Starting today, the City of Vancouver in partnership with the Vancouver School Board (VSB) is launching a four-week School Streets pilot at three elementary schools. A School Street is a car-free block beside a school open to walking, biking, and rolling during drop-off and pick-up. School volunteers will be leading the day-to-day implementation of the pilot program.The goals of the pilot are to help improve safety, encourage active travel and reduce carbon pollution, which is part of the Climate Emergency Action Plan and Transportation 2040 Plan. The School Streets pilot will be in place Apri

The police chief in a Minneapolis suburb where a Black man was fatally shot during a traffic stop says he believes the officer who fired intended to use a Taser, not a handgun. Police Chief Tim Gannon described the shooting as "an accidental discharge." The man identified by relatives as 20 year old Daunte Wright died Sunday in Brooklyn Center, a city of about 30,000 people on the northwest border of Minneapolis. His death sparked violent protests, with officers in riot gear clashing with demonstrators into Monday morning. The Minneapolis area was already on edge because of the trial of the f

North Vancouver RCMP say a child has died after a skiing accident on a local mountain. Police say they were called to Mount Seymour at about 8 p.m. Saturday for reports of a seriously injured 12 year old. Mounties say the child was injured during a ski accident, but did not specify the nature of the accident. Paramedics took the child to BC Children's Hospital where they were pronounced dead. The BC Coroners Service says it is investigating, and would not be able to provide further details at this time. North Vancouver RCMP on Twitter: CORRECTION: A previous release listed the age of the child

Punjab Chief Minister Captain (retired) Amarinder Singh on Monday received his second COVID-19 vaccine shot in Chandigarh."Got my second dose of Covid-19 vaccination today. In this fight against the Covid-19 virus, timely vaccination is our most potent shield. I urge all eligible persons to take their shot at the earliest by registering at the medical facilities of Punjab Government across the State," the Chief Minister tweeted.The Chief Minister had on March 5 received the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine Punjab's Mohali. Capt. Amarinder Singh on Twitter: Got my second dose of #Covid19 v

Russia's Sputnik V got approval from the Subject expert committee (SEC) for Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA), making it the third Covid-19 vaccine to get clearance in India.According to sources, the SEC approved Dr Reddy's application for EUA to Sputnik V.The decision comes after the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI)'s SEC met today to take up Sputnik V application for EUA in India.Dr Reddy's Laboratories, last week sought the government's approval for the vaccine to be used in India. The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) partnered with Dr Reddy's in September 2020 to conduct clini

Adults living and working in Whistler, B.C., will be able to receive their COVID-19 vaccination starting Monday. Vancouver Coastal Health says eligible residents will be required to provide proof of their permanent resident address in Whistler with a provincialdriver's licence or valid credit card statement, or present a recent paystub to confirm their employment in the area. Whistler adults between 18 and 54 years of age will receive a vaccination at the Whistler Conference Centre. Those 55 to 65 years old can receive the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine at a local pharmacy or wait to receive a P

British Columbia is reporting nearly 1,300 cases of COVID-19 for a second day in a row as the province marks a milestone by administering a million doses of vaccine. Provincial health officer Doctor Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix say in a joint release that only 87,600 of the shots are second doses and everyone must continue following all public health orders. They are reporting 1,262 new cases and are asking people to avoid travel and indoor gatherings outside of a household, adding that even people who have mild symptoms should get tested for infection. Another two people have

The jobless rate across Canada dipped sharply in March to 7.5 per cent, its lowest level since the COVID-19 pandemic began, but the numbers in British Columbia didn't budge. Statistics Canada says more than 300,000 jobs were added countrywide last month, pushing the unemployment rate down from 8.2 per cent in February. BC's Minister of Jobs, Economic Recovery and Innovation says the latest unemployment numbers show more people are working now in the province than before the pandemic hit. Ravi Kahlon says, counting the 35,000 jobs created in BC last month, the province now has 11 consecutive

The British Columbia government says the province's lowest-paid workers, liquor servers, are getting a pay boost to match the general minimum wage that's also set to increase in June. Labour Minister Harry Bains says he's proud to put an end to the discriminatory lower minimum wage for liquor servers, 80 per cent of whom are women. The province says liquor servers earning minimum wage will make $15.20 an hour, up from $13.95, effective June 1. The general minimum wage is increasing by 60 cents from $14.60 an hour, and the minimum rates for live-in camp leaders and resident caretakers are also