8.51°C Vancouver

Mar 23, 2020 7:26 PM -

Vancouver council ready to crack down on businesses ignoring closure orders

Share On

Vancouver council has approved a motion giving it the power to crack down on businesses ignoring closure orders or residents defying the requirement to maintain social distancing.

This morning's vote, giving the city the ability to levy 50-thousand dollar fines on businesses or slap residents with fines of up to one-thousand dollars was approved unanimously.

The measures follow numerous violations in the days following last week's declaration of a local state of emergency in Vancouver, restricting shop hours or operations and limiting many public activities.

Vancouver, Victoria and Whistler are among the BC communities that have now closed all parks and other recreational sites in order to limit the size of gatherings in an effort to combat COVID-19.

Latest news

signs-of-slowdown-emerge-as-canadas-economy-faces-possible-gdp-decline-in-final-quarter
CanadaJan 30, 2026

Signs of slowdown emerge as Canada’s economy faces possible GDP decline in final quarter

Canada’s economy is showing renewed signs of strain, with new data suggesting the country’s gross domestic product may have contracted in the fourth and final quarter of 2025. Economists point to ongoing trade pressures, particularly from U.S. tariffs, as a key factor weighing on growth in a trade-dependent economy. According to Statistics Canada, economic activity stalled completely in November, marking zero growth for the month. This followed a 0.3 per cent decline in October, making it the second consecutive month without any measurable improvement in overall economic output. Analysts s
rcmp-believe-infant-also-dead-after-woman-found-in-st-albert-apartment
AlbertaJan 30, 2026

RCMP believe infant also dead after woman found in St. Albert apartment

RCMP say they believe the infant child of a woman found dead in a St. Albert apartment north of Edmonton has also died, as a homicide investigation continues. Mounties were called to an apartment in the city on Friday, where officers discovered the remains of 23-year-old Ayla Egotik-Learn. Police say Egotik-Learn was originally from Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, highlighting the broader interprovincial impact of the case. Her common-law partner, Christopher William Beasley, has been charged with second-degree murder. He is also facing a charge of causing an indignity to human remains in relation to
man-charged-after-liquid-thrown-at-u-s-rep-ilhan-omar-during-minneapolis-event
WorldJan 29, 2026

Man charged after liquid thrown at U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar during Minneapolis event

U.S. federal prosecutors have laid charges against a Minnesota man accused of throwing a liquid on Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar during a public event in Minneapolis earlier this week, an incident authorities are treating as an assault on a sitting lawmaker. Court documents filed by the U.S. Justice Department say Anthony Kazmierczak was arrested following the incident and is charged with forcibly assaulting, opposing, impeding and intimidating a member of Congress while she was performing official duties. According to a sworn affidavit, investigators later determined the substance spray
train-pedestrian-fatality-under-investigation-in-langley
BCJan 29, 2026

Train-pedestrian fatality under investigation in Langley

Police in Langley are investigating after a pedestrian was struck and killed by a train Thursday morning in the Metro Vancouver region. According to the RCMP, the collision occurred shortly before 8 a.m. near the intersection of Glover Road and Billy Brown Road, an area that includes rail lines used for both freight and passenger traffic. Emergency crews responded quickly and attempted life-saving measures, but the individual was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities have not released the identity of the victim or details about how the incident occurred. Investigators remained in the area
kamloops-rcmp-mark-fourth-anniversary-of-unsolved-2022-rural-homicide
BCJan 29, 2026

Kamloops RCMP mark fourth anniversary of unsolved 2022 rural homicide

The BC RCMP Southeast District Major Crime Unit is marking the fourth anniversary of the homicide of 18-year-old Jagraj Dhinsa, whose death in rural Kamloops remains unsolved. Dhinsa was found deceased in a parking lot along Chilcotin Road in January 2022. Police have not released further details about the circumstances surrounding his death, but confirm the case continues to be actively investigated by the Southeast District Major Crime Unit. Staff Sergeant Jason Smart, unit commander of the SED MCU, said the investigation remains a priority for police and the justice system. He described the

Related News