While the fan base was extremely discouraged by Game 1 in the Montréal Canadiens series with Buffalo, the head coach and players felt that they would make the necessary adjustments to be much better against the Sabres in Game 2.

It turns out that the coaching staff knows what it’s doing. The Canadiens dominated the Sabres from the first minutes to take it 5-1, heading back to Montreal for a Sunday night affair.

Wilde Horses

The Canadiens suffered a hangover from their first series win for Game 1 of the Atlantic Division final. They simply were not ready to go. They made up for it with a superb opening period in Game 2.

Only 1:36 in, Lane Hutson went across the blue line to Kaiden Guhle who threw it at the net. That’s where Alex Newhook deflected it, and the Canadiens found a way to silence the crowd. Less than three minutes later, it was a won draw by Phillip Danault to Mike Matheson and he used a screen to float one home from 50 feet.

The draw win by Danault is important to note. The Canadiens have been dominant in the faceoff circle in the playoffs. They have been better than they were in the regular season. The Canadiens are second, so far, in the playoffs with a 57-per cent success rate. The Sabres are 16th and last at only 43 per cent.

Only two minutes later, Nick Suzuki had a breakaway with a chance to overpower the Sabres early, but Alex Lyon made the save as Suzuki’s difficulties one-on-one continued. The Canadiens had jump. They were ready to go.

After a solid penalty kill for Montreal, there was a shift that Lane Hutson was on for two minutes. He should have been exhausted. From a standing start, he joined a two-on-one, and almost converted. Hutson has phenomenal endurance. It was hard to believe that he outskated the Sabres to join that rush at the end of a hard-working shift.

It was an absolutely dominant first frame. The Expected Goals of the four lines had a share of 77, 93, 90, and 100 per cent. The defensive pairs had an Expected Goals share of 100, 85, and 72 per cent. The analytics supported the eye-test that Montreal dominated.

In the second period, after another strong kill, credit to Noah Dobson who took a huge hit to make a play in his own zone. He saw the violence that was coming at him, and he went first to get the puck up the ice. That takes a lot of courage.

It led to Jake Evans leading a two-on-one. Evans made a perfect pass to Newhook who tapped it home on the far side. It was the second of the game for Newhook and third of the post-season as he is having a good playoff in the first nine games.

The Canadiens had a breakdown late in the second period, but they didn’t let it crush them in the third. The Canadiens counted a fourth to take the crowd out of the game. It was Alexandre Texier, of all people, leading a two-on-one. The defender gave him the shot, and he took it, just under the crossbar with perfection.

Buffalo pulled its goalie late, only to have Nick Suzuki score a goal in his third straight game. The Canadiens put in an absolutely dominant performance, winning by four goals to even the series.

Wilde Goats

There is a lot of consternation that Cole Caufield has followed his 51 goals in the regular season with only one in the first nine games of the playoffs. The issue is that Caufield simply isn’t shooting the puck. He has lost his confidence. If he were feeling it, then he would shoot.

He has only 14 shots in the playoffs. That is an average of 1.55 per game. Even Lane Hutson has more shots with 18.  In the regular season, Caufield was shooting at a much higher rate. He had 258 shots in 81 games for an average of 3.19 per game.

It’s not that he isn’t in position. He is, in some cases, simply passing up the opportunity. In other cases, he is not putting himself in position to shoot. The best example was a second period power play where the Canadiens had zone time for the entire two minutes.

The five Canadiens on the power play were absolutely dominant. They were throwing it around with great skill, but for the entire two minutes Caufield was in the corner. He never got to the front of the net in any way. He would usually move into the crease when he had a chance. He would usually go to the high slot, or move in from the half-wall on the left. He just stayed stuck in the corner where goals aren’t scored.

This isn’t to say that Caufield is having a terrible playoff. He isn’t. He is doing a lot well. He has assists. His line is facing the best players all the time and neutralizing them well enough that the Canadiens are still playing hockey in May.

