A concept album is a record that has a narrative, theme, or story that links all the songs together in a unified way. Green Day’s American Idiot qualifies as such a record.

Dig into rock history, and you’ll find plenty more: The Wall by Pink Floyd, both Tommy and Quadrophenia by The Who, The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper, Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust, and My Chemical Romance and The Black Parade are all examples. But who was the first to release a concept album?

If we’re going to be honest, it was Frank Sinatra in 1955. That’s when he released In the Wee Small Hours, which features songs about that particular time of day. But hang on. We can also make a case for folksinger Woodie Guthrie.

He released a collection of songs entitled Dust Bowl Ballads, which featured accounts of Depression-era America. The year was 1940.

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

Canadian and U.S. officials are set to meet again Sunday with the new tariffs proposed by President Donald Trump set to take effect in just three days.

A spokesperson for the minister responsible for Canada-U.S. trade, said Dominic LeBlanc is set to speak with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer at 4:30 p.m. Eastern.

“Their meeting will be an opportunity to take stock of the work that has been accomplished by their respective negotiating teams, and the work that still lies ahead, as we seek to reach a comprehensive deal that delivers for businesses, workers, farmers and families on both sides of the border,” said Gabriel Brunet, LeBlanc’s spokesperson, in a statement.

The meeting comes as the U.S. is set to impose a 50 per cent tariff on some Canadian goods on Wednesday, raising concerns among politicians, industries and the public.

Earlier on Sunday, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre argued tariffs must be removed on Canadian softwood lumber in any trade deal made.

“It is unacceptable for there to be U.S. tariffs on Canadian lumber,” he said during a news conference Sunday. “It’s time for Mark Carney to keep his promise that he would negotiate a win and get the tariffs off Canadian softwood lumber. No more concessions while getting nothing in return.”

Such relief may not come to fruition in the latest negotiations, based on information from sources Global News has agreed not to identify because they were not authorized to speak publicly on the trade talks.

The gap on potential relief for the softwood lumber industry for now seems unlikely, with two sources with knowledge of the talks saying the Americans are not interested in reducing softwood tariffs and duties, which currently sit at 45 per cent.

Last week, B.C. Premier David Eby criticized the high tariff rates.

“We face higher tariffs than Russia,” B.C. Premier David Eby, whose province has a large lumber industry, said on Friday. “The U.S., for some inexplicable reason, is putting forest families out of work here in order to prioritize lumber imports from Europe and Russia.”

While Eby, Poilievre and others are urging a fight on softwood lumber, other factors are being considered in the talks.

But as of Friday, a big gap remained between the two sides, according to sources with direct knowledge of the trade negotiations.

One source told Global News that Canada has had to fight to even negotiate on softwood lumber.

Any deal the Trump administration is willing to sign will have some form of tariffs on steel, aluminum, autos and lumber, according to sources, with the U.S. also insisting American alcohol be put back onto all provincial liquor store shelves, which multiple premiers have expressed a willingness to do if enough U.S. concessions are made.

Canada’s goal remains reaching a deal before Wednesday to avoid new 50 per cent tariffs on roughly $28 billion worth of Canadian goods from taking effect.

If a deal is reached, tariffs on Canadian autos and parts compliant under the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) would remain in place, but it is expected that they would be reduced from the current 25 per cent level, according to a source familiar with the talks. One proposal that has been discussed is a tariff rate of between 10-15 per cent on CUSMA compliant autos and parts, according to one source.

Auto industry leaders have criticized the move, while Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown said Saturday that “no deal is better than a bad deal” if the auto sector is not included in talks.

—with files from Global News’ Reggie Cecchini, Mackenzie Gray and Sergio Vargas

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

Wildfire smoke could be a blessing for evacuees still out of their homes in British Columbia, but it can be an unsettling sight for people who have returned home.

Erin Trainer, deputy mayor and councillor in Summerland, returned to her home in Trout Creek on Saturday morning and says most of the town is still under evacuation as the fire is still “very much active.”

Trainer says the town is still blanketed in smoke and she spent her Saturday cleaning up the ashes on her property.

The BC Wildfire Service says wildfire smoke is expected to gradually move back into central areas of the province over the weekend, which it notes could help moderate fire behaviour by reducing the amount of radiant heat reaching the landscape.

Many residents are allowed to return to their homes near Summerland and West Kelowna after evacuation orders related to the Bald Range and Quilpituk Creek wildfires were downgraded in recent days.

The wildfire service says temperatures are expected to slightly rise across central and southern regions while northwest areas will see a slight dip in temperatures.

The province says N95 masks are now available for free in communities in the B.C. Interior to protect people from the impacts of wildfire smoke.

It says residents are encouraged to check with their local governments for more information on clean-air locations in their communities.

There are more than 120 fires burning in the province with 39 per cent of them classified as out of control.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

Mounties in British Columbia say a man is dead after being hit by a train in Chilliwack.

RCMP say officers received a report about the collision at about 9:45 p.m. Friday.

