BCFeb 01, 2021
Possible brush with COVID-19 variant prompts tests at Maple Ridge, B.C. high school
Health officials in British Columbia say specific students and staff at a Maple Ridge high school will receive COVID-19 tests after a person at the school had close contact with someone carrying a new strain of the virus that causes the illness.Fraser Health says Garibaldi Secondary School remains open while efforts are underway to manage the exposure because the variant strain is not one currently in the community. Mutations of COVID-19 are known to spread more quickly, but doctors say they do not seem to cause more severe illness, interfere with the effectiveness of vaccines or affect testi
BCJan 30, 2021
All long-term care staff and residents in B.C. have been offered COVID-19 vaccine: Dr. Bonnie Henry; 514 new cases and 5 deaths reported
BC's provincial health officer says the recent announcements about a drop in COVID-19 vaccine availability took her by surprise. Dr. Bonnie Henry says next week's supply of the Moderna vaccine will be reduced by 20 per cent, combined with previous vaccine shortfalls announced by Pfizer. She says more than 124,000 people have received a dose of vaccine, and all long-term care staff and residents have been offered it, which she says makes her feel relieved. Dr. Henry says it will be a challenging few weeks after seeing the benefits of a consistent supply of vaccines. But she says the federal go
BCJan 29, 2021
Judge won't relax Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou's bail conditions
A British Columbia Supreme Court judge has refused to ease Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou's bail conditions, saying the current restrictions are the minimum required to ensure she does not flee Canada. Justice William Ehrcke dismissed Meng's application for changes to her bail conditions, which would have allowed her to leave her Vancouver home outside the hours of her overnight curfew without the presence of security. Meng's husband testified earlier this month that she has underlying health conditions and he believes she's at increased risk of contracting COVID-19 because of her proximity to
BCJan 29, 2021
B.C. supports international travel restrictions: Premier John Horgan
British Columbia's premier says the province supports the federal government's move to impose new travel restrictions due to COVID-19. John Horgan says in a statement the decision to limit international travel will help keep British Columbians safe. On Wednesday, Horgan said the province had no immediate plans to impose travel restrictions requiring anyone entering the province to self-isolate for 14 days. Health Minister Adrian Dix told a news conference today that B.C. has been concerned about the followup on quarantine protocols across the country. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced n
BCJan 29, 2021
Australian officials release final report into deadly seaplane crash that killed six people, including BC pilot
Australian officials have released the final report into a deadly seaplane crash near Sydney in December 2017 that killed six people, including the BC pilot. The report confirms the findings of an interim review that determined 44 year old former North Vancouver resident and experienced pilot Gareth Morgan was likely confused and disoriented by exhaust fumes that had seeped into the cabin through cracks in the plane's exhaust collector ring. The de Havilland Beaver nosedived into waters north of Sydney while on a sightseeing flight killing 58 year old British businessman Richard Cousins, his
BCJan 29, 2021
UBC student attacked and robbed, RCMP warns public and students around UBC
RCMP are warning the public and students around the University of British Columbia to be vigilant after a jogger was attacked. Mounties allege in a news release the student was out for a run in Pacific Spirit Park this Wednesday around noon when she was assaulted and robbed. They say the woman was approached by an unknown man who struck her without warning. The suspect then fled with her cellphone. RCMP suggest those who jog or walk with ear buds to keep the volume low. RCMP also suggests, if possible, to exercise in pairs or in populated areas.
BCJan 29, 2021
Six members were sounding the alarm about the spread of COVID-19 among inmates at a B.C. prison; Union president disappointed in the outcome of report
The union representing employees at a BC prison say six members were sounding the alarm about the spread of COVID-19 among inmates five days before health officials formally declared an outbreak. The BC Government and Service Employees Union says six employees at the Fraser Regional Correctional Centre refused to take part in unsafe work last week. A WorkSafe BC inspection of the facility was triggered by the employees refusing to work. Inspection report concluded that some of the concerns raised were outside of the inspection's scope while others did not constitute an undue hazard. Union pre
BCJan 29, 2021
546 new COVID-19 cases and 12 deaths rported in B.C.; Vancouver Coastal Health urging Whistler residents to continue to follow public health restrictions
Vancouver Coastal Health says 288 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Whistler from the start of the year through Tuesday. It says most of them are young people in their 20s and 30s who live, work and socialize together. The health agency is urging Whistler residents and potential visitors to continue to follow public health restrictions to lower the rising number of COVID-19 infections. It says Whistler experienced a similar spike in cases in November, which was resolved in early December. B.C. reported 546 new cases, including five epi-linked cases, for a total of 66,265 cases. There a
BCJan 29, 2021
Rents continue to creep up in large cities with Vancouver leading the pack: Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
A new report from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation shows the rental market vacancy rate in this country's largest cities reached 3.2 per cent last year, while the rate in Metro Vancouver more than doubled to 2.6, the highest it has been in more than two decades. CMHC chief economist Bob Dugan says the pandemic cut into rental demand for several reasons including lower international migration, fewer student renters and a sagging employment market. But the report says rents continue to creep up in large cities. Report suggests Vancouver is leading the pack at just under 1,800 dollars per
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