Helen’s Kiwi Pavlova

• 4 egg whites
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 small tsp vanilla
• 1 small tsp cornflour
• 1 small tsp vinegar

Beat egg whites until stiff; add sugar slowly and continue beating until very stiff.

Stir together vanilla, cornflour, and vinegar in a cup and then stir into egg white mixture.

Place parchment on a cookie sheet and pile the mixture on top, shaping it into a circle (with a spatula or spoon) creating a slight indentation in the center.

Bake one hour at 200 degrees F.

Let cool completely.

Serve topped generously with whipping cream and sliced, ripe kiwi fruit.

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

Condolences continue to pour in from across Canada and the world as emergency crews maintain the deadly fire that broke out at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright.

At least seven people have died with dozens more injured, according to multiple military sources.

“As Commander-in-Chief, and on behalf of all Canadians, I extend my support to the military members, families, and community affected by the fire at CFB Wainwright,” said Gov. Gen. Louise Arbour in a statement Sunday morning. “My thoughts are with the loved ones of those who lost their lives, those who were injured, and all those affected by this tragedy.”

The Canadian Armed Forces confirmed Sunday that the fire ignited within a training area at approximately 4 p.m. MT on Saturday.

It was the result of an explosion caused by a live-fire exercise hitting a gas line or gas well on the base, multiple Canadian Armed Forces sources told Global News.

“The fire spread rapidly beyond the boundaries of the training area, while military and civilian emergency services responded quickly to control that fire and to support those affected by this tragic event,” the CAF said in a news release.

Chief of the Defence Staff Jennie Carignan said the CAF and Department of National Defence are working with partners across the federal, provincial and municipal governments to “mobilize all necessary support.”

“Our soldiers, civilian personnel, and emergency responders are working closely with local authorities to respond to this situation,” she said in a statement. “On behalf of the Canadian Army, I extend my deepest condolences to the families, friends, and loved ones of those affected by this tragedy.”

Condolences pour in

Numerous leaders of all levels of government offered condolences overnight, including Prime Minister Mark Carney, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, and Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi.

But as the night wore on into the morning, more leaders like Arbour paid tribute.

“Canada is mourning a terrible tragedy at CFB Wainwright,” said Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas Sunday morning. “Our soldiers put their lives on the line in service to our country, and to lose them here at home is devastating.”

In Ontario, Premier Doug Ford and NDP Leader Marit Stiles both urged Canadians to come together.

“As Canadians, let’s come together to support our brave men and women in uniform, who put their lives on the line to protect our freedoms and our country,” Ford said on social media. “Ontario stands ready to help the recovery efforts however we can.”

“I cannot imagine the weight of this news for families with loved ones in the service. Canadians stand with you,” Stiles said.

Condolences were also offered from outside the country.

“Deeply saddened by the tragic incident and devastating fire at CFB Wainwright in Alberta,” said Andril Sybiha, minister of foreign affairs for Ukraine. “My heartfelt condolences to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives.”

Fire remains held south of Wainwright

When the fire broke out, much of Alberta was under wind warnings with up to 100 km/h wind gusts fuelling the flames.

The Municipal District of Wainwright said the fire south of town crossed the base fence earlier in the day and was being actively managed.

A fire watch for the community is in place, with the municipality urging residents to continue to avoid the incident area and keep roads clear.

—with files from Global News’ Karen Bartko, Amy Judd and Ashleigh Stewart

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

Going on tour as a major artist is like mobilizing an army for an offensive that will last months, if not years. A battalion of semi-trucks needs to be wrangled to transport gear from city to city. Buses need to be rented for the act and crew. Hotels, airfare and/or private jets have to be booked. Often, multiple stages plus sound and lighting rigs must be assembled, so that while a show is happening in one venue, things are already being set up at the next. Support staff, from caterers to chiropractors, have to be mobilized. Backstage amenities must be organized. Merch needs to be sourced, transported and replenished throughout the tour.

Audiences demand a spectacle for their concert dollar, so productions have to be wilder and more technologically advanced while remaining portable. And because touring is an artist’s major source of revenue, everyone is on tour, driving up the cost of renting gear, trucking and roadies. Touring has never been more expensive and fans are very close to that red line when it comes to what they’ll pay to see a show. Raising prices isn’t an option anymore, yet expenses keep climbing. Of great concern is the skyrocketing price of diesel fuel for all those trucks and buses.

