As of April 3, 2023, BC Public Service employees will no longer be required to provide proof of vaccination against COVID-19.The decision to rescind the policy was made based on the high level of vaccination among public-service employees and the current state of the pandemic.More than 98% of employees met the requirement, which helped keep everyone safe.Rescinding the vaccination policy means a small number of employees on administrative leave due to non-compliance will be provided the opportunity to return to the workplace.The Public Service Agency has provided direction to ministries and wi

The Supreme Court of Canada has overturned a British Columbia court ruling and restored two voyeurism convictions against a former Metro Vancouver minor hockey coach.Randy Downes had coached minor hockey and children's baseball in Burnaby and Coquitlam for 30 years when he was charged in 2016 after border agents found images on his phone as he returned to Canada from Washington state.All the images involved youths who were clothed and none were deemed pornographic, but Downes was convicted of two counts of voyeurism in 2019 for separate events where surreptitious cellphone photos were taken of

The B.C Civil Liberties Association is the latest to strip an award from a once powerful advocate and educator whose claims of Indigenous ancestry have been discredited.The association says it has rescinded the Reg Robson civil liberties award granted to Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond in 2020.A statement from the association says Turpel-Lafond, B.C's former representative for children and youth has not explained allegations about her claim to Cree heritage and remains quiet about professional accomplishments that are now being questioned, such as her reported designation as a Queen's Counsel in Sask

More than 1,000 volunteers have fanned out across Metro Vancouver for the first homeless count since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.The Homeless Services Association of BC says 11 municipalities across the Lower Mainland are taking part in the 24-hour, point-in-time count, which began Tuesday evening.The association says its volunteers try to be as accurate as possible in order to understand who is living without safe, affordable, appropriate housing, and why they are in that situation.The hidden homeless, such as couch surfers or those living in vehicles, are likely under-represented, but

On the occasion of Hola Mohalla, Premier David Eby has issued a statement wishing a happy and joyous festival to the Sikh community of B.C. and worldwide. The statement read, "Today, we join the many Sikhs in British Columbia and around the world who will celebrate the beginning of Hola Mohalla. The three-day festival is a time for communal meals, prayer and religious songs, as well as lively, colourful processions, including displays of Gatka, the traditional Sikh form of self-defence martial arts. On behalf of all British Columbians, I wish a joyous festival to everyone celebrating Hola Moha

The province is moving to improve food security in B.C. by creating new and enhanced programs to strengthen the food supply chain and expand local food production.Premier David Eby made the announcement today, saying more than 200-million dollars is being pumped into food security supports.A statement from the premier's office says food security provides an available, affordable, uninterrupted supply of nutritious food while building effective programs for people and communities most at risk from inflation, climate events and supply chain upheavals.The Ministry of Agriculture and Food will inv

Councillors in Surrey, B.C., plan to use newly allotted provincial funding to reduce the city's proposed 17.5 percent property tax increase slated for the 2023 civic budget. During a finance committee meeting on Monday, councillors voted to send the budget back to staff so an $89.9 million allotment from the province's Growing Communities Fund could be applied to the bottom line.A statement from the city says council has asked staff to use the money to cut the overall proposed property tax increase from 17.5 percent to no more than 12.5 per cent.The revised budget is expected to be ready for r

The failure of a massive, multi-year money laundering investigation to yield charges is a "shocking" example of the shortfalls of federal financial crime law, British Columbia Premier David Eby said Thursday. Eby called for tougher laws a day after B.C.'s prosecution service announced no charges will be laid in the E-Nationalize investigation into millions of dollars that moved through B.C. casinos and Chinese bank accounts. "Obviously, there's a serious problem with federal criminal law that allows this conduct to continue in our province," he said.Special prosecutor Chris Considine issued wh

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he is "as surprised as" British Columbia Premier David Eby after a firm received Health Canada licence amendments to produce and sell cocaine. Trudeau says the federal government is talking to Adastra Labs of Langley, B.C., about changing the language of its statements, after the company said it is looking for ways to incorporate cocaine into its business plan. This comes as a second B.C. company says it is now licensed to produce, sell and distribute cocaine and MDMA, also known as ecstasy, although Health Canada says they cannot sell products to the general