Over the course of human history, certain years have proven to be more important than others. Over the course of 12 months, things happen that change everything. Nothing is ever the same again.

For example, the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. We can look at the fall of Constantinople in 1453, giving rise to the Ottoman Empire and forever altering the power dynamics and trade within Europe.

There was 1492, and Columbus’s landing in the Americas has to be on this list. Then there’s 1760, or thereabouts, and the beginning of the Industrial Revolution.

The year 1848 was significant because of all the democratic revolutions that spread across Europe. At the same time, Karl Marx was laying the foundations for the communist revolutions to come by writing his Communist Manifesto.

1914 marked the start of World War I. Then came 1945 and the beginning of the post-World War II era, with the United Nations, America’s emergence as a superpower, the Cold War, and so on.

When it comes to music, we can look at 1955, the year rock ’n’ roll really began to break through. The Beatles came to America in 1964. Then there was Woodstock in ’69.

And then we have 1976. This has been declared—rightly so, in my opinion—the year that what we now call “alternative rock” was born, thanks to the punk rock explosion that happened on both sides of the Atlantic during those 12 months. So much happened so fast that rock was never the same again.

Here, let me prove it. This is 1976: The Birth Year of Alt-Rock, Part 2.

Songs heard on this show:

• Ramones, Beat on the Brat
• Sex Pistols, Pretty Vacant (Live)
• Ramones, Loudmouth (Live)
• Ramones, Judy is a Punk
• The Clash, White Riot
• Ramones, Now I Want to Sniff Some Glue
• The Clash, Guns of Brixton
• The Damned, New Rose
• Sex Pistols, Anarchy in the UK

The Ongoing History of New Music can be heard on these stations:

• 102.1 The Edge/Toronto – Sunday night at 7pm
• Q107/Toronto – Sunday night at 9pm
• Live 88-5/Ottawa – Saturdays at 9am and Sundays at 6pm
• 107.5 Dave-FM/Kitchener – Sunday nights at 11pm
• FM96/London – Sunday nights at 8pm
• Power 97/Winnipeg – Sunday nights at 10am and 10pm
• 107-3 The Edge/Calgary – Sundays at 10am and 10pm
• Sonic 102.9/Edmonton – Sunday at 8am and 8pm
• The Zone/Victoria – Sunday at 9am and 9pm
• The Fox/Vancouver – Sundays at 10am and 10pm
• The Goat Network/Interior BC
• WAPS/WKTL The Summit/Arkon, Canton, Cleveland, Youngstown – Mon-Fri at 9pm

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

When System of a Down was working on the Toxicity album, there was a lot of tension within the group, tension that led to actual fistfights. One night in the studio, drummer John Dolmayan punched guitarist Daron Malakian. He responded by slamming Dolmayan with a mic stand. Both of them ended up in the same emergency ward that night, getting stitched up next to each other.

When the album came out in September 2004, the band had a free concert planned for a parking lot in Hollywood. They figured about a thousand people would show up. Instead, the gig attracted 10,000 people. When fire marshals cancelled the gig, there was a riot. The crowd rushed the stage and destroyed about $30,000 worth of gear. Cops had to fire on the crowd with rubber bullets. Six people were arrested.

And while the gig was a disaster, it made System of a Down more famous than ever.

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

Queens of the Stone Age have a pretty distinctive sound. How did Josh Homme’s writing style develop? Polka music.

Josh grew up in Palm Desert, California, a place he said didn’t offer a lot in terms of guitar teachers. The best he could do was a guy named Tom Polonsky whose specialty was polka music. Young Josh learned the guitar through playing those kinds of tunes over the course of two years’ worth of lessons.

Now that you know that, go back and listen to some Queens of the Stone Age Music, especially the song “No One Knows.” If you deconstruct that track down to its very essence, you can hear the distinctive bounce of a polka. This isn’t the only Queens song that feels this way.

Josh says that polka music is so ingrained in him that the polka feel keeps showing up in his songwriting as a default, whether he wants it to or not.

