The provincial government has purchased a former motel in Campbell River to house residents displaced by a blaze that left 92 people homeless in that city in April. BC Housing's purchase of the former Heritage River Inn will provide 41 units of stable, long-term, affordable rental housing for the low-income residents who escaped the fire. Finding a home in the Campbell River area is challenging at the best of times but the COVID-19 pandemic has made the search even more complicated. North Island MLA Claire Trevena says purchase of the old motel will provide security and peace of mind while th

Statistics Canada says the economy in the first quarter had its worst showing since 2009 as steps taken to slow the spread of COVID-19 forced businesses across the country to close their doors and lay off workers.Statistics Canada says gross domestic product fell at an annualized rate of 8.2 per cent in the first three months of 2020.The collapse came as gross domestic product for March fell 7.2 per cent as restrictions by public health officials and school closures began rolling out during the month.The average economist estimate is for a nine per cent drop in gross domestic product for March

A white police officer seen on video kneeling on a black man's neck for eight minutes as he pleaded he couldn't breathe has been arrested. The arrest of Derek Chauvin in the death of George Floyd follows three nights of increasing violence in Minneapolis. Last night, protesters torched the police station where Chauvin and three other officers seen in the video worked. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz says the state is taking over the response to the protests and will show respect and dignity for those who are suffering.

Police in Metro Vancouver are searching for a woman who casually approached a senior who was using a walker, tripped her from behind and walked away.Burnaby RCMP have released video of the April 3 assault that was caught on surveillance cameras mounted at the Metrotown SkyTrain station.Police say the 84-year-old victim, who is of Asian descent, was shaken but not seriously hurt. The suspect is described as a woman, possibly Asian, wearing a face mask, a long, dark puffy jacket, dark tights, light shoes and carrying a large, beige purse.Investigators say there is no immediate indication the ca

The cruise-ship season in Canada is all but dead as Ottawa extends a ban on ships in Canadian waters until the end of October.Transportation Minister Marc Garneau says passenger ships with overnight accommodations for more than 100 passengers can't operate in Canadian waters until at least Oct. 31.In March the government barred ships with more than 500 passengers until July 1 but Garneau is expanding that ban today.He says he understands that this will have a big economic impact on the tourism industry and that the government is looking at what to do about that.Last year 140 cruise ships brou

Minneapolis police station torched amid George Floyd protestProtesters angered by the death of a black man who died while pleading for air as a white police officer kneeled on his neck have torched a Minneapolis police station that the department abandoned.Thursday marked a third night of violent protests following the death of George Floyd, who died in a confrontation with officers outside a grocery store. Fires burned Friday morning in Minneapolis and nearby St. Paul.National Guard members were being stationed in locations to help stem looting.Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey's defended the cit

There are 88,512 confirmed and presumptive cases in Canada. Quebec: 49,702 confirmed (including 4,302 deaths, 15,618 resolved) Ontario: 26,866 confirmed (including 2,189 deaths, 20,673 resolved) Alberta: 6,955 confirmed (including 143 deaths, 6,160 resolved) British Columbia: 2,558 confirmed (including 163 deaths, 2,153 resolved) Nova Scotia: 1,055 confirmed (including 59 deaths, 977 resolved) Saskatchewan: 639 confirmed (including 10 deaths, 568 resolved) Manitoba: 283 confirmed (including 7 deaths, 273 resolved), 11 presumptive Newfoundland and Labrador: 261 confirmed (including 3 deaths, 2

Donald Trump launched a Twitter war of a different sort Thursday, picking a fight with the online platforms that helped to shape his political career. A feud that, should it escalate, could curtail free speech in the United States and even run afoul of North America's new trade pact. Angered by Twitter's decision to place fact-check flags on two of his recent tweets, Trump signed an executive order Thursday authorizing a review of Section 230 of the U.S. Communications Decency Act. Act is considered a cornerstone of the modern-day internet that protects online platforms from being held liable

The COVID-19 outbreak at the Mission prison in BC's Fraser Valley has been declared over. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says there have been no new cases for two incubation periods in what was one of the largest outbreaks in the province. More than 130 inmates and staff tested positive for the virus and one inmate died. Henry says the protocols that were developed to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the prison are being used in federal correctional facilities across the country. Two more people died in the province and nine others were diagnosed with the virus, while two thousan