I’m sure you’ve heard someone use the phrase “Elvis has left the building” in some kind of humorous or ironic way, or maybe even as some kind of catchphrase. But what does it mean and where did the phrase come from?

Yes, the “Elvis” is Elvis Presley, and the phrase itself dates to December 1956, when Elvis appeared in front of an audience for a radio show called Louisiana Hayride at the Hirsch Memorial Coliseum in Shreveport. Elvis did his thing and then left the stage. But the crowd wanted more, and things started getting a little tense. People wouldn’t stop cheering, which made it impossible for the next act to perform.

To calm things down, concert promoter Horace Logan got on the mic and said, “All right, Elvis has left the building. I’ve told you absolutely straight up to this point. You know he has. He has left the building. He left the stage and went out the back with the policemen, and he is now gone from the building.” A portion of that plea is now an evergreen rock’n’roll meme.

How? Because Elvis heard about it and began using the phrase for all his shows.

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

The White House has removed the “Build the Wall” game from its website this week after The Tetris Company issued a statement online, saying it takes “copyright infringement very seriously.”

Last Thursday, the White House website unveiled Arcade, a collection of five low-resolution video games that promote different aspects of U.S. President Donald Trump’s agenda.

“Build the Wall” was a Tetris knockoff that transforms the classic game into an effort to “Protect the border from the coming horde.”

In a statement, The Tetris Company said it “was not involved in the creation of ‘Build the Wall'”

“At Tetris we believe in the power of connection and bringing people together, not dividing them. To our fans everywhere: we love you, we see you, and we’re grateful to have you in our community,” the company added.

https://x.com/Tetris_Official/status/2095933372019216384

When asked whether The Tetris Company was considering legal action against the White House’s game, a company rep told NBC News that it is “currently reviewing the matter.”

“The Tetris Company was not involved in the creation of ‘Build the Wall’ and did not authorize or license the Tetris brand or intellectual property for the game,” the spokesperson said. “For more than 40 years, Tetris has brought people together across generations and cultures through play and joy. The objective of the game has always been to stack with purpose to clear as many lines as possible. We are currently reviewing the matter.”

Although the game is removed from the White House website, it is still referenced in social media posts from the White House official accounts.

“CAN’T STOP WINNING. Build the wall. Deport. Fill a Trump Account,” a post on X from Sept. 3 said.

https://x.com/WhiteHouse/status/2095615734567100766?s=20

Global News has reached out to The Tetris Company and the White House for further comment, but has not received a response.

The White House website also includes “Rio Run,” which resembles the mobile favourite “Snake” with an icon resembling Trump running around gathering potential border crossers.

In “Supply Line,” which looks like a condensed version of the arcade game “Tapper,” food moves along an assembly line and you must reject items that don’t meet “Make America Healthy Again” standards.

In “Flappy Bill,” an eagle carries a bill across the National Mall. In “Trump Savings Tycoon,” the goal is to collect money flying through the air to “Fill your kids’ Trump Accounts,” the administration savings plan that offers US$1,000 to every child born during Trump’s term.

—With files from The Associated Press

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

New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt announced new measures to “help mitigate” the latest rounds of U.S. tariffs, including a move to prohibit the procurement of American goods or services for provincial contracts over $5 million beginning Oct. 1.

Holt also said she’s ordered the province’s public sector to review its supply chains and choose New Brunswick or Canadian products when possible.

“This will apply even to companies that may be in Canada that are supplying U.S. products,” Holt told reporters Thursday.

“We’re looking to them to replace those products as well because we don’t want those U.S. services or goods in the province, as well as our previous exemption on or exclusion of U.S. companies.”

U.S. President Donald Trump ramped up retaliation this week after Canada imposed a new set of duties on the U.S. Those counter-tariffs followed the U.S. imposing 50 per cent tariffs on some Canadian goods in August.

Trump signed executive orders Tuesday banning the import of certain Canadian goods, including most alcoholic beverages, some dairy products and motorcycles.

“We are clearly in a trade war and a very challenging situation where New Brunswick businesses have been directly impacted by the actions of Trump. And Canada is responding in the best way possible to advance our interests,” said Holt.

“I think we’ve seen by the U.S.’s reaction that . . . they need to see the strength of the Canadian economy and they’ll recognize that there’s a lot of products that Canada makes that the U.S. can’t live without.”

