Okay, okay, okay! I hear you! Lemme make some amends here.

In spring 2026, I set out to explore alt-rock one-hit wonders. It was a five-episode series in six parts (very Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, that) on the biggest songs of that sort since 1976, which is year zero for the whole alternative thing… more or less. Let’s not get bogged down here.

The first five episodes covered ten songs each, all ranked using a complicated logarithmic formula designed by my friend, Walter the mathematician. A lot of effort went into that top 50 list—but it wasn’t enough.

That’s where the sixth episode came in. It was an addendum, an erratum, really, of songs that maybe should have made it into the original top 50 list. Fine. I’m big enough to admit when I’ve made an error or left something out.

I did the sixth episode, and I thought, “Well, that’s over. We’re done here.” But apparently not. In the weeks and months that followed, I got hundreds of emails and DMs from people pointing out even more alt-rock one-hit wonders that should have made the cut.

This left me uneasy. The job wasn’t done, and I hate loose ends. So let’s do the one-hit-wonder thing one more time, incorporating some of those missed tracks. And I’ll explain why several acts who are thought to be one-hit wonders really aren’t.

So, clean-up on aisle three, I guess. Here we go…

Songs heard on this show:

• Voice of America, The Story of Love
• When in Rome, The Promise
• 4 Non-Blondes, What’s Up?
• Tripping Daisy, I Got a Girl
• Jars of Clay, Flood
• Primitive Radio Gods, Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth with Money in My Hand
• Dog’s Eye View, Everything Falls Apart
• Len, Steal My Sunshine

Here’s Eric Wilhite’s playlist.

The Ongoing History of New Music can be heard on these stations:

• 102.1 The Edge/Toronto – Sunday night at 7pm
• Q107/Toronto – Sunday night at 9pm
• Live 88-5/Ottawa – Saturdays at 9am and Sundays at 6pm
• 107.5 Dave-FM/Kitchener – Sunday nights at 11pm
• FM96/London – Sunday nights at 8pm
• Power 97/Winnipeg – Sunday nights at 10am and 10pm
• 107-3 The Edge/Calgary – Sundays at 10am and 10pm
• Sonic 102.9/Edmonton – Sunday at 8am and 8pm
• The Zone/Victoria – Sunday at 9am and 9pm
• The Fox/Vancouver – Sundays at 10am and 10pm
• The Goat Network/Interior BC
• WAPS/WKTL The Summit/Arkon, Canton, Cleveland, Youngstown – Mon-Fri at 9pm

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

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — OpenAI disclosed Friday that its artificial intelligence agents had interacted with several U.S. government websites in unexpected ways, discovered as part of an ongoing review into the company’s models’ unanticipated behavior.

The AI giant’s models accessed publicly available information on two websites operated by the Securities and Exchange Commission as well as U.S. Census Bureau data, the company revealed Friday. OpenAI did not find any use of SEC credentials, access to accounts or nonpublic information, changes to SEC data or systems, or evidence of a compromise or vulnerability, the company said.

The disclosure comes at a time of heightened global concerns about AI systems escaping human control and hacking into external websites, as well as industry calls for a slowdown on AI development, which OpenAI has said it supports.

OpenAI spokesperson Liz Bourgeois said in a statement that the lab is continuing to conduct a review of “misaligned model activity” — meaning when AI systems behave in undesired ways — and is notifying organizations when it identifies potential impacts to their systems.

OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman said on social media Friday that there is an “extensive and ongoing review related to our agents’ use of internet access during training and evaluation.”

AI evaluator and research lab Transluce said Friday that through an independent investigation it also found that agents appearing to originate from OpenAI attempted a rudimentary hack on a Department of Education website for the department’s civil rights office, which did not succeed.

The Department of Education’s “system operations reviews” found “no evidence of any impact to our website or databases,” a department spokesperson said Friday.

A Transluce spokesperson said as part of its investigation, it came across data on the open web that revealed fresh details about some previously identified OpenAI agents’ activities on U.S. government websites and brought it to OpenAI’s attention.

