1 death and 53 new cases of COVID-19 in BC, Number of deaths rise to 25

Court documents related to the mass shooting at a school in Tumbler Ridge, B.C., in February have been made public, shedding new light on the mental state of 18-year-old shooter Jesse Van Rootselaar and confusion during the initial police response. The documents, released to a media outlet by a B.C. Provincial Court judge, indicate that Van Rootselaar was struggling with his mental health and had a strong interest in firearms. According to the report, the RCMP initially believed there could be two shooters after witnesses provided different names for the suspect. Police later determined that t

Canada and the United States are at a critical point in their ongoing trade negotiations, with the August 19 deadline for avoiding new U.S. tariffs on Canadian exports fast approaching. Despite intensive discussions between officials from both countries, no agreement has been reached so far. Canadian officials are reportedly dissatisfied with Washington’s latest proposal, saying the offer falls well short of what Ottawa had been seeking. According to reports, the United States presented a new proposal on Tuesday that included reductions in tariffs on certain sectors. However, the proposed re

The Alberta government is expected to record a budget surplus of billions of dollars this fiscal year, driven by higher crude oil prices. According to University of Calgary economics professor Trevor Tombe, the province has already accumulated a $3.8-billion surplus so far this fiscal year. He said every $1-per-barrel change in oil prices can make a difference of about $680 million to the provincial treasury. Tombe estimates that if oil prices remain above $66 per barrel, Alberta could end up with a surplus of around $6 billion, instead of the previously projected $9.4-billion deficit. Alberta

U.S. President Donald Trump has once again claimed that the United States has “total control” over the Strait of Hormuz and said Washington intends to maintain that control. In a post on Truth Social on Wednesday, Trump described the U.S. Navy’s blockade as a “wall of steel” and said there was nothing Iran could do about it. His comments come as shipping traffic through the strategic waterway has dropped sharply. Only eight vessels passed through the Strait on Tuesday, compared with around 130 to 140 vessels per day before the war. Iran, meanwhile, says full maritime traffic through

Vancouver police have arrested a 19-year-old man after he allegedly caused a disturbance with a knife and created a sense of fear in the Granville Entertainment District. According to police, the incident occurred at around 1:50 a.m. today. An employee at a business reportedly saw the man flipping over tables and displaying a knife toward people passing by. When the employee attempted to intervene, the suspect became angry and began striking the business’s sign with the knife. The employee then backed away and called police. Officers arrived at the scene and arrested the suspect just two blo