A Canadian tech company that publishes online wait-times for walk-in clinics across Canada says B-C residents wait an average of 58 minutes to see a doctor at a walk-in clinic. Medimap says that’s the longest of any province, and more than double the national average of 25 minutes. Premier John Horgan says B-C is in a health-care crisis as it looks to address decades of neglect of mental health issues. Medimap says six of the top 10 cities with the longest average wait times in Canada were in B-C last year, and Victoria had the longest average wait time at more than two-and-a-half hours
A Surrey man is $500,000 richer after matching the winning numbers on a Lotto Max Extra draw on April Fool’s Day. Gordon Fisher purchased his winning ticket from Semiahmoo Shopping Centre, but was at home when he checked his ticket. And while he was not fooled by the win, he admits his wife took a little bit of convincing. He said he told his wife they won half a million dollars on April Fools Day and it wasn’t until he returned to the kiosk the next day that she fully believed they did in fact win. They’ve been playing the lottery for years and now that they’ve really won they plan to travel the world and enjoy their newfound money.
Passengers and drivers across most of Canada are no longer required to wear a mask in an Uber. As of Friday, Uber Canada’s mask mandate has been lifted in nearly all provinces except Quebec. Although health Canada still highly recommends wearing your mask still Drivers in the rest of the country will also have the option of requiring passengers to wear a face covering and have the power to revoke a trip if the rider declines to wear one. The company is urging customers to be considerate if a driver requests they wear a mask. Customers are also no longer required to only sit in the back seat during their ride, but the company is asking people to refrain from the front seat unless it is required by the size of their group.
After putting an end to the practices of declawing in cats, and ear cropping and tail docking in dogs, the B.C. SPCA is now calling on the College of Veterinarians of British Columbia to enact a similar ban on the devocalization of dogs. The B.C. SPCA said canine devocalization — also known as debarking — involves very invasive surgery. The animal welfare organization said even if the procedure is successful at preventing barking, there are many complications involved. The B.C. SPCA said it has spent more than two decades speaking out in disagreement of the practice as it impacts a dog’s ability to “express natural behaviors.”Long story short, if you aren’t willing to properly train your dog and can’t stand the sound of barking, don’t get a dog. The SPCA has a petition on their website if you’d like to support the end of canine devocalization
Premier John Horgan and George Heyman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy, have issued a statement to celebrate Earth Day 2022, touching on the extreme weather conditions we have experienced over the past few years including flooding, fires, and heatwaves. They said they have a Clean BC Roadmap 2030 that is an ambitious continent-leading climate plan. It makes polluting more expensive, and it makes the shift from fossil fuels to clean alternatives more affordable. The theme of Earth Day this year is #InvestInOurPlanet – and the City Of Surrey is putting on their earth day event next Saturday April 30th at Surrey Civic Plaza from 11-7pm. Entry is free and you can get all the info up on our website at pulsefm.ca
The federal government has announced funding for salmon restoration in B-C. It says 30.5-million-dollars will be given out to 22 projects for the regeneration of wild Pacific salmon populations. The funding will also support research and monitoring to help understand factors affecting salmon populations and their habitat. The government says 18 of the 22 projects will be led by or conducted in partnership with Indigenous organizations and communities.
A body has been found in the rubble of a fire in a rooming hotel in Vancouver’s Gastown neighbourhood. Officials had said everyone had been accounted for in a fire that destroyed the Winters Hotel on April 11, however the body was found by a demolition crew and investigators as they combed the site. Fire, police and the coroners service are all investigating the discovery and no identification has been revealed. Vancouver fire said this week the blaze was accident and started on the the second floor of the complex when someone left candles unattended. (The Canadian Press)
The B-C government is making it easier for firefighters to access workers’ compensation benefits and support services, recognizing their higher risk of developing work-related cancer. The province is adding three more cancers to the existing 13 that firefighters are at risk of developing under the Workers Compensation Act. Labour Minister Harry Bains says firefighters people face a lot of hazards in their work, they shouldn’t have to prove the certain long-term illnesses are work related when trying to get support. If a firefighter develops one of the listed cancers after a certain period of work, it is presumed the disease arose from their employment, making them eligible for benefits without having to prove the cancer is work-related.
Canada’s top doctor says it’s prudent to keep mask mandates for air travel as the BA-2 variant of Omicron surges in the country. Dr. Theresa Tam says requiring people to wear masks on planes is one of the least intrusive measures that adds a layer of protection and eliminates the guesswork for travellers. Tam also says the policies around COVID-19 mandates should be continually examined by government, including whether to require people to get a third dose of the vaccine.
Three Canadian companies with carbon capture technologies have won one-million-dollars each from entrepreneur Elon Musk’s foundation. The University of British Columbia says its spinoff company — Carbin Minerals — has been awarded a so-called XPrize for technology that removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The XPrize was given to 15 companies in several countries on Earth Day in an annual competition to accelerate breakthroughs in carbon capture technologies.