A concept album is a record that has a narrative, theme, or story that links all the songs together in a unified way. Green Day’s American Idiot qualifies as such a record.

Dig into rock history, and you’ll find plenty more: The Wall by Pink Floyd, both Tommy and Quadrophenia by The Who, The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper, Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust, and My Chemical Romance and The Black Parade are all examples. But who was the first to release a concept album?

If we’re going to be honest, it was Frank Sinatra in 1955. That’s when he released In the Wee Small Hours, which features songs about that particular time of day. But hang on. We can also make a case for folksinger Woodie Guthrie.

He released a collection of songs entitled Dust Bowl Ballads, which featured accounts of Depression-era America. The year was 1940.

© 2026 Corus Radio, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

A one-year-old male grizzly bear escaped its enclosure at the Wilder Institute’s Calgary Zoo about 90 minutes before it was supposed to open to the public on Sunday morning, zoo officials have confirmed.

In an email to Global News, zoo media relations said Fitz the grizzly bear got out of his habitat around 7:30 a.m. and that emergency response procedures were immediately activated.

“Fitz was successfully immobilized, and our Animal Care, Health & Welfare team safely relocated him to his back-of-house space. There were no injuries to guests, staff, volunteers or animals,” read the email.

The zoo opened to the public shortly after 9 a.m., however the Wild Canada section of the zoo where the grizzly bear enclosure is located remained closed while a “full assessment of the area” was completed. The area was reopened to guests early Sunday afternoon.

“Our teams will be reviewing the circumstances of the incident as part of our established post-incident procedures. We do not have any further information to share at this time.”

Fitz is one of two cubs that were orphaned last fall near Diamond Valley that made their public debut at the Wilder Institute’s Calgary Zoo back in May.

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

Two passes defined Marcus Ericsson’s victory at the inaugural Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham.

First, Ericsson and teammate Will Power bumped each other as the former was making a move late in Sunday’s race. Then, with four laps to go around the street course in Markham, Ont., Ericsson passed Romain Grosjean to take the lead for good for the fifth win of his IndyCar career.

“I think today we won it on pure pace,” said Ericsson, whose last victory was the 2023 Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. “We were the best car out there, and we won it because we played the game and we pushed when we needed to and we delivered when we needed to.

“That felt really good.”

Grosjean was second, his first top-five finish of the year. Power placed third and driver rankings leader Alex Palou finished fourth.

Ericsson, Power and Kyle Kirkwood — who is second in the driver rankings — are all teammates on Andretti Global.

When Kirkwood crashed out of the race in the 53rd lap, the Andretti Global team knew they had to target Palou so he couldn’t get more points and clinch his fifth IndyCar title.

“We just talked about, ‘Hey, Marcus has got a lot of pace, tire and fuel advantage, we need to take the fight to Palou,'” said team principal Ron Ruzewski. “Obviously, we’re always thinking about the big picture. We need to take points away from Alex to keep Kyle in the conversation at all.”

Things didn’t go as smoothly as planned, however, as Power briefly turned into Ericsson’s car when he was getting passed.

“It was miscommunication because the team came on and said, ‘Marcus is really quick, he’s coming.’ I said, ‘OK, tell him I’ll let him go on the back straight so I can stay close to Palou,'” said Power. “He didn’t get the message, or it wasn’t quick enough for him.

“I didn’t even look in my mirror. I just turned. Obviously at that point I was upset because we lost such a gap but we ended where we were going to end anyway, so it was fine.”

Palou earned 32 points on Sunday and Kirkwood earned nine in his abbreviated day. Palou leads Kirkwood by 133 points in the standings.

Ericsson’s next target was Grosjean, who has yet to win on IndyCar since making the jump from Formula One in 2021. Grosjean had been fending off Palou for much of the race but was low on fuel and had worn out his tires considerably.

“At the end of the race I knew we had to go 37-ish laps on the tires, on the fuel. That was going to be a challenge,” said Grosjean. “When I saw No. 28 car (Ericsson) pitting, I thought there was no way he would catch us. The No. 10 (Palou) was behind me, which is always a worry. Opened the gap. We should be safe.

“Next thing I knew, the 28 was coming.”

Even with Grosjean having to budget his car’s resources, Ericsson said passing him wouldn’t be easy.

“It’s still difficult. Very tight with the walls. You don’t know how he’s going to defend,” said Ericsson. “With my advantage, I wanted to get by him straightaway because you never know if there’s a yellow, the fuel advantage goes away, it’s a restart, anything can happen.”

Louis Foster was the fastest car in practice and qualifying, earning his first pole of the season.

Foster predicted pre-race that there would be “carnage” on the 12-turn, 3.52-kilometre road course around downtown Markham that runs between Kennedy Road, Enterprise Boulevard, Unionville GO tracks and Highway 407.

