre

Elizabeth Ann Laird, a pioneer in B-C's broadcast industry, has died. Laird moved to BC from Ontario in 1967 and lived in the North Okanagan before settling with her husband and family near Merritt and investing in radio station CJNL1230, now Q-101, in 1994. Laird became the sole owner in 2016 and is credited with giving many broadcasters their start in the industry while she was involved with the station. The active community volunteer, business leader and longtime Merritt-area school trustee sold CJNL to Pattison Media last year. An announcement about a memorial service is expected later.

On July 11, 2021 shortly after 4 am, the Delta Police were called to a disturbance at Gunderson Park in North Delta.Officers located two victims who had both been stabbed. Their injuries were serious, but not life-threatening. On December 17th, 2021, Crown Counsel approved two charges of Aggravated Assault in relation to the incident. Accused Balraj NIJJAR, 19 years old, of Delta has been arrested and has made his first appearance in court."This event was related to a conflict between individuals who are known to each other, and is not a random incident," says Staff Sergeant David Vaughan-Smit

Vancouver police say a 23-year-old man has been charged with one count of robbery after allegedly threatening a grocery store worker with a meat cleaver. Police say it happened yesterday morning at a grocery store in downtown Vancouver when the worker asked the suspect to put on a mask. It's alleged the man pulled the meat cleaver instead, threatened the worker and then left the store without paying for the groceries. Police arrested the man as he tried to hail a cab and he has since been released on bail and ordered to return to court next week.

Two men, one from Abbotsford, the other from Calgary, face numerous charges related to a series of robberies in Surrey, Langley and Abbotsford. The alleged heists by the 21 and 22 year old suspects happened on October 2nd, 10th and 11th during break-ins at separate cellphone stores in Surrey and Langley and a pharmacy in Abbotsford. The 21 year old Calgary man faces a total of 11 charges including robbery and forcible confinement, while the 22 year old Abbotsford resident is accused of two counts of robbery and two of forcible confinement. Both were arrested on December 20th and remain in cus

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has again staged media coverage of himself getting a COVID shot. This time it was his third one, the booster. Trudeau got the jab at an Ottawa pharmacy this morning. Provinces have been racing to deliver booster shots as COVID-19 case counts and hospitalizations continue to surge to new heights driven by the Omicron variant. Most provinces have so far delayed in-person learning in schools because of the rampant infection.

B.C. is reporting 9,332 new cases of COVID-19 since Friday. Health officials say a total of 264,181 cases have been reported in the province. The health ministry on Friday reduced the requirement to self-isolate after testing positive for COVID-19 to five days for fully vaccinated people without symptoms. It is encouraging people to wear a mask around others for an additional five days after leaving self-isolation. The ministry said people who haven't been vaccinated are still required to self-isolate for 10 days. It was also announced that visits to long-term care and assisted living fac

An agreement in principle that will see Ottawa pay billions in compensation to First Nations children harmed by an underfunded child welfare system is set to be announced in Ottawa today.Sources have confirmed to The Canadian Press that negotiations reached final stages on New Year's Eve, resulting in an agreement that may finally bring an end to a human rights challenge launched 14 years ago. The case has been a major sore point in reconciliation efforts with Indigenous Peoples in Canada, as both the former and current federal governments spent millions fighting it in court. The battle began

B.C. is reporting 4,383 new cases of COVID-19, including 21 epi-linked cases, for a total of 251,054 cases in the province.There are 17,357 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, and 230,784 people who tested positive have recovered. Of the active cases, 211 individuals are in hospital and 66 are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.The new/active cases include:2,319 new cases in Fraser HealthTotal active cases: 7,940977 new cases in Vancouver Coastal HealthTotal active cases: 6,424501 new cases in Interior HealthTotal active cases: 1,713122 new c