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.

It’s patio season in Canada, and we all know how it usually goes: the BBQ cover gets yanked off, the cushions are hauled out of storage, and we just cross our fingers. But after months of dormancy, your outdoor space is far from ready. To make your space actually relaxation-ready, here are the four wake-up jobs to tackle, along with the smart tools from brands like Dewalt, Scrub Daddy, 30 Seconds and more, that make each one quick and efficient.

 

Your BBQ has been sitting under a cover all winter, hosting spiders, rotting wood chips and last fall’s greasy blobs. Two tools will save you a lot of grief before you fire it up.

 

First, this DEWALT shop vac on suction mode. Pop the grates off, scrape any heavy residue with a putty knife (or the metal edge of a BBQ cleaning tool, which I’ll get to in a moment), then use the crevice nozzle to vacuum out cooled ash and debris from the cook box. One important rule: shop vacs handle cooled, loose debris only, never wet grease, which clogs the filter and ruins your vac.[/product_listing]

 

Second, the BBQ Daddy from Scrub Daddy. Heat the grill to about 300°F, dip the scrub head into a bowl of cold water, then apply it to the hot grates. The FlexTexture core firms up in cold water and steams when it hits the heat. The steam does the work, and it’s a fun thing to watch too – it’s one of the most impressive before-and-after cleaning jobs you’ll tackle! The biggest selling point: no wire bristles, which the CDC has been flagging as an emergency-room risk for years. Wipe the interior down with a degreaser, rinse well, and you’re ready to grill.[/product_listing]

 

The trick most people don’t know: most modern shop vacs have a built-in blower port. Switch the hose over and use it to blast leaves, pollen, cobwebs, debris and dust out of furniture joints, umbrella ribs, and deck corners. Try sixty seconds per piece. It’s faster than wiping and seriously satisfying.

 

Then, grab this product for the rest of the patio: 30 Seconds Outdoor Cleaner. It’s 100% Canadian-owned and Canadian-made, and it works on both the frames AND the cushions. Spray it on, wait 30 seconds to 10 minutes (you’ll see it start to work within seconds, you’ll know when to rinse), then hose it off. In many cases, you won’t need to scrub at all; in other cases, you’ll have better results if you gently agitate the surface with a soft-bristle scrub brush. Glove up and wear your least favourite clothing when using this product, it can stain. Rinse the surrounding area and foliage well after use.[/product_listing]

 

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Solar String Lights – $49.99

Rattan Patio Furniture Set – $252.99

 

This one’s important, and if you care about the well-being of your AC unit, please don’t skip it. As in, don’t run your AC the first time without prepping the outdoor unit; you’ll either kill efficiency or damage the compressor.

Wait until daytime temperatures are reliably 15°C or higher (the compressor isn’t designed to start colder). Cut power at the disconnect box. Remove the winter cover and check it for damage and rodent nests. Hose it off and allow to fully dry in the sun before folding up and storing it away for the season.

 

Clear leaves, weeds and grass clippings from around the unit (you need two feet of clearance for proper airflow). Use the shop vac with a soft-bristle attachment to gently clean the condenser fins, then lightly hose the unit from top to bottom using a gentle showerhead spray setting on your hose. Don’t pressure-wash them! Those aluminum fins bend if you breathe on them.[/product_listing]

 

Inside the house, change the furnace filter (it’s shared with the AC), and you’re set.[/product_listing]

 

A single dog produces up to 274 pounds of solid waste per year,  and after a winter of snow cover, your yard is hiding months of accumulated piles that just thawed. That waste contains Salmonella, E. coli, and more, and spring rain can wash it into local watersheds. Putting that aside, you don’t want your kids or grandkids rolling around in that do you? Didn’t think so!

 

Your tool of choice: a stainless steel rake-and-tray pooper scooper combo. The two-piece design lets you collect multiple piles in one trip instead of walking back to the bin each time. Stainless steel doesn’t absorb odour or harbour bacteria the way plastic does, and you can thoroughly hose it down and let the sun finish the sanitizing.[/product_listing]

 

You may also like:

Long Box Planter – $179.99

Patio Umbrella – $479.00

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

More than 5,000 people across British Columbia are estimated to have been put under evacuation orders in the last 24 hours as the number of active wildfires surged past 100.

“We are currently in a complex and rapidly evolving emergency response here in B.C.,” said Kevin Dunbar, executive director of provincial response and recovery operations. “There are currently states of local emergencies in effect for First Nations and local authorities across the province.”

Since Saturday, Dunbar said, strong winds and changing conditions contributed to evacuation orders and alerts in several parts of the province.