Then there’s all the red tape and paperwork. Having to advance shows in different cities and different countries. Crossing borders with loads of gear and personnel who may have, er, issues. Visas. Currency conversions. Settlements. The accounting complexities are enormous.

Then there’s the human toll. Being away from home and living out of hotels, backstage lounges and airports is very hard on the mind, body and spirit. It’s to the point where many musicians are questioning whether touring is worth it anymore, especially when it comes to emerging talent, indie musicians, or those in the middle class of the music industry.

What if there were a better way that was cheaper, easier on the artist and could provide a superior experience for the audience? Enter the residency.

Las Vegas was the pioneer in this area. As far back as the 1950s, casinos and hotels began booking long-term engagements for entertainers ranging from Sinatra and the Rat Pack to Liberace to Elvis. Since people were already flocking to the city to gamble, why not give them another way to spend their money? Artists loved it because everyone came to them. Vegas is still king of the residency, hosting strings of shows by Céline Dion, Britney Spears, Janet Jackson, Bruno Mars, Garth Brooks, Lady Gaga, Adele, Shania Twain and dozens more.

The Sphere is the latest iteration of the Las Vegas residency, providing an immersive experience that you can’t get anywhere else in the world (well, until the new one opens in Abu Dhabi). It’s also very lucrative for artists. U2 played 40 shows over weekends and grossed US$245 million. The Eagles made US$290 million over 58 shows (so far), pulling in around US$5 million per gig. By the time their stand finishes in January, the overall gross will be close to half a billion. Metallica, No Doubt, Dead & Company, Phish and a few others have also had great paydays, all without having to move from a single venue. Margins expanded. ROI went through the roof.

The live music industry is falling in love with residencies for this reason. Why spend money going to fans when you can entice the fans to come to you?

Live Nation experimented in Munich in the summer of 2024. A temporary stadium was built within a space dubbed “Adele World.” Construction cost €40 million and featured 250 tons of stage equipment and the biggest LED video screen ever constructed, all for just ten shows. Through the month of August. It was an insane success, attracting 750,000 people. Gross sales were never released to the public, but it’s whispered that Adele walked away with US$50 million. Then the whole venue was taken down.

Long stays in arenas and stadiums have become increasingly common. Taylor Swift’s Eras tour had two stretches: one for three nights and another for five, at Wembley Stadium in London. Coldplay did 10 nights at Estadio River Plate Buenos Aires before completing a 16-night run at Wembley Stadium. Shakira completed a 13-show stint in Madrid in a temporary venue attracting 55,000 people per night, grossing at least US$200 million. To put it another way, she attracted more money and people to the city than F1 and a visit by Pope Leo XIV.

Next year, the Backstreet Boys have 12 shows booked for the Rogers Centre in Toronto. And Oasis has 11 sold-out nights at Etihad Stadium in Manchester along with four grand finale shows at Knebworth Park in September 2027. And Céline Dion is set for a 26-concert residency at Plentitude Arena in Nanterre, France.

In each case, the act commands the fans to come to them. And because transportation/setup/teardown costs are greatly reduced, profits must be astronomical.

While this is all fine and good for the artist, this isn’t much of a deal for fans. While residencies may hold down the price of a concert ticket due to lowered operating costs (well, we’ll see), fans increasingly have to pony up for new expenses like airfare and hotel. Wanna see your favourite band live? Forget about them coming to you. You now have to go to them.

Meanwhile, governments are loving residencies because of the economic impact they can have on a city. The promotion of music tourism has become a priority in some spots. In the U.K., for example, people traveling to shows brought in £11.2 billion at last count. Since the ABBA Voyage avatar show debuted in London in May 2022, it has brought in nearly US$3 billion.

Other countries are getting on board with music tourism, too. Egypt (the pyramids are always a great venue), Chile, India and Australia are all working on plans. Just this past week, U.S. President Donald Trump signed the American Music Tourism Act into law. By creating a welcoming atmosphere for music tourists, you just know that managers, promoters and artists are going to try to capitalize on the opportunity with more residencies.

The one hold-out might be U2, a band that, outside of The Sphere opportunity, has always been determined to bring their music to their fans around the world, even though the operating costs of their tours has been insane. Both The Joshua Tree Tour and the ZooTV Tour almost bankrupted the band. The 360 Tour required three “claw” stages to be custom-built at the cost of US$30 million each. Rumours are that their next tour in 2027 will run over several years and consist of up to six legs. It sounds like an old-school world tour that will travel the planet like the old days.

