Lockdown ordered after fatal shooting in northern Manitoba First Nation

Pimicikamak Cree Nation, a  First Nation community in northern Manitoba, has been placed under lockdown after a fatal shooting prompted an ongoing RCMP investigation.

Chief David Monias posted about the lockdown early Saturday, saying one person has died following what he described as a “serious incident” involving gunfire. RCMP Major Crime Services is investigating.

Treaty and Indian Days celebrations have been cancelled until further notice, according to the chief.

Residents have been told to stay inside their homes, lock their doors and windows, keep children indoors and avoid opening their doors to anyone they do not know.

“This lockdown is a precautionary measure to protect every member of our community while police conduct their investigation,” Monias said in a social media post.

In an update posted Saturday afternoon, Monias said some residents are not following the lockdown and is urging them to “stay home.”

Monias said a body is coming today and urges residents to respect the family’s privacy.

“We have a funeral that is happening today. It’s going to be only immediate close relatives, no strangers allowed, if you don’t have to go, please stay home.”

He also urged residents to report suspicious activity directly to police and avoid sharing unconfirmed information on social media.

“If you have information, please call police and tell what you know,” Monias said. “Don’t let any conspiracy of silence occur.”

RCMP had not released additional details about the shooting or identified the victim as of Friday afternoon.

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

Doctors warn of 'exponential' rise in serious e-scooter injuries among kids

WATCH: Rate of e-scooter injuries increasing in ERs, doctors say.

Doctors at Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children say they are seeing a growing number of children seriously injured in e-scooter crashes, with some suffering traumatic injuries and complex fractures.

“It’s been exponential really,” Dr. Suzanne Beno, a pediatric emergency physician and co-medical director of SickKids’ trauma program, said about the influx of children with injuries.

Bono said e-scooter injuries reached a “tipping point” in 2024 and have doubled every year since.

“This year, we’re seeing several, three to five, e-scooter injuries a week at SickKids.”

While some children arrive with minor injuries, Beno said more are being rushed to the hospital’s trauma bay after high-speed crashes or collisions with vehicles.

“We see a lot of patients with head injuries, thoracic injuries, some spine injuries, some abdominal injuries and a lot of fractures,” Beno said.

“A lot of these injuries are requiring operative care, intensive care or prolonged rehabilitation.”

Severe injuries becoming routine

For Dr. Carolyn Rutten, a pediatric emergency radiologist at SickKids, reviewing scans from e-scooter crashes has become a routine part of overnight shifts.

“At this point in the summer, they’re almost daily,” Rutten said.

She said the fractures she sees are often far more severe than those from typical playground accidents.

“With e-scooters we see more severe fractures,” Rutten said. “The fractures are often more severely displaced than they would be for playground trauma.”

The hospital is also seeing an increasing number of traumatic brain injuries.

Rutten said children can suffer skull fractures and bleeding inside the brain that can create dangerous pressure, sometimes requiring surgeons to remove part of the skull to save the child’s life.

When asked whether children should be riding e-scooters, she replied, “I really wish they weren’t.”

Long recoveries

Dr. Joshua Ramjist, a pediatric general surgeon and trauma medical co-director, said many families don’t realize how serious the injuries can be.

“They function like any other motorized vehicle and the injury patterns we see as a result of them resemble those of high-speed motor vehicle accidents,” he said.

Ramjist said many of the injuries involve multiple parts of the body, including the head, chest and abdomen, often leaving children with long recoveries.

“It’s more than just broken bones,” he said. “It’s multi-organ injuries.”

Some children require lengthy surgeries, repeated operations, time in intensive care and weeks or even months of rehabilitation before they can return to normal activities, Ramjist said.

As e-scooters become more common, Beno said prevention needs to go beyond simply encouraging children to wear helmets.

She said stronger public education, clearer regulations, better enforcement and safer infrastructure are all needed to reduce the number of serious injuries.

Beno also said many parents don’t realize that privately owned e-scooters can travel much faster than rental models.

Rutten said SickKids researchers have documented crashes involving speeds of up to 50 kilometres per hour.

