What do the following authors have in common: J.D. Salinger, Emily Brontë, and Oscar Wilde? They are famous for writing just one novel.

J.D. Salinger? The Catcher in the Rye. Emily Brontë? Wuthering Heights. And Oscar Wilde? The Picture of Dorian Gray. Home runs. Classics. Enduring favourites. Lasting fame. Millions of copies sold around the planet. But in each case, there were no follow-ups. They were all one and done.

J.D. Salinger became a recluse. Emily Brontë died shortly after the publication of Wuthering Heights. And Oscar Wilde stayed with writing plays. As novelists go, they are all one-hit wonders.

When it comes to music, one-hit wonders are an endless source of amusement. How can someone become internationally famous for decades when they only have one song that anyone cares about?

These are special cases where lightning is captured exactly once. And no matter how many more songs these artists wrote, they would never, ever achieve that extreme level of fame again. A single song overshadows every other effort.

Let’s apply this to the history of alt-rock. What songs and artists qualify?

It took a bunch of research, but I think I managed to crack it using a combination of statistics. And we’re now up to episode four of five in this mission: the 50 all-time biggest alt-rock one-hit wonders.

Songs heard on this show:

• Doctor and the Medics, Spirit in the Sky
• Enigma, Sadeness (Part 1)
• Edwyn Collins, A Girl Like You
• Peter Schilling, Major Tom (Coming Home)
• White Town, Your Woman
• Meredith Brooks, Bitch
• Marcy Playground, Sex and Candy
• The Caesars, Jerk It Out
• Chumbawamba, Tubthumping
• The La’s, There She Goes

Here’s Eric Wilhite’s playlist.

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 10anm and 10pm
• The Goat Network/Interior BC
• Surge 105/Halifax – Sunday at 7pm
• WAPS/WKTL The Summit/Arkon, Canton, Cleveland, Youngstown – Mon-Fri at 9pm

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

The NBA playoffs officially got underway Saturday, but the Toronto Raptors didn’t get the start they were hoping for.

Toronto fell 126-113 to the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference first-round series, marking the team’s first playoff appearance in four years.

The playoffs follow the NBA’s play-in tournament, which ran from Tuesday to Friday and determined the final two seeds in each conference.

Teams that lost in the play-in were eliminated, while winners advanced to the first round.

While the Raptors kept things close in the first half Saturday, Cleveland pulled away in the second, building a 21-point lead heading into the fourth quarter.

RJ Barrett and Scottie Barnes led Toronto’s offence, with Barrett scoring 24 points — the most ever by a Canadian in a Raptors playoff debut.

For Cleveland, Donovan Mitchell scored 32 points, while Max Strus added 24 off the bench in a playoff career high. James Harden had 22 points and 10 assists, and Evan Mobley chipped in with 17 points and seven rebounds.

Outside Scotiabank Arena, fans gathered in Jurassic Park, with many braving rainy conditions to watch the game.

For many, the playoff atmosphere brought back memories of 2019, when Toronto captured its first NBA championship.

Despite the Game 1 loss, fans said they remain confident the team can bounce back in the best-of-seven series.

Game 2 is set for Monday in Cleveland.

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

A Nova Scotia Supreme Court judge says the provincial government made an unreasonable decision last year when it banned most people from entering the woods to prevent wildfires during an extreme drought.

In a decision released Friday, Justice Jamie Campbell said the provincewide ban imposed on Aug. 5, 2025, did not meet the standard for reasonableness because the province failed to consider the impact on Charter rights.

“It was not a fleeting or insignificant restriction,” Campbell wrote. “It substantially affected peoples’ lives.”

The ban prohibited “entry into the woods for the purposes of travelling, camping, fishing or picnicking or any other purpose, without a valid travel permit in all counties in Nova Scotia.”

Campbell’s judicial review found the travel ban limited the right of citizens to move freely within Canada — a right protected under Section 6 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

“The record shows no consideration having been given to that issue,” Campbell wrote. “The issue here is not the balancing of community safety and individual rights. It is about the decision-making process.”

While the government had considered the rights of commercial users by establishing a permit system for them, the judge found no consideration was given to the potential impact on the mobility rights of those who use the woods for purposes other than commercial gain.

“The decision (to impose the ban) may have been justifiable had those rights and values been considered and balanced against government objectives at the time,” Campbell wrote.

Campbell cited a Supreme Court of Canada decision informing lawmakers that when they make decisions that affect Charter rights, those rights must be addressed in a meaningful way.

“That may be difficult to do in the context of a quickly evolving emergency,” the judge wrote. “But with the benefit of hindsight, it might be something that can be considered before the next (emergency).”

The judge’s decision did not strike down the ban because it is no longer in effect.

Last summer, Premier Tim Houston’s government was under intense pressure to limit the damage caused by wildfires.

In 2023, the province experienced its worst wildfire season on record, losing more than 200 homes to fires that also forced 22,000 people to flee their homes and businesses. A total of 220 wildfires scorched about 25,000 hectares of land that year.

By the time the travel ban was imposed last August, all areas of the province were facing a high, very high or extreme risk of wildfire, with no rain in the forecast for the next 10 days.

