Here’s a story about the old days of radio. In 1924, there were all kinds of stories about life on Mars. Might the beings living there be trying to communicate with Earth? An American radio astronomer named David Todd wanted to find out.
He and a partner came up with a way that was supposed to intercept radio signals coming from Mars and then print out the radio waves on paper. There was one catch, though. For this to work, all Earthly radio stations had to fall silent for five minutes at the beginning of each hour for three consecutive days: August 21 to 24, 1924.
And it actually worked. Sort of.
Terrestrial radio silence was achieved, and some radio wave scribbles were captured. Strangely, they resembled a crudely drawn face, something that was dutifully reported in the newspapers. However, Jenkins didn’t believe it meant anything, and he stopped his research, fearful that he’d be branded a kook.
For reasons that baffle me, people will pay good money to go to a gig only to throw stuff at the performers onstage. It can be bad today, but in the olden days, wow.
On October 10, 1977, some idiot threw a giant M-80 firecracker onstage during an Aerosmith show. Steven Tyler suffered a burned cornea, and guitarist Joe Perry had an artery in his hand rupture, sending them both to the ER.
Now imagine this. In 1989, Metallica played a show somewhere in Canada. The gig wasn’t sold out, so the stage was pushed closer to the seats. This meant that the upper deck was almost directly above the band. Then, during the show, someone from the upper deck started dropping darts on the band.
After four of these bombs, Metallica stopped the show, pointed to the upper deck, and both fans and security jumped on the perpetrator and roughly escorted him out.
In the early 1970s, Iggy Pop was completely out of his head on drugs. After an arrest, a judge gave him a choice: jail or commitment to a mental health facility. That’s how he ended up in UCLA’s Neuropsychiatric Institute ward in 1975.
Doctor Murray Zucker diagnosed Iggy with hypomania, which is a form of bipolar disorder. His only visitor was his friend David Bowie, who was having his own drug and alcohol issues.
One day, Bowie was meeting with Ola Hudson, his LA-based costume designer. “I’m going to visit my friend Iggy,” he said. “Can I take your 10-year-old son with me?” Ola thought it might be a good lesson for her boy, Saul. It’ll scare him straight, so she said yes.
That kid grew up to be Slash of Guns N’ Roses. Obviously, the visit to Iggy had exactly the opposite effect on young Slash, didn’t it?
RELATED: Success is becoming a family tradition in the Badwal household. This week on The Beautiful Game, Asa Rehman meets the family behind Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Jeevan Badwal and learns why character matters more than accomplishments on the pitch.
The Vancouver Whitecaps know they wear a mighty target when it comes to the Canadian Championship.
The club has hoisted the Voyageurs Cup four years in a row and are looking to become the first team to ever collect five consecutive titles.
The journey continues Wednesday when the ‘Caps host fellow Major League Soccer side CF Montreal in the first leg of a two-game semifinal series.
“In this tournament, everyone wants to take down the champions, right?” said goalkeeper Isaac Boehmer. “So (Montreal’s) going to come with the same mindset (Canadian Premier League) teams come at us with. They’re going up against a big opponent, and they want to try to take us down, and it’s our job to to stop that from happening and to go win it again.
“It’s another huge step for this club, and we’re really looking forward to taking it.”
Striker Brian White has won four Canadian Championships with the Whitecaps. The prospect of adding a historic fifth title is enticing, he said.
“No matter what the competition is, it’s tough to win back to back, let alone five in a row,” he said. “It would be it would be a special moment for sure.”
Vancouver (13-4-4) heads into the matchup sitting first in the MLS Western Conference standings following a 3-0 road win over Sporting Kansas City on Saturday.
Montreal (5-11-6) sit second last in the Eastern Conference after getting thumped 7-1 by Inter Miami in a game where Lionel Messi scored four goals.
That result could make le Bleu-blanc-noir all the more hungry heading into Wednesday’s tilt.
“They haven’t had the greatest season, so (the Canadian Championship) is kind of their opportunity to really come away this season with something worthwhile,” said Whitecaps striker Brian White.
“And obviously they have some great players – they have Alexis Sanchez, Prince has had a really good season, Daniel Rios. They have good players. Obviously, the season hasn’t gone the way they would have liked. But on any given day, any team can win. So we have to be at our very best.”
