The good news: It’s official summer. The band news: The days will now start getting shorter. Best immerse yourself into New Music Friday for some tunes that will help you forget that the next stop is fall, then winter.

Singles

1. Featurette, Xanax (Division 11)

Featurette, a trio from Toronto, has been apparently been recently immersed in trip-hop, resulting in a new track that’s all about anxiety and numbness. Oh, there was also a trip to the emergency room that included a Xanax prescription following what vocalist Lexie Jay calls “a stress-induced cardiac event.” Given what’s going on the world today, I hear you, sister.

2. Hollerado, Keep on Moving (Royal Mountain)

Hollerado’s not-retirement continues with another single from their Start a Band EP. They’re also back on tour (Europe with Billy Talent, Hillside Festival, an RBC Amphitheatre Show on July 18). It looks like this non-retirement will continue for a while.

3. Lazarettes, Undertow (Independent)

Here’s a happy-sounding song from a Toronto band that features lyrics that are pretty dire when it comes to commenting on existing in today’s messed up word. Gotta love the Farfisa organ, which gives everything a cool New Wave feel. The line-up includes Chris Tait (Chalk Circle), Bryce Thomas, Richard Peirce, Chris Monster and Adam Warner. Some of their collaborations have been with Jill Barber, Royal Wood, and Ron Sexsmith

4. Marilyn Manson, Exit Wound (Nuclear Blast)

Perennial #MeToo problem child Marilyn Manson continues to record and tour, most recently with Rob Zombie with the “Freaks on Parade” tour. A new album, One Assassination Under God – Chapter 2 (the follow-up to 2024’s Chapter 1) will arrive on August 14. Once again, the producer is Tyler Bates, who scores horror films and gory video games. Sounds like a perfect match, don’t it?

5. Valley, Vending Machine (Universal)

More Canada. Valley is a trio who have been nominated for multiple Junos. This song begins with a very simple question, the answer to which is “Yes. Most definitely.”

Eddie Vedder and Guitars Over Funs, Better Believe (Independent)

If you saw the entertainment surrounding the opening of the Obama Presidential Library in Chicago yesterday (June 18), you will have seen Eddie perform this song. The Obama Foundation helped organize this project, bringing in Audio Arts students from Columbia College Chicago. All royalties will go to Guitars Over Guns, an arts-based youth development group that uses music and mentorship to help empower young people.

Listen on Spotify.

Albums

1. Belvedere, Seven Years of Bad Luck (Thousand Island Records)

Our list of the week’s new albums begins with the seventh full-length record from Calgary punks Belvedere. These guys have been at it for more than 30 years, Respect.

2. Haircut One Hundred, Boxing the Compass (October is Orange Ltd.)

Yes, this is the Haircut One Hundred that had hits like Fantastic Day, Love Plus One, and Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl) back in the early 80s. Original vocalist Nick Heyward is back with the crew (he left in 1982) for the group’s first album since–wait for it–1984. Forty-two years is a long time between records, innit? This track sounds like it’s 1983 all over again.

3. Pond, Terrestrials (Mangovision/Secretly Distribution)

From the white boy funkiness of Haircut One Hundred, we move to some Australian psych featuring Pond, originally from Perth. (I’ve been to Perth; I found that they really like their psych and shoegaze.) This is their 11th studio record, with which they say they tried to capture a “goths at the pub” sound.

4. Stupidity, Beyond Stupidity (Wicked Cool)

I had to include this Swedish garage band just because of their name. This is their eighth album and will no doubt get some love from Little Steven and his Underground Garage channel on SiriusXM.

5. Tired of Fighting, And Then It Suddenly Hits You (Punkerton)

We end with some English emo featuring Tired of Fighting, a trio from Newcastle-Upon-Tyne (est. 2019) who mine the angst of the early 2000s via bands like Taking Back Sunday and crossing it with a little Gaslight Anthem, followed by a dash of Paramore. This is their debut album.

