Gyms and other exercise facilities are being allowed to reopen in British Columbia, a move the province's top doctor describes as a "cautious step" in lifting COVID-19 restrictions.Dr. Bonnie Henry says proof of vaccination will be required to use gyms, which will operate under capacity limits.Henry says other restrictions that went into effect in December will remain in place because of the high rates of transmission of COVID-19 and the number of people needing hospital care.Bars and nightclubs will stay closed and capacity limits are still in place for restaurants, theatres and stadiums.Henr

The BC Conservation Officer Service is warning all users of a popular Kelowna park about a cougar that tried to attack a large, leashed dog. A post on the service's website says it happened Sunday evening in Mission Creek Regional Park when the big cat lunged and tried to take on the dog, but was scared off and neither the dog nor owner were hurt. Conservation officers have issued a public advisory, saying while roaming pets are prey for cougars, aggression toward a large, leashed dog is ``uncommon and concerning.'' The cougar hasn't been caught but warning signs have been posted in the spraw

The final debate of the BC Liberal leadership race is tonight, with barely two weeks left before the party selects a new leader on February 5th. Candidates at tonight's debate include Gavin Dew, Kevin Falcon, Michael Lee, Val Litwin, Renee Merrifield, Ellis Ross and Stan Sipos. The race began last February when former leader Andrew Wilkinson officially resigned after the Liberals won just 28 seats and saw the New Democrats capture a large majority in the 2020 provincial election. Tonight's debate can be viewed online at the BC Liberals website.

Grocery stores are struggling with rising labour and product shortages that experts warn could threaten Canada's food security. Gary Sands, senior vice-president of public policy with the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers, says employee absenteeism due to COVID-19 protocols has hit about 30 per cent across Canada, and rising. Without access to rapid testing in many provinces, he says workers are repeatedly forced to isolate for a week or more after an exposure to COVID-19. Sands says if the situation worsens, some grocery stores won't be able to open, threatening food security in rur

New figures show the Canadian Armed Forces are struggling with a growing shortage of personnel even as the military faces more and more demands at home and abroad. While the military is supposed to have just over 100,000 troops at full strength, new Defence Department figures show it was short about 12,000 regular force troops and reservists at the end of November. The shortfall is worse than at the end of 2020, when military was short about 7,000 troops as the onset of the pandemic forced recruiting centres and training schools to close for months. The latest figures also show another 10,000

While the most challenging days are predicted to be ahead for B-C's health-care system as COVID-19 cases peak in the latest wave, representatives for doctors and nurses say their members are already reaching their breaking points. Doctor Ramneek Dosanjh, president of Doctors of B-C, says physicians are feeling emotionally exhausted as they enter the third year of the pandemic. She says the COVID-19 has highlighted shortages of not just critical supplies such personal protective equipment but also the need for additional human resources and support in the workforce. Aman Grewal, president of

British Columbia's anti-gang police unit says officers have seized cash, drugs and weapons after a year-long investigation on Vancouver Island. The Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit says the investigation focused on an alleged organized drug trafficking network with ties to members of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club. During the execution of four search warrants on homes in the Comox Valley and Campbell River, police say they seized about 3-point-5 kilograms of suspected cocaine, 160-thousand dollars in cash and several guns.Six people were arrested and have been released from custody

Over a three-day period, B.C. is reporting 5,625 new cases of COVID-19, including six epi-linked cases, for a total of 299,146 cases in the province:Jan. 14-15: 2,383 new casesJan. 15-16: 1,733 new casesJan. 16-17: 1,509 new casesThere are 35,985 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, and 257,677 people who tested positive have recovered. Of the active cases, 819 COVID-positive individuals are in hospital and 99 are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.The new/active cases include:1,884 new cases in Fraser HealthTotal active cases: 17,7891,155 new

British Columbia's top doctor has extended a COVID-19 order that will keep gyms and fitness centres closed before providing more details tomorrow. That's when restrictions were set to expire, but Dr. Bonnie Henry said last week that they believed COVID-19 hospitalizations were expected to spike after cases within the community had peaked. Restrictions on gatherings and events will stay in place, and Henry has now also directed school boards to collect information on the vaccination status of their staff. The BC Teachers' Federation says on Twitter that it was not consulted or notified ahead o