Laird Cronk, the president of the BC Federation of Labour, is critical of the decision, saying provincial data indicates that while workers may take an average of 4.8 sick days annually, countries like New Zealand, Australia, Sweden and Germany have 10 days or more. He says that is what it takes to make sure workers have the economic stability to stay home when they are sick. Workers in British Columbia will be eligible for a minimum of five sick days per year starting January 1st. Labour Minister Harry Bains says the new sick leave policy affects all workers covered by the province's Employ

Vancouver police say they have arrested and charged a woman who allegedly assaulted a senior in the Downtown Eastside last month. Sergeant Steve Addison says the 71 year old victim was confronted by a woman who yelled at her and then assaulted her. He says the victim suffered a broken arm and was hospitalized. Police say the BC Prosecution Service conducted an independent review of the evidence and has now charged a 27-year-old woman with one count of assault causing bodily harm.

The B-C government says it's making headway on recovery since last week's floods with supply chains stabilizing, gas shortages starting to ease and some evacuees allowed to return to their homes.Officials say the major supply route of Highway 1 through the Fraser Valley is on track to reopen later today, but are warning about a series of storms that have already begun sweeping over areas of the province that are struggling to recover from the floods.Transportation Minister Rob Fleming says the government is prepared to close some roads as a precaution as modellers try to predict when and where

B.C. is reporting 322 new cases of COVID-19, including two epi-linked cases, for a total of 216,334 cases in the province.There are 3,015 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, and 210,828 people who tested positive have recovered. Of the active cases, 318 individuals are in hospital and 109 are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.In the last 24 hours, nine new deaths have been reported, for an overall total of 2,313.The new deaths include:Vancouver Coastal Health: threeInterior Health: oneNorthern Health: fiveThere have been no new health-care f

Another person might have died in the flooding in BC's Lower Mainland. RCMP confirm a woman who was unable to get out of her home between Merritt and Spences Bridge has not been seen since last week. Police say the unnamed woman hasn't been seen since November 16th and an investigation by Lillooet RCMP is continuing. This raises to six the number of confirmed or potential victims of recent floods or landslides.

Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth says British Columbia remains in ``uncharted territory'' with several destructive storms set to sweep over areas of the province already struggling to recover from devastating flooding. Wind and rainfall warnings blanketed most of the B.C. coast Wednesday and they come after about a dozen so-called atmospheric rivers have saturated land in the province since September. Farnworth says that even routine rainfall may cause already-swollen rivers to rise to dangerous heights and he urged residents to prepare for evacuations and watch for updates. However, he

Workers in British Columbia will be eligible for a minimum of five paid sick days a year starting in January. The new sick leave policy goes into effect Jan. 1 and affects all workers covered by the province's Employment Standards Act. Labour Minister Harry Bains says the five paid days are fair and were determined following a consultation period that generated 60,000 responses. Bains says the government heard from some who suggested three paid days was an appropriate amount while others wanted 10 days or more. The government says more than one million workers in B.C. don't have paid sick lea

The Canadian Border Services Agency says there was a 24-hour period between Sunday and Monday where BC residents making short trips to the US for essential supplies received fines for not getting a negative COVID-19 test. The federal minister of emergency preparedness says border guards have since been advised that BC residents can cross into the United States for essential supplies because of flooding in the province. Bill Blair says the circumstances of those who received tickets for allegedly violating quarantine restrictions is being reviewed by the Public Health Agency of Canada. BC Publ

Richmond police are warning the public about romance-cryptocurrency scams after receiving five reports over a 10 day period this month. RCMP media relations officer Adriana O'Malley says these scams can be traumatizing for the victims who believe they are involved in a true romantic relationship. She says fraudsters often use dating apps or other social media sites to approach their victim, convince them to buy digital currencies and then, after receiving the funds, cut off all communication. O'Malley says Richmond police have investigated 73 fraud files related to cryptocurrency so far this