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Fraser Valley Bandits mascot Berry helps out at Maple Ridge COVID-19 vaccine clinic at Haney Place Mall on Tuesday, as a little boy received his jab from pharmacist immunizer Ana Costa. Berry was handing out stickers. (Colleen Flanagan/Maple Ridge News)

B.C. COVID-19 hospital cases rise, but few more in intensive care

Many testing positive after being admitted for other conditions

Interior Health announced Tuesday, Jan. 18, it is temporarily changing some services across the region, due to Omicron-related COVID-19 staffing challenges. (Monica Lamb-Yorski photo - Williams Lake Tribune)

Interior Health making ‘temporary’ changes due to COVID-19 staffing challenges

IH is temporarily reassigning, redeploying staff to sustain essential services throughout the region

A shipment of Pfizer’s antiviral COVID-19 pill, Paxlovid, sits on a pallet on arrival at Ben Gurion International airport near Tel Aviv, Thursday, Dec. 30, 2021. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)

A Paxlovid primer: what to know about the new oral antiviral treatment for COVID-19

Here are some answers about the new COVID anti-viral treatment just approved for use in Canada

Saturnino de la Fuente García died Tuesday at the age of 112 years and 341 days. (Guinnessworldrecord.com photo)

Spaniard said to be world’s oldest man dies at 112

Saturnino De la Fuente passed away at home in Leon, a city in northwest Spain, Jan. 18.

Saturnino de la Fuente García died Tuesday at the age of 112 years and 341 days. (Guinnessworldrecord.com photo)
Children wearing shark outfits join a protest of a group of animal conservation activists near a local Chinese restaurant in Hong Kong, Saturday, April 21, 2018. The activists demanded Chinese restaurants to stop providing sharks fin soup on their menu from the endangered species as for centuries, shark fin, usually served as soup, has been a coveted delicacy in Chinese cooking. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

B.C. company fined $75,000 for importing fins of protected sharks

Feds say Hang Hing Herbal Medicine Ltd. imported 22 bags of processed shark fins in September 2017

Children wearing shark outfits join a protest of a group of animal conservation activists near a local Chinese restaurant in Hong Kong, Saturday, April 21, 2018. The activists demanded Chinese restaurants to stop providing sharks fin soup on their menu from the endangered species as for centuries, shark fin, usually served as soup, has been a coveted delicacy in Chinese cooking. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Alberta Health Services issued a partial closure order to the Granary Kitchen on Friday, Jan 14, 2022. (Red Deer Advocate)

Alberta restaurant ordered to close after accepting dog photos instead of proof of vaccination

Granary Kitchen owner says it was a staff issue, not restaurant policy

Alberta Health Services issued a partial closure order to the Granary Kitchen on Friday, Jan 14, 2022. (Red Deer Advocate)
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The Canada Post logo is seen on the outside the company’s Pacific Processing Centre, in Richmond, B.C., on June 1, 2017. A claim by Chinese health authorities that the Omicron variant was introduced to a resident of Beijing through a piece of regular mail from Canada is being dismissed as ludicrous. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
China’s claim that Omicron came from Canadian mail dismissed as ‘ludicrous’
A women walk her dog past a parked school bus in the deep snow after a major snow storm in Mississauga, Ont., on Monday, January 17, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
Winter storm causing school closures, transportation disruptions in parts of Ontario
Quebec Director of Public Health Dr. Horacio Arruda responds to a question during a news conference in Montreal, on January 5, 2022. Arruda, who had been public health director since 2012, abruptly resigned Monday after overseeing the province’s pandemic response for 22 months, citing criticism about the government’s response to the fifth wave. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson
Canada’s public health leaders navigate choppy waters as pandemic drags on
Police investigating a scammer who took $17,000 from three Vancouver seniors on Jan. 12, 2022. (VPD handout)
VIDEO: Fraudster takes $17,000 from Vancouver seniors in 1 day for fake ‘legal fees’
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Glenmore dog park.

Ontario woman’s body discovered at Kelowna dog park

Dog walkers discovered the body on Sunday morning

Glenmore dog park.
A kitten interacts with a human as folks take part in Yoga with Cats on Mats at the Chilliwack Animal Safe Haven, 2019. Indoor yoga, gyms and dance studios have been shut down since before Christmas by a COVID-19 public health order. (Jenna Hauck/Chilliwack Progress)

B.C. reopening gyms, fitness on Thursday with COVID-19 precautions

Fans, heaters, spacing for group and individual workouts

A kitten interacts with a human as folks take part in Yoga with Cats on Mats at the Chilliwack Animal Safe Haven, 2019. Indoor yoga, gyms and dance studios have been shut down since before Christmas by a COVID-19 public health order. (Jenna Hauck/Chilliwack Progress)
Demand for construction and skilled trades workers is higher than ever, but there aren’t enough workers to meet the demand. (Pixabay photo)

Labour shortage hampers B.C. construction industry amid high demand for work

Survey from Independent Contractors and Businesses Association finds 75% of companies are short-staffed

Demand for construction and skilled trades workers is higher than ever, but there aren’t enough workers to meet the demand. (Pixabay photo)
Emcon Services Facebook.

