The British Columbia government says it is phasing out mink farming because the threat of COVID-19 transmission is too great. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says mink are a reservoir for the spread of COVID-19 to humans and vice versa. Henry says the scientific data shows the risk of transmission on the farms will continue. Agriculture Minister Lana Popham says the government will help the nine farms operating in B.C. to close by 2025. B.C. placed a moratorium on new mink farms and capped existing operations at their current animal populations in July after more mink tested positiv

BC Jobs Minister Ravi Kahlon says the latest figures from Statistics Canada showing more than 10,000 jobs were created in this province last month solidify BC as a leader of the post-pandemic economic recovery. Kahlon says, at 5.6 per cent, BC has the second-lowest unemployment rate in Canada and he says there are 51,000 more BC residents working now than in March 2020 when pandemic shutdowns began. Kahlon says the Thompson-Okanagan region leads BC's job recovery rate but all regions are doing well. StatCan reports the number of people looking for work fell one full point to 4.4 per cent in K

The woman who beat and drowned Victoria teenager Reena Virk is back on day parole again after struggling to conform within the correctional system. Kelly Ellard, now 39 years old and the mother of two children, has returned to day parole after the privilege was revoked in August for what a Parole Board of Canada decision says were indications of drug and alcohol use. Ellard, who now goes by the name Kerry Sim, was 15 when she and a co-accused beat and drowned the 14-year-old girl in Victoria's Gorge waterway and she was later convicted of second-degree murder. Sim had been on day parole since

Surrey RCMP is updating the public that charges have been approved against a 42-year-old Alberta man in relation to a shooting at a residence in the Newton area.On September 23, 2021, Surrey RCMP responded to a shooting in the 8800-block of 140B Street, that left two men injured. Please see previous media release for details.On November 1, 2021, after an in-depth investigation by the Surrey RCMP Serious Crime Unit, 42-year-old Travis Bowcock was charged with six criminal offences in relation to the shooting on September 23, 2021. Bowcock remains in custody awaiting trial on the following charg

Police say six people from around BC with links to a prominent gang have been charged following an investigation that began in 2018. The Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit says the suspects are part of the Brothers Keepers' drug trafficking network and are known for violent activity. Police say search warrants resulted in the seizure of drugs including cocaine and fentanyl, a loaded pistol, lab equipment used in the production of synthetic drugs and over 50-thousand dollars in cash. Charges against the three men and three women range from trafficking a controlled substance for the benef

A 50 year old man who allegedly went on a window-smashing spree in Vancouver's West End has been arrested. Police say the suspect caused thousands of dollars in damage on Wednesday. Sergeant Steve Addison says officers were deployed throughout the downtown core in September in response to concerns about rising crime and public safety, and those efforts are starting to pay off. Police say since August, an average of 11 reports a week have been filed by business owners who've had their windows smashed.

The Public Health Agency of Canada says the country is bending the curve on the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, but progress has recently slowed.Dr. Theresa Tam, the chief public health officer, says Canada could still see some "bumps in the trajectory" over the next few months.Some provinces, including Alberta and Saskatchewan, are still lagging behind the rest of the country.That has prolonged the heavy strain on the health system and critical-care capacity.Nationally, reported cases are now most commonly children under the age of 12.That age group does not yet qualify to be vaccinated

B.C. is reporting 596 new cases of COVID-19, including two epi-linked cases, for a total of 207,716 cases in the province.There are currently 4,451 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, and 200,749 people who tested positive have recovered. Of the active cases, 438 individuals are in hospital and 130 are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.In the past 24 hours, eight new deaths have been reported, for an overall total of 2,200.The new deaths include:Fraser Health: threeVancouver Coastal Health: twoNorthern Health: threeThere have been two new he

British Columbia's government says it will introduce legislation in the spring aimed at giving homebuyers a chance to change their mind on the purchase of a home. The so-called cooling-off period would allow purchasers to back out with no or diminished legal consequences. The B.C. Financial Services Authority also will be consulting with those in the real estate industry and other experts on more ways to protect consumers, including a review of the blind bidding system, which can significantly raise the price of purchase. Finance Minister Selina Robinson says the COVID-19 pandemic has impacte