The City of Surrey is launching a three-year plan to boost the number of new housing units to an average of more than four thousand per year.
A statement from the City of Surrey says the plan is enabled by 96-million-dollars in federal funding.
The plan aims to increase new unit delivery in the city by almost 28 per cent.
The statement says Surrey plans to improve the development processes for higher-density multi-unit housing projects and adjust zoning in areas around rapid-transit lines.
Immigration Minister Sean Fraser delivered that message to the regional meeting in Guatemala that brought him face-to-face with the migration problems plaguing Canada's Western Hemisphere neigbourhood.
In Abbotsford, where a burst dike caused extensive flooding, he said officials have indicated they're confident in the repairs, temporary dams and sandbagging efforts. Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth said the storm, which was expected to hit Tuesday and last into Wednesday, could be the most intense yet for the central coast.
The RCMP says in a statement that experienced officers with the new Surrey Police Service began orientation Monday, and each municipal officer would be paired with a Mountie for a few shifts before heading out to respond to calls in RCMP-branded vehicles.
There are 2,889 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, and 213,053 people who tested positive have recovered. Of the active cases, 300 individuals are in hospital and 104 are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.
Dr. Henry announced new restrictions for faith services heading into the Christmas holiday season with people attending and participating in those services, such as choir members, required to wear masks unless physical distancing is in place, while capacity will also be limited to 50 per cent unless every attendee is vaccinated.
Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos says all air travellers entering Canada, except for those coming from the United States, will now need to be tested for COVID-19 upon arrival at the airport regardless of their vaccination status. The new measures come as public health officials around the world warn of the potentially dangerous new Omicron variant of COVID-19.