Chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam's annual report says the pandemic has been a wake-up call about the need for public health renewal. She's urging the federal government to transform the public health system so it is better equipped to handle both present and future health threats. Dr. Tam is warning the government it should not scale back public health funding once the emergency has passed, leaving it vulnerable at the start of the next crisis. Canada's top doctor says community transmission of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 is already happening. Dr. Theresa Tam says the highly co

Defence Minister Anita Anand says Ottawa has long failed to protect those who signed up to protect the country. She made a formal apology today to victims of military sexual misconduct on behalf of the federal government, and also apologized the government didn't put the right systems in place to ensure justice and accountability for victims. Her apology, and those made by chief of the defence staff General Wayne Eyre and Defence Department deputy minister Jody Thomas form a key part of the federal government's 600 million dollar settlement in several overlapping class-action lawsuits. Defence

Nearly 80,000 Ontarians remain without power on Sunday evening after high winds brought down trees and power lines across the southern part of the province on Saturday night. Ontario utility Hydro One said crews are still working to restore power after Saturday's wind storm left about 490,000 customers in the dark. "Our crews are in position and responding to significant power outages caused by Ontario's worst storm in recent years," said David Lebeter, Hydro One's chief operating officer.

R-C-M-P say they're investigating what's believed to a targeted weekend shooting in Nanaimo. Police say a man was treated in hospital for serious but non-life-threatening injuries and that a vehicle was seen speeding from the scene Saturday night. Mounties then received a call about a vehicle on fire and say it's believed to have been associated with the shooting. Constable Gary O'Brien says police don't believe there's any risk to the public but anyone who has information about the incident is being asked to call the detachment.

B.C. is reporting 437 new cases of COVID-19, for a total of 222,013 cases in the province.There are currently 2,994 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, and 216,542 people who tested positive have recovered. Of the active cases, 211 individuals are currently in hospital and 72 are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.In the past 24 hours, three new deaths have been reported, for an overall total of 2,381.The new deaths include:Fraser Health: oneVancouver Coastal Health: oneIsland Health: oneThere have been 10 cases of the Omicron variant of conc

Highway 11, between Hazelwood Avenue and Clayburn Road, is open to commercial vehicle traffic, supporting the movement of goods and services between the Sumas border, Abbotsford and Mission. This stretch of highway was reopened to passenger and emergency vehicles on Dec. 6. Traffic is moving on the two southbound lanes of Highway 11 using a single lane in each direction. Drivers should expect a slower commute and delays.The two northbound lanes remain closed until the highway can be repaired. A timeline for these repairs has not been determined. Although it is not subject to the essential trav

Rescue workers arriving at a road accident in southern Mexico found a truck jammed with as many as 200 migrants crashed into the base of a steel pedestrian bridge, killing 55 and injuring dozens. The migrants inside the tractor trailer were tossed and crushed in a pile of both the living and the dead. In addition to the 55 killed Thursday evening, at least 52 were injured. It was one of the deadliest days for migrants in Mexico since the 2010 massacre of 72 people by the Zetas drug cartel in the northern state of Tamaulipas. First-arriving rescuers said some people who had been on the truck h

A public mischief charge has been approved by a special prosecutor against the mayor of Surrey, B.C. The BC Prosecution Service says the charge comes after Mayor Doug McCallum complained to the RCMP that he was verbally assaulted and hit by a car. There were public discussions at the time about Surrey replacing the RCMP with a municipal police force and McCallum said he was attacked during a ``Keep the RCMP in Surrey'' gathering at a grocery store. McCallum was elected on a promise to replace the RCMP with a local force and some Surrey Police members are already on the job. Vancouver lawyer R

Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos says the emergence of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 should be a big, red, flashing part of the radar screen for anyone planning a trip outside Canada. Duclos says while Omicron is still relatively rare here, it is a different story in other countries, where governments are re-imposing lockdowns and tightening public health restrictions. And he's warning anyone thinking of leaving Canada for a winter vacation that they will face delays and hassles on their return. Chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam says there have been 87 confirmed cases of Omicro