Holt said her government will also determine if it has the authority to prevent Americans from obtaining fishing and hunting licences, as well as mining claims.

She said while a small number of Americans would be affected by such a move, she called it a “negotiating tool” that creates a significant response among “significant and influential Americans.”

“It’s also about our resources in total because we do have mineral claims held by Americans and American companies and we want to make sure that New Brunswick’s resources are going to the benefit of New Brunswickers and (are put to) maximum use,” she said.

To help New Brunswickers and local businesses affected by the trade war, the province will offer compensation and training programs, and launch a market diversification strategy. The province will also launch a renewed “buy local” campaign.

“Nobody should be having to pay more under this economic climate. And New Brunswick and the whole government is going to lean in and back these businesses in New Brunswick and back their employees to make sure that we can reduce that pressure as much as possible,” said Holt.

The provincial Crown corporation, NB Liquor, stopped selling U.S. alcohol in February 2025. The province also began a review of its procurement policies in the early days of the trade war.

Since then, Holt said the value of U.S. contracts has been reduced from $34.4 million in the 2024-25 fiscal year to $16.4 million for the 2025-26 fiscal year.

The province says this represents a drop from 1.4 per cent to 0.7 per cent of the total value of government contracts awarded each year, which roughly amounts to $2 billion.

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

LAS VEGAS – Cole Caufield and his teammates took a massive step last season.

The Montreal Canadiens exceeded expectations — at least those outside their locker room’s four walls — following a long and painful rebuild.

The Original Six club finished with 106 points and made a run to the Eastern Conference final before getting smothered by the relentless Carolina Hurricanes on the way to that franchise’s second Stanley Cup victory.

Despite that disappointment, and the harsh realization how far his group still has to go, Caufield sees last spring’s heartbreak as simply the first step in a long journey.

“It’s just building our standards and keeping those higher than ever,” he said this week at the NHL/NHLPA player media tour. “The experience from last year will help. But it’s only going to get harder.”

That certainly looks to be the case after a number of Atlantic Division rivals reloaded for the upcoming 2026-27 campaign.

The Florida Panthers — Cup winners in 2024 and 2025 after also making the 2023 final — are back healthy following a lost season that saw captain Aleksander Barkov suffer a serious injury in training camp. The team also added a second Tkachuk to the fold, with bruising Brady now set to suit up alongside older brother and fellow winger Matthew thanks to a trade with the Ottawa Senators.

The Toronto Maple Leafs dipped into free agency by signing goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, defenceman Darren Raddysh and reworking their forward depth.

The Buffalo Sabres and Tampa Bay Lightning, who the Canadiens both topped in dramatic seven-game series, finished just ahead of Montreal in the regular-season standings.

Ottawa and the Boston Bruins also made the playoffs, while the Detroit Red Wings were above the cutline for a large chunk of last season before a late collapse.

The Canadiens largely stood pat and didn’t make a splash in free agency or via trade despite close to US$9.8 million in available salary cap space, according to PuckPedia.com.

Caufield, 25, who’s coming off Montreal’s first 50-goal season since 1989-90, isn’t concerned.

“We trust the guys that have built this up,” he said of the management group led by president of hockey operations Jeff Gorton and general manager Kent Hughes. “They wouldn’t do anything that would change the direction and the path. For us, it’s all about internally, ‘How do we get better and how do you push the group from inside?’

“That’s why the top of mountains are so high.”

And while contract numbers have ballooned this summer across the NHL with the cap shooting up significantly to $104 million per team, Montreal’s core that includes Caufield, captain Nick Suzuki, star defenceman Lane Hutson and flashy winger Ivan Demidov are all on long-term, team-friendly deals that allow more wiggle room.

Caufield said there are no hard feelings about salaries despite players of their vintage and younger cashing in.

“We get paid a lot of it to do what we do,” Caufield said. “The culture that we’ve created is no joke. People just love being around each other. It’s cool to see hockey (contracts) growing in that way. There’ll be time for that to come. But right now is probably the biggest five, six years of our careers. What’s more important is winning and doing all those things and doing it with the group.

“That’s what would make it that much sweeter.”

And the Canadiens plan on trying to do it their way.

“We know where we’re at,” Caufield said. “Everybody else is adding pieces to their puzzle. What we’ve been doing is making our own brand of puzzle that’s a little bit different.

