July 24, 2017 - 1:30 AM
Three stories in the news for Monday, July 24
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CONCERNS PERSIST AS B.C. WILDFIRE EVACUEES RETURN
Residents of two communities evacuated due to the B.C. wildfires have been allowed to return, but officials say it's unclear when thousands of others will be able to go home. Evacuation orders for 100 Mile House and Princeton were downgraded to alerts this weekend, allowing residents to return home. But more than 30,000 people remain displaced, and gusting winds are threatening to fan the flames again.
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VERDICT DUE FOR THE B.C. MEN ACCUSED OF POLYGAMY
A British Columbia judge is expected to issue her verdict today for two former religious leaders accused of polygamy. Winston Blackmore is alleged to have married 24 women in the practise of "celestial" marriage, while the trial earlier this year heard that James Oler has five wives. Both men are former bishops for a fundamentalist sect in the tiny southeastern B.C. community of Bountiful.
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INFRASTRUCTURE BANK AND CROSS-BORDER RAIL?
Washington state is exploring whether Canada's new infrastructure bank could help finance a multibillion-dollar proposal for high-speed rail between Vancouver and the U.S. northwest. The Trudeau government's soon-to-be-launched, $35-billion infrastructure bank will seek to use public funds as leverage to attract billions more in private investment for major infrastructure projects, such as bridges, transit systems and rail lines.
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ALSO IN THE NEWS TODAY:
— Federal, Ontario health ministers and Nishnawbe Aski Nation grand chief to sign charter of principles on health care for First Nations.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2017