Transluce found “additional rogue activity, some of which is not clearly attributable to OpenAI,” targeting other government agencies, including the Justice Department and the Commerce Department, as well as some state government websites in California, Maryland, Illinois, Texas and New York. The models were “using sites in unintended ways and sometimes violating explicit usage policies,” Transluce said in a statement.

OpenAI said it is reviewing Transluce’s report.

If OpenAI notifies organizations it identifies as being impacted by unexpected model behavior, that does not mean there was a security incident, the company said, and could identify a design issue or security weakness that impacted organizations want to address.

Most of the activity OpenAI said it has reviewed so far has involved routine research tasks where agents accessed public web content to answer questions, including government websites seen as authoritative sources of public information.

Several companies have disclosed incidents in recent months when they say their models have behaved unpredictably or hacked into other organizations’ websites or systems. OpenAI disclosed in July that two of its most capable AI models were responsible for the cyberattack targeting AI startup Hugging Face.

Altman said in his social media post Friday that the Hugging Face incident “is still the most severe event we’ve seen.”

That incident stirred widespread panic in the industry and beyond about AI models going rogue, and several competing AI labs made similar disclosures in the days and weeks that followed. OpenAI most recently shared six reports of “unexpected or concerning” behavior in AI models and introduced a framework for tracking, probing and disclosing instances of what it called misalignment.

___

Huamani reported from Los Angeles.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

VANCOUVER – Interim B.C. Conservative leader Lorne Doerkson was spotted alongside former Liberal premier Christy Clark at a B.C. Lions football game on Friday night.

Doerkson has had no public events or news conferences since a provincial election was called on Tuesday.

He has been interim Conservative leader since Sunday, after the resignation of Kerry-Lynne Findlay.

Doerkson and Clark, who served as premier from 2011 to 2017, wore Lions gear as the team took on the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Clark said prior to the election call that the prospect of one coming less than two years into Premier David Eby’s mandate was “absolutely unheard of” and “a disgrace.”

She also said she wasn’t playing matchmaker between opposition factions and was not deeply involved in negotiations or “anything of that nature.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 26, 2026.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

BANGKOK (AP) — China and the U.S. agreed to set up a channel for handling AI-related incidents and accelerate work on military crisis communications following a three-day summit between their leaders in Washington, both sides said in statements Saturday.

The two sides agreed to keep working together on a Board of Trade on selected bilateral trade issues, with the White House saying in a statement Saturday that the board went into operation this week.

The summit produced no major breakthroughs, but some experts say the steps toward greater cooperation were still considered important, allowing the two powers to set up working groups that could prevent problems from escalating.

Chinese President Xi Jinping landed back in Beijing on Saturday, according to Xinhua. During the visit, President Donald Trump was remarkably warm to Xi, despite having escalated a trade war with China the previous year that had global repercussions.

The two sides agreed to sign a memorandum of understanding on strengthening crisis communications and preventing crises between the two militaries, China’s Foreign Ministry said Saturday in its readout. The one-page statement from the Chinese side was light on details.

Both sides will set up a communication mechanism for artificial intelligence -related incidents, to discuss related risks and benefits, with an AI-specific dialogue scheduled for November.

The statement said both sides will continue to work together on the pledge to reduce reciprocal tariffs on roughly $30 billion worth of goods. During the summit, the two leaders agreed to extend a trade truce by two months. The White House statement said China agreed to import at least 10 million metric tons of coal from the U.S. in 2027 and 2028.

Most of the reduction in tariffs is aimed at non-sensitive goods, such as agricultural products or holiday decorations.

The statement from the White House also said the two sides continued to work on American concerns about rare earths supply, “with the goal of ensuring shipment levels return to appropriate levels.” China put export controls on rare earths last year in response to the U.S. tariffs, cutting the supply sent to the U.S. and other countries.

Both sides agreed to meet at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen, China, in November, and then later at the G20 at the Trump National Doral Miami golf club in Florida.

Both also said that Iran should honor its stated commitment to not develop nuclear weapons, and that no country should charge a toll on international waterways, in a reference to the Strait of Hormuz, which has seen significantly reduced traffic since the U.S. war with Iran began.