“We’re going to stick to what we believe and what we’ve been building.”

WHAT ABOUT BOB?

Barkov said Toronto is gaining both an elite goaltender and leader with the 37-year-old Bobrovsky, who backstopped Florida to those Cup wins across seven seasons.

“There’s no one like him,” Barkov said. “That type of guy who you look up to every single day. I learned so much from him just watching him, just seeing what he does day to day, how he tries to get better.

“He feels like and looks like he’s early 30s, maybe even late-20s. That’s what you want to be, as a perfect human being and athlete.”

LAST DANCE

The Calgary Flames will bid farewell to the Scotiabank Saddledome after the upcoming season before moving into the brand-new Scotia Place.

Flames winger Matt Coronato is excited for the move, but also has a soft spot for an arena that opened in 1983.

“I’ll definitely miss parts of it,” he said. “I know it’s old … at the same time, I know I’m going to love the new place.

“But it’s mixed feelings.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 9, 2026.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

Saskatchewan’s Official Opposition says emails it obtained through a freedom of information request reveal the province’s public safety agency had a final draft copy of an independent report into last year’s wildfire response months before its public release.

The internal emails, shared with Global News by the NDP, include a March 25 email from an MNP employee addressed to two Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) officials, delivering the final draft of the independent report.

This was months before the province publicly released the report on June 12, alongside 11 action items in response to the recommendations set out in the document, following weeks of delay and mounting public pressure over an unknown timeline.

“If they had this report in March and they push it off until June, there’s a real dodging of accountability in that process,” said Jordan McPhail, northern affairs critic for the Official Opposition, on Wednesday.

The province launched an independent review of its 2025 wildfire response last fall, following devastation that marked it as the second-worst on record, with more than 500 wildfires burning through over 2.9 million hectares.

The report was initially slated to conclude before this wildfire season on March 31.

But Michael Weger, Saskatchewan’s community safety minister, told media at a technical briefing days after the initial deadline that MNP needed more time to finish the report.

“In consultation with MNP, it was determined that some additional time would be required to ensure that the review was comprehensive, and also included the involvement of some fire behaviour specialists as well,” Weger said on April 8.

Two days later, on April 10, an internal email from an SPSA executive director, who is now at the helm of a unit set up to respond to recommendations set out in the report, says the agency is looking to respond to the draft document “early next week.”

“I don’t anticipate material concerns or suggested edits from the SPSA based on my internal discussions to date,” the staffer says in the obtained email to an MNP employee.

However, Weger says the SPSA had to provide MNP with “further documentation” and address some of the company’s “unanswered questions” between April 27 and May 22, but could not provide further details on what this documentation or information entailed.

“Unequivocally, in no way did I ever direct anyone to delay the processing of this report. We trusted SPSA officials and MNP to work together to come up with a final report,” Weger told Global News in an interview Wednesday.

Weger says he does not have the specifics on what further information the SPSA needed to provide.

Global News has reached out to MNP to gain a clearer picture of the timeline of events, but the company says it does not speak on client work, directing inquiries to the SPSA.

The SPSA is referring matters to Weger, who says he received the final report alongside SPSA president Marlo Prichard on May 22, and shared emails showing when he says he first received the report with Global News.

Weger previously told the media on June 12, when he released the independent review to the public, that he had first received the report on May 22.

As for the delays, Weger says March 31 was “an optimistic deadline.”

“I think maybe there was a bit more work there in putting that review together than maybe initially anticipated,” he said.

In response to the review, the province established what it calls the Future Preparedness and Implementation Unit to monitor and implement the 11 action items outlined in the report. Weger says he is receiving “regular briefings” from that group, with announcements forthcoming as the province reaches the tail end of the wildfire season.

It is currently unknown what the announcements will entail.

Last year’s wildfire season cost the government $392 million in extra expenses, according to its latest budget, accounting for the largest portion of the $970 million in over-budget spending.

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

A new college is opening in Metro Vancouver, but it’s catering to a very specific type of student.

The Langley Animal Protection Society (LAPS) is launching what it is describing as Canada’s first National Kitten College.

It’s to help train people on how to better deal with neonatal and orphaned kittens.

Without their mothers, newborn kittens are extremely vulnerable and depend entirely on caregivers for warmth, nutrition, hygiene and monitoring.

