8.76°C Vancouver

Jan 29, 2020 9:40 PM -

Expat family expecting baby soon hopes Britain can get them out of China

Share On
plane-arranged-to-fly-160-canadians-out-of-wuhan
Tom Williams along with his wife Lauren and son James are seen in this undated handout photo. Tom Williams is a British expat who has been living and working for about five years in Wuhan, which is the capital of Hubei province in China. His wife Lauren, who is from Langley, B.C., is about 35 weeks pregnant, he said in a telephone interview from Wuhan. He also has a two-and-a-half-year-old son, James, who was born in White Rock, B.C. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO, Tom Williams *MANDATORY CREDIT*

A pregnant Canadian woman, her young Canadian son and Tom Williams, the child's British father, are the latest to share their concerns about getting out of Wuhan, the Chinese epicentre of an outbreak of a new strain of coronavirus.

Williams says his wife is 35-weeks pregnant and his son is under three years of age, and the whole family is waiting for word about whether they will be allowed to depart Wuhan later today on a flight organized by the British government.

As they were waiting, the Canadian government announced it has arranged a plane to fly 160 Canadians out of Wuhan -- but details are still being worked out and there's no word if Williams and his family will be on it.

An outbreak of the novel flu-like respiratory illness began in Wuhan late last year, infecting more than six-thousand people and spreading to other countries, including Canada, although health officials here say the risk of transmission remains low.

Latest news

report-warns-canada-risks-losing-skilled-newcomers-as-early-departures-persist
CanadaNov 18, 2025

Report warns Canada risks losing skilled newcomers as early departures persist

A new analysis from the Institute for Canadian Citizenship suggests Canada continues to face long-term challenges retaining the newcomers it admits each year. The study reports that roughly one in five immigrants leaves the country within 25 years of arrival, with most departures occurring during the first five years. The findings echo concerns raised in recent years by settlement agencies and provincial governments that have been working to improve support for newcomers. The annual “Leaky Bucket” report indicates that departures are most common among highly educated immigrants, including
b-c-outlines-new-plan-to-attract-major-investment-as-eby-presses-ottawa-for-stronger-economic-push
BCNov 18, 2025

B.C. outlines new plan to attract major investment as Eby presses Ottawa for stronger economic push

British Columbia Premier David Eby has introduced a long-term economic strategy that aims to draw up to $200 billion in new investments over the next decade, positioning the province as a key driver of national growth. The initiative, called the Look West plan, outlines how B.C. intends to expand its resource, technology and advanced manufacturing sectors while reducing reliance on U.S. markets. The provincial roadmap highlights several projects already under review by the federal government, including the North Coast Transmission Line, which is intended to support future mining and clean-ener
WorldNov 18, 2025

Cloudflare outage triggers service disruptions for ChatGPT, X and online gaming platforms

A technical failure at Cloudflare caused widespread service interruptions on Tuesday, affecting access to ChatGPT, social media platform X and several online gaming services. The company, which provides security and traffic management tools used across the internet, said it was working to identify the source of the disruption. Users across Canada, including in Metro Vancouver and parts of Alberta, reported repeated 500 error messages and an inability to load web-based tools that rely on Cloudflare’s infrastructure. The outage also limited access to Cloudflare’s own dashboard and API, which
swedish-royal-visit-begins-in-ottawa-as-canada-highlights-ties-with-nordic-partner
CanadaNov 18, 2025

Swedish royal visit begins in Ottawa as Canada highlights ties with Nordic partner

Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia are in Ottawa today as they begin a three-day state visit that includes meetings with federal leaders, military commemorations, and discussions on international security. The visit is the royal couple’s first trip to Canada in nearly two decades and comes at a time when both countries are deepening co-operation through NATO and shared support for Ukraine. The King and Queen were formally welcomed at Rideau Hall this morning by a Canadian delegation that included Chief Justice Richard Wagner. Their program in the capital also features a wreath-
alberta-proposes-law-to-add-citizenship-status-and-health-numbers-to-drivers-licences
AlbertaNov 18, 2025

Alberta proposes law to add citizenship status and health numbers to driver’s licences

Alberta has introduced legislation that would require citizenship status and provincial health numbers to be displayed on all driver’s licences and government ID cards. The proposal formalizes a plan the province first signalled earlier this year, prompting debate about how much personal information should appear on identification used for everyday transactions. Privacy advocates previously warned that the change could expose a person’s citizenship status in routine situations such as age verification at stores or restaurants. Government officials argue the measure will make it easier for

Related News