The man was found underneath the Yale Road overpass.

Paramedics attended the scene and confirmed he was dead.

Police have launched an investigation into the collision.

They’re appealing for witnesses and anyone who was in the area to contact them.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

Canada’s women’s flag football team beat the United States for the world title, while men’s squad booked its place at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics on Sunday at the International Federation of American Football (IFAF) world championships.

The women, who had already qualified with a 20-6 semifinal win over top-ranked Mexico on Saturday, capped a perfect tournament with a 27-20 win over the Americans in the final.

Frédérique Morneau had three touchdown passes for Canada. Quarterback Sara Parker hit Caroline Moquin-Joubert for Canada’s other score.

The Canadian men will join the women at the 2028 Games after posting a 34-26 win over Mexico in the third-place game Sunday.

Quarterback Michael O’Connor led Canada with 294 yards and five touchdowns.

Former NFL tight-end Antony Auclair had 149 receiving yards and hauled in two of O’Connor’s touchdown strikes. Daniel Petermann also found the end zone twice and James Drysdale had the other score.

The top two teams from both flag events, not including the host Americans, qualified for Los Angeles where flag football will make its Olympic debut

Canada lost to Italy in the men’s semifinals, but the third-place game became a showdown for an Olympic berth when the American men also advanced to the final.

The U.S defeated Italy 42-26 in the men’s final.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

Colombia’s President Abelardo de la Espriella has asked his ally U.S. President Donald Trump to suspend tariffs to help the South American nation recover from a powerful earthquake that killed at least 289 people.

De la Espriella took office earlier this month just days before the 7.4 magnitude quake struck. He was backed by Trump in Colombia’s closely contested presidential election, which was decided in a runoff on June 21, and has sought to emphasize his connections with the U.S. leader.

On Saturday night, de la Espriella wrote on X that he spoke with Trump and thanked him for aid sent by the U.S. in response to the earthquake. He added that he “asked him to consider the temporary suspension of the high tariffs that affect Colombian products, in order to provide relief to our businesspeople, who are facing very difficult times due to the effects of the earthquake.”

There has been no immediate response from the Trump administration to de la Espriella’s request. The U.S. has offered a total of US$26.5 million in earthquake aid, including food, shelters and health supplies, according to the U.S. State Department.

The earthquake that struck Monday morning devastated parts of western Colombia, hitting cities including Pereira, Cali and Quibdo. Cities along the country’s Pacific coast were hit particularly hard. The president declared the quake a natural disaster.

The government has said that 143 people are missing, while other civilian-run databases put the number in the thousands.

The natural disaster, whose epicenter was in one of the poorest regions of the country, Choco, has so far left 3,937 people injured, according to the government. In addition, it destroyed 14,705 homes and damaged another 81,536.

In Cali, Colombia’s third biggest city, workers searched for the more than 70 people reported missing in that city. Hope remained alive even after the key 48 to 72 hour window to find survivors beneath the rubble has long passed.

“Miracles do happen” even though more than 120 hours have passed since the earthquake struck, said Cali Mayor Alejandro Eder from the unified command post. “We are working where we know there are still victims; we are working in the hope of rescuing people alive.”

© 2026 The Canadian Press

The Winnipeg Sea Bears are Canadian Elite Basketball League champions for the first time in franchise history.

Despite playing without injured star forward Teddy Allen, the Manitoba crew defeated the visiting Brampton Honey Badgers 98-84 on Saturday at Canada Life Centre to claim the 2026 title.

The CEBL championship was intended to be a three-game series concluding Sunday, but Wednesday’s first game at Brampton’s CAA Centre was suspended early due to condensation on the court, and then cancelled.

The league then said a three-game final couldn’t be completed within the scheduled window, and after consulting with both clubs, opted to return to a single game used from 2019 to 2025 to determine the champion.

Finals MVP Xavier Moon led the Sea Bears with 29 points and seven rebounds, while Simon Hildebrandt had 24 points and six rebounds.

“It’s crazy to be back in this environment again. I mean, obviously, familiar territory for me for winning, but to do it in a city that’s never won a playoff game, I think it means a lot more,” said Moon.

“This one is a lot more special than the first one. So, like I’ve been saying, man, I’m happy for my teammates, and I’m happy for the city of Winnipeg.”

Sean East the Second led the Honey Badgers with 27 points and five assists. Trentyn Flowers had 20 points for the visitors, who trailed 46-42 at halftime and 73-60 heading into the final quarter.

“I’m just super happy for everybody that is out there celebrating today and that it came to fruition because the organization did definitely deserve a championship,” said Sea Bears new head coach Mike Raimbault.

The Sea Bears, who finished second in the Western Conference, defeated the Saskatoon Mamba and Vancouver Bandits in the West playoffs to reach the final.

The Honey Badgers, who finished second in the Eastern Conference, defeated the Ottawa BlackJacks and Niagara River Lions in the East playoffs to reach the final.

“We fought hard. We dealt with adversity. Not the outcome we wanted,” East II said. “We turned the Brampton program around so we can be happy about that for sure.”