“The higher the speed, the higher impact the trauma is and the more severe it is on the body,” Rutten said.

Beno said children under 16 should not be riding e-scooters because many lack the physical and cognitive skills needed to safely operate them.

“It’s tragic because it’s so preventable,” she said.

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

Lewis says he won't run for office until the NDP is 'ready' for a general election

RELATED: After the NDP requested information for over 3 months, the Provincial Government now says that there was no environmental impact assessment done for Bell's AI Data Centre in the RM of Sherwood.

Four months into the job, NDP Leader Avi Lewis is still in no rush.

Since winning the leadership of a party knocked to its knees in the 2025 federal election, Lewis has maintained his immediate priority is preparing the NDP for an election — not winning a seat in the House of Commons. Multiple byelections are set to take place before the end of the year; Lewis will be door-knocking with candidates in those ridings but won’t be on the ballot himself.

“I think there will be a point in the next year where I feel we’re election-ready across the country. We want to run serious campaigns everywhere,” Lewis said in a recent interview in Montreal’s Plateau neighbourhood.

“We’re in a position as a party on the rebound where I can’t just pursue a seat at all costs. So I do need a litmus test for when is it time for me to get in there? And that’s going be either in the next election or the run-up to the next election, once we are election-ready.”

Lewis ran and lost in Vancouver ridings in both the 2021 and 2025 elections.

He has spent the last three weeks in Montreal campaigning with NDP candidates Pierre Céré and Nima Machouf, who are running in the Rosemont-La Petite-Patrie and Laurier-Ste-Marie ridings respectively.

Maps of those two ridings cover part of an office wall in a Montreal Presbyterian church where Lewis has been taking daily one-on-one, three-hour French lessons while in the city.

“Normally when you do French immersion, you go to Jonquière or Trois-Rivières or somewhere outside of Montreal, because it’s a very bilingual city. I’ve made a real effort to stay in French here by knocking on doors in these two byelections that are coming up,” Lewis said.

His French lessons have focused on political communication. Wednesday’s lesson began with his teacher critiquing an interview he did a day earlier with Radio-Canada.

While Lewis’s teacher did pause the interview periodically to discuss his pronunciation and phrasing, she did a celebratory fist pump when the Radio-Canada host complimented his French at the end of the interview.

The NDP is looking to hold Rosemont-La Petite-Patrie, currently represented by Independent Alexandre Boulerice, who left the NDP caucus after announcing plans to run in the Quebec election this fall.

Former Liberal cabinet minister Steven Guilbeault has said he will resign as MP for Laurier-Ste-Marie.

Lewis spent part of a recent French lesson studying a Guilbeault interview on the Radio-Canada program “Tout le monde en parle” from Nov. 30, 2025 about his resignation from cabinet. He said he was studying host Guy A. Lepage’s interview style and political rhetoric techniques in Québécois French.

Lewis knows his party history. Former leader Jack Layton’s appearance on the program during the 2011 election campaign is widely credited with helping to drive the NDP’s breakthrough in the province — a feat Lewis hopes to replicate.

The last election saw the NDP reduced to just seven seats in the House of Commons. Since then, Nunavut MP Lori Idlout joined the Liberals and Boulerice left federal politics entirely — leaving Lewis with a five-member caucus that could comfortably carpool to the House of Commons in a family sedan.

That has left the party with no standing on parliamentary committees and reduced visibility in question period. Lewis said the caucus and NDP supporters don’t want him tied to Ottawa when he can be out knocking on doors.

Lewis attributed the NDP’s staggering loss last year to widespread anxiety brought on by U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war. That fear still exists, he said, and many people still see Prime Minister Mark Carney as the best person to handle the situation.

But Lewis also said he sees signs of “buyer’s remorse” among New Democrats who voted Liberal in 2025, and among Liberals offended by Carney’s embrace of artificial intelligence, higher military spending and his “doubling down on fossil fuels in the midst of a climate emergency.”

“There are lots of progressive Liberals who are ready to come over and I think that we have the potential to flip some seats in the next election in places that may surprise people,” he said, adding the NDP will be there when Canadians are “ready to actually get back to voting their values.”

