Adults living and working in Whistler, B.C., will be able to receive their COVID-19 vaccination starting Monday. Vancouver Coastal Health says eligible residents will be required to provide proof of their permanent resident address in Whistler with a provincialdriver's licence or valid credit card statement, or present a recent paystub to confirm their employment in the area. Whistler adults between 18 and 54 years of age will receive a vaccination at the Whistler Conference Centre. Those 55 to 65 years old can receive the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine at a local pharmacy or wait to receive a P

British Columbia is reporting nearly 1,300 cases of COVID-19 for a second day in a row as the province marks a milestone by administering a million doses of vaccine. Provincial health officer Doctor Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix say in a joint release that only 87,600 of the shots are second doses and everyone must continue following all public health orders. They are reporting 1,262 new cases and are asking people to avoid travel and indoor gatherings outside of a household, adding that even people who have mild symptoms should get tested for infection. Another two people have

The jobless rate across Canada dipped sharply in March to 7.5 per cent, its lowest level since the COVID-19 pandemic began, but the numbers in British Columbia didn't budge. Statistics Canada says more than 300,000 jobs were added countrywide last month, pushing the unemployment rate down from 8.2 per cent in February. BC's Minister of Jobs, Economic Recovery and Innovation says the latest unemployment numbers show more people are working now in the province than before the pandemic hit. Ravi Kahlon says, counting the 35,000 jobs created in BC last month, the province now has 11 consecutive

The British Columbia government says the province's lowest-paid workers, liquor servers, are getting a pay boost to match the general minimum wage that's also set to increase in June. Labour Minister Harry Bains says he's proud to put an end to the discriminatory lower minimum wage for liquor servers, 80 per cent of whom are women. The province says liquor servers earning minimum wage will make $15.20 an hour, up from $13.95, effective June 1. The general minimum wage is increasing by 60 cents from $14.60 an hour, and the minimum rates for live-in camp leaders and resident caretakers are also

ICBC is on track to mail out all 2.86 million cheques by the end of this month to customers eligible for a share of $600 million in COVID-19-related rebates. Two weeks ago, ICBC began mailing small batches of COVID-19 rebate cheques directly to eligible customers. Large-scale distribution through the vendor started April 6 and, as of Thursday, April 8, approximately 940,000 cheques have been issued. ICBC is proceeding with its third-party vendor, with extra security measures in place, to print and distribute the vast majority of the remaining COVID-19 rebate cheques. This large mailout, origin

Police say a two-year investigation into an organized crime group has led to charges linked to drugs and firearms against a pair of men, one from Burnaby, and another from Surrey. The Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit says investigators executed two search warrants leading to the seizure of items including a loaded semi-automatic handgun, a rifle, 200 rounds of ammunition and drugs such as cocaine and heroin, along with over 100,000 dollars in cash. The unit says the money, as well as three vehicles and jewelry from a home have been referred to the province's civil forfeiture office. A

BC's education minister says she understands that rising COVID-19 case numbers have parents anxious about potential spread to schools but she believes there's no need to close them because the province's comprehensive safety plans are working. Jennifer Whiteside says health authorities and school districts are working together to keep students in school because it's important for them to maintain connections there. But teachers in the Fraser Health region are calling for a hybrid in-class and online learning model as variants rise, and they want masks to be mandatory for all students, not jus

New funding will be available to businesses in British Columbia affected by the latest measures to fight the spread of COVID-19, but the economic recovery minister says those who break the health orders need not apply. The B.C. government has established a $50-million fund for about 14,000 businesses, such as restaurants, bars and breweries, that have been affected by the provincial health officer's orders, which end April 19. Businesses are eligible for up to $10,000 in a one-time payment to cover expenses like perishables, rent or employee wages. Economic Recovery Minister Ravi Kahlon says t

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry is putting a new expedited workplace order in place to help limit the spread of COVID-19. Dr. Henry says the order will allow WorkSafe B-C to issue temporary closure notices to workplaces where three or more workers are sick. The orders lasting at least 10 days will only be issued when transmission has been proven to have occurred in the workplace. Dr. Henry says the aim is to control and prevent outbreaks so she doesn't have to shut down all non-essential workplaces. British Columbia is reporting 1,293 new COVID-19 cases, smashing previous daily rec