 

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

Many artists won’t go back and listen to their previous albums because all they hear are the mistakes and the things they should have done to make it better. But what’s done is done and it’s just best to move on. This happens to Dave Grohl every once in a while. He has a very hard time listening to the fourth album, One By One, from 2002.

Nothing was working during those sessions after three-and-a-half months of work and spending more than a million dollars in studio fees. Production was halted, and Dave went off to do some work outside the band, including a stint with Queens of the Stone Age. Then there was Taylor Hawkins’ near-fatal overdose, which messed things up even further.

The album did eventually come out and sold a respectable four million copies, but Dave feels it doesn’t sound like the band and didn’t feel right. Today, he thinks there are only four good songs on the record and seven bad ones.

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

Some small businesses in Vancouver say they have not seen an uptick in business during the FIFA World Cup, even though they are on the edge of the game-day closure zone.

Some in Chinatown and the Downtown Eastside say their sales have actually dropped.

Erin Templeton said that May was the best month ever for her leather and vintage store in Chinatown, but come June 1, there were no customers.

“I didn’t expect it to be good; I thought it was going to be bad, because the Olympics were bad,” she said.

“I didn’t expect it to be good, I didn’t expect that it would be so, such a drop… I like soccer so you know I understand, but it does kind of suck because we count on summer a lot.”

Templeton said it is hard to get people to the Downtown Eastside during the winter months.

Bao Bei restaurant on Keefer Street told Global News that it has seen a 30-per cent drop in business from the same time last year.

“I think we were expecting it to be quite busy, because we looked at all the street closures and it looked like Keefer Street was going to be the only one open to traffic and it felt like they were going to be funneling people from the stadium up here, but it’s actually been the opposite,” owner Tannis Ling said.

“I guess they’re actually funneling people downtown, so I wasn’t here for game day, but my manager said Chinatown was a bit of a ghost town.”

Ling said the last six years have been a struggle and they were counting on FIFA fans to help get them through the summer and into the winter.

The Underground Comedy Club said revenue during FIFA’s opening weekend dropped by more than 30 per cent and organizers said that this coming weekend, ticket sales are already down 70 per cent.

Owner Jon Gagnon said they were optimistic that locals would still want to come and to the club but that hasn’t been the case.

“I think that FIFA is, it’s direct competition because it’s also live entertainment, so the type of people that want to go and see FIFA are the same type of people who want to go and see live comedy,” he said.

“It’s the same demographic, so they’re in direct competition with us. They’re a lot bigger than us; they have a lot more gravitas, a lot more marketing, a lot more money to put into advertising, so when we’re up against them, it’s very much David versus Goliath.

“We just cannot compete in terms of marketing and in terms of drawing people cause it’s the same people that were trying to draw in.”

All the local stores and restaurants want the public to know that they are open for business and the area is accessible despite FIFA road closures.

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

Business owners in Rutland say they’re tired of dealing with theft, disorder and makeshift camps behind their stores.

Now, a community patrol program known as the “Blue Shirts” is making a comeback.

Starting July 13, a team of three paid ambassadors will patrol parks, streets and business areas across Rutland from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Friday, checking on vulnerable people, responding to community concerns and helping connect people with services before situations escalate.

The ambassadors will carry first aid kits, naloxone kits, litter cleanup equipment and graffiti removal supplies. The goal is to address quality-of-life concerns while acting as a visible presence throughout the neighbourhood.

The program was first launched as a pilot project in 2024 but was unable to continue through the winter.

“We reviewed what worked and what didn’t,” said Cathy Paterson, URBA’s interim executive director.

“We learned that the funding we had available at the time was not sufficient. We needed more funds to really run an effective program.”

Paterson says businesses have been calling for action as theft and other challenges continue to impact the neighbourhood.

“Businesses are losing thousands of dollars through theft and other business challenges,” she said.

For business owner Rozlan Moh Jais, the patrols are a welcome addition.

“That’s a very good effort,” said Moh Jais. “We’re glad they put in an initiative so Rutland won’t be a dump.

