Canada's budget watchdog says the federal government lost at least $439 million so far this year in productivity through a policy that allows civil servants to stay home, with pay, during emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The Parliamentary Budget Office says most of that total was a result of employees at the Canada Revenue Agency staying home, unable to work, between March 15 and May 31. That one department accounted for just over $311 million in paid leave, far ahead of the second-costliest department, Correctional Services Canada, at more than $33.8 million. The PBO report was comp

There are 113,208 confirmed cases in Canada. Quebec: 58,243 confirmed (including 5,663 deaths, 50,615 resolved) Ontario: 38,405 confirmed (including 2,758 deaths, 34,100 resolved) Alberta: 10,086 confirmed (including 178 deaths, 8,567 resolved) British Columbia: 3,419 confirmed (including 191 deaths, 2,934 resolved) Saskatchewan: 1,099 confirmed (including 16 deaths, 848 resolved) Nova Scotia: 1,067 confirmed (including 63 deaths, 1,003 resolved) Manitoba: 371 confirmed (including 7 deaths, 319 resolved), 13 presumptive Newfoundland and Labrador: 265 confirmed (including 3 deaths, 259 resolve

Adrian Dix, Minister of Health, and Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C.’s provincial health officer, have issued the a joint statement regarding updates on the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) response in British Columbia. "Today, we are reporting 27 new cases, including one epi-linked case, for a total of 3,419 cases in British Columbia. "There are 294 active cases of COVID-19 in the province and 2,934 people who tested positive have recovered. "Of the total COVID-19 cases, 12 individuals are hospitalized, three of whom are in intensive care. The remaining people with COVID-19 are recovering at home in self

Further testing of individuals has allowed Interior Health (IH) to identify an additionallocation in Kelowna where individuals may have been exposed to COVID-19. Individuals who visited Fossello’s clothing store, 565 Bernard Avenue, on July 18 or on the morning ofJuly 20 (10 a.m. – 12 p.m.) are asked to self-monitor themselves closely for symptoms of COVID-19. Individuals have been asked to get tested if they begin to exhibit symptoms. Public health contact tracing is under way, and where possible, IH is reaching out directly to individualswho have been exposed.

Police say a woman suffered serious injuries after being pushed onto the tracks in front of an oncoming train in New Westminster, B.C. Officers, along with ambulance and fire personnel, arrived to find a 32 year old woman trapped beneath a train at a SkyTrain station. Police say the woman was conscious when she was freed and suffered non life threatening injuries. A 24 year old man was arrested at the scene but released and police say the investigation is continuing. Acting Insp. Andrew Perry says interviews with witnesses and the suspect as well as a review of SkyTrain video revealed the wom

The legal team representing Huawei CFO Meng Wenzhou has filed another raft of documents urging a BC court to throw out the extradition proceeding against her. The documents allege US President Donald Trump has ``poisoned'' the case against Meng and has abused the legal process by trying to use the telecom executive as a ``bargaining chip'' in trade negotiations. Meng's team says the BC Supreme Court Justice hearing the extradition case against Meng has the power to stay the proceedings when these arguments are presented to her in February. At the request of the US, Meng was arrested in Decemb

Vancouver City Council has approved a ban on the sale of bear bangers and other exploding animal deterrents within city limits. Council says the new rule takes effect immediately and violators face a maximum $1,000 fine. The ban comes as several neighbourhoods have been repeatedly rocked at all hours by blasts from bear bangers, devices with an explosive charge that is supposed to be used to scare away curious bruins. Council says Vancouver residents who need bear bangers outside the city can buy them online or in neighbouring communities while the city mulls a permitting system to provide th

Canada's chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam is doubling down on warnings to young Canadians to stop fuelling the spread of the novel coronavirus. Tam says that age group accounted for the highest incidence rates for COVID-19 cases in the past two weeks. "I must urge all Canadians, particularly younger adults, to not give in to COVID-19 fatigue," she said Friday in Ottawa."This is your generation and your future that is being shaped. Younger age groups are not invincible against COVID-19," said Tam, who returned to the government's public briefings after her own summer break.Chief publ

Congress MLAs supporting Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot raised slogans at Raj Bhawan on July 24. The protest is being made over the issue of convening of the Assembly session. Chief Minister had met Governor Kalraj Mishra in the afternoon of July 24. Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot after meeting Governor Kalraj Mishra in the Raj Bhawan on July 24 said that he would have not stooped the assembly session without some pressure from the top. Ashok Gehlot said, "Governor is our constitutional head. I don't hesitate to say that he couldn't have stopped it without some pressure from the top. Why d