The BC Wildfire Service reported earlier Sunday that dozens more fires had been sparked and expanded quickly due to high winds and lightning strikes.

The service said there were approximately 130 wildfires burning in the province, nearly half of which were considered out of control. About 30 more had been sparked in the past 24 hours, adding to the approximately 100 already burning.

Dunbar said with many active wildfires still burning, it’s not yet safe to determine how many structures have been impacted.

“It isn’t necessarily safe for folks to go in and really take stock of structure loss and impacts,” he said. “When it is safe to do so and when they’re able to, local authorities, local governments and First Nations will go in and do a damage assessment.”

Miller told reporters that drought conditions in southern B.C. are at record levels and are creating “explosive” fire behaviour, but he said there are some communities that would be considered more at risk than others.

“Anyone who is on (evacuation) order is probably the most at risk,” Miller said. “If we put in a new evacuation order, that makes it to the top of the list of where we believe there might be the most risk to a said community.”

During an update on Sunday, Cliff Miller with BC Wildfire Service said a cold front that moved through the southern part of the province had some “very significant impacts” on existing and new fires.

With more fires anticipated, Miller said the province has “significant resources” coming into the province over the next three weeks, including from Mexico and Australia, as well as from other provinces, such as Alberta.

It’s estimated they also have more than 500 contractors engaged to help in the response, with 130 aviation helicopters engaged from different companies. As well, he said there’s a full air tanker fleet available.

Next few days give chance to get around fires

While the cold front on Saturday has passed, officials said heading into August there is still risk for the fires.

Over the next few days, there is an expected drop in temperature and “uptick” in relative humidity, but very little chance of rain.

“So it will give us a chance on some of these fires and to not see that explosive growth over the next 48 hours,” Miller said.

But another high pressure system in the forecast could lead to warm and dry conditions. A drop in winds, however, could help in the next three to four days in suppressing some of the fires.

Evacuation preparedness

With the risk of fires still prominent, Dunbar said people in communities at risk from wildfire should pre-register for emergency support services.

He also urged people to create and update their emergency plan and to prepare a grab-and-go bag for every member of the household, including pets. The bag should include enough supplies to be self-sufficient for 72 hours.

“We know that this is a very difficult and stressful time for those who’ve been evacuated,” he said.

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

Watch ‘Global News at 6 BC’ for the latest news in British Columbia.

Click here for more Global BC videos

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

The Saskatchewan Government is stepping in to keep a police-run Human Trafficking Response Team (HTRT) operating after the federal government’s support agreement expired.

The funding comes as a big relief for the Saskatoon Police Service (SPS), which had been paying out of its own pocket to keep the service afloat over the last five months.

A three-year federal funding commitment through the Department of Justice’s Victims Fund expired in March and SPS was denied alternative funding.

“When all of a sudden you’ve built something that’s of incredible value, that you believe in that’s very important, and then all of a sudden there’s an unforeseen risk to that work, it creates anxiety,” said Saskatoon Police Chief Cam McBride.

The HTRT works with Victim Services to connect human trafficking survivors to support services with the dual goal of ending cycles of abuse and  connecting investigators and community agencies.

“It was unfortunate that the federal government did back away from the table with the funding of these positions,” Saskatchewan Justice Minister Tim McLeod said. “However, we were able to secure the funding through the National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence to continue these very important positions.”

The new provincial commitment of $160,000 is partnered funding between the province and the federal government, but it’s not a permanent solution as there is no confirmation of its continuation.

“We were pleased that the federal government recently announced another $600 million is going to be going into that program for the next four years,” McLeod said.  “They haven’t released the details on the allocation of that $600 million, but we would certainly expect that the continuation of programming that is already in existence is a top priority.”

Another Saskatoon organization, Hope Restored, also lost federal funding in March under the same circumstances, amounting to 20 per cent of their budget.

While having to cut some services, the organization still provides survivor support and is receiving funding from the province through the action plan, which expires next year.

“A coordinated response to human trafficking must include three elements: education and prevention, a strong and compassionate response, and long-term survivor support,” said Kendra Mazer, executive director at Hope Restored.

In July, the Department of Justice Canada responded to concerns over the future of the programs.

“Funding through the Victims Fund for projects that assist victims and survivors of human trafficking has always been project-based, time-limited funding. Recipients are funded for activities that can be undertaken within a specified time frame, with a clear end date to the funding and project,” the department said.

The department has not addressed why the organizations’ applications for alternative funding were denied.

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

Research has shown the many benefits people gain while working with therapy dogs, but have you ever stopped to wonder what this work is like from the dog’s perspective?

