The number of fatal overdoses in Yukon has leaped to 13 so far this year, more than doubling the number recorded in the territory for all of last year. Yukon Health Minister Pauline Frost says most of the deaths are linked to increasingly toxic opioids that have replaced the regular supply of street drugs during the COVID-19 pandemic. She says drug testing will be stepped up across Yukon and several other harm reduction measures are being launched. Enhanced training on the use of naloxone, which can reverse opioid overdoses, begins next week in Watson Lake and the community will proclaim Augu

A worker at an overdose prevention site in Vancouver is being remembered as a ``beautiful person'' who ``saved many lives.'' Vancouver police say 41 year old Thomas Donaghy was fatally stabbed after being involved in a fight with an unknown man outside the overdose prevention clinic where he was working. Fellow volunteers at the clinic say Donaghy had just stepped out for a break at about 8:30 Monday when he was attacked and stabbed. Police are seeking dash cam video taken near St. Paul's Hospital at that time and say investigators believe several witnesses to the city's ninth murder of the y

British Columbia's massive Site C hydroelectric dam project has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic and now faces construction delays and rising costs.BC Hydro president Chris O'Riley says in a quarterly update submitted to the B.C. Utilities Commission that the pandemic has had a material impact on safety, cost and schedule for the project in northeast B.C.Site C's budget in April 2018 was estimated at $10.7 billion, including reserve and contingency funds amounting to about $1.5 billion for unexpected costs.O'Riley's update to the utilities commission does not estimate the extent of incre

The government is going to create a transitional benefit to help workers such as gig or contract employees, who exhaust the Canada Emergency Response Benefit and don't qualify for employment insurance.The CERB is due to wind down in several weeks. Today's announcement means those who are eligible for E-I will move to the separate program. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the program will include access to training, and the ability to work more hours without having such a steep clawback of benefit payments.

Canadians can now begin downloading a voluntary smartphone app meant to warn users they've been near someone who tests positive for COVID-19. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he downloaded the "COVID Alert" app this morning and says the more people who sign up to use it, the better it will be able to trace — and help to slow — the spread of the novel coronavirus. The app is designed to track the location of phones relative to each other, without collecting personal data anywhere centrally, using digital identifications unique to each device. Then users can be notified if their phones hav

The man accused of ramming through a gate at Rideau Hall while heavily armed is staying in an Ontario jail for another three weeks. Corey Hurren was arrested July 2 and has not yet had a bail hearing. He had a brief appearance in an Ottawa court this morning, only to have Aug. 21 set as the date for his next appearance. The Manitoba military reservist and sausage-maker faces 21 weapons charges and one of threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Police say Hurren broke through a side gate early in the morning the day after Canada Day and made his way toward the residence where Trudeau and hi

Canadian National Railway Co. says one of its trains has derailed east of Winnipeg along Highway 1, causing a small fire. CN says there are no reports of injuries and there are no dangerous goods involved. The company says the derailed train cars are carrying potash. RCMP say the derailment occurred near Deacons Corner about 20 kilometres east of Winnipeg. Mounties were called to the scene at approximately 5 p.m. CN says the cause of the derailment is under investigation.

There are 115,799 confirmed cases in Canada. Quebec: 59,131 confirmed (including 5,673 deaths, 50,886 resolved) Ontario: 39,075 confirmed (including 2,772 deaths, 34,906 resolved) Alberta: 10,716 confirmed (including 195 deaths, 9,113 resolved) British Columbia: 3,591 confirmed (including 194 deaths, 3,155 resolved) Saskatchewan: 1,306 confirmed (including 18 deaths, 948 resolved) Nova Scotia: 1,067 confirmed (including 64 deaths, 1,003 resolved) Manitoba: 395 confirmed (including 8 deaths, 325 resolved), 14 presumptive Newfoundland and Labrador: 266 confirmed (including 3 deaths, 259 resolve

There are currently five people in hospital, sickened with COVID-19, the lowest number since March. Health Minister Adrian Dix says he's pleased to see the lower figure from the peak of 144 people in hospital. There are no deaths to report, but another 29 positive cases have been added to list. While there are no new outbreaks, there are now 59 cases linked to Fraser Valley Packers, the Abbotsford berry packing plant. Total number of COVID-19 cases in British Columbia is now 3,591.