“The goal for us at LAPS and for the other groups that were here is to grow our foster programmes and make them more robust so that the different levels of kittens that come in with different needs always have a place to go and it is not just staff taking them home, because I can tell you I have a litter of kittens in my basement and I’m often up at two in the morning taking care of them just like the rest of my amazing team,” Sarah Jones with LAPS said.

“So the ultimate is to recruit people, take the fear out of it and help the public be able to help us.”

The sessions are free with more courses planned for the future.

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

The mutual aid group Sunday Funday YQR are marking 60 days at the Pepsi Park encampment by demanding action to address the homelessness crisis.

“Living this way is dehumanizing. We have to stop dehumanizing the people who are at the bottom… We keep denying their humanity. It’s disgusting and it needs to change,” said organizer Shawn Koch.

The group is also asking for financial contributions to fund solar panels.

“What we’re hoping from the public is that we can get some donations and we get some help with sustainable energy. We’re looking to buy some solar trees, some solar panels.”

Koch says roughly 70 tents are up in the park, providing shelter to more than 150 people. He credits the City of Regina’s encampment response team and the Regina Fire Department with helping to set up portable bathrooms, but says showers, storage and power are still needed.

He says solar panels would provide reliable, renewable electricity for charging phones, cooking, and heating devices, while reducing fire risk.

The mutual aid group is not picky about the source of contributions or amounts.

“Every dollar helps. We can get going for 500 bucks… You can start small and build out that infrastructure,” Koch explained. He is also advocating for rent control while calling out the provincial government.

Meanwhile, Regina city council passed a motion delegating administration to handle a Homelessness Funding Agreement with the Province. The Saskatchewan government will contribute just over $2 million per year over the next five years towards extreme weather and outreach projects.

Corinne Hardisty, who is Treaty Five, and has been living in the encampment by choice, also called out Indigenous leadership. “Where are you First Nations People? … How come you guys are not taking care of your people?”

A previous encampment was dismantled in June 2025, and the residents were moved to a new emergency shelter. Since then, the City of Regina has shifted to a more supportive encampment strategy, and at this point in time, does not have any plans to clear the park.

Rin Craig, who has been living in the encampment for the past six weeks, says “a lot of the people here are good people. You just gotta get to know us.”

But the encampment has become a topic of debate, with reports of increased crime and damage coming from local businesses. And residents of the Heritage neighbourhood have their concerns as well.”

“Having these elderly people unable to do their walks is very heartbreaking for me. That’s what really upsets me the most” said long-time resident Darrell Kaczynski.

Koch says he feels for the residents and neighbours, and understands their worries, but recommends everyone approach the situation with empathy.

“I do feel bad for all the neighbors around here, but these are your neighbors as well. This is community, okay? This is what this looks like. And either we get busy helping people or we don’t, and if we don’t it’s just going to get worse.”

“Nobody wants this. Nobody here is pro-encampment. No one here is a pro-tent cities. We are pro-housing” he said.

There are currently no plans to decommission the encampment.

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

Four people are facing a combined 200-plus charges following an investigation into a series of vehicle thefts, commercial break-ins, fraud and an attempted carjacking across Durham Region and Toronto.

Investigators have linked the group to 36 incidents between June and September, Durham Regional Police announced in a news conference on Thursday that detailed the results of what police dubbed Project Magenta.

Police allege the four suspects are members of an organized criminal network responsible for more than a dozen vehicle thefts and eight commercial break-ins.

Acting Deputy Chief Glenn Courneyea said the crimes undermined community safety and caused significant financial harm to businesses.

Police estimate the total losses connected to the operation at around $1 million, with the figure expected to rise further.

One of the largest alleged thefts occurred on June 14, when suspects broke into a trading card retailer in Ajax and stole approximately $148,000 worth of merchandise, police said.

In several of the commercial break-ins, investigators allege stolen vehicles were driven through storefronts to gain entry. Those vehicles were later abandoned and replaced with other stolen vehicles that were used in subsequent crimes.

Police said pawn shops, cannabis stores and jewelry stores were among the businesses targeted.

Police also released surveillance video showing what investigators described as an attempted vehicle theft.

In the video, a pickup truck can be seen following a Porsche before several suspects get out of the truck and approach the other vehicle.

