The British Columbia government tabled legislation Thursday that's designed to hold public bodies accountable for addressing systemic racism in policy and programs, the province's attorney general said. Niki Sharma said the proposed law would cover provincial ministries, agencies, health-care and social service providers, and require the development of a public action plan using data the government has collected on systemic racism.
A British Columbia Supreme Court judge has rejected an application to throw out the conviction of Ibrahim Ali for the murder of a 13-year-old in Burnaby, B.C., over what his lawyers say were unreasonable delays in the trial process. Justice Lance Bernard made the ruling Thursday, with reasons to follow, moments after defence lawyer Kevin McCullough made his final reply in the application that could have seen Ali go free.
The British Columbia government is bringing in new digital tools to help hundreds of thousands of residents who need a family doctor find one faster and easier. While nearly 410,000 people have been connected to a physician since 2018, there are another 310,000 who remain on the Health Connect Registry, and Health Minister Adrian Dix says they now have a plan to accelerate the patient-doctor matching process.
Two people are dead after a reported shooting in a northern B.C. First Nation. Mounties in the community of Tsay Keh Dene, roughly 360 kilometres north of Prince George, responded to a call late Tuesday about shots fired in a residence and injuries to multiple people.
Peer-reviewed research is emerging about the possible impacts of British Columbia's safer supply program, which provides prescription alternatives to toxic illicit drugs, with two studies in international medical journals casting the strategy in a different light.
The Canadian government will allow 30-year amortization periods on insured mortgages for first-time homebuyers purchasing newly built homes. Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland made the announcement in Toronto today, saying it would take effect Aug. 1.