Canada's top doctor says safety data won't be the only factor public health officials and parents will have to consider when deciding whether or not to vaccinate young kids against COVID-19. Dr. Teresa Tam says children's risk of serious illness and death from COVID-19 are low compared to the rest of the population, but warned rare incidents can become more common as the virus spreads. She also points to the impacts of "long COVID," which is still being studied, and the importance of limiting disruptions to school as things to consider.The National Advisory Committee on Immunization and the Pu

British Columbia's naloxone supply is depleted, forcing some police agencies to buy their own supplies of the overdose-reversing drug. Premier John Horgan says his government is working to allocate funding to buy more naloxone kits, which have successfully been used to reverse opioid overdoses in thousands of people in the province. The Victoria Police Department has been paying for its own naloxone kits this past year after funding ended in April 2020, while the Saanich Police Department says its naloxone kits will expire at the end of the year. The province declared a public health emergenc

A wildfire that began on Aug. 2 in British Columbia and grew to more than 833 square kilometres is now estimated to have caused $77 million in insurance damage.The cost estimate from the Insurance Bureau of Canada says the so-called White Rock Lake fire destroyed 78 properties in the Central Okanagan.The bureau says the fire was one of the most destructive blazes in the province this year and they are expecting more than 800 claims related to the disaster.Aaron Sutherland, vice-president of Canada's Western region at the bureau, says the growing frequency and severity of wildfires are costing

B.C. is reporting 832 new cases of COVID-19, for a total of 181,769 cases in the province.Note: The numbers of total and new cases are provisional due to a delayed data refresh and will be verified once confirmed.There are 5,697 active cases of COVID-19 in the province and 173,786 people who tested positive have recovered. Of the active cases, 330 individuals are in hospital and 148 are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.In the past 24 hours, five new deaths have been reported, for an overall total of 1,915. The new deaths include:Fraser Health: tw

The Surrey Gang Enforcement Team (SGET) has arrested a prohibited driver with help from Air 1, after the man allegedly fled from police in Cloverdale. On September 16, 2021 at approximately 6:35 pm, Surrey RCMP Gang Enforcement Unit and Surrey Drug Unit were conducting pro-active patrols in Cloverdale when they observed a suspicious vehicle in the area of 60 Avenue and 192 Street. The officers recognized the person behind the wheel, and confirmed via police checks that he was prohibited from driving. Although the police were in an unmarked vehicle, and had not yet engaged their emergency equip

Two men have been hurt in a targeted, early morning shooting in Surrey. RCMP say the victims, aged 23 and 47, were attacked in a home in the Newton neighbourhood at around 5 am. Both men are expected to survive and investigators say one of them was also shot while standing in the driveway of the same home about two months ago. Although police say the attack is targeted, they haven't said if it might be linked to Metro Vancouver's ongoing gang conflict.

An elementary school in Chilliwack, B.C., has been temporarily closed due to what the principal says is a spike in COVID-19 cases. A statement on the Promontory Heights Elementary website says cases of the virus have been climbing since the first week of school. Principal Chuck Bloch says the school's medical health officer has ordered a halt to in-person learning to stem the spread of infections. Online learning will be offered until the school's expected reopening on Oct. 4. The Ministry of Health reported 759 new cases of COVID-19 in B.C. on Wednesday, with 5,458 active cases provincewide.

Vancouver-based athletic company Lululemon is a winner with Canada's Olympic and Paralympic committees. They've signed Lululemon as the official outfitter of Team Canada, starting with next year's Winter Olympics in Beijing. The contract runs until after the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles. Athletes, coaches and other members of Team Canada will wear Lululemon-designed clothing and accessories for opening and closing ceremonies, medal ceremonies and within the athletes' village.

British Columbians can now complete and file provincial family law case applications online as part of B.C.’s plan to modernize access to court services. "Filing family law matters, such as protection orders and child support in Provincial Court, often means taking time off work and having to travel to a court registry, which creates barriers for many British Columbians," said Grace Lore, Parliamentary Secretary for Gender Equity. "This new service provides an accessible and convenient option for individuals and families, as they can complete and file their forms online."The online service a