Over the course of human history, certain years have proven to be more important than others. Over the course of 12 months, things happen that change everything. Nothing is ever the same again.

For example, the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. We can look at the fall of Constantinople in 1453, giving rise to the Ottoman Empire and forever altering the power dynamics and trade within Europe.

There was 1492, and Columbus’s landing in the Americas has to be on this list. Then there’s 1760, or thereabouts, and the beginning of the Industrial Revolution.

The year 1848 was significant because of all the democratic revolutions that spread across Europe. At the same time, Karl Marx was laying the foundations for the communist revolutions to come by writing his Communist Manifesto.

1914 marked the start of World War I. Then came 1945 and the beginning of the post-World War II era, with the United Nations, America’s emergence as a superpower, the Cold War, and so on.

When it comes to music, we can look at 1955, the year rock ’n’ roll really began to break through. The Beatles came to America in 1964. Then there was Woodstock in ’69.

And then we have 1976. This has been declared—rightly so, in my opinion—the year that what we now call “alternative rock” was born, thanks to the punk rock explosion that happened on both sides of the Atlantic during those 12 months. So much happened so fast that rock was never the same again.

Here, let me prove it. This is 1976: The Birth Year of Alt-Rock, Part 2.

Songs heard on this show:

• Ramones, Beat on the Brat
• Sex Pistols, Pretty Vacant (Live)
• Ramones, Loudmouth (Live)
• Ramones, Judy is a Punk
• The Clash, White Riot
• Ramones, Now I Want to Sniff Some Glue
• The Clash, Guns of Brixton
• The Damned, New Rose
• Sex Pistols, Anarchy in the UK

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.

When System of a Down was working on the Toxicity album, there was a lot of tension within the group, tension that led to actual fistfights. One night in the studio, drummer John Dolmayan punched guitarist Daron Malakian. He responded by slamming Dolmayan with a mic stand. Both of them ended up in the same emergency ward that night, getting stitched up next to each other.

When the album came out in September 2004, the band had a free concert planned for a parking lot in Hollywood. They figured about a thousand people would show up. Instead, the gig attracted 10,000 people. When fire marshals cancelled the gig, there was a riot. The crowd rushed the stage and destroyed about $30,000 worth of gear. Cops had to fire on the crowd with rubber bullets. Six people were arrested.

And while the gig was a disaster, it made System of a Down more famous than ever.

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

Queens of the Stone Age have a pretty distinctive sound. How did Josh Homme’s writing style develop? Polka music.

Josh grew up in Palm Desert, California, a place he said didn’t offer a lot in terms of guitar teachers. The best he could do was a guy named Tom Polonsky whose specialty was polka music. Young Josh learned the guitar through playing those kinds of tunes over the course of two years’ worth of lessons.

Now that you know that, go back and listen to some Queens of the Stone Age Music, especially the song “No One Knows.” If you deconstruct that track down to its very essence, you can hear the distinctive bounce of a polka. This isn’t the only Queens song that feels this way.

Josh says that polka music is so ingrained in him that the polka feel keeps showing up in his songwriting as a default, whether he wants it to or not.

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

When it comes to releasing albums, some artists get very, very clever and a little crazy with the packaging.

In 2012, the weirdo San Francisco Band The Residents issued a box set that contained original pressings of all their material going back to the 70s. It also included an official replica of the group’s famous eyeball mask. The entire thing was housed in a 28-cubic-foot refrigerator. Only 10 were made and each one retailed for $100,000. And yes, they sold at least one “copy.”

And if you like that, the Japanese extreme noise artist Merzbow released a single copy of a record called MerzCar. It consisted of a copy of his album, Noise Embryo, jammed into the CD player of a Mercedes-Benz 230. The CD could not be ejected. You could not change inputs. Every time you turned on the car, the CD would play. It came out through a label entitled Releasing Eskimo.

Unfortunately, no one bought it; the car broke down, they took out the CD and sold the car.

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

Most of the province of Alberta has rejected a formal referendum on separatism and would rather remain part of Canada.

Elections Alberta began releasing the referendum results late Monday night, and by midnight around 76 per cent of Albertans voted to remain part of Canada without any further deliberation.

The separatism question asked voters if Alberta should remain in Canada or if the provincial government should begin the legal process of holding a future binding referendum on whether or not Alberta should separate from Canada.