The U.S. statement also said it welcomed China’s move to add export controls for an additional two precursor chemicals for fentanyl, and both noted that law enforcement had been able to make arrests in fentanyl-related cases recently.

Although the visit produced no major breakthroughs on the countries’ fundamental differences, analysts said the incremental steps were noteworthy.

“Personal diplomacy between the two leaders is important, but the emphasis on working-level engagement, military-to-military dialogue and crisis-management mechanisms suggests an effort to make that stability more durable and institutionalized,” said Wang Zichen, deputy secretary-general of the Beijing-based think tank Center for China and Globalization.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

TORONTO – Toronto’s indie music scene mainstay Feist and Kingston alt-rock legends the Tragically Hip are among the musical acts set to be inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame tonight.

Wilco lead singer Jeff Tweedy and Los Angeles songwriter-producer Finneas are set to perform some of Leslie Feist’s music at the gala held at Toronto’s Massey Hall.

Finneas, who Billie Eilish’s brother and collaborator, will also induct the singer, known for the hits “1234” and “You and I,” an acoustic duet with Tweedy.

Meanwhile, Our Lady Peace and City and Colour are among the artists performing songs by The Hip, while actor and filmmaker Jay Baruchel will induct the band.

Fellow inductees also include the songwriting partners behind Loverboy, Mike Reno and Paul Dean, and French-Canadian singer-songwriter Roch Voisine.

Other performers scheduled to take the stage include Amanda Marshall, Allison Russell and Charlotte Cornfield.

Longtime Drake producer Boi-1da is slated to make a special appearance. Also on hand as inductors are songwriter Jim Vallance and Olympic hockey gold medallists Marie-Philip Poulin and Laura Stacey.

The ceremony will be hosted by broadcaster George Stroumboulopoulos and singer Marie-Mai.

It will also be live-streamed globally via the Amazon Music Twitch channel and on Prime Video in Canada.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 26, 2026.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

OTTAWA – Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand is set to address the United Nations General Assembly today.

Anand has said her speech will touch on support for Ukraine, the Middle East and Arctic sovereignty.

She said it will also touch on the middle-power strategy Prime Minister Mark Carney outlined at the start of this year.

On Friday, Anand said Canada does not lean back from uncomfortable conversations, saying if people “hide under a rock until conflicts disappear, you’re not doing the work of diplomacy.”

Anand will deliver the speech instead of Prime Minister Mark Carney, who was there from Monday to Wednesday but whose officials said could not deliver Canada’s address due to scheduling issues.

Anand is slated to address the United Nations around 5 p.m. local time, following her counterparts from Oman and Tunisia.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 26, 2026.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

Terri Settle says she thought she solved her Pokemon card theft problem in August.

That’s when someone walked into her store, Terri’s Trinkets and Toys in Winnipeg’s north end, picked up a box that was full of the Japanese cards and ran away.

Her worker caught up to the thief and got the cards back. Settle said she then zip-tied the box to a shelf in her store.

But the knots weren’t tight enough.

Two weeks later, on the night of Sept. 8, someone crawled through the vent, smashed a hole in her store’s wall and fled with roughly 20,500 Pokemon cards.

Now she said she’s done with the games and is planning to stop selling the cards after the ones she has left are sold.

“It’s just not worth the risk,” said Settle.

The theft has cost Settle $2,500 and is among a string of Pokemon card thefts that have been reported across Canada and the United States in recent years, amounting to hundreds of thousands of dollars of losses.

In a July 2024 robbery in Ontario, the Durham Regional Police Service said a store worker was struck in the head by someone who was fleeing with three Pokemon cards worth roughly $5,000.

Alberta RCMP Cpl. Mathew Howell said a central Alberta store owner lost a binder of cards that was worth roughly $18,000 in a theft last month. The costliest card in the deck showed the black-coloured, cat-like Umbreon ex monster.

Mounties are now asking Albertans to look out for Pokemons in online storefronts.

“Facebook Marketplace and these kinds of things where people are selling cards, especially the more rare cards, just try to be vigilant,” Howell said.

“There’s no easy identifier for each specific card. Some of the more rarer cards have an identification number.”

