B-C health officials are scheduled to give an update on the province’s COVID-19 and vaccine numbers at 3 p-m today. They say the province ranks among the highest in the world in the
number of people who have their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine with more than 76 per cent of those eligible having received a shot. The province reported 113 new cases of COVID-19 for a total of one-hundred-and-forty-six-
Staff have been called back, and there’s excitement in the air. YVR says it is ready for more travelers once again as travel restrictions continue to ease up. Preparations are well underway for the return of passengers at the airport, but Robyn McVicker, VP of Passenger Journey with YVR, says as we think about exploring the world beyond our backyard, it’s essential to know what you need to leave and come back to Canada. she said: “We want people to really think about preparing in advance. So do you have the right documentation? If you haven’t travelled in a year and a half, is your passport still valid? But then also understanding what are the requirements that are needed for you to come back into Canada? And what are the requirements that are needed for you to go to another place, whether it’s in Canada or in another country,” Whether you are planning to travel to another province or internationally, McVicer stresses you need to understand COVID travel procedures coming and going. Details about when the Canada-U.S. border will reopen are expected in the coming days.
We are expecting details Thursday from B.C.’s education minister on planning for the return to school in September, when COVID-19 should be far less of a concern than it was the same time last year. For some parents, the wish is for the plan to be more proactive than reactive. The District Parent Advisory Council in Surrey, the province’s largest school district, has a simple message: they just want schools and children to be safe. Overall, however, she says parents seem to be feeling “better” about sending their children back to the classrooms for the upcoming school year, given vaccination rates. When it comes to vaccinations, teachers and staff in the Surrey district were among the first groups to get the jab. In May, the province announced it would begin offering the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to children 12 years and over. Meanwhile, Sanghera understands some parents may still have hesitations, even with most COVID restrictions on track to be lifted in September. She hopes safety protocols in classrooms will remain in place to help ease any worries, and that schools will have a plan should there be any bumps in the road. B.C. Education Minister Jennifer Whiteside, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry, BC School Trustees Association President Stephanie Higginson, and BC Confederation of Parent Advisory Councils President Andrea Sinclair are set to provide an update at 9:30 a.m. Thursday.
The chief of the Tk’emlups te Secwepemc Nation in Kamloops says she grieves for Indigenous communities that are about to begin the search for missing residential schoolchildren. Chief Rosanne Casimir says she is expecting the searches will find more unmarked grave sites following the discovery of what are believed to be the remains of 215 children at the former Kamloops residential school site. Casimir told a virtual news conference today that her heart goes out to communities in Manitoba and Saskatchewan who recently reported burial areas. She says the Kamloops discovery has opened deep wounds among the people of her Nation and Canadians, but the work to understand what happened at residential schools has just begun.
A driver made a costly mistake when he drove a truck onto the beach near the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal during low tide so people could take photos. A witness says two trucks drove onto the shore last night but when they tried to leave, one got struck. Delta Police say the pickup was “sunk to the axles” on the beach when they arrived but a large tow-truck was eventually able to pull it out. The driver was given a Tsawwassen First Nation ticket for “harvesting or damaging resources” on its public land, as well as a Motor Vehicle Act ticket for careless operation of an off-road vehicle.
Elections BC is giving critics of the Surrey Police Service the chance to force a binding referendum, potentially putting the future of Mayor Doug McCallum’s planned municipal force in question. The Surrey Police Vote Initiative, which is behind the push for a referendum, will have 60 days to start signing up canvassers and then another 90 days to get 10 per cent of all eligible B.C. voters to sign the petition. The initiative is being led by Darlene Bennett, whose husband was killed in a case of mistaken identity in June 2018 “Surrey residents are seeing the costs of this proposed Surrey Police Service go up and up,” said Bennett, pointing to higher property tax bills, “with an average 11 per cent increase and a $200 per home parcel tax increase, to pay for this expensive and unnecessary transition.” She says there’s been no clear plan, feasibility study, or case made that switching to a municipal force would come with added public safety benefit. Bringing in a municipal force was an election pledge for Mayor McCallum, but critics have argued he downplayed the real costs of making that change. If held, the referendum would include a single question around whether Surrey should retain the RCMP as its police force, or create a new one.
The B-C government says students, teachers and families should plan for a near normal return to school in September. Education Minister Jennifer Whiteside has presented B-C’s agenda for school openings this fall and says cohort groupings — that kept children in smaller sets to limit physical contact — will be dropped in favour of a return to full classroom learning. The province is providing nearly 44-million dollars to support return-to-class initiatives that will also see the return of many of the extracurricular activities cancelled since last March. The funding will be spent to address learning issues that developed during the pandemic and to support First Nations and Metis students, mental health services, rapid response teams and ongoing health and safety measures.
The judge who is poised to be the first person of colour on the Supreme Court of Canada says he’s lived with racism all his life. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau nominated Ontario Court of Appeal Justice Mahmud Jamal to the top court today. Born in Nairobi, Kenya, Jamal’s family moved later to Britain. He says he was taunted and harassed in England because of his name and colour of his skin. In 1981, Jamal’s family moved to Canada, settling in Edmonton where he completed high school. He later attended McGill University and Yale.
He announced it during his opening monologue last night — but Jimmy Kimmel says it’s no joke that he’s getting a football bowl game named for him. The L-A Bowl has named its event the Jimmy Kimmel L-A Bowl. The late-night T-V host says the first edition will be played December 18th at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. The stadium says it has inked a multi-year deal with Kimmel.
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says today’s recommendation from the National Advisory Committee on Immunization about those who received AstraZeneca as their first vaccine is based on very small study. The committee is now recommending that people who first got AstraZeneca get an m-R-N-A vaccine for their second shot. Henry says studies show there is good protection from all the vaccines, and in B-C their advice hasn’t changed — two doses of whatever vaccine you get are safe and effective. B-C reported 120 new COVID-19 cases today and one new death.
B-C is now home to Canada’s highest suspension bridge offering a view of the Rockies and Purcell mountains. Golden Skybridge opened earlier this month in Golden, B-C, and offers visitors a view 426 feet above a canyon. B-C entered Step 2 of its restart plan this week, permitting non-essential travel throughout the province. Health officials say those planning on visiting smaller communities _ like Golden _ should check for any local guidance before travelling.