That prediction was prescient as Foster went out early on Sunday. He crashed in the 43rd lap when he clipped the inside wall after passing Ericsson then went nose-first into the outside wall of Turn 3.

There were six cautions during the race with four cars knocked off the course due to contact. Eleven of the 25 cars in the race didn’t finish.

It’s the first year Markham has hosted the only IndyCar race in Canada after it moved from Toronto’s Exhibition Place, where it had been held since 1986. The first day of practice and qualifying was cancelled on Friday because the track was not completed and officials couldn’t do a final safety check.

That forced the IndyCar race to do both of its practice sessions and qualifying on Saturday as USF2000 Championship, USF Pro 2000, Radical Cup Canada, and NASCAR Canada Series also tried to complete their weekend of training and races on the track.

“I think, obviously, Friday was not ideal, but when we got going yesterday, it’s been a fantastic weekend,” said Ericsson, who said all the drivers loved the track’s layout. “Great showing from the fans. It’s been a great atmosphere.

“It’s always challenging on the first year for a new track. I’m sure when we come back in a year’s time, everything is going to be run a lot more smoothly.”

© 2026 The Canadian Press

A massive rescue operation  is ongoing in Ontario as crews search for an overdue aircraft.

Trenton Joint Rescue Coordination Centre said in a post on X on Sunday that the search was ongoing in the Kawartha Lakes region of southern Ontario near Balsam Lake.

The pilot, David Douglas, was last seen when he left Oshawa Executive Airport at about 8:30 a.m. Friday.

Durham Regional Police issued a request for the public’s assistance later that day, stating Douglas had planned to arrive back at the airport about an hour later.

“He did not return as expected and has not been located,” a news release issued on behalf of the family said.

Douglas was flying a light blue and yellow amateur-built aircraft.

The family is asking people in the cottage area to come forward if they saw anything that might lead to Douglas’ location.

“Anyone who heard an aircraft flying unusually low on Friday morning, or heard an engine change pitch or stop, should call 911,” the release said, adding anyone with camera footage from Friday is asked to preserve it and call 911.

Richard Wiltshire, a cousin of Douglas, told Global News in an interview that the 73-year-old is a long-time pilot and leisure flyer.

“This trip is, my understanding, this trip is quite normal for him to go on a flight,” Wiltshire said. “We want him home, we want him safe with his family again.”

The pilot is described as five-foot-seven in height with a slim build. He has black/grey hair and a mustache, police said.

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

A Quebec man has been ordered to pay his ex-wife $1,000 after filing court arguments that included fake legal cases generated by ChatGPT.

In an Aug. 11 decision, the Quebec Court of Appeal says the man was representing himself in a dispute over the division of assets following his divorce.

The court says the man cited four court decisions that did not exist, including two he claimed were from the Supreme Court of Canada.

The court says the man learned during a consultation with a lawyer that the cases did not exist, but still filed his arguments without removing them.

The judges say the man only explained that the false cases came from ChatGPT after they questioned him during the hearing.

The court said knowingly citing fake cases was a serious breach that caused unnecessary work for the court and the man’s ex-wife.

The man was ordered to pay $1,000 to compensate his ex-wife for her time and work, on top of the costs of the appeal.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

Montreal police confirm the use of a Cloudrunner automated licence-plate recognition camera as part of targeted investigative work.

The technology can automatically record licence plates and vehicle characteristics as cars pass the camera, allowing investigators to search the information later.

Montreal police spokesperson Marc-Antoine Bélanger says one camera was removed to protect ongoing investigative strategies, and that additional cameras could be deployed depending on investigative needs.

Bélanger declined to disclose the camera’s location, citing the need to protect police investigative techniques.

Police say access to images captured by the camera is limited to investigators working on the case in which it is being used.

Bélanger says the Cloudrunner camera was obtained through a rental agreement and is intended for temporary use in targeted investigations.

Bélanger says the camera is separate from Montreal police’s network of 46 urban security cameras, which have been in place across the city for years.

Police say they have access to those 46 cameras at all times, while the Cloudrunner camera is deployed temporarily for specific investigations.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

Canadian and U.S. officials are set to meet again Sunday with the new tariffs proposed by President Donald Trump set to take effect in just three days.

A spokesperson for the minister responsible for Canada-U.S. trade, said Dominic LeBlanc is set to speak with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer at 4:30 p.m. Eastern.

“Their meeting will be an opportunity to take stock of the work that has been accomplished by their respective negotiating teams, and the work that still lies ahead, as we seek to reach a comprehensive deal that delivers for businesses, workers, farmers and families on both sides of the border,” said Gabriel Brunet, LeBlanc’s spokesperson, in a statement.

The meeting comes as the U.S. is set to impose a 50 per cent tariff on some Canadian goods on Wednesday, raising concerns among politicians, industries and the public.

Earlier on Sunday, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre argued tariffs must be removed on Canadian softwood lumber in any trade deal made.

