Duelling protests in Vancouver on 3-year pandemic anniversary
Duelling protests in Vancouver on 3-year pandemic anniversary
Saturday marks the third anniversary of the World Health Organization declaring COVID-19 a pandemic.
The past 36 months saw mass lockdowns, mandatory masking, and policy changes that caused backlash across the province.
On Saturday morning, a convoy opposed to Bill 36 made its way down West 4th Avenue in Vancouver, where members were looking to join a group on the corner of Vine Street asking people to sign a petition against the legislation.
Bill 36 was introduced in the fall, as hospitals and doctors' offices began seeing more sick patients. The legislation merges regulatory colleges and alters how they fundamentally function.
Regulatory colleges oversee whether technical standards and professional guidelines are followed for health-care personnel, including nurses, doctors, psychologists and pharmacists.
The province has characterized the bill as necessary to streamline the number of colleges from 15 down to six, but the legislation also changes how board members are appointed and who gets the final say on professional misconduct decisions.
As the convoy members approached their final destination, they were met by a line of counter-protesters in the intersection at Arbutus Street, where the two sides exchanged their views on Bill 36 but also vaccine efficacy and safety.
The standoff caused traffic chaos, as drivers were forced to turn around and find alternate routes with the help of traffic authorities.
After nearly two hours, with the help of the Vancouver Police Department, a compromise was reached between the two sides, and the neighbourhood was reopened.
The opposing groups carried on with their demonstrations on the sidewalk on Vine Street.
After 36 months, the pandemic continues to divide British Columbians.
On Saturday, the medical director of the Vancouver Infectious Diseases Centre, Dr. Brain Conway, reflected on the pandemic and its impacts.
"It's been generational; the world has changed in ways we have yet to completely understood, and in some cases for the better, with lessons learned going forward," said Conway.
"Some people have been (hurt), and we need to understand that and begin to work towards repairing some of the damage and ills that have been done."
Whether it was losing employment, schools being closed, or policies dividing the public, Conway says it's time to talk about this openly and learn from it to move forward.
Conway also stressed that COVID-19 is still in the community and asks people to stay home when they're feeling sick and keep up with vaccinations.
The provincial health officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, delivered a similar message on Friday afternoon when addressing the current COVID-19 situation in B.C.
"COVID-19 is still with us, and we are still seeing higher levels than we saw for some time," said Henry. "(It's) a good reminder that we need to stay vigilant to protect ourselves, our loved ones, communities and families."
During the news conference, while Henry reflected on the pandemic, she became emotional when speaking about the challenges British Columbians endured.
"When you're in the middle of hard, everything feels like failure, and I think that was a very challenging time, and again, I lift my hands up to communities who supported each other," she said.
The most recent data from the province shows since the pandemic began, 33,646 people have been hospitalized with COVID-19 and 5,249 have died, though not all of those hospitalizations and deaths were directly caused by the disease.
As bystanders screamed for help, a man with a knife stabbed four young children at a lakeside park in the French Alps on Thursday, assaulting at least one in a stroller repeatedly. The children between 22 months and 3 years old suffered life-threatening injuries, and two adults also were wounded, authorities said.
The hot, dry conditions that are fuelling wildfires countrywide are just the beginning of what summer could look like in Canada this year, according to Environment Canada senior climatologist Dave Phillips.
The battle against hundreds of wildfires continues, as almost every jurisdiction in Canada remains under either heat or air quality warnings from the federal government. The day after what was supposed to be national Clean Air Day, dozens of alerts remain in place for unseasonable heat or smoky air quality.
Norwegian officials said the smoke from Canadian wildfires that has enveloped parts of the U.S. and Canada in a thick haze is expected to pour into Norway on Thursday.
New Brunswick students under the age of 16 who identify as trans and non-binary won't be able to officially change their names or pronouns in school without parental consent.