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

When it comes to releasing albums, some artists get very, very clever and a little crazy with the packaging.

In 2012, the weirdo San Francisco Band The Residents issued a box set that contained original pressings of all their material going back to the 70s. It also included an official replica of the group’s famous eyeball mask. The entire thing was housed in a 28-cubic-foot refrigerator. Only 10 were made and each one retailed for $100,000. And yes, they sold at least one “copy.”

And if you like that, the Japanese extreme noise artist Merzbow released a single copy of a record called MerzCar. It consisted of a copy of his album, Noise Embryo, jammed into the CD player of a Mercedes-Benz 230. The CD could not be ejected. You could not change inputs. Every time you turned on the car, the CD would play. It came out through a label entitled Releasing Eskimo.

Unfortunately, no one bought it; the car broke down, they took out the CD and sold the car.

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

Charges against two Surrey men accused in a deadly hit-and-run near Terrace nearly eight years ago have suddenly been dropped weeks before their B.C. provincial court trial was set to begin.

Taylor Stogryn, 37, and Conrad Wierzbicki, 35, were charged with indignity to human remains and obstructing justice.

Stogryn was also accused of failing to stop at the scene of an accident in the 2018 collision that killed Cameron Kerr, 30

On Weds. Oct. 14, Kerr’s brother said the family met with RCMP and Crown counsel, who informed them the Nov. 2 trial would not be proceeding, and charges against both Stogryn and Wierzbicki had been stayed.

“It’s really hard to understand how the justice system could lead us to this,” Garrett Kerr said in an interview, adding his family is pretty devastated at the news.

Cameron Kerr was walking home along the shoulder of Highway 16 in the early morning hours of Sunday, Nov. 18, 2018, when he was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver four kilometres west of Terrace.

Kerr’s brother said the family was told the case collapsed because testimony from a key witness, a forensic pathologist, was not what it was anticipated to be, and would no longer support a likely conviction.

“The indication we were given is that because they couldn’t confirm that they moved his body, they wouldn’t be able to confirm that they stopped in the first place; thereby, they wouldn’t be able to confirm that they knew what had happened, what they had struck, that they had killed a human being,” Garrett Kerr told Global News.

The BC Prosecution Service, which does not provide its reasons for staying charges except in rare cases, said in a statement: “…the decision to stay the charge in this case was made due to a material change in circumstances that meant the charge assessment standard was no longer met.”

Criminal lawyer and former Crown prosecutor Rob Dhanu, K.C., said it’s relatively rare to see a case like this fall apart so close to trial.

“The Crown dropping serious and complicated charges on the eve of trial is the equivalent of a developer putting up a high-rise and watching it crumble just before everyone moves in,” Dhanu said in an interview Thurs.

Dhanu said the Crown would need to resolve the issues that undermined its case before taking another shot at justice.

“Technically, the police could continue to investigate, but the legal reality is it’s highly unlikely the Crown would pursue charges again,” Dhanu told Global News.

“They really didn’t leave us any shred of hope,” Garrett Kerr said of the decision. “It felt pretty final.”

Stogryn and Wierzbicki were allegedly among a group of seven on a hunting trip at the time Cameron Kerr was fatally struck.

RCMP allege Kerr’s body was rolled into a ditch, where it remained until he was discovered hours later.

Within days, RCMP seized a Ford F-350 with a broken mirror on Haida Gwaii, and identified a Lower Mainland driver as the suspect.

Despite repeated pleas from Kerr’s family and RCMP over the years urging those involved to come forward, the investigation was stalled by a code of silence.

“The idea that they could continue to stay silent and not empathize with Cameron’s loved ones and come forward was just unimaginable.” Garrett Kerr said in 2025 after charges were laid.

The BC RCMP Major Crime Special Projects Unit eventually took over the case and won a court fight in 2023 to hold on to a critical piece of evidence – the suspect truck’s right side mirror – for another year.

According to the ruling, video shows a Ford F-350 towing a boat through Terrace on Nov. 18, 2018 with an intact passenger-side mirror, while CCTV in Prince Rupert hours later showed the same F-350 with the side mirror broken off.