Meanwhile, everyone else might want to get used to budgeting for more than just a concert ticket to see your favourite band. You may have to go to them.

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

For the second time in five days, the Buffalo Sabres and Montreal Canadiens went to overtime at the Bell Centre, and for the second time, the Canadiens won it. Cole Caufield with an absolute stunner of a shot upstairs on a breakaway led the Canadiens to a 4-3 win.

Wilde Horses 

It was the first game of the season for Oliver Kapanen. He looked solid. The last time Kapanen looked as talented as he did on Saturday was about game 60 last season, before he hit the wall for the rest of the season and the playoffs.

Kapanen had that trademark intelligence. He was on a two-on-one looking confident with Kirby Dach. With Kapanen, Dach looked good for the first time this season.

If Kapanen finds his better game, it would be a giant boost for the Canadiens who are looking for a 12th forward that doesn’t bring the team down.  Another night and another goal for Bolduc. On the power play, it was Bolduc in the bumper position, and he deflected a point shot from Nick Suzuki for a tally.

The top line was in outstanding form. They scored on strong work from the first-forechecker Juraj Slafkovsky. He managed to get behind the net right after the defender on the dump-in. He chipped it to Cold Caufield who scored his fourth goal of the season. Once again, it was from an angle most players wouldn’t even attempt to shoot.

Even after a 51-goal season, goalies still aren’t prepared for Caufield to shoot from anywhere. Caufield understands that he’s got a great chance when the goalie isn’t prepared. He’s pretty good, too, when they are prepared.

Caufield won it on a breakaway away from centre in overtime. He looked shot all the way and sniped it so quickly in and out of the top corner, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen didn’t even move.

The Suzuki line had its best contest of the season. The Expected Goals total was stunning. They had a 99.3 per cent share. Suzuki is one of the best players in this league. It’s a rare night that he is outdone by his opposite, even though he faces the best centres in hockey.

Injuries are always bad, there’s no argument to that, but, strangely, injuries can also lead to some accidental discoveries. The day-to-day injury of Mike Matheson has led to the returning Kaiden Guhle lining up with Alexandre Carrier.

The result is both of these defenders are playing their best hockey. They look right together. They compliment each other. They understand each other. They have great chemistry. Midweek, Guhle played 25:25 in one of this highest ice times on record for a game.

He was the game’s first star. Guhle has returned to action looking like he didn’t have surgery at all; nor miss training camp. With Carrier, they dominate the game. They rarely get into trouble. Carrier doesn’t get hit as much either.

Their best moment of the night was on the penalty kill in a tied game with one minute remaining. Both boxed out beautifully to keep the shots to the outside. They are becoming a shutdown pair.

Lane Hutson and Noah Dobson also look good together. Both pairs had a 60 per cent share in Expected Goals.

The only reason the Canadiens have these two outstanding pairs going right now is the Canadiens were destroyed by the Carolina Hurricanes when Dobson and Matheson were together. It was that awful night that was step one in this positive change.

Wilde Goats

It’s been interesting to watch the Canadiens try to bring another defender into the fold since trading Jayden Struble. It has not gone as well as planned. The Canadiens felt that they could trade Struble because Adam Engstrom and David Reinbacher are ready to go.

Engstrom auditioned first, and he was abysmal. In one contest, two goals went off his body when he wasn’t boxing out, and he had very little awareness of the danger. Engstrom continued to make terrible decisions when he had plenty of time and space.

Saturday night, they tried Reinbacher. He was a mess on the first Sabres goal. He retrieved the puck just inside his own blue line. He felt so panicky he threw the puck up ice only about ten feet, without looking who happened to be there. Sadly, for Reinbacher, it was two Sabres.

Buffalo, immediately, came back on the counter-attack, and the Canadiens were caught believing they had possession. Reinbacher then compounded the first error by making another one just as bad.

He didn’t take his man at all, basically, standing in front of the net by himself looking around. The result was a Josh Norris goal. Reinbacher is a much better player than this, but he was anxious, and his decision making completely left him.

The rest of the evening Reinbacher was acceptable, and the coaching staff thought he was reliable enough because with five minutes left, in a 3-3 game, Reinbacher was on the ice. That’s as big a vote of confidence that a player in his first game at home in the NHL can get.

Wilde Cards 

It hasn’t been a great start to the season for Montreal. They are near the bottom of the standings in the Atlantic Division. However, they shouldn’t fret. Underneath the surface, the Canadiens have metrics that show they are playing extremely well.