“I’m very attached to Rutland. Some people say it’s a dump, but to me it’s a family-oriented place.”

Businesses will also have access to an on-call phone number where they can report issues such as litter, graffiti, loitering and cleanliness concerns.

More serious incidents, such as break-ins or thefts, will continue to be handled by the RCMP or bylaw officers.

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

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s government will allow some physicians to offer privately paid surgical procedures while also working in the publicly funded system beginning in September.

It’s inviting surgeons to apply this summer to be able to charge patients for elective procedures like hip and knee replacements outside their publicly funded practice.

Surgical Services Minister Adriana LaGrange says the status quo isn’t working as too many Albertans are sitting in the queue too long to get surgery.

She says the change will attract doctors, increase capacity and cut down waits by allowing some patients to choose a paid option close to home.

The contentious move, announced last year, has drawn concern from the Opposition NDP and public health advocates who say it will degrade an already under-resourced public system, and is fundamentally unfair.

NDP critic Sharif Haji says the government should properly fund the health-care system — including staffing under-used operating rooms — rather than moving towards a two-tier system.

Key details, like the minimum hours in public facilities a doctor must work to be eligible, are yet to be determined.

LaGrange says there will be no privately paid emergency or life-threatening procedures, including cancer-care treatment.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

Kelowna, B.C., city councillor and former Member of Parliament Ron Cannan has officially entered the race for mayor, ending months of speculation about his political future ahead of this fall’s municipal election.

Cannan launched his campaign Thursday at Evil Genius Artworx, a Rutland tattoo shop where a recent clash went viral between the owner and outreach workers accusing him of kicking unhoused people using drugs at his back door.

The allegations are now the subject of a defamation suit.

It stems  from the kind of social disorder Cannan says he’s ready to tackle.

“We will clean up Kelowna one block at a time and take Kelowna back for the people who live here,” Cannan told his supporters.

Concerns about social disorder and public safety across the city have been growing in recent months, which Cannan says motivated his reasons to run.

“We want to leave a positive legacy and the direction we are headed is not that in my mind,” Cannan said. “It is disaster and I really can’t see us continuing on.”

Public safety is expected to be one of the defining issues of the campaign.

“What we’ve seen in the past is a lot of finger pointing,” Cannan said. “The provincial government blames the federal government, the federal government blames provincial, local government says it’s not our responsibility.  The city needs to step up.”

However, when asked how he would address those issues, Cannan wouldn’t say yet.

“So this is day one of the campaign and as the campaign unfolds I’ll have more policy announcements,” he said, adding, “Stay tuned.”

Among those supporting Cannan’s campaign launch was Donavan Moore, owner of Evil Genius Artworx.

“When it comes time to literally dragging IH (Interior Health) and the province and the country to the table, when we create a solution that works, I mean, he’s the guy who can negotiate that,” Moore said. “He’s already done this at all levels.”

Kelowna councillor Gord Lovegrove, who is seeking re-election, also endorsed Cannan’s bid, serving as emcee at the event.

“Ron isn’t just a talker, he’s a doer,” Lovegrove said.

Longtime councillor Charlie Hodge, who is not running again, also attended the launch.

While he said Cannan would make a good mayor, he stopped short of formally endorsing him, noting that other candidates may still enter the race.

Incumbent Mayor Tom Dyas has not yet announced whether he intends to seek re-election.

Global News reached out to Dyas for reaction to Cannan’s announcement but he replied he was in meetings throughout the day.

He did, however, add he would communicate his intentions publicly within the next few weeks.

Cannan joins businesswoman Emily Salsbury in the mayoral race.

Salsbury announced her candidacy in April through a news release and will appear on the Oct. 17 municipal election ballot.

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

Black employees of the Montreal police force have sent a letter to management saying some have concerns about going to work after the dismantling of a patrol unit over serious allegations of racist misconduct.

The letter was dated June 14, two days after senior police officials held a late evening news conference announcing they had suspended two officers and reassigned 14 others over allegations of racism and other reprehensible behaviour.

