A Metro Vancouver hospital is now the first in BC to use COVID-19 rapid tests on patients needing urgent, unscheduled surgery. Royal Columbian Hospital in New Westminster is using the 15 minute tests after a trial on more than one-thousand asymptomatic patients earlier this year detected two positive cases of the virus. A statement from Fraser Health says those patients went on to develop COVID-19 while recovering from surgery but were already being treated on a COVID ward protecting staff and other patients. The health authority says a follow up study also found the rapid tests increase the

There are no Americans left competing in the singles events at the US Open tennis tournament, but two Canadians from Quebec are still in contention. 19 year old Leylah Annie Fernandez and 21 year old Felix Auger-Aliassime got deeper into the New York tourney with quarterfinal victories yesterday. Having already knocked out former champs Naomi Osaka and Angelique Kerber, Fernandez beat fifth-seed Elina Svitolina to get into the semifinals. And Auger-Aliassime won his match after 18 year old Carlos Alcaraz withdrew in the second set due to injury.

B.C.’s maximum allowable rent increase amount for 2022 is being set at 1.5%, based on inflation.This increase cannot take effect prior to Jan. 1, 2022. If landlords choose to increase rent, they must provide a full three months’ notice to tenants using the correct notice of rent increase form.To support British Columbians, the Province enacted a rent freeze at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The freeze has since been extended to Dec. 31, 2021.The 2022 maximum allowable rent increase is significantly less than what it would have been prior to changes made by the Province in 2018 tha

Vancouver police say 17 paddleboarders had to be rescued from heavy wind and waves near the Lions Gate Bridge Monday. They say the paddleboarders tried to cross English Bay just before 3 pm when more than half the group got caught in high winds and a strong current. Police say the incident is an important reminder that the shipping lane in Burrard Inlet can be extremely dangerous due to wind, tides, and heavy boat traffic. They say they also want to remind anyone heading out on the water that human-powered vessels like paddleboards and kayaks are not permitted between Siwash Rock and the Berr

Mounties say a recent homicide victim found in a field near Penticton Secondary School was not a student. RCMP say the young man was found unresponsive on Sunday and later pronounced dead. Police say he has still not been identified. Penticton RCMP says they are working to uncover the victim's identity and cause of death.

The wildfire situation is continually evolving, and the information below is current as of 7 p.m. (Pacific time) on Tuesday, Sept. 7, 2021.Fires:Wildfires burning in B.C.: 210Since April 1, 2021:1,583 wildfires868,619 hectares of area burnedActive fires by fire centre:Cariboo: 24Coastal: 14Kamloops: 60Northwest: 5Prince George: 52Southeast: 55Resources:*Updated weekly and are current as of Sept. 2.Firefighters and other personnel currently fighting the fires: 2,522Out-of-province firefighters: 434Helicopters and planes supporting ground crews: 63Evacuations:Evacuation Orders: 5 (-2)Evacuation

The first of two official election debates takes place tonight, with five federal party leaders facing off in what may well be their best chance to sway voters before election day on Sept. 20.With less than two weeks to go, millions of voters are expected to tune in for tonight's two-hour French debate and Thursday's English debate.Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau, Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet and Green Party Leader Annamie Paul will participate in both debates.People's Party of Canada Leader Maxime Bernier did not mee

Senior Congress leader and the party's in-charge for Punjab, Harish Rawat on September 08 dismissed reports of friction between state Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh and Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Navjot Singh Sidhu, and said if there is any dispute between the two leaders in future, it would be beneficial for the party. Speaking to ANI, Rawat said, "Punjab is the land of braves. People there put their opinion very strongly there and it looks like they will fight. But, there is nothing like that, and they find solutions to their problems. If there would be a dispute betw

Farmers have continued to sit-in protest around the mini secretariat in Haryana's Karnal district after talks with the district administration failed over their call for action against officials involved in lathi-charge on farmers on August 28."The administration has tried to give an explanation over former Karnal SDM Ayush Sinha. We will hold a meeting with farmers to make a decision on our further actions. We are doing a peaceful protest. We are not stopping anyone to work here. The officers themselves will not come to work and use farmers as an excuse," said BKU leader Rakesh Tikait.Earlier