British officials have authorized a COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use, greenlighting the world's first shot against the virus that's backed by rigorous science and taking a major step toward eventually ending the pandemic. The go-ahead Wednesday for the vaccine developed by American drugmaker Pfizer and Germany's BioNTech comes as the virus surges again in the United States and Europe, putting pressure on hospitals and morgues in some places and forcing new rounds of restrictions that have devastated economies. The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency recommended the vaccine co

British Columbia recorded 656 new COVID-19 cases Tuesday as officials urged residents not to bend public health rules. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix say in a joint statement that an additional 16 people have died, pushing B.C.'s death toll to 457. The new positive tests bring the total confirmed cases in the province since the pandemic began to 33,894, while about 70 per cent of those are considered recovered. The statement says there are 8,796 active cases in the province and another 10,123 people exposed to known cases are under active public heal

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the vote on the tens of billions in new spending measures in the fall economic statement will be a confidence measure. That means the minority Liberal government could fall, sending the country into a winter pandemic election if at least one of the opposition parties don't support it. Trudeau doesn't think anyone wants an election now. He says he's confident of opposition support given the need for many of the proposed measures. PM says, 80 per cent of the money spent to support Canadians during the pandemic has come from the federal government Prime Ministe

Statistics Canada says the economy grew at a record annualized pace of 40.5 percent in the third quarter as businesses came out of COVID-19 lockdowns.Financial data firm Refinitiv says the average economist estimate was for an annualized growth rate of 47.6 per cent for the quarter.The rebound over July, August and September was a sharp turnaround from the preceding three-month stretch saw a record drop. Driving the bounce-back were the further rolling back of public health restrictions that allowed businesses to reopen.Statistics Canada also says there was a substantial increase in the housi

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry is reporting a record 46 deaths over the past three days due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Henry says that brings the total in the province to 441 with most of the latest deaths among residents in long-term care. She says 2,364 new cases of COVID-19 were reported over the past three days, including 277 historical cases due to a problem with lab reporting last week in the Fraser Health region. Dr. Henry says the province now has 8,855 active cases, with 316 people in hospital including 75 in intensive care.

The federal Liberals will provide Canadians with a long-awaited update on the health of federal finances later today, and potentially unveil a suite of new spending. Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland will deliver the fall economic statement in the House of Commons around 4 p.m. local time in Ottawa, after markets close. The fall economic statement should have a full accounting of pandemic spending so far, and the depth of this year's deficit, which in July was forecast at a historic $343.2 billion amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Estimates vary of how deep a deficit the Liberals will unveil

British Columbia's top doctor has a message for people who don't follow a provincial order to wear a mask in indoor public spaces: order takeout, shop online or stay home. Dr. Bonnie Henry says she's saddened after hearing about store and restaurant employees facing aggressive customers who refuse to wear masks as COVID-19 numbers rise. The RCMP say they arrested a shopper at a Walmart in Dawson Creek this week after he allegedly assaulted an employee who asked him to wear a mask. Henry says B.C. set another single-day record with 911 cases of COVID-19. There have been a total of 30,884 diagno

Premier John Horgan says, "belligerent people should grow up" and follow COVID-19 measures. Horgan says he recently witnessed a group of customers abusing two young waiters and a receptionist at a restaurant when they wanted to sit at one table. He says similar behaviour will not be tolerated in the retail sector because police can be called to remove aggressive customers not wearing a mask. Provincial health officer Doctor Bonnie Henry introduced an order recently to make masks mandatory in all indoor public spaces.

The new Cabinet of B.C.:Anne Kang is Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Training.Lana Popham is Minister of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries.Lisa Beare is Minister of Citizen Services.Mitzi Dean is Minister of Children and Family Development.Katrina Chen is Minister of State for Childcare.Jennifer Whiteside is Minister of Education.Bruce Ralston is Minister of Energy and Mines.George Heyman is Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for TransLink.Selina Robinson is Minister of Finance.Katrine Conroy is Minister of Forests, Lands and Rural Development.Nathan C