Police Chief Fady Dagher said on June 12 that the investigation began in March after information was provided by fellow officers.

“Silence does not build trust. Protecting those who speak out does,” the employees wrote in the internal letter sent to the police service’s deputy director Marc Charbonneau.

The Black employees noted in the letter that they had learned about efforts to identify whistleblowers in some units.

“As a result, some employees of the (Montreal police) fear reprisals and in some cases, are even reluctant to go to work,” the group wrote in the letter.

They also said that the police force must protect those who had the courage to denounce disgraceful behaviour, as well as those who collaborate in the internal investigations.

The letter, shared with The Canadian Press by the civil rights advocacy group Red Coalition, was signed by a committee representing the employees but does not include any individual names.

The warnings from the Black employees are coming at a time when the Quebec government is facing mounting calls to launch an independent inquiry into the police force in order to restore public trust.

Several civil rights groups and politicians have said that allegations of racism and misconduct at the department aren’t new, and urgently need to be addressed.

Hundreds of residents also rallied outside the police station at the heart of the controversy on Monday, garnering cheers of support as they marched through the multicultural neighbourhood of Montréal-Nord.

Though the force set up a hotline for whistleblowers, the letter says it’s not enough to restore trust. They say the force must strengthen existing reporting mechanisms so that they are perceived as safe, independent and credible, and that employees can use those mechanisms without fearing personal or professional consequences.

“We are committed to contributing to efforts aimed at bringing about a change in organizational culture, with a view to fostering a better sense of community within the police force and ensuring that the service provided to the public remains true to its mission to serve and protect,” the employees wrote.

A spokesperson for Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada confirmed that the mayor is aware of the letter and she will organize a meeting as soon as possible.

Montreal police told The Canadian Press they would try to respond to questions about the letter on Friday.

The brotherhood that represents Montreal police officers did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Montreal police chief has said two officers could face criminal charges, noting they are still investigating a series of allegations, including reports that some of the officers had cut the hair of racialized citizens to turn into “trophies.”

Former Montreal police officer André Gélinas says though he has been retired since 2019, he believes the system in place works and the force is taking the investigation seriously.

“You don’t see the police chief come out to hold a press conference at 10:30 p.m. if it’s not serious,” he said in an interview.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 18, 2026.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

What time concerts must end and allowable noise levels during the Calgary Stampede have changed for this year’s event, according to a city memo, and at least one festival venue has taken issue with the adjustments.

According to a memo to city council from Calgary Community Standards chief Ryan Pleckaitis, obtained by Global News, weeknight concerts during the Calgary Stampede must end at midnight, with “cool-down music” permitted until 12:30 a.m. to “support the safe and orderly exit of patrons.”

The permitted end times for weekend concerts is unchanged from last year, the memo said, which allows music until 1:30 a.m. and cool-down music until 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights.

Allowable noise levels (dBA) and maximum bass levels (dBC) have also been reduced from 75 dBA and 85 dBC to 70 dBA and 80 dBC before midnight, and from 65 dBA and 85 dBC to 60 dBA and 80 dBC after midnight, the memo said.

The new requirements under the city’s noise exemption permit times apply to all music festivals outside of Stampede Park, the memo said.

Pleckaitis said the changes are in response to community concerns, after the City of Calgary received 225 noise complaints related to downtown music festivals during last year’s Stampede. He noted 125 of those complaints were related to the Cowboys Music Festival.

According to the memo, residents reported vibrating windows in residential towers late at night as well as items falling from tables and shelves.

“We also had complaints of social disorder, public urination, excessive intoxication,” he told reporters Thursday. “We made the decision that we needed to do something this year.”

Penny Lane Entertainment, which runs the Cowboys Music Festival, has taken issue with the changes that it claims were “designed without consultation.”

In a letter from Paul Vickers, the founding partner of Penny Lane Entertainment, also obtained by Global News, Vickers argued to city council the changes “create uncertainty” in the “mere days” before the festival starts.

