More than 1,200 additional emergency shelter spaces have been identified in approximately 70 communities to help those in need of temporary shelter access a warm place to stay during extreme winter weather conditions.

Residents and interested parties in Victoria, Courtenay, Comox and the Gulf Islands will soon have an opportunity to take part in the B.C. coastal ferries consultation and engagement process.

Premier Christy Clark issued the following statement on the birth of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji:

"I want to extend greetings and best wishes to all those celebrating the birth of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the founder of the Sikh religion and an ambassador of peace and unity for human beings around the world.

The Ministry of Social Development is pleased to announce that Milieu Family Services and InclusionWorks! are winners of $15,000 each in investment funding for their ideas that will bring real, positive change for people with developmental disabilities in B.C.

The BC Coroners Service has confirmed the identity of a man who died after being struck by a vehicle in Nanaimo on Nov. 23, 2012.

Efforts by B.C.'s Family Maintenance Enforcement Program are paying off, as 2011-12 family support collections hit a record $190 million, helping to make a significant difference in the lives of many families provincewide.

Two more agreements have been ratified at the University of Victoria under the Cooperative Gains Mandate with CUPE Local 4163 (Components I & II) and with the Professional Employees Association.

A tentative two-year agreement has been reached with the Facilities Bargaining Association under government's Cooperative Gains Mandate.