CanadaAug 28, 2020
Canadian economy posted record drop in Q2 due to pandemic
Statistics Canada says the economy posted its steepest decline on record in the second quarter as the COVID-19 pandemic forced the closure of non-essential businesses and slowed the economy to a crawl.The agency says real gross domestic product contracted at an annualized rate of 38.7 per cent for the three-month period.Economists had expected a contraction in the quarter at an annualized rate of 39.6 per cent, according to financial markets data firm Refinitiv.Almost every single component of the economy that works into calculating GDP was at its lowest point over April, May and June driven
BCAug 28, 2020
B.C. health officials report one new community outbreak related to COVID-19
British Columbia reported one new community outbreak of COVID-19 today at a construction site for a water treatment facility in the Interior Health region. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says there are seven cases in the outbreak, and that six of the workers live in Alberta. Health officials also released a map showing the spread of the illness in the province, with most of the infections in the Lower Mainland. The province reported 68 additional cases of COVID-19 and one death, bringing the total number of fatalities to 204. B.C. now has 5,372 confirmed cases while 4,253 people h
CanadaAug 27, 2020
Tories ask speaking agency to release records on WE's payments to Trudeau family
The Conservatives are urging the speaking agency through which WE Charity paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to Justin Trudeau's family members to hand over documents about the arrangements.In a letter to Speakers' Spotlight, Conservative MP Michael Barrett notes the House of Commons ethics committee had asked the agency to produce the documents last month.The agency subsequently asked for an extension before the prime minister prorogued Parliament until Sept. 23, ending four committee investigations into the WE affair.Barrett says the committee agreed to extension in good faith, and that
BCAug 27, 2020
B.C. reports 62 new COVID-19 cases, no deaths as active cases tick down slightly
BC is reporting 62 cases of COVID-19 today and no new deaths. In a joint news release, Health Minister Adrian Dix and provincial health officer Doctor Bonnie Henry say the number of active cases has ticked down slightly from 925 to 896. The number of people who are under active monitoring by public health workers as a result of exposure to known cases has increased by 55 to 2,730. Vancouver Coastal Health has also warned of a possible public exposure to the virus at the Banter Room bar and restaurant between August 20th and 22nd.
CanadaAug 26, 2020
Feds to give provinces $2B to bolster safe reopening of schools this fall
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says children must be safe in their classrooms and parents shouldn't be losing sleep over it.This morning he announced his government is providing up to two-billion-dollars in additional funding to help provinces and territories cope with the COVID-19 pandemic.Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says provinces must tell Ottawa how they spent the first half of the money by December if they want to get more.Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was questioned about why Ottawa is stepping up with just days before many kids go back to class.Trudeau responded that the money is mean
CanadaAug 26, 2020
Pandemic-related disability support to cost feds $792 million, PBO says
The parliamentary budget office says a one-time payment to people with disabilities this fall will cost the federal treasury $792 million.The majority of that amount will go to about 1.67 million people in payments of up to $600, which the Liberals say are aimed at offsetting any extra costs linked to the COVID-19 pandemic.The total cost should hit federal books this year, but the budget office warns there may be potential fiscal impacts in subsequent years.The first legislative push to provide the special payments failed in June when the minority Liberal government couldn't gain opposition s
BCAug 26, 2020
Officials declare COVID-19 outbreaks at two B.C. health facilities, 58 new cases reported in B.C.
British Columbia has two outbreaks of COVID-19 at health care facilities as officials reported 58 new cases across the province on Tuesday. They say the two outbreaks are in the Fraser Health region, one at Bear Creek Villa and the other at Langley Memorial Hospital. Health officials declared an outbreak at the hospital in Langley when a patient tested positive after being discharged Monday and noticed symptoms on returning home. Dr. Elizabeth Brodkin, Fraser Health's interim chief medical health officer, says they are working to identify how many people may have been exposed. She says the ho
CanadaAug 25, 2020
Trudeau considered best to manage pandemic, revive economy, survey suggests
A new survey suggests Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberals are well placed if they end up losing a confidence vote this fall, seen as the party best able to care for Canadians during the COVID-19 pandemic and to get the economy back on its feet.Respondents to the online survey, conducted by Leger and the Association for Canadian Studies, were split about the prospect of a federal election this fall, with 42 per cent opposed to the idea and 38 per cent in favour.But if there were an election today, 38 per cent of decided voters said they'd support the Liberals, compared to 30 per cent for
BCAug 25, 2020
B.C. reaches highest 1-day total of COVID-19 cases as police hand out more fines
British Columbia has hit its highest number of daily COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic, with 109 people testing positive for the disease. The milestone was reached between Friday and Saturday, surpassing the 100 cases reported on Aug. 14. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says 269 cases were reported between Friday and Sunday, and one person died, for a total of 203 fatalities in B.C. Dr. Henry says the province has ramped up testing, with up to 5,000 tests being done every day, and that the undetected transmission rate remains low. However, she says keeping the number o
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