Police said the driver fled along a sidewalk as the suspects allegedly tried to get into his vehicle.

The group is also accused of breaking into vehicles in parking lots and commercial areas and stealing wallets, bank cards and other valuables.

Investigators have laid 229 criminal charges, including offences related to break-and-enters, motor vehicle theft and attempted theft, robbery and possession of property obtained by crime.

Police said charges were also laid for possession of automobile master keys and electronic devices commonly associated with vehicle theft.

Two 18-year-old Toronto residents are facing a total of 105 charges. Two other accused are 15 and 16 years old, facing more than 100 combined charges and cannot be identified under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

Durham Regional Police Chief Peter Moreira said the service saw a decrease in crime earlier this year compared with 2025, but increases in recent months have reduced those gains.

“It is concerning,” Moreira said.

“Through these arrests and hundreds of charges laid, we hope the public remembers our commitment in holding offenders accountable,” he added.

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

A 41-year-old man who worked at a Saskatoon school is accused of sexually assaulting five children who were approximately 10 years old, according to police.

Officers received a report of the alleged sexual interference at St. Mary’s Wellness and Education Centre on May 26, the Saskatoon Police Service said in a news release. The offences are believed to have occurred between Sept. 1, 2025, and May 25, 2026.

Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools confirmed to Global News that Hessem Aldin Sahrapour was a staff member at the school, but declined to provide the 41-year-old’s role, citing privacy concerns.

Sahrapour was sent home immediately after the allegations were brought to administration’s attention, according to an email statement from GSCS.

“After a brief internal investigation, the staff member was dismissed,” the statement continued, adding that the school board is cooperating with police.

“Our primary concern is the well-being of students, families and staff. Supports are available for students and staff affected by these incidents.”

Sahrapour is facing five sexual assault charges and five assault charges. He is expected to appear in Saskatoon provincial court Wednesday.

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

Canada needs to roughly double the rate that new homes are being built in order to restore housing affordability to pre-pandemic levels over the next decade, according to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC).

The CMHC released its fall 2026 housing supply report on Thursday, which said Canada needs to build hundreds of thousands more homes annually in order to narrow a significant long-term supply gap, with some major markets struggling more than others.

According to the report, Canada is currently on pace to build about 231,000 homes per year until 2036, but would need to build between 417,000 and 469,000 homes annually in order to narrow the housing supply gap and see home prices return to 2019 levels.

A housing supply gap is the difference between the perceived demand for homes to rent or buy and the number of homes actually available in the market.

“Meeting future housing demand will depend on the pace of new construction. Construction costs remain high. Presale financing conditions remain difficult for some projects. Weak condominium market conditions continue to make developers cautious about launching new projects,” says CMHC in the report.

“At the same time, several policy measures are helping support housing supply. Government financing programs, lower or deferred development charges, and zoning reforms are improving the financial viability of some projects, particularly in purpose-built rental housing.”

“These trends suggest that housing demand will likely strengthen over time, while supply may respond more slowly. Restoring affordability will require not only more housing, but the right mix of housing to meet future needs.”

These figures were based on expectations for both short and long term demand, CMHC says, and improved housing affordability may depend on whether Canadians are looking to rent or own their homes, and in which markets.

In places like Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal, renters may see housing affordability relief somewhat sooner than homeowners, the CMHC report says, with recent housing construction skewed towards purpose-built rental construction, which makes up two-thirds of all apartment housing starts.

The CMHC says this poses a significant risk to overall homeownership affordability in Canada over the long term, but that outlook varies significantly by market.

The projected housing supply gap has narrowed in Toronto and Calgary, but for different reasons, with Toronto seeing lower home prices improve affordability, while construction activity has picked up significantly in Calgary in the past year.

Vancouver was arguably the least affordable major housing market in Canada during the pandemic years, and the CMHC report shows the supply gap has remained mostly unchanged year-over-year. Although Vancouver home prices have come down and new home construction rates have increased in the short term, that progress is expected to slow over the long term as the market’s rising population pushes up demand.

Meanwhile, Ottawa and Montreal are expected to see a wider housing supply gap because demand in these markets is projected to grow faster than available units or those that are expected to be starting construction.

Edmonton remains the most affordable major market in Canada, the CMHC report shows, with virtually no measurable supply gap as housing construction starts have generally kept pace with population growth.

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