The Canadian Coast Guard has rescued a sailor attempting to set a world record for the shortest boat to cross the Atlantic Ocean.

In a statement, the coast guard said it was advised on Friday morning that the sailor of a 1.2-metre vessel needed help.

The coast guard says the boat, called the Big C Atlantic Challenge, was about 120 kilometres east of Grates Cove, a small town at the tip of eastern Newfoundland’s Bay de Verde Peninsula.

The statement says the CCGS Sacred Bay rescued the sailor at around 2:15 p.m.

The coast guard says the Sacred Bay brought the sailor to Old Perlican, N.L., also on the Bay de Verde Peninsula, but the Big C Atlantic Challenge boat was abandoned.

The Big C Atlantic Challenge website says the sailor was attempting the record-setting transatlantic journey to raise money for cancer research.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

Iran fired ballistic missiles and drones toward Bahrain and Kuwait early Saturday, Bahrain’s government said, adding that they were intercepted. It called on Tehran to immediately cease attacks on Gulf neighbors that it deemed a “serious escalation.”

Iran’s foreign ministry said the U.S. early Saturday attacked surveillance facilities on Qeshm Island and near Sirik that it said were used to protect borders and “ensure the security of navigation in international waters.” Tehran called the attack a violation of the fragile ceasefire.

The latest exchange of fire came as the Trump administration pressed Iran to make a deal to end the war that has strained the global economy and threatened a hunger crisis in some of the world’s most vulnerable countries.

Iran said it targeted the U.S. military

The U.S. military earlier said it shot down several Iranian missiles and drones launched toward the Strait of Hormuz and Gulf Arab allies, and struck some of the Islamic Republic’s coastal surveillance radar sites in response.

“The attack drones posed an immediate threat to regional maritime traffic,” U.S. Central Command said on social media. It confirmed it hit radar sites, including an island in the strait, “to defend against further attacks.”

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said it targeted the Ali Al Salem air base, which hosts U.S. forces in Kuwait, and the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet in Bahrain, according to the state-run IRNA news agency. The U.S. military said there were no reports of harm to U.S. personnel.

Earlier in the week, Iranian drones heavily damaged a passenger terminal at Kuwait’s main airport, killing one person and wounding dozens.

The U.S. military kept up its blockade on Iranian ports in response to Tehran’s chokehold on the crucial corridor for global oil and natural gas shipments, which has sent energy prices spiking and posed political problems for President Donald Trump’s Republican Party ahead of midterm congressional elections.

Trump promises a quick end to US-Iran conflict

Despite concerns that the ceasefire could collapse, Trump told reporters Friday that “the situation with Iran seems to be going quite well.” He told an event that “we’re going to come out of Iran very quickly and it’s going to be very strong one way or the other, whether it’s a piece of paper or the very tough way.”

Trump increasingly appears to be boxed in on the war. U.S. and Iranian negotiators reached a tentative agreement a week ago to extend the ceasefire by 60 days and start a new round of talks on Iran’s nuclear program. But Trump has called for unspecified changes and Iranian officials have shown no public sign of agreeing to the deal.

Asked on Friday why it was taking so long, Trump told NBC’s “Meet the Press” it was because “it’s a very hard thing for them.”

He added that the Iranians still have 21% to 22% of their missiles. One of the war’s stated aims was destroying Tehran’s missile program.

The ongoing fighting in Lebanon, where Israeli forces have seized large swaths of the south while saying it targets the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group, also challenges efforts to end the Iran war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has demanded that any lasting truce extend to Lebanon.

The Trump administration has touted the latest ceasefire agreed to earlier in the week by the Lebanese government and Israel after U.S.-brokered talks in Washington. However, Hezbollah has rejected the agreement.

Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon on Saturday killed nine people including three members of the Lebanese military, the Lebanese army and state media said. Israel’s military said it was reviewing the incident and that it operates against Hezbollah and not the Lebanese army.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

A southwestern Ontario community is marking the five-year anniversary of a hate-motivated attack that took the lives of four members of a Muslim family.

Salman Afzaal, his wife Madiha Salman, their daughter Yumna and her grandmother Talat were killed on June 6, 2021, after a man hit them with his truck while they were out for a walk in a London, Ont., neighbourhood.

The couple’s son, who was nine years old at the time, was seriously hurt but survived, and the assailant was convicted of four counts of murder and one count of attempted murder in 2023.

