Next to music and my dogs, my biggest obsession is cars. I’ve always been a car nut. I’m one of those people with a list of cars I’ll buy when i win the lottery…
I’ll start with production sports cars. A Porsche 911 Turbo 4 will be my daily driver, although there will be a Lamborghini Uris SUV for those times I need to haul people and stuff. For those summer days, I think a McLaren 750s Spider would be cool.
I’ll need a car for track days, of course. No one else in the neighbourhood would have a Koenigsegg. I’d probably order the Jekso Absolute (1600 horsepower sounds about right.)
And just to show everyone that I’m not out to completely destroy the planet, there will be at least one EV. Right now, that would be a Rimac Nevera.
That’s what? Four million dollars’ worth of vehicles? Not including insurance and maintenance, of course. I’m never going to win that kind of lottery, but it’s nice to dream.
For other people, though, this is the kind of machinery sitting in their air-conditioned, highly secure underground garages. That includes a lot of rock stars.
Eric Clapton is so well-known at Ferrari that the company built him a custom one-of-a-kind model that probably cost him upward of five million. Neil Peart had a selection of very collectible sports cars from the 1960s, all in silver.
Brian Johnson of AC/DC has a bunch of Bentleys, Ferraris, and some classic race cars. Same with Nick Mason of Pink Floyd. He’s even written a book about this collection.
Then there’s everything we use in the car to listen to music. Radio, car audio, satellite radio, infotainment systems, and all that.
All this got me thinking about the relationship between cars and rock. The two things go hand-in-hand. We should look at this history, yeah?
We’re still looking for more affiliates in Calgary, Kamloops, Kelowna, Regina, Saskatoon, Brandon, Windsor, Montreal, Halifax, Charlottetown, Moncton, Fredericton, and St John’s and anywhere else with a transmitter. If you’re in any of those markets and you want the show, lemme know and I’ll see what I can do.
You might not have heard his name, but you’ve heard his machine. Japanese engineer Ikutaro Kakehashi passed away in April 2017. He was a founder of Roland, the music electronics company, and the inventor of the ubiquitous Roland TR-808 drum machine.
The 808 has cemented its place in music history and pops up on a wide variety of tracks, from Marvin Gaye’s “Sexual Healing” to Kanye’s entire 808s and Heartbreaks album. But the machine almost died early.
The 808 was originally released in 1980 as a cheaper alternative to fancier machines. But cheaper parts meant less memory and more electronic sounds, which critics did not like. The 808 was pulled from shelves only three years later, but saw a resurgence thanks to underground producers in the worlds of techno-pop, hip hop, dance and techno. Used machines were selling for only a couple hundred dollars, and the interface was super easy to program. It didn’t take long for the 808 to start showing up everywhere.
Inspiration oftentimes comes from unexpected places and the story of co-producer Guy Stevens’ mad genius in the making of The Clash’s London Calling fits the bill.
The Clash turned to Stevens to return them to their rock and roll roots for their third album, London Calling. CBS Records, on the other hand, was appalled that the band had chosen such an unconventional and substance-abusing guy. And sure enough, when the time came to begin recording at Wessex studios in August of 1979, he showed up with two bottles of tequila, and the mayhem began.
The Clash loved Stevens’ antics: shouting in faces, wrestling for control of the board, knocking down stacks of chairs, throwing a ladder at guitarist Mick Jones during a solo, and pouring beer into numerous pieces of equipment. Ultimately, Stevens was more interested in capturing emotions rather than fiddling with knobs and dials. Something about grabbing them by the throats and screaming instructions really elevated The Clash’s performance.
It’s time for another look at the greatest contract riders in history. The rider is the part of the deal that the promoter strikes with a performer over what will be supplied to the artist on the day of the show. It’s supposed to cover everything from the nature of the load-in of the equipment to–and this is the interesting part–what needs to be supplied to the artist backstage in the dressing room.
Here’s what Iggy Pop once requested in an 18-page rider:
A copy of USA Today
Seven dwarfs dressed up as the characters in Snow White
Something unmentionable about morbidly obese people
And a Bob Hope impersonator to “perform jokes about golf, Hollywood and Bing Crosby.” Iggy is a big golfer, but I had no idea he liked to warm up for a gig this way. Or so he says.
To be clear, he wasn’t serious. He included these points in his rider to make sure the promoter actually read the thing.
High winds ripped parts of the roof off the Swan Hills School in Swan Hills, Alta., on March 8, 2026.
