An inquiry into money laundering in BC has been told that efforts in 2017 to control the illegal practice at casinos across the province created a ``ghost town effect'' but only for a few weeks. Daryl Tottenham, manager of anti-money laundering programs for the BC Lottery Corporation testified this morning that the crackdown led to a dramatic reduction in casino revenues for two or three weeks. He says all gamblers, not just the high-end players stayed away, but the chill lifted quickly. Commissioner Austin Cullen is leading the inquiry which was launched by the NDP government after reports t

City council will wait until early 2021 before deciding whether Vancouver should make a bid for the 2030 Winter Olympics. In a message posted on social media, Coun. Melissa De Genova says she successfully delayed her motion until sometime in March 2021. She says the delay will allow time for a staff report on the merits of hosting the Games, and give the public a chance to register to speak on the issue. Council voted seven to four in favour of the referral request. De Genova put forward her original motion earlier this year calling on council to explore the merits of an Olympic bid but the e

Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C.’s provincial health officer and Adrian Dix, Minister of Health, have issued a joint statement regarding updates on the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) response in British Columbia. "Today, we are reporting 335 new cases, including seven epi-linked cases, for a total of 16,135 cases in British Columbia. "There are 3,120 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, 7,133 people who are under active public health monitoring as a result of identified exposure to known cases, and 12,659 people who tested positive have recovered. "Currently, 92 individuals are hospitalized with CO

While the City of Surrey has and continues to find ways to mitigate economic pressures created by COVID-19, the pandemichas nevertheless created a strain on the City’s finances. Today, the City of Surrey welcomes and is grateful for the nearly $15 million in federal and provincial funding from the COVID-19 Safe Restart Grant for Local Governments. "The City of Surrey has been working hard to safely navigate through the turbulent waters created by COVID-19," saidMayor Doug McCallum. "The $15 million in funding today helps to stabilize the sound foundation we have built for the city’s fiscal

Health officials are reminding everyone to keep social circles small, particularly in the Fraser Health region, which remains the epicentre of rising case counts in British Columbia. The province says in a release much of the recent transmission is connected to social gatherings and Fraser Health officials are asking residents to avoid hosting anyone from outside their household. B.C. reports 299 new cases of COVID-19 and three more deaths on Tuesday, bringing the death toll from the illness to 272. The province says 3,017 cases are currently active, including 92 people who are in hospital, w

A dance studio east of Vancouver is the site of the latest significant outbreak of COVID-19 in British Columbia. Fraser Health says Capella Dance Academy in Chilliwack closed voluntarily last Wednesday after 26 people tested positive for the novel coronavirus. The academy offers a variety of classes for toddlers to teenagers and has about one dozen instructors but the health authority hasn't said how many of the illnesses are among students or staff. It says all those identified as cases and close contacts have been instructed to self-isolate and health officials are also working with area sc

The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver says October home sales were up 29 per cent compared to a year ago, making it the second-best October on record. The board says its agents sold 3,687 homes last month, up from2,858 sold in October 2019. Home sales were also up 1.2 per cent from September amid a surge in sales of detached homes. The benchmark price for Vancouver homes hit $1,045,100 in October, up six per cent from last October and 0.4 per cent from September. The housing market has been catching up after COVID-19 lockdowns earlier this year stymied the spring selling season. Board cha

Victoria's mayor says the vandalism of a mural on systemic racism has led to difficult conversations. Lisa Helps says she was disappointed by the vandalism, adding that the new language on the mural fits with the city's public art policy and is a reflection of the artists' experience of the past few weeks and months. The ``More Justice, More Peace'' mural was vandalized with spray paint on Saturday morning. The mural in the city's Bastion Square was criticized by the police chief in August, because it included the acronym ACAB, which is commonly held to mean ``All Cops Are Bastards'' or ``All

BC is reporting a record 1,120 new cases of COVID-19 over the three-day weekend reporting period. Health officials are also reporting six deaths linked to the pandemic, bringing the total to 269 fatalities. The province now has two-thousand-945 active cases, including 90 people who are being treated in hospital. Health officials say the numbers are concerning but the vast majority of people are following safety precautions, despite images of crowds in Vancouver on Halloween night.