At the Pawsitive Connections Lab at the University of Saskatchewan, Dr. Colleen Dell is flipping the script and uncovering how dogs feel while performing their therapy tasks.

“All that we’re doing here can also translate to everybody’s home in the relationship that we have with dogs and other pets in our home: really recognizing who they are and what their likes and their wants and their needs are; that they have feelings too,” shared Dell.

The lab has run for more than a decade, focusing on the powerful connection between animals and humans. Recently, the program received a multi-million-dollar investment that will let Dell continue her research on man’s best friend.

“Part of our larger grant is to begin to understand how it is that we account for the animal’s perspective. So, we have the dogs going out, say, to visit in hospice. How I need to be very in tune, as does any other therapy dog handler, of how I know if she’s comfortable, if this is somewhere where she wants to be,” explained Dell.

Another part of the grant will go toward post-doctoral fellow Mackenzie McKeown’s research project on how mental health can be improved for truck drivers with animal companions.

“Truck drivers are constantly battling social isolation, mental health, physical health, and having that animal to provide them support with their mental, their physical health,” said McKeowen of her research. “Exploring how those benefits, or those challenges, are from the human’s perspective, but also the animal’s perspective; just to really figure out how we can work together in a healthy way.”

While every dog is unique, the therapy dogs at the Pawsitive Connections Lab clearly love what they do.

“She loves it. She’s always happy to come to work,” explained Wendi Stoeber, a therapy dog handler for St. John Ambulance. “As soon as the scarf comes out, or as soon as I put the shirt on, she’s so excited and wants to go wherever that we’re gonna go.”

University students can get in on the love too by visiting Dell’s PAWS Your Stress program to meet and play with therapy dogs, all while learning more about the dynamic connections between animals and humans.

Watch the video above to see therapy dogs in action. 

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

Dozens of people are protesting tech giant Meta’s plan to build its first Canadian data centre in a county north of Edmonton.

Ben Baril is the 20-year-old organizer of the protest in Morinville, a town in Sturgeon County, where the tech giant behind Facebook announced last month it’s building its massive one-gigawatt data centre.

Baril says the $13-billion-plus facility will strain Alberta’s water supply and energy grid, and contribute to the climate crisis in the future.

He says protesters are also against data centres across Canada because the expansion of artificial intelligence threatens jobs.

Meta has said the centre will be online in the next two to three years.

Premier Danielle Smith has said Alberta’s grid operator will use surplus energy to power the centre until a new natural gas-fired plant — called the Greenlight Electricity Centre — starts powering it in 2030.

Pembina Pipeline Corp., Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners and Kineticor Asset Management are behind the plant.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

Montreal police are investigating after a fire heavily damaged a kosher restaurant overnight Saturday in the city’s Côte-des-Neiges—Notre-Dame-de-Grâce borough.

Police said the case is being investigated as arson and that all hypotheses remain on the table, but investigators have not determined a motive and are not treating it as a hate crime at this stage.

The fire caused extensive damage to Nöam, a kosher restaurant on Decarie Boulevard, an area with a large Jewish community.

Montreal’s fire department said nearly 80 firefighters responded to the two-alarm blaze near the intersection of Plamondon Avenue and Vézina Street at about 3 a.m.

Photos shared on social media showed the restaurant heavily damaged after the blaze gutted much of the building.

Despite the lack of an established motive, social media was flooded with expressions of concern that the fire was a hate-motivated attack targeting Montreal’s Jewish community.

Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree said on social media the federal government was concerned by what appeared to be an arson attack at a gathering place for Montreal’s Jewish community.

“Antisemitism simply has no place in our society and we must do everything we can to eradicate it wherever it manifests,” he said in his post.

B’nai Brith Canada, a Jewish advocacy organization, also condemned the fire and called for action.

“Jewish Canadians have heard enough condemnation and promises,” it said in a statement posted on social media. “Now we need action.”

© 2026 The Canadian Press

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.

Choosing the right running shoe can completely change how comfortable, efficient, and enjoyable your runs feel, whether you’re going short distances or training for longer goals. From leading brands like Nike, ASICS, and Lululemon, we’re covering a wide range of needs including everyday trainers, stability support shoes, maximum cushioning for long-distance comfort, trail-ready designs, and lightweight options built for speed. No matter your experience level, these selections highlight some of the most reliable and performance-driven running shoes available today. Read on for the top picks in each category and find the pair that best matches your running style and goals.

 

Everyday / Neutral Running

Best for most runners who don’t need special support. These are balanced shoes designed for daily training, gym runs, and general fitness.