Supplied to Global News
Wind gusts of 80 to 121 kilometres an hour swept across parts of Alberta on Sunday, tipping semi-trailers, downing trees and branches, throwing sheds, ripping shingles off and, in some cases, entire sections of roofs from buildings.
That was the case in Swan Hills, about 200 kilometres northwest of Edmonton, where storm damage ripped chunks off the roof and appeared to have damaged trusses of the Swan Hills School.
The Pembina Hills School Division closed the K-12 school on Monday and said a structural assessment would be undertaken to ensure the building is safe for students and staff before reopening.
In the meantime, the division said the school’s 200 or so students would temporarily shift to online learning.
High winds ripped parts of the roof off the Swan Hills School in Swan Hills, Alta. on Sunday, March 8, 2026.
Supplied to Global News
High winds ripped parts of the roof off the Swan Hills School in Swan Hills, Alta. on Sunday, March 8, 2026.
Supplied to Global News
High winds ripped parts of the roof off the Swan Hills School in Swan Hills, Alta. on Sunday, March 8, 2026.
Supplied to Global News
Environment Canada wind warnings were in place Sunday for most areas from the Alberta-U.S. boundary to Fort McMurray and southwestern Saskatchewan.
“What we saw through Alberta was a low-pressure system and a cold front sweeping through the province, which brought with it very gusty winds — also, some snowfall to certain areas of the province,” said Environment Canada scientist Christy Climenhaga.
While southern Alberta is no stranger to blustery conditions, on Sunday much of the province was affected.
“Up to about 100 kilometres per hour in very widespread areas, even peaks into that 110, 120 kilometres per hour in parts of central and northern Alberta,” Climenhaga said.
The strongest winds in Alberta were in Two Hills, located about an hour and a half east of Edmonton, where a peak of 121 km/h was recorded.
Winds of over 100 km/h were detected in more than two dozen Alberta communities, including Waterton Lakes National Park at 116 km/h, Slave Lake at 109 km/h, and both Medicine Hat and Vegreville at 107 km/h. Lethbridge and Peace River, located nearly 1,000 kilometres apart, both recorded 100 km/h.
Climenhaga said wind is hard to track records for, because it accompanies so many different weather events.
“In the summertime, with thunderstorms, we can have a gust front, straight-line wind. A tornado even, with very, very, very strong winds,” Climenhaga said.
“Whereas in this situation, you know, more of a synoptic, larger scale event, bringing very widespread spread and a longer period of time,” she explained. “So the impacts from those different events are a little bit different.”
“We do get these strong gusts but having it last for a few hours and cover such a large area is is more significant.”
Environment Canada said a similar wind system may roll through later this week, however Climenhaga said it should be more active in southern Alberta.
EPCOR said there were around 8,400 homes without power at 1 p.m. in Edmonton, where gusts of 91 km/h were recorded in the downtown core.
Residents across the city wound up with their neighbour’s possessions blown into their yard, ranging from small to large — as was the case in the west end, where an entire metal shed got blown into a West Meadowlark yard.
A metal shed was blown into a yard in west Edmonton's Meadowlark area on March 8, 2026.
Supplied to Global News
Fortis Alberta spokeswoman, Tanya Croft, said in a statement that a fast-moving winter storm left multiple power outages across the province, with 8,000 residents without power at points throughout the day.
Croft said residents were reminded to stay at least 10 metres away from downed power lines and avoid damaged electrical equipment.
Alberta power company ATCO also shows some power outages in northwestern Alberta.
The wind was accompanied by snow in southern Alberta, including in Calgary, along the foothills, and in the areas of Banff, Strathmore, Waterton Lakes and Vulcan, where up to 20 cm of snow was expected to fall before tapering off Sunday night.
A warning from RCMP near Airdrie said strong winds and blowing snow was causing limited visibility on major highways like the QEII, where police responded to several crashes on Sunday.
Montreal real estate agent Mario Conte at his office on March 9, 2026.
Felicia Parrillo/Global News
After selling homes in Montreal for close to three decades, real estate agent Mario Conte says he’s used to dealing with paperwork — but not the kind he recently received.
The Office québécois de la langue française (OQLF) sent him a complaint letter about the language he uses on social media.
“I was really surprised, astonished,” Conte said. “They mentioned to me that on my social media platforms, there wasn’t enough of the French language.”
The trilingual agent says all of his printed material, from business cards to calendars, is in French and his website is in both languages.
He never imagined that what he posts on his Instagram account would catch the attention of the province’s French language watchdog.
“We’re talking about Instagram, which has a worldwide reach,” he said. “The user has the option on a click of a button, that the post in front of them is expressed in the language of their choice. I mean, where do we really draw the line?”
