Nine patients at Eagle Ridge Hospital in Metro Vancouver have tested positive for COVID-19, prompting Fraser Health to declare an outbreak at the Port Moody facility. A statement from the health authority says all the patients are on a single unit. The unit has been temporarily closed. Contact tracing and enhanced cleaning is underway to limit further spread of the virus. Fraser Health says the emergency department at Eagle Ridge remains open and all other areas of the hospital are operating as normal.

Canada is another step closer to producing home-grown vaccines. Construction is complete at the Biologics Manufacturing Centre in Montreal, which will be able to produce about 24-million COVID-19 vaccine doses a year. The National Research Council of Canada is working with Novavax to produce a vaccine there. Equipment is still being installed and the site is not yet fully licensed and operational. Federal Innovation Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne made the announcement today regarding the Biologics Manufacturing Centre, which is located on the National Research Council of Canada's Royal

The Toronto Police Service have announced the takedown of a major international drug-smuggling ring, which saw more than 1,000 kilograms of cocaine, crystal meth, and marijuana being transported between Mexico, California, and Canada using modified tractor trailers. Dubbed Project Brisa, the six-month investigation led officers to work in partnership with Canadian and American law enforcement agencies as well as agencies throughout southwestern Ontario and across Canada. It is alleged that between November 2020 and May 2021, investigators identified those responsible for transporting the illic

The former chief executive officer at British Columbia's Chamber of Commerce is entering the B.C. Liberal leadership race.Val Litwin says he wants to breathe new life into the Liberals with policies that support economic growth and opportunity for everybody.The 43-year-old is the fifth candidate to enter the leadership contest, which includes former cabinet minister Kevin Falcon, legislature members Ellis Ross and Michael Lee, and entrepreneur Gavin Dew.The Liberals are set to elect a new leader on Feb. 5, replacing interim leader Shirley Bond.She replaced Andrew Wilkinson who resigned after

Canada’s military ombudsman is demanding the federal Liberal government immediately grant his office true independence and oversight powers over the Canadian Armed Forces.Ombudsman Greg Lick says numerous scandals and crises over the past 30-plus years have resulted in calls for external oversight of Canada’s military to protect troops and others.That includes the current sexual misconduct scandal that is ripping through the senior ranks.While governments and leaders within the Armed Forces and Defence Department have publicly agreed to such recommendations each time, Lick alleges such ag

Responding to Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait's threat about teaching a lesson to the central government, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Kisan Morcha president Rajkumar Chahar on Tuesday said the farmer leader has nothing to do with farmers and was constantly spreading untruth about the three agriculture laws."Rakesh Tikait ji is constantly presenting a bunch of lies in front of the public. He himself knows this. He is constantly lying and trying to mislead people," Chahar said. The BJP leader also alleged that Tikait was letting himself be used politically by the Congress and t

India and Fiji on Tuesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for cooperation in the field of agriculture and allied sectors.The agreement was signed by Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and Fiji's Minister of Agriculture, Waterways and Environment Dr Mahendra Reddy during a virtual meeting, the Government of India said in a statement. India's Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare and Fiji's Ministry of Agriculture will be the Executing Agencies from respective sides.The signing of this MoU today will prove to be a milestone in further strengthening the multi-facete

British Columbia is reporting a one-day total of COVID-19 cases not seen since last August, but health officials are encouraging more people to get vaccinated as the virus continues to circulate in the province and neighbouring jurisdictions. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix say 45 cases were recorded on Monday, part of the 229 cases B.C. has had over the last three days. Three more people have died of COVID-19, for a total of 1,743 deaths in the province, which currently has 1,204 active cases of the virus. Dr. Henry and Dix say in a joint news releas

The RCMP says 17 vehicles have been in Campbell River. Police say the vehicles were marked with blue-grey forestry marking paint early yesterday. The Mounties say there have been a series of what they describe as ``pointless acts of vandalism'' in central and southern parts of the city in recent weeks. They say suspects responsible for broken fences, windows and some tail lights range in age from the young teens to the early 20's but it's too early to provide an age range for the most recent case of vandalism. Campbell River RCMP on Twitter: Campbell River RCMP investigating numerous mischief