8.72°C Vancouver

Dec 8, 2020 2:48 AM -

Plans to fight the second wave of COVID-19 and to mount a strong economic recovery focus of B.C.'s throne speech

Share On
plans-to-fight-the-second-wave-of-covid-19-and-to-mount-a-strong-economic-recovery-focus-of-b-c-s-throne-speech
File - In a throne speech read by Lieutenant Governor Janet Austin, the government says vaccines herald better days ahead but the virus still poses urgent challenges in the short term. (B.C. Government)

The newly re-elected NDP government says it will strive to ensure that people work together to fight the second wave of COVID-19 and to mount a strong economic recovery.

In a throne speech read by Lieutenant Governor Janet Austin, the government says vaccines herald better days ahead but the virus still poses urgent challenges in the short term.

It says a tax-free pandemic recovery payment of one-thousand dollars to eligible families and 500-dollars to individuals will help people during a hard time, while benefiting the local economy.

The plan was to deliver the benefit in time for Christmas but the government says in a news release that the benefits will not come until year's end.

Latest news

CanadaSep 25, 2026

Canada, Germany Sign Intelligence-Sharing Agreement

Canada has announced a significant intelligence-sharing agreement with Germany aimed at strengthening cooperation in defence, security, trade and advanced technologies. Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand and German Foreign Affairs Minister Johann Wadephul signed the agreement in Ottawa on Friday. The deal will enable the secure exchange of intelligence not only on sensitive defence and security matters but also in areas such as trade and advanced technologies. Referring to Prime Minister Mark Carney’s speech to the European Parliament last week, Anand said Germany plays an important role i
CanadaSep 25, 2026

Canada-U.S. Air Travel Rebounds, Passenger Numbers Rise 5.9% in August

The decline in air travel from Canada to the United States, which had continued year over year for 18 consecutive months, has now come to an end. According to August data from Statistics Canada, the significant slowdown in Canadian travel to the U.S. caused by trade and political tensions between the two countries earlier in 2025 appears to be easing. The number of Canadian air passengers travelling to the U.S. increased by 5.9% year over year in August, compared with a 0.9% decline in July. Statistics Canada said Toronto Pearson and Montréal-Trudeau airports recorded double-digit growth in a
eby-announces-new-tax-on-empty-condos-in-b-c
BCSep 25, 2026

Eby Announces New Tax on Empty Condos in B.C.

B.C. NDP Leader David Eby announced during a campaign stop in Burnaby that, if re-elected, his government would introduce a new empty condo tax targeting developers who leave completed condo units unsold and vacant for more than a year. Under the proposed measure, the tax would increase by one percentage point for each additional year a unit remains vacant. Eby said just 10 developers are holding more than $2 billion worth of completed condos that they are unwilling to sell at what he described as reasonable prices. He warned developers that they would have to either sell the units or pay the
canada-u-s-trade-deal-could-take-time-as-trump-administration-shows-no-urgency
CanadaSep 25, 2026

Canada-U.S. Trade Deal Could Take Time as Trump Administration Shows No Urgency

Resolving the trade dispute between Canada and the United States could take considerable time, as the Trump administration says it is in no rush to reach a new trade agreement with Canada. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told CNBC in an interview Friday that significant trade is still taking place between the two countries and that the Trump administration is satisfied with the current situation. Greer said the U.S. trade policy is global in scope and applies equally to countries including Canada, China, the U.K. and Brazil. He also confirmed that his team remains in contact with Cana
45-year-old-man-arrested-over-alleged-threats-against-pm-mark-carney-on-social-media
CanadaSep 25, 2026

45-Year-Old Man Arrested Over Alleged Threats Against PM Mark Carney on Social Media

RCMP have arrested and charged a 45-year-old Quebec City man for allegedly making threats against Prime Minister Mark Carney on social media. Police identified the accused as Ousmane Bah, who allegedly used his Facebook account to make death threats against the prime minister. The investigation began on July 6, and Bah appeared in court on September 24. He faces charges related to threats to cause death or bodily harm and promoting hatred against a public figure. According to the court’s decision, Bah will remain in police custody until his next court appearance on October 1. This is reporte

Related News