Conte isn’t the only one who has been the target of OQLF complaints about social media posts.
Less than two weeks ago, Global News spoke to the owners of an Armenian bakery in Montreal, who also received a letter of reprimand over the use of too much English on their TikTok posts.
Francois Laberge, a spokesperson for the agency, says businesses and professionals operating in Quebec must respect the charter of the French language — including when they post and advertise on social media.
“The content can be posted in a language other than French, but the French version must be at least equivalent and as accessible,” Laberge said.
But constitutional lawyer Julius Grey says trying to regulate language on social media raises questions about freedom of expression and adds that it gives Quebec a bad rap.
“It’s terrible for Quebec and it’s terrible for the people because they’re insisting on things that have absolutely no purpose — not based on any sort of fact and cannot possibly harm anyone,” he said.
The Mission Assurance Agreement between St. Martha's Regional Hospital, Nova Scotia Health, and the province's Health Department has come to an end. As Ella Macdonald reports, some are relieved, but others are concerned for the future of the hospital's mission.
A Nova Scotia hospital is shedding its Catholic ties.
St. Martha’s Regional Hospital in Antigonish, N.S., offers faith-based care, meaning it doesn’t provide abortions.
The hospital was initially exempt from performing medical assistance in dying (MAID), however the policy was changed in 2019 under the threat of a possible court challenge. Currently, the hospital provides MAID in a separate building.
An agreement signed between St. Martha’s Regional Hospital in Antigonish, N.S., the Department of Health and Wellness, and Nova Scotia Health will end on Sept. 30.
The Congregation of the Sisters of St. Martha recently gave notice it will conclude their role as sponsors of the Mission Assurance Agreement, and the province has decided not to move forward with a new Catholic sponsor.
“We recognize that there are individuals who maybe don’t seek services at St. Martha’s because they feel that there are certain stipulations around that care,” said Health Minister Michelle Thompson.
The agreement, which was established in 1996, protected the philosophy, mission and values of the Catholic doctrine. It was the only publicly-funded hospital in the province to have this agreement.
“Faith-based care does mean that (…) abortion isn’t done at St. Martha’s,” said Brendalee Boisvert, leader of the Sisters of St. Martha Congregation.
“MAID is another question for us. So that has been something that I do believe that some people have a real struggle — that St. Martha’s didn’t do that.”
The Sisters found another Catholic sponsor to carry on their mission at the hospital, but the province ultimately declined.
“We want to move towards having all hospitals with the same services, policies, procedures,” said Thompson.
Dalhousie Law and Medicine professor Jocelyn Downie says she believes the province’s decision was the right one.
“St. Martha’s is owned and operated and fully funded by Nova Scotia taxpayers,” said Downie.
“So I think it’s inappropriate to withhold services on the basis of somebody else’s religious beliefs and values when the individual patient wants those services, needs those services.”
‘Have to answer to all of their constituents’
For Cherise Basque, the announcement is a “good” one.
The Paqtnkek Mi’kmaw Nation resident travelled to the emergency department at St. Martha’s last fall after suffering serious complications from a medical abortion.
On Monday, she said she welcomes news that the hospital will no longer have a religious affiliation.
“For people that aren’t Catholic, like have different beliefs — they shouldn’t hold one belief onto one hospital,” she said.
She said she’s been in touch with a lawyer regarding her experience and is considering legal action.
Meanwhile, the Sisters of St. Martha told Global News they have concluded that Basque was not treated with compassion when she was a patient at the hospital.
“It is not the way that we would … we, as in the mission assurance and the hospital personnel, would have liked to respond,” said Boisvert.
Despite ending their ties, Thompson said the Sisters’ legacy will live on at the hospital.
In a statement released last week, the minister said the Sisters’ “stewardship, service and leadership in health care includes much more than the delivery of exemplary care.”
She cited the Sisters’ contribution to educating health-care professions, including nurses, lab technicians and X-ray technicians.
Boisvert said it’s bittersweet the province chose not to go ahead with a new Catholic sponsor, but she understands the reasoning behind the decision.
“I think it could have continued and been good, but I also know that they have to answer to all of their constituents,” said Boisvert.
Oil prices spiked near US$120 per barrel before falling back Monday as the Iran war intensified, threatening production and shipping in the Middle East and pummeling financial markets. G7 ministers are set to meet later in the day to discuss the impact of the disruption and the option to release strategic reserves in an effort to stabilize global oil prices. Anne Gaviola has this story and more in Business Matters for March 9, 2026.
