Dozens of people were forced to scramble to safety after a fire broke out in a downtown Calgary high-rise Friday afternoon.

The Calgary fire department said it got the call around 4:20 p.m. to a building in 1000 block of 13 Avenue S.W.

A column of thick smoke could be seen rising from the top of the high-rise across downtown Calgary, prompting the first firefighters who arrived on scene to call for more resources.

There are 72 units in the building and while many were able to evacuate their suites, Calgary Fire Department Information Officer Alex Kwan said others chose to shelter in place.

“If the fire is not in somebody’s unit they can safely shelter in place particularly if they use a mobility aid, a wheelchair or walker or something like that so you can’t get down the stairs safely,” said Kwan.

“Then you’re better to stay in your suite, leave the door closed, use something like blankets or jackets to keep any smoke from coming in underneath the door.”

Kwan said firefighters we’re able to quickly narrow down the location of the fire to the top floor of the building, but were unsure if it started on the roof or in one of the penthouse suites.

A CFD “overhaul team” also had to be brought in to punch holes in the ceiling to determine if the fire had further spread.

Several roads in the area were shut down and people were asked to avoid the area, which created some serious traffic backups during the busy evening rush hour.

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

While many Edmontonians have been taking in the warm weather as of late, some like Jessica Wiekli wish it didn’t come with all the pollen.

“It’s awful here,” Wiekli said. “We just moved here from Calgary a year ago so this is our first season through it.”

Wiekli and others who suffer from seasonal allergies this time of year feel it has been more intense compared to other years, and they would be right.

Kevin Sproule, an arbourist with Davey Tree Edmonton, says the late start to spring coupled with dry conditions are to blame.

“We had a couple of what we call false springs, so there was warm enough weather to trigger the trees to think, ‘Oh, it’s spring time, let’s go,’ and then back to winter,” said Sproule.

“When it does that, it does put up quite a bit of stress on the trees.”

It’s that stress Sproule says that causes trees and shrubs to produce more pollen than usual. Leafy, deciduous trees, like poplars and maples, also produce pollen earlier in the season.

“That is the type of pollen that really seems to affect people the most,” Sproule said.

On Friday, dusty yellow of pollen could be seen coating vehicles and surfaces across the city.

Pharmacist Pam Lavold has been treating allergy sufferers for years, especially during the spring.

“Allergy season is on us in full force and that means that people are coming in with nasal congestion, sneezing, runny eyes, watery eyes, itching, rashes, all of those things,” Lavold said.

She added that seasonal allergies can begin as early as February, when people are exposed to snow mould.

“People don’t really think about it until it’s full force upon them like right now and their symptoms have worsened,” said Lavold. “Really we should be starting treatment, talking to your pharmacist a little bit early so we can get remedies that might help you lessen symptoms at this time of year.”

Those remedies include over-the-counter medications like antihistamines or nasal preparations.

There are also things you can do in your own yard. Sproule says keeping trees healthy and properly pruned can help lower the pollen count.

“Anything that you can do to keep your trees as healthy as possible and not trigger that last ditch effort to put out the pollen and recreate.” Sproule said.

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

A wildfire raging between Prince Albert, Sask., and Duck Lake was still out of control as of Friday afternoon, prompting an evacuation alert nearby.

The fire, dubbed Lobstick, was first reported on Tuesday afternoon just after 3 p.m., with fire crews attending the scene shortly after, according to the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA).

The flames were sparked by a lightning strike, after crews initially believed the blaze was caused by an ATV, according to the safety agency.

As of Friday evening, the SPSA says the flames are not contained and span 13,000 hectares, up from 1,300 hectares earlier Friday morning.

Lily Plain, a small community southwest of Prince Albert, was briefly under a mandatory evacuation order Thursday evening before it was reduced to an alert around 9 p.m.

The smell of smoke is a reminder of the past for Cory Wasyliw, who lives in Macdowall, around 10 km east of the flames.

He says seeing the blazes destroy the forest he frequents is disappointing, having fought similar flames back in 1989.

He also questioned why the Lobstick fire wasn’t extinguished when it started, citing reports from area residents that equipment was pulled off the fire.

“The fire doubled in size, and then it was getting bigger,” he said. “Why did they stop suppressing it and putting it out?”

Public Safety Minister Michael Weger told reporters at a media briefing Friday afternoon that some equipment had been temporarily pulled back for safety reasons.

“The heat of the fire, plus just the weather — temperatures in almost the mid-30s — did affect some of the dozer work (crews) were doing,” Weger said. “The dozers just couldn’t get into some of the spots.”

He added residents may see equipment sitting unused, noting it is due to safety considerations.

“There’s usually a good reason for that,” Weger said. “They (the SPSA) have to reorganize their plans and then go back in.”

Jordyne Seminoff, a volunteer firefighter from Macdowall, says she and the handful of other crew members received the call to assist on Tuesday afternoon, and it’s been all hands on deck ever since.