The judge ruled the murders, committed by a self-described white nationalist, were an act of terrorism and the case marked the first time Canada’s terrorism laws were put before a jury in a first-degree murder trial.

The Youth Coalition Combating Islamophobia is organizing several events to commemorate the anniversary, including a community march in London today.

Meanwhile, London police Chief Thai Truong said in a statement Friday that the anniversary is a time to honour the Afzaal family and grieve with the Muslim community.

He added that the consequences of hate “can be devastating and deadly.”

“There are moments in the history of a community that leave a mark that never goes away. This was one of those moments for London,” he said.

“We remember them not only for what was taken, but for what their memory continues to inspire in this city: unity, compassion, courage and a responsibility to stand up against hate in all its forms.”

The five-year anniversary comes as a national Muslim organization urges Ottawa to follow through on recommendations to address Islamophobia.

Speaking on Parliament Hill on Thursday, Khaled Al-Qazzaz, head of the Canadian Muslim Public Affairs Council, said the attack on the Afzaal family “exposed a reality” of Islamophobia faced by Muslim communities across the country.

“Despite years of studies, consultations and public commitments, Muslims in Canada continue to face discrimination, harassment, violence and unequal treatment,” said Al-Qazzaz, whose group has released a new report urging Ottawa to fight anti-Muslim hate.

“Islamophobia is not only expressed through individual acts of hatred but also through broader social and institutional structures that continue to harm and disenfranchise Muslim communities.”

The report urges the federal government to follow through on recommendations tabled by House and Senate committees to boost training on detecting and preventing discrimination, and calls for $40 million in federal funding to protect mosques and Muslim schools.

The group is also seeking policies that hold social media companies accountable for spreading and promoting hate online, noting that mass killings in Canada have been carried out by people exposed to extremist content.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

Former foreign affairs minister Stéphane Dion says Canada needs to substantially staff up its embassies in Europe and set deadlines for following through on the flurry of agreements Brussels has signed with Ottawa.

Dion’s comments come after Canada’s former military chief said Ottawa must stop cutting back on diplomats to boost defence spending.

“These agreements and partnerships must not remain on paper. They must be fully implemented,” Dion told the Senate foreign affairs committee on Wednesday.

“In Ottawa, in Brussels and in European capitals, we have work to do to ensure that commitments are translated into concrete actions.”

Dion was Canada’s ambassador to France until January and also a special envoy for Europe.

Dion told the committee that Prime Minister Mark Carney was right to appoint a personal envoy to the EU to oversee the various agreements Canada has signed in the defence, trade and research fields — a move Brussels has emulated with its own envoy.

But he said there should be a point person from each side who is publicly accountable for every single agreement Canada has signed with Brussels because it’s not clear how many of these ambitious plans are bearing fruit.

He noted that Canadian businesses are still not exploiting the full potential of the CETA trade deal between Canada and the EU that took effect in 2017.

“My suggestion then is to ensure that for each signed agreement, there are two senior officials — one Canadian, the other European — who are accountable for the implementation of these specific agreements, with specific objectives and deadlines,” he said.

Dion said Canada urgently needs to staff up its diplomatic presence on the continent. He argued that peer countries have more diplomats handling fewer files and urged Ottawa to focus its foreign service cuts on the headquarters in Ottawa, rather than missions abroad.

The Canadian Press reported last month that Global Affairs Canada is disproportionately cutting positions based abroad, with rotational posts being eliminated at three times the rate of staff who are based in Canada.

“Our resources are already underdeveloped for a G7 country and even compared with countries of lesser importance than ours,” Dion testified in French.

In remarks before a University of Ottawa panel on Tuesday, former chief of the defence staff Wayne Eyre called on Ottawa to hire more diplomats.

“We have to engage diplomatically to form those deep regional and country-specific knowledge and relationships. And I would argue cutting diplomats is not the way to do it. We should be going in the other direction,” Eyre said.

In Wednesday’s testimony, Dion also pushed back on an idea that has come up repeatedly as Canada has navigated a fraught new relationship with the United States — that of joining the European Union.

He called joining the EU a “false good idea.”

Dion noted some EU countries still haven’t fully ratified the 2017 trade deal with Canada and Ottawa would be joining a line of 10 nations seeking to join the bloc. Doing so, he said, would mean ceding sovereignty to Brussels and arguing over how provinces are represented there.

“Canadians will not accept this loss of sovereignty,” Dion said, adding such a move would require amending the Constitution.