G7 nations said on Monday they were prepared to implement “necessary measures” in response to surging global oil prices but stopped short of committing to release emergency reserves, despite crude prices briefly surpassing $119 a barrel as the U.S.-Israel war on Iran continues.
“We are not there yet,” French Finance Minister Roland Lescure told reporters in Brussels, after hosting a teleconference meeting of G7 finance ministers.
A final statement following the meeting said the ministers “will continue to closely monitor the situation and developments in the energy markets and will meet as needed to exchange information and to coordinate within the G7 and with international partners.”
“We stand ready to take necessary measures, including to support global supply of energy such as stockpile release,” it added.
Oil prices hit their highest levels since mid‑2022 on Monday, propelled by fears of prolonged shipping disruption and reduced output from some major producers wary of the conflict escalating. However, the market reversed late in the day, with benchmarks falling below $90 a barrel, after President Donald Trump told CBS News that the war was “pretty much” complete.
Canada’s Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne told reporters in Ottawa there will be “further consultation,” including among G7 energy ministers, before any action is taken.
“It’s very volatile,” he said. “I mean, what we’re all ensuring is that there would be a sufficient stock, obviously, to meet the demand. As you know, there’s stock of oil on water, as they called it, there is also discussion with respect to removing the choke point on the Strait of Hormuz.
“But what should reassure markets, should bring confidence, and should re-establish certainty is that the G7 is united, committed to work together, monitoring, like you said, the market, monitoring the stock of oil and energy, and ensuring that we are coordinated in our approach. That was really the outcome of this morning.”
A G7 official told Reuters there was “broad consensus” not to release reserves at this stage. “It was not that someone was against, it’s just about timing. More analysis is needed,” the official said, adding that a final decision would fall to G7 leaders.
Lescure, whose country holds the G7 presidency this year, said there were currently no supply problems in either Europe or the United States.
Western economies coordinate their strategic oil stockpiles through the Paris-based International Energy Agency (IEA), which was formed after the 1970s oil crisis.
“We stand ready to take necessary measures, including to support global supply of energy such as stockpile release,” the G7 finance ministers said in a joint statement.
European Economic Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis said G7 finance ministers did not discuss specific market conditions that would be needed to trigger the release of strategic oil reserves, focusing only on the shared will to tap stockpiles if necessary.
Dombrovskis said more discussions among G7 energy ministers about a response to the oil price surge would take place on Tuesday.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever have invited a group of European leaders to discuss competitiveness, including the issue of energy prices, in a videoconference on Tuesday.
IEA director Fatih Birol pushed for a release of reserves, said Japanese Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama. That country holds one of the world’s largest oil stockpiles.
IEA member countries are net oil importers who are required to keep at least 90 days’ worth of oil imports in stock.
The IEA coordinated the largest collective release in its history in 2022when members freed more than 180 million barrels of oil after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
IEA members hold more than 1.2 billion barrels of public emergency oil stocks and a further 600 million barrels of industry stocks are held under government obligation.
WATCH: Landlord of B.C. drug superlab fighting province over civil forfeiture
More than a year after police officers in British Columbia dismantled what they said was the largest drug superlab in the country, the Ford government is bringing in regulations aimed at ensuring similar operations can’t start up in Ontario.
The landlord filed a civil claim months later after the provincial government tried to seize his property, where police had said they found “half a tonne of hard drugs,” as well as firearms.
A new regulation posted by the Ontario government would create a criminal offence for landlords who “knowingly” allow their properties to be used for activities relating to illegal drugs.
The regulation would mean that, if police suspect someone is allowing their property to be used, they can seize items needed for evidence, order people to vacate the property and recover costs of law enforcement.
In the Falkland case, the landlord denied any knowledge of the operation.
The regulatory proposal explains the legal change “would hold a landlord accountable for knowingly permitting illegal drug production and trafficking on their premises.”
The province indicated to Global News the reason it had created the regulation was to give it additional tools if a B.C.-style drug superlab from being created in Ontario.
“Landlords have a responsibility to ensure their properties are safe for everyone,” the Ministry of the Solicitor General said in a statement.
“These proposed regulations will ensure that landlords who knowingly allow the illicit production and distribution of illegal drugs on their property would be held accountable.”
The regulation has not yet come into effect and is part of the justice legislation the government passed last year.
A Winnipeg man’s home care services have been reinstated, after they were put on hold due to a security camera in his home.
John Giardino, 80, says the issue arose when he and his son started having concerns about his home care services. John says he’s been receiving home care for about 20 years and has mostly had positive experiences.