It’s not what Caufield wants, but if he simply gets back to putting himself in the best spots to take shots, then take them, his natural world-class shot will find the back of the net in due time. If he continues to stand in the corner, or pass up chances when he does have good looks, this frustration will naturally continue.

Wilde Cards

Strangely, it feels like it’s time for a refresher on where the Canadiens are in the grand scheme of championship building. There seems to be an overall feeling of almost failure among the fan base despite Montreal being one of the final eight teams still standing in the playoffs.

There was a stunning amount of negativity on social media, podcasts and talk radio for a club losing one game in the second round. Suddenly, all these heroes who dispatched the veteran Tampa Bay Lightning were bums who would never be able to get it done at this higher level. Everyone’s amygdala was full-clenched at 11.

Let’s invest some time on the logical, unemotional side of the brain for a moment or two.

Firstly, and by far most importantly, this is year four of a rebuild project that takes seven years usually from the bottom to the playoffs. The Red Wings would love to celebrate ‘year four’ success, because they’re in year 10 without the post-season. The Sabres playoffs entry this season ends a 15-year rebuild.

At only four years in, the project hasn’t fully matured. In fact, it’s in inning three or four of a nine-inning ball game.

The project is at such a nascent stage that even at this point, past trading deadline, management didn’t step up to get a second-line centre. They didn’t make a trade to upgrade because even they didn’t think this greatness was possible already. That was only three months ago.

The project is so much in its infancy that David Reinbacher, Michael Hage, Alexander Zharovsky and Bryce Pickford haven’t even been seen at this level. There’s no guarantee of the top level success of any prospect, but these players are all ranked as top-50 prospects by former NHL general manager Craig Button.

How much better can the Canadiens be with four top-50 prospects actually finding their ceiling? The answer is significantly better.

Also, the NHL has announced a $9-million augmentation of salary cap for next season, and there’s no GM in better position to use that money than Kent Hughes. The club has nothing but team-friendly contracts to help use an enormous amount of cap space to acquire top talent. When the Canadiens want to spend, they can win any sweepstakes for any player.

Free-agent hope usually isn’t that exciting because no one chooses Montreal — but everyone, it is known around the league, wants to play for Head Coach Martin St. Louis. Every free agent will consider Montreal for the potential of the team, the excitement of the Bell Centre, and the integrity of the head coach and general manager.

This is just the beginning, and the beginning has the team in the final eight of the NHL playoffs. There are already 22 teams jealous of Montreal, and there’s an extremely good chance in the next decade that it will be 29 fan bases who wish they were cheering for the Canadiens.

Brian Wilde, a Montreal-based sports writer, brings you Call of the Wilde on globalnews.ca after each Canadiens game.

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

Residents of a large encampment on forested Crown land above Peachland, B.C., are being ordered to leave after the province issued dozens of 14-day eviction notices to squatters living at the site.

The encampment has grown significantly over the past year, raising concerns among nearby residents and local officials about wildfire risk and environmental contamination.

“On one hand, disappointed that those people need to do this, because where do they go?” said Peachland Mayor Patrick Van Minsel. “On the other hand, I did see the danger to our town. We cannot have this. It’ll be a very dry season, so we need to be very vigilant.”

The camp is located near Trepanier Creek, where concerns have also been raised about sewage contamination.

Residents living nearby say they have been asking various levels of government for help for months.

“Everybody is wiping their hands clean of it and it doesn’t matter where we turn or where we go, it’s not our responsibility,” said a nearby resident in an earlier interview on April 2.

Van Minsel said he first became aware of the encampment in March and brought the issue to the attention of provincial officials.

“Although it’s not our jurisdiction, we promised them to do the necessary steps to help them,” Van Minsel said.

The site contains roughly 20 RV trailers, along with discarded furniture, old boats, vehicles and piles of garbage.

The B.C. Natural Resource Officer Service attended the site Tuesday to issue eviction notices.

The province said officials will return after the two-week deadline to determine whether enforcement action is necessary.

In the meantime, support services are being offered to those living at the encampment.