UPDATE: Highway 1 reopened following 5 semi truck pileup between Revelstoke and Golden

The incident occurred at 5 a.m. on Jan. 18

Emcon Services Facebook.
Juilet Bridge on the Coquihalla highway. (B.C. Transportation)

B.C.’s Coquihalla Highway reopening to all traffic Wednesday, caution advised

Hope to Merritt will take 45 minutes longer than usual

Juilet Bridge on the Coquihalla highway. (B.C. Transportation)
A suspect in a break-and-enter and robbery at a Prideaux Street apartment last month apologized to the victim before leaving the scene, say police. (News Bulletin file photo)

Suspect breaks into B.C. woman’s bedroom, demands money, apologizes

Woman came face-to-face with intruder in her Prideaux Street apartment

A suspect in a break-and-enter and robbery at a Prideaux Street apartment last month apologized to the victim before leaving the scene, say police. (News Bulletin file photo)
Black Press media file photo

B.C. First Nation declares state of emergency after barge crashes into water line

Hitacu system unusable, water being trucked in from neighbouring Ucluelet

Black Press media file photo
Solar panels can be seen on the school grounds on Lasqueti Island, B.C. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito

$134 million in new funding announced for B.C. clean energy projects

The funding is available through the CleanBC Communities Fund starting Jan. 26

Solar panels can be seen on the school grounds on Lasqueti Island, B.C. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito
The most recent Bigg’s killer whale calf, T124A7, breaches the water alongside three adult members of the pod. (Karac Lindsay/Eagle Wing Tours, courtesy of Pacific Whale Watch Association)

2021 brought record whale sightings, including multiple newborns to the Salish Sea

Whale researchers report 21 new humpback calves in the Salish Sea

The most recent Bigg’s killer whale calf, T124A7, breaches the water alongside three adult members of the pod. (Karac Lindsay/Eagle Wing Tours, courtesy of Pacific Whale Watch Association)
(New Westminster Police)

Man charged after allegedly reaching for baby in stroller, punching car in New Westminster

Jamie Maclean has been charged with one count of assaulting a police officer and one count of mischief

(New Westminster Police)
Fraser Canyon whitewater rafting businesses are among those eligible for support under the B.C. government’s latest tourism and accommodation assistance program. (B.C. government photo)

B.C. hotel, tourism operators offered property tax, hydro assistance

Park-use fees waived for fishing, hunting, rafting, heli-skiing

Fraser Canyon whitewater rafting businesses are among those eligible for support under the B.C. government’s latest tourism and accommodation assistance program. (B.C. government photo)
School District 83 announced, due to a staffing shortage, a two-day functional closure of Armstrong Elementary on Jan. 14 and 17 was being extended to Jan. 21. (File photo )

Okanagan school temporarily closes as teachers refuse to work, citing student mask exemptions

Initial ‘functional closure’ announced after teachers refuse work

School District 83 announced, due to a staffing shortage, a two-day functional closure of Armstrong Elementary on Jan. 14 and 17 was being extended to Jan. 21. (File photo )
Alberta premier Jason Kenney shakes hands with Kaycee Madu, Minister of Municipal Affairs, after being sworn into office in Edmonton on Tuesday April 30, 2019. Madu, who is currently the province's justice minister, is being called on to resign for phoning Edmonton’s police chief with concerns about a traffic ticket. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson

Kenney relieves justice minister of duties, orders investigation into police call

CBC reported Madu given $300 ticket for distracted driving while using a cellphone in a school zone

Alberta premier Jason Kenney shakes hands with Kaycee Madu, Minister of Municipal Affairs, after being sworn into office in Edmonton on Tuesday April 30, 2019. Madu, who is currently the province's justice minister, is being called on to resign for phoning Edmonton’s police chief with concerns about a traffic ticket. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson
Legal aid funds pay ‘duty counsel’ lawyers to represent people in criminal and some family law cases. (Tom Fletcher/Black Press)

B.C. boosts legal aid funding in new payment contract

‘Duty counsel’ service restored in some communities, David Eby says

Legal aid funds pay ‘duty counsel’ lawyers to represent people in criminal and some family law cases. (Tom Fletcher/Black Press)