The B.C. government says it will increase surveillance this weekend as an order limiting the number of people who can visit a home is in effect because of COVID-19. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry announced this week that gatherings are now limited to people in an immediate household, plus their so-called ``safe six''' guests. In a joint statement, Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix are reminding people to make the Halloween weekend safe for everyone by maintaining safe physical distances from one another. They say this is also not the time for large gatherings in homes as the nu

Canada will seek to admit 401,000 new permanent residents next year, a target that if met would be a historic number of newcomers. But how realistic that plan is in an era of closed borders, a massive economic downturn and reduced capacity within the federal government to handle applications remains to be seen. Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino unveiled the government's latest immigration targets today in a report tabled to Parliament. Between 2021 and 2023, the goal is to admit upwards of 1.2 million new permanent residents. The plan tabled in Parliament did not break out the targets f

The Manitoba government is ordering many businesses in the Winnipeg region to close after a record increase in COVID-19 cases. The province is reporting 480 new COVID-19 cases, more than double the previous daily record. Starting Monday, bars and restaurants in the Winnipeg region will only be allowed to offer takeout and delivery. Movie theatres and concert halls will be closed and most retail stores will be limited to 25 per cent capacity. Elective and non-urgent surgeries in the Winnipeg region are being cancelled, and hospital visits across Manitoba are being suspended. Case numbers in th

Chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam says if Canadians continue their current rates of contact, COVID-19 case counts will reach eight-thousand per day by December. Dr. Tam says further restrictions and closures may be needed in communities where the virus is surging. Quebec is reporting 952 new cases of COVID-19 and 18 more deaths today while Quebec is reporting 896 new cases and another nine deaths. Ontario Premier Doug Ford's constituency office is being deep-cleaned and will be closed for the foreseeable future after some staff members tested positive for COVID-19. The premier's off

A seven-day search for two mushroom pickers in British Columbia has ended with both found dead. RCMP Sgt. Sascha Banks says the body of 48 year old Peter Oleski was found Thursday by a volunteer search group from the Lil'wat Nation. Search and rescue teams found the body of 21 year old River Leo a short time later. The father and son had set out for a day of mushroom picking last Thursday in the mountains overlooking the community of Pemberton, 150 kilometres north of Vancouver. Members of the Lil'wat Nation, Stl'atl'imx Tribal Police, RCMP, Comox 442 Squadron and dozens of search teams from

A man convicted of first-degree murder has walked away from a prison in British Columbia. The Correctional Service of Canada says Roderick Muchikekwanape was confirmed missing at 10 p.m., Thursday. He was serving a life sentence in the minimum security unit of the Mission Institution, east of Vancouver. A statement from the correctional service says RCMP has issued a warrant for his arrest. Muchikekwanape is 41 years old, six feet tall and 217 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. He was convicted of the sexual assault and slaying of a 36 year old mother of three in Winnipeg in 1998.

On May 22, 2020, Surrey RCMP issued a public warning advising that high-risk sex offender, Kristjon Olson, was released from custody and would be residing in Surrey. Olson was subject to a court order that required him to follow a number of strict conditions.On September 4, 2020 at approximately 6:30 a.m., the Surrey RCMP Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) team, with the assistance of the Surrey RCMP High Risk Target Team (HRTT) and the Vancouver Police Department, arrested Kristjon Olson for breaching a court ordered condition. Surrey RCMP ICE also launched an investigation into additional chi

A strong earthquake in the Aegean Sea between the Turkish coast and the Greek island of Samos collapsed buildings in western Turkey, killing 14 people and injuring over 400. Earthquake officials said a small tsunami struck the Seferisar district south of Izmir. Officials said 12 people were killed in Izmir, Turkey's third-largest city, including one person who drowned. Two teenagers were killed on Samos when a wall collapsed. Seismologists said the earthquake had a magnitude of 6.9 and was centred in the Aegean at a depth of 16.5 kilometres, or 10.3 miles. Izmir Gov. Yavuz Selim Kosger said a

The pace of economic growth in Canada slowed in August as real gross domestic product grew 1.2 per cent in the month, Statistics Canada said Friday. The rise compared with a revised 3.1 per cent gain in July, up from its initial reading for the month of 3.0 per cent. The report came as the agency also released a preliminary estimate for a gain of 0.7 per cent in September to bring growth in the third quarter to about 10 per cent. Economists on average had expected an increase of 0.9 per cent for August, according to financial data firm Refinitiv. TD Bank senior economist Sri Thanabalasingam