Unemployment is trending upward across much of Canada, but B-C's government says the provincial labour force remains steady.
Jobs Minister Brenda Bailey says Statistics Canada labour force survey shows B.C. gained nine thousand jobs last month.
B-C's unemployment rate is 5.3 per cent, compared with the national average of 5.8 per cent.
Bailey note that B-C has highest private-sector job growth among provinces and continues to be an economic leader in Canada.
The federal government is expanding its drug and substance use strategy to try to save more lives and provide more services to people disproportionately affected by Canada's overdose crisis. Health Canada says the drug landscape has changed with an increasingly toxic supply since the strategy was first developed in 2016.
A group of more than 30 British Columbia retailers, trade associations and other organizations is calling for a co-ordinated government response for repeat offenders they say are behind a wave of theft, vandalism and violent crime. The Save Our Streets coalition says the need for immediate action is "critical" to meet threats to staff safety, rising security costs and the community impact.
The head of British Columbia's police watchdog says caring for intoxicated prisoners is a health-care issue and shouldn't be a police responsibility. A report released by Ronald J. MacDonald, the chief civilian director of the Independent Investigations Office, says holding those who are intoxicated in jail cells is outdated and offers no guarantee of their safety and health.
Certain non-profit organizations in British Columbia are getting $60 million from the government in grant funding to help them do their work. Premier David Eby says the help of non-profits is crucial and they benefit the people of B.C. with community supports, arts and cultural services and assistance to find affordable housing.
B.C.'s Education and Child Care Ministry says the $2-per-hour raise and previous wage boosts totalling $4 an hour since 2018 will increase the hourly wage for early childhood educators to $28 per hour. The ministry says early childhood educators who hold specialized certificates for infant, toddler and special needs education are also eligible for up to $3,000 extra per year.
Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly says time is running out to help people in Gaza. In a speech to the Economic Club of Canada in Toronto this afternoon, Joly is expected to plead for humanitarian pauses in the Israel-Hamas conflict to allow more aid to get into the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, which is home to more than two million Palestinians.