© 2026 The Canadian Press

Burdock & Co. citrus kosho

A vibrant, spicy, and fermented Japanese condiment perfect for meats, seafood or dressings.

Prep time: 20 minutes

Fermentation: 7 days

Yield: About 170 grams

Ingredients

100g Citrus zest (finely grated; try Meyer lemon, yuzu, lime or grapefruit)
25g Citrus juice (freshly squeezed from your chosen fruit)
20g Fresh chilis (finely minced; e.g., Calabrian, Peach Chili Rush or Thai bird’s eye)
15g Sugar (white granulated)
10g Salt (sea salt or kosher salt, non-iodized)

Step-by-Step Instructions

Prep the Citrus: Grate the zest finely using a microplane. Avoid the bitter white pith underneath. Squeeze and strain the juice.
Prep the Chilis: Stem, seed (optional, for less heat), and finely mince your chilis.
Mix: Combine the zest, juice, minced chilis, sugar, and salt in a clean glass bowl. Stir thoroughly until the sugar and salt dissolve into a paste.
Pack: Transfer the mixture into a small, sterilized glass jar. Press it down firmly to remove any air pockets.
Ferment: Seal the jar loosely with a lid. Leave it on your kitchen counter out of direct sunlight for 1 week. Gently stir it once a day.
Store: Taste it after 7 days. Once it develops a bright, complex tang, seal the lid tightly and move it to the fridge. It will keep for several months.

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

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is reiterating his call for Prime Minister Mark Carney to extend a pause on Canada’s fuel excise tax, which is set to return on Labour Day.

Ottawa temporarily removed the tax from retail gas sales in April, a measure that will expire on Sept. 7. In a letter to Carney on Sunday, Poilievre argued the tax should remain paused until at least Canada Day 2027.

“When Conservatives first called on you to take all federal taxes off gas and diesel until the new year, Canadians were already struggling with the cost of living,” Poilievre wrote. “Since then, things have not gotten better. They have gotten worse.”

Poilievre said gas prices are rising again and grocery price inflation remains high, pointing to a recent report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, which showed Canada had the highest food price increases in the G7.

Worldwide oil prices remain elevated in the fallout from the Iran war amid supply disruptions and constraints.

The Strait of Hormuz, which normally sees about a fifth of the world’s crude oil and other supplies, is largely closed to cargo traffic for fear of attacks. That’s on top of significant damage done to neighbouring oil, gas, energy and maritime shipping infrastructure and facilities.

The price of U.S. oil, known as West Texas Intermediate, was hovering close to US$82 per barrel as of publication, down from a recent high of about $83 on Wednesday and up from $75 a week earlier.

The Canadian Automobile Association says the national average price for regular grade gasoline in Canada is about CAD$1.67 per litre, up from $1.64 a week ago and from $1.33 at the same time last year.

Carney suspended of the fuel excise tax largely due to the U.S.-Iran war.

Drivers have been saving about 10 cents per litre on gasoline and four cents per litre on diesel while the pause has been in place.

“A tax hike on fuel is a tax hike on everything,” Poilievre wrote.

It’s not the first time Poilievre has called for an extension of the freeze in recent days, asking on Aug. 6 for Carney to “cancel the hike.”

Ottawa is also being pressed by the Conservative leader to not only drop the excise tax, but to remove all taxes on gas as well, saying it would save Canadians even more money.

“This would lower the price at the pump and make groceries, home building materials and other products that are transported more affordable to Canadians,” Poilievre said in a news conference on Sunday.

Poilievre isn’t the only politician urging Carney to extend the excise tax pause. Earlier this month, Ontario Premier Doug Ford asked Carney to extend the suspension of the fuel excise tax until at least Jan. 1, or consider making the suspension permanent.

The prices consumers pay for gasoline and diesel at retail are based on a combination of factors, including global expectations of supply and demand for crude oil, in addition to various taxes and other charges businesses may pass along to consumers.

The federal excise tax charged on products such as gasoline is separate from other taxes, such as HST, which remains in effect.

Depending on the region, bringing back the excise tax could mean an increase of roughly 10 cents to 11 cents per litre, according to Dan McTeague, president of Canadians for Affordable Energy.

—with files from Global News’ Ariel Rabinovitch

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

The Saskatoon Folkfest marked its 47th year over the weekend with food, dance and 11 cultural pavillions at Prairieland Park to celebrate the diversity of the city.

The number of cultural displays was smaller this year, so it made sense to keep them all in one location, festival president Danny Baliad said. Many people attended the event prior to COVID-19, he noted, but the pandemic caused numbers to decline, even up until last year.

But this year’s festival was still a success, Baliad said. “Especially yesterday. We were surprised that there’s a lot of people coming despite the fact that we only have 11 countries. But we have seen the trend that is an upward trend. So, we’re happy about it.”

The two-day event ended Saturday night.

Watch the video above for more on the Saskatoon Folkfest and what vendors are saying.

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