With just weeks until Quebec’s provincial election campaign officially begins, Quebec Liberal Leader Charles Milliard has been relatively quiet.

On Wednesday, Milliard made his first major policy announcement in several weeks, unveiling his party’s economic vision. The plan focuses on strengthening Quebec’s role within Canada, building new trade partnerships and preparing the province for changes in the North American economy.

“We’re proposing something clear and pragmatic, which is to work for a stronger Quebec and a stronger Canada,” Milliard said, speaking outside the U.S. Consulate in Quebec City.

Political analyst Karim Boulos said Milliard generated momentum after winning the Liberal leadership in February.

“When he was announced, the number spiked. The liberals looked great. They were in second place and they were outshining the CAQ,” said Boulos.

But according to Boulos, that momentum faded in recent months while Premier Christine Fréchette worked to separate herself from the François Legault era.

“The PQ over the last few months has begun to lose some steam, so that created a window of opportunity that Mr. Milliard could have seized. However, it was Madame Fréchette who seized it,” said Boulos.

Some Montrealers said they are still unfamiliar with the Quebec Liberal leader. When asked by Global News, some respondents said they could not identify Milliard, while others said they knew little about his priorities but are interested in learning more as the election approaches.

Notre-Dame-de-Grâce-Côte-des-Neiges Liberal MNA Désirée McGraw said voters can expect to see more of the party leader in the coming weeks.

“I think you can expect to see a lot more of him and more announcements in terms of unveiling our platform at the appropriate time,” she said.

Boulos said Milliard’s economic message on Wednesday was a good example of seizing opportunity and could also resonate with voters looking for greater collaboration between Quebec and the rest of Canada.

According to Boulos, Milliard will still need to present a strong platform sooner rather than later, addressing issues such as health care, education, infrastructure, investment and technology if he hopes to distinguish himself before the Oct. 5 election.

For now, Milliard maintains Quebec has been playing too small a role on the national stage and says greater co-operation with the rest of Canada is essential to boost Quebec’s economic influence.

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Hikers on Vancouver Island’s West Coast Trail needed to be pulled off the trail due to recent heavy rainfall.

Parks Canada has issued a warning saying sections of the trail are currently “impassable” and recommends not crossing creeks or rivers on foot at this time.

They also say the visitor safety team is responding to a significant number of evacuation requests on the 75-km hiking trail.

The owners of the Crab Shack, a floating restaurant at the midway point, say they haven’t seen conditions like this in years.

“Not of this magnitude and not in July,” Carl Edgar said. “It feels like winter weather here and feels like October.”

He added that hikers were coming into their establishment drenched and cold.

“Everyone that arrived at our place was soaking wet right through — sleeping bag, spare clothes, everything,” he said.

Parks Canada said that anyone with a reservation until Aug. 1 can get a full refund.

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Blue skies and sunshine returned to Kelowna’s waterfront Wednesday, with tourists once again enjoying the city’s beaches and outdoor attractions.

But just days earlier, wildfire smoke had blanketed the Central Okanagan, creating some of the worst air quality in the world.

It served as a reminder of the growing challenges smoke poses for both public health and the region’s tourism industry.

“A lot of people are here for the good weather, as always,” said Luke Weller, owner of Ogopogo Parasailing.

Last week’s smoky conditions affected many local businesses, which rely on tourism dollars.

“A lot of people are on the parasail for the views and for the photos and when it’s smoky out obviously you’re not getting your full experience,” Weller said. “So it definitely impacts us a lot.”

While smoky skies have become an increasingly common part of summer in British Columbia, Tourism Kelowna says one or two smoky days can leave visitors with an inaccurate impression of the region.

“The concern is the reputational damage,” said Cassandra Zerebeski, president and CEO Tourism Kelowna. “They don’t realize that it can change in a couple hours or in a couple days. So they get concerned. They want to inquire about changing their travel plans, cancelling travel plans.”

Tourism officials note that, despite last week’s smoke, much of this summer has been relatively smoke-free.

They say visitors can still enjoy a wide range of indoor activities when air quality deteriorates, including wineries, restaurants, art galleries, and other attractions.

“There’s so many things that they can enjoy and experience,” Zerebeski said.

Health officials, however, say concerns about wildfire smoke are well-founded.

People with asthma, heart disease, or other underlying health conditions are encouraged to stay indoors when air quality worsens, but even healthy individuals can experience symptoms after prolonged exposure.