University of Alberta professor Utku Akkoc said the robberies are not surprising.

“There’s a nostalgic appeal for some people,” said Akkoc, who teaches in the university’s business department.

“Even as a kid, I had Pokemon cards. I used to watch the original Pokemon show with my siblings, so for people above a certain age, it reminds them of those good old days.”

He said people purchase Pokemon cards to relive those memories.

“Research shows that when people feel nostalgic, they also spend or would like to spend money,” he said.

In the roughly 30 years since Japanese video game developer Game Freak Inc. debuted two Pokemon games on Nintendo Game Boy, the franchise has taken over the globe with its animated shows, mobile games, highly coveted trading cards and other merchandise.

The video and card games sees players assuming the role of trainer of a series of monsters called Pokemon.

The monsters battle other monsters in the card and video games. Each monster has its strengths and weaknesses.

The iconic yellow-coloured, mouse-like Pikachu monster, for example, is a fast flyer but not good at defending itself against attacks on the ground.

Akkoc said if there’s a limited supply of some cards, naturally the price of the monster will go up.

Earlier this year, social media personality Logan Paul sold a card called the Pikachu Illustrator for a record US $16.5 million.

Paul had purchased the card in 2021 for more than US $5 million.

Guinness World Record said on its website the card was designed by the original creator of Pikachu.

“Following this sale, it now becomes the overall most expensive trading card sold at auction,” Guinness said on its website.

The card was never produced to sell to the public, unlike the regular Pikachu card. The Pikachu Illustrator was handed out as a prize during an illustration contest organized by a Japanese magazine in 1998.

Companies such as the U.S.-based Professional Sports Authenticator rate trading cards on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being pristine mint condition.

Paul’s card received a 10 from PSA.

PSA said on its website a perfect card has various factors.

“Attributes include four perfectly sharp corners, sharp focus and full original gloss,” its website said.

“A PSA Gem Mint 10 card must be free of staining of any kind, but an allowance may be made for a slight printing imperfection, if it doesn’t impair the overall appeal of the card.”

Settle said many Pokemon theft victims don’t insure their collection because it can be costly, so she’s doesn’t expect to get her money back.

“I think you’ll hear that from a lot of people in this kind of business.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 26, 2026.

— With files from The Associated Press

© 2026 The Canadian Press

An overwhelming majority of Canadians want Alberta to remain part of a unified Canada and would vote for their own province to do the same, according to new data from Ipsos exclusively for Global News.

A full 81 per cent of respondents outside of Alberta said they want the Wild Rose province to remain part of Canada, with just nine per cent saying they want the province to leave.

The desire for Alberta to remain in Canada was weaker in Quebec, which is having their own conversation about independence. But 69 per cent of respondents in that province still wanted Alberta to reject separation.

Overall, Ipsos said their data suggests that Canadians are feeling more united despite separatist sentiment taking up the oxygen in Quebec and Alberta.

“The country’s more united right now, especially around the (trade) war with the United States … and dealing with Donald Trump and other issues, than they were in 2019,” said Gregory Jack, a senior vice president with Ipsos Global Affairs.

“(That’s) despite the fact that, you know, it feels like the country is really divided with a potential referendum in Quebec and a referendum here in Alberta.”

Just 16 per cent of respondents nationally — excluding Albertans — felt that their provinces would be better off if they separated from Canada, and just 22 per cent of Albertans agreed. Both numbers are down since Ipsos asked the same question in 2019, when 33 per cent of Albertans said they’d be better off alone.

Only 23 per cent of Canadians outside of Alberta said they felt less committed to Canada than a few years ago, with 28 per cent of Albertans saying they felt that way. Again, the percentage of Albertans who agreed with the sentiment was down sharply since 2019.

Canadians outside of Alberta were less likely than those in Alberta to feel their province was not getting its fair share from Ottawa, with just 26 per cent of respondents saying their province doesn’t get a fair shake. Nearly one in two Albertans (48 per cent) told the pollster their province didn’t get a fair deal from Confederation.

Among Albertans, that number is down from 51 per cent in January 2026 and 65 per cent in 2019.