In a statement, the Ministry of Housing and Municipal Affairs said, “Community Integration Specialists have been engaging with people near Trepanier Creek to help connect them to financial assistance and local services.”

Business operators near Penticton’s Fairview homeless encampment say they are encouraged to see action being taken in Peachland but are calling for a similar response in their community.

Multiple fires have broken out at the Fairview camp over the past three years, including a recent blaze that spread onto property belonging to Inland Truck and Equipment.

“If they’ve raised enough of a fuss like the residents of Peachland, then I guess we just keep squeaking until we get grease here too, I suppose,” said Luke Bradley, truck sales consultant at Inland Truck and Equipment

Last year, a fire at the Penticton encampment spread and destroyed two RV trailers at Leisureland RV Centre.

A provincial injunction application seeking to dismantle the camp remains before the courts, but with no hearing date scheduled, frustration among nearby businesses continues to grow.

“What more do we got to do here,” Bradley said.

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

A Victoria police officer is facing sexual assault charges following an external criminal investigation by the West Shore RCMP.

A sexual assault charge has been approved by the B.C. Prosecution Service against Const. Chris Kayiatos.

The Victoria Police Department says it was notified in April last year by a third-party agency of an allegation of sexual assault involving one of its off-duty members.

The Prosecution Service says the alleged offence happened on Oct. 10, 2024, somewhere in the Langford area.

Victoria police say that Kayiatos has been suspended and his duty status is subject to review and assessment.

“Allegations of this nature are extremely serious for those directly affected, and they are serious for public confidence in policing,” Victoria police Chief Fiona Wilson said.

“When a police officer is charged with a criminal offence, it has a broader impact on trust, on our profession and on the many members of this organization who serve our communities with integrity each and every day.”

Kayiatos’ first court appearance is scheduled for July 30.

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

A recent Metro Vancouver board meeting lasted three minutes and 40 seconds, but Global News has learned that their payday was much bigger than that.

The meeting took place on Thursday morning when 13 members of Metro Vancouver’s Regional Planning Committee gathered, some in person and some virtually, for three minutes and 40 seconds.

The agenda items were procedural, with Township of Langley Mayor Eric Woodward chairing the meeting.

Metro Vancouver confirms that each director in attendance is entitled to a $557 stipend, meaning the meeting, which lasted less than four minutes, cost the public more than $7,200 in fees, paid to the Metro directors, who are also local politicians.

Woodward says the board is too large and the committee structure should be reformed.

When asked about the pay, he told Global News that, “I actually have attempted to not be remunerated by Metro Vancouver on multiple occasions and the bylaws don’t permit that,” he said.

“You have to take it. Their position is you have to be remunerated regardless of meeting lengths, and that’s not what I would prefer to see…. quite happy to serve without being paid additional for that.”

Based on the length of the meeting, the politicians earned the equivalent of $151.77 per minute, or $2.53 per second.

“The meeting proceeded because the agenda contained two time-sensitive items: Regional Context Statements for Surrey and Coquitlam that require committee and then Board approval so that the cities can pass their Official Community Plans and meet provincial requirements,” Metro Vancouver said in a statement to Global News.

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

Jennifer Burnside was working at Padmore’s Quick Shop in Chilliwack, B.C., on Monday night when a man came in wearing a mask.

“I asked him to remove it,” she said.

“And he wouldn’t. I knew something was up with that and I seemed to recognize him as well and so, after arguing, I just conceded I wanted him out of the store… when I had my back turned he pulled out a weapon, like a gun, and asked me to empty the till.”

Burnside said she was shocked to see the weapon and she jumped back.

“But then I told him no, it wasn’t happening,” she said.

Burnside said the family that owns the business works really hard and she didn’t want to just hand over the money.

“So I thought I’d call his bluff.”

The Upper Fraser Valley RCMP said that on May 4, just before 9 p.m., police received a report of an alleged armed robbery on Menzies Street in Chilliwack.

“They responded immediately and upon arrival, the suspect was no longer on scene,” Cpl. Carmen Kiener, media relations officer for the Upper Fraser Valley RCMP, told Global News.

