Get ready to pay even more money for food next year. Canada’s latest Food Price Report predicts the average family of four will pay almost one thousand dollars more for food in 2022. Which mean its will cost about 15-toousand dollars a year to put food on the table. That’s a seven-per-cent increase. Getting the blame is pandemic-spawned disruptions in the global supply chain, as well as labour market issues and extreme weather events. The biggest price hikes will be in the dairy and produce aisle and on restaurant menus.
It was busy last weekend for police forces around the Lower Mainland. Not only was last weekend the beginning of the annual month-long CounterAttack campaign, but December 4 was also National Impaired Driving Day. Between December 3 and 5, more than 20 drivers were found to be impaired by alcohol or drugs while behind the wheel around Metro Vancouver In Surrey, officers checked approximately 2,200 vehicles and said six roadside suspensions were issued for alcohol, while there was one 90-day prohibition.
The Ministry of Health says a report on rising complaints of seniors abuse in B-C shows more needs to be done to improve reporting methods and public awareness. The Office of the Seniors Advocate released the report yesterday that found in the past three to five years, reports to health authorities of abuse, neglect and self-neglect rose 49 per cent. The seniors advocate says the reporting system is fragmented and she called for a centralized phone line and awareness campaign to be established province wide.
China says Canada’s decision to join the U-S and the United Kingdom’s diplomatic boycott of the upcoming Beijing Winter Olympic Games is a “farce.” The three countries, plus Australia and New Zealand, have said they won’t send government dignitaries to the Games to protest human rights abuses in China. Under the diplomatic boycott, the countries will still send their athletes to compete. A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson told reporters today China had not extended invitations to Canada, the U-S or the U-K anyway, and it “doesn’t matter if their officials come or not.” China insists the Games will still be successful and it pledged to offer up a safe and exciting Olympics to the world.
The Canucks did it again last night with a 2-1 shoot out victory over the visiting Boston Bruins. It’s the first time this season the Canucks have won two games in a row at home and they remain undefeated under new head coach Bruce Boudreau. Vancouver continues a six-game home stand tomorrow when they hosts the Winnipeg Jets.
BC health officials announced 341 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, bringing the total number of recorded cases in the province to 221,576. In a written statement, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix said that there are 2,915 active cases of COVID-19 in the province. Of the active cases, 220 individuals are currently in hospital, 73 of whom are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.
Broken down by health region, the new cases and total active cases are as follows:
- Fraser Health: 83 new cases, 881 total active cases
- Vancouver Coastal Health: 61 new cases, 538 total active cases
- Interior Health: 70 new cases, 576 total active cases
- Northern Health: 29 new cases, 262 total active cases
- Island Health: 98 new cases, 607 total active cases
- Outside of Canada: No new cases, two total active cases
There have been nine COVID-19-related deaths over the past 24 hours, for a total of 2,378 deaths in BC. This includes three deaths in Fraser Health, one death in Interior Health, two deaths in Northern Health, and three deaths in Island Health. To date, 85.9% (4,281,608) of eligible people five and older in BC have received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and 82.1% (4,094,539) have received their second dose. From December 1 to 7, people not fully vaccinated accounted for 57.7% of cases, and from November 24 to December 7, they accounted for 63.5% of hospitalizations.
Past week cases (December 1 to 7) – Total 2,422
- Not vaccinated: 1,308 (54%)
- Partially vaccinated: 90 (3.7%)
- Fully vaccinated: 1,024 (42.3%)
Past two weeks cases hospitalized (November 24 to December 7) – Total 192
- Not vaccinated: 116 (60.5%)
- Partially vaccinated: 6 (3.1%)
- Fully vaccinated: 70 (36.5%)
Past week, cases per 100,000 population after adjusting for age (December 1 to 7)
- Not vaccinated: 164.4
- Partially vaccinated: 43.1
- Fully vaccinated: 22,7
Past two weeks, cases hospitalized per 100,000 population after adjusting for age (November 24 to December 7)
- Not vaccinated: 25
- Partially vaccinated: 4.3
- Fully vaccinated: 1.5
The Insurance Bureau of Canada is out with an estimate that shows the devastating flooding in the southwest of B-C is the most costly disaster in the province’s history. The bureau says insured damage is estimated at 450-million dollars but the total cost will be higher because that doesn’t include uninsured damage. It says many people affected by the flooding that was caused by a series of intense storms beginning in mid-November were located in high-risk areas where flood insurance is not available. The destruction comes on top of an estimated 155-million dollars in insured damage caused by wildfires in B-C last summer.
Surrey R-C-M-P are warning people to be wary of purchasing items from online marketplace apps during the busy holiday season following two recent attempted robberies. Police say that in both cases the victims had arranged a meeting to buy a PlayStation. But they say when the buyers showed up with the cash, they were assaulted by suspects who tried but failed to steal the money. Surrey R-C-M-P say they investigated 15 reports of robberies last year related to online marketplace apps — leading to charges against five suspects.
The R-C-M-P in Surrey say they’re investigating after a 26-year old man who is known to police sustained non-life-threatening injuries in a shooting. They say officers responded to a report of shots being fired around 1:15 a-m this morning and found the man injured inside a home. The Mounties say the man who was not co-operating with the police investigation was taken to hospital and has since been released. Constable Sarbjit Sangha says in a statement that no links to gang conflict in the Lower Mainland have been identified so far.
B-C Coroners Service says the province has recorded 201 overdose deaths in October from toxic drugs, the highest-ever monthly total. It says the death toll of one-thousand-782 fatalities between January and October is already the highest ever recorded in a calendar year for the province. Chief coroner Lisa Lapointe says that in addition to expanding access to safe alternative drugs, shifting to a decriminalized, health-focused model are critical steps to saving lives. Sheila Malcolmson, minister of mental health and addictions, says almost every person in B-C knows someone whose life has been touched by the crisis and she feels everyone’s grief and frustration.