He may be on to something. A recent Angus Reid online poll suggests that one in six 2025 Liberal voters now say they would support the NDP, and half of those voters cite climate change as their top political priority.

(The Canadian Research Insights Council, an industry organization that promotes polling standards, says online surveys cannot be assigned a margin of error because they do not randomly sample the population.)

Lewis said he sees the downtown Montreal ridings as “very progressive” areas where the NDP can compete by calling Israel’s war in Gaza a genocide, condemning Israeli and American military action in the Middle East and supporting green energy over increased fossil fuel production.

Lewis said that after he’s done in Montreal, he’ll head to the Toronto riding of Beaches-East York and to North Vancouver-Capilano in the coming weeks. Byelections will be held in those ridings and in Chicoutimi-Le Fjord in Quebec on Aug. 31.

The NDP does not have candidates in those ridings yet, but Lewis said volunteers are out canvassing ahead of the vote.

Lewis said the party planned to have full nomination contests in those ridings but did not anticipate Carney calling summer byelections. He said he may have to appoint candidates in those ridings.

These byelections will test Lewis’s claim that, after losing support to both the Liberals and Conservatives last year, his party is regaining lost ground in key constituencies.

Lewis said he’s seeing signs that one key constituency the NDP lost in part to the Conservatives is starting to come back: young people. He said young Canadians who are struggling with an unaffordable housing market and staring down threats like artificial intelligence and climate change are giving the party a second look.

“If we can excite young people to actually go out and vote, which they don’t do in the same numbers that other demographics do, there could be a big surprise coming … either in these byelections or in the next election,” he said. “And it will come at the expense of the Conservative votes that we lost, rather than the Liberal ones.”

If the NDP can siphon votes from Conservatives, he said, it undermines one of the Liberals’ key arguments — that votes for New Democrats only elevate Conservatives.

“If we’re taking from both sides, the strategic voting argument just doesn’t work the same way,” he said. “Liberals can’t hold people’s vote hostage and say, ‘If you don’t vote us, then you get the Conservatives,’ when the NDP shows that we can take votes from the Conservatives as well.”

© 2026 The Canadian Press

Cold front could escalate B.C. wildfires ahead of August long weekend

WATCH: Pear Lake wildfire forces more evacuations.

A cold front bringing strong winds and thunderstorms, with little to no rain, is expected to sweep over southern B.C. this long weekend, fanning out-of-control wildfires that already threaten several communities.

The BC Wildfire Service says the winds will lead to challenging firefighting conditions, and it’s likely new lightning-caused wildfires will start due to the tinder-dry conditions.

A large swath of evacuation orders has been issued by the Thompson-Nicola and Cariboo regional districts in front of the Pear Lake fire, which has grown to more than 900 square kilometres.

More than 1,800 properties have been ordered evacuated from an area that is more than 70 kilometres long and 65 kilometres wide, while the evacuation alerts fan out even further.

The T’it’q’et First Nation, near Lillooet, also issued an evacuation order overnight due to the Riley Creek Wildfire, covering T’it’q’et Indian Reserve #2, Towinock, and Indian Reserve #3, Kilchult.

Almost 110 active wildfires are burning in the province, with 48 of them considered out of control as of this morning.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

Wildfire crisis eases in western Europe but worsens in Greece as winds drive blazes

WATCH: Wildfires continue to tear across southern Europe, with new blazes forcing evacuations in Greece while a major fire in France's Var region reignited, sending roughly 2,500 residents from their homes.

Europe’s wildfire emergency eased across much of western Europe on Saturday, with major fires in France and Spain no longer advancing and Portugal’s main blaze under control.

But the crisis worsened in Greece, where gale-force winds drove flames through a seaside resort and triggered fresh evacuations.

In southwestern France, firefighters held a vast wildfire within its perimeter, with about 198,000 people now allowed home after what may have been the country’s largest peacetime evacuation.

A second French fire that raced across 10 square kilometers (4 square miles) in six hours Friday — “faster than a horse at full gallop,” according to the prefecture — also stopped expanding overnight. But it remained active Saturday and 2,500 people were still unable to return home.