Using analytics, such as Corsi and Expected Goals, the tale of the tape is excellent. The Canadiens made the playoffs the last two seasons with shockingly bad Corsi. They were 28th in 2025 and 23rd in 2026. They made the playoffs on the back of good goaltending.

This season, it’s the complete opposite. The Canadiens are one of the best teams in the league in advanced metrics. They have won the Corsi and Expected Goals battle all season long, except in the Carolina Hurricanes game when they were dominated.

Overall, Montreal this year is fifth in Corsi. The Canadiens are playing more in the other team’s end than they have in a decade and a half. The longer the season goes, the more this statistic matters. The last three winners of the cup were first, fourth, and second in Corsi.

The issue is goaltending where the Canadiens have had a terrible time so far. Montreal is 29th of  32 teams in Goals Saved Above Expected this season. Jakub Dobes will find his game. When he does, the excellence in Corsi will show up as wins on the scoreboard.

Brian Wilde, a Montreal-based sportswriter, brings you Call of the Wilde on globalnews.ca after each Canadiens game.

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

Less than one-quarter of Albertans support proceeding to a binding vote on separation, but support for the other nine questions on Monday’s referendum may be higher, a new survey shows.

An Ipsos poll conducted exclusively for Global News suggests seven in 10 Albertans say they plan to vote for Alberta to remain a province of Canada in the upcoming referendum, holding steady from previous polling conducted in September.

The proportion of voters who said they would vote for Alberta to begin the legal process of holding a binding referendum vote on separation increased three percentage points from September to 23 per cent.

That support is highest among men (27 per cent), those aged 35 to 54 (27 per cent) and those living outside Calgary and Edmonton (29 per cent).

“We’re seeing only about a quarter of people in Alberta saying they give support for this, but there’s a fair amount of diversity in the opinions among the people that we interviewed depending on where they lived and what their demographic background is,” Darrell Bricker, chairman of Ipsos Canada, told Global News.

Ipsos conducted online interviews with 801 Albertans between Oct. 13 and 16.

Only five per cent of voters remain undecided and two per cent say they will not vote, but Bricker said even if all of those respondents ultimately voted yes on referendum day, it would not be enough to trigger a separation vote.

“Whether or not it is only a quarter of the population that decide that they’re going to vote yes. Still not a small number. That’s a pretty big number,” Bricker said.

Premier Danielle Smith has said that if voting goes the way polling suggests, she expects everyone to accept it and move on. Leaders of the independence movement contest that.

But the premier has also asked Albertans to vote yes to the first nine questions, saying it would give her more leverage to negotiate for the province with the federal government.

“What we’re seeing is that the status quo relationship with the rest of the country is not something that’s particularly popular in Alberta at the moment,” Bricker said. “They don’t see the solution to that status quo situation as being separating from the country. But I expect that some of those other questions might get themselves majorities on election night.”

The first nine questions are related to immigration and the constitution.

A previous poll conducted for Global News in September found a strong majority (76 per cent) of Albertans were aware there were several questions in the upcoming referendum. Eighty-one per cent of Albertans said they planned to vote in the referendum with 62 per cent saying they will vote on all 10 questions.

How do I watch the results?

Global News will have in-depth team coverage on both broadcast and streaming online.

Anchors Dallas Flexhaug and Carole Anne Devaney will be joined by veteran political reporter and Ottawa bureau chief David Akin for results analysis, along with insights from a political panel hosted by anchor Blake Lough, and reporters on the ground.

From 8 p.m. MT to midnight, our Decision Alberta Referendum 2026 coverage will air on Globalnews.ca, as well as on YouTube and our Global TV app that is available on streaming services Prime Video, Apple TV, Roku, and select smart TVs.

Starting at 9 p.m., the special will also begin airing live on all Global News stations in Alberta.

The precision of Ipsos polls containing online data is measured using a credibility interval. In this case, the overall poll of 801 Albertans is accurate to within +/- 4.2 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, had all adult Alberta residents been polled. The credibility interval will be wider among subsets of the population. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error, and measurement error.

– With files from Global News’ Jace Maki and Karen Bartko

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

On Monday, Albertans will vote in a province-wide referendum on a series of questions about the province’s future, and the question drawing the most attention is whether to hold a second referendum on separation; Ipsos’ current polling suggests Albertans will reject that possibility, with only 23 per cent saying they will vote to trigger the second vote and 70 per cent saying they will vote to stay part of Canada.  But the outcome on nine other themes – immigration, federal programs and greater provincial autonomy – is far less certain.