Pat Robertson, a religious broadcaster who turned a tiny Virginia station into the global Christian Broadcasting Network, tried a run for president and helped make religion central to Republican Party politics in America through his Christian Coalition, has died.
An official recommendation to wear a mask to protect yourself from wildfire smoke is being echoed by health experts as plumes of smoke make their way across parts of Canada, causing poor air quality.
There's no end in sight for the closure of Highway 4 on Vancouver Island – the only highway leading to the communities of Port Alberni, Tofino and Ucluelet – due to a wildfire burning in the area.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, the Victoria Sexual Assault Centre has seen an increase in women, trans and gender-diverse survivors seeking support after experiencing sexualized violence.
A busload of high school students were finally heading home to Nanaimo on Wednesday after they were stranded by a raging wildfire that forced them to spend the night inside a Port Alberni high school.
Calgary city council has reconsidered its decision to vote against recommendations made by an expert panel to address the city’s housing affordability crisis.
Police say a man on a mobility scooter has life-altering injuries after he was struck by a vehicle in a northeast Calgary intersection on Wednesday evening.
Drivers are being asked to find another way or prepare for delays on the Henday this weekend, because crews need to close a bridge over the North Saskatchewan River.
The Archdiocese of Edmonton will spend $3.2 million on reconciliation initiatives with First Nations, Métis and Inuit people in the Alberta capital region.
Blue Jays pitcher Anthony Bass said he's "in a better place moving forward" after speaking with Pride Toronto's executive director in the wake of his social media post that supported anti-2SLGBTQ+ boycotts.
An Ontario man has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of Claudia Iacono, the daughter-in-law of Mafia associate Moreno Gallo, after she was gunned down at the wheel of her car in Montreal last month.
The hot, dry conditions that are fuelling wildfires countrywide are just the beginning of what summer could look like in Canada this year, according to Environment Canada senior climatologist Dave Phillips.
The man in the spotlight during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic in Quebec, Dr. Horacio Arruda, has been appointed assistant deputy minister at the Ministry of Health and Social Services.
The hot, dry conditions that are fuelling wildfires countrywide are just the beginning of what summer could look like in Canada this year, according to Environment Canada senior climatologist Dave Phillips.
The closure of Fort Gibraltar following the collapse of an elevated walkway that sent 16 students and one teacher to hospital has left some couples scrambling to find a place to get married.
An official recommendation to wear a mask to protect yourself from wildfire smoke is being echoed by health experts as plumes of smoke make their way across parts of Canada, causing poor air quality.
Flooded underpasses have been a common occurrence in Regina this spring with several thunderstorms dumping heavy rain on the city, but Mayor Sandra Masters says several solutions are in the works to help prevent further flooding.
Regina city council has asked its administration to pursue permission from the Saskatchewan Municipal Board (SMB) to increase its debt limit to $780 million.
An official recommendation to wear a mask to protect yourself from wildfire smoke is being echoed by health experts as plumes of smoke make their way across parts of Canada, causing poor air quality.
New Brunswick students under the age of 16 who identify as trans and non-binary won't be able to officially change their names or pronouns in school without parental consent.
The Halifax Regional Municipality says it will announce Thursday when more residents can return to their homes in communities impacted by the Tantallon wildfires.
Irving Oil says it’s undertaking a “strategic review” with an eye to its future. In a release Wednesday, the company says it’s looking at a number of options, including the sale of its assets.
Just before 8 a.m. on Tuesday, police say a man entered a business on Dundas Street near Adelaide Street and once inside, tried to steal things and made threats towards employees while holding a knife.
Romance scams have always been around, but they got worse during the pandemic, and fraudsters continue to use social media and dating sites to find victims.
There's high levels of air pollution in Waterloo region and Wellington County as smoke plumes from wildfires burning in Quebec and northeastern Ontario continue to blow into the region, Environment Canada says.
Kitchener is hosting a series of watch parties to cheer on basketball star Jamal Murray as his Denver Nuggets take on the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals.
