Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is promising there will be gender parity among the regionally balanced appointments in the cabinet he will unveil tomorrow. Trudeau is under pressure to remove Harjit Sajjan as defence minister for his handling of sexual misconduct allegations in the military’s senior ranks. The prime minister has publicly confirmed that Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland will remain in her post.
The New Westminster Police Department says a man who was allegedly involved in a fight on the street has died of his injuries. It says police received multiple calls Friday night about two men fighting and that when officers arrived they found one of them suffering from serious injuries. He later died in hospital, and homicide detectives have now taken over the investigation. They want to talk to anyone who saw or heard the altercation near Bole and Maple streets.
Environment Canada is forecasting high winds into this afternoon for swaths of Vancouver Island and parts of Metro Vancouver. It has issued a special advisory saying winds of up to 100 kilometres an hour are expected over northern Vancouver Island and that loose objects may be tossed as tree branches are snapped. The agency says a very strong storm approaching the west coast will bring high southeasterly winds to parts of the mainland. Winds exceeding 80 kilometres an hour could pack a punch in Metro Vancouver, but special advisories have also been issued for the Gulf Islands and Greater Victoria.
Anyone hoping to board a B-C ferry this morning will be out of luck thanks to a forecast calling for high winds. B-C Ferries has cancelled nearly two dozen sailings, starting at 5:15 a.m. in Tsawwassen and Duke Point, and customers who made an advance booking will get a full refund. It says service will resume as soon as it’s safe to do so. Environment Canada has forecast gusts as high as 100 kilometres an hour for parts of Vancouver Island.
Capacity limits have been lifted in B-C as of today for organized events like sports games and movie theatres as well as gatherings like weddings. But 50 per cent capacity limits will remain at venues and gatherings in some areas of the province where vaccination rates remain low, including parts of the Fraser, Interior and Northern regions. Masks must still be worn and anyone attending an event will be required to show their B-C Vaccine card, at least until January. Meanwhile, all health-care workers in the province will have to be fully vaccinated by tomorrow as a condition of their employment.
James Michael Tyler, an actor beloved for his portrayal of Gunther on Friends, died of prostate cancer on Sunday morning, his manager confirmed. He was 59. Tyler died peacefully in his Los Angeles home. The actor was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer in September 2018. Tyler shared his story earlier this year, becoming a campaigner for individuals with prostates to get a first blood test as early as 40 years old. “Michael’s loved ones knew him as an actor, musician, cancer-awareness advocate and loving husband,” reads a statement from Benson. “Michael loved live music, cheering on his Clemson Tigers, and would often find himself in fun and unplanned adventures. If you met him once you made a friend for life.” Tyler was most well-known for his performance as Gunther, a worker at the Central Perk cafe who reserves an unrequited love for Jennifer Aniston’s Rachel, on NBC’s sitcom Friends. Dubbed by fans as “the seventh ‘Friend,’” the actor was a series mainstay, first appearing in the second episode of Friends and returning as a guest star across the remainder of its 10-year run. He is the most frequently appearing recurring guest star across the series.