Looking only at the immigration-related questions,  Ipsos polling conducted in September found that a majority of Albertans supported giving their province greater control over immigration (65 per cent) and denying access to federally funded programs to people who do not have legal status in Canada (59 per cent).  In our polling, we tested support for the concept, not the actual referendum question, so the results reflect how Albertans feel about these issues in general.

Most interestingly, however, Albertans aren’t the only ones who feel this way. In fact, Canadians outside Alberta are more likely to support these proposals than Albertans.

As it stands, 74 per cent of Canadians outside of Alberta supported giving their province more control over immigration, and 67 per cent supported denying access to federal programs to those who do not have legal status.  This suggests that Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has captured the public mood of both Albertans and the broader population.  A national debate on immigration will likely follow, especially if the Alberta referendum delivers majority support for some of these policy proposals.

Indeed, former Alberta Premier Jason Kenney, an avowed federalist and one of the loudest voices for the “no” side on the separation question, is calling for such a debate, and there is increasing evidence that Canada’s consensus on immigration is becoming a ballot box issue.

This could put Alberta’s government at odds with Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government.

The federal immigration minister recently signalled that Canada plans to open its immigration targets to allow more immigrants, despite housing affordability remaining a concern.  Other concerns remain, as polls consistently show that affordability is a major issue. And Alberta is now proposing to wrest control over immigration from the federal government and create two classes of social support – one for those without status, and one for those with it.  Our poll suggests Canadians agree with both propositions.

Ipsos has also measured a gradual but consistent decline in acceptance that immigration is good for the country through our Context Now tracking.  Polling going back to 2021 shows that agreement with the statement, “aving a diverse population with diverse ethnicities, cultures etc. is a very good thing for the country,” has declined from 81 per cent in 2021 to 67 per cent in 2024.

Overall, people are thinking about how we should approach immigration – and the costs associated with it – amid a housing and affordability crisis. For her part, Smith has urged Albertans to vote “yes to the nine,” arguing that immigration costs are prohibitively expensive, while Carney has called on Albertans to vote no.  While they are on the same side on Alberta’s future in Canada, they differ on how to approach immigration, despite finding common ground on issues such as pipelines and supporting the growth of Alberta’s energy industry.

Remarkably, especially for a Liberal prime minister in Alberta, Albertans view Carney most favourably, while they view Smith least favourably. On immigration and provincial rights, though, Smith appears to share most Canadians’ view, not Carney.

Whatever happens tomorrow, the Alberta referendum will shake up Canada.  Alberta separatists have made it clear they will not let the issue go and will treat the “stay or leave” vote’s result as a permanent decision on their project, so that issue is unlikely to go away quickly, no matter the result. The debate over Alberta’s future within the federation has obscured how it might operate if it decides to remain.

If Smith wins a majority on some or all of the “other nine” questions, we might expect her to believe she has a mandate from the population to act.  She may try to work with other premiers to raise these issues with the federal government and obtain more direct control over immigration and provincial rights from Carney.

She will have an ally in Quebec premier-elect Paul St.-Pierre Plamondon, who has pledged to use the early days of his premiership as leader of an overtly separatist party to advance provincial interests, having deferred a referendum on separation until when President Trump leaves office.

During the recent Quebec provincial campaign, the incoming premier also promised to cut the number of immigrants being allowed into the province, seeking even more powers than what Quebec already enjoys through a 35-year-old agreement giving Quebec more control on immigration than most provinces have.  These are powers Smith is seeking for Alberta as well.

Smith, too, has reason to pick a fight with Ottawa.  Some members of her own party feel she hasn’t gone far enough on separation. They are opposing her vow to not revisit the issue if Monday ends with a vote for the status quo, and some separatist supporters vowing to oust her at the upcoming leadership review. She has campaigned fiercely for a strong Alberta within a united Canada and said she voted “no” on that question. But she has voted “yes” to the other nine. If the separation question was designed to appease her base, the other nine may reveal her true ambitions: to secure more control for Alberta over immigration, control costs, and ensure that only those legally allowed in Alberta receive taxpayer-funded services.

The results on those questions, not only for Albertans but for all Canadians and far more than Alberta’s future in Canada as a province, may be the most consequential issues to emerge from tomorrow’s election, and the ones that will shape debate across Canada for the next year and beyond.

