CanadaOct 22, 2020
New Tory motion could trigger second confidence showdown for Liberal minority
Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole is brushing off concerns his party is setting up Parliament for yet another confidence vote.The Conservatives are using another chance they get this week to set the House of Commons agenda to propose a motion calling for a sweeping probe by the House of Commons health committee of a host of issues relating to the government's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.The motion is so broad and the demand for documents so massive that the Liberals are expected to argue that its passage would paralyze the government the same argument used to declare an earlier Conservat
CanadaOct 21, 2020
Liberals survive confidence vote, avert imminent election
There will be no fall federal election. A motion by the Conservatives to form a committee to investigate Liberal COVID-19 spending has been defeated. The Liberals deemed it to be a confidence motion, which could have sparked an election if it passed. It was defeated in a vote of 180 to 146. The Conservatives had dubbed their proposed committee as an ``anti-corruption'' committee, which prompted the Liberals to say that made it a confidence matter. The Conservatives then tried to amend the name, but that amendment was defeated before the main vote today. But those opposition MPs made it clear
BCOct 20, 2020
B.C. records 127 overdose deaths in September, down from sharp increase in June
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
CanadaOct 20, 2020
Conservatives to amend motion on COVID-19 committee to avoid confidence vote
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
CanadaOct 20, 2020
Canada crosses a bleak COVID-19 milestone of 200,000 cases
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
CanadaOct 19, 2020
Non-essential travel restrictions at Canada-U.S. border extended to at least Nov. 21
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
BCOct 17, 2020
155 new COVID-19 cases reported in B.C.; active cases rise past 1,500
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
BCOct 16, 2020
Annual flu campaign begins in B.C.; authorities remind residents of importance due to COVID-19 pandemic
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
BCOct 16, 2020
B.C. Liberals continue campaign after losing a candidate in provincial election
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
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