Category Archives: Social
Long-term care visitor restrictions under review, new minister says
A policy restricting social visits in Ontario long-term care homes could soon change, the minister responsible for the sector said on Wednesday after other pandemic rules loosened across the province. Long-Term Care Minister Paul Calandra said he's rev...
‘All options on the table’ to end protest ensnaring Ottawa, says police chief
OTTAWA — The head of the Ottawa police says "all options are on the table," including calling in the military, to end the ongoing anti-vaccine mandate protest that some city councillors are calling an "occupation" of the capital. Chief Peter Sloly
Experts hopeful about Omicron’s end but wary about what lies ahead
VANCOUVER — The Omicron wave appears to be cresting across the country, but it's difficult to predict what's next for the pandemic, experts say. Prof. Bernard Crespi, an evolutionary biologist at Simon Fraser University, said the development of the Om...
Most B.C. COVID patients testing positive after hospitalization for other reasons
VANCOUVER — COVID-19 hospitalizations in British Columbia are at their highest level and over 60 per cent of patients since December have tested positive for the virus after being admitted for other reasons, the provincial health officer says. Dr. Bon...
Indigenous delegation to meet Pope Francis at Vatican at end of March
An Indigenous delegation is to meet with Pope Francis at the Vatican in early spring to discuss reconciliation and healing after a visit was postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. A joint statement from the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops ...
Anti-vaccine mandate protest racks up costs to Ottawa residents, police, businesses
Ottawa residents are starting to wonder who will be left holding the bag when the anti-vaccine mandate protest that has seized the capital, shuttered businesses and racked up policing costs finally rolls out. Crowds that first arrived Friday have thinn...
Terry Fox ‘above politics’ so leave him out of protests: mayor of hero’s hometown
PORT COQUITLAM, B.C. — A British Columbia mayor says the defacing of a statue of Terry Fox near Parliament Hill has ignited disbelief among residents in the national hero's hometown, and he's calling on them to channel their frustration into
Federal election cost estimated $630M, but many First Nations had no polling station
OTTAWA — Last year’s federal election cost an estimated $630 million — more than the estimated $502-million bill for the 2019 poll — partly because of extra costs associated with the pandemic, according to Elections Canada. The official report on last...
Alberta’s top court dismisses challenge of ID requirement at drug-use sites
EDMONTON — Alberta’s top court has dismissed an appeal from harm reduction advocates who wanted to stop a provincial policy that requires people who want to use a supervised drug-injection site to provide their health-card number to get inside. The rul...
Immigration processing times to return to standard in 2022: minister
OTTAWA — Immigration Minister Sean Fraser says the government will get back on track by the end of the year after COVID-19 caused a major backlog in the processing of immigration applications and long waits for people seeking status in