Four new COVID-19 realted deaths reported in B.C., all at long-term care homes

Smoke from ongoing wildfires in British Columbia continues to reduce air quality across several parts of the province, with Kelowna experiencing hazardous conditions on Thursday. According to IQAir, Kelowna's Air Quality Index (AQI) exceeded 300 at one point Thursday afternoon, making it the city with the poorest air quality in the world during that period. Earlier in the week, Ashcroft recorded Canada's worst air quality on Monday morning. Environment Canada has maintained high-impact air quality warnings for several regions, including the Fraser Canyon, Merritt and Kelowna. The agency says w

The Gordie Howe International Bridge connecting Windsor, Ontario, and Detroit, Michigan, will open to public traffic on Monday, marking a major milestone for cross-border transportation between Canada and the United States. Federal Infrastructure Minister Gregor Robertson made the announcement during the bridge's official opening ceremony on the Canadian side in Windsor. According to the federal government, the new cable-stayed bridge spans the Detroit River and provides a direct highway-to-highway connection between Ontario Highway 401 and Michigan Interstate 75. The six-lane bridge is expect

Social activist Sonam Wangchuk has ended his hunger strike after what he described as two days of continuous talks with the central government. Reports claim Congress Rajya Sabha MP Vivek Tankha played a key role in facilitating backchannel discussions that helped resolve the impasse. According to the reports, backchannel negotiations continued for nearly three days, with efforts made at multiple levels to reach a consensus. Some Ladakhi leaders are also reported to have acted as intermediaries during the discussions. Tankha has previously represented Wangchuk in the Supreme Court in a case re

The Government of Canada has officially signed a free trade agreement with Ecuador, marking a new step in expanding Canada's trade relationships in Latin America. According to the Government of Canada, International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu and Ecuador's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility, Luis Alberto Jaramillo, signed the agreement during a ceremony in Ottawa on Friday. The federal government said the agreement is expected to create new opportunities for Canadian businesses, workers and exporters. Federal officials said the agreement will improve market access across several

Economists say the latest U.S. tariff threats are expected to have different impacts across Canada, with Alberta and Saskatchewan among the least exposed provinces based on current export patterns. University of Calgary economics professor Trevor Tombe said Alberta and Saskatchewan are each expected to see about one per cent of their total exports affected by the latest U.S. tariff list. According to Tombe, that is a lower level of exposure than many other provinces. The Trump administration has cited Canadian restrictions on U.S. alcohol sales as one of the reasons for the proposed tariffs. A