British Columbia is offering a fourth dose of COVID-19 vaccines to seniors, starting with residents of long-term care and assisted-living homes. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says those vaccinations have already begun and people over age 70 in the community will be getting invitations in the coming weeks for a second booster shot. She says the province will also be considering a fourth dose for Indigenous people over the age of 55, as well as those who are clinically extremely vulnerable in order to reduce hospitalizations. Dr. Henry says immunity is expected to be waning in all

The Transportation Ministry says a five-kilometre section of Highway 1 in southeastern BC will be closed for nearly a month as upgrades are underway along the route through the Kicking Horse Canyon. Starting in two weeks and continuing until May 20th, the ministry says all through traffic on Highway 1 from Golden to Castle Junction will be detoured via Radium Hot Springs, adding about 90 minutes of travel time. It says the complete closure will allow crews to leave heavy equipment on the roadway and minimize travel disruptions during the peak summer season. A statement from the ministry says

British Columbia Premier John Horgan says he has tested positive for COVID-19 and is isolating at home. Horgan announced on his verified Twitter account that he tested positive for COVID-19 today.He says his symptoms are mild and he is thankful to be fully vaccinated.Horgan, who recently underwent radiation treatments for throat cancer, says he is following public health guidelines, so he is isolating and working from home until his symptoms resolve.The premier was at the legislature last Wednesday when he participated in the government's introduction of a plan to implement goals for its law o

British Columbia's police watchdog has been called in after the shooting death of a man in Surrey, B.C. The RCMP say they notified the Independent Investigations Office after a police officer fired at a robbery suspect on Friday morning. Police say the incident began at about 5:40 a.m. after they received a report of an attempted armed robbery followed by an attempted carjacking. The Mounties say they located a person matching the description of a suspect at about 7 a.m. and chased him. The RCMP say an officer and the suspect got into a confrontation during the chase and the suspect was shot.

Canada will face Belgium, Morocco and Croatia in Group F in the opening group stage of the World Cup in Qatar this November. The Canadian men are ranked 38th in the world compared to No. 2 for Belgium, No. 16 for Croatia and No, 24 Morocco. Canada was the last ball taken in the draw. The Canadians drew France, Hungary and the Soviet Union as first-round opponents in their only other visit to soccer's showcase, Mexico '86. Canada lost all three matches and was outscored 5-0. Friday's draw had Canada in Pot 4, which featured the lowest-ranked qualified teams. Rules of the draw meant that the Ca

Vaccinated travellers will no longer need a COVID-19 test to enter Canada as of Friday. The change is a departure from Canada's policy since the early days of the pandemic, and the struggling tourism industry describes it as a major boon. Travel agents say they've seen a surge in demand for flights since the change was announced two weeks ago. Domestic tourism groups also report a big bump in bookings over the last few weeks. While no test will be required after April 1 for people who are considered fully vaccinated, Health Canada still requires that anyone arriving from outside the country w

Retired general Jonathan Vance has pleaded guilty to one charge of obstruction of justice following a months-long investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct. The judge has given the former chief of the defence staff a conditional discharge and sentenced him to 80 hours of community service. Vance was accused of repeatedly contacting a woman and trying to convince her to make false statements to military investigators about their past relationship. He was not charged with any inappropriate sexual misconduct. Defence Minister Anita Anand told reporters it's not her role to comment on c

Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland says she will deliver this year's budget next week. Freeland tells the House of Commons she will unveil the government's spending plans on April 7 in a document that has been expected to focus on measures to spur economic growth. The budget is also expected to have new social programs promised as part of an agreement to earn the backing of the New Democrats in key parliamentary votes. That includes the first steps on national pharmacare and dental care. The budget is also expected to have billions of dollars in housing-related measures that the Liberals and

The College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia says it has suspended a doctor from practising while it completes an investigation into allegations that he circumvented COVID-19 public health orders.The interim suspension order, effective March 24 but posted on the college's website on Monday, affects Dr. Stephen Malthouse, a family practitioner on Denman Island.The order says an inquiry panel hasn't decided on the merits of the allegations, but it has determined there would be "a real risk of harm to the public" if Malthouse continued to practise without restriction.It says Malthou