The progress marked a sharp turn from the height of the crisis, when fires in France and Spain alone drove a third of a million people from homes and vacation sites, emptied towns during the summer holiday season and stretched firefighters, aircraft and emergency services across simultaneous emergencies.

Portugal’s major wildfire was declared under control, while Spain’s largest fires were no longer making sustained advances and most evacuation orders had been lifted.

But Europe’s emergency isn’t over; its most dangerous front has shifted toward Greece. New fires erupted Saturday as powerful winds whipped up flames, carried embers across dry landscapes and prevented some aircraft from collecting water or approaching closely enough to make drops.

The danger carried grim resonance in Attica, where the 2018 wildfire at the seaside community of Mati killed 104 people, making it the world’s second-deadliest wildfire of the 21st century.

Europe is Earth’s fastest-warming continent, heating at more than twice the global average since the 1980s, according to the European Union’s Copernicus climate service. Rising temperatures and prolonged drought leave vegetation drier and more combustible, allowing fires to spread faster and burn more intensely.

Cap Ferret remains evacuated

The Gironde fire has burned 420 square kilometers (162 square miles) of pine forest west of Bordeaux, an area four times the size of Paris.

Firefighters said it remained contained within that perimeter Saturday. But it had not been declared “fixed” — the point at which crews determine that a fire is no longer advancing — and active sectors and buried hot spots persisted.

Several communities remained largely deserted. Authorities kept much of the affluent, forested Cap Ferret peninsula evacuated because a nearby hot spot could flare again, cut its limited road access and trap people allowed back.

“Today, the fire is still not fixed. It is contained,” Lt. Col. Eric Pitault told reporters.

Crews used tactical burns overnight, deliberately consuming vegetation ahead of active sectors. They still faced about 240 kilometers (149 miles) of fire edges where heat can remain buried underground and erupt again.

The fire’s toll extended beyond people and property. Allain Bougrain-Dubourg, president of France’s League for the Protection of Birds, told RMC radio that animals affected already numbered in the millions.

Fire roars back in southern France

In the Var, defensive lines around the Gros Bessillon fire held overnight and no additional ground burned, Var Prefect Simon Babre told French media Saturday.

But the fire remained active. About 2,500 people were still unable to return home, and 1,300 firefighters were deployed.

The blaze’s sudden return “defies understanding,” Babre said.

Twenty French departments were under an orange heat warning Saturday, mostly in the east and southeast. Temperatures of 35 to 39 C (95 to 102 F) were forecast around the Mediterranean, while eight departments faced a high forest-fire risk.

Gale-force winds batter Greek resort

In Greece, hundreds of firefighters fought Saturday to protect Porto Germeno, a popular resort on the Gulf of Corinth, as gale-force winds drove flames through the coastal area west of Athens.

The fire broke out Friday near the neighboring village of Agios Vasileios. About 300 people were evacuated by sea, and authorities issued further evacuation orders Saturday.

Towering flames devoured thick pine forest around Porto Germeno as smoke blocked out the sun.

“A pristine forest, a paradise, was surrendered to the hands of the fire,” said Minas Tzortzanis, a 60-year-old farmer and local resident. “There are no words to explain what has happened. Destruction. Total destruction.”

Tzortzanis said homes, trees and animals in the forest had been destroyed.

Theodore Giannaros, a wildfire meteorologist at the National Observatory of Athens, estimated that 40 to 50 square kilometers (15 to 19 square miles) had been affected, although authorities had not issued an official burned-area figure.

Nearly 500 firefighters, along with specialized forest-fire teams and crews temporarily deployed from France and Romania, were backed by 19 water-dropping planes and 11 helicopters. Local authorities said homes had been destroyed, but a complete count was not immediately available.

New fires broke out elsewhere in Greece on Saturday. A blaze east of Nafpaktos prompted evacuation alerts for at least four villages.

“The very strong to gale-force winds continue to create exceptionally difficult conditions,” Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister Evangelos Tournas said. He said extreme turbulence was preventing some aircraft from collecting water or approaching the fires closely enough to make drops.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

8 best eye creams to try in 2026

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.