“With that heat and the humidity being so low, we’re kind of in that best recipe for a fire to move,” said Seminoff.

Much of southern and mid-Saskatchewan is under an orange Environment Canada heat warning, with above-average temperatures lingering from earlier in the week.

As a resident in the area, Seminoff says most residents are hoping the flames do not spread any further east, where dozens of homes are located.

Helicopters, air tankers, and heavy equipment are also in use to battle the flames, according to the SPSA, adding that multiple dozer guards have also been set up.

The RM of Duck Lake was given a mandatory evacuation order, but it has since been downgraded to an alert, said the SPSA.

The SPSA said Type 1 and Type 2 fire crews were operating on the Lobstick wildfire, with local fire departments offering support.

–with files from Chris Vandenbreekel

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

Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies is among the 26 players who will represent Canada at the FIFA World Cup this summer.

Head coach Jesse Marsch unveiled his roster on Friday following a training camp in Charlotte, N.C.

Back in Toronto, giant banners of the squad were unfurled from the top of the CN Tower overlooking the city’s skyline.

“These players reflect the many communities, cultures, and journeys that make up this country,” Marsch said in a release. “They are determined, fearless, and proud to wear Canada across their chest.”

Davies was not at the camp in Charlotte as he continues to recover from a hamstring injury.

He is expected to meet his teammates in Edmonton where the national squad will play a friendly against Uzbekistan on Monday, but Marsch has said the standout defender will likely not be ready for Canada’s first game of the tournament.

Several players have been working their way back to full health in recent weeks, and the coach said evaluating each one was one of his largest tasks at the camp.

Canada’s roster features 13 players who represented the country at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, including Davies, Juventus striker Jonathan David and Hull City midfielder Liam Millar.

The 13 newcomers include goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau of Orlando City, OCG Nice defender Moïse Bombito and Villarreal forward Tani Oluwaseyi.

Crepeau will be joined by goalkeepers Owen Goodman (Crystal Palace) and Dayne St. Clair (Inter Miami), while the defence corps includes Bombito, Derek Cornelius (Olympique de Marseille), Davies, Luc de Fougerolles (Fulham), Alistair Johnston (Celtic), Alfie Jones (Middlesbrough), Richie Laryea (Toronto FC), Niko Sigur (Hadjuk Split) and Joel Waterman (Chicago Fire).

Marsch named 10 midfielders to the squad, including Ali Ahmed (Norwich City), Tajon Buchanan (Villarreal), Mathieu Choinière (Los Angeles FC), Stephen Eustáquio (FC Porto), Marcelo Flores (Tigres UANL), Ismaël Koné (U.S. Sassuolo Calcio), Millar, Jonathan Osorio (Toronto FC), Nathan Saliba (R.S.C. Anderlecht) and Jacob Shaffelburg (Los Angeles FC).

Alongside David, Canada’s forwards are Promise David (Royale Union Saint-Gilloise), Cyle Larin (RCD Mallorca) and Oluwaseyi.

After facing Uzbekistan in Edmonton on Monday, the national squad will travel to Montreal to take on Ireland on June 5.

Zorhan Bassong (Sporting Kansas City), Jayden Nelson (Austin FC) and Ralph Priso (Vancouver Whitecaps) did not make the World Cup roster but were at the camp in Charlotte will stay with the team through the friendly games.

Canada will kick off its tournament against Bosnia-Herzegovina in Toronto on June 12 before shifting to Vancouver for group-stage games against Qatar on June 18 and Switzerland on June 24.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

The B.C. Conservation Service says it killed a sow black bear in Golden Ears Provincial Park after it was seen displaying aggressive behaviour.

Late on Thursday, BC Parks employees called officers to the park in Maple Ridge.

They said the bear had an “extensive conflict history” in the park and showed no fear of people. The bear had also reportedly broken into numerous vehicles to access food and entered a tent and multiple campsites to get to food.

The bear had two cubs, which were captured on Thursday, tranquilized and assessed.

The cubs were transported to Critter Care Wildlife Society in Langley.

“We recognize this incident and response may be distressing for people. Dispatching any bear is not the outcome we want,” Insp. Simon Gravel with the Conservation Officer Service said in an online statement.

“This bear learned to associate people with food and its behaviour was escalating. All options were exhausted and unfortunately, dispatching was the only outcome to keep people safe.”

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

Jurors have started deliberations in the second-degree murder trial of two men accused of shooting a stranger on a southern Alberta highway who had stopped to check on a burning vehicle.

A Crown prosecutor argues that all the pieces of evidence make it clear that only Arthur Penner and Elijah Strawberry could have been responsible.

Defence lawyers have said the shooters can’t be identified as their faces were covered.

Colin Hough, who worked for Rocky View Country, was shot on the road east of Calgary, on Aug. 6, 2024.

He died soon after in hospital.