“The major outlier is the measure on whether the province gets its fair share from Confederation, where Albertans remain more likely than other Canadians to believe this is the case,” Ipsos said in its polling results.

“The data suggest Albertans, while feeling closer to the national average on many measures, still want a discussion on benefits from Confederation, but that it doesn’t necessarily translate to desire to separate.”

Albertans will vote in a referendum next month that asks, among other questions, if they want to start the legally required process to hold a formal vote on separation. A victory for the separatists on Oct. 19 would kick off campaigning in earnest for both the separatists and those who want the province to remain within Canada.

Ipsos found that a strong majority (70 per cent) of Albertans want to remain part of Canada, while 20 per cent want to hold a referendum on separation. But Ipsos found that the separatist vote may be softer than believed.

If the province moves to holding a binding referendum on separation, the number of respondents who would vote to stay rises to 84 per cent, while just 16 per cent would vote for separation. That suggests more people want to hold a referendum than want to actually leave the country.

“Rural Albertans, older Albertans and male Albertans are more likely to say that they want to go and younger Allbertans, more urban Albertans here in Calgary or in Edmonton are more likely to see that they’re going to want to stay,” Jack said.

“We should see perhaps some more movement in the next couple of weeks as the referendum gets closer, but a lot people have a position on this. I think that they took it earlier in the campaign and they haven’t really changed their position whether they’re on the ‘yes’ side or the ‘no’ side.”

Both Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberals and Pierre Poilievre’s Conservative Party are committed to campaigning for Alberta to remain a province in Canada — although Ipsos’ had some surprising numbers about which politician might be better suited to arguing that position with Albertans.

In more bad news for Poilievre, Ipsos’ findings suggest Carney is more popular than he is in Alberta — traditionally the Conservatives’ heartland, and the province Poilievre now represents in the House of Commons.

Just over half (51 per cent) of Albertans said they had a favourable view of Carney, compared to 35 per cent who viewed the prime minister unfavourably. For Poilievre, support was more divided — with 44 per cent of Albertans viewing him favourably, compared to 40 per cent unfavourably.

“That’s something we don’t often see in Alberta,” Jack noted.

“(Carney) hasn’t played a key role so far in the referendum, but obviously these numbers suggest that he could in the future.”

The Ipsos poll was conducted for Global News between Sept. 18 and 22, and surveyed 1,500 voting-aged Canadians — 600 in Alberta, and 900 in the rest of Canada. A similar poll of 1,500 Canadians would be considered accurate within 3.1 percentage points. Regional and demographic breakdowns are less accurate than overall numbers.

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

In less than a month, Albertans will face a referendum on a series of questions about the future of the province and its place in Confederation.  The one getting the most attention is whether Alberta should stay in Canada or commence proceedings to hold a second, binding referendum on leaving Canada.

New Ipsos polling finds that 20 per cent of Albertans say they will vote “yes” to hold a second, binding referendum.  This is statistically unchanged from polling in June, and it’s still not nearly enough to trigger a second vote.  But equally important is voter turnout.

Our poll found that 81 per cent of respondents said they planned to vote in the Oct. 19 referendum.  This is where the math becomes important.  Historically, supporters of change are often more motivated than supporters of the status quo. Proponents of change want the conversation, but opponents may not.  Of course, referendum campaigns can also mobilize voters who oppose change.

But based on historical precedent, we can likely expect those in favour of a second vote on separation, or the “yes” crowd, to be highly motivated to cast their ballots on Oct. 19th. The same cannot be said for the “no” crowd, many of whom likely do not want to answer the question in the first place.  We can’t know the split because if you say you won’t vote, you don’t get asked how you would vote.

Here’s a simple example of why turnout matters. Survey results reflect what respondents say they intend to do when they’re asked, but actual turnout often differs from stated intentions. Surveys are a snapshot in time, and respondents do not always do what they say they will do when they enter the ballot booth or bother to vote at all.

For example, in Ontario’s 2022 provincial election, some commentators expected a more competitive race. Instead, Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservatives increased their majority, winning 83 seats, while turnout collapsed to a record-low 44 per cent.