“After that, Canada would be a half-country, so we would need to give more than what we would receive,” he said. “And you know how much equalization payments between Canadians is an issue. Imagine if we have to do that for foreigners.”

Geneviève Tuts, the EU ambassador to Canada, added that the EU only accepts members which are physically located on the European continent.

Achim Hurrelmann, co-director of the Centre for European Studies at Carleton University, told senators Wednesday that the idea of joining the EU is a distraction from work to improve relations.

“I find the media debate about Canada’s membership in the EU — and the way in which some European politicians have half-jokingly played into it recently — rather irritating. I think this debate could actually become politically quite dangerous, especially in the context of debates such as Alberta separatism,” he testified.

“It’s important that Canadian policy-makers focus on concrete and realistic steps that can be taken to improve Canada-EU relations, and it’s also important that Canadian policy-makers ask their European counterparts to do the same.”

Dion suggested that instead of EU membership, Canada should seek to join the European Political Community, a high-level forum for co-ordinating a response to the war in Ukraine and economic issues.

He also said the federal government should push to make Canada eligible for grants under a new EU research fund that will replace an existing partnership called Horizon next year.

Tuts urged Canada to rework policies that she said are undermining the rules-based trading order and the trade deal Ottawa has with Brussels, such as initiatives to give Canadian companies an edge in government procurement.

“Certain recent economic policies in Canada have created uncertainties for some EU companies,” she testified.

“‘Buy Canadian’ and similar provincial policies, as well as the steel and steel-derivative tariffs, undermine our balanced access agreed in CETA. And these come on top of some other measures, like the luxury tax on cars, cheese imports, or on wines and spirits.”

© 2026 The Canadian Press

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Whether you’re a newbie camper or a seasoned pro, the benefits of camping are countless. Camping allows you to disconnect from the hustle and bustle of city life, to connect to nature in a way few other activities can, and to discover local beauty and wildlife (often not far from where you live). The barrier to entry is relatively low and it’s certainly a less expensive lodging option than many other ways to vacation—especially once you’ve acquired a few camping essentials.

But, while camping is arguably less about the frills and creature comforts, there is also no reason to rough it, especially if you’re new to sleeping outdoors. In fact, by ensuring you have these must-haves, you may see camping become one of your favourite ways to spend your spring and summer holidays. Read on for top finds from Wayfair, Walmart and more.

 

One camping hack that will leave you feeling like a pro even if you’re not a seasoned camper is to string up a tarp over your tent, so that even if it rains, you’ve got extra protection from the elements (tents are prone to leaks over time so it is a good way to extend the life of yours). It can also expand your seating area, so more of your campmates can hang out. It’s truly a versatile (and durable) piece of equipment, that doesn’t take up a lot of space and that you’ll be glad to have on-hand in the event the weather shifts. We recommend the largest size of this Unigear Rain Fly Hammock. There really are so many ways to set it up, so you can work with the trees, posts and whatever else is available around you on your campsite.[/product_listing]

 

If you want to take this an extra step, add this Guard Shield Heavy Duty Waterproof Tarp or a tent footprint beneath your tent as well, to help preserve the base of your tent and as an added layer of insulation.[/product_listing]

 

Another incredibly useful piece of gear in any camper’s toolkit is parachute cord—so called because it was used in the suspension lines of parachutes, particularly during the Second World War. It is a nylon utility rope, interwoven with 32 strands that can be taken apart to suit your needs—such as stringing up your tarp. We like this bright apricot option, for visibility allowing you to easily follow the lines where there may be lots of green and brown.[/product_listing]

 

Of course, it’s difficult (though not impossible) to go camping without some sort of shelter. While we’ll leave lean-tos and other make-shift shelter to wilderness pros, a good, durable and easy-to-assemble tent really is the only piece of equipment you truly need (and should invest in). If you have a quality tent, you will remain dry and warm, even when your environs are anything but. Of course, you should match the size of your tent’s capacity with how many people you reasonably expect it to house (for singles, that’s usually a two-person tent, or larger options for families). If you really want to dig deeper, there are so many tent options out there, you can certainly find almost any features for a variety of situations, but we recommend starting with this quality Coleman Dome Tent that is easy to assemble (and disassemble).[/product_listing]

 

