A panel gathering public input on coal mining in the Alberta Rockies will have another six weeks to hand in its report.Energy Minister Sonya Savage says in a statement that she's granted the committee's request for an extension until the end of the year because of the volume of material it has received.The panel says it has received more than 1,000 emailed documents and 170 detailed written submissions, along with associated materials from 67 meetings across the province.The five-member panel was supposed to deliver two reports to Savage on Monday _ one summarizing what it heard and another on

The Three Amigos are back on.The White House announced this morning that U.S. President Joe Biden will host Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador in Washington, D.C., next week.The meeting will mark the first North American Leaders' Summit since 2016, before U.S. president Donald Trump's election as president put the gathering on hiatus.It will be Trudeau's first visit to Washington since Biden since became president in January.The White House says this year's iteration will be held on Nov. 18 and will see the three leaders discuss a range of issues fa

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says unvaccinated health-care workers will be offered the first opportunity to receive the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine against COVID-19 when it arrives in British Columbia next week. Dr. Henry says the federal government will provide B.C. with a limited number of doses of the vaccine, which has been widely used in the United States. She says the vaccine has not yet been available in the province. Dr. Henry says some unvaccinated health-care workers who were placed on mandatory unpaid leave for three months have suggested they would take

Several federal Conservative party members from BC have been named to the Tory's newly announced shadow cabinet. Party leader Erin O'Toole released his critics list this morning, including Central Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola MP Dan Albas as environment and climate change critic. Former Conservative minister and Abbotsford MP Ed Fast is critic for Innovation, Science and Industry and another former minister. South Surrey-White Rock's Kerry-Lynne Findlay, has been named critic for national defence. In all, eight of 13 BC MP's have a place in O'Toole's shadow cabinet.

Police in Vancouver say three suspects brandished guns in the attempted theft of 21-dollars worth of ice cream from a grocery store last night. They say a 40 year old suspect flashed a gun while attempting to steal three tubs of ice cream, and two accomplices did the same thing to allow him to flee when staff tried to stop him. Sergeant Steve Addison says such a level of violence in a petty crime is shocking and unacceptable. Addison says the ice-cream thief and his alleged accomplices, a 27 year old man and a 31 year old woman were each arrested for robbery.

BC Hydro says storm-related outages are more frequent in British Columbia due to climate change but when it comes to preparing for a blackout, a new report shows Lower Mainland residents are in the dark. The report from the Crown utility says more than half of Lower Mainland residents think their region is the most prepared for storm-related power outages, but fewer than half have an outage plan or emergency kit at home. Hydro spokesman Kyle Donaldson says people in areas such as northern B.C., where outages are more frequent, are less confident in their region's preparedness, but 62 per cent

Just as Fraser Health declared a COVID-19 outbreak over at Chilliwack General Hospital, it has declared a new outbreak at Burnaby Hospital. The health authority says two patients have tested positive in the outbreak limited to one medicine unit, which has been closed to admissions. It says infection control measures are in place and other areas of the hospital have not been affected, with the emergency department remaining open. There are 33 active COVID-19 outbreaks in health-care facilities across BC, including nine in acute care facilities.

The RCMP say BC's police watchdog has been called to investigate an incident in Surrey last Friday night that resulted in one woman being hospitalized. The Mounties say the woman was arrested on an outstanding warrant and taken to their Surrey detachment after medical personnel cleared her for incarceration. In the early hours of Sunday morning, they say a guard noticed the woman had fallen from the bunk in her cell to the floor, where she was found unresponsive. The RCMP say a nurse began life saving efforts before she was taken to hospital in serious condition, and the Independent Investiga

Vancouver Police are investigating a brazen car theft from the Downtown Eastside, which occurred while a mother and her baby were sleeping in the vehicle."For a suspect to steal a car while it was occupied with people is exceptionally bold," says Constable Tania Visintin. "Thankfully, the woman and her child were physically uninjured and none of their belongings were taken."On November 5, just before 3:30 p.m., a man parked his vehicle near Keefer and Abbott streets while he went to a nearby grocery store. His wife and three month old baby remained in the vehicle while napping. It was during t