A panel of experts says up to 80 per cent of Canadians over 16 could get a single dose of COVID-19 vaccine by the end of June, if governments extend the interval between the two doses to four months. Deputy federal public health officer Doctor Howard Njoo says the move is based on the most recent data on how vaccines are working.Canada is now on track to receive a total of 6.5 million vaccine doses by the end of this month. That's 500,000 more than originally forecast. Health officials in Alberta, BC and Newfoundland and Labrador have said they are extending that interval to four months, while

The mayor of the small BC village of Pouce Coupe says she won't resign as Indigenous leaders claim her "shocking and unacceptable behavior" makes it impossible for them to work with her in her mayoral role moving forward. Lorraine Michetti has been criticized for social media posts that critics deemed racist and anti-Semitic. Members of the Treaty 8 Tribal Association, which represents six First Nations in northeastern BC, issued a letter denouncing Michetti's actions and comments and demanding her immediate resignation earlier this week. Michetti says she won't resign as she has other projec

Unifor president Jerry Dias says Air Canada is promising to refund passengers whose flights were cancelled during the COVID-19 pandemic.Dias says the airline has made the commitment repeatedly during negotiations with the federal government over an aid package for the battered sector.He says he spoke with Air Canada CEO Michael Rousseau last night, confirming the pledge.Dias says roughly 4,000 of the union's 15,000 aviation workers remain fully employed a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, lending urgency to discussions in Ottawa.Air Canada and the Finance Department did not respond immediately

Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Thursday asserted that new farm laws will enhance farmers' income adding that agricultural is the backbone of the country's economic growth. "Under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-Kisan) Yojana, about 1.15 lakh crore rupees are deposited in the bank accounts of about 1.75 crore farmers. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has the vision to increase the income of farmers and the development of the agricultural sector. We understand that, if we don't have prosperous farmers, we can't develop a good economy of the country." Tomar said while sp

Amid the ongoing protest against the new farm laws, Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait on Thursday said the agitation will continue for long."We will continue our protest until the government agrees to talk to the committee. We are here for long," said Tikait."There must be a minimum and maximum rate for crops in the country," he added.While the Assembly polls of the legislative assemblies of four states -- West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Assam -- will start from May, farmers will also participate in the political rallies said Tikait.Farmers have been protesting on the differ

After surviving Delhi's harsh winters, farmers agitating at the borders of the national capital against the Centre's contentious farm laws are now gearing up to battle the summer months with portable fans, mosquito nets and other necessities. In light of the rising temperature in Delhi, farmers starting from Amritsar have fitted their tractor trolleys with nets on all sides to keep mosquitoes away and have installed electric mosquito repellants. "Keeping in mind the heat in Delhi, a jatha recently left the Golden Gate in Amritsar with special arrangements for the summer months. Earlier, to pro

A former military ombudsman says he told Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan about allegations of misconduct against former chief of defence, General Jonathan Vance three years ago, and was met with hostility. Gary Walbourne spoke to a parliamentary committee this afternoon, telling members he had a toxic working relationship with Sajjan. Walbourne says he told the minister that the person accusing Vance of wrongdoing did not want to issue a formal complaint. Sajjan at that time repeatedly refused to say what he and Walbourne discussed during their meeting on March 1, 2018, citing confidentiality

B.C.’s provincial health officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry and Minister of Health, Adrian Dix have issued a joint statement regarding updates on the COVID-19 response in British Columbia. 542 new cases, have been reported for a total of 81,909 cases in B.C. There are 4,654 active cases of COVID-19 in the province. 246 individuals are currently hospitalized, 64 of whom are in intensive care. There have been 18 new confirmed COVID-19 cases that are variants of concern in our province, for a total of 200 cases. This includes 176 cases of the U.K. variant and 24 cases of the South Africa variant. 289,80

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expressing optimism that his government's timeline for getting a vaccine into the arm of every Canadian who wants one can be accelerated. He says the federal government's September timeline didn't factor in the arrival of new vaccines such as the Oxford-AstraZeneca shot, which was approved last week. Trudeau notes that a change in the public health guidance regarding the time allowed between the first and second doses of a vaccine could also affect Canada's rollout. Health officials in B-C and Newfoundland and Labrador have said they are extending that interva