Given the stakes, we might expect turnout in Alberta to be higher, but that is not guaranteed.  Of the 20 per cent of Albertans who say they will vote “yes,” assume 80 per cent of them turn out.  Of the 70 per cent of Albertans who say they will vote “no,” assume 60 per cent turn out.

That moves the actual “yes” vote from 2o per cent to 28 per cent. Still not a majority, but higher than the polls suggest.

This raises a second, important question: “How small does the yes vote need to be to put this matter to rest?”  While still shy of a majority, what do we do if more than a quarter of ballots cast call for a future referendum on separation?

As the example above shows, a result of 28 per cent does not necessarily mean that 28 per cent of Albertans support the proposition. Rather, it means that 28 per cent of those who voted cast a yes ballot.

A result in which more than a quarter of voters support a future referendum on separation cannot be ignored. That figure is far below the 50 per cent plus one needed to trigger a second question on separation, but high enough that the government must consider it in future policy discussions.  And the “yes” side has already said that, for them, “no ballot outcome will put the matter to rest.”

They intend the conversation to continue, regardless of the actual results on October 19th.

Our polling also shows that supporters of the “yes” side tend to be older, and older voters tend to be more likely to vote, according to Elections Canada’s turnout studies. This may further help the “yes” side get out the vote.

And remember, this referendum includes nine other questions on immigration and constitutional change, among other issues.  Our polling showed broad support for most of those measures among Albertans. Some or most of these questions may garner majority support; several are multi-jurisdictional and require the involvement of other provinces and the federal government. It will not be easy for the Alberta government to act on them unilaterally.

The best case for both sides is a strong voter turnout, so the result can reflect the views of most Albertans.  In a high-turnout scenario, a result below 20 per cent would make a compelling argument that most Albertans do not want to pursue the matter further.  But low turnout – especially if it’s the “no side” that fails to show up – runs the risk of producing a result that overstates support relative to the broader population. That doesn’t make it any less legitimate; the only result that matters is the one produced when the ballots are counted. But it does suggest that all Albertans should pay close attention to questions about the province’s future.

Current polling suggests most Albertans want to remain in Canada. What will determine the outcome on Oct. 19th is whether supporters and opponents participate at similar rates, and what the result tells us about the intensity of those views.

Gregory Jack is Senior Vice President, Public Affairs (Canada) at Ipsos

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

VANCOUVER – Six games into the CFL season, the B.C. Lions were floundering.

The team was 1-5 and seemed poised to linger at the bottom of the standings all year.

But the Lions have clawed their way out of the hole and, after beating the Saskatchewan Roughriders 31-24 on Friday, now sit second in the West Division with an 8-6 record.

“Ultimately, going into this stretch, we knew that we controlled our own destiny,” said Lions quarterback Nathan Rourke. “And so any type of win, especially against a West team, is huge for us, right? So, we just want to continue to focus one game at a time, and let the cards fall where they may.”

It was another stellar performance for the Canadian QB, who amassed 375 passing yards and 37 rushing yards with four touchdown passes.

Keon Hatcher Sr. chalked up a pair of majors for the Lions, while Jevon Cottoy and Jermaine Jackson also found the end zone, and Sean Whyte made a 14-yard field goal.

The result gives B.C. a 2-1 edge in a three-game season series between the two clubs and could be a crucial tiebreaker for home-field advantage in the playoffs.

“Obviously it’s big in the standings, with the West as tight as it’s been in recent years,” said Lions head coach Buck Pierce. “But we feel when we play at home, we should win. And that hasn’t changed.”

The Riders (8-6) got some key pieces back on Friday, including running back A.J. Ouellette, who tallied 77 rushing yards and a TD in his return from a knee injury that saw him sidelined for seven games.

Trevor Harris had 302 passing yards, throwing a touchdown to Dylan Djete in the second quarter. Kicker Dawson Hodge notched three field goals for Saskatchewan, including a 32-yard strike.

“We just weren’t executing what we were supposed to execute,” said Riders defensive back Marcus Sayles. “They’ve got a great team over there, they’ve got great players, and they just found a way to make some explosive plays. And that was pretty much the difference.”

