When there is a live music event, we often refer to it as a “gig.” Why? I’ve heard several explanations, and here’s the most recent, which comes from the musical history of New Orleans.
It begins with a term used in illegal lotteries, which moved to horse racing. A two-number betting combination was known as a “saddle,” while a three-number combo was called a “gig,” after a type of horse-drawn cart. When musicians were paid for a show, they got paid with whatever was left over after the venue took its cut. This was dicey because a club may or may not pay.
Getting money at the end of the night was like a “gig” bet at the track. You might or might not get paid. Therefore, playing a club show also became known as a “gig.”
Sidebar: The term “gig” may also refer to a show played using a horse-drawn cart as a stage that would be hauled from place to place.
We all know how difficult it can be to get tickets to a big concert. You do everything right, but the gig is sold out within seconds of going on sale. It’s so frustrating. Maybe, then, it’s time for a different approach.
In the Nihonbashi district of Tokyo is a shrine that’s more than a thousand years old. It is called Fukutoku, a calm place in the midst of a very busy part of the city. But this Shinto shrine is visited for a very specific purpose. Like other such shrines, people come to ask for kami—good fortune and good health—from the Shinto gods.
But Fukutoku attracts people with a very special wish: The ability to get concert tickets. Superfans from all over Japan visit the shrine and pray that they’ll have luck getting to a show by their favourite artist.
Skiantos was one of the first wave of punk bands in the 1970s. They were formed in 1975, but decided that they weren’t as angry as some of their peers, so comedy—the kind that draws from Futurism and Dadaism—became a driving part of their whole existence.
When it came to their music, it wasn’t exactly what you’d call polished or professional, but that was the point. The rawness, the out-of-tune vocals, and the weird lyrics were all designed to provoke the audience. Sometimes, for added effect, they’d throw vegetables into the crowd
Their most infamous gig was at the Bologna Rock Festival on April 2, 1979. For their set, they brought out a kitchen, a table, a TV, and a fridge. They boiled some spaghetti, sat down, ate it, and left, without playing a single note. It was…baffling.
The province is rolling out new plans to tackle chronic property crime and public disorder, but not everyone is on board. As Klaudia Van Emmerik reports, members of Kelowna's business community and justice system say there are still major gaps that have yet to be addressed.
A new provincial initiative aimed at reducing repeat property crime and social disorder is drawing cautious support in Kelowna, B.C., but local business leaders and prosecutors say more resources are needed to make it effective.
Called the ‘Chronic Property Offending Intervention Initiative’ (C-POII), it will establish a dozen regional hubs across British Columbia, including one in Kelowna.
The hubs will monitor up to 420 high-risk individuals and connect them with services such as housing, mental health supports and addiction treatment.
“This approach ensures that the people who pose the greatest risk are held accountable while also addressing the underlying factors that led them to a life of crime,” Nina Krieger
B.C. public safety minister and solicitor general said when announcing the $16 million program on Monday.
While welcoming the measures, the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce expressed disappointment an involuntary care facility wasn’t included.
“The city has been advocating for a facility that’s currently underutilized in Osoyoos for involuntary treatment and long-term care…having these people in these facilities is helping them. It’s compassionate care,” said George Greenwood, the chamber’s CEO. “The treatment that is available, it’s not working, because people just get in and out.”
The chamber is also disappointed that Monday’s announcement didn’t provide relief from the upcoming PST expansion forcing businesses to pay tax on private security services.
“They’re taxing us on ways that we’re utilizing to protect our staff, our customers, and our business,” Greenwood said. “It’s a contradiction, to be honest.”
The Ministry of Finance stated while it understands the concerns raised by the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce and recognizes the significant pressures that crime and vandalism have placed on businesses, it said that the PST expansion, “better reflects today’s economy, aligns more closely with other provinces, and supports stable, sustainable funding for the core services people and businesses rely on such as healthcare, education, and infrastructure.”
The B.C. Crown Counsel Association is also concerned, saying prosecutors, which will be part of the hub system, are already in short supply in the region — including Kelowna, where it says five to seven more are needed.
Despite adding three positions for the program across the Southern Interior, the association said it will add pressure to an already stretched system.
“We’re really concerned about resourcing and we’re really concerned about this,” said Andrew Duncan, an association director. “There is a discrepancy between what Victoria is doing and what’s actually happening in our region.”
Crown prosecutors wrapped their case against Nicholas Bellemare, the man accused of fatally shooting RCMP Const. Rick O'Brien during a 2023 police raid on a Coquitlam condo. Grace Ke reports.
Crown began wrapping its case in the first-degree murder trial of a man accused of fatally shooting RCMP Const. Rick O’Brien in 2023.
Graphic autopsy photos were shown and the court heard that O’Brien was likely shot three times in the head.
He was killed during a drug raid at a Coquitlam condominium in September 2023.
Defence is claiming self-defence for the accused, Nicholas Bellemare, who they said did not know the people on the other side of the door were officers and that Bellemare was asleep and woke up to a bang.
“There was a knock and announcement by the police…. And there was no answer,” Crown stated in court.
“They waited… and then they breached the door as they are entitled to do.”
Court heard that O’Brien and five other officers broke down the door to enter the condo and that’s when Crown alleges Bellemare fired 10 shots with a prohibited AR-15-style rifle.
Bellemare is charged with one count of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder.
