Omicron variant prompts travel restrictions worldwide
Several countries around the world have implemented travel restrictions in efforts to prevent the omicron coronavirus variant from taking hold.
Wildfires in Yukon have prompted the closure of several roads and highways around the territory including, as of Sunday night, the Klondike Highway between Pelly Crossing and Stewart Crossing. Haley Ritchie, with Yukon Wildland Fire Management, said the 1,500-hectare Crystal Creek fire was burning close to the highway, about 15 kilometres south of Stewart Crossing. "The smoke is the hazard for travel right now. Last night, it was just too thick, too dangerous," she said, Monday morning. "We're g
B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix is considering making COVID-19 shots widely available in the fall, as experts predict a third Omicron wave is on the way. The provincial health-care system is getting ready for a fall wave and looking at a federal advisory body's recommendations that booster doses be made widely available, Dix said speaking at a news conference Monday. Meanwhile, the B.C. COVID-19 Modelling Group, made up of interdisciplinary experts who work independently from the government, war
Environment Canada has issued a heat warning for Windsor and Essex County for Monday and Tuesday. The weather authority warns temperatures will be near 31 C, with humidex values in the low forties on Tuesday. Overnight, lows are expected to be about 21 C, which will offer little relief. Environment Canada said the hot temperatures can cause deteriorating air quality. The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit has issued a heat warning based off of Environment Canada's information, warning residents to
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas voters have said no to him twice over the past four years. But Kris Kobach is nonetheless betting that this can be the year he makes a political comeback. His losses, including a 2018 defeat that handed the governor's office in this Republican-leaning state to a Democrat, might end other political careers. But Kobach, who built a national reputation as an immigration hard-liner while Kansas secretary of state, is now aiming for the state attorney general's office. He f
After more than 220 years in the same family, the homestead of a woman described as "the mother of Tabusintac" is for sale. The Wishart House was built by Charlotte (Taylor) and her third husband, Philip Hierlihy, in 1798-1799. Taylor is the central character in the historical novel that journalist Sally Armstrong wrote about her great great great grandmother, The Nine Lives of Charlotte Taylor. "Obviously the decision to list the property for sale has been a very difficult decision for us to ma
A man was rushed to hospital in critical condition Tuesday afternoon following a shooting on Banff Avenue in south Ottawa, first responders say. The shooting happened around 12:40 p.m. in the middle of an Ottawa Community Housing complex, near a park and community centre. The victim was taken to the Ottawa Hospital's Civic campus trauma unit, paramedics said. Police cruisers and caution tape surrounded the scene, not far from Ledbury Avenue. An alley running between two blocks of rowhouses was a
Alberta is expanding eligibility for support programs for newly arriving Ukrainian refugees, Premier Jason Kenney said at a news conference Monday. Starting July 25, new arrivals will be eligible for temporary assistance for six months to cover basic expenses such as food, clothing and rent. Kenney said the additional supports are expected to cost between $15 million and $38 million, depending on how many Ukrainians arrive in the coming months. Ukrainian arrivals with children under 12 can apply
Perhaps beavers need holidays too, from all that dam maintenance — especially on Canada Day. Officials say a major washout on the Alaska Highway in B.C. over the holiday weekend was caused by a broken beaver dam that sent a torrent of water through the area, sweeping away a section of the highway in northern B.C. and causing major disruptions for travellers and truckers before a detour opened to traffic on Monday. "There was, you know, quite a bit of water there," said George Smith, a manager wi
People in the Hay River, N.W.T., area are still recovering from damages caused by the unprecedented spring flood. "It's going to be a lifelong impact," said Paradise Valley resident Bhreagh Ingarfield. Last week, the territory's Department of Municipal and Community Affairs (MACA) announced its assistance plan for flood recovery. Residents can submit eligible claims for reimbursement through the N.W.T. 's updated Disaster Assistance Policy. For residents of Paradise Valley — a small agricultural
A memorial bike ride was held Sunday in downtown Vancouver to honour a well-loved cyclist who lost his life in a crash in the West End last week. AgustÃn Beltrán, 28, was killed in a collision with a dump truck at the intersection of Hornby Street and Pacific Boulevard on Wednesday. Beltrán was a first-year PhD student at the University of British Columbia. He studied environmental and applied microeconomics, according to the university's website. The memorial ride on Sunday started outside the
OTTAWA — Canada is about to toss more than half of its doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine because it couldn't find any takers for it either in or outside of Canada. A statement from Health Canada says 13.6 million doses of the vaccine expired in the spring and will be thrown out. A year ago Canada said it would donate almost 18 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to lower-income countries. As of June 22, almost nine million doses were delivered to 21 different nations. But Hea
About 230 Ukrainian citizens are expected to arrive in Regina on Monday evening aboard a humanitarian flight from Poland. The provincial government said the nine-hour flight from Warsaw, the Polish capital, is expected to arrive at 5:05 p.m. CST Monday, meeting the provincial immigration minister's target date. The passengers are expected to spend about three to four hours passing through customs before leaving the airport. Provincial and local officials, including Regina Mayor Sandra Masters an
OTTAWA — The federal government says it has signed a $20-billion final settlement agreement to compensate First Nations children and families harmed by chronic underfunding of child welfare. The Assembly of First Nations and plaintiffs in two class-action lawsuits agreed to the deal, which also accounts for the government's narrow definition of Jordan's Principle. Indigenous Services Canada says the settlement is the largest in Canadian history. The $20 billion accounts for half of an overall $4
A third man was arrested for an impaired driving collision but no one was hurt. Catherine McDonald spoke to the alleged victim of that crash.
Most so-called flushable wipes are anything but, and actually flushing them causes major problems.
There's been another partial closure on Yukon highways Monday – the North Klondike Highway near Horse Creek Road is down to one lane traffic after flooded that part of the highway. Resident Darren Holcombe said he was passing through the area when he saw a few cars stopped. Then, he said he saw water flooding onto the road. "The water is pouring across the road, kind of eating away around the culvert where all the gravel is," he said. He spent about an hour there, watching to see what would happ
The Assembly of First Nations is meeting in Vancouver this week, but what is meant to be the time to take care of important business is now being marred by infighting surrounding its national chief. Delegates voted to end the temporary suspension of RoseAnne Archibald late this afternoon, but the chief's fight isn't over yet. Neetu Garcha explains.
In the wake of multiple suspensions and ongoing investigations, the Thunder Bay Police Service (TBPS) in northwestern Ontario will have a new interim leader. Supt. Dan Taddeo has been appointed acting police chief, according to a news release Monday afternoon. The announcement comes a week after Chief Sylvie Hauth was suspended following news the Ontario Civilian Police Commission (OCPC), a provincial watchdog agency, would hold a hearing into "serious allegations" of misconduct. Earlier, Hauth
The suspected gunman spent weeks planning a mass shooting at an Independence Day parade in Highland Park, Ill., and dressed as a woman to avoid being identified, police said Tuesday.
Patrick Watson, a broadcasting legend whose work in the industry spanned over five decades and helped create a trove of iconic Canadian content, has died. He was 92. Through work as a producer, author, television host and more, Watson helped shape the face of Canadian journalism — while never shying away from controversy or difficult decisions. Born in Toronto in 1929, Watson began his career playing Jake in CBC Radio's daily children's series The Kootenay Kid in 1943 — a job for which he starte