By late September, the month-long Long Lake wildfire in western Nova Scotia was finally brought under control after it had destroyed 20 homes and burned 84 square kilometres of land. The Lake George wildfire broke out Sept. 28 and raged out of control for two weeks, forcing the evacuation of 350 civic addresses near Aylesford, N.S.

“This case … isn’t about whether the Nova Scotia government had to act urgently to reduce the threat of further destructive fires,” Campbell wrote. “It is about whether the travel ban covering the woods in the entire province … was within (its) legal authority.”

The ruling stems from a constitutional challenge filed by lawyers representing Nova Scotia resident Jeffrey Evely. He was fined more than $28,000 for deliberately violating the ban by walking into the woods near Sydney, N.S., and then posting a video on social media.

Evely’s lawyers argued that Nova Scotia’s natural resources minister had exceeded his authority under the Forests Act because the ban was to vague for people to understand, the judge’s ruling said.

“That is because it banned travel in all woods, not just designated areas within the woods,” the ruling says.

The legal challenge was paid for by the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms.

Evely issued a statement saying Canadians “have a sacred, civic duty to safeguard these rights and freedoms we’ve inherited for future generations …. This decision is a win for the future of Canada.”

Marty Moore, one of Evely’s lawyers, said the ruling confirms governments must respect fundamental freedoms, even during emergencies.

“We hope the government of Nova Scotia, and other governments in Canada, heed this warning, and respect the individual rights of Canadians in their decisions,” Moore said in a statement.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

A Fraser Valley family is speaking out over their lengthy wait at Langley Memorial Hospital’s emergency room. Concerns raised about the impact of a salmon allocation review by the federal government. Hundreds of thousands attend the 28th annual Surrey Vaisakhi Parade.

Watch ‘Global News at 6 BC’ for the latest news in British Columbia.

Click here for more Global BC videos

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

Hockey fans across Canada lean into excitement as the NHL playoffs begin Saturday, with three Canadian teams set to compete for hockey’s top prize, the Stanley Cup.

The Ottawa Senators opened the playoffs on the road against the Carolina Hurricanes, marking the first Canadian appearance in this year’s post-season.

The Montreal Canadiens are scheduled to begin their run Sunday against the Tampa Bay Lightning, while the Edmonton Oilers are set to open their series Monday.

The Oilers, led by one of the league’s most potent offences, are widely seen as Canada’s strongest contender heading into the post-season.

The team, led by a high-powered offence featuring Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, enters the playoffs after struggling through the regular season and deep recent runs, including a trip to the Stanley Cup final the last two years.

Sixteen teams qualify for the playoffs, with the format based largely on divisional standings and wild-card spots.

The top three teams in each division earn automatic berths, while the remaining four spots go to the next highest-ranked teams in each conference.

Each round is played as a best-of-seven series, with teams needing four wins to advance.

In a poll by NHL.com, only one expert predicted a Canadian team would reach the final, with the Canadiens losing to the Vegas Golden Knights.

Unfortunately for Toronto Maple Leafs fans, Canada will be without representation from its largest hockey market this year, after the team was eliminated from playoff contention.

The opening weekend also features several U.S.-based matchups, including Dallas hosting Minnesota and Pittsburgh facing Philadelphia on Saturday.

The playoffs will continue Sunday and Monday as the full first-round schedule gets underway.

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

Five-year-old Anaya was smiling and dancing as she waved a small Canadian flag during her father’s Canadian citizenship ceremony Friday, unable to contain her excitement.

Her dad, Ashis Mandal, was among 30 new Canadians from 18 countries sworn in during a ceremony at Halifax’s Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. Anaya and her mother Sneha Majumder were beaming as they watched Mandal take the citizenship oath.

“I’m so, so happy,” Anaya said.

“We’re all so happy,” her mother added.

The special ceremony held by Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab took place during Citizenship Week — which falls between April 12-18 this year — a week the government says is to “celebrate the rights and responsibilities shared by all Canadian citizens.” Friday’s ceremony in Halifax included a prayer and drumming from Angela Doyle-Faulkner. It was presided over by citizenship judge Joan Mahoney.

“I know that you could have chosen to live just about anywhere in the world and you’ve picked Canada, and we’re grateful that you did,” Mahoney said during the ceremony.

“Certainly we’re not a perfect country, but we’re very fortunate to live in a democratic country where individual rights and freedoms aren’t just respected, they’re the foundation of our Charter of Rights and Freedoms,” she said, adding that Friday marked the 44th anniversary of the Charter.

Mahoney said that sadly, these rights are not guaranteed in every nation.

Mandal said it’s an honour to be a Canadian citizen, adding that the ceremony marked a very special moment for their family. “This is definitely a memory we’re going to carry,” Mandal said.

He said their family left India and chose Canada for its people and culture. “The way Canadians live, value each other, respect each other. I wanted my daughter to grow in this environment …. This is the reason we’re here and I’m very happy to be here,” Mandal said.

Shomoukh Wael Mejjallid, 23, was born in Saudi Arabia and moved to Nova Scotia with her family in 2012. She says Canada has always felt like home.

