5 more COVID-19 related deaths in BC, total number rises to 48

Independent MLA Hon Chan says he will not step down from his legislative seat after assault charges related to an alleged incident of intimate partner violence became public, leading to his removal from the Conservative caucus. Speaking briefly to reporters outside the legislative chamber Monday, Chan said he intends to remain in office, adding that “everybody is actually innocent until proven guilty.” The charges relate to an alleged incident dated Jan. 12, 2024. Chan has said he was not contacted by police before the October 2025 provincial election, when he was elected as a Conservative

The federal government is set to extend its temporary cap on annual alcohol excise tax increases for another two years, according to a senior government official who spoke to The Canadian Press on background ahead of a formal announcement. Excise duties on beer, wine and spirits are normally adjusted each April 1 based on inflation. Since 2023, the Liberal government has limited those increases to a maximum of two per cent annually. That cap was scheduled to expire this year, but the official said it will now remain in place until 2028. The government is also planning to extend for two years a

Canada Post says it is proceeding with a federally mandated restructuring plan that could see the permanent end of door-to-door mail delivery across the country. In a statement to media Monday, the Crown corporation said the transformation is intended to adapt its operations to changing demand while avoiding ongoing financial pressure on taxpayers. According to the statement, the plan includes changes to delivery standards and a shift toward community mailboxes. The direction follows a federal announcement in September, when Minister of Government Transformation, Public Works and Procurement J

Alberta’s government has introduced legislation that would restrict when citizens can launch petitions for constitutional or policy referendums, including a blackout period before and after provincial elections. Justice Minister Mickey Amery outlined the proposed changes in a bill now before the legislature. According to the minister, the bill would prohibit initiating referendum petitions in the 12 months leading up to, and the 12 months following, a provincial election. Amery said the intent is to ensure voters can focus on making decisions at the ballot box without overlapping referendum

Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi says his party is not aligned with newly elected federal NDP Leader Avi Lewis on energy policy, following Lewis’s victory at the party’s national convention. Speaking at the Alberta legislature on Monday, Nenshi said the divide between the federal and provincial wings of the party on energy issues has existed for years. “It was important for Albertans to remember that for many years now, the New Democrats have not been fully aligned, particularly on energy policy,” he said. Lewis, a Vancouver-based filmmaker and activist, was elected Sunday in Winnipeg