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COVID-19 hits serial killer Pickton’s prison

Quebec’s Port-Cartier Institution only federal prison with positive tests

The only federal prison where an inmate has tested positive for COVID-19 is the one housing B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton. There have been two positive tests for inmates at COVID-19 at Port-Cartier.…

Community members step up to craft masks at home for at-risk

Health Canada notes homemade masks are not medical devices

LIKE SO MANY others these days, Frances Dickinson has adopted a one-day-at-a-time mentality in handling the stress of COVID-19. “No plans are being made, I feel like some days are great, some days are terribly dismal,” Dickinson said with a chuckle, from her home in Pemberton.…

Canadians asked to wash mailboxes, keep dogs at bay, to ensure safe mail delivery

The union representing Canada Post employees is asking Canadians to disinfect their mail boxes to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. And the post office itself is asking Canadians with dogs to keep their doors closed during deliveries, where possible.…

Buyers can’t get out of home purchase contracts because of COVID-19

‘Force majeure’ get-out clause doesn’t automatically apply to real estate contracts during pandemic, even if you lose income and no longer want to buy

If you’re in the process of buying a home but have lost income due to COVID-19, don’t assume that you’ll be able to get out of your signed purchase contract, a leading real estate lawyer has warned. Home buyers who have paid their deposit and signed a purchase contract, who may now want to get out of the purchase since the pandemic hit, do not have a standard “Force majeure” or “Act of God” clause that will let them walk away, said Richard Bell of Bell Alliance in Vancouver.…

Ladner man shares his experience as one of B.C.’s early COVID-19 cases

‘I thought I had the seasonal flu’

He is case number 231. Ladner resident Jerry Glubisz is on the road to recovery after being diagnosed with COVID-19 in mid-March.…

Ottawa to spend $2b on protective gear to share with provinces

Federal government accelerating efforts to boost domestic supply of medical equipment

The federal government will purchase another $2 billion in personal protective equipment (PPE) as it accelerates efforts to tap domestic industry for more medical supplies. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday (March 31) his government has secured three contracts and inked letters of intent with five other Canadian companies to boost access to supplies such as masks, face shields, gowns, test kits, hand sanitizer and ventilators.…

OPINION: Schooling plan looks like an exercise in chaos

Material is available from the ministry, but superintendents all over B.C. are pleading for time to get organized.

A detailed plan was explained last week about how the entire hospital system is being reorganized on the fly to cope if a surge of pandemic cases arrives. It’s a sharp contrast to the B.C. school system, which is doing a similar massive emergency overhaul with less evidence of a plan at this point.…

New ventilators promised in days as industrial response to COVID-19 kicks in

OTTAWA — Hundreds of ventilators are now in production as part of the federal government’s efforts to shore up national stockpiles of crucial equipment needed to fight COVID-19. Thornhill Medical, a Toronto-based company, says it’s making 500 ventilators that will arrive at hospitals and health-care facilities in early April.…

Daniells commits to Clippers

Whistler hockey player eager to play in Nanaimo

Whistler’s Kai Daniells is heading to the Island for 2020-21. The local hockey player announced on March 25 that he’s committing to the BCHL’s Nanaimo Clippers as he takes the next step in his career after four years of refining at the Delta Hockey Academy.…

When the business is shut, but the rent is due during COVID-19

A commercial lease lawyer lays out the lay of the land

April’s rent is due and businesses across the board are temporarily shuttered in Squamish or operating at a fraction of their capacity due to pandemic protocols that have rocked this town and the globe. What are Squamish business owners and landlords to do?…

Dix announces free parking at B.C. hospitals

Minister Adrian Dix announced at his press conference at 1:30 p.m. today that hospital parking will be free for everyone, stating: * In an effort to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission, we are suspending pay parking for the patients, staff, and visitors at all health authority owned and operated sites, effective April 1 until further notice.…

Bobsleighing: Taking a Ride on the Fastest Track Allowed for Non-Athletes

surfandsunshine.com – The Winter Olympics are full of adrenaline-pumping sports, and bobsledding is no exception. With athletes traveling at speeds over one hundred miles an hour, it is heart-stopping just to watch the sp…

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Province asks food retailers to follow ‘spirit of’ 50-person limit on gatherings

Whistler stores already had shopper limits in place before provincial guidance

The B.C. Government this week offered further guidance to retail food and grocery stores on operations during COVID-19, asking retailers to follow the “spirit of” the provincial mandate against public gatherings of more than 50 people. Deemed an essential service, the 50-person limit does not technically apply to food retailers, but the province has asked that stores continue to limit staff as much as possible.…

Air Canada to lay off 15,000 staff due to COVID-19 pandemic

Airline says lay offs are intended to be temporary

Air Canada has announced that they will lay off 15,200 staff due to the ‘unprecedented impact’ of COVID-19 on its business. The airline stated that it will, “reduce capacity for the Second Quarter of 2020 by 85%-90% compared to last year’s Q2 and will place 15,200 members of its unionized workforce on Off Duty Status and furlough about 1,300 managers.”…

Province asks food retailers to follow ‘spirit of’ 50-person limit on gatherings

Whistler stores already had shopper limits in place before provincial guidance