Baltej Singh Dhillon has been appointed Chair of WorkSafeBC's Board of Directors for a three-year term effective Friday, June 30.Dhillon is the first South Asian Canadian to hold this role, and has been a member of WorkSafeBC's Board of Directors since 2017.Dhillon had a distinguished career as a police officer spanning more than three decades.Notably, Dhillon created history by becoming the first RCMP member to wear a turban as part of his uniform.In addition, he also received the Queen Elizabeth II Golden and Diamond Jubilee medals for community service.

A British Columbia health authority has issued a public warning after it says benzodiazepines were detected in vape juice sold in Chilliwack, B.C.Fraser Health issued an overdose alert Thursday saying the juice that tested positive contained cannabis and suspected synthetic cannabinoids and was sold in refillable, unmarked and unbranded cartridges.It did not specify where the product was sold.The alert says reported side-effects include prolonged sedation, nausea, vomiting and blackouts.Health Canada says benzodiazepines, or benzos, are a class of substances often used as sedatives and tranqui

Google says it will remove news links in Canada because of a new law that will force digital giants to compensate media outlets for content they share or otherwise repurpose online.Digital giant Meta is terminating the contract for a fellowship program that supports the hiring of a limited number of emerging journalists at newswire service The Canadian Press.The move comes amid fallout from the federal government's Online News Act, formerly known as Bill C-18, which became law last week.The law requires tech companies such as Facebook parent Meta and Google to negotiate deals compensating medi

The British Columbia government says staff members at the Children's Ministry who failed to check on two Indigenous children who were systematically abused by their foster parents have lost their jobs.A judge sentenced the foster parents this month to 10 years each in prison for the death of the 11-year-old boy and his eight-year-old sister's serious injuries, saying it was incomprehensible how someone could inflict such suffering and violence on an innocent child.While the Ministry of Children and Family Development does not provide the names or the number of people involved, it says in a sta

Starting Thursday, June 29, 2023, people can book an appointment to see a pharmacist through a new provincial online booking system, making it even easier and more convenient to access the health care they need. The new online booking system is similar to the Get Vaccinated system where people booked appointments to get their COVID-19 and influenza vaccinations. Through the new online booking system, people can search for available appointment times at nearby pharmacies based on their minor ailment or contraceptive needs. Appointments can continue to be made by calling or visiting a pharmacy.

Experts say Alberta's model for combating drug poisoning in the province is not working as opioid-related deaths reached an all-time high this April.The latest provincial data, which was released on Monday, shows 179 people died from drug poisoning in April, making it the month with the highest-ever opioid deaths recorded in Alberta. Elaine Hyshka, who is the Canada Research Chair in health systems innovation, says the latest numbers suggest that the province might be on track for the worst year yet.Hyshka says the increased number of overdoses shows the illegal supply of drugs in Alberta is h

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced $625 million of funding to help provinces and territories build child-care infrastructure.Trudeau says the money will be rolled out over four years and will help providers renovate, retrofit and build new not-for-profit and public child-care facilities.The announcement follows through on the child-care infrastructure fund promised by the Liberal government in the 2022 budget.It's meant to complement the national child-care program, which aims to deliver child care for $10 a day, on average, by 2026.Parents have already seen fees reduced by an average

Alberta's Opposition NDP is accusing Premier Danielle Smith of concealing the latest data on opioid-related deaths until after last month's provincial election.The latest provincial data released Monday shows 179 people died from drug poisoning in April, the highest number in a single month.NDP legislature member David Shepherd says Smith stood on a podium and claimed her United Conservative government's model was working.He says the UCP hid the truth for the sake of their ideological policies, as he demanded transparency and a focus on harm reduction.Smith's office did not immediately respond

Canada has banned testing cosmetic products on animals.It's a largely symbolic move that brings Canada's policy in line with dozens of other countries.Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos says Bill C-47 was enacted last week, and included amendments to the Food and Drug Act.The act prohibits brands from selling cosmetics that rely on animal testing data to establish safety going forward.But the ban does not work retroactively.Products that were previously tested on animals can still be sold.Speaking at a news conference in Toronto this morning, Duclos says Canadians can rest easy knowing their cos