“But we did confirm that the victim, or the employee of the store, was safe and unharmed.”

Kiener said that at this time, there are no suspects and no one is in custody, but they are urging anyone to come forward with any information.

“We take these incidents very seriously, and we are treating it very seriously to hopefully try and identify the person responsible,” she added.

Callie Ward is a lash tech who works nearby and told Global News that hearing about the attempted robbery was unsettling.

“The area down here has definitely changed in the last year or so,” she said.

“But nothing like that has happened.”

Burnside said she mentally prepares herself every day that there might be violence at her place of work.

“I’m probably supposed to say that you should comply, but it’s their own choice in the spur of the moment,” she said of how others should act in her position. “I wasn’t afraid, I was shocked, at the cheek of it.

“He didn’t even get the tip jar.”

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

Police were stationed outside an Edmonton-area mosque on Friday, one week after a member was assaulted in what fellow worshippers believe was a hate attack.

The victim had just attended Jumu’ah, or Friday prayers — a weekly practice obligatory for adult men of the Muslim faith — at the Muslim Association of St. Albert when the confrontation happened down the road.

Ali Wahad Noor and his wife were driving home from the mosque on May 1, when when another man allegedly started following them.

Further down the road, the other driver then blocked their vehicle and began shouting.

“I was verbally and physically attacked,” Noor said late Friday afternoon at a news conference that also included RCMP, elected officials and local Muslim leaders.

“Hateful anti-Muslim and racist words were directed at me,” he said.

“What happened was painful, traumatic, and frightening.”

RCMP said it happened near Poirier Avenue and Parkwood Drive in St. Albert, around 2:36 p.m., when officers responded to multiple calls about an assault in progress.

Family spokesperson Ahmed Abdulkadir said the man yelled obscenities at Noor and made threats before both men exited their vehicles.

“He calls the n-word, he calls ape, f—ing ape, you moron, what the heck I’m gonna kill you, what the heck are you doing here, go back to where you came from,” Abdulkadir alleges was said.

The situation escalated from verbal threats to a physical attack.

“The man then assaulted Ali and knocked him unconscious,” Abdulkadir said.

“This is unacceptable.”

Members of the mosque rushed to help Noor after the attack, providing first aid and cleaning his wounds while waiting for first responders.

Noor was taken to hospital and treated for lacerations and a chipped tooth.

He has since been released and is continuing to recover physically, but Noor said the emotional wounds will take longer to heal.

“No person should ever be targeted because of their faith, race, or identity,” he said.

“This attack has deeply affected me and my family. It has taken away our sense of safety and peace.”

Noor spoke out a week after he was attacked because he says he never wants anyone else to go through such an experience.

“Islamophobic racism or violence should never be accepted in our community. Let us work together to be safe.”

Abdulkadir said the incident has taken an emotional toll on the wider community, which may be longer-lasting.

“You could see the fear that the whole community has about what took place right in front of their mosque,” Abdulkadir said.

“If that’s not hate, I don’t know what it is.”

RCMP increased their presence at the mosque in the days since the attack, including attending during prayer times to provide support and reassurance to community members. Noor expressed gratitude for the quick police response last week and support ever since.

“I ask all of us to stand together against hate and work toward safe and a more united community for everyone,” Noor said.

Police who responded to last week’s attack spoke to witnesses about the the suspect. RCMP said they quickly located the suspect’s vehicle and arrested the driver.

St. Albert resident Ryan Richard Lacasse, 40, has been charged with aggravated assault and uttering threats.

RCMP said they cannot lay charges specifically identifying the crime as hate-motivated, as that determination is made later during the court process, based on the evidence presented.

“In our investigation, there is indication that racial slurs were uttered during the assault,” said Staff Sgt. Mgr. Andrew Hobson with the St. Albert RCMP.

“All the evidence gathered has been forwarded to the Crown prosecutor’s office and was taken into account in the charges laid and in the court proceedings to come.”