Court heard Matthew Andres, a power company worker, was first shot and wounded when two men drove up and he was shot through the arm.

The assailants then took his truck but it got stuck and, when Hough pulled up minutes later to see what was going on, he was shot and his vehicle was taken.

On Friday, Court of King’s Bench Justice Shane Parker reminded the jurors to keep an open mind and focus only on the evidence they have heard in the three-week trial.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

Two men and two women were arrested in Vancouver on May 5 in relation to a more than $200,000 alleged casino cheating operation.

It only took one day for the arrests to be made in the case after allegations of suspected cheating on May 4 were flagged at a Vancouver casino by the Independent Gambling Control Office (IGCO).

The Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit of British Columbia’s (CFSEU-BC) Joint Illegal Gaming Investigation Team (JIGIT) was called in and the four people were found on May 4.

They were arrested in Vancouver on May 5.

With the ongoing investigation of the alleged cheating, investigators are pursuing charges of possession of proceeds obtained by crime and uttering forged documents.

“In this case, early detection, real-time monitoring, effective information sharing, and coordinated action between IGCO investigators and our policing partners enabled a rapid response that led to arrests and the recovery of suspected proceeds,” Sam MacLeod, general manager of the IGCO, said in a release.

Concerns around casino cheating have been on high alert after the arrests in 2007 of the ‘Tran Organization’ members. Their scams involved around $7 million across several casinos in North America, including Ontario’s Casino Rama.

Despite the decline of gambling among Canadians, there has been an increase in online gambling markets across the country.

With the easily accessible nature of online gambling, there has in turn been a heightened interest and participation of youth in B.C., according to a report from the McCreary Centre Society.

TransUnion Canada’s report found that gambling was the most prevalent in terms of online fraud attempts compared to industries such as retail or government services.
Although it can be more difficult to cheat in online casinos due to technological advancements that detect fraudulent behaviour quicker, experts warn that people can face negative consequences from those actions.

The Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) reported that there is more than a 40 per cent chance of online gamblers who meet the criteria for problems with gambling compared to only lottery gamblers.

Gambling-related harm towards financial, emotional, or interpersonal relationships was also at a higher risk of more than 20 per cent, according to that report.

To reduce these risks, the CCSA say there should be strengthening and continued maintenance of how gambling services are conducted and managed by provincial and territorial Crown corporations.

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

The Líl̓wat First Nation is demanding that the B.C. government respect closure dates that it has set at a popular park.

The First Nation says that in April it identified a total of 75 closure dates for Joffre Lakes over the spring and summer months.

The closures are meant to enable the Nation’s members to exercise their traditional activities on the land.

However, earlier in May, the province announced the park will only close to recreational visitors for a total of 31 days in the months of June and September.

“We’re going to try to continue to get back to the table so that we can have a meaningful dialog,” Tamara Davidson, B.C.’s Minister of Environment and Parks, said.

“The closure dates for 2026 have been set and we have notified the public of that. We’ve been reaching out since February to try and get us back to table to have that meaningful dialog and we’ll continue to try do that.”

The First Nation said the province announced the shortened dates without any engagement or discussion with their members.

They are asking for a response from the government by June 2.

 

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

The company building the west leg of the Valley Line LRT has been fined after one of its workers was seriously hurt on the job three summers ago.

Workers were finishing post-tensioning of a segment of the Valley Line West on June 23, 2023, when one of them was injured by equipment.

The province said that as a jack was pressured up, the concrete crumbled, causing the tensioning bar and the jack to hit and seriously injure the worker.

Marigold Infrastructure Partners Inc. pleaded guilty on May 26 to one count under provincial health and safety rules for failing to properly keep equipment safe.

The Crown withdrew 13 other charges as well as charges against two other related entities, the province said in a news release Friday. The company was fined $120,000.

Both sides have up to 30 days to appeal the conviction or penalty.

The Valley Line is a public-private partnership being built by Marigold Infrastructure Partners, which is made up of a team from French civil engineering and construction firm Colas and American technology-focused defence, intelligence and infrastructure engineering firm Parsons.

The $2.6-billion, 14-kilometre west leg is the second phase of the Valley Line — a 27-kilometre, low-floor LRT line that will connect Mill Woods in the southeast to Lewis Farms in the west end via downtown Edmonton.

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

As Ottawa appears to inch closer to a trade deal with India, Premier Scott Moe says he hopes the agreement addresses punishing tariffs on pulse crops.

But Moe says if the deal doesn’t remove the duties, it’s something his province can work around.

Last year, India imposed a 30 per cent levy on all imported yellow peas and a 10 per cent duty on lentils, causing Canadian exports of the crops to dampen.

Moe says an agreement with India would be positive.

The premier had spoke at an event where Canadian and Indian diplomats talked about improving the relationship between both countries.

Christopher Cooter, Canada’s high commissioner to India, says he’s confident a trade deal will be signed later this year and that it will help Canada grow its economy.

© 2026 The Canadian Press