The loss means Saskatchewan can no longer clinch a playoff spot this week.

“Every single game is frustrating when you lose. Because we’re all competitors, we all want to win,” Sayles said. “And when we don’t execute the way we expect ourselves to execute, it is frustrating at times.

“But at the same time, we’ve got more opportunities. We’ve got four more games to play, and however the dice roll, we’re just going to keep coming to practice, keep working, and it’s going to keep going until it’s all over.”

The visitors looked dangerous on their first possession of the game, with Harris working his way up the field.

Looking to connect with a teammate in the end zone, the QB sent a pass off of the upright, and Saskatchewan settled for a 27-yard field goal to open the scoring.

The Lions responded swiftly.

Rourke lobbed a massive pass up centre field to Stanley Berryhill III for a 56-yard gain, then followed up with a toss to Hatcher in the end zone. Whyte’s single-point convert gave the home side a 7-3 lead.

The two sides traded field goals before Saskatchewan put up a major.

With just over two minutes to go in the second quarter, Harris spotted Djete alone near the sideline and hit the unencumbered wide receiver with a 13-yard pass. Djete darted over the goal line, and Hodge made the single to put the Riders back on top by a score of 13-10.

The lead didn’t last until halftime.

Rourke made five passes up the field to put B.C. at Saskatchewan’s 19-yard line, then tossed a short ball to Hatcher, who avoided a tackle from Mike Rose en route to the end zone for his second major of the night. Whyte’s convert gave the Lions a 17-13 lead with 16 seconds to go in the first half.

Hatcher registered 66 receiving yards on the night and hit 1,015 for the season. It’s the fifth season in his CFL career that the 32-year-old American receiver has surpassed the 1,000-yard mark.

“I love Hatch. He’s one of my favourite teammates, just of all time in my career,” Rourke said. “He’s just such a hard worker, great leader. I love how he competes, his competitive nature. I trust him implicitly.”

“I think at this stage in his career, everyone’s looking for a reason not to have him around, and he continues to prove that he belongs here.”

The Lions boosted their advantage midway through the third after Rourke came up big with a giant pass to Justin McInnis that gave the home side a first down in the midfield.

Saskatchewan head coach Corey Mace challenged the play for offensive pass interference, but after video review, officials upheld the call on the field.

Rourke continued to push his team upfield and capped the drive with a pass to Cottoy just above the goal line for another TD. Another single-point conversion from Whyte gave B.C. a 24-13 lead.

The final play of the third quarter saw the Lions’ defence stymie Harris and his side deep in B.C. territory. The Riders’ short-yardage team tried to extend the drive but instead turned the ball over on downs.

The Lions’ defence has been making stops when it needs to, Pierce said.

“I think the biggest thing is they’re able to respond and analyze mistakes that were made and not hang on those mistakes and move on to the next play,” he said. “They’re playing with a lot of energy and a lot of confidence right now, and they’re playing good, clean football.”

Saskatchewan continued to push but struggled to break through the Lions’ back end. Another field goal from Hodge — this time a 32-yard kick — made it 24-16 for B.C. midway through the fourth quarter.

The crowd at BC Place jumped to their feet late in the final frame when Rourke scrambled out of the pocket under pressure, sprinted upfield and delivered a long bomb into the hands of McInnis.

The Canadian receiver was hauled down, but Rourke found Jermaine Jackson for yet another major on the next play to give the Lions a 31-16 lead.

With just over two minutes left on the game clock, Saskatchewan finally made its way back into the end zone with a two-yard plunge from Ouellette.

The Riders gave themselves hope when Tommy Stevens made it through the fray for a two-point conversion that left the score 31-24.

At least one provincial politician made room in his busy election campaign schedule to attend the game. Newly minted B.C. Conservative leader Lorne Doerkson was spotted at field level with former B.C. Premier Christy Clark before kickoff.

UP NEXT

Riders: Host the Calgary Stampeders on Oct. 2.

Lions: Visit the Toronto Argonauts on Oct. 3.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 25, 2026.

© 2026 The Canadian Press