The B.C. government is declaring a provincial state of emergency to support the provincewide response to the ongoing wildfire situation.Mike Farnworth, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General, made the declaration on July 20, 2021, based upon the recommendation from the BC Wildfire Service and Emergency Management BC. The declaration will be in effect starting July 21, 2021.The state of emergency is initially in effect for 14 days once issued and may be extended or rescinded as necessary. The state of emergency applies to the whole province and ensures federal, provincial and local res

A group made up primarily of retired military officers and diplomats is looking for volunteers to welcome and help integrate any former Afghan interpreters and their families who end up being evacuated to Canada. Calls are growing to protect those who worked with the Canadian Forces in Afghanistan from Taliban retaliation. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters in Hamilton today that many Afghans put their lives at risk to support Canadians.Trudeau says this is something his government takes very seriously and that it is working diligently and aggressively on its plan. Some Canadian vet

Over a three-day period, B.C. is reporting 156 new cases of COVID-19, for a total of 148,487 cases in the province:July 16-17: 56 new casesJuly 17-18: 60 new casesJuly 18-19: 40 new casesThere are currently 653 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, and 146,062 people who tested positive have recovered. Of the active cases, 49 individuals are currently in hospital and 12 are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.In the last 72 hours, two new deaths have been reported in the Fraser Health and Vancouver Coastal Health regions, for an overall total of

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says rising vaccination rates and declining COVID-19 cases are allowing Canada to move forward with adjusted border measures next month. The federal government will begin letting fully vaccinated American citizens and permanent residents into Canada on August 9th, and the rest of the world starting September 7th. Trudeau says the move is in recognition of the unique bond between the US and Canada, especially between border communities. However, there's no indication yet from the White House if it will be reciprocated. The federal government will begin letting ful

The federal government will begin letting fully vaccinated U.S. citizens and permanent residents into Canada on Aug. 9, and the rest of the world Sept. 7. Officials say the 14-day quarantine requirement will be waived as of Aug. 9 for eligible travellers who are currently residing in the United States and have received a full course of a COVID-19 vaccine approved for use in Canada. Children under 12 who are accompanied by fully vaccinated family members will also be exempt, provided they wear a mask in public places and avoid indoor group settings. All travellers will still be required to sub

B.C. is reporting 45 new cases of COVID-19, for a total of 148,331 cases in the province.There are currently 652 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, and 145,908 people who tested positive have recovered.Note that the numbers of total and new cases are provisional due to a delayed data refresh and will be verified once confirmed.Of the active cases, 60 individuals are currently in hospital and 12 are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation. In the past 24 hours, no new deaths have been reported, for an overall total of 1,761. BC has administered 6,

Surrey RCMP is investigating several incidents of anti-Muslim graffiti found at several locations in central Newton.There have been multiple incidents of anti-Muslim graffiti reported to Surrey RCMP since July 5, 2021. Investigators believe these incidents are connected, and may be linked to the same person or group of people.The most recent incident was reported to Surrey RCMP on July 14, 2021. Members of the public reported graffiti on a refuse bin, on business property, and on a utility pole near a Mosque in the area of 72 Avenue and King George Boulevard."These types of incidents have a si

The B-C Wildfire Service says it is being forced to focus on wildfires that threaten lives and safety due to a lack of resources. Spokesman Kurtis Isfeld says issues like hot weather are affecting firefighting partners in other provinces, which means there are fewer resources to share as the forecast shows little to no reprieve. Emergency Management B-C says there are more than 300 wildfires burning across the province, and two-thousand 800 people have been forced to escape their properties. Sarah Hall of the fire service says about 51 evacuation alerts affecting 10-thousand properties around

One of the experts who used a specialized radar to search the grounds of a former Indigenous residential school for signs of human graves says only a fraction of the area has been checked. Sarah Beaulieu says just under one hectare of land has been surveyed and a further 65 hectares must still be checked at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School where as many as 215 unmarked graves have already been detected. Beaulieu says the work began in the former school's apple orchard because that is where a child's rib bone and tooth were found. Former students reported they were woken at night