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

TORONTO – Sergei Bobrovsky arrived in Toronto with a long and decorated resume.

A pair of Stanley Cup rings along with two Vezina Trophy nods as the NHL’s top goaltender sat right at the top.

Early on in his Maple Leafs’ tenure, however, the 38-year-old and his teammates are still looking for traction.

Bobrovsky’s record fell to 1-3-2 following Saturday’s 4-1 loss to the grinding New York Islanders.

The Russian puck-stopper wasn’t to blame on any of the three goals he allowed before the visitors added an empty-netter, but his save percentage now stands at .891 along with a 3.29 goals-against average.

“I feel good,” Bobrovsky, who signed a three-year, US$21-million contract in free agency, said of his start to the 2026-27 schedule. “There is a lot of chances, lots of work. I try to give the best chance for the team to win the game. It (doesn’t) always go your way, but chipping away.

“I stay patient and just ready for the next shot.”

Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews said the rest of the group hasn’t offered much support during a stretch that’s seen Toronto (3-4-2) drop four of its last five (1-2-2).

“We’ve really left him out to dry here in these last couple starts,” said the star centre. “We’ve got to be better. He’s doing his job. He’s making some big saves.”

Bobrovsky, who hoisted the Cup in both 2024 and 2025 with the Florida Panthers, said coming north has been an adjustment as part of a major summer roster renovation.

“Style is different,” he said after making 16 stops against the Islanders. “New guys, it’s a new team. We’re all working to get together to build the chemistry, to build the belief. We have a great group of guys — great skill guys, professional guys.

“We just have to find our game and have to come together and play on the same page.”

The Maple Leafs have also already been bitten by the injury bug.

Shutdown defenceman Chris Tanev, who was on the ice following Saturday’s morning skate, remains out week-to-week with an upper-body injury, while veteran centre John Tavares has the same return-to-play designation after suffering a lower-body injury in Thursday’s 5-4 shootout loss to the Buffalo Sabres.

“It’s tough, but this is the NHL,” said Toronto centre Colton Sissons, who scored his team’s only goal Saturday. “You lose players constantly — important players — and other guys gotta step up. Maybe not one guy needs to do the job. It needs to be a bunch of us collectively.”

He added that, despite the results, watching Bobrovsky go through his process has been impressive.

“Consummate professional,” Sissons said. “Not many guys in this league are as dialed in as he is with his routine and the way he takes care of himself. That’s why he’s been elite for so long.”

Bobrovsky, meanwhile, has now allowed three goals or more in each of his six starts.

He also doesn’t seem concerned.

“I stay patient and I prepare myself for the next shot,” Bobrovsky said. “You could think, ‘What if this, what if that?’ But it is what it is. I’m confident. I feel good about my game.

“I’m excited for the next opportunity.”

GETTING ON TRACK

The Maple Leafs host the San Jose Sharks on Monday and the New York Rangers on Thursday before heading back out on the road.

“It’s extremely high,” Sissons said when asked about the sense of urgency. “You can’t take too much time here to sort things out — not in this league, not in our division. We’re fully are aware of that. Down some guys right now, we gotta all pick it up collectively.

“We’ve got full belief.”

OFF THE BENCH

No. 1 overall pick Gavin McKenna had four shots and created chances with the puck across 17 minutes 56 seconds of ice time after getting benched Thursday.

“I don’t think anything really shakes him,” Matthews said. “He’s got confidence in his game. He knows what he can do out there.”

McKenna was not made available to reporters post-game.

INSIDE’S OUT

Toronto head coach Jim Hiller was at a loss to explain his team’s inability to get to the middle of the ice Saturday.

“It’s a good question,” he said. “We came out (for) the third period, we scored right away doing just exactly that, right? There was nothing fancy about the goal. I would give them credit. They played their game to a T. Their defenceman, I thought, did a really good job in the corners, squishing us and being tight and not allowing us to come out of the corner with the puck.

“There’s some of that, but just not good enough from us.”

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

© 2026 The Canadian Press

CALGARY – The B.C. Lions conclude their CFL regular season against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, but their playoff path is set as host of the West Division semifinal.

B.C. fell 32-13 to the Calgary Stampeders on Saturday, but the Lions (10-7) had already clinched second in the West when the Edmonton Elks beat the Blue Bombers the previous evening.

So B.C.’s player management was at the forefront Saturday in Calgary.