If a judge determines the offence was motivated by hate, it could be considered an aggravating factor at sentencing and lead to a longer penalty.

“We take these types of incidents extremely seriously,” Hobson said.

“Racism of any type has absolutely no place in our society.”

The investigation is ongoing and police said while significant evidence has been collected and serious charges laid, witnesses who have not yet spoken to police are encouraged to come forward.

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

Police in Lethbridge, Alta., have charged a 35-year-old man from Fort Macleod with sexual assault following a pair of encounters in grocery store parking lots.

On April 10, police say a 38-year-old woman was approached by a man who told her she had a spider on her back.

He then allegedly touched her back and buttocks inappropriately before he fled the scene in a black 2025 Volkswagen Jetta.

On May 5, police received similar report involving a 47-year-old woman who claims she was sexually assaulted in a westside grocery store parking lot.

Investigators later identified the suspect as Mackenzie Jackson Murray, 35, of Fort Macleod.

He was arrested on Thursday and has been charged with two counts of sexual assault and is currently being held in custody until a bail hearing.

Police are also concerned there may be additional victims and have released a photo of Murray in an effort to encourage anyone who had a similar encounter with him to come forward.

Anyone who believes they are a victim or who has information about the case is asked to contact Lethbridge police.

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

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The year was 2010 and I was a millennial teen who wore little to no makeup, but always took pride in a good at-home manicure. From hot sellers like Big Apple Red and Funny Bunny to more under-the-radar hues like Dulce de Leche, my nail polish collection was a shrine to OPI–and my weekly manicure ritual? Sacred.

There’s something deeply nostalgic about OPI. As the brand’s co-founder Susie Weiss-Fischmann once told me, “We made nail lacquer personal to women.” And she’s right. The shades, the names, the memories attached to them–it’s never been just nail polish.

Years later, however, I found it tough to resist the siren call of the nail salon. Gel manicures were shinier, stronger and looked impossibly perfect. But the lengthy appointments (not to mention the expense) slowly started to wear on me.

Enter OPI GELement Gel Essentials Kit: the at-home gel manicure system that brings the salon to you. Naturally, I was eager to test it out–more than a decade later, it was finally time to put my nail painting skills back into action. As someone who loves the look of a fresh gel manicure, especially before a big event (weddings, vacations–you name it), this felt like the beauty essential my routine had been missing all along.

 

Read on to discover why this kit has made me rethink my monthly nail appointments.

 

What does the OPI GELement system do?

Designed to recreate a salon-quality gel manicure from home, the system uses an LED curing lamp alongside gel-compatible base and top coats to lock in colour with a glossy, chip-resistant finish.

The goal? Long-lasting nails without the constant salon upkeep.

 

@amazonbeauty

get perfect nails without leaving the house 💅 shop the opi gelement nail kit at the link in bio #amazonbeauty #opi #diynails 🎥: @cjaquino_xo

♬ original sound – Amazon Beauty

 

What’s included in the kit?

The starter kit comes with:

• Base coat for strong adhesion
• No-wipe top coat for shine and durability
• LED gel curing lamp
• Prep pads
• Cuticle pushers
• File/buffers

The application itself is surprisingly beginner-friendly. The key is prep–and patience. OPI recommends keeping nails completely dry before application and applying thin coats (“We’re not frosting a cake,” the instructions cheekily remind you). Cure each layer under the lamp, repeat and suddenly you’re staring at hands that look professionally painted.

And yes, the glossy finish really is that good.

 

My review

The first time I used the GELement system, I genuinely felt like I had unlocked some sort of beauty life hack. There I was, sitting at my dining table in pyjamas, curing gel polish under an LED lamp like I suddenly owned a nail studio.

The gel lamp itself is surprisingly compact compared to other systems on the market, which seem bulky and overly complicated. With the GELement system, curing your nails is as simple as pressing a button–and I appreciate that the kit includes everything you need for a salon-worthy manicure at home, right down to the cuticle pushers–it just makes it that much easier.