As of 1 a.m. MT, the votes were as follows:

Remain: 1,005,641
Hold second referendum/Leave: 310,672
Total: 1,316,313

By law, officials must count all votes by hand within 48 hours. Question 10 — about separation — is being counted first.

Early results were supposed to start being released at 8 p.m. MT — only once the final ballot is cast and all polling stations are closed — but several locations opened late on Monday, pushing back that timeline by more than three hours.

The referendum asked residents 10 government-initiated questions, though public and political attention largely focused on the question asking Albertans whether they want to remain in Canada or proceed with a binding referendum on leaving Confederation.

The referendum, announced Feb. 19, initially included nine questions pertaining to immigration and the Constitution. The question on independence, added back in May by Premier Danielle Smith, is the tenth that voters were asked to mark an X on.

The separation question was added after Smith said she disagreed with the ruling of a Court of King’s Bench judge that quashed a separatist petition in May, saying the provincial government had a duty to consult with First Nations before Stay Free Alberta was allowed to gather signatures.

She said because the proposed referendum would not “directly trigger separation,” the court ruling would not apply.

Interest in the outcome of the referendum was high even before Monday’s official voting day.

More than 1.35 million votes were cast in both last week’s advance polls and by special mail-in ballots — a significant increase over the roughly 810,000 who voted that way in the 2023 provincial election.

The use of special ballots increased tenfold in the referendum compared to that election, with a total of 519,082 mail-in ballots received by Elections Alberta by the cut-off date.

The results reflect more than half a year of polling, which since the beginning of 2026, has consistently shown about 70 per cent of Albertans want the province to remain in Canada.

In January, an Ipsos poll found about three in 10 residents supported independence, but a deeper dive revealed that when faced with the costs and consequences, only half of those interested in separatism were truly committed to following through.

Grievances in Alberta towards the federal government are not new.

The nuanced disgruntlement harkens back decades: Alberta farmers feeling shortchanged by the monopoly the Canadian Wheat Board had over crop prices and their sales, anger at how Pierre Trudeau’s National Energy Program decimated jobs and investment in the province’s oil and gas sector in the 1980s, and more recent grievances over the Justin Trudeau government’s policies on energy investment and public health restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Smith’s United Conservative Party never campaigned on holding a separation vote in the 2023 provincial election, but Smith has said some Albertans’ anger with the state of affairs under former Liberal prime minister Justin Trudeau has boiled over into hundreds of thousands signing petitions for and against Confederation.

She has said a referendum was necessary to resolve the matter once and for all.

Smith has said repeatedly that if the vote went the way polling has suggested for months, she expected everyone to accept it and move on. Leaders of the independence movement contest that.

The remaining nine questions surround immigration and constitutional issues.

The immigration questions ask Albertans whether the province should have more say over who comes to the province to work and whether it’s time to put more limitations — and potentially introduce fees — on some who arrive seeking health care and education.

The constitutional questions ask Albertans to bless talks with other provinces to wrest power from the federal government and abolish the Senate

Smith has said the first nine questions are meant to give the province leverage in negotiations with Ottawa.

The premier has also said she voted to stay in Canada, but she needs a yes on the remaining nine questions to get a mandate to bargain for a better deal with Carney.

Carney came to Alberta last week to rally pro-Canada forces and to agree to disagree with Smith. He urged Albertans to reject the nine remaining questions.

Elections Alberta hired more than 48,000 workers to count ballots, which is happening around the clock.

The results of those nine questions should be completed and announced by Wednesday. Officials will count ballots in order from question one to nine. Timelines depend on location closing times and voter turnout.

With files from The Canadian Press

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

TORONTO – Gavin McKenna found himself stapled to the bench last Thursday.

The No. 1 overall pick at the 2026 NHL draft returned to the fray over the weekend — and was right back in the spotlight four nights later.

McKenna scored the winner on a third-period power play in Toronto’s 3-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks that halted the Maple Leafs’ three-game slide Monday.

The 18-year-old winger grabbed a loose puck after Auston Matthews won a battle down low and fired low glove side on Yaroslav Askarov for his third goal as a professional.