The delicate skin around your eyes is often the first to show signs of stress–from late nights to screen fatigue and everyday environmental aggressors. The holy grail? A hardworking eye cream–and yes, it’s all in the ingredients. Hyaluronic acid and ceramides flood skin with hydration while reinforcing the barrier; niacinamide and caffeine help visibly brighten and depuff; peptides and PDRN (aka salmon DNA) support firmer, smoother-looking skin; calcium helps strengthen thin, delicate areas; and silk extract and squalane cushion fine lines with nourishing moisture. Ahead, eight standout eye creams from brands including Estée Lauder, Tatcha and CeraVe designed to refresh, revive and illuminate.

 

Quick Pick Summary:

Best for firming: medicube Salmon DNA PDRN Pink Peptide Eye Serum

Best for dark circles: Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Supercharged Gel-Cream

Best for depuffing: Biossance 5% Niacinamide Brightening Eye Serum

Best for fine lines: Tatcha The Silk Peony Melting Under Eye Cream

Best hydrating: CeraVe Eye Cream with Hyaluronic Acid

Best for mature skin: L’Oréal Paris Anti-Aging Under Eye Cream

Best for brightening: Caudalie Vinoperfect Brightening Caffeine Eye Cream with Niacinamide

Best for sensitive skin: Bioderma Atoderm Intensive Eye Cream with Hyaluronic Acid

 

Best for firming

If bounce and firmness are at the top of your wish list, this K-beauty favourite delivers. Powered by PDRN (aka salmon DNA extract) and peptides, it helps support collagen production while smoothing the look of fine lines. Bonus: the lightweight formula absorbs quickly, making it ideal for layering under makeup.[/product_listing]

 

Best for dark circles

The overnight reset of your dreams, this silky gel-cream targets dark circles and dryness with the brand’s signature Advanced Night Repair technology, helping brighten and smooth while you sleep. Wake up looking well-rested–even if you aren’t.[/product_listing]

 

Best for depuffing

Puffy mornings don’t stand a chance against this soothing roll-on eye serum. With 5 per cent niacinamide to visibly brighten plus hydrating squalane, it helps reduce the look of under-eye bags while boosting radiance. Pro tip: Keep it in the fridge for an extra cooling effect.[/product_listing]

 

Best for fine lines

This seriously silky formula melts into skin, cocooning the under-eye area in rich hydration. Infused with silk extract and line-smoothing whey protein, it softens the look of fine lines while creating a smooth canvas for concealer. Luxe, yes–but worth it.[/product_listing]

 

You may also like:

Maybelline New York Lash Sensational Mascara – $12.99

NIVEA Creme – $15.97

Batiste Dark Dry Shampoo Spray – $16.98

 

Best hydrating

When your under-eyes feel tight or crepey, reach for this dermatologist-loved staple. Packed with hyaluronic acid and three essential ceramides, it delivers lasting hydration while helping reinforce the skin barrier. Lightweight, fragrance-free and budget-friendly, it checks all the boxes.[/product_listing]

 

Best for mature skin

Wrinkles, loss of firmness and dark circles? This multitasking formula targets them all. Designed with mature skin in mind, it’s formulated with calcium, a mineral known to help strengthen and support thin, delicate skin over time.[/product_listing]

 

Best for brightening

Dull, shadowed under-eyes, begone! Powered by niacinamide and caffeine, this radiance-boosting cream helps visibly brighten dark circles while reducing puffiness. The result? Eyes that appear well-rested and bright.[/product_listing]

 

Best for sensitive skin

When eyes feel dry or reactive, this gentle 3-in-1 formula soothes, hydrates and helps restore the skin barrier, while doubling as a makeup remover. Ideal for sensitive to atopic-prone eyelids, it comforts without fragrance.[/product_listing]

 

You may also like:

Cetaphil Gentle Makeup Removing Wipes – $8.97

Tatcha Kissu Lip Mask Scrub – $39

Shark CryoGlow LED Face Mask – $399.99

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

WestJet cancels 81 flights ahead of possible flight attendant strike

WATCH: WestJet parks planes as potential strike looms.

