20.67°C Vancouver

News

b-c-records-uptick-in-covid-19-cases-as-officials-issue-reminder-about-precautions
BCFeb 19, 2021

B.C. records uptick in COVID-19 cases as officials issue reminder about precautions

Health officials in British Columbia are reminding residents to follow public health orders and restrictions after a significant rise in cases from earlier this week. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix say 617 new cases have been recorded, for a total of 75,327 infections. B.C. had 348 cases between Sunday and Monday, and the average has been under 500 daily infections in the last month. Dr. Henry and Dix say in a joint statement that much of the uptick in cases has been in the Lower Mainland and the northern region. They also reported four more deaths,
liberals-propose-federal-criminal-reforms-aimed-at-systemic-racism-in-justice-system
CanadaFeb 18, 2021

Liberals propose federal criminal reforms aimed at systemic racism in justice system

The Trudeau government has tabled legislation to repeal mandatory minimum penalties for certain drug offences, saying they do not deter crime and unfairly affect Indigenous and Black offenders. The bill introduced today would also allow for greater use of conditional sentences, such as house arrest, counselling or treatment, for people who do not pose a threat to public safety. In addition, it would require police and prosecutors to consider alternative measures for cases of simple possession of drugs, such as diversion to addiction-treatment programs. The office of Justice Minister David Lam
homicide-team-called-to-surrey-b-c-after-assault-leads-to-death-of-man
BCFeb 18, 2021

Homicide team called to Surrey, after assault leads to death of man

RCMP say they were called Wednesday night to a report of an assault at a home in the Panorama Ridge area of south Surrey. The critically injured man was found outside the home. He was given CPR and other emergency treatment but police say he died at the scene. Officers believe the victim and his attacker knew each other, but details are still being gathered. The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team has joined the case and will handle the release of any further information.
427-new-covid-19-cases-and-3-deaths-reported-in-b-c
BCFeb 18, 2021

427 new COVID-19 cases and 3 deaths reported in B.C.

British Columbia is recording 427 new COVID-19 cases today, bringing the total number of active cases in the province to 4,150. Health officials say three more people have died and the death toll now sits at 1,317. There are 232 people in hospital, 63 of whom are in intensive care. The remaining people with COVID-19 are recovering at home in self-isolation. Health Minister Adrian Dix and provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry say in a joint statement that chains of transmission are broken when everyone works together. To date, 176,015 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in B.
police-say-latest-targeted-shooting-in-surrey-b-c-sends-one-man-to-hospital
BCFeb 17, 2021

Police say latest targeted shooting in Surrey, sends one man to hospital

One man is recovering from injuries linked to the latest targeted shooting in Surrey, B.C. RCMP say officers, including members of the gang enforcement squad, responded to reports of shots fired just after 10 p.m., Tuesday. The injured man was found in a residential area of central Surrey suffering from a gunshot wound. He has not been named but investigators say the attack was aimed at him and was not random. There have been more than half a dozen fatal, targeted or gang-related shootings across Metro Vancouver since last December. No arrests have been made in any of those cases and police
dr-bonnie-henry-says-the-seven-day-average-of-cases-in-b-c-is-creeping-up
BCFeb 17, 2021

Dr. Bonnie Henry says the seven-day average of cases in B.C. is creeping up

British Columbia's provincial health officer is warning that COVID-19 cases and test positivity rates are ticking up in some jurisdictions due to increased interactions. Dr. Bonnie Henry says that while the overall number of cases has slowly been coming down across B.C., the seven-day rolling average is starting to creep up. She says this is particularly true in the Fraser Health region, where the viral reproductive rate has risen above one, meaning each infected person is passing the virus on to at least one other person on average. Dr. Henry says that over the past four days, 1,533 new case
freeland-appeals-to-tories-to-hurry-passage-of-covid-19-relief-bill
CanadaFeb 16, 2021

Freeland appeals to Tories to hurry passage of COVID-19 relief bill

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland is appealing to the official Opposition Conservatives to hasten passage of a COVID-19 relief bill through the House of Commons.The appeal is in a letter from Freeland to Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole in which the deputy prime minister says the Tories are dragging their feet on the proposed legislation for no good reason.Freeland goes on to say the bill should not be "a political football," and asks O'Toole to support its passage to help Canadians struggling during the pandemic.The Liberal government introduced the proposed legislation at the beginnin
senate-acquits-trump-of-inciting-capitol-attack
WorldFeb 13, 2021

