A promised reset of federal priorities to focus on the COVID-19 pandemic begins today with the Liberal government's speech from the throne. The nearly hour-long speech is expected to address three areas: immediate action to push back against a second wave of the pandemic, supports for those still not back on their feet after the first wave, and how the economy might be further rebuilt once it can stand more on its own.Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's plan comes as public health officials are warning the country is but a few house parties away from plunging into a full-blown second wave.He's ex

John Horgan and the BC NDP will keep British Columbia moving forward by building on the progress already made in improving health care for people.A re-elected BC NDP government will build ten more urgent and primary care centres by the end of 2021, with a focus on the communities that need them most. Horgan made the commitment alongside North Vancouver-Lonsdale BC NDP candidate Bowinn Ma, a strong advocate for the North Shore Urgent and Primary Care Centre."People want to be able to get the health care they need closer to home, without waiting for hours in an emergency room," said Horgan. "Our

Canada has secured a fifth deal to buy vaccines, signing an agreement with Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline to buy up to 72-million doses of their experimental vaccine candidate. Federal Procurement Minister Anita Anand says the only way to ensure Canada will get enough doses of a COVID-19 vaccine when one becomes available is to bet on multiple horses at the same time. Canada has now committed a total of one-billion dollars to buy at least 154-million doses of vaccines from five different companies, with Anand announcing a deal with Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline earlier today. Canada has also joined

John Horgan met with Lt.-Gov. Janet Austin today, and later announced a provincial election. Election will be held on Oct. 24th. Horgan called an 11 a.m. news conference following the meeting with the lieutenant-governor. Horgan says, "British Columbians deserve a say in our economic recovery and will decide the future of our province.'' B.C. had a fixed election date set for October 2021, but Horgan had earlier said he was considering his political options. The NDP formed a minority government in B.C. three years ago after signing a deal with the Green party. But in recent weeks, Horgan has s

Three law enforcement officials say a woman suspected of sending an envelope containing the poison ricin, which was addressed to White House, has been arrested at the New York-Canada border.The officials say the woman was taken into custody by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers and is expected to face federal charges.RCMP have said the letter addressed to the White House appeared to have originated in Canada.Officials say it was intercepted at a government facility that screens mail addressed to the White House and President Donald Trump and a preliminary investigation indicated it t

Health officials in B.C. are urging residents to think of the consequences of their actions, as they linked the growing number of COVID-19 cases to behaviour during the Labour Day long weekend. The health minister and the provincial health officer say in a joint statement that no one intends to pass the virus on to friends or family, and people need to think about how they socialize. The province says it can take up to two weeks for symptoms of COVID-19 to fully develop, and people to make sure they do not inadvertently spread the virus. The province announced 139 new cases of COVID-19 on Fri

The BC Teachers Federation hopes the Labour Relations Board can resolve teachers' concerns about COVID-related health and safety issues in schools. The BCTF has filed a submission with the board asking it to propose solutions to what the union says are ``inadequate and inconsistent'' policies aimed at slowing the spread of the new coronavirus. Documents show the BCTF is seeking an ``expedited'' decision because union members feel ``pressured'' to work in unsafe situations and there's potential for job action by some teachers. Education Minister Rob Fleming says ``this is only week one'' and t

New Democrat Leader Jagmeet Singh is accusing his Liberal and Conservative counterparts of doing the bidding of big business during the pandemic. Singh takes the swipe at Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole in a speech today that lays out the NDP’s priorities ahead of next week’s throne speech. Singh is calling on the Liberals to do more to help working people cope with the economic hardship of the COVID-19 crisis. That includes extending benefits for unemployed Canadians that he says the Liberals are planning to curtail. He’s also calling on the governme

RCMP say they are investigating a targeted shooting in Surrey, B.C.A statement from the force says officers responded to reports of gunfire late Thursday in the Brookswood neighbourhood.A man was found suffering from gunshot wounds and remains in hospital.Staff Sgt. Joe Johal says the victim was likely the target.It's the third targeted attack this week in Metro Vancouver.Shots were fired at a man in Surrey's Newton neighbourhood on Monday but he was not hurt, and a man was fatally shot in one of three homicides in Vancouver on Wednesday.