What immediately impressed me was how polished–pun fully intended–the final result looked. The top coat gives nails that ultra-glossy finish you typically only get after a salon appointment. Even better? The manicure actually lasted–no chips after weeks of typing, opening packages, washing dishes, you name it.

After a few uses, here’s what stood out most:

• The shine is salon-level glossy
• My nails felt stronger
• The system was easier to use than expected
• My manicure lasted significantly longer than regular polish
• It saved me both time and money compared to salon visits

The convenience factor alone makes it worth it. There’s something deeply satisfying about giving yourself a fresh gel manicure the night before an event without needing to book an appointment weeks in advance. DIY seriously never felt so good.

I’ve already decided this will be my go-to before any occasion where I want my nails to look expensive without actually spending salon-level money–if only the GELement system existed back in my prom era.

Hot tip #1: Paint your free-edge–the outermost part of your nail–first. It truly makes all the difference in helping your mani last longer and look more polished.

Hot tip #2: One thing celebrity nail artist Zola Ganzorigt–known for creating Hailey Bieber’s viral glazed donut nails–stresses is proper removal. “Getting your nails done doesn’t really damage your nails–it’s improper removal that damages the nail,” she explains. Instead of peeling or picking at gel polish (guilty), she recommends gently filing off the top coat first before soaking nails in acetone or using a gel remover. Translation: patience now saves your nails later.

 

The pros

The OPI GELement system feels like the grown-up evolution of the at-home manicures I obsessed over as a teenager. It delivers the long-lasting, high-shine finish of a salon gel manicure while letting you skip the appointment, the wait time and the ever-growing bill at checkout.

To summarize, here’s everything I loved about it:

• Salon-worthy glossy finish
• Long-lasting wear with minimal chipping
• Beginner-friendly setup
• Compact design
• Great value compared to regular salon visits
• Perfect for events, travel and last-minute plans

 

The cons

Like any gel system, there’s a learning curve. If you rush the prep or apply coats too thickly, things can get messy fast. Thin layers and patience are non-negotiable here.

There’s also the upfront investment of purchasing the starter kit and additional gel shades separately. But when you compare that to the cost of regular gel appointments–which can easily add up to hundreds over a few months–the value becomes pretty clear. I used to spend $70 on a manicure that I can now do myself…what’s not to love?

 

The final verdict

Yes, doing your own nails takes time–and practice. But unlike sitting in a salon chair for hours, using this product feels relaxing. It’s less errand energy and more self-care ritual. For anyone who loves the look of a professional gel manicure but is tired of the upkeep, OPI’s GELement system is absolutely worth the investment. Safe to say: teenage me is thrilled. 5/5

 

More OPI must-haves

The viral nail shade everyone’s been trying to get their hands on is finally back. OPI’m a Bubble Bunny blends two of the brand’s most iconic hues–Bubble Bath and Funny Bunny–to create the ultimate milky pink-white manicure.[/product_listing]

 

Can’t quite master that crisp French tip? These flirty press-ons give you a flawless, salon-worthy finish in just seconds.[/product_listing]

 

Infused with grape seed, sesame and cupuaçu oils, this ultra-nourishing formula helps protect and strengthen dry cuticles. Its tube-like packaging makes it great for on-the-go maintenance.[/product_listing]

 

PSA: The chrome powder used to create Hailey Bieber’s viral glazed donut nails for the 2022 Met Gala is now available for pre-order! Get your hands on it now before it’s too late.[/product_listing]

 

If you’re running late to an occasion (because, same), a few drops of this antioxidant-packed lacquer will take your nails from wet to set in a pinch.[/product_listing]

 

You may also like:

OPI Nail Polish Remover – $9.99

Nail Art Brush Set – $10.99

Tweezerman Nail Buff – $13.01

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

Edmonton firefighters were on scene at several grassfires Friday, battling against conditions ideal for fires to quickly get out of control.

“One of the concerns we all have, whether you’re a resident or you’re a part of Edmonton Fire Rescue Services, is that it’s very, very tinder dry at this point,” said District Fire Chief Brian Williams.

