British Columbia health officials are reporting 108 new cases of COVID-19 as the province begins step two of its reopening plan. They say in a statement B.C. has 1,496 active cases and 143,299 people have recovered from the infection. There have been no new deaths and the total number of fatalities is 1,734. Officials say more than 76 per cent of eligible adults have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, while 657,491 have had their second shot. Step two of the reopening plan means indoor seated gatherings with up to 50 people are permitted at venues such as movie theatres and banque

Vancouver Police are reminding east-side residents to be wary of jewelry scammers, after a Collingwood man was bilked out of thousands of dollars yesterday."With Covid restrictions easing and more people heading outside to enjoy the warm weather, these scammers will prey on people’s good will and naivety," says Sergeant Steve Addison, VPD. "We need people to know how they work and to be assertive if they are approached."VPD is investigating two incidents that occurred Monday afternoon in East Vancouver, and suspect there might be links between the cases.A 51-year-old man was walking alone ne

``Gone Girl'' actor Lisa Banes has died 10 days after being injured by a hit-and-run driver in New York City. A police spokesperson says the 65 year old Banes died Monday at Mount Sinai Morningside Hospital. She was struck by a scooter or motorcycle while crossing a street on June 4. Banes appeared in numerous television shows and movies, including ``Gone Girl'' starring Ben Affleck in 2014 and ``Cocktail'' with Tom Cruise in 1988. Her manager says Banes was hit as she was crossing Amsterdam Avenue on the way to visit the Juilliard School, her alma mater. Police have made no arrests.

The Canadian Real Estate Association says buyers are increasingly frustrated by volatile home sales in this country and an expected decline in transactions could underscore their irritation with hot markets like those in Metro Vancouver. The association says home sales fell 7.4 per cent in May compared with the month earlier, and the month-over-month skid affected about 80 per cent of markets across Canada. But the association also predicts sales will hit a new, overall record by the end of the year, leaping nearly 24 per cent compared with 2020 before slipping about 13 per cent next year. As

Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc says Ottawa is in talks with the provinces and territories about creating some type of ``passport'' containing proof of vaccination against COVID-19. LeBlanc says while health information falls under provincial jurisdiction, Ottawa's goal is to provide Canadians with a document to verify vaccinations against the coronavirus if they want to travel outside Canada. But LeBlanc says the government may provide Canadians who want to travel soon with an interim document to verify vaccinations. Non-essential travel into and out of Canada has been sev

Police in Alabama say a worker killed two people and wounded two more at a fire hydrant factory before killing himself. Albertsville Police Chief Jamie Smith says the suspect apparently killed himself in a car found in Guntersville, about 15 miles from the factory. Gunfire broke out at about 2:30 a.m. Tuesday at a Mueller Co. plant in Albertville. Smith says it's not immediately known what prompted the shooting. The factory has more than 400 workers, giving the town its nickname of ``Fire Hydrant Capital of the World.'' A worker at the factor said the shooting happened in a part of the plant

As COVID-19 restrictions on non-essential travel within BC are lifted today, police road checks established in the first week of May have also come to an end. RCMP Staff Sergeant Janelle Shoihet says more than 14,000 vehicles were stopped at the checkpoints set up along several highways on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays between May 6th and last weekend. She says just 26 vehicles were told to turn around by police and another 236 voluntarily turned around at the checks established to prevent people from travelling between three regional zones for non-essential reasons. No tickets were handed

The owner of the Budway cannabis dispensary in Vancouver has been ordered to pay 40,000 dollars to Subway for imitating the sandwich chain's branding. The Federal Court ruled the shop was both benefitting from and damaging Subway's brand by infringing on its trademark logo and using a mascot. Justice Nicholas McHaffie described it as ``a submarine sandwich filled with cannabis leaves.'' The pot shop has been ordered to pay 15,000 dollars in damages and 25,000 dollars to cover Subway's legal fees.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spent his last day in Europe thanking leaders and local workers for getting COVID-19 vaccines to Canada.Trudeau visited the Pfizer-BioNTech manufacturing facility in Puurs, Belgium, where Canada's vaccine supply was produced until the United States started shipping doses early last month.His main message to those at the plant was ``Thank you.''Trudeau repeated it multiple times to workers during a brief walking tour of the facility, as well as to Pfizer's managing director.He listened as officials showed the deep freezers where vaccines are stored, then walked up