BC RCMP said Thursday their investigation remains open and Kerr’s family said it has great respect for how hard police and the Crown worked on the case.

“It’s pretty tough, like, I know the RCMP have done everything they could and yeah, the system’s really not set up to bring these people to justice,” Garrett Kerr said. “We’re not here because the RCMP are human; we’re here because two other guys are inhuman.”

Garrett Kerr has a message for Stogryn and Wierzbicki.

“If they’d driven their truck into the river there, Cameron would have jumped in the river immediately and swam halfway across to save them, not knowing them at all,” he told Global News Thursday.

“He (Cameron) would have done anything to help someone who was in trouble.”

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

There could be a new face on the ice when the Winnipeg Jets take on the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday.

The Jets recalled forward Brayden Yager from the AHL’s Manitoba Moose after injuries to Josh Morrissey and Vladislav Namestnikov.

Yager had been on a tear with the Moose to start the season. He scored the overtime winner on Sunday to give him five goals and four assists in the first six games.

“My conversations with Chevy (Kevin Cheveldayoff) and Arnie (Scott Arniel) kinda getting sent down was to go drive offence,” said Yager. “And drive the play and try to be the best player and I feel like Mark Morrison giving me lots of ice time and an opportunity to do that obviously helps. And playing with some pretty good players down there, so, nice to get off to a good start and try to continue that here.”

The Jets had plenty of options to choose from down on the farm with Nikita Chibrikov recording nine points in their first six games, while Noah Gregor has four goals to start the campaign. They ultimately went with the 21-year-old first round draft pick who is in the top 10 in AHL scoring.

“He had a good camp,” said Arniel. “He’s another young player that’s really starting to show that he’s getting closer.”

To make room for Yager on their 23-man roster, the Jets placed Josh Morrissey on injured reserve. Arniel said he’ll be re-evaluated in week or two.

Forward Walker Duehr is now healthy and was placed on waivers for the purpose of assigning him to the Moose.

Defenceman Elias Salomonsson made his season debut with the Moose on Sunday after off-season shoulder surgery, and he’ll play at least one more game in the AHL for conditioning.

The Jets start a short two-game road trip on Tuesday in St. Louis before returning home for Sunday’s Heritage Classic against the Montreal Canadiens.

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

It was a night of change for many municipalities across B.C. on Saturday night as incumbent mayors and most of their slates were voted out of office.

Former Surrey councillor Barinder Rasode said it appeared to be an election driven by a desire for change, not an ideological shift.

“It was a real indication and need for change on issues that matter to community around public safety, affordability and housing,” she said.

But for some, the unexpected results have them wondering if it is an indication of what might happen during the provincial election this Saturday.

“The shelf life of a successful government in Canada now is about 10 years,” Hamish Telford, University of the Fraser Valley political science associate professor, said.

“The NDP have been in power now for nine now under two premiers.”

Telford points out that civic voters made a change, but they went with familiar options.

“Pete Fry, longtime councillor in Vancouver, Doug McCallum, of course, former longtime mayor of Surrey, they were changing to what they perceived as a safe pair of hands,” he added.

“And I think some people still have question marks about the Conservative Party, if not about Lorne Doerkson himself.”

Full results from the 2026 B.C. municipal election

The results from Saturday still seem hard to predict, but Telford said, as voters saw with outgoing Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim, it can backfire to run a negative campaign.

All the political leaders have traded barbs.

“You have someone right now who is denouncing police in this province,” Doerkson said at last Wednesday’s leaders debate.

“You wrote a book about how to sue the police.”

On Sunday, BC Green Party leader Emily Lowan said: “David Eby called this snap election two years early for nobody but himself.”

But Eby is also biting back.

On Monday, he called out three BC Conservative candidates – Brian Tepper, Heather Moss and David Williams – who Eby said are members of a separatist Facebook group called the BC Prosperity Project.

“They are enabling and legitimizing a fringe political project in British Columbia to try to separate us from Canada,” Eby said.

Telford said the negative attacks by the BC NDP may work in their favour.

