One of the scientists behind the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine is warning that the next pandemic may be more contagious and more lethal unless more money is devoted to research and preparations to fight emerging viral threats. Professor Sarah Gilbert says scientific advances made in fighting deadly viruses must not be lost because of the cost of fighting the current pandemic. Gilbert is calling on governments to redouble their commitment to scientific research and pandemic preparedness.

Police in Abbotsford say officers found human remains after responding to reports of a vehicle on fire early yesterday morning. The forensic identification unit was at the scene, but police offered no further details, noting the investigation had just begun. Anyone with information is asked to contact Abbotsford police.

B-C has expanded emergency financial assistance for people affected by extensive flooding and landslides over the last three weeks. The Ministry of Public Safety says the disaster financial assistance program is available to help eligible people recover from the impacts of a series of destructive storms between November 14th and December 2nd. It says eligibility has been expanded to affected residents in the northwest, southwest, central and southeast regions as well as Vancouver Island. Applications will be accepted until March 3rd

The R-C-M-P say a man sustained non-life-threatening injuries in what they believe may have been a targeted shooting in Coquitlam on Saturday. The Mounties say the man's nine-year-old son, who was in the back seat of the vehicle at the time of the shooting, was unharmed. They say there's not enough information yet to establish or rule out a link between the shooting and gang conflict in the Lower Mainland, but they don't believe it was a completely random act. A silver sedan was seen leaving the area after the shooting and police are asking anyone who was around Westwood Plateau between 4:2

Snowfall warnings covered Vancouver Island and parts of B-C's south coast overnight, with the potential for wet flurries lasting into this afternoon. Environment Canada says much of the island could see between five and 10 centimetres of snow near the water and up to 20 at higher elevations inland. Between two and 10 centimetres of snow was expected to fall over the Greater Victoria area, Sunshine Coast and the southern Gulf Islands. The same amount was expected across the Lower Mainland, including Howe Sound, Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley.

B.C. is reporting 405 new cases of COVID-19, including five new epi-linked cases, for a total of 219,584 cases in the province.There are currently 3,071 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, and 214,047 people who tested positive have recovered. Of the active cases, 276 individuals are currently in hospital and 95 are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.In the past 24 hours, six new deaths have been reported, for an overall total of 2,351.The new deaths include:Fraser Health: threeIsland Health: twoVancouver Coastal Health: oneThere is one new h

Marie-Claude Bibeau, federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, and Lana Popham, British Columbia’s Minister of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries held a virtual roundtable with B.C.’s agricultural sector yesterday to listen to their concerns following the devastating floods and landslides and to discuss both immediate and long-term support for the B.C. agriculture and agri-food industry.Extreme weather events in B.C. have caused many agricultural producers and their families to struggle in extremely challenging circumstances as they deal with the loss of businesses, homes, livestock, cro

Statistics Canada says BC added 4,600 jobs in the province last month, although Job Minister Ravi Kahlon says his ministry waiting to see what impact the extreme flooding may have on the economy. Kahlon says the province has endured one challenge after another, including COVID-19, the summer's heat dome, wildfires and recent flooding and mudslides, but the resilience of people, businesses and communities has shone through at every turn. The minister says in a statement BC's unemployment rate remains one of the lowest in the country, and it leads the nation with a job recovery rate of 102 per

The RCMP say there have been several dangerous incidents recently where rocks have been thrown from an overpass on Highway 99 in south Surrey, B.C. The Mounties say the rocks were thrown from a pedestrian overpass between the 32nd Avenue and King George Boulevard exits and have struck vehicles, but no one has been injured. Vehicles that have been damaged include a bus, and police say in one incident, a rock the size of a baseball was found. The first of the three incidents happened on the evening of Nov. 26 when a semi-truck and the bus were damaged. The next one happened at night three days