Montreal will host the second game of the two-legged series at Stade Saputo on Sept. 16.
It’s important the ‘Caps put themselves in a solid position for that contest with a good result on Wednesday, said head coach Jesper Sorensen.
“It’s gonna be a different kind of game also because with the two legs you’re not allowed to make any big mistakes and you’re not allowed to have a bad game,” he said. “So it’s important that we’re ready for it.”
The Danish tactician experienced the Canadian Championship for the first time last year, and is taking the lessons he learned into the 2026 edition.
“Every game is different and difficult,” Sorensen said of the tournament. “We will be favourites in this tournament for as long as we’re in it. And we accept that, obviously, and we have ambitions where we would like to win it. But it doesn’t mean that it’s going to be easy, and it doesn’t mean that every game doesn’t possess some kind of different challenge.”
Both Montreal and Vancouver overcame CPL sides in this year’s quarterfinals, with the Whitecaps dispatching Cavalry FC 5-2 on aggregate while Montreal topped Vancouver FC 4-2 over the two-legged series.
The tournament’s other semifinal features a pair of CPL teams, with FC Supra du Quebec drawing 1-1 against Forge FC of Hamilton in their opener in Laval, Que., on Tuesday.
Every year, competition for the Voyageurs Cup grows stronger as teams across the country grow stronger, said Boehmer, who hails from Penticton, B.C.
“I think you see in Canadian soccer, it’s growing every year. Having the World Cup here this year, then you know you see CPL teams, lots of players starting to make moves,” the keeper said.
“So I think the growth of the league in Canada and football in general in British Columbia has really helped this tournament grow and it’s helped Canada soccer grow.”
Deputy Premier and Attorney General Niki Sharma looks on during the swearing-in ceremony at Government House in Victoria, Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito
CAH
British Columbia’s attorney general is condemning Islamophobia after the Fleetwood Islamic Centre in Surrey says members of its congregation found the facility vandalized with threatening graffiti and pieces of raw bacon.
Niki Sharma says her heart goes out to the Fleetwood Islamic Academy Society and the Muslim community who woke up to the “hate incident and threats of violence.”
The society says in a statement that threats like “get out or die” and “Islam is trash” were found written on the walls of the mosque by attendees who arrived in the morning for prayer over the weekend.
It says pieces of raw bacon were found hanging from a door handle as well as near the windows and that the community is co-operating with police.
Surrey police say RCMP are investigating after being called about a hate crime that had reportedly occurred at some point between 11 p.m. on Friday and 5 a.m. on Saturday.
The society says the situation is reminiscent of pig matter being left in front of a mosque in Quebec City before a mass shooting in 2017.
RELATED: Another week, another defection from the embattled BC Conservative Party. As Ben O'Hara-Byrne reports, the latest MLA to jump ship once again cites problems with the new leader.
British Columbia legislator Ian Paton said RCMP have asked to interview him on Wednesday, and expects them to ask about allegedly being offered a job to give up his seat so Conservative Leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay could run.
Paton, who quit the Conservative caucus last week among an exodus of MLAs from the official Opposition, said Findlay’s chief of staff Chris Delaney asked him in July to step down in Delta South, saying he would be given a job as an adviser for two years with the same salary as an MLA.
“I was told I would be given some sort of a staff job as a party staffer and I would be an agriculture adviser or policy adviser to the B.C. Conservative Party,” he said in an interview Tuesday.
Paton rejected the offer but said he initially wasn’t aware that it could be an offence.
“I’ve never been through this before, so I thought well, maybe that’s fairly common. I didn’t realize it’s become such a big deal,” he said.
It is illegal under the Criminal Code to negotiate a reward or benefit related to resignation from political office.
Paton said police would visit him Wednesday morning and he believed two other Conservatives had been speaking to the RCMP in recent days.
Findlay, who won the party’s leadership in May but does not have a seat in the legislature, will be running in a byelection this month in Abbotsford-Mission. The seat was vacated by Conservative Reann Gasper, who has since been appointed Findlay’s deputy chief of staff.
Findlay has denied offering jobs in exchange for resignations, and said that suggestions that a recording released online shows she illegally did so, are “preposterous.”
She said in a statement last week that the recordings were “normal political discussions” that did not constitute a criminal offence.