“On the other hand, the NDP has to promise something positive and I’m not sure we’re seeing that so far,” he added.

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

Several voting locations in Alberta will remain open later Monday after delays prevented them from opening on time, affecting when unofficial referendum results will be released.

Elections Alberta officials said unofficial results will only begin to be released once all voting locations across the province are confirmed closed. Because of delays earlier in the day, the last voting location is not expected to close before 10 p.m.

Chief Electoral Officer Gordon McClure authorized extended hours at affected locations to ensure voters receive the full advertised hours of service.

Officials said the late openings were caused by various issues that have since been resolved. The release did not provide further details about those issues in the material provided.

Regular voting hours at all other locations are from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Officials are also asking Albertans to be patient and respectful toward election workers.

The following locations will have extended voting hours.

Electoral Division Voting Location Affected Will remain open until 03 – Calgary-Bow Montgomery Community Association –5003 16 Avenue NW 8:13pm 03 – Calgary-Bow St. Michael Catholic Community –800 85 Street SW 8:14pm 06 – Calgary-Currie A. E. Cross School –3445 37 Street SW 8:20pm 07 – Calgary-East Holy Cross School –3719 26 Avenue SE 8:10pm 07 – Calgary-East Holy Trinity Family Activity Centre –1514 44 Street SE 8:10pm 07 – Calgary-East Royal Canadian Legion Branch 275 –755 40 Street SE 8:10pm 07 – Calgary-East St. Kateri Tekakwitha School –1005 Abbotsford Drive NE 8:10pm 07 – Calgary-East G. W. Skene School –6226 Penbrooke Drive SE 8:15pm 07 – Calgary-East Erin Woods School –25 Erin Park Drive SE 8:20pm 09 – Calgary-Elbow St. James School –2227 58 Avenue SW 8:10pm 09 – Calgary-Elbow Windsor Park Community Association –5304 6 Street SW 8:10pm 09 – Calgary-Elbow Earl Grey School –845 Hillcrest Avenue SW 8:15pm 09 – Calgary-Elbow Rideau Park School –829 Rideau Road SW 8:15pm 09 – Calgary-Elbow Ecole Sainte Marguerite Bourgeoys –4700 Richard Road SW 8:20pm 09 – Calgary-Elbow Elboya School –4804 6 Street SW 8:20pm 09 – Calgary-Elbow St. Stephen Protomartyr Church –4903 45 Street SW 8:20pm 10 – Calgary-Falconridge Monsignor A.J. Hetherington School –4 Coral Springs Boulevard NE 8:10pm 10 – Calgary-Falconridge Falconridge/Castleridge Community Centre –95 Falshire Drive NE 8:15pm 12 – Calgary-Foothills YMCA at Rocky Ridge –11300 Rocky Ridge Road NW 8:10pm 12 – Calgary-Foothills Blessed Marie-Rose School –999 Sherwood Boulevard NW 8:30pm 13 – Calgary-Glenmore Henry Wisewood School –910 75 Avenue SW 8:10pm 13 – Calgary-Glenmore Louis Riel School –9632 Oakfield Drive SW 8:25pm 18 – Calgary-Mountain View Rosedale School –905 13 Avenue NW 8:10pm 18 – Calgary-Mountain View Hillhurst United Church –1227 Kensington Close NW 8:15pm 18 – Calgary-Mountain View Ecole Madeleine D’Houet –108 22 Street NW 8 :33pm 19 – Calgary-North Holy Trinity Anglican Church –18 Hidden Creek Road NW 8:44pm 20 – Calgary-North East Notre Dame School –11900 Country Village Link NE 8:10pm 20 – Calgary-North East RCCG House of Praise –5 Redstone Heights NE 8:10pm 20 – Calgary-North East Venice Banquet Hall –4310 104 Avenue NE 8:35pm 22 – Calgary-Peigan Quarry Park Office ED 22 –205 Quarry Park Boulevard SE 8:15pm 22 – Calgary-Peigan Sherwood School –2011 66 Avenue SE 8:27pm 24 – Calgary-South East Joane Cardinal Schubert School –19480 45 Street SE 8:10pm 24 – Calgary-South East Cranston School – 205 Cranston Drive SE 8:13pm 24 – Calgary-South East Dr. George Stanley School –585 Cranston Drive SE 8:20pm 25 – Calgary-Varsity William Aberhart High School –3009 Morley Tr NW 8:15pm 27 – Edmonton-Beverly-Clareview St. Maria Goretti School –4214 127 Avenue NW 8:15pm 27 – Edmonton-Beverly-Clareview Ivor Dent School –11010 32 Street NW 8:25pm 27 – Edmonton-Beverly-Clareview John D. Bracco School –3150 139 Avenue NW 8:25pm 31 – Edmonton-Ellerslie Holy Family School –1710 Mill Woods Road E 8:15pm 31 – Edmonton-Ellerslie Jan Reimer School –360 Orchard Boulevard SW 8:15pm 31 – Edmonton-Ellerslie Pollard Meadows School –1715 48 Street NW 8:15pm 31 – Edmonton-Ellerslie Father Michael Mireau School –3010 Spence Wynd SW 8:20pm 31 – Edmonton-Ellerslie Corpus Christi School –460 Watt Boulevard SW 9:00pm 32 – Edmonton-Glenora Matheson Seniors’ Residence –11445 135 Street NW 9:00pm 32 – Edmonton-Glenora Westglen School –10950 127 Street NW 8:15pm 32 – Edmonton-Glenora Youngstown School –10330 163 Street NW 8:15pm 32 – Edmonton-Glenora Westminster School –13712 104 Avenue NW 10:00pm 33 – Edmonton-Gold Bar Kenilworth Community League –7104 87 Avenue NW 8:10pm 33 – Edmonton-Gold Bar Ottewell School –9435 73 Street NW 8:10pm 33 – Edmonton-Gold Bar Avonmore School –7835 76 Avenue NW 8:15pm 33 – Edmonton-Gold Bar Ecole Maurice-Lavallee –8828 95 Street NW 8:15pm 33 – Edmonton-Gold Bar Holyrood School –7920 94 Avenue NW 8:15pm 34 – Edmonton-Highlands-Norwood Santa. Maria Goretti Centre –11050 90 Street NW 8:30pm 35 – Edmonton-Manning Slovenian Canadian Association Hall –16703 66 Street NW 8:27pm 35 – Edmonton-Manning Kirkness School –610 Kirkness Road NW 8:30pm 35 – Edmonton-Manning Edmonton Christian Northeast School – 5940 159 Avenue NW 8:45pm 36 – Edmonton-McClung WWWCC Community League –505 Wolf Willow Road NW 8:20pm 39 – Edmonton-North West Kensington School –13410 119 Street NW 8:20pm 42 – Edmonton-South DR. Anne Anderson School –11810 35 Avenue SW 8:45pm 42 – Edmonton-South Orchards Residents Association –315 Windermere Road NW 8:45pm 43 – Edmonton-South West Constable Daniel Woodall School –315 Windermere Road NW 9:20pm 44 – Edmonton-Strathcona Mount Pleasant School –10541 60A Avenue NW 8:15pm 44 – Edmonton-Strathcona Allendale School –6415 106 Street NW 8:32pm 47 – Airdrie-Cochrane Holy Spirit School –200 Fireside Drive 8:10pm 47 – Airdrie-Cochrane Bearspaw School –253210 