A man serving a second-degree murder sentence has died in an Abbotsford prison.
Correctional Service of Canada says in a statement that Eugene Raymond Benoit died while in custody at the Abbotsford Regional Treatment Centre.
C-S-C officials say the 69-year-old man died of apparent natural causes on July 13th, and at the time of death, the inmate had been serving an indeterminate sentence.
They also say the police and coroner have been notified, with a review of the death pending.
Only days before Canadian truck drivers were required to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 to get into the country or face quarantine, the federal government is backing away from the vaccine mandate. The new rule will still take effect for American truckers starting this weekend, with drivers being turned away at the border unless they've been inoculated.
Canada is joining forces with Mexico to challenge how the United States is interpreting the new rules that govern duty-free cars and trucks. Mexico last week asked for a dispute resolution panel to challenge the stringent U.S. interpretation of the auto rules of origin enshrined in the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement.
A new report suggests Canada is not doing enough to adapt to and prevent the effects of climate change and is lacking the critical data it needs to do so.
Two schools have stopped in-person classes in British Columbia, less than two days after most students returned to classrooms following an extended holiday break due to the surging COVID-19 Omicron variant. The Education Ministry says schools in Hazelton and Surrey recently made the decision.
Given the continued need for public safety measures under the Emergency Program Act and ongoing work to repair damaged highways, the provincial state of emergency is being extended until the end of day, Jan. 18, 2022.
There are 36,087 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, and 244,551 people who tested positive have recovered. Of the active cases, 469 individuals are in hospital and 97 are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.