A case of avian flu has been confirmed on a poultry farm in the north Okanagan. Agriculture Minister Lana Popham says testing, surveillance and mapping of the outbreak area is being handled by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, and it is also managing the disposal of any infected birds. An order from BC's deputy chief veterinarian requires all commercial poultry producers with more than 100 birds to move them indoors at least until May 13th to separate them from wild birds. The H-5-N-1 strain of avian flu was detected in wild birds around Metro Vancouver earlier this year, and several provi

A 29-year-old man has been charged with drug trafficking offences after Toronto police say they seized large amounts of drugs earlier this month. Police say a total of 189 kilograms of cocaine and 97kg of crystal methamphetamine were seized during the investigation. Investigators say the bust is the largest single-day seizure of drugs in the force's history. They say officers arrested the suspect on April 2 in the underground parking lot of a building near Yonge Street and The Esplanade in downtown Toronto. Police allege the accused had 50kg of cocaine in his possession when he was arrested.

Travellers aboard a B.C. ferry heading to Nanaimo endured an epic late-night sailing when the vessel had engine trouble mid-voyage. BC Ferries says the Queen of Oak Bay departed Horseshoe Bay at about 8 p.m. Wednesday and was expected to reach Departure Bay on Vancouver Island before 10 p.m.But the 90-minute trip became a five-hour marathon when the company says the ship had mechanical difficulty with its steering gear.It says a tug was needed to bring the vessel into the dock in Nanaimo at about 1 a.m.Repairs forced cancellation of numerous sailings between Nanaimo and the mainland on Thursda

Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart says the building destroyed by fire that included low-income housing will likely be demolished. The number of people displaced by yesterday's fire in the city's Gastown neighbourhood has risen to 144. That includes 71 residents of the Winters Hotel and 73 others in the neighbouring Gastown Hotel that was damaged in the blaze. Vancouver officials say efforts are underway to find housing for the displaced residents, which will add pressure to the city's scare supply of housing stock for low-income residents.

Canada’s chief public health officer says a number of factors are combining to cause rising levels of COVID-19 activity across the country. Dr. Theresa Tam says the loosening of public health restrictions, an increase in our in-person contacts, some waning of immunity and the spread of the more transmissible B-A-2 variant have all likely contributed to the rising levels of infection. Dr. Tam says multiple indicators, from average daily case counts, to lab test positivity and waste water monitoring indicate increasing transmission in recent weeks. Dr. Tam is again stressing that a booster dos

British Columbia's coroner says over 9,400 people in the province have died of an overdose from toxic illicit drugs since the government declared a public health emergency six years ago. Lisa Lapointe says urgent action is needed to decriminalize small amounts of drugs for personal use and to provide more people with a safer supply of substances that would replace the profit-driven illicit market.Lapointe says she understands that the concept of a safer drug supply is difficult for some people to understand, given decades of a punitive, enforcement-based approach to substance use, but more peo

Chief James Ramer expressed condolences to the families of the victims and reassured the public about their safety while asking them to remain vigilant at a news conference on April 12 at police headquarters. "They’re the types of incidents that will understandably cause concern in our communities," Ramer said. "While we appreciate that this news does nothing to ease the suffering of the victims and their families, particularly those now grieving death, I can report that the suspects for all of these incidents are now in police custody. It is my hope that this fact provides at least a sliver

At least 10 people were shot and eight others injured when a gunman filled a rush-hour subway train with smoke and opened fire Tuesday morning. Police were still searching for the shooter.There were no life-threatening injuries and the attack was not being investigated as terrorism. Officials said at least 16 in all were injured in some way in the attack at the 36th Street station in the borough's Sunset Park neighborhood. According to multiple law enforcement sources briefed on the investigation, preliminary information indicated that the gunman who fled was wearing a construction vest and a

The business of promoting the latest federal budget is underway in BC and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is spending the day on Vancouver Island to outline the benefits of the Liberal's plan for a green economy, which was a large part of last week's financial plan. Trudeau announced plans for further electric vehicle infrastructure, saying that will help overcome consumer worries about the ease and cost of buying and using the new technology. International Development Minister Harjit Sajjan also made a green economy announcement this morning in Kelowna while Natural Resources Minister Jonathan