The defence is expected to deliver closing arguments starting on Thursday.
Experts are hopeful Manitoba's first associate chief judge of reconciliation will change the court system and push for policies that will address over-representation of Indigenous people in the legal system.
Experts are hopeful Manitoba’s first associate chief judge of reconciliation will change the court system and push for policies that will address over-representation of Indigenous people in the legal system.
“When you’re trying to decolonize or indigenize a system, you really have to again start with that community engagement piece, and then work your way forward,” says Marc Kruse, director of Indigenous Legal Learning and Services at Robson Hall.
Jerilee Ryle’s term starts on July 2 and she will be serving for seven years.
Central Alberta got a reprieve from the rain on Tuesday, but areas in and around Edmonton are still dealing with deluge aftermath. High river levels and flooded areas, as is the case still in Tofield, are posing a safety risk in some situations. Katherine Ludwig reports.
Tuesday brought sunshine and blue skies for central Alberta, after a weekend with than 100 mm of rain.
Despite the sunny skies, though, areas in and around Edmonton are dealing with the aftermath.
Water levels remain high in the North Saskatchewan River. Erosion can be seen along the river’s edges and some signage near Capilano Park are almost entirely underwater.
It’s created some potentially dangerous conditions. Edmonton Fire Rescue Services responded to a call Tuesday morning and pulled a man out of the river who had slipped in off of a trail.
He was transported to hospital with non-life threatening issues.
Meanwhile in south Edmonton, saturated soil along Whitemud Drive came loose at the 122 Street overpass and slid down the embankment onto the freeway.
The Town of Tofield remains under a local state of emergency as some areas around businesses remain flooded. Water restrictions for residents also remain in place. Pump trucks are working to remove the water.
Katherine Ludwig has the full story in the video above.
Calgary’s 911 emergency call centre officers are answering more calls for emergency services with more complex issues.
Last year, more than one million emergency and non-emergency calls were answered by the call centre.
“One of the biggest challenges is the size of the city; it’s continuing to grow at a very rapid rate,” said Dan Heyde, Calgary 911 deputy chief of operations. “So for us, it’s difficult to maintain that level of growth — we need to pre-plan for it, hire appropriately and staff appropriately.
“That’s a complexity that challenges us from time to time.”
In 2025, the number of calls increased by four per cent, as Calgary 911 supported more than 18,000 community peace officer events.
On top of that, some 2,000 calls for matters like mental health, addictions, shelter, child care and family support were redirected to 211 for services and crisis supports.
“We are the first of the first responders; we take our work very seriously,” said Nicole Ehman, Calgary 911 emergency communications officer.
“It is often the worst, most stressful day of someone’s life when they call us and it is vitally important that they know and trust that there is someone here that is going to get them the most appropriate help.”
As multiculturalism and diversity in the city grows, the volume of calls requiring language services has also increased. These calls can take three times longer to process.
Close up of Calgary 911 badge.
Global News
Evan Birch worked at a 911 call centre for seven years. The graphic nature of some cases took a toll, he says, leading Evan to struggle with his mental health.
“Having come from STARS Air Ambulance prior to that — working in the dispatch centre — it was hard hearing all the things you have to hear on a daily basis and understand that those people are calling you on potentially their worst day,” Evan says.
Now a run coach, Evan strives to help people through his new line of work. His advice for those considering entering the first responder work force is to prioritize their mental health.
“Self-care is the most important thing,” Evan says. “Find a psychologist and get a therapeutic relationship going before you even enter the job. I think that’s probably the most important thing you could do for yourself.”
Calgary 911 says mental health supports and clinicians are available for all emergency communication officers, adding that emergency services learned a lot about supports needed for staff during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We pay a lot more attention to mental health, we pay a lot more attention to breaks, we try to provide a more welcoming, supportive environment here,” Heyde said.
While staffing may be key to managing the rising volume of calls, the centre reassures that when you call, they’ll be there — no matter how busy they are.
As work to replace the century-old Stanley Park water supply tunnel continues, everyone in Metro Vancouver is doing their part abiding by water restrictions. But there is one jurisdiction receiving drinking water from Metro Vancouver that is under no restrictions at all. Catherine Urquhart explains.
Metro Vancouver remains under Stage 3 water restrictions, but a small U.S. pene-exclave that has access to the same water is not under any restrictions.
Point Roberts receives water from Canada under a 50-year agreement that was signed in 1987.
The contract between the Greater Vancouver Water District (GVWD) and Point Roberts Water District provides the community with 700,000 imperial gallons a day for about $800,000 annually.
It is the same rate that is charged to Canadians, but the difference is that the contract is in Canadian dollars.
“If you could go back in time, you’d shake your head at the contract that was signed, because you need to be able to revisit these things regularly,” Port Coquitlam Mayor Brad West said.
“From where I sit, we should be taking care of our residents. I’m not really interested in providing our water to the U.S. We have to ensure we’re looking after the people who are paying the bills in our region, full stop.”
Metro Vancouver says water usage in Point Roberts this May was .07 per cent of daily usage for the region, noting that “as Point Roberts is not a member of the GVWD, it is not subject to the restrictions outlined in Metro Vancouver’s drinking water conservation plan.”
Point Roberts has suffered since U.S. President Donald Trump launched a trade war with Canada.
The community of about 1,100 people is located just south of Tsawwassen, however, it relies on British Columbia for much of its commerce.
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