Bearspaw Road 8:15pm 47 – Airdrie-Cochrane C. W. Perry School –186 Sagewood Boulevard SW 8:15pm 48 – Airdrie-East Cooper’s Crossing School –1050 Coopers Drive SW 8:55pm 50 – Banff-Kananaskis Springbank High School –32226 Springbank Road 8:30pm 51 – Bonnyville-Cold Lake-St. Paul Elizabeth Settlement Community Hall –60 102 Street 8:58pm 51 – Bonnyville-Cold Lake-St. Paul Fishing Lake Communiplex –SE 17 57 2 W4 8:58pm 54 – Cardston-Siksika Picture Butte Community Centre –607 Highway Avenue N 8:30pm 54 – Cardston-Siksika Lavern Community Hall –Hwy 505 Lavern 8:40pm 59 – Drumheller-Stettler Consort Sportex –4602 50 Avenue 9:00pm 61 – Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo Santana Mandir Temple –108 Abraham Gate 8:15pm 62 – Fort Saskatchewan-Vegreville Brookville Community League –53203 Range Road 212 8:15pm 65 – Highwood D’Arcy Ranch Golf Club –37160 Range Road 10 8:10pm 66 – Innisfail-Sylvan Lake Ridgewood Hall –5429 53 Street 8:10pm 68 – Lacombe-Ponoka Gary Moe Auto Group Sportsplex –5429 53 Street, Lacombe 8:15pm 69 – Leduc-Beaumont Christ the King High School –3511 Rollyview Road 8:14pm 69 – Leduc-Beaumont Ecole Horizon Heights School –37 Coloniale Way 8:23pm 69 – Leduc-Beaumont Coast Nisku Inn – 1101 4 Street 8:28pm 69 – Leduc-Beaumont Ecole J.E. Lapointe School –4801 55 Avenue 8:30pm 71 – Lethbridge-East Palliser School Division Home –3305 18 Avenue N 8:10pm 71 – Lethbridge-East Parkbridge Estates –2920 29 Ave S 8:13pm 72 – Lethbridge-West LDS Church –5 Jerry Potts Boulevard W 8:10pm 74 – Maskwacis-Wetaskiwin Bear Paw Trading Post –242068 Township Road 454 8:10pm 75 – Morinville-St. Albert Gibbons Community Cultural Centre –5115 51 Street 9:00pm 77 – Peace River Four Chiefs Complex 9:00pm 77 – Peace River Sister Gloria School 9:00pm 79 – Red Deer-South ST. Elizabeth Seton School –35 Addinnell Avenue 8:10pm 79 – Red Deer-South Baymont BY Wyndham Red Deer –4311 49 Avenue 8:45pm 79 – Red Deer-South École Secondaire Notre Dame High School –50 Lees Street 8:45pm 81 – Sherwood Park Wes Hosford School –207 Granada Boulevard 8:10pm 81 – Sherwood Park Lakeland Ridge School –101 Crimson Drive 8:16pm 81 – Sherwood Park Woodbridge Farms School –1127 Parker Drive 8:23pm 82 – Spruce Grove-Stony Plain Holiday Inn Express & Suites –201 Jennifer Heil Way 8:10pm 82 – Spruce Grove-Stony Plain St. Andrew’s United Church – 1a Fieldstone Drive 8:15pm 82 – Spruce Grove-Stony Plain Spruce Grove Alliance Church –250 Century Road 8:45pm 84 – Strathcona-Sherwood Park Strathcona Christian Academy Elementary –52362 Range Road 231 8:24pm 85 – Taber-Warner Foremost Community Hall –802 1 Avenue West 8:11pm 85 – Taber-Warner Bow Island Legion –202 5 Avenue East 8:14pm 85 – Taber-Warner Taber Christian Elementary School –4809 60 Avenue 8:15pm 87 – West Yellowhead Ecole Jasper School –300 Elm Avenue 8:13pm 87 – West Yellowhead Best Western High Road Inn –300 52nd Street 8:15pm 87 – West Yellowhead Edson Lions all –4139 3 Avenue 8:28pm 87 – West Yellowhead Canfor Culture and Events Centre –5401 51 Street 8:30pm