This reliable everyday running shoe from Nike promises comfort and versatility for both training and casual wear. With responsive cushioning and a lightweight, breathable design, it feels just as good on daily runs as it does for all-day use.[/product_listing]

 

Pick up a pair of these ASICS if you’re looking for a highly energetic shoe with a bouncy, responsive feel. It’s great for runners who want a bit more “spring” in their stride. Despite the softness, it stays lightweight and good for longer daily runs.[/product_listing]

 

Stability / Support

Designed for runners who overpronate or need extra arch support. These help improve alignment and reduce injury risk during running.

This shoe from Books is one of the most trusted stability shoes on the market, featuring structured support without feeling stiff or restrictive—making it ideal for runners who need consistent guidance with every stride. It also features responsive cushioning, a secure midfoot fit, and a durable outsole designed for reliable traction.[/product_listing]

 

These kicks from Under Armour are a stability-focused running shoe with responsive HOVR cushioning that absorbs impact while returning energy for a smoother, more efficient stride. It features structured support (like a medial post and heel counter) to help control overpronation and keep your foot aligned during runs.[/product_listing]

 

Max Cushion Running Shoes

Best for long runs, soft landings, and joint protection.

This premium running shoe has soft, nitrogen-infused cushioning to keep your stride aligned and reduce excess movement. It’s the shoe that will give you a cushioned experience while still providing structured support, making it ideal for runners who want both comfort and control on longer runs.[/product_listing]

 

Engineered for maximum comfort, this highly cushioned running shoe will give you a soft, “cloud-like” feel with every step thanks to its thick foam and GEL-based impact absorption. It provides a smooth, stable ride for both daily and long-distance runs while maintaining a strong balance between comfort and support.[/product_listing]

 

Trail Running (off-road, hiking-style)

Best for dirt paths, gravel, hiking-style runs, and grip.

The Salomon PULSAR is a lightweight trail running shoe designed for speed, using superfoam cushioning to give strong energy return and help you run faster on trails. It also has Salomon’s high-traction grip and stable build, making it good for everything from fast runs to longer, more technical trail routes.[/product_listing]

 

The Women’s Wildfeel Trail Running Shoe from Lululemon is designed specifically for trail running, offering strong grip with multi-directional lugs that help you stay stable on steep climbs and uneven terrain. It also features a cushioned dual-density midsole and a sock-like upper for comfort, protection, and a secure fit on rough trails.[/product_listing]

 

Speed / Race Shoes (lightweight performance)

Best for fast runs, intervals, and racing.

The Adidas Adizero EVO SL is built for speed, using lightweight Lightstrike Pro foam that helps you run faster with less effort. Its low-weight design and responsive cushioning make it ideal for tempo runs, intervals, and race-day performance when you want maximum pace.[/product_listing]

 

The Nike Vaporfly 4 is an elite racing shoe designed for maximum speed, using ZoomX foam and a carbon fiber plate to give a highly responsive, energy-returning ride. It is built for competitive runners who want to run their fastest times in races like 5Ks, 10Ks, and half marathons, rather than everyday training.[/product_listing]

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Cotton Ankle Socks – $25.99

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Hunter Boots Women’s Original Tall Gloss Boot – $186.64

Sweat Band Waist Trainer – $40.95

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

A Canada-wide recall has been issued for some Hershey’s Creamy Milk Chocolate Kisses products due to the possible presence of almonds.

Hershey Canada triggered the recall after it said there was one reported reaction associated with consuming the product.
“The affected products are being recalled from the marketplace because they may contain almonds which are not declared on the label,” the Canadian Food Inspection Agency said in its recall notice.

The company recalled two package sizes, 104 grams and 200 grams, of the candies. Both products have a best before date of June 1, 2027. Hershey notes the recalled items have various lot codes, which it detailed in a press release. The full list can also be found on the CFIA’s recall website.

People are asked to check if they have the recalled products and to not consume the sweets if the have an allergy or sensitivity.The products should not be served, used, sold or distributed. Those who have recalled items are asked to throw them out or return them to the location they were purchased.

“The CFIA is verifying that industry is removing recalled products from the marketplace,” the agency said.

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

Two people were injured Saturday night as an argument on the platform of a Calgary LRT station erupted in gunfire, police say.

The shooting happened shortly after 8 p.m. on the Victoria Park/Stampede station platform, just outside the BMO Centre.

Police say the argument was between three people riding on the LRT. The trio exited the train at the Victoria/Stampede station, at which point one of them pulled a gun and shot the other two before fleeing the scene.

A passerby told Global News he heard approximately six shots.

Both victims were taken to Foothills Hospital, one in life-threatening condition but they have since been upgraded to stable condition.

Police say the alleged shooter was found in the downtown area and arrested without incident.

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