Category Archives: Prairies/BC
Kenney defends referendum bill, accuses NDP of hypocrisy on campaign spending
EDMONTON — Alberta Premier Jason Kenney is pushing back on Opposition NDP claims that his new referendum bill is a backdoor attempt to unfairly influence debate during elections and bring big money back into politics. "I just find it completely bi...
Manitoba Hydro says new agreement prevents more temporary layoffs
WINNIPEG — Manitoba Hydro says it has reached an agreement with another group of workers to avoid temporary layoffs at the Crown Corporation. The provincial Crown utility says the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers union has agreed to have...
Manitoba government aims to modernize and speed up court system in the province
WINNIPEG — The Manitoba government is promising to modernize technology in the court system and make things easier for the public. Justice Minister Cliff Cullen says the government is looking for a company to replace 20 different information systems ac...
B.C. legislation would keep addicted youth in care for maximum of seven days
VICTORIA — The mother of a teen who fatally overdosed says legislation in British Columbia that would allow youth to be involuntarily hospitalized for up to a week must be backed up with more residential treatment beds. Rachel Staples, w...
B.C. proposes ‘first-step’ amendments to laws governing condo insurance
VICTORIA — The B.C. government says it's taking the first steps to address concerns about sky-high costs and the availability of insurance for condominiums that have seen premiums rise by as much as 50 per cent. Housing Mi...
Alberta spending on blood test studies to better track spread of COVID-19
EDMONTON — The Alberta government is spending $10 million on four studies to track the spread of COVID-19 through blood tests. The studies aim to detect the presence of antibodies. They will test two groups of children over the next...
Manitoba to cancel high-risk mothers hospital birth alert program in July
WINNIPEG — Manitoba has announced the controversial practice that allows hospitals to notify child-welfare agencies about new mothers who are deemed to be high-risk will end this month. "Birth alerts will no longer be issued in Manitoba effective July ...
Manitoba offers cash for returning workers, opposition says it’s not enough
WINNIPEG — The Manitoba government is offering a subsidy for people who return to full-time work during the COVID-19 pandemic. The money will be available to people currently collecting the federal government's income-replacement programs —&n...
Vancouver, Victoria school trustees vote to review police school liaison program
VANCOUVER — School boards in Vancouver and Victoria are reviewing the use of police liaison officers but have rejected motions to suspend the programs while the reviews are underway. Trustees in both cities voted unanimously Mo...
