Eight more cases of COVID-19 have been diagnosed at a Victoria long-term care home where 34 people have now been infected and one resident has died. Admissions, transfers and social visits have been restricted since the outbreak at Sunset Lodge was declared last Friday after three staff members tested positive. The Island Health authority says most of the latest cases are likely a result of transmission before the outbreak was discovered. It's one of 16 active outbreaks in assisted-living and long-term care homes across the province, in addition to outbreaks at three hospitals.

A portion of Cypress Bowl Road remains closed this morning following a fatal collision that occurred shortly before 4:00 am.Tragically, this collision has claimed the life of two people. Members of the Integrated Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Service are currently on scene."This is an absolutely tragic incident," says Cst. Kevin Goodmurphy. "Our investigators are working hard to determine the cause of the collision, and we ask that people avoid the area for the time being."Cypress Bowl Road remains closed between Chippendale Rd. and Eagle Lake Access Rd. until further notice.

Police in the Lower Mainland are investigating two fatal crashes this morning. Mounties in Surrey say a 37 year old man has died following a collision between a tractor trailer and a passenger vehicle on Highway 17 just before 3 am. They say the cause of the crash hasn't been determined but impairment is not believed to be a factor. It initially appears that the passenger vehicle was pulled over on the side of the highway when it was struck by the westbound tractor trailer.

BC Premier John Horgan is expressing his gratitude to health-care workers after protests outside some hospitals in the province. The provincial government will require proof of vaccination against COVID-19 later this month from residents participating in non-essential activities, such as visiting restaurants, gyms and movie theatres. Demonstrations against the government's approach on COVID-19 outside hospitals prompted Horgan to issue a statement in support of health-care workers, calling them ``the true heroes'' throughout the pandemic. Kathy MacNeil, president and CEO of the Island Health

The wildfire situation is continually evolving, and the information below is current as of 7 p.m. (Pacific time) on Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2021.Fires:Wildfires currently burning in B.C.: 216Since April 1, 2021:1,562 wildfires865,299 hectares of area burnedActive fires by fire centre:Cariboo: 24Coastal: 18Kamloops: 64Northwest: 5Prince George: 49Southeast: 56Resources:Firefighters and other personnel currently fighting the fires: 2,940Out-of-province firefighters: 455Helicopters and planes supporting ground crews: 119Evacuations:Evacuation orders: 17 (-1) Evacuation alerts: 49 (-19) Properties:Num

The first televised debate of the federal election campaign takes place tonight.Only four leaders — the Liberals' Justin Trudeau, the Conservatives' Erin O'Toole, the Bloc Québécois' Yves-Francois Blanchet and the NDP's Jagmeet Singh will face off.The Green party's Annamie Paul and the Peoples' party's Maxime Bernier were not invited to participate.The French debate on TVA, one of Quebec's most-watched networks, comes at the mid-point of the campaign and could prove crucial to the outcome on Sept. 20.The TVA debate is in addition to two official debates organized by the Leaders' Debates Co

A day after comparing Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) working presidents with "Panj Pyare", Congress in charge of Punjab Harish Rawat on Wednesday issued an apology and said that he was taking his words back.Addressing the media here, Rawat said that for the atonement of his mistake, he will sweep the floors of a Gurudwara in Uttarakhand."I used that word (Panj Pyare) as a reference for a respected person. Still, if my words hurt the feelings of any person, I apologise and take my words back. For atonement, I'll sweep the floors of a Gurudwara in my state (Uttarakhand)," Punjab Congre

B.C. is reporting 785 new cases of COVID-19, including five epi-linked cases, for a total of 166,853 cases in the province.There are currently 5,873 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, and 158,900 people who tested positive have recovered. Of the active cases, 199 individuals are in hospital and 112 are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.Note: Intensive care numbers are a subset of the total in hospital. They are not in addition to the number of people in hospital.The new/active cases include:246 new cases in Fraser HealthTotal active cases:

Public transit is now free for all children 12 and under in B.C., saving families money, increasing access to affordable transportation options and encouraging more people to use public transit.The free transit for children 12 and under program was officially launched at the Pacific National Exhibition fairgrounds in Vancouver on Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2021."I’m thrilled to be here to celebrate the start of free transit for children 12 and under," said Rob Fleming, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure. "This is a landmark achievement for free public transit in this province and an impo