Feds announce $1 billion COVID-19 response fund

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

The federal government has announced $34 million in funding to help communities across Canada deal with the impacts of climate change. The funding will support municipalities and local organizations in launching projects aimed at reducing the risks posed by natural disasters such as floods, wildfires and extreme heat. Federal Environment Minister Julie Dabrusin announced the funding in Halifax today, acknowledging that Canada’s climate is changing and that communities need to be better prepared for its impacts. According to Dabrusin, the funding will support 141 climate-related projects acro

Surrey Police Service (SPS) is investigating an early morning shooting in Surrey’s Cloverdale neighbourhood that left one adult male with a minor, non-life-threatening injury. Police responded at approximately 3:52 a.m. on August 12 to reports of a shooting near a residence in the area of 60 Avenue and 177 Street. Two people were reportedly shot at, with one person sustaining a minor injury that did not require medical treatment. The suspects fled the scene. SPS’s Major Crime Section has taken over the investigation, while forensic officers are processing physical and digital evidence in t