Drug overdose deaths are down by 24 per cent between April last year and this April, but still B-C’s Coroner says 182 people died.
Fentanyl remains the primary killer, with the drug detected in 82 per cent of test results for those who died so far this year.
The coroner’s service says nearly half of those who overdosed were between the ages of 30 and 49.
The latest figures lift the number of deaths since the public health emergency was declared eight years ago to 14-thousand 582 people.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is set to address Canadians Monday afternoon, following three days of unrest that has brought the divisive arguments about vaccine mandates and public health restrictions soaring back to the top of the agenda.
The government last year announced it would spend $85 million to plow through the backlogged applications, which Fraser says will be used mainly to hire more staff.
The party's electoral district for the rural Saskatchewan riding of Battlefords-Lloydminster announced today it has launched a petition it plans to present to the Conservatives' national council.
Amritbhai Vakil said family members have decided it would be emotionally difficult to see the couple and their two children and too expensive to transport the bodies.
There are 30,515 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, and 286,134 people who tested positive have recovered. Of the active cases, 990 COVID-positive individuals are in hospital and 141 are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.
The Ottawa Police Service said it was calling in reinforcements to help keep the peace as hundreds of vehicles and long-haul trucks continued their trek toward the nation's capital to demand an end to all COVID-19 restrictions, including vaccine passports, from every level of government.