“Any fair-minded person listening to the recording will immediately realize that this is not a good faith allegation of wrongdoing,” she wrote.
RCMP said last week they were aware of the purported recording of Findlay addressing Conservative legislators, but “does not confirm or deny any investigation, or the identity of any person who may be subject to an investigation, until such time as charges have been laid.”
Seven MLAs have left the Conservative ranks this month, some citing ideological and strategy differences with Findlay.
Bruce Banman on Monday called Findlay “unelectable” and said she had surrounded herself with people concerned about whether MLAs are “hard right enough.”
Protests are being held across Alberta over the province's controversial decision to allow some doctors to practice in both public and private health care systems simultaneously. Heather Yourex-West looks at what proponents and critics of dual practice health care are saying about Alberta's new legislation.
Health care advocates in Lethbridge, Alta., gathered Tuesday as Alberta’s Bill 11 took effect, calling on the federal government to take action over concerns the legislation will create a two-tier health-care system.
Bill 11 allows physicians to work in both the public and private systems, including providing paid services while continuing to work in the public system.
Lethbridge Friends of Medicare Chair Bev Muendel-Atherstone says protesters want the Canadian government to determine whether the changes comply with the Canada Health Act.
“That’s why we’re asking the federal government to get on the ball and say that this is a violation of the Canada Health Act,” said Muendel-Atherstone.
Bev Muendel-Atherstone speaking at the Bill 11 rally on Sept 1, 2026 in Lethbridge.
Zoe Lukowich / Global News
She says amongst their concerns is that private practices will pull doctors away from Alberta’s public sector.
“We already have 400 surgeons out of the 550 surgeons in Alberta who said they’re going to sign on. That means you’ll be paying out of your pocket for your surgery. They’re taking surgeons out of the public health care system and putting them into private.”
Maddison McKee, press secretary for the Alberta Ministry of Hospital and Surgical Health Services said in a statement to Global News that Bill 11 is not a movement towards U.S.-style health care, but an alignment with other top health care models.
“The reality is that dual practice brings Alberta more in line with other top-performing health systems, including Denmark, the Netherlands, France, Germany, Spain, and Australia. These countries all combine strong public funding with modern, flexible delivery models,” said McKee in the statement.
But Muendel-Atherstone says she believes the changes will make it harder for those relying on the public system for timely care.
“It’s not true. The lineups will be longer. We won’t have the same people working in the public system.”
Protestors listening to a speaker at the rally.
Zoe Lukowich / Global News
She calls the changes a serious threat to publicly funded health care.
“It’s a travesty for our public healthcare system,” said Muendel-Atherstone.
Meanwhile Ottawa says it’s communicating with Alberta.
In a statement from Alexandre Bergeron, press secretary to federal Health Minister Marjorie Michel, it’s stated that the focus never waivers from protecting access to medical care.
“Minister Michel is advancing targeted discussions with her counterpart focused on ensuring access to medically necessary care and the core principles of the public system are protected. We have taken a collaborative approach with all provinces and territories, including Alberta, that respects their jurisdiction to explore innovative ways to improve access and care while strengthening the public, universal health care system.”
And the Alberta government disputes the claim that these changes violate the Canada Health Act.
“Dual practice does not violate the Canada Health Act. The Act does not prohibit private practice outside the publicly insured system. Albertans who choose to pay privately for eligible elective surgery should be able to do so here at home, rather than travelling out of province as they have done for decades,” said McKee.
She says Albertans who choose to pay privately should be able to do so without leaving the province.
“Our priority is a strong public system and ensuring Albertans never have to pay out of pocket for medically necessary care – which is a commitment we have made under our Public Health Care Guarantee. Expanding access through dual practice does not take away from that. It adds to it. This is not an either/or debate. It is about giving Albertans more choice.”
Protestors holding signs during Bill 11 rally in Lethbridge.
Zoe Lukowich / Global News
Protesters in Lethbridge say the debate comes down to whether those who can’t afford private care will face even longer wait times to receive the care they need.
“Money will decide whether you get proper healthcare in a timely fashion. That’s why we’re here today, to rally together and make awareness,” said Barb Phillips with Lethbridge Raging Grannies, a group of women that advocates for social justice and environmental issues.
