Category Archives: Prairies/BC
B.C. expands grant program to help businesses grow online
VICTORIA — The B.C. government says it's adding $30 million to its program aimed at helping businesses build or expand their online operations during the COVID-19 pandemic in response to high demand for the grant money. The province committed $12 milli...
Regina reporting 264 presumed cases of more infectious COVID-19 variants
REGINA — Saskatchewan health officials say there are now 313 probable cases of more infectious COVID-19 strains in the province including 264 in and around Regina. The Regina area is home to most of the province's variant cases that have been
Manitoba starts online booking for COVID-19 vaccines, expands eligibility
WINNIPEG — The Manitoba government on Wednesday expanded the number of people eligible for COVID-19 vaccines and set up an online portal to provide another way to book appointments. With more doses arriving, the province reduced the minimum age for the...
Alberta environment minister tells rural areas coal mining doesn’t threaten water
EDMONTON — Alberta's environment minister is reassuring rural municipalities in the province's dry south that their water supply isn't threatened by industrial development such as coal mines. "Alberta continues to have some of the most rigorous water l...
Deadline approaching: Ottawa wants answer from Prairies on AgriStability program
The federal government wants a yes or no from the three Prairie provinces on proposed upgrades to a program that protects farmers against large declines in income. Federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau held a news conference Wednesday to gi...
Variants could dash B.C. hopes for indoor religious services, experts say
VANCOUVER — Growing COVID-19 case numbers from variants of concern in British Columbia could dash the province's hopes for indoor religious services or any other return to normal life in the near future, experts say. Sally Otto, a University of British...
B.C.’s top doctor urges people to follow COVID-19 rules on St. Patrick’s Day
VICTORIA — B.C.'s top doctor is reminding the public to follow COVID-19 rules during St. Patrick's Day celebrations, while the province has again extended its ongoing state of emergency in response to the pandemic. Dr. Bonnie Henry says in a statement
Lower Mainland mayors urge province to expand role of municipal emergency responders
DELTA, B.C. — A group of 11 Metro Vancouver mayors say recent long delays for ambulance service should prompt the provincial government to reconsider the role of other municipal emergency responders. In a letter to Health Minister Adrian Dix last week...
Alberta’s top doctor says race is on between COVID-19 vaccines and variants
EDMONTON — The percentage of active COVID-19 cases that involve more transmissible virus variants is rising in Alberta, prompting the province's top doctor to urge people to keep following public-health guidelines and get vaccinated if they're eligible...
B.C.’s income and disability rates to increase by $175 per month in April
VICTORIA — Income and disability assistance rates in British Columbia are being raised by $175 per month starting in April, Nicholas Simons, the minister of social development and poverty reduction, said Tuesday. It's the largest-ever permanent increa...