“It is unacceptable for there to be U.S. tariffs on Canadian lumber,” he said during a news conference Sunday. “It’s time for Mark Carney to keep his promise that he would negotiate a win and get the tariffs off Canadian softwood lumber. No more concessions while getting nothing in return.”

Such relief may not come to fruition in the latest negotiations, based on information from sources Global News has agreed not to identify because they were not authorized to speak publicly on the trade talks.

The gap on potential relief for the softwood lumber industry for now seems unlikely, with two sources with knowledge of the talks saying the Americans are not interested in reducing softwood tariffs and duties, which currently sit at 45 per cent.

Last week, B.C. Premier David Eby criticized the high tariff rates.

“We face higher tariffs than Russia,” B.C. Premier David Eby, whose province has a large lumber industry, said on Friday. “The U.S., for some inexplicable reason, is putting forest families out of work here in order to prioritize lumber imports from Europe and Russia.”

While Eby, Poilievre and others are urging a fight on softwood lumber, other factors are being considered in the talks.

But as of Friday, a big gap remained between the two sides, according to sources with direct knowledge of the trade negotiations.

One source told Global News that Canada has had to fight to even negotiate on softwood lumber.

Any deal the Trump administration is willing to sign will have some form of tariffs on steel, aluminum, autos and lumber, according to sources, with the U.S. also insisting American alcohol be put back onto all provincial liquor store shelves, which multiple premiers have expressed a willingness to do if enough U.S. concessions are made.

Canada’s goal remains reaching a deal before Wednesday to avoid new 50 per cent tariffs on roughly $28 billion worth of Canadian goods from taking effect.

If a deal is reached, tariffs on Canadian autos and parts compliant under the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) would remain in place, but it is expected that they would be reduced from the current 25 per cent level, according to a source familiar with the talks. One proposal that has been discussed is a tariff rate of between 10-15 per cent on CUSMA compliant autos and parts, according to one source.

Auto industry leaders have criticized the move, while Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown said Saturday that “no deal is better than a bad deal” if the auto sector is not included in talks.

—with files from Global News’ Reggie Cecchini, Mackenzie Gray and Sergio Vargas

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

Wildfire smoke could be a blessing for evacuees still out of their homes in British Columbia, but it can be an unsettling sight for people who have returned home.

Erin Trainer, deputy mayor and councillor in Summerland, returned to her home in Trout Creek on Saturday morning and says most of the town is still under evacuation as the fire is still “very much active.”

Trainer says the town is still blanketed in smoke and she spent her Saturday cleaning up the ashes on her property.

The BC Wildfire Service says wildfire smoke is expected to gradually move back into central areas of the province over the weekend, which it notes could help moderate fire behaviour by reducing the amount of radiant heat reaching the landscape.

Many residents are allowed to return to their homes near Summerland and West Kelowna after evacuation orders related to the Bald Range and Quilpituk Creek wildfires were downgraded in recent days.

The wildfire service says temperatures are expected to slightly rise across central and southern regions while northwest areas will see a slight dip in temperatures.

The province says N95 masks are now available for free in communities in the B.C. Interior to protect people from the impacts of wildfire smoke.

It says residents are encouraged to check with their local governments for more information on clean-air locations in their communities.

There are more than 120 fires burning in the province with 39 per cent of them classified as out of control.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

Mounties in British Columbia say a man is dead after being hit by a train in Chilliwack.

RCMP say officers received a report about the collision at about 9:45 p.m. Friday.

The man was found underneath the Yale Road overpass.

Paramedics attended the scene and confirmed he was dead.

Police have launched an investigation into the collision.

They’re appealing for witnesses and anyone who was in the area to contact them.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

Canada’s women’s flag football team beat the United States for the world title, while men’s squad booked its place at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics on Sunday at the International Federation of American Football (IFAF) world championships.

The women, who had already qualified with a 20-6 semifinal win over top-ranked Mexico on Saturday, capped a perfect tournament with a 27-20 win over the Americans in the final.

Frédérique Morneau had three touchdown passes for Canada. Quarterback Sara Parker hit Caroline Moquin-Joubert for Canada’s other score.

The Canadian men will join the women at the 2028 Games after posting a 34-26 win over Mexico in the third-place game Sunday.

Quarterback Michael O’Connor led Canada with 294 yards and five touchdowns.

Former NFL tight-end Antony Auclair had 149 receiving yards and hauled in two of O’Connor’s touchdown strikes. Daniel Petermann also found the end zone twice and James Drysdale had the other score.

The top two teams from both flag events, not including the host Americans, qualified for Los Angeles where flag football will make its Olympic debut

Canada lost to Italy in the men’s semifinals, but the third-place game became a showdown for an Olympic berth when the American men also advanced to the final.

The U.S defeated Italy 42-26 in the men’s final.

© 2026 The Canadian Press