Senate acquits Trump of inciting Capitol attack

The Senate has acquitted Donald Trump of inciting the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, bringing his trial to a close and giving the former president a historic second victory in the court of impeachment.Trump is the first president to be impeached twice, and he is also now twice acquitted as the majority of Republicans defended his actions. The Senate voted 57-43 that Trump is “not guilty” of incitement. Two thirds of the Senate, or 67 votes, was needed for conviction.House Democrats argued that Trump caused the violent attack by repeating for months the false claims that the election wa
b-c-s-top-doctor-says-nigerian-variant-identified-in-b-c
BCFeb 13, 2021

B.C.'s top doctor says Nigerian variant identified in B.C.

British Columbia's top doctor says 47 cases of COVID-19 variants have been identified in the province, including one believed to be linked to Nigeria. Dr. Bonnie Henry says 29 cases are related to a variant first identified in the United Kingdom, 17 are associated with South Africa and the latest one involves a person who travelled to Nigeria and returned to the Interior Health region. Dr. Henry says lab teams in B.C. are working with their counterparts across Canada and internationally to get a better understanding of whether the Nigerian variant that has been identified elsewhere is also ea

Just In

AlbertaAug 19, 2026

Alberta AI Data Centres Face Public Scrutiny at Lacombe Town Hall

Alberta’s Minister of Technology and Innovation, Nate Glubish, is holding a town hall meeting in Lacombe this evening to hear residents’ views and concerns about artificial intelligence (AI) data centres. Plans to establish large-scale data centres in the area have faced opposition from some local residents and environmental advocates. Critics are particularly concerned about the large amounts of water the facilities could consume, their potential impact on the environment, and the heavy electricity demand that could put additional pressure on Alberta’s power grid and potentially increas
b-c-governments-decision-to-shut-public-employee-directory-sparks-transparency-debate
BCAug 19, 2026

B.C. Government’s Decision to Shut Public Employee Directory Sparks Transparency Debate

The B.C. government’s decision under Premier David Eby to suddenly shut down its online directory of government employees to the general public has sparked a political controversy in the province. Opposition parties have accused the government of hiding information from the public and undermining transparency. The government, however, says the decision was made to protect employees’ safety, privacy and cybersecurity. Through the directory, members of the public could previously find out which employees worked in different government departments, their positions and how to contact them. Lan
poilievre-targets-liberal-government-over-catch-and-release-bail-system
CanadaAug 19, 2026

Poilievre Targets Liberal Government Over ‘Catch-and-Release’ Bail System

The issue of bail for serious offenders in Canada has once again come under the spotlight. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has criticized the Liberal government, accusing it of allowing dangerous offenders to remain in the community because of what he calls weak bail laws. Poilievre pointed to a recent incident in Windsor, Ont., involving 22-year-old Qasim Sabi, who has been accused of sexually assaulting two young boys. Police say Sabi was already facing allegations in an earlier case and was out under court-ordered conditions when the latest incidents allegedly occurred. According to po
canadas-wildfire-season-could-rank-among-countrys-worst-on-record
CanadaAug 19, 2026

Canada’s wildfire season could rank among country’s worst on record

Canada’s 2026 wildfire season is on track to become the country’s fourth-worst on record, with millions of hectares already affected and hundreds of fires still active. Federal Emergency Management Minister Eleanor Olszewski said during a virtual briefing Tuesday evening that the country remains in the middle of the wildfire season, with some regions facing difficult and uncertain conditions. According to the federal government, about 4.1 million hectares have been affected by wildfires so far this season. Roughly 580 fires are currently active across Canada, including about 30 that remain
b-c-conservative-leader-attacks-eby-government-over-forestry-decline
BCAug 18, 2026

B.C. Conservative Leader Attacks Eby Government Over Forestry Decline

B.C. Conservative Party Leader John Rustad has accused Premier David Eby of blaming U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs for the province’s forestry-sector decline in an attempt to hide his government’s own failures. In a statement Tuesday, Rustad said U.S. tariffs are harmful and should be strongly opposed. However, he said forestry production in B.C.’s Interior began declining as early as 2016, long before Trump returned to office, and has now fallen by about 50 per cent. According to Rustad, poor provincial policies, permit processes that can take two to three years, and uncertaint