BC PharmaCare provides new, expanded coverage
Thousands of people in B.C. will benefit from BC PharmaCare’s new and expanded coverage of medications for ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, severe hypoglycemia, migraines, the treatment of low white blood cell levels, multiple sclerosis, heart failure, and birth control. Effective April 12, 2022, vedolizumab (Entyvio),...
Wild, domestic bird avian influenza in B.C.: update
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has confirmed that a small poultry flock in the Regional District of Central Kootenay has tested positive for the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus. B.C.’s Ministry of Agriculture and Food continues to work closely with the CFIA and B.C. poultry producers to ensure enhanced...
Province strengthens Disaster Financial Assistance
Following the flooding in November 2021, the Province is making significant changes to ensure more people, communities and businesses can access and receive increased benefits from British Columbia’s Disaster Financial Assistance program. The slate of immediate regulatory changes will allow the Province to provide up-front ...
Nature Conservancy of Canada announces plans for largest private land conservation project in Canada’s history
The Nature Conservancy of Canada has just announced plans for the largest private land conservation project in Canada’s history. When complete, Boreal Wildlands will protect 1,450 square kilometres of boreal forest near Hearst in northern Ontario. The project will encompass an area twice the size of the city of Toronto. This...
Fatal train collision in Maple Ridge
Ridge Meadows RCMP is investigating a train collision with a flatbed truck. On April 21, 2022 at approximately 5:45 pm, frontline police responded to the report of a truck with flatbed being struck by an oncoming train, resulting in the truck colliding with a black SUV in the 27200 block of Lougheed Highway. A flatbed truck...
BC records 2,036 new COVID-19 cases in weekly report
The BC Centre of Disease Control reported 2,036 new COVID-19 cases for this past week Thursday in release on its website. The BCCDC now updates COVID-19 numbers every Thursday, instead of daily. Interior Health recorded 599 new COVID-19 cases. The BCCDC reported that there were 121 more people in hospital with COVID-19 compared...
B.C. forestry industry to benefit from trade office in Vietnam
A new Forestry Innovation Investment (FII) office in Vietnam will help drive trade opportunities and sustainable jobs in B.C.'s forestry sector while offering greater protection from market volatility and other global challenges. The office is a key first step in developing B.C.'s Trade Diversification Strategy, part of the...
More than 9,400 British Columbians lost to toxic illicit drugs since 2016
Preliminary data released by the BC Coroners Service reveals that the toxic drug supply has claimed the lives of 9,410 British Columbians since January 2016, and that at least 174 lives were lost in the month of February 2022. “As we approach the sixth anniversary of the declaration of the public-health emergency into...
ICBC launching driving simulation app
ICBC, in partnership with the provincial government, TELUS and Project Whitecard Inc., is launching a new simulation and training tool for inexperienced drivers, called Street Sense. Street Sense is an interactive application designed to help pre-drivers, inexperienced drivers, and drivers new to B.C., learn and gain experience...
B.C. shifts to weekly COVID-19 data reporting
As British Columbia continues to take the next step in its COVID-19 response, the Province is transitioning from daily to weekly COVID-19 reporting. Beginning on Thursday, April 7, 2022, COVID-19 dashboards and reports issued by the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control will be updated on weekly basis...
