The Chief of Saskatchewan’s Cowesses First Nation says the community has found 751 unmarked graves at the site of a former Indian residential school. Chief Cadmus Delorme says there may have been markers on some at one point. It’s not clear that they are all childrens’ graves. The unmarked graves at the former Marieval Indian Residential School are the most substantial to date found in Canada. Authorities say they are treating this as a criminal case, and that there could potentially be more remains found.
Nearly a quarter of all adults in BC are now fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Health officials say in a statement that 24% of all adults and 22% of those 12 and older have received their second dose. They also say more than 77% have had their first. British Columbia recorded 87 new cases yesterday and one new death from the virus.
With searing temperatures on the way for much of British Columbia, the SPCA is reminding people to keep their pets at home, and never leave them in hot vehicles. While this may seem like common knowledge, the SPCA responded to more than 800 calls last year about distressed animals in hot cars but the organization hopes this year will be different. Spokesperson Lorie Chortyk says she can’t stress enough how dangerous it is to leave your pet in a hot car.
BC Ferries says its newest hybrid electric ship has entered the final leg of its journey to British Columbia and is expected to arrive late next month. It says in a statement that Island 3, as the ship has been temporarily named, passed through the Panama Canal yesterday after departing Romania on May 19th under its own power. The Island Class ferries are battery-equipped ships designed for full electric operation. BC Ferries says they are fitted with hybrid technology to bridge the gap until shore charging infrastructure becomes available.
Relaxed travel rules for fully vaccinated Canadians may make visiting the US easier for some, but travel experts say uncertainly around travelling with unvaccinated children is already causing frustration for others. As of now travelers with partial protection or none at all still must quarantine when they return to Canada. Sandra Pappas, a Toronto-based travel agent who specializes in booking family vacations in Florida says parents may have to rethink booking a trip if it means they’ll have to take extra time off work to watch their quarantining children after their vacations.
BC health officials announced 75 new test-positive COVID-19 cases on Thursday, bringing the total number of recorded cases in the province to 147,346. In a written statement, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix said that broken down by health region, 17 are in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, 44 are in the Fraser Health region, one is in the Island Health region, 12 are in the Interior Health region and one new case is in the Northern Health region. There are 1,111 active cases of COVID-19 in the province. Of the active cases, 113 individuals are currently hospitalized, 34 of whom are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation. There have been three new COVID-19-related deaths, for a total of 1,747 deaths in British Columbia. To date, 77.5% of all adults 18 and over in BC and 76% of those 12 and older have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. In total, 4,652,087 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in BC, 1,122,024 of which are second doses.
A painting by rock icon David Bowie has gone from thrift-store oddity to six-figure fame. A Toronto auction house says a Bowie painting that was discovered at a donation centre in northern Ontario fetched 108-thousand, 120 dollars in an online sale that closed today. Cowley Abbott says the artwork drew interest from collectors across the globe, driving up bids well past the pre-sale estimate of between nine and 12-thousand dollars.
Britney Spears says she wants her life back. She is asking a judge to end the court conservatorship that has controlled her life and money since 2008. The dramatic request at a Los Angeles hearing came with her first words in open court in the conservatorship in its 13-year existence. Spears condemned her father and others who have overseen the legal arrangement. She says she’s been prevented from getting married or having another child and has been forced to take powerful medications against her will. The judge made no immediate ruling.