Once you have the exterior of your shelter secured, you can begin to think about how to make the inside of your tent comfy and cozy. One game-changing item is a sleeping pad. Having even a slight layer or barrier between your sleeping bag and the tent floor beneath can make a huge difference to any camper’s sleep quality. Sleeping pads these days are so lightweight (often self-inflating), that it’s a shame not to bring it along when it can make such a huge impact on comfort and insulation. Therm-a-Rest makes many great sleeping pad options, but this Z Lite Sol Ultralight Foam mat is a great start for those new to camping.[/product_listing]

 

While you may only be inside your tent at bedtime, it’s still important to consider what that might feel like as the night cools. Good sleep (even in fresh air) often follows some setup, so a sleeping bag definitely plays a key role here. Even if you’re not co-sleeping with a tentmate, we love this Coleman Double Sleeping bag. It can be divided into two separate bags or combined into a single, larger bag. The extra coverage may just get you the best sleep in the wild. Oh, and pro-tip: bring your own pillow. It’s a small luxury that is worth its weight in slumber. [/product_listing]

 

If you expect to be tenting for more than a couple of days, you may want to consider bringing along a canopy to serve as a spot to sit and eat in. This is especially a good idea if the forecast calls for rain at any point. You can certainly set up another tarp to do the job, but we like the ease and simplicity of this Coleman Screened Canopy (also because it provides some protection against mosquitoes and flies as well, and because you can modify it to either include the base and screens or leave these areas exposed).[/product_listing]

 

You may also like:

Sea to Summit Wilderness Wash Liquid Camp Soap – $20.85

Stanley All In One French Press Coffee Maker – $34

Portable Fan – $51.99

 

 

Kick back in comfort with this cozy, carry-anywhere camping chair – featuring a breezy mesh back, padded arms, and a strong steel frame that’s as chill as your weekend plans.[/product_listing]

 

While you may spend much of the day in motion, hiking, exploring the park or swimming, you should also bring some seating options for those slower moments. Whether it’s to sit around the campfire to tell your favourite tall tales or to take a midday break, you’ll want a light-yet-comfy camping chair that doesn’t take up too much cargo space. You may just find it becomes your favourite camping accessory. We like this Shabrie Oversized Camping Chair if you have the room.[/product_listing]

 

And if you don’t have the space, opt for this heavy duty option.[/product_listing]

 

One of the great pleasures of camping is, well, a campfire. But while you can lose yourself to technique on how to lay a proper fire (and whether you prefer the log cabin or tepee method), you’ll undoubtedly need to chop some kindling and firewood. For that you’ll need a camp axe, such as this simple, no-frills option from Walmart.[/product_listing]

 

Just remember to put the fire out before you turn in. For that, we recommend this foldable bucket.[/product_listing]

 

Many camping sites limit lighting (for obvious reasons). This adds to the ambiance of being in relative wilderness, without light pollution. But you may still need to find your way around the campsite (bathroom break?). And if you invest in a single piece of lighting equipment, make it a headlamp. It is highly portable, leaves you hands-free and points in the direction you’re looking at. Petzl is a great, reliable brand, and we recommend this PETZL TIKKINA 300 lumen option.[/product_listing]

 

With tons of space and a really practical design, this Ninja cooler is a great pick for camping trips, fishing days, or any long outdoor hangout where you want everything organized and easy to grab. It features long-lasting ice retention, a fridge-temp dry storage drawer, easy-access design, and a large capacity that holds up to 80 cans for organized, all-day cooling.[/product_listing]

 

Cook up campsite magic with this powerful, portable stove – featuring matchless push-button lighting, even heat, and wind guards so your pancakes don’t fly away.[/product_listing]

 

If you don’t want to rely on a campfire for a warm meal, we now have plenty of options for portable, easy to pack camping stoves. We guarantee, cowboy eggs never tasted so good than after a night camping out. To see what we mean, try this Coleman Cascade Propane Camping Stove. [/product_listing]

 

Just note you’ll need to get the 16 oz propane cylinder and fill it separately. [/product_listing]

 

While you can spend a lot of time and money preparing for all sorts of wilderness emergency scenarios (as this writer has), unless you are venturing deep into the woods and are sticking with well-trafficked and well-serviced camp sites, likely a basic First Aid Kit will be sufficient for beginner camping purposes—especially if you’re within quick reach of a local hospital and have cell reception (but do spend some time considering your individual needs here as well as what you might encounter). You’ll want your kit to have tick removal items, in addition to some staples like sterile bandages, bleeding, burn and wound care, blisters and a couple key tools (scissors, tweezers, and the like). This kit includes those in addition to a few extras. [/product_listing]

 

You may also like:

Stainless Steel Camping Flatware Sets – $46.99

Thermacell Mosquito Repellent – $49.98

Walkie Talkies – $59.99

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

A crystal decanter of amber whiskey, two lowball tumblers, a small mirror tray, a gold chain. 

