Blog

The Resort Municipality of Whistler is laying off all casual and auxiliary staff

Council meetings to resume (online) on April 7

Like the virus itself, the impacts of COVID-19 continue to spread. On Wednesday, March 25, the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) announced it would temporarily lay off all casual and auxiliary employees effective Monday, April 13.…

B.C. approves $500 renters’ supplement, freezes rents and evictions

The measures fall under the province’s $5 billion COVID-19 action plan, announced on Monday

The B.C. provincial government has approved an up to $500 monthly renters’ supplement for individuals in genuine financial distress as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. Premier John Horgan also announced Wednesday that B.C. will freeze rent increases and evictions until the current crisis has passed, with some exceptions to the latter.…

Federal bill with more than $100 B in COVID-19 aid gets royal assent, is now law

OTTAWA — An emergency federal bill to give the government billions of dollars to spend to help anxious workers, families and employers cope with COVID-19 is now law. Gov. Gen. Julie Payette signed the bill at 12:18 p.m.…

LETTER: We will survive

Geez, it has been a week. It kind of feels as though Whistler has collectively torn its ACL.…

Vancouver director releases hilarious “Stay in your f**king house!” public service announcement video

It’s a take on a classic Canadian PSA

Award-winning Vancouver director Jeremy Brown has a message he wants to get out there: “Stay in your f**king house!” He’s released a Public Service Announcement on YouTube which is a humourous take on a Canadian classic from the now-defunct Concerned Children’s Advertisers.…

Prince Charles tests positive for COVID-19

LONDON — Prince Charles, the heir to the British throne, has tested positive for the new coronavirus, his office said Wednesday. The 71-year-old is showing mild symptoms of COVID-19 and is self-isolating at a royal estate in Scotland, his Clarence House office said.…

Coquitlam Canucks play-by-play man joins effort to brighten moods

Brendan Batchelor, a graduate of Charles Best secondary in Coquitlam, is the Vancouver Canucks’ play-by-play broadcaster and is calling other events on Twitter during the COVID-19 pandemic

Vancouver Canucks broadcaster Brendan Batchelor—a Coquitlam native—is taking to Twitter to keep his quieted voice sharp while the National Hockey League rides out the COVID-19 crisis. Tuesday, Batchelor put out the call to fans and his followers for random videos to which he would apply his vocal talents.…

Mandatory quarantine kicks in at midnight for travellers returning to Canada

Travellers returning to Canada will be subject to a mandatory 14-day isolation, starting midnight tonight, to help curb the spread of COVID-19, the federal government announced this morning. The quarantine will not apply to essential workers, such as truck drivers and health care workers.…

B.C. clears COVID-19 test backlog, ups daily processing

Test capacity is now about 3,500 per day in the province

The B.C. Centre for Disease Control has worked through a backlog of tests for COVID-19, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry announced Tuesday. Widespread testing is part of the “backbone” to suppressing the virus that has caused a pandemic among an unprotected population, according to the World health Organization.…

Air Canada, global airlines keeping airfreight moving

Company working to keep flight crews safe from infection

Air Canada said March 25 it’s operating cargo-only flights to Europe, Latin America and South America to move time-sensitive shipments, including medical supplies to combat COVID-19 and goods to support the global economy. The freight work dovetails with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and its members’ renewed call to governments to take urgent measures to ensure that vital air cargo supply lines remain open, efficient and effective.…

BC Ferries advises against non-essential travel

While BC Ferries is advising customers to avoid non-essential travel so as to slow the spread of COVID-19, a press release from the company says that it’s not been instructed to restrict travel. “BC Ferries continues to carry all types of traffic,” said a press release March 24.…

What does it all mean? Pandemic, social distancing and other COVID-19 terms, defined

The COVID-19 pandemic – which, as of the time of publishing, has infected over 400,000 people across 196 countries and territories since it originated in central China in late 2019 – has introduced a number of new words into our collective vocabulary. Here’s what they mean:…

Federal government repackages EI support benefit for workers affected by novel coronavirus

The Canada Emergency Response Benefit will provide workers with $2,000 a month for the next four months

The federal government is streamlining the process for workers whose incomes have been disrupted by COVID-19, by repackaging two previously-announced financial benefits into one, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Wednesday. The new Canada Emergency Response Benefit will provide workers who have lost their incomes due to the coronavirus with $2,000 a month for the next four months, and will replace the two financial measures – the emergency care and emergency support benefits – announced last week, said Trudeau.…

B.C. nurses demand mandatory social isolation

Squamish healthcare worker signs open letter calling for shutdown of non-essential workplaces

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues in B.C., those on the frontlines of healthcare are asking for the government to implement more drastic social distancing measures. In an open letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier John Horgan, shared with the The Chief on March 24, nurses said the warning from doctors to slow the spread of COVID-19 must be heeded.…

More B.C. parks are closing as the COVID-19 pandemic progresses

Joffre Lakes, Murrin and Shannon Falls closed immediately; as are Lillooet Lake campsites

BC Parks is responding to concerns about its visitors failing to comply with necessary physical distancing measures—in this case, by implementing more closures of certain parks across the province. In the Sea to Sky corridor, that means full closures of Joffre Lakes, Murrin and Shannon Falls Provincial Parks, in addition to the full closure of the Stawamus Chief Provincial Park that was announced on Sunday, March 22, and previously announced closures of BC Parks’ camping facilities.…