Procurement Minister Anita Anand says Canada is facing many procurement challenges given the intense global demand for equipment and supplies, but the government is taking an aggressive approach to quickly bring COVID-19 supplies to Canada.She says much of the world's supply of these materials are in China, and moving equipment from that country is highly complex.Two planes from China were forced to return empty to Canada on Monday, one a federal charter and the other destined for a particular province arriving in Canada without the protective medical equipment that they were sent there to pic

Nova Scotia RCMP are confirming a weekend rampage that claimed 22 lives began with the gunman attacking his girlfriend on Saturday night.She was able to escape and hide in the woods during the night.As she hid, shots were fired and several buildings were set on fire.Bodies were found in seven locations.Police say they set up a perimeter to try to capture the gunman and started going door-to-door. More than six hours later, the woman told police that Gabriel Wortman was wearing a police uniform and driving a replica RCMP cruiser.

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry is reporting a COVID-19 outbreak at a second poultry processing plant in the province. Henry says two cases have been confirmed at the Superior Poultry plant in Coquitlam. She says it's a sister plant to the United Poultry facility in east Vancouver that was closed earlier this week after an outbreak where 29 people have tested positive for the virus. Henry is reporting 29 new cases of the virus and four new deaths raising the total to 1,824 with 94 deaths.

International students are not currently eligible for the newly announced Canada Emergency Student Benefit (CESB), according to Employment Minister Carla Qualtrough, who spoke in an exclusive interview on Connect FM’s Sver Wala Show. Qualtrough confirmed international students can work up to 40 hours per week until the end of August – a temporary relaxation of the 20-hour cap normally in place during the school year. She noted, however, that the legislation for CESB is still being finalized and did not rule out the possibility that eligibility rules could change before it passes Parliament

The number of COVID-19 cases diagnosed in B.C. has jumped by 71, a surge that Health Minister Adrian Dix says reflects the outbreak in workers at the United Poultry Co. Ltd. Twenty eight workers at the Vancouver plant have tested positive for COVID-19. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says employers are expected to pay attention to the health of their staff, without penalizing them for calling in sick. Three more people have died in the province, all from long-term care homes, for a total death toll of 90. There have been 1,795 cases in the province, while 1,079 people have fully re

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is unveiling a $9 billion emergency program aimed at students. It includes a Canada Emergency Student Benefit worth at least $1250 a month from May to August. The benefit can be accessed by those in post-secondary school now, headed to post secondary school in September or anyone who graduated after December 2019.The government is also creating 76,000 job placements for young people in sectors currently dealing with labour shortages.

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry is reporting 25 new cases of COVID-19 in BC. She says that increases total cases to 17-hundred and 24. Henry says another resident at a long-term care home in Vancouver Coastal Health has died, raising the death toll in the province to 87. 109 people are in hospital, including 51 in intensive care.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says companies whose businesses have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic will be able to start applying for a promised wage subsidy on April 27. Trudeau says the Canada Revenue Agency is setting up a calculator so employers can see how much they can expect to receive from the program, which will provide up to $847 per employee per week. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the federal government plans to provide $350 million to Canada's charities sector. Charities have seen a severe drop in donations since the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, with donors hurting fina

B.C. is reporting 52 new cases of COVID-19 since Saturday, including five more deaths. This brings the death total to 86 and the total number of cases to 1,699. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says the testing strategy is now being expanded to determine how and when some of restrictions can be gradually lifted. However, she says that won't begin until mid-May. Henry also says the province is broadening tests to better track community spread of the virus.