A LEGO minifigure of Doug Ford, puffy, flushed red face, sandy blonde combed-over hair. 

Miami Vice meets Etobicoke.

That’s how a burgeoning social media influencer created a scene from The Gravy Plane, an AI-generated music video lampooning Premier Doug Ford’s private jet fiasco.

To human eyes, the 400 words of prompts might be an incoherent block of text.

To a generative artificial intelligence program, however, they’re taken as clear instructions for how to create the next frontier in political warfare.

The Gravy Plane parody video, with its catchy country-music soundtrack and a depiction of Doug Ford in LEGO form, has racked up hundreds of thousands of views across YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, X and Facebook.

It combines criticism of the government’s dalliance into jet ownership with hidden Easter eggs, such as the premier’s phone buzzing with a court order to release his cellphone records, or a hospital bed in a hallway — the kind of detail only a dedicated consumer of Ontario politics would know.

So it may come as a surprise that its creator is a middle-aged man based in Switzerland.

Originally from Ottawa, Alex Hout relocated to Switzerland 25 years ago after quitting the Canadian restaurant business and now considers himself an AI storyteller.

“I happened to stumble on this story of the purchase of a $29 million plane, and then in a few days they announced they were selling it back, and I was like, ‘This story will write itself,’” Huot said, “and the person to write this story is me.”

While Huot estimates the Miami Vice meets Etobicoke scene inside the jet took a dozen tries to get right, the whole project took him a week.

“I write the text, I write the lyrics, and then from there I use tools to generate the music, images and videos,” Huot said. “It’s a bit of a dance between my idea and what the AI generates.”

In order to produce the videos, Hout estimates he spends a couple of hundred dollars on subscriptions to programs like Suno, Nano Banana and Higgsfield — all of it paid out of pocket.

Huot is adamant that he was not contacted by any political party to create both The Gravy Plane and a second catchy Ford critique called FOI, but the videos have garnered him attention from Queen’s Park.

Ontario NDP leader Marit Stiles, Interim Ontario Liberal leader John Fraser and Minister of Long-Term Care Natalia Kusendova-Bashta are all now among Huot’s followers on Instagram.

Huot also says he was approached by a school board trustee who asked if they could use the song in a meeting.

“Honestly, that’s quite humbling for me,” Huot said.

Ebrahim Bagheri, an expert in responsible AI use and professor at the University of Toronto, suggested it might level the political playing field.

“Typically, you would think about a team building such a video,” he said. “Now AI has enabled just one person .

“I think in the next year or so these tools will become democratized to the point where your average person has probably worked with or generated a bunch of these videos, at which point you’ll reach competitive parity.”

Bagheri sees the addition of generative AI to the campaign battlefield as a double-edged sword.

“The big concern is the authenticity of the content that’s being generated. The ones with animations and the Lego figures are obviously creative work, and people will realize that immediately.”

“However, on the other side, you have the deepfakes, where people generate videos of public figures.”

In early May, the City of Toronto shut down the Gardiner Expressway and Don Valley Parkway on a weekend that featured soccer superstar Lionel Messi coming to town, three Toronto Blue Jays games and Mother’s Day.

An organization called IntegrityTO posted a deepfake-style video to X, showing Chow uttering words she never said about closing the highways.

While portions of the video are satirical in nature, and the voice used for the mayor is clearly inaccurate, showing the mayor at a podium with her lips moving to match the fake speech was enough to seemingly fool some in the X comments.

The group insists it wasn’t trying to trick anyone.

“I think anybody with any degree of common sense would know that it’s AI, because it sounded nothing like her voice,” said Daniel Tate, IntegrityTO’s executive director, who likened the video to a newspaper caricature.

“Political cartoons are part of a free, democratic society, so what we’re seeing here is a very realistic drawing, a robot’s drawing in this case.”

Others — both self-identifying conservatives and Chow supporters — reacted poorly to the video.

“The deepfakes are becoming a substantial threat to the integrity of our society,” Bagheri said.

“It’s not just the political system. There are so many smaller pieces, societal pieces, that are being impacted by generative AI technology, the political system is only one of them.”

