The BC Coroners Service says 127 people fatally overdosed on illicit drugs in September, up from 60 deaths during the same period last year. It says an average of four people died every day in September, but the number of fatalities declined from 150 in August and is lower than the record number of 183 in June. The service says 70 per cent of the fatalities this year have been among those aged 30 to 59 and most of the dead have been men. Fatal overdoses began declining in B.C. at the beginning of the year, with 79 fatalities recorded in January, but started rising in March as the COVID-19 pan

Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole says he's willing to change the name and mandate of a proposed committee to probe COVID-19 relief programs to make it clear his party doesn't want to force an election. The Liberals have said that in pushing for an "anticorruption committee", the Tories are effectively saying they've lost confidence in the government, so the vote on setting it up ought to be one of confidence.That means if the Tories get the support of the Bloc Quebecois and NDP for the motion, they could topple the government.O'Toole says the Liberals' approach is nonsense and Canadians shoul

Canada has marked a bleak COVID-19 milestone. The second wave of the pandemic has pushed the total case count past 200,000. This comes as tougher restrictions take effect in regions facing a surge in infections. Canada saw its first confirmed case in late January and marked 100,000 cases in mid-June, about five months later. Health experts say it's crucial to remember Canada is in the midst of the second wave and these kinds of milestones serve as a reminder of the need for continued vigilance. Today, Quebec is reporting 1,038 new cases of COVID-19 and six more deaths attributed to the novel

Restrictions on non-essential travel between Canada and the United States are being extended until at least Nov. 21. Public Safety Minister Bill Blair confirmed the news today on Twitter. Incidental travel, vacations, day trips and cross-border shopping excursions has been forbidden since March in an effort to limit the spread of COVID-19. The restrictions do not apply to those providing essential services in either country, including trade shipments and cross-border workers. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said the restrictions won't be lifted until there's clear evidence the pandemic is e

BC has had 155 new cases of COVID-19. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and deputy health minister Stephen Brown say there are 1,513 active cases of COVID-19 in the province. Another 3,713 are being monitored after an identified exposure to known cases. There has been one more COVID-19 related death, for a total of 251 deaths in British Columbia. 155 people have tested positive in the province, bringing B.C.'s total to 11,189. An outbreak of COVID-19 at the main Tim Hortons restaurant in Merritt, B.C., has set off a voluntary closure of the restaurant. The Interior Health authority

The annual flu vaccination campaign has begun as officials in the Fraser and Vancouver Coastal health authorities remind residents across BC that a flu shot is especially important this year as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. Fraser Health launched its campaign today while Vancouver Coastal says clinics will open later this month and shots are available through some family doctors, many local pharmacists, walk-in clinics and at public health influenza clinics. Locations of all BC clinics or pharmacies where the vaccine is available are listed on the Immunize BC (dot) ca website under ``find

British Columbia's election campaign continues today after a turbulent day for the Liberals.The B.C. Liberals announced Thursday that Laurie Throness would not be representing the party in Chilliwack-Kent after making comments at an all-candidates meeting comparing free birth control to eugenics. Throness has been a member of the legislature since 2013, and his name and party affiliation will remain on the ballot for the Oct. 24 election.The campaign saw NDP Leader John Horgan and Liberal Leader Andrew Wilkinson take verbal shots at each over in a radio debate on Thursday, as each criticized

B.C. has recorded its first confirmed case of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in a child after antibody testing showed evidence of COVID-19. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said the child, who is under the age of five, has since recovered. She made the announcement while reporting 142 new cases of COVID-19 and no additional deaths at a briefing on Thursday. Dr. Henry says 16 children have been investigated for the syndrome in B.C. so far, but until now, none had tested positive for the novel coronavirus. The syndrome is associated mostly in children and symptoms include inflammat

Opposition MPs are bracing for another marathon meeting of the House of Commons ethics committee today as they ramp up efforts to revive their investigation into the WE Charity affair. Indeed, Conservative MP Michael Barrett says he and his colleagues are prepared for the meeting to drag on for days, if that's what it takes to finally force an end to a filibuster by Liberal committee members who've been blocking opposition demands for more documents. At issue is a motion put forward by Barrett last week calling on Speakers' Spotlight, the agency that arranged speaking engagements for Prime Mi