“Eye and nose irritation, coughing, producing phlegm, even getting wheezing happening, as well as other issues like headaches, fatigue, and tiredness can be caused,” said Dr. Adam Thompson, president of Doctors of BC.

As wildfire seasons become longer and more intense, Tourism Kelowna is partnering with Destination BC and other tourism organizations to better understand how wildfire smoke influences travel decisions and to ensure visitors have accurate, up-to-date information when planning their trips.

“I think the communication is key, and we want visitors. They’re so savvy now, to take a look, to make sure you’re seeing things firsthand because sometimes I’ll search and see stories from years ago that aren’t even relevant to the modern day,” Zerebeski  said.

Tourism officials hope accurate information will ensure the occasional smoky day does not overshadow what has otherwise been a summer of blue skies across much of the Okanagan, at least up until now.

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Edmonton is known for its festivals, and this year, it’s also known for its extreme weather. It’s leaving event organizers on edge, while they wait to see what Mother Nature has in store.

“We are definitely already sensing that excitement,” said Megan Benoit, digital manager with Big Valley Jamboree, where the stage and chairs will soon be filled for another weekend of country music.

“Even in these last couple of days leading up to the show, the ticket numbers are really great. We do see a lot of walkups at this show too. So we’re expecting some good numbers.”

The festival takes place July 30 to August 2 in Camrose, about an hour southeast of Edmonton.

This year’s headliners are Old Dominion, Riley Green and Keith Urban.

BVJ is no stranger to extreme weather impacting the country music event. Back in 2024, Urban was also scheduled to perform, but due to intense storms, he was unable to take the stage. In 2009, a storm led to a stage collapse that killed 35-year-old Donna Moore.

From all those experiences, the festival says organizers have learned a lot.

“We’re in the business of outdoor events, so Mother Nature is always on our mind. We work with a meteorologist right here on site 24/7 to make sure that we’re aware of any potential storms and following all of those cells,” said Benoit.

While BVJ is still waiting to see how the weather turns out, some festivals have already experienced Mother Nature’s wrath firsthand.

Taste of Edmonton in downtown Edmonton was impacted on two evenings over the course of the 11-day festival from Thursday, July 16 to Sunday, July 26.

“On our opening Saturday and then obviously the closing Saturday, we had two pretty sizable storms in the city,” said festival organizer Donovan Vienneau.

The storm on Saturday, July 18 blew in on a busy festival weekend: in addition to Taste of Edmonton, it was the opening weekend of KDays, the Great Outdoors Comedy Festival was going on in Kinsmen Park and the two-day Neon Skies pop music festival was taking place outdoors beside Rogers Place in the Ice District.

“I had an EPS officer reach out to me and said, ‘Hey listen, we are evacuating the Great Outdoors Comedy Festival — what is your plan?'”

Vienneau said Taste activated its emergency response plan and got people off the festival grounds at Churchill Square that night,  as well as on the following Saturday when an even fiercer storm blew thought.

In his seven years of running Taste of Edmonton, Vienneau said this year is the first time they’ve had to evacuate.

“Lots of great lessons learned in our first evacuation, which made the second Saturday feel a little bit easier,” Vienneau said. “Making the judgment call, it really wasn’t a difficult one, because when you’re dealing with the lives of 8,000 or 20,000, or 100,000 the Edmontonians  — we want to make sure that everybody is safe.”

While the weather was less-than-ideal, Vienneau said attendance was actually up this year. That wasn’t the case a few weeks earlier, when The Works Art & Design Festival was drowned out during a lengthy rainfall event.

Meanwhile, fairgoers at the KDays midway this year were met with intense weather on a few of the nights, which led to the cancellation of two of music headliners.

“Many of the folks were able to move indoors and shelter in place until the storm passed, so I think we’re well equipped,” said Arlindo Gomes with KDays.

Gomes says, luckily, this was the first year KDays bought rain insurance.

“Looking at cancellation and weather insurance, I think, is going to be more and more important for event producers going forward — just with recent experience, it’s going to be wise for us to consider those,” he said.

“We’re definitely going to be looking at a more comprehensive view of insurance, as it relates to what we’re exposed to in respect to weather.”

Other festivals weren’t so lucky.

Extreme weather forced the Beaumont Music Festival to cancel its second day. That, coupled with other financial issues, means its future is in question.

“At this point, it’s very likely that another multi-day outdoor music festival is probably not in the cards for next year,” said Jeremy Kornel with the Beaumont Music Festival.

At BVJ, they’re hoping there are no storms, but aren’t leaving anything to chance.