Stephen Taylor agrees. His company created Flashbulb, a media monitoring AI tool that amasses content from television, radio, print and parliament committees and distills it into a digestible format.

“It’s certainly a concern, and it’s upon all of us to become educated with what’s out there and how these techniques are being used,” Taylor said.

“It’s not just people making videos about the premier and his plane, it can be foreign interference and people trying to manipulate how we see domestic political issues from the point of view of an adversarial power, rather than just typical democratic participation among citizens within our own country.”

Taylor also sees AI in campaigning as something that’s here to stay, akin to other revolutionary digital tools like Photoshop or search engines.

“I think the typical voter and citizen will get more fluent with AI,” Taylor said. “They’ll develop an antennae.”

At Queen’s Park, the Ontario Liberals tabled a bill to protect against malicious artificially generated content, arguing the next election could be heavily influenced by AI, and that guardrails would need to be put in place.

“Basically, you can do just about anything, you can have anybody saying anything or doing anything, and that breaks down trust,” interim party leader John Fraser said. “All of a sudden, people don’t know if what they’re seeing is real.”

Despite emphasizing the bipartisan nature of the law, the Progressive Conservatives shot it down.

So, in the absence of any actual rules or legislation, what are the best practices of AI politics?

“One of the key things is disclosure,” Bagheri said and added that another is quality control.

“The onus remains with the themselves to check the validity of the content that’s being created by AI. If there’s trouble, you cannot blame the AI model.”

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

Warning: This story contains discussion of suicide. Discretion is advised. If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available. In Canada, call or text 988 for the Suicide Crisis Helpline.

The hockey world is still mourning the sudden death of former Montreal Canadien Claude Lemieux, as experts say his family’s decision to donate his brain to CTE research could help advance understanding of the devastating disease.

Lemieux died by suicide in Florida last week, just days after appearing in Montreal, where he carried a ceremonial torch into the Bell Centre for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals. He was 60 years old.

His family says it has since chosen to donate his brain to Boston University’s CTE Center, contributing to ongoing research into the long-term effects of repetitive head injuries and traumatic brain injury.

Dr. Chris Nowinski, a former professional wrestler turned neuroscientist and co-founder of the Concussion and CTE Foundation, praised the family’s decision.

“I was very appreciative that the Lemieux family chose to donate his brain, independent of how his life ended,” Nowinski told Global News.

“I was playing through them until I couldn’t anymore, until I did too much damage to my brain,” said Nowinski, who retired after multiple concussions. “And I have never quite been exactly the same.”

Lemieux played a physical style over a 21-year NHL career that spanned nearly 1,500 games with six teams from 1983-2009. Born in Buckingham, Que., he broke into the NHL with the Montreal Canadiens in 1983 and helped the team win the Stanley Cup in 1986. He was known for his ability to perform in big games on the way to winning the Stanley Cup four times.

In a statement regarding his passing, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman called Lemieux “one of the greatest big-game players in hockey history.”

It is not known whether chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, contributed to his death.

The degenerative brain disease, which can only be diagnosed after death, has been found in several former hockey players, including Henri Richard, Chris Simon and Bob Probert.

Experts say repeated head trauma can lead to a range of symptoms, including memory loss and severe depression.

“They become so depressed and have so many symptoms. They can’t remember what they had for breakfast,” said Dr. Charles Tator, director of the Canadian Concussion Centre.

The family said it gave the CTE Center permission to publicly share any findings with Lemieux’s name, adding that no conclusions should be drawn regarding any diagnosis.

“Claude dedicated his post-playing career to helping the next generation,” the family said in a statement, referring to Lemieux becoming an agent.

There is currently no cure or treatment that can slow or stop the disease.

Nowinski said each donation is critical to advancing research.

“Each brain that’s donated is getting us closer to a cure while also giving us better insights on how to prevent this in the next generation,” he said.

Tator says prevention remains key, recommending that body checking be banned for players under 18, arguing older athletes are better equipped to protect themselves and make informed decisions.

He also noted athletes often resist safety measures. “They are about the most non-compliant group of people you can imagine,” Tator said.

Despite the tragedy, experts say Lemieux’s legacy may ultimately help protect future players.

“By allowing his name to be connected to this research, we hope his life can contribute to greater understanding, more honest conversations and better protection for athletes and families in the years ahead,” the Lemieux family said.