“Pretty fired up,” said McKenna, who dropped to one knee in celebration following his goal that snapped a 1-1 tie. “It’s a hard league to score in … when you get to put one in the back of the net, it feels pretty good.”

The Whitehorse product had his toughest night in the league Thursday when he didn’t play after the midway point of the second period, finishing with just six minutes 36 seconds of ice time.

He then skated a career-high 17:56 in Saturday’s 4-1 loss to the New York Islanders before making the most of his 11:30 against San Jose.

“This whole entire process is not looking backwards or forwards … it’s just trying to be where your feet are,” McKenna said when asked what the last stretch has been like in hockey’s biggest media market. “When you have a game like that against Buffalo, you want to bounce back.”

Matthews said his young teammate — now with six points in 10 NHL games — doesn’t shy away from the limelight for the Maple Leafs (4-4-2).

“You give him a little bit of time and space, like he had there, he’s going to make something happen,” said Toronto’s captain, who had a goal and two assists after gifting the Sharks their opener off a turnover in the defensive zone. “He’s been flying these last couple games, and even what happened (against Buffalo), that stuff doesn’t shake him.

“He just keeps churning away.”

Toronto head coach Jim Hiller and McKenna had a “good talk” in the aftermath of the game against the Sabres where the Maple Leafs fell 5-4 in overtime.

“He’s just the same guy, and that’s what I just love about him,” said the club’s first-year bench boss. “He’s worn this high-prospect and this high-skill (pressure) for years, and he’s just really comfortable with it.”

Monday also marked the first meeting between McKenna and Sharks winger Ivar Stenberg — the No. 2 pick back in June — in the NHL.

The player whose name was called first made the difference on this night.

“He’s just not afraid of the moment … he enjoys the moment,” Hiller added. “You saw his celebration, and you could say, ‘Ya well, shouldn’t everybody do that?’ You have to want to be that big-time player.

“That’s what he has in spades.”

McKenna, meanwhile, feels like he’s simply built for situations like Monday.

“It’s just a confidence thing,” he said. “You want to be a guy who’s known for those big moments, and when you get that time and opportunity to be out there on the ice, you want to make the most out of it.

“That’s something I’ve taken a lot of passion in … trying to be known as a guy who’s able to perform in those situations.”

BOB STANDS TALL

Maple Leafs goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky picked up his first home victory since signing in free agency on July 1.

The 38-year-old finished with 30 stops, including a massive save on Collin Graf with six minutes left in regulation and Toronto up 2-1.

“He’s been so good,” Matthews said. “Impressive to watch him do his thing.”

HOMECOMING

Kirill Marchenko will face Columbus for the first time since the blockbuster trade that brought him to Toronto right before the season when the Maple Leafs visit the Blue Jackets on Tuesday.

“I don’t know what my feelings will be,” said the winger. “It will be a special night.”

SNUFFED OUT

Toronto’s top-ranked penalty kill improved to 31 for 32 after denying all four San Jose opportunities.

“Power play and penalty kill are similar,” said Hiller, whose team has killed off 21 straight short-handed situations. “Once you start feeling good, it makes it a little bit easier, and we’re feeling it right now. I thought (Monday) was probably our best job on the penalty kill. There’s been some other nights where we’ve been good, gave some chances up, some good saves.

“I thought we executed extremely well.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 19, 2026.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

When Dona Wilkie drove her 2021 Toyota Highlander on a recent trip to Calgary this past August to drop off her son at university, she expected a smooth ride.

Instead, the B.C. resident says she experienced aggressive gear changes and a strange noise coming from her vehicle. “As I was pressing the accelerator, it would whine. At first, quite low. It was like a humming and then it got louder as the trip went on,” said Wilkie.

Wilkie says she contacted her Toyota dealership as soon as she arrived home, only to receive shocking news.

Her Highlander, which she had purchased brand new, needed a new transmission. “I was shocked,” said Wilkie.

Making matters worse, Wilkie says she was informed by the dealership that she was 600 kilometres over the 100,000 kilometres powertrain warranty and she’d have to pay for the transmission out of pocket.

Wilkie argued the transmission issue surfaced while her warranty was still active. “I have the oil change receipt showing 98,278km before I left for Calgary. The whining with aggressive shifting started at approximately 98,500 km,” said Wilkie.

Still, Wilkie was hit with a bill of $13,586.88 for a transmission replacement.

