Indigenous leaders are encouraging people to roll up their sleeves and start getting COVID-19 vaccines. The encouragement comes as First Nations across Canada start receiving doses of COVID-19 vaccines. Six of 14 Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations on Vancouver Island were priority recipients of doses of Moderna's vaccine last week. Mariah Charleson, vice-president of the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council, says the council employs nurses who are among those administering vaccinations so people see a familiar face they know and trust. She says health officials need to work with communities to ensure the

Officials at St. Paul's Hospital in downtown Vancouver confirm a COVID-19 outbreak has spread to two more units at its cardiac centre. In a memo to staff, the director of the St. Paul's Hospital Heart Centre says the outbreak declared last week on one unit has spread to a second unit and an intensive care unit. The memo, issued late Sunday on behalf of centre directors Amanda Harvey and Dr. Sean Virani, says the outbreak is on units 5A, 5B and the Cardiac Care Intensive Care Unit. The memo does not say how many patients, staff or visitors may be involved and a spokesman for Providence Health,

Police say one man is dead and another injured after two separate overnight shootings in the Metro Vancouver area.Richmond RCMP say they were called to a home at about 11:50 p.m. on Saturday where a man had reportedly suffered multiple gunshot wounds, and later died.Police have identified the deceased as 28-year-old Dilraj Johal.The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team says Johal was known to police and they believe he was targeted for murder. Sgt. Frank Jang of IHIT noted in an email statement that Johal's death is the third homicide in the past four days related to an ongoing Lower Mainlan

British Columbia health officials say they understand the frustration directed at people who defy COVID-19 restrictions, but urged residents to continue following the guidelines to prevent infection. B.C. reported 617 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday and 18 more deaths, bringing the provincial toll to 988. Health Minister Adrian Dix and provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry say in a joint statement they know it can be frustrating to hear of people not following the guidelines, such as those travelling for non-essential reasons. But they say those who are making the effort to stick to the

BC's Minister of Jobs, Economy Recovery and Innovation says this province is resisting the pandemic-linked trend to higher unemployment, but Ravi Kahlon says we are "not out of the woods," yet. In a statement issued following release of Statistics Canada's monthly employment data, Kahlon says total employment has bounced back to nearly 99 per cent of pre-pandemic levels, but he says sectors like tourism and hospitality are still struggling. He also says people of colour, both business owners and employees, continue to bear the disproportionate impacts of the COVID-19 slowdown. Kahlon says BC

A snowboarder has died in an accident at the Whistler Blackcomb resort. RCMP confirm the man, in his mid-20s, fell about 20 metres from a cliff at one of the highest points of the resort, Thursday morning. Ski patrollers provided first aid and the man was airlifted to the clinic in Whistler but could not be saved. Sgt. Sascha Banks says in a statement that the BC Coroners Service, RCMP and Whistler Blackcomb resort are all investigating. This is the fourth death involving snow sports in the Sea-to-Sky region since Dec. 29 when two snowbikers were engulfed by an avalanche near Pemberton. A ski

A man has died in a suspected targeted shooting in Richmond, B.C.RCMP say the victim was found in a park in the Steveston neighbourhood at around 8:30 p.m. Thursday.A statement from Richmond RCMP says the man died a short time later in hospital. The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team has taken over the case.The deadly attack is the first in Richmond in 2021 and comes just two days after a targeted shooting in Surrey killed 24-year-old Gary Kang.Homicide investigators confirm Kang had known gang affiliations, but they are not linking his slaying with the latest violence in Richmond.

British Columbia's top doctor says COVID-19 restrictions that were set to expire Friday have been extended to Feb. 5. Dr. Bonnie Henry announced the extension while reporting eight more deaths and 761 new cases of COVID-19, saying the spike is partly related to changes in how the province is reporting cases each day. She says the curve of the outbreak is trending up again, so it's not the time to ease restrictions and if further action is required to limit the spread, it will be taken. The public health rules prohibit social gatherings among people from different households, as well as adult

A Transportation Safety Board report says a small plane that vanished in British Columbia's Fraser River last June hit a power line before sinking into the river. The Cessna 172M left Boundary Bay Airport on June 6 with two men aboard, an instructor and his student. The report says the plane was flying in Abbotsford, B.C., along the river at a low altitude and was just 38 metres above the water when it clipped a power line. Witnesses who called 911 reported seeing a low-flying plane, a splash and then the partially submerged plane on the river. When emergency responders arrived, the plane