If you or someone you know is in crisis and needs help, resources are available. In case of an emergency, please call 911 for immediate help.

For immediate mental health support, call 988. For a directory of support services in your area, visit the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention at suicideprevention.ca.

Learn more about preventing suicide with these warning signs and tips on how to help.

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

A Montérégie, Que., woman who spent years pursuing her dream of becoming a mother is now adjusting to life with three newborns after giving birth to triplets earlier this year.

At 43, Izabel Provost became a mother to Luan-Eli, Billie-Joe and Jackie-Lou on March 12 after more than four years of fertility treatments, multiple miscarriages and significant financial and emotional challenges.

Provost said she always knew she wanted children, but after the end of a relationship several years ago, she faced a difficult decision about whether to continue pursuing motherhood on her own.

“Do I really want a kid? If I do, it’s right now,” she recalled thinking.

After several unsuccessful attempts through insemination and in vitro fertilization treatments in Quebec, Provost sought care at a specialized fertility clinic in Mexico.

She said she spent hundreds of thousands of dollars throughout the process before ultimately deciding to use both egg and sperm donors. Doctors transferred three embryos, believing it would increase the chances of a single successful pregnancy. Instead, all three implanted.

“They transferred me three embryos thinking I had more chances of having only one, and I ended up pregnant with triplets,” Provost said.

What began as a surprise quickly turned into excitement.

“I was thrilled. I was very happy, very excited,” she said.

Her mother, Ginette Provost, admitted she was initially worried about the high-risk pregnancy.

“I wondered whether she would be able to carry them to term and whether everything would go well with the delivery,” she said.

Those concerns eased as the pregnancy progressed, and the family celebrated the arrival of the three babies in March.

The new mother says she has been able to manage the demands of caring for three infants thanks to a strong support network. Her mother has temporarily moved in to help, while her father visits daily.

“He’s in love,” Provost said of her father’s relationship with the babies.
Provost credits family and friends for helping her navigate the challenges of raising triplets as a single parent.

“They support me all the way. I am very, very lucky to have them,” she said. “My big family — it’s my village.”

She has also found support online, where she documents her experience as a solo mother of triplets. Through her social media accounts, she hopes to challenge perceptions about what constitutes a family.

“There is no perfect family,” she said. “A lot of people are judging the fact that the babies won’t have a dad, but when you’re a solo mom, you have so much love to give.”

Provost says her journey shows there are many paths to parenthood and that perseverance can pay off, even after years of setbacks.
For her, it was three miracles all at once.

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

CALGARY – The Winnipeg Blue Bombers charged out of the gate to start their 2026 CFL season by beating a team they couldn’t last year.

The Bombers defeated the host Calgary Stampeders 30-28 in a tug of war that ended with Sergio Castillo’s walkoff field goal from 38 yards out for the win Friday at McMahon Stadium.

Winnipeg, which went 0-3 against Calgary last season, trailed by a point with 64 seconds remaining.

Stampeders quarterback Vernon Adams Jr., had just marched his offence out of Calgary’s end zone and 104 yards down field for the quarterback to score on a three-yard dash.

Bombers quarterback Zach Collaros connecting with Ontaria Wilson on a 27-yard throw, plus five- and eight-yard carries by running back Brady Oliveira, put Winnipeg in range for Castillo.

“It was a wild game,” Collaros said. “Pure CFL football right there. The conditions were crazy. The wind was nuts pretty much the entire game. I thought we did a good job of handling that in all three phases and playing high IQ football.

“It just feels good, coming to somebody’s house and winning a game.”

Wind gusts up to 57 km/h out of the southwest at kickoff switched directions by the start of the second half.

Oliveira, Tim White and Bryce Perkins scored touchdowns for the visitors. Castillo produced 11 kicking points, including two of the three punt singles Winnipeg scored in the game.

Winnipeg’s defence tightened in the second half after giving up three touchdowns to trail 21-16 at halftime.

Adams was sacked three times in the fourth quarter — twice by Jake Ceresna and once by Willie Jefferson.

“All three phases certainly came through, but we ended up getting to Vernon quite a bit, I guess, in that second half,” Blue Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea said. “Great effort by the front and that relentless sort of pass rush, which was right on time.”

Ceresna recorded three sacks in his debut for Winnipeg. Friday’s game was his first since last September’s Labour Day game at McMahon Stadium when he was an Edmonton Elk.

The 31-year-old shut his 2025 season down after that game to deal with a knee injury.

