Category Archives: Prairies/BC
B.C. reports nearly 30,000 active cases of COVID-19 as Omicron variant spreads
VICTORIA — British Columbia's Health Ministry says the number of hospitalizations from COVID-19 has risen to 317 as the province deals with the Omicron variant. The government said Wednesday there were 3,798 new COVID-19 cases and a total of 29,967 act...
Yukon shortening COVID isolation, schools remain open for in-person learning
WHITEHORSE — Yukon's acting top doctor is advising the territory's residents that if they have symptoms of COVID-19, they should assume they have the virus without getting tested. Dr. Catherine Elliott said Wednesday just under 5,000 rapid tests are c...
Homeowners grant threshold leaps to $1.9 million in B.C. as property values increase
VICTORIA — Homeowners in British Columbia whose property is valued at just under $2 million will still be eligible for the annual homeowner grant. The provincial government announced Wednesday it has raised the grant threshold to $1.975 million for th...
Manitoba will rely on rapid COVID-19 tests for most people as case numbers rise
WINNIPEG — The Manitoba government is changing its COVID-19 testing process amid rising case numbers, a backlog of tests and more signs that public services are being strained by workers out sick with the novel coronavirus. Health officials said most p...
Saskatchewan monitoring COVID-19 measures needed to keep essential workers healthy
REGINA — Saskatchewan is looking to other provinces to see what measures are successful in keeping front-line and essential staff working as COVID-19 cases driven by the Omicron variant surge. The province's chief medical health officer, Dr. Saqib Shah...
Southern B.C. braces for heavy snow as northern region endures bone-chilling cold
VANCOUVER — Winter storm, snowfall and extreme cold warnings cover almost every corner of British Columbia as the latest powerful storm sweeps into the province. Several centimetres of slushy snow snarled Tuesday afternoon's rush hour across the south ...
B.C.’s top doctor says employers should plan now for lots of sick workers
VANCOUVER — British Columbia's provincial health officer is advising businesses to put contingency plans in place to continue operating as up to one-third of their staff could be off sick with the Omicron variant of COVID-19. Dr. Bonnie Henry said Tues...
Manitoba politician out of cabinet over messaging on vaccines, premier says
WINNIPEG — Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson says she replaced a former cabinet minister because of his comments on COVID-19 vaccines. Ron Schuler was removed from cabinet last week, after serving as minister for infrastructure and emergency measures....
‘Winter of misery is here’: Saskatchewan epidemiologist warns of spike in COVID cases
REGINA — Jim Clifford kept his two children home from school this week despite Saskatchewan being the only province in Canada not to extend the holiday break for students in the face of surging COVID-19 cases driven mainly by the
B.C. property assessments continue to rise; rural communities show highest increases
VICTORIA — Assessed values of properties in British Columbia are up again, but the pricey Vancouver area has been upstaged by small towns where value estimates rose by more than 40 per cent. Data posted on the BC Assessment website this