WestJet has begun cancelling flights ahead of a possible strike or lockout affecting flight attendants, saying it is reducing its schedule to avoid widespread disruptions if a work stoppage begins this weekend.

The airline has started an “organized take-down” of its network and would begin issuing flight cancellations to customers, WestJet announced in a news release Friday evening.

“To ensure the integrity of WestJet’s network, and to minimize the risk of stranding guests and aircraft, the airline has started to issue cancellations and reduce flying,” the airline said.

As of 12:30 a.m. EST, WestJet said it had cancelled 81 flights scheduled for Saturday.

The move comes after the Canadian Union of Public Employees, which represents about 4,400 WestJet flight attendants, issued a 72-hour strike notice. WestJet responded with a 72-hour lockout notice.

The notice period expires Sunday at 12:01 a.m. MT, the earliest a strike or lockout could begin if the two sides fail to reach an agreement.

The dispute centres largely on compensation for work performed on the ground, including boarding passengers, completing safety checks and managing delays.

Barry Eidlin, a sociology professor and labour expert at McGill University, said WestJet flight attendants are generally paid only while an aircraft is in the air, even though delays have become increasingly common.

“They’ve come to a point now where the flight attendants are basically saying, ‘Enough’s enough, we need to be paid for the hours that we’ve been working,'” Eidlin said.

WestJet said its latest offer was designed to be an “industry-leading” agreement that addressed the union’s key priorities, but negotiations have yet to produce a deal.

John Gradek, lecturer and expert in aviation management at McGill University said the cancellations are a precautionary measure that allows the airline to position aircraft where they can be parked, secured and maintained if a strike begins.

John Gradek, lecturer and expert in aviation management at McGill University, said the cancellations are a precautionary measure that allow

“This is a sign of WestJet being prudent in terms of managing its assets,” Gradek said, adding the disruptions are likely to grow if no agreement is reached. “It is going to be a mess.”

Any customers who are scheduled to fly, can go to WestJet’s website to see flight schedules and changes.

Despite the cancellations, both WestJet and CUPE have said they remain at the bargaining table and are committed to reaching a negotiated agreement before a work stoppage begins.

– With files from The Canadian Press

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

Alexander, Alouettes roll past winless Redblacks 34-13

With a 34-13 win over the Ottawa Redblacks Friday night the Montreal Alouettes demonstrated exactly why they are the best in the East.

The Alouettes (7-1) were solid from start to finish, while Ottawa dropped to 0-7 for its worst-ever start to a season.

Davis Alexander had an impressive outing going 22-for-30 for 420 yards and three touchdowns.

Jake Maier had a decent outing finishing 34-for 41 for 311 yards and one interception but it’s tough to compete when you’re unable to convert in the red zone. Ottawa was 1-for-5 while Montreal went 4-for-4.

The Redblacks trailed right off the opening drive and never managed to close the gap.

The Alouettes scored on their first two possessions, Alexander connected with Cole Spieker on a six-yard pass and on their second drive needed just four plays to get down field before Travis Theis ran in a three-yard touchdown.

Ottawa managed to get in the red zone on its opening drive but settled for a 13-yard field goal.

The Redblacks caught a break late in the first quarter while driving downfield when a Grade 2 roughing-the-passer penalty against Najee Murray moved the ball to the Montreal one-yard line. Ottawa was stopped on its first attempt, but Daniel Adeboboye punched it in on the opening play of the second quarter to cut the Alouettes’ lead to 14-10.

 

The Alouettes extended their lead early in the second quarter. Alexander hit Spieker deep in the Ottawa end zone for an 11-yard touchdown pass making it 21-10. Alexander appeared poised to pick up his third touchdown of the night but a Montreal holding penalty negated the play and the Alouettes settled for a 35-yard field goal.

Ottawa made it back to the red zone late in the second quarter but was once again forced to settle for a 14-yard field goal and trailed 24-13 at the half.

Looking to find a way to get back in the game, Ottawa gambled on third and three early in the second half and it paid off when Justin Hardy was able to get the Redblacks to Montreal’s two-yard line. But Maier was then sacked and lost three yards, couldn’t connect on the second down and Ottawa gambled again on third and five, but wasn’t so lucky with Maier getting picked off by Joshua Archibald.