“We’ve got teams behind the scenes. We’re always prepared.”

BVJ is also encouraging anyone attending the festival to sign up for their text updates, check their website and social media for the latest information on the storms.

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

The Curator independently decides what topics and products we feature. When you purchase an item through our links, we may earn a commission. Promotions and products are subject to availability and retailer terms.

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© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

The City of Calgary is beginning the process of establishing a registry of special interest groups and individuals looking to influence decision-making at city hall.

Late Tuesday, city council voted 13-2 in favour of a motion co-signed by Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas, Ward 9 Coun. Harrison Clark, Ward 8 Coun. Nathaniel Schmidt, and Ward 7 Coun. Myke Atkinson.

The motion directs city administration to conduct a jurisdictional review of best practices from Canadian municipalities that have established lobbyist registries, as well as assess the scope and coverage of a registry and potential costs.

During debate, Clark said the registry wouldn’t prevent lobbying, but rather ensure “lobbying is conducted openly” to improve transparency with the public.

“It is our responsibility to conduct ourselves in these spaces as openly and as transparently as possible,” he told council. “I don’t think it’s unfair to say that the City of Calgary and this chamber and these offices have seen its fair share of scandals and that the public has every reason to be concerned.”

The moves come after details were revealed of an RCMP investigation into municipal corruption at Calgary city hall related to a reconsideration vote by the previous city council; none of the allegations have been proven in court and no charges have been laid.

Farkas first brought the idea of a municipal lobbyist registry to light once the probe was made public, but he noted he campaigned on establishing one both in 2021 and in 2025.

“Calgary is growing up as a city, right now we manage budgets that rival or exceed that of many provinces,” Farkas told reporters. “When we think of billions of dollars at stake, not just the money but also the potential impact on neighbourhoods and quality of life, it’s really important for Calgarians to have that line of sight in terms of how decisions are made.”

Calgary currently has no mechanism to disclose lobbying activity, the motion said.

City councillors used to be required to disclose who they met with, but that is now voluntary after the provincial government eliminated municipal codes of conduct last year.

“I publish every Friday in my community newsletter exactly who I met with that week and I encourage all members of council to do that,” said Ward 4 Coun. DJ Kelly. “If a lobbyist registry helps increase that transparency then I’m all for it.”

Despite criticism of the motion, including describing it as a “headline grabber,” Ward 2 Coun. Jennifer Wyness voted in support as the move simply studies the idea but doesn’t create a municipal lobbyist registry just yet.

“All we voted on in there was a report back on the possibilities of what a lobbyist registry could be, should be, and what our processes are,” Wyness told reporters.

“You’re going to end up seeing the reality of the situation and it will be hopefully less performative than how this whole topic has been discussed in public.”

That report with options is expected to be delivered to city council later this year for consideration.

John Williams with Alberta Public Affairs said he there are differences between lobbying municipal and provincial governments, including the scale of the provincial bureaucracy, which does have a lobbyist registry. 

“It’s complex because you’re dealing with a much bigger bureaucracy and for the average person to stick-handle that, it can scare a lot of people off,” he told Global News.

Williams added he he is concerned a lobbyist registry at the municipal level could make accessing government “more complicated” for individuals.

Concern over access is shared by Ward 10 Coun. Andre Chabot, one of the two votes against the motion.

Chabot said he hears from representatives from community associations and constituents regarding decisions in front of city council, and questioned if failing to be on a registry would impede those types of advocacy efforts.

“The idea of having to be registered under a registry, to me, puts additional burden on regular folks that I don’t think is necessary,” he told reporters.

In response, Farkas noted the registry is to delineate between constituents and lobbyists “who are actually being paid to undertake influencing elected officials.”

“Lobbying is a legitimate activity,” Farkas said. “Residents, business owners, not-for-profit organizations, individuals all have a right to meet with elected officials and to make their case and to have their input heard.”

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Crime increased across the city last year —  in particular, shoplifting, mischief and theft from automobiles — according to Edmonton Police Service (EPS) crime data from 2025.

EPS data released Wednesday shows a 3.2-per cent increase in overall crime in 2025, which is the number of police-reported crimes per 100,000 people.

At the same time, the  crime severity index (CSI), which measures the severity of the crime based on the seriousness and is weighted by Statistics Canada, dropped by 6.5 per cent.

“This is the lowest we’ve seen since 2021, but it is on par with what’s happening both provincially and nationally,” said Insp. Bryce Gibbon with the EPS analytics branch.