 

 

 

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

Morris Kulbaba sits with a needle jabbed in his arm as he’s waiting for platelets to be taken in hopes it will help the critically injured from CFB Wainwright.

Four members of the Canadian Armed Forces died and dozens are injured after a routine training exercise that ended in a grass fire.

“If some of my blood or platelets could be there, so be it,” said Kulbaba, a former member of the military. “It’s in you to give. You’ve got the blood to spare. Give.”

Around a hundred new donors are expected to donate in the coming days, said Brett Lawrence, community development manager with Canadian Blood Services.

Watch the video above for the full story.

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

Homeless advocates are calling for long-term solutions and compassion from municipal and provincial leader, as cities across Saskatchewan deal with a growing homelessness crisis.

The issue was discussed by city councilors in the province’s two largest cities on Wednesday, just days after a large homeless encampment was taken down in Saskatoon. Approximately 80 tents and structures were removed as part of coordinated city of Saskatoon response.

Mayor Cynthia Block said the city continues to work with the provincial government to find solutions.

“We need low barrier access to sheltering. We need low barrier access to housing with the appropriate wrap around supports that suit the people that need that housing,” said Block.

The Saskatoon committee discussed winter homelessness services, including a women’s daytime and overnight drop-in center on Idylwyld drive, scheduled to open in November.

City councillors also noted that work continues on a shelter on 31rst street, which is set to open next year. But with thousands in Saskatoon still unhoused, more emergency and transitional housing options are needed.

Regina city council has been watching Saskatoon as that city deals with their own challenges. Pepsi Park has been home to a growing homeless encampment in Regina since early August.

Regina City Councillor Victoria Flores said she would not support removal of that encampment, displacing approximately 150 people, without first having a plan in place.

“Unfortunately, the resources are limited. And that’s kind of where we are stuck. We’ve been having more positive conversations with the provincial government lately. And soon we will have an answer on what’s going to happen, where do we go from here?” said Flores.

Housing advocate, David Fineday, was one of the about 120 people forced from the encampment in Saskatoon. He tells Global News he has lost too many friends experiencing homelessness over the years.
That’s why he’s speaking up now.

“Especially when they are dying on your floor, in your back alley, good friends that you’ve known for years, man…. not there anymore,” said Fineday.

Chloe Olson addressed the committee on Wednesday, saying the city did more than just remove an encampment; it pulled apart a community. She said the removal solved nothing; it only relocated the problem as many of those staying at 20th street and Avenue K South just ended up scattering throughout the neighbourhood.

“They might be swept under the rug and a little less visible now, but I assure you there are still there,” Chloe OIson who addressed the city’s governance and priorities committee meeting on Wednesday. She said the tear down doesn’t resolve the challenge with homelessness; it just relocates it.

“With the winter and cold months approaching, there are concerns about existing availability for shelters, and that has been at the forefront of my mind,” said Olson. “I worry about my family on the streets. I worry about my friends, and in generally, I worry about the entire community as they suffer through this together.”

The city has said it is working with individuals impacted. But despite repeated efforts, only two people accepted offers of support for housing the day the tents were removed.

The Saskatchewan NDP said the provincial government needs to be held to account. Saskatoon-Westview MLA April ChiefCalf said she wants to see more tracking and transparency on how people have been helped.

“We want regular public reporting on how many people have been housed, how many are sleeping outside, and what supports are being provided,” said ChiefCalf.

The Ministry of Social Services responded to our request via a statement saying for a response to the NDP call:

“Municipalities play a lead role in responding to encampments and coordinating local outreach efforts. The ministry supports these efforts by working alongside municipal and community partners to connect with individuals to provide income supports and emergency shelter options. This includes referrals to available shelter spaces, friends and family, detox services or hotels if available shelter spaces do not meet their needs. Ministry staff also help make connections with other human service providers and community-based organizations providing services such as mental health and addictions and medical supports.”

But Fineday said the situation is urgent and much, much more help is needed.

“Is there any legal way, is there a place they can designate for us? That’s what I want to know. And if not, why?” asked Fineday.

Advocates say more transitional housing is needed, not just emergency shelters.

And some concerned residents said they struggle with the optics of a city discussing major projects while homelessness remains such a pressing issue.

“They’re talking about dollars for an arena. Come on. People first. Please,” said Valerie Senyk, who also addressed the committee with her concerns over the number of people who remain unhoused heading into winter.

And with the weather starting to turn, many questions remain over how to ensure no one is left out in the cold.

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