Montreal made it 31-13 when Tyler Snead pulled in a pass and ran in a 19-yard touchdown late in the third quarter and Jose Maltos Diaz rounded out the scoring with a 42-yard field goal midway through the fourth quarter.

UP NEXT

Alouettes: Host the Edmonton Elks on Saturday, Aug. 8.

Redblacks: Visit the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Friday, Aug. 7.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

City of Calgary implementing new safety plan amid cost concerns

The City of Calgary hopes a new plan will address public safety, social disorder and community well-being. t's called Safer Together and looks to coordinate city departments with police and community organizations; however, it will come at a cost. Adam MacVicar reports.

Work is now underway to implement a new overarching plan to improve safety and well-being in Calgary, as some on city council raise concerns over the potential costs.

The plan, entitled Safer Together, aims to address safety in public spaces, homelessness, domestic violence, poverty and social isolation.

It outlines five priorities including communities where everyone belongs, enhanced safety where people live, work and play, building supports for well-being, meeting housing needs and fostering financial security.

Although city council approved the framework in May, an update on how it would be implemented and the plan’s potential costs were presented to councillors this week.

“The pursuit of community safety and individual safety is a multi-dimensional pursuit,” Katie Black, the City of Calgary’s general manager of community services, told council. “No one initiative is going to deliver the outcomes that you and we all are looking for.”

The action plan presented to council includes 15 initiatives city officials hope to move forward with over the next four years, including design and maintenance improvements for infrastructure in public spaces, a strengthening of the availability and coordination of supports for individuals experiencing homelessness, and a boost to access and promotion of free and low-cost supports and services.

According to city administration, Safer Together draws from existing initiatives like the Safety Hubs, which coordinate resources from the Calgary Police Service, bylaw and transit peace officers, as well as social sector teams.

“You don’t just send police in to bust up an encampment because they’ll be right back there a week later; you need to have wraparound supports to make sure everyone in those situations are getting the supports they need,” Ward 4 Coun. DJ Kelly told reporters Wednesday.

“I’m really glad the city is looking at this in a holistic way to make sure we can actually make some movement against this rather than simply the revolving door that we’ve had previously.”

The plan’s implementation comes with a cost over the next four years, in which city council will need to decide between three options during November’s budget deliberations.

The first option is a full investment which would total $38 million per year, administration said, allowing for greater enforcement capacity, easier access to programs and earlier support.

A partial investment of $28 million annually is the second option, which city officials said would result in reduced outcomes, and would mean seven less peace officers in parks and public spaces, smaller investments in downtown and transit improvements, garbage cleanup in business zones, and community programs.

The third option of $23 million would put outcomes at risk, city administration said, and would mean no investment in downtown or transit safety improvements, and the city couldn’t hire 14 security guards for parks and public spaces.

The proposed budget request reflects 34 investments across 12 city departents for the four-year budget cycle, council heard.

Ward 2 Coun. Jennifer Wyness said she isn’t convinced the plan will work and argued the issue isn’t municipal jurisdiction.

“When we sit here and debate all day long, talking about how this is going to stop the crisis and this is going to help our community, it will only stop when the federal and provincial governments pull their heads out of their butt and actually work with us,” Wyness told council.

“The blank cheques don’t work, this plan won’t work.”

According to city administration, the goal is to have increased access to supports and services, improved safety and perceptions of safety, and stronger incident response by 2030.

“People in Calgary can expect better connections to supports, more coordinated safety services and stronger community wellbeing as the plan is implemented over time,” a city spokesperson said in a statement.

“Building on work already underway across Calgary, Safer Together aims to create a city where people feel safe, connected, supported and that they belong.”

City council will receive its first progress update on the implementation of the plan next spring, but will hear results of engagement with the Calgary Police Commission on the framework in early 2027.

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

WATCH: Global National - July 31

Watch the full broadcast of Global National with Dawna Friesen for Friday, July 31, 2026.

View more Global National videos here

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

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