“Where am I going to get that money? I can’t afford that,” Wilkie told Consumer Matters.

Wilkie says her dealership reached out to Toyota Canada to see if she would qualify for a goodwill request to cover the cost, but was denied by the automaker because she had no servicing history at any Toyota dealership and no previous records of transmission fluid service.

Wilkie says she was stunned since she has been diligent with her vehicle and has all her independent service records to prove it. “It’s absolutely ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous,” said Wilkie.

The non-profit consumer advocacy group, the Automobile Protection Association, says there is no connection between Wilkie’s transmission failing and her not doing oil changes at a Toyota dealership.

“That kind of excuse is laughable because you can’t make a connection between oil changes of the engine and transmission failure for a known problem. Literally, dozens of these transmissions are failing in Canada,” said George Iny, director of the non-profit advocacy group the Automobile Protection Association (APA).

“It’s one of the things carmakers do to blow off their customers,” he added.

In February 2021, Toyota Canada issued a technical service bulletin for some 2021 Highlander, Camry, and Avalon vehicles equipped with UA80E or UA80F transmissions which may exhibit a loud whining or grinding noise.

Iny says the APA has received over 60 complaints for failures of the 8-speed transmission, affecting the Highlander primarily.

He says the APA is in the process of preparing a letter to Toyota Canada asking for a warranty extension. “We’d like to see an extended warranty for this, really lifetime coverage for a transmission of this nature,” said Iny.

Consumer Matters reached out to Toyota Canada about Wilkie’s case. She says she received a call from the automaker the next day telling her it would cover the cost of the transmission.

Toyota Canada stated in part to Consumer Matters:

“…This customer’s request for an out-of-warranty repair exception was already under review when you contacted us and, considering the specifics of her individual situation, Toyota Canada has opted to cover the costs of the customer’s repair.”

Global BC also asked Toyota Canada why Wilkie was denied the “goodwill request” despite having proof of all her service records, but never received a response.

Wilkie says prior to Consumer Matters getting involved, she wasn’t getting anywhere with Toyota Canada.

“I was waiting weeks to get a response. I even went to the extent of filing a small claims notice, and it wasn’t until Consumer Matters reached out that they reached out to me,” said Wilkie.

Wilkie has since received a loaner vehicle and is expecting a transmission replacement by the end of the week.

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

The deadly fire at a Canadian military base in Alberta on Saturday claimed the lives of four Canadian Armed Forces members, including two from B.C.

Private Aidan Goulding was only 23 years old.

His mother told Global News that her son wouldn’t want anyone to dwell on his death, but to pray for his fellow wounded soldiers.

That’s the kind of man Aidan was, she said.h

Losing Aidan has left a huge hole in our family,” Sonia Monk said.

“He was the one who made us laugh and made us proud and made us incredibly resourceful.

We can rest in the thought that he died with his brothers. He loved his army family just as much as he loved us. I’m thankful that every conversation we had there was an ‘I love you’ at the end.”

Aidan was from North Vancouver and served with the 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry.

His brother, Wylder, said Aidan inspired him and that they weren’t just brothers, they were best friends.

“My beautiful brother, no one will ever truly understand the bond Aidan and I shared,” Wylder said.

“You could walk into a room and light it up with his big bright eyes and his contagious laugh. He had a way of making everything brighter just by being there.”

Nineteen-year-old Private Hayden Lykkemark was from Langley and also served with the 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry.

Officials say a grass fire quickly overwhelmed soldiers at the base on Saturday as a sudden change in wind direction and strength expanded the fire over a large area. Investigators say it could be weeks before details of how the fire started can be determined.

Dozens were injured in the incident.

Goulding’s family says their thoughts are with those still recovering.

-with files from Ariel Rabinovitch 

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

TORONTO – Gavin McKenna scored the winner on a third-period power play as the Toronto Maple Leafs snapped a three-game slide Monday with a 3-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks.

Auston Matthews added a goal and two assists for Toronto (4-4-2). Sergei Bobrovsky made 30 saves to pick up his first home win for the Maple Leafs. Nick Paul added an empty-net goal late in regulation.

Mason Marchment replied for San Jose (4-4-1), which got 28 stops from Yaroslav Askarov.