“This is where my season ended last year, so I just wanted to make sure I had a great game and kind of right the ship,” Ceresna said.

“I was hurt a lot of last year, so it felt good to just be running out there and kind of feeling back like myself again.”

Collaros completed 17 of 28 pass attempts for 233 yards, a touchdown throw and one interception.

Dedrick Mills and backup quarterback Quincy Vaughn each scored short-yardage touchdowns and Erik Brooks had a touchdown catch for Calgary.

Adams was 17 for 27 in passing for 239 yards and one touchdown throw.

“Long season. No one wins or loses the Grey Cup in Game 1,” Adams said.

Calgary’s Jude McAtamney kicked four converts, but missed a 45-yard field goal attempt in the third quarter in front of an announced crowd of 17,743 at McMahon Stadium.

“When you play Winnipeg, I swear, it comes down to a kick 50 per cent of the time or more. They made theirs,” Stampeders head coach and general manager Dave Dickenson.

“They outplayed us in the second half big time.

“In the CFL, you get opportunities to win these close games, you’ve got to win them, especially at home.”

The Stampeders went 11-7 last season to finish third in the West Division ahead of the Blue Bombers at 10-8.

Winnipeg crossed over and fell 42-33 to the Montreal Alouettes in the East semifinal. Calgary lost 33-30 to the B.C. Lions in the West semifinal.

Friday’s first half featured a running backs duel. Mills, the CFL’s leading rusher in 2025, ran for 95 yards and a touchdown and Oliveira for 75 yards and a touchdown.

Mills finished with 112 yards on 16 carries and Oliveira compiled 113 on 15 in the game.

Collaros, 37, was coming off a mediocre 2025 by his standards with almost as many interceptions (16) as touchdown throws (17). His 3,048 passing yards was his lowest total in five years.

Friday’s game was the quarterback’s first under new offensive coordinator Tommy Condell.

“I felt good,” Collaros said. “There will definitely be some things to clean up. I can think of two or three off the top of my head where decisions that I made, I would have liked to go elsewhere with the football in those moments. But for the first game, I thought we did a pretty good job.”

Calgary was minus veteran kicker René Paredes (groin) and defensive linemen Folarin Orimolade (Achilles) and Jaylon Hutchings (hamstring).

Paredes’ run of 247 consecutive CFL games since his 2011 debut came to an end. First-round global draft pick McAtamney of Derry, Northern Ireland, drew in Friday for Paredes.

Up Next:

Stampeders: Bye week.

Blue Bombers: Home-opener Thursday against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 5, 2026.

Note to readers:This is a corrected story. A previous version included incorrect spellings of Tim White’s surname and Dedrick Mills’ first name.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

A back-and-forth battle between the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Calgary Stampeders came down to the foot of Winnipeg kicker Sergio Castillo, and like so many times throughout his Bombers tenure, the veteran came through in the clutch.

His 38-yard field goal on the final play of the game gave the Bombers a 30-28 season-opening win at McMahon Stadium in Calgary Friday night.

The winning Winnipeg drive came after the Bombers defence gave up a 15-play, 104-yard drive to the Stamps, who took a 28-27 lead with 1:04 to go in the fourth quarter.

But after getting favourable field position on the ensuing kickoff, Zach Collaros hit Ontaria Wilson for a 27-yard gain and a few runs by Brady Oliveira put Winnipeg in field goal range.

The first game for the offence under new co-ordinator Tommy Condell was a fairly successful one as the Bombers found the endzone three times and Brady Oliveira rushed for 113 yards and added a major.

His first quarter touchdown, on a 19-yard scamper, opened the scoring and Winnipeg led 8-0 after the opening 15 minutes.

But the Stamps exploded in the second quarter with three touchdowns and took a 21-16 lead into the half.

The Bombers offence was able to give them the lead back in the third as Collaros found Tim White for a 15-yard touchdown, his first as a Bomber. It was the lone touchdown pass for Collaros, who threw for 233 yards. White’s 60 yards receiving on the night led the Bombers in that category.

And just when it looked like the Bomber defence might pitch a second-half shutout, the Stamps put together the massive touchdown drive to take the late lead.

New Bombers defensive lineman Jake Ceresna had an impactful debut, sacking Calgary quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. three times and making five tackles.

The Bombers now have a short week to prepare for their home opener on Thursday, June 11, when they host the Hamilton Tiger-Cats at Princess Auto Stadium.

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