Canada's chief public health officer says recent data suggesting opioid-related deaths are at an all-time high is a sobering reminder of how the COVID-19 pandemic is exacerbating the overdose crisis. Dr. Theresa Tam says there were more than 1,600 opioid-related deaths in Canada between April and June, the highest number recorded in a quarter since national surveillance began in 2016. Dr. Tam says prior to the pandemic's onset, some parts of the country were seeing early signs that opioid-related deaths were on the decline, but the COVID-19 crisis seems to have reversed those gains. She sa

RCMP in Burnaby say a school was locked down yesterday after police received reports of a fight involving a gun outside. The Mounties say in a news release that responding officers found and arrested two people. They say the gun was located and identified as an airsoft pistol. RCMP say there were no serious injuries reported. Later the lockdown at Burnaby South Secondary was lifted.

Poor weather conditions have led the RCMP to suspend the ground search for five missing Nova Scotia fishermen for a second day. But they will search the Bay of Fundy shoreline using a helicopter from the province's Department of Lands and Forestry. The 15-metre scallop dragger Chief William Saulis had six fishermen aboard when it is believed to have capsized in three-metre waves near Delaps Cove on Tuesday morning. The company that owns and operates the boat, Yarmouth Sea Products, has said the crew did not issue a distress call and it appears the vessel capsized, with its automatic emergency

The Surrey RCMP General Investigation Unit (GIU) is investigating a shooting with ties to gang activity, in Newton. Shortly before 2 a.m. on December 18, 2020, Surrey RCMP responded to a report of shots fired in the 6200-block of 132A Street. Surrey RCMP responded to the call and found evidence confirming that a shooting had occurred. While the residence was occupied at the time, no one was injured. Early indications are that this was a targeted incident connected to the Lower Mainland Gang Conflict, with no on-going risk to public safety. Surrey RCMP GIU is continuing the investigation as off

A high volume of online applications for the British Columbia COVID-19 recovery benefit has slowed the process. Some users have reported getting an error on the site when making their application for the benefit of up to $1,000. A Finance Ministry spokeswoman says there were about 2,500 applications in the first few minutes of the site opening on Friday, but the page hasn't crashed and those applying are being urged to be patient. Finance Minister Selina Robinson has asked the public to be respectful to staff at a Service BC call centre as they help people apply for the benefit, which was pro

The RCMP has set up a dedicated witness phone line and email after concluding a fire at Burnaby Hospital last month was set on purpose. Fraser Health has said the November 15th fire contributed to COVID-19 outbreak declared at the hospital one week earlier. It says patients had to be moved for their immediate safety and at least 10 people died from COVID-19 during the outbreak. The hospital's emergency department was temporarily closed and some medical appointments and surgeries were rescheduled. Fraser Health said the fire started in one wing and affected several other parts of the building

More than 300 schoolboys kidnapped last week in an attack on their school in northwest Nigeria have arrived in the capital of Katsina state to celebrate their release. The boys were abducted one week ago from the all-boys Government Science Secondary School in Kankara in Katsina state village. Nigeria's Boko Haram jihadist rebels claimed responsibility for the abduction, saying they attacked the school because it believes Western education is un-Islamic, factional leader Abubakar Shekau said in a video earlier this week. More than 800 students were at the school at the time of the attack. Hun

Farm laws have not been introduced overnight, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday while adding that over the last 20 to 30 years, Centre and State Governments had detailed discussions on these reforms. "Farm Laws have not been introduced overnight. Over the last 20-30 years, central government and state governments had detailed discussions on these reforms. Agriculture experts, economists and progressive farmers have been demanding reforms," said PM Modi while addressing farmers at the 'Kisan Kalyan' event in Raisen through video conferencing. "I request all political parties with fol

Foreign Affairs Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne is shooting back at China's criticism of efforts to build international support for freeing two detained Canadians. Champagne tells The Canadian Press he'll take no lessons from China when it comes to defending Canadian interests and standing up for Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor. He has led Canadian efforts to create a coalition of dozens of countries pushing China to release the two men, whom they say are being arbitrarily and unjustly imprisoned. Kovrig and Spavor were arrested two years ago this month and now face what Canada and its