The severity of non-violent crime went down 11 per cent from 2024 to 2025, EPS said.

However, of the violent crimes reported — homicides, assaults and robberies — the severity increased by 3.2 per cent.

“We’ve seen an increase in robberies, we’ve seen increase in assaults against peace officers, as well as uttering threats and child-luring files,” Gibbon said.

At the same time, the overall amount of violent crimes went down 2.5 per cent.

“We’ve seen decreases in Level 2 assaults,” Gibbon said, explaining that category includes assaults involving a weapon or causing bodily harm.

Extortions also dropped in 2025.

“Those extortion files were at a peak the year prior, and the introduction of Project Gaslight helped bring those extortion numbers down. Now again, recognizing this is a per-capita number — this is also going to be impacted by the increase in population in Edmonton during that last calendar year,” Gibbon said.

Police said Edmonton’s 3.2-per cent increase in overall crime goes against national and provincial trends, and the uptick was driven by property crime data.

Property crimes increased by 10.1 per cent last year, with specific incidents seeing a large spike:

• Shoplifting under $5,000 — increased by 30 per cent
• Mischief —increased by 23 per cent
• Theft under $5,000 from a motor vehicle — increased by 17 per cent

Edmonton has the highest shoplifting rate per capita rate amongst larger Canadian municipalities and Gibbon said it’s believed the actual amount of that kind of theft in Edmonton is higher, as the data only reflects those who got caught or when theft was noticed.

While some property crimes increased, police said theft of motor vehicle dropped 12.3 per cent.

Calls for police to respond to incidents of disorder also increased for the fourth year in a row, with 99,089 dispatches — a 3.4-per cent increase from 2024.

Broken down, that’s an average of 270 disorder calls a day.

“This does make up a significant portion of what our front-line members are actually responding to, ” Gibbon said, explaining the number represents both the calls for service by the citizens, as well as those generated by front-line members.

“That includes trouble with person, mischief, intoxicated persons, trespassing, graffiti and some bylaw complaints.”

Police said in early 2026, they launched a program called Safer Edmonton, which strategically deployed officers to areas where data showed an increased police presence was needed.

Police operations chief Devin Laforce said early data shows the program is working and community safety is top of mind for EPS.

He says the program allows police to look at the data of where and when crime is being committed, and deploy officers to those locations ahead of time.

“They’re not responding to calls for service, it’s officer-generated calls. Which means they’re on view, or they’re disrupting things, so the members are in the right locations, based on that information,” Laforce said.

“We’re hoping that it all feeds back into actual crime reduction, and actual increase in feelings and perception of safety.”

EPS said a months-long early summer deployment out of the northwest detachment resulted in a 18.7-per cent decrease in violent crime and a 23.7-per cent decrease in disorder events.

Police noted while data tells one story, people’s personal experiences and public perception is another thing entirely.

“While there are positive trends in some areas, residents, businesses, and communities continue to experience very real challenges in others. That’s why public safety can’t be reduced to a simple statement about crime being up or down,” Laforce said.

Laforce says when it comes to the upcoming city budget, EPS doesn’t plan to ask for more funding relating to the Safer Edmonton project, but will continue to assess where their funding is best used to make the city safer.

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

The cost of Edmonton’s summer storm season is becoming more clear, with the city saying the bill is expected to end up somwhere between $20 million and $30 million.

That is not including the most recent storm damage from Saturday night or Monday afternoon.

“I think when you look at the trees and the wind and the rain, all of these things are impacting to create some damaging circumstances for our city and how we get through that is important,” said Edmonton city manager Eddie Robar.

Robar said this is the first time in his current role that he’s seen the aftermath of a summer storm cost more than a winter one.

“We have a financial stabilization reserve, or an FSR, that we use for impacts like this at a one-time cost to the city,” Robar said.

“So we are prepared for these types of things, but certainly these all have impact to our budgets as we move forward.”

With city crews scrambling to keep up with the number of calls to deal with downed branches and damaged trees, the City of Calgary has pitched in some help.

“It’s to the credit of Edmontonians that they’ve always had our back, and it’s really important for us as Calgarians to have Edmonton’s back,” Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas said on Wednesday.

The City of Calgary has sent 12 urban forestry staff, which includes landscape horticulturalists, staff trained in technical falling, forestry ground crew operations and trained labourers. Ten mobility crew members, one foreman, and three waste and recycling service staff members will also be part of the relief effort.

Equipment such as quad cabs, chainsaws, and dump trucks will also be made available.