Quarterback Nathan Rourke, the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player last season, was among the Lions whose load got lighter as the game progressed.

Rourke was taken out of the game after completing eight of 11 passes for 149 yards and a touchdown pass in the first half.

His backup Kaidon Salter was 6-for-14 for 113 yards and was intercepted once in the second half.

B.C.’s top two receivers, Keon Hatcher Sr. and Justin McInnis, both sat out snaps.

Lions head coach Buck Pierce was cagey about his plans for player deployment Friday against the Blue Bombers.

“We’ll see,” was all Pierce said.

Salter sees Friday’s game against Winnipeg as a chance to showcase his talent, if given the opportunity to play.

“Once I’m in the game, it should look no different from when Rourke’s in the game,” said Salter.

With nothing at stake for B.C. against Winnipeg, Pierce still expects a complete effort from his team in order to carry momentum into the division semifinal Oct. 31 in Vancouver.

“We need to be playing better football down the stretch and that’s the message to the guys,” said Pierce.

The Lions beat the Blue Bombers in their lone meeting so far this season, which was a 35-19 victory July 30 in Winnipeg.

“You just want to go out there and play as a team and play to the best of your ability,” said Salter. “Just stay together, stick together, just keep on being one, being one brotherhood.”

Salter said his focus is on the final game of the regular season before he thinks about the playoffs.

The Lions have been the hottest team in the CFL after a 1-5 start. They’d won nine of 10 heading into Saturday’s game.

B.C. awaits their West semifinal opponent, which could be Winnipeg, Calgary or the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

The Lions will have the support of the Stampeders and their fans Friday versus Winnipeg because Calgary’s playoff fate relies on a Blue Bombers loss.

Stampeders coach and general manager Dave Dickenson hoped Pierce would play his starters against Winnipeg.

“I’ll be lobbying to say ‘hey, you don’t want to go into playoffs on a losing streak, a two-game losing streak,'” Dickenson said.

The Lions seek a playoff win at home and again Nov. 7 in the West final in Edmonton to reach their first Grey Cup game since 2011 when B.C. won it as the host team.

“There’s a lot to clean up and we’re just excited to get back to work,” Pierce said.

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

© 2026 The Canadian Press

It appears that Vancouver is going to have a new mayor.

Pete Fry is projected to be the next Vancouver mayor, beating out incumbent Ken Sim.

In a speech to his supporters, Fry said it was a bit overwhelming to receive the news.

“Putting your trust in me and my team here, we’re not going to let you down,” Fry said.

“We love the city a lot, and we’re here to work for the city, to fight for the city.”

Fry said he has a great team, some great ideas and they are going to get started right away.

Sim acknowledged that politics is a hard job and it can take a toll on families.

“You know, public life does ask a lot of the people that are closest to us,” he said.

Sim said that voters obviously wanted to go in a different direction and it is important that is acknowledged.

“Tonight marks the end of my time as mayor. Actually, that’s not true. I think I have a couple more weeks left, so yeah, all right, let’s make some changes now,” Sim said.

“Anyways, I just want to say thank you for being elected to the office of mayor. You know, it’s been the highlight of my life.”

Colleen Hardwick came in third, with Kareem Allam coming in fourth.

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

Doug McCallum is projected to be the next mayor of Surrey again.

“Tonight Surrey has become a global city,” McCallum said.

“We will address your affordability, we will address your safety, and we will address your infrastructure.”

McCallum told his room of supporters that he loves Surrey; that’s why he ran.

“Together we’re going to build a great city that our families will live in, have jobs and go to sports, enjoy each other, work together to make one of the best global cities in the world! Go, go, Surrey!”

Incumbent mayor Brenda Locke conceded to McCallum in a speech before the polls had closed.

“The voters have truly spoken,” she said.

“I want to wish them every success as they take on the responsibility of leading our most incredible city of Surrey. Surrey deserves our full support; there is no doubt.”

Locke thanked her team for how much they cared.

“Four years ago, the people of Surrey gave me an honor of serving as mayor,” she said.

“It has been the privilege of a lifetime. We did make progress in Surrey, great progress, on housing, on infrastructure, on public safety, and the facilities that are growing in our city today. To every resident who put their faith in me, I am so deeply grateful.”

McCallum led the City of Surrey as mayor for 13 years and lost to Locke in 2022.

He ran this election again under the banner ‘Doug Gets it Done,’ and it appears he has done that again.

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