“The temperatures are coming up and now we’ve got high winds.”

Williams was on the scene at a grassfire near 137th Avenue and Mark Messier Trail just after 9:30 a.m. It is believed the fire started in an encampment and conditions spread it over a larger area.

Crews had the fire under control and contained within an hour of arriving.

A few other fires were reported along Winterburn Road in west Edmonton early Friday afternoon, at least one of which was also believed to have been started in an encampment.

Later in the afternoon, around 2:30 p.m, a large grass fire took off across fields in the city’s far northeast, north of Manning Drive near 227 Avenue NW and Meridian Street NW.

Edmonton Fire Rescue Services said ten units were dispatched to that blaze. There are no fire hydrants in the rural area so tankers were forced to regularly go reload with more water.

The fires occurred the same day the city conducted a prescribed burn in Jan Reimer Park, located on the west end across the North Saskatchewan River from the Terwillegar dog park.

“It’s an 18-hectare burn,” said EFRS operations assistant deputy chief Neil Robertson.

“It’s quite a bit larger than the burns we’ve done in the past and it gives us an opportunity with some pretty good safety features around here to go as we’re going on.”

In a news release, the city said the burn was done as a part of its wildfire prevention effort to “proactively reduce wildfire risk.”

“Prescribed burns reduce wildfire fuel, help prevent high-intensity fires, return important nutrients to the ecosystem and increase biodiversity that supports habitat enhancement,” the release added.

Williams said the biggest message to people is to stay vigilant, and to think about what could happen if planning an outside fire.

“Be safe, because we want to have a better summer than what we’ve had in the past,” Williams said.

“It’s been a busy few summers, for sure. We just don’t want to see any more.”

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

The owner of a Saskatoon greenhouse says she and her team are preparing for a rush of customers ahead of the next two weekends, typically the busiest times of the year for local green thumbs.

Nikki van Duyvendyk, owner of Dutch Growers, says it is “all hands on deck” at her store as growers flock to her shop at the sight of warmer weather at the start of the planting season.

“Mother’s Day weekend is really the kickoff of the whole season. It’s when you typically will start putting in your garden, your trees, and shrubs and cleaning up your yards,” she said, adding that the Victoria Day long weekend tends to be the other busiest weekend.

Van Duyvendyk says her greenhouse is prepared by hiring additional staff — growing the team from around 40 in the off-season to approximately 110.

“That’s really just making sure that we have enough people so that we can water everything, teach people how to plant, how to garden, and also enjoy what we’re doing at the same time.”

As the snow melts and temperatures begin to warm, experts say May is often when green thumbs start getting eager to put plants in the ground. But they caution to keep an eye on the weather forecast in case the temperature drops too low at night, endangering your plant’s survival.

“Our last average frost date is somewhere around May 15 to May 21, but we have to keep in mind that that’s the last average frost date. So there’s still a chance that we can get frost after that date,” said Brooke Culver, horticulture outreach specialist at the University of Saskatchewan.

“You can certainly start buying your seeds this time of year. I would hold off on planting until after the May long weekend,” said Culver.

With rising food and fuel prices, experts say they are already noticing different types of growers shopping around.

“It’s definitely the younger generations as well, which is so amazing to see a lot of new gardeners, people that have never planted before, coming in,” said van Duyvendyk.

Culver has the same observations and recommends that new growers start small and not be afraid to make mistakes.

“Really pay attention to the information that comes on that seed packet. That will tell you when to plant it out. It will tell if it’s better to start it indoors as a transplant or to sow it directly into your garden,” said Culver.

While gardening can be intimidating for first-timers, experts say reaching out to the community can make getting started easier.

“Connecting with other growers, connecting with your neighbours, the people you work with, friends and family. We’re here to help you on your gardening journey,” said Culver.

The University of Saskatchewan’s Gardenline resource offers free, research-backed advice for all growers, said Culver, adding that there has been a recent influx in queries within the past few weeks.

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