“If it’s not affecting you today, it could well affect you tomorrow,” added Phillips, emphasizing that she believes these changes will eventually affect everyone.
Phillips says protesters want to see Alberta’s existing public health care model protected.
“We should be preserving our health-care system. We should be preserving the Canada Health Act.”
And she says the Alberta government needs to hear their concerns.
“We should be sending the message to our provincial government that Bill 11, this carving up of our public health-care system, is not acceptable. It’s catching the vulnerable.”
The protest in Lethbridge was a part of a National Day of Action organized by Friends of Medicare and health care advocacy groups across Canada.
WATCH: Classes are back in Lethbridge, Alta., and that means the Alberta Motor Association's student patrollers are once again holding their stop signs. Justin Sibbet reports.
For more than 85 years, the Alberta Motor Association (AMA) has trained Grade 5 students across the province to become safety patrollers.
It has a strong track record of keeping kids safe.
“During that time, there have been zero serious injuries or fatalities when a patroller has been on a crosswalk,” said Allison Purcell, AMA school safety patrol coordinator.
For first-time patrollers Charlotte Loewen and Briar Maret, it brings confidence to their school.
“I was not allowed to cross by myself for a long time and this will help adults feel more safe for their kids,” said Loewen, a Grade 5 student at West Coulee Ridge Elementary School in Lethbridge.
Maret also attends that school and she believes patrolling gives her experience in leadership as well.
“It shows the kids younger than us that this is how you’re supposed to cross behave and this is how you’re supposed to cross the crosswalk.”
But safety patrol requires cooperation from the entire community.
“It’s just a good reminder that we are watching for patrollers when we are coming up to a crosswalk, we’re paying attention to what their commands are. It’s pretty easy to see their stop signs when we need to stop,” said Purcell.
Police say drivers who fail to follow the rules of the road could face consequences.
“We’ll have an extra push to remind drivers, pedestrians and students that we’re back in class now. There will be automated enforcement as well as conventional enforcement,” said Sgt. Tony Ramotowski of the Lethbridge Police Service’s traffic response unit.
He says pedestrians also need to be responsible, though.
“Look both ways, use a crosswalk, if there’s lights, turn the lights on. If you’re walking up to the school zone, you see a driver, make eye contact with them, make sure they see you.”
In Lethbridge, all playground and school zones are harmonized. This means both zones have a 30 km/h speed limit from 7:30 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. every day.
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September is my New Years (almost as much as New Years is my New Years). The city gets just a little quieter, the stripey beach towels get their final deep cycle wash of the year and the kitchen kicks into back to school and meal prep mode. Time to organize just enough, put things back into place just a little and prepare for the prettiest season right around the bend courtesy of brands like Veradek, Simons, Silk & Snow and more.
I first spotted the Everlasting Hose by the B.C. based Goodland at my incredibly stylish (and also fiercely practical) girlfriend’s farm, and I’ve been hooked on this brand ever since. Kink-resistant, drinking water-safe (remember those days?!) and built to last a lifetime, this hose comes in Warm Grey, Patina Green and Silvered Tan. Visit the site for additional accessories such as equally stunning nozzles and hose hangers (as well as bigger ticket items like the world’s coolest Goodland hot and cold tubs).[/product_listing]
Purchasing a durable, weatherproof dock box shouldn’t just be on your list during the pre-summer months. And no dock required! This top-rated, Canadian-made waterproof outdoor storage box (guaranteed up to -21 degrees) comes with everything from pre-drilled drainage holes and modular trays to pegboard. And finally – a shade option that is something other than dark brown. [/product_listing]
If I had an herb garden on my kitchen windowsill, this would be my choice for a watering vessel. Available in mossy (darker) green as well as this lighter, stem-toned option (right). [/product_listing]
These grippy gloves speak to my bird and garden obsession all in one.[/product_listing]
This sweet fall planter calls for a simple potted herb like rosemary.[/product_listing]
There is something so lovely and English about a kitchen rail (mine houses pretty things like twine and herb scissors). I heart this no-drill towel bar option which also functions beautifully as an under-window rail – and consider a contrasting brass hook here for added charm. [/product_listing]
Also excellent for hanging your denim collection by their belt loops, these S hooks are a multi-hyphenate household must. [/product_listing]
While you’re focused on the kitchen, I recommend these bamboo dish brush and replacement heads for excellent value (plus no plastic to spoil your sink vibe). [/product_listing]
I was first introduced to Dermalogica’s Daily Microfoliant by a fellow red carpet reporter over 20 years ago, and I’ve been a devout loyalist ever since. Emulsify the gentle, powder exfoliant (formulated with rice and salicylic acid) with a few drops of water in your palm to remove surface debris and brighten for your face, neck and décolleté. Heads up: your skin will feel ah-mazing afterwards! P.S. Usage dependant, but my 74g bottle lasts over a year. [/product_listing]
Think of it as your own back to school present and treat yourself to these luxurious pure silk skinny hair tie scrunchies by Slip for a damage-free pony on the go. Adore these refreshing shades. [/product_listing]
There is something about woven muslin that crosses between the seasons. Not too fluffy, not too flimsy – just right. I’m obsessing over Canadian brand Silk & Snow’s light-as-air unisex version, made from organic cotton muslin and available in Misty Rose (shown), Sand, White and Luna Grey. [/product_listing]
The project will deliver 100 million litres of drinking water to north Calgary communities when it's complete in 2029, city officials said Tuesday.
