The Public Health Agency of Canada is getting a new president as the country heads into the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has tapped Iain Stewart, currently head of the National Research Council of Canada, to take over the role. Last week, the federal public health agency's president, Tina Namiesniowski, announced she was stepping down. She sent a letter to the agency's staff saying that after months of responding to the health crisis, ``none of us are superhuman'' and that she needed a break. Stewart, who has been a senior member of the public service fo

The federal Liberals plan to spend $1 billion over the next six months so cities and other housing providers can keep people from becoming homeless. The rapid-housing funds can be used to buy properties being sold because of the COVID-19 pandemic, or to build new modular units.The Liberals expect the program will create 3,000 new affordable housing units across Canada.They want all the funds to be committed by the end of March 2021. The funding will be available to municipalities, provinces, territories, Indigenous governing bodies and agencies and non-profit organizations. Social Development

John Horgan met with Lt.-Gov. Janet Austin today, and later announced a provincial election. Election will be held on Oct. 24th. Horgan called an 11 a.m. news conference following the meeting with the lieutenant-governor. Horgan says, "British Columbians deserve a say in our economic recovery and will decide the future of our province.'' B.C. had a fixed election date set for October 2021, but Horgan had earlier said he was considering his political options. The NDP formed a minority government in B.C. three years ago after signing a deal with the Green party. But in recent weeks, Horgan has s

The B.C. government says it will launch three cannabis programs over the next two years to help small and Indigenous growers compete with larger rivals.A farm-gate program would allow growers to sell their products at stores located at their production sites. Another program would allow small cannabis producers, licensed by Health Canada, to deliver cannabis directly to authorized retailers. The government did not say how it will define small producers, but says nurseries will be included in the policy. Both programs are expected to launch in 2022, a year after the province hopes to start an i

Another MLA has added her name to the list of B.C. cabinet ministers who say they won't seek re-election.Transportation Minister Claire Trevena says in a news release that after serving as the North Island's representative for 15 years, the time has come for a new challenge.Trevena joins ministers Judy Darcy, Michelle Mungall, Shane Simpson, Scott Fraser and Doug Donaldson in recently revealing plans to step away from provincial politics.Finance Minister Carole James announced in March she won't seek re-election for health reasons.

Three law enforcement officials say a woman suspected of sending an envelope containing the poison ricin, which was addressed to White House, has been arrested at the New York-Canada border.The officials say the woman was taken into custody by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers and is expected to face federal charges.RCMP have said the letter addressed to the White House appeared to have originated in Canada.Officials say it was intercepted at a government facility that screens mail addressed to the White House and President Donald Trump and a preliminary investigation indicated it t

Health officials in B.C. are urging residents to think of the consequences of their actions, as they linked the growing number of COVID-19 cases to behaviour during the Labour Day long weekend. The health minister and the provincial health officer say in a joint statement that no one intends to pass the virus on to friends or family, and people need to think about how they socialize. The province says it can take up to two weeks for symptoms of COVID-19 to fully develop, and people to make sure they do not inadvertently spread the virus. The province announced 139 new cases of COVID-19 on Fri

Mexican authorities say seizures of the synthetic opioid fentanyl so far this year are 465% higher than in 2019, but progress against the other big Mexican export to the U.S. market, methamphetamines, is slower. The Defence Department said seizures of meth in Mexico rose by only 32.8% between Jan. 1 and Sept. 16, but busts of meth labs dropped 51% compared to the same period of last year. In a similar pattern, Mexico's seizures of cocaine rose by 46%, but seizures of key transport methods like boats and clandestine landing strips were down by 64% and 79%, respectively.

Border officials say a man from Alaska has been charged with smuggling assault-style guns at a border crossing in British Columbia. The Canada Border Services Agency said Friday that a 33-year-old man was arrested at the Abbotsford-Huntingdon crossing on July 27 when officers seized 14 firearms. They say in a news release the weapons seized included four prohibited semi-automatic rifles, three prohibited handguns, a restricted handgun and six non-restricted long guns. The agency says Corey Kettering was released on an undertaking and is scheduled to appear in Abbotsford provincial court on Mo