“It’s about clearing their transportation networks,” Farkas said.

“There’s a lot of damage that’s been caused and we’re going to continue to work closely with City of Edmonton administration to understand what their needs are.”

Robar said the city is grateful for the help.

“Some of the problems we did have recently, especially with Connors Road, was a lot of limbs that were blocking drainage and things like that — trying to get that all cleaned up so that we don’t have the same problems in the future,” he said.

Edmonton will reimburse Calgary for the assistance, although Farkas said the goal right now is to help with the cleanup.

There is no expectation the upcoming city budget for Edmonton will change to account for the amount of unprecedented rainfall.

“These are one-offs that certainly have challenged our systems and our infrastructure like nothing has ever had before and we hope to balance that out in the future,” Robar said.

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

A woman who slipped while hiking in the Rockies west of Calgary did not survive the fall.

Canmore RCMP said they responded around 4 p.m. Tuesday to help Parks Canada rescue a fallen hiker near Mount Shark.

Police were advised that four people were completing a loop hike in the Kananaskis region, when one of the hikers lost their footing and fell.

A woman in her 20s is confirmed to have died, RCMP said on Wednesday, adding no further details of the incident or woman’s identity would be released.

According to Alberta Parks, the mountain in Spray Valley Provincial Park is home to a 15-km, intermediate-to-advanced looped trail system.

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

A viral video showing the arrest of a 40-year-old woman in the Makwa Sahgaiehcan First Nation by Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officers is sparking concerns among First Nations leaders and advocates, who are questioning the level of force used.

In a video shared on social media, two Saskatchewan RCMP officers could be seen forcing Rose Angus to the ground and handcuffing her, shortly after one officer punched her several times in the face and the other tased her in the back.

While Angus was being handcuffed, one officer could be seen holding her down with his knee close to her neck. Later in the video, officers tell Angus to stand up, and when she does, her face is covered in blood.

Saskatchewan RCMP say officers from the Loon Lake detachment were originally responding Monday morning at around 5 a.m. to a report of a person impaired by drugs on a street in the First Nation, located around 300 km northwest of Saskatoon.

While responding, officers found a man wanted on a warrant entering a home. Officers then arrested this man and another man after approaching the home and speaking with those inside, said the RCMP.

During the arrest of the two men, police say Angus “became confrontational” and punched two officers, before leaving the entrance area of the home.

A second video shared on social media shows this part of the encounter, with Angus descending the stairs of a home and the officers yelling at her to “get on the ground.”

The RCMP says she was then arrested outside the home and was treated by emergency responders for minor injuries.

Following the video of the arrests circulating on social media, the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations, along with the Makwa Sahgaiehcan First Nation and the Meadow Lake Tribal Council, released a joint statement on Wednesday, demanding accountability and an independent investigation into the incident.

“What we witnessed in that video is unacceptable. Our women deserve to be always treated with dignity and respect,” said Chief Melvin Mooswa of the Makwa Sahgaiehcan First Nation in a press release.

“Our community deserves answers. We deserve accountability. Most importantly, our people deserve better.”

Aaron Thomas, a former police officer with 17 years of service with The Blood Tribe Police Service in Alberta, says there were many things that upset him while watching the video of the arrest and agrees with the leaders.

“The punches to the face, the close fist strikes to the face were excessive, as well as the tasers, especially when you have two men dealing with a female,” Thomas said.

“Once you have control and handcuffs, there’s no reason to be escalating, yelling at people and swearing at the detainee or the arrestee.”

In a statement Tuesday, the RCMP say they conducted an initial review of the incident, which included watching the body camera footage and are determining the use of force “to be reasonable.”

“Body-worn camera footage is evidence and will be presented as part of court proceedings,” the statement said.

In an update Wednesday, RCMP say they are escalating the incident to the province’s police watchdog, known as the Serious Incident Response Team (SIRT), for investigation, despite saying the day before they would not, given the “non-serious nature” of Angus’ injuries.

Global News has requested to see the RCMP body camera footage, but was told to contact SIRT.

In a statement to Global News, SIRT confirmed it is investigating the incident and has no further information to report at this time.

Alongside Angus, police say they arrested a 30-year-old man from Edmonton and a 28-year-old man from Makwa Sahgaiehcan First Nation, both for outstanding warrants.

Angus now faces six charges, including two counts of assaulting a police officer, two counts of resisting a police officer, one count of obstructing a police officer and one count of possessing cocaine.

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.