“If the bylaw requirements remain unchanged, our festival, and likely others across the city, will be forced to reduce hundreds of staff who have already been hired and are expecting to start work in two weeks,” Vickers wrote.

According to Vickers, artists with shows at tents in the downtown core during the Stampede “may cancel due to the proposed changes,” and that the adjustments are “unattainable for any event of this scale.”

He also outlined public safety concerns as attendees to the various downtown tents “may empty onto Calgary streets simultaneously,” which could put strain on limited resources.

In his letter, Vickers requested the City of Calgary allow Cowboys Music Festival to operate under the same bylaw rules as last year’s event.

“We are ready to welcome the world to our city and these changes will not allow us to demonstrate Calgary’s full potential,” he wrote. “We ask that these changes be reversed and that a return to previously agreed upon levels be implemented.”

Venues that operated past midnight in 2025 were informed of the changes in February, Pleckaitis said, with another email sent to event organizers about the lower sound levels last month.

“The biggest concern that we’re hearing is the time that they’re allowed to operate on the weeknights because it will cut into their profit margin. We understand that,” he told reporters. “This is trying to strike a balance between supporting events and then also supporting the community.”

When asked about the situation, Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas said he doesn’t have an issue with the changes and is open to working with the proponents to “find ways to work within the expectations Calgarians have.”

“I think it’s reasonable to have some level of controls around this because otherwise for us to allow this in say suburban environments, I think most folks would not be down for that,” Farkas said.

The 2026 Calgary Stampede runs from July 3 to 12. It will mark the second year the Cowboys Music Festival has operated in Cowboys Park, formerly known as Shaw Millenium Park on the west end of downtown.

Global News reached out to Penny Lane Entertainment for comment but did not receive a response.

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

It’s a meaningful walk for students from the Chief Ahtahkakoop School, commemorating 150 years of Treaty 6.

With horses, a wagon, and ferries to help them along the way, the class of 19 Native Studies students trekked about 140 km over the span of five days, from Ahtahkakoop Cree Nation to Fort Carlton.

“We wanted to do something out of the ordinary, we wanted to do something where they could remember it,” said Eleonore R. Maurcie, a teacher.

On the walk, students said they have had meaningful conversations helping them realize what their ancestors have experienced on the land.

“We saw prairie chickens, and back in the day, our ancestors probably would have hunted that down to survive,” said Teasha Johnstone.

“It gives it me, like all of us an experience, like how our people back then used to live and survive. And … just to relate to that feeling really like makes me like really proud to be Native,” said Shayla Ledoux.

While the weather didn’t always cooperate, the students stayed determined.

“They’ve become so resilient, and they have had to become resilient. The conditions that some of them live in, things that don’t easily come to them,” said Maurice.

And while they continue to learn about self-discipline, they say their favourite part is being with their friends and community along the way.

Watch the video above for more on the commemorative trek.

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

Cornwall Alternative School is celebrating their first graduating class in its 53-year history.

What started decades ago as a downtown tutoring program run by social workers now stands as a school that helps kids who deal with significant barriers in the traditional education system.

Cornwall’s principal, Andrew Irwin-Pasloski, says, “If you can think of any reason for a student not succeeding in mainstream school, they come here. We have lots of behaviour issues, addiction, trauma, lots of mental health issues — you name it, we see it here.”

The graduation highlights not only the student’s academic achievements, but the impact that prioritizing Indigenous education in a curriculum can have, as 90 per cent of Cornwall’s students come from First Nations, Metis, and Inuit backgrounds.

Irwin-Pasloski added, “Honestly, just with us getting Grade 12, it provides students with hope. Now we don’t necessarily have to transition students out, and we can really focus on raising those graduation rates of Indigenous students.”

One of the graduating students, Angelina Peigan, hopes to become a nurse, saying she feels called to help others because she’s been given help.

“I’m so excited and I hope I make Cornwall Alternative proud with my career and my future.”

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