Global News
Although it isn’t the water main at the centre of Calgarians’ attention, a major piece of infrastructure for the city’s northern neighbourhoods has received a multi-million dollar boost from the federal government.
Calgary-Confederation Liberal MP and parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Corey Hogan, joined city officials on Tuesday to announce a $29 million contribution to the North Calgary Water Servicing project.
“The ability to turn on a tap and receive drinkable water is a miracle of modern civilization that’s become absolutely mundane, most of the time,” Hogan said.
“But as Calgarians, we unfortunately know too well, it’s not always mundane. It’s mundane until availability and reliability is challenged.
“I’m just so glad that working with the city, we’re able to bring a little more mundane into the lives of Calgarians.”
The federal funding, from the Build Communities Strong Fund, is earmarked for the first stage of the North Calgary Water Servicing project, where shovels got in the ground last fall in northwest Calgary.
The first stage includes the construction of nearly several kilometres of feeder main, as well as upgrades to connect existing facilities such as the Top Hill Reservoir, Big Hill East Reservoir and Mountain View Pump Station.
“That will go into operation next year, providing 30 million additional litres of water to Calgarians from the Bearspaw Water Treatment Plant,” said Michael Thompson, the city’s general manager of infrastructure services.
The project has a total budget of $533 million. The first phase is set to cost $123 million, with $94 million of that coming from city funds.
At full build out, expected in 2029, the north feeder main is slated to run 22 kilometres and include up to 10 support facilities between the treatment plant connecting to the Northridge Feeder Main at 144 Avenue and 14 Street N.W.
According to city officials, the project will deliver 100 million litres of drinking water to north Calgary communities when it’s complete, and that could increase to more than 400 million litres daily once a new water treatment plant is built.
“This is a great first step in delivering increases in infrastructure for Calgarians, to move more water to Calgarians and provide additional redundancy so that if we do have issues, there’s a backup in place that people can rely on,” Thompson said.
The reliability of Calgary’s water system has been top of mind for many due to two critical ruptures along the Bearspaw feeder main: a major line that carries 60 per cent of the city’s drinking water.
Fast-tracked construction continues on replacing that feeder main, which is set to be complete by the end of the year.
To help pay for the projects, city council approved a $609.5 million increase to the upcoming budget, as well an expansion of the city’s borrowing capacity by more than $500 million to help cover the water infrastructure projects.
City officials said at the time the move will result in a 14-per cent rate increase in 2027, or an additional $17 monthly.
Calgary mayor Jeromy Farkas said Tuesday’s announcement marks a key step in improving the city’s water infrastructure, but noted more collaboration would be required with other orders of government to pay for it.
“We’re going to continue making the case for not just Alberta’s fair share of funding from the federal government but also Calgary’s fair share of investment from the provincial government,” Farkas told reporters.
City officials noted temporary outdoor water restrictions may be required starting Sept. 15 related to the North Calgary Water Servicing Project, but that will be dependent on weather conditions and water demand.
A final decision is expected to be announced next week.
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