B.C. has reported its first case of avian flu in 2025, confirmed in the Fraser Valley. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) announced that bird flu was detected at a commercial facility in Abbotsford yesterday. The number of infected chickens in the province has now surpassed 8.5 million, according to the latest figures on the CFIA website. The federal agency also emphasized that the virus poses no food safety risk, as it does not spread to humans through properly cooked poultry and eggs.

A new home-flipping tax in British Columbia will go into effect on January 1, 2025. Under the new rules, profits from homes sold within two years will be taxed. If a person buys and sells a new home within one year, they will be required to pay a 20% tax on their profits. If the home is sold after 18 months, the tax will be reduced to 10%. Homes sold after two years will be exempt from the home-flipping tax. Exemption will also be made in cases of divorce, job loss, or changes in family circumstances. The provincial government introduced this measure to crack down on speculators who purchase

A letter sent to the editor of The New England Journal of Medicine signed by Canadian health officials says the British Columbia teenager who tested positive for avian flu has been taken off of supplemental oxygen and is no longer infectious. The letter, which was published Tuesday and provides a summary and timeline of the case, was signed by doctors from the BC Centre for Disease Control, BC Children’s Hospital, the Public Health Agency of Canada, and B.C.'s agriculture ministry. It says the patient was a 13-year-old girl who went to a B.C. emergency room on Nov. 4 with a fever and conjunc

Alberta's electricity ``rate of last resort''starts today, replacing the province's previous default rate forconsumers who don't have a contract. The rate is set at about 12 cents per kilowatt hour until 2027. It's meant to shield against price spikes, as the previous option fluctuated from month to month. Retailers must confirm with customers whether they want to sign on to a competitive rate, which can be much lower. Albertans also start paying today a tax on vaping products to fall in line with existing federal taxes. The governments say the tax is meant to discourage vapin

Canada is set to take over the presidency of the G7 in 2025, leading a forum of seven of the world's most advanced economies at a time of political instability at home and around the world. Canada joined the group in 1976 and this year will be chairing its meetings for the seventh time. Ottawa plans to host the leaders' summit June 15 to 17 in Kananaskis, Alta. The G7 includes the United States, France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, Italy and Canada, as well as the European Union. For five decades, the group's governments have co-ordinated how liberal democracies respond to economic an

Mounties in central Alberta have charged a man with second-degree murder. Officers responded to a call Saturday about a man on a streetcorner near downtown Red Deer suffering from injuries caused by a bladed weapon. The man died at the scene. He has been identified as 43-year-old Anthony Spiller of Red Deer. Police say a suspect was located nearby and arrested. An 18-year-old man from Red Deer was remanded into custody and is set to appear in court later this week.

Police say a man they were searching for in a double homicide in Calgary has been found dead. An emergency alert had been issued for 38-year-old Benedict Kaminski, describing him as armed and dangerous. A woman in her 30s and a man in his 70s were found dead on Sunday at two different locations in Calgary. Police say the victims are believed to be Kaminski's wife and her father. They say tips from the public lead officers to the Water Valley area, about 80 kilometres northwest of Calgary. The suspect was found dead near his parked truck. This report by The Canadian Press was f

Cell phone scams are surging in Edmonton, with victims losing over $600,000. As of December 18, police had received 91 reports of scams involving fraudulent offers of discounted cell phones. Victims reported receiving calls from individuals claiming to represent Telus, offering cell phones at reduced rates. They were asked to provide their account security codes and passwords to secure the deal. According to police, scammers use this information to access victims' accounts, order new phones, and have them shipped to the victims' addresses. Once the phones are delivered, scammers instruct th

Amid the ongoing farmers' agitation in Punjab, a Supreme Court-appointed committee has scheduled a meeting with farmers on January 3 in Panchkula to discuss their issues in detail. The committee, led by former Justice Nawab Singh, was formed by the Supreme Court to address farmers' grievances. Earlier, the High Power Committee held a meeting with the administration and farmers in Chandigarh. However, it remains uncertain whether the protesting farmers will participate in the upcoming meeting.