“You get to know the people coming and going,” John told Global News. “So you don’t treat them as strangers coming in, you treat them as friends coming in.”
John Giardino has been receiving home care services for about 20 years.
Randall Paull / Global News
But John’s son Gio Giardino says they’ve had some concerns with home care workers as of late.
“Some people care, and some people really don’t care. And you can tell the difference between the two,” Gio said.
Gio says they’ve had concerns with home care workers not following proper protocol, including not using the door code to let themselves into the home and not asking his father his name and date of birth. He also says home care workers have given his father scalding hot water to take his pills with on two occasions.
Gio Giardino says on two occasions home care workers have taken scalding hot water from the water dispenser and given it to his father to take his medication with.
Randall Paull / Global News
All incidents captured on a security camera installed in John’s living room. Gio took their complaints, and the video footage, to the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority (WRHA).
“I sent them the video because I thought this would be a great training video because this guy had done everything wrong, from the door code to checking the name to giving scalding hot water,” Gio said.
Gio Giardino looking at footage of an interaction with a home care worker that prompted him to bring his concerns to the WRHA.
Randall Paull / Global News
But the response came as a surprise to Gio and his father.
“They were very concerned about it,” Gio said.
“But they also said, you can’t have the camera, because you’re not allowed to have cameras in your house.”
Gio says the camera was installed for his father’s own safety and security after an incident with an intoxicated intruder that resulted in John calling the police.
“I have a camera in my home for my personal security,” John said. “I can know who’s coming and who’s leaving and what they’re doing while they are here.”
Gio says as a result, the WRHA paused his father’s home care service.
“My dad is a member of the most vulnerable part of society, the elderly people of Manitoba. He’s been here for 80 years contributing; he worked for the government for 33 years,” Gio said.
Gio Giardino says his father should have his home care services reinstated without having to turn his own security cameras off in his home.
Randall Paull / Global News
“And now they’ve paused his home care because he won’t allow them to turn the camera off when they come in and then turn it back on again when they leave.”
After Global News reached out on Friday, a spokesperson for the WRHA said on Monday it recognizes why clients may use cameras in their home for security and peace of mind reasons, but must balance those concerns with staff members’ right to privacy while providing care. The spokesperson said the WRHA would be reinstating home care services to John.
“While this is a complex issue, first and foremost our responsibility is to provide safe, timely care to all clients, patients and residents who need it. As such, we will be reinstating care to this client while we continue to work with them on a fair and reasonable solution that respects the needs and rights of everyone involved,” the statement read.
“Additionally, the WRHA will formally review and update policies on cameras and recording against the realities of their role in our society today. As always, we are committed to supporting both safe care for clients and respectful working conditions for staff.”
Meaning John soon won’t have to rely on help from his son to take his medication and change his compression stockings.
“I do not understand why they object to the camera being there if they’re not doing anything improper,” John said.
The security camera in John Giardino's home.
Randall Paull / Global News
They’re hoping the WRHA will move to change its policy, to allow John to continue to receive care while also having security in his own home.
“When I go to the gas station, I’m on camera. When I’m at work, I’m on camera. When I’m driving under a traffic light, I’m on camera,” Gio said. “But when we send new employees into elderly people’s homes, they should be afforded absolute privacy? It doesn’t really make sense.”
In a statement to Global News, health minister Uzoma Asagwara says they understand why families would choose to have cameras in their homes.
“There are regional policies that protect the privacy and consent of health-care staff providing care in private homes. Under current policy, cameras can remain in the home, but recording during the provision of care requires the consent of the individuals being recorded,” the statement said.
Tech, legal experts weigh in
Tech analyst Carmi Levy says recording in your own home should be your right.
“If it’s your home, it’s your rules,” Levy told 680 CJOB’s The Start.
“And you should have the absolute right to install whatever cameras you want, whatever software you want on these cameras to make sure that when a service provider comes into your home to provide care, that they’re providing exactly the care that they’re supposed to and that nothing untoward is going on.
“To draw a line there, I find really odd.”
But Bruce Curran, an associate professor in the Faculty of Law at the University of Manitoba, says from a legal standpoint, it isn’t so black and white.
“Here what you are seeing is a real tension between, on the one hand, the owner’s property rights and interests in terms of making sure that their loved one is adequately taken care of, and on the other hand, the dignity of the WRHA workers and making sure that privacy in general is being framed as a way of protecting individuals’ dignity,” Curran told Global News.
Bruce Curran, an associate professor in the Faculty of Law at the University of Manitoba, says privacy laws can often be a bit of a grey area.
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