McKenna fished the puck out of a crowd and fired past Askarov at 4:56 of the final period before dropping to one knee in celebration to snap a 1-1 tie.

Toronto entered play 0-2-1 over its last three contests, and 1-2-2 over the last five.

The game featured the first meeting between the No. 1 and 2 picks at the 2026 NHL draft — McKenna and Sharks winger Ivar Stenberg.

Marchment opened the scoring at 13:54 of the first when he was left all alone in front of Bobrovsky after Matthews turned the puck over in the defensive zone.

Matthews made up for that mistake and got his team even with 12 seconds left in the second on a power play. Toronto’s captain took a pass from Kirill Marchenko and ripped a shot upstairs on Askarov before McKenna pushed the home side in front in the third.

TAKEAWAYS

Maple Leafs: Star winger William Nylander missed the morning skate with an illness and was listed as a game-time decision, but was healthy enough to suit up.

Sharks: Marchment was a member of Toronto’s organization from April 2016 through February 2020. The Uxbridge, Ont., product played four games for the Maple Leafs before getting traded to the Florida Panthers.

KEY MOMENT

Askarov had frustrated Toronto’s shooters until San Jose was whistled for too many men on the ice late in the second, leading to Matthews getting the home side level through 40 minutes.

KEY STAT

Toronto entered with the NHL’s top-ranked penalty kill at 96.4 per cent (27 for 28). The club then killed off all four San Jose man-advantage opportunities Monday.

UP NEXT

Sharks: Visit the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday.

Maple Leafs: Visit the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 19, 2026.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

The Curator independently decides what topics and products we feature. When you purchase an item through our links, we may earn a commission. Promotions and products are subject to availability and retailer terms.

Forget the usual chocolate countdown. This year’s foodie advent calendars serve up everything from small-batch Canadian coffee and loose-leaf tea to international sweets and gourmet popcorn, with delicious surprises behind every door. Whether you’re shopping for a hot sauce enthusiast or a chocolate lover, brands like The Roasters Pack, David’s Tea and Purdys have plenty to tempt their taste buds.

 

This gingerbread house-inspired tea advent calendar features 24 festive loose-leaf blends, from fruity and spiced flavours to classic black tea and soothing rooibos, with two servings of each to share or enjoy yourself.[/product_listing]

 

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For the coffee lover who’s always on the hunt for their next favourite, The Roasters Pack’s 2026 Advent Calendar serves up 26 single-origin coffees from small-batch Canadian roasters. A tasting journal, brew guides, a bonus mystery coffee and a $10 gift card make this more than a daily cup — it’s a chance to explore Canada’s specialty coffee scene from home.[/product_listing]

 

 

For a countdown with a twist, this advent calendar features 96 sweets from around the world, with four treats from a different country to discover each day. It even includes a booklet with fun facts and a scorecard to rank your favourites as you taste your way through the collection.[/product_listing]

 

For anyone who believes jam deserves its own holiday countdown, the Bonne Maman Advent Calendar 2026 serves up 24 mini jars of limited-edition seasonal spreads. Each little glass jar brings a different festive fruit combination, all made in France with real fruit and tucked behind a charming Christmas-themed door. Once the last spoonful is gone, the collectible jars can be reused for spices, tiny gifts or festive table settings.[/product_listing]

 

If you’re gifting a chocolate lover, this Ferrero Collection advent calendar serves up 24 individually wrapped confections in five flavours, from classic Ferrero Rocher to Raffaello and Ferrero Cappuccino.[/product_listing]

 

What says Christmas quite like a cup of hot chocolate? This advent calendar serves up 12 festive flavours, from candy cane to gingerbread and double truffle, making it a fun way to count down to the holidays or a thoughtful gift for the hot chocolate lover on your list.[/product_listing]

 

For something a little different from the usual chocolate advent calendar, this rocket-shaped design comes with 12 bags of freeze-dried treats in flavours like chocolate, mango and Sicilian pistachio. The space-inspired packaging makes it a fun gift for anyone who enjoys trying something new.[/product_listing]

You may also like:

Watayo 45 Pcs Christmas Artificial Pine Branches – $21.99

ELEGANTPARK Personalized Christmas Stocking – $12.99

eos Holiday Collection Candy Cane Swirl and Pink Champagne Super Balm – $13.66

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