“I walk down the street, I feel so safe here. I have so many opportunities here, I can live my life here properly without being judged,” Wael Mejjallid said in an interview following the ceremony.

She said Canada is a country that believes in and empowers women. “I don’t have to worry about the whole, ‘Oh you’re a woman, blah blah blah, you can’t do anything.’ There’s no such thing as that. I am a powerful woman here and I can do whatever I want.”

Wael Mejjallid is a member of the Canadian Armed Forces, training out of Gagetown, N.B. However, she wasn’t able to advance in training until she became a citizen.

“I can start back next month properly … and I can give back to the country that gave me a home. That’s why I’m really happy,” she said.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

CLEVELAND – Even though he was wearing camouflage, there was no missing Arno Yellowman at Rocket Arena.

Yellowman was decked out head-to-toe in a camo-coloured Raptors costume before the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 126-113 win over Toronto in Game 1 of their NBA playoff series. Yellowman made the trip from Sarnia, Ont., to cheer on the Raptors against the hometown Cavaliers.

“‘It just came together in one day, and here it is,” said Yellowman of the homemade costume, adding that he had been a fan “forever.”

He was one of many Raptors supporters on hand for the matinee that kicked off the league’s 2026 playoffs.

“We came down with about 50 people from Toronto this morning,” said Colin Woods, standing beside friend Jevon Minott on the concourse pre-game.

“I’ve been a fan for as long as I can remember,” said Minott. “I guess fully in since 2009.”

Fouad Suleiman also made the five-hour drive from Toronto for the game.

“It’s a good trip, a quick trip,” said Suleiman. “Much cheaper here to watch the game, of course, so we wanted to come out and support.

“It’s a lot of fun.”

Not every Raptors fan at the game was from southern Ontario. Carson Whitaker made the trip north from Dayton, Ohio.

“When I was younger, I liked dinosaurs, and it’s just evolved into me loving basketball and then loving the sport and watching the Raptors my whole life,” he said.

“It’s exciting. I’ve never been to a playoff game. I’ve never seen the Raptors in person, I’ve always seen the Cavs and (Indiana) Pacers in person.”

Games 2 is in Cleveland on Monday, with Toronto hosting Games 3 and 4 on Thursday and April 26.

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

© 2026 The Canadian Press

HALIFAX – It’s been six years since a man disguised as an RCMP officer began a shooting rampage in rural Nova Scotia, killing 22 people including a teenager and a pregnant woman.

The worst mass shooting in modern Canadian history began after denture-maker Gabriel Wortman assaulted his common-law partner in Portapique, N.S., before fatally shooting neighbours, strangers and an RCMP officer.

His rampage went on for more than 13 hours until RCMP officers fired multiple shots at him at a gas station north of Halifax, where he was pronounced dead.

The shooting prompted a public inquiry that resulted in more than 100 recommendations to improve policing, address intimate-partner violence and improve community safety.

Myra Freeman, the chair of the committee that’s been tasked with monitoring progress toward completing these recommendations, issued a statement saying the shooting has forever changed the lives of families, survivors, communities and all Nova Scotians.

“The grief experienced was felt across Canada, in the United States and beyond, and can still be felt to this day,” she said.

Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston announced that flags would be lowered to half-mast at all provincial government buildings this weekend.

“It has been six years since Nova Scotia was forever changed by the events of April 18-19, 2020 — an event that stole the lives of innocent people in senseless acts of violence, and impacted countless others,” the premier said in a statement.

“As a government, we are working hard to implement recommendations made by the Mass Casualty Commission. This is the driving force as we work with municipalities, the federal government and the RCMP to make communities in Nova Scotia safer.”

On Friday, Canada’s top Mountie apologized for the RCMP’s decision to send officers to train in an area of Nova Scotia where some residents were slain during the mass shooting.

RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme sent a letter Thursday to Nova Scotia MP Alana Hirtle saying the exercises caused “harm and trauma” to people living in the Debert area, where two women were fatally shot on April 19, 2020.

“I know that his is particularly sensitive,” Duheme said. “Going forward, I assure you that the (RCMP) will not schedule training or exercises in Colchester County around the anniversary. We will also approach this training … in Colchester County through a trauma-informed lens, and we will identify alternate times and locations.”

In a statement Hirtle posted online, the Liberal MP said the RCMP’s decision to schedule large-scale tactical exercises in Debert was “insensitive, tone-deaf and unacceptable.”

“Communities across Colchester County deserve peace and respect as we approach April 18th and 19th — a time when families, friends and neighbours carry the weight of tragedy that has changed us forever,” Hirtle’s statement says.

“I’ve heard directly from community members about the pain and anxiety that has been caused.”

© 2026 The Canadian Press

Rain and blizzard warnings are in effect across parts of northern Ontario and Quebec, with localized flooding likely as saturated ground struggles to absorb more rainfall.

Environment Canada says 20 to 35 millimetres of rain could fall in some areas of Ontario and Quebec through Saturday and Sunday, with a cold front bringing showers and the risk of thunderstorms.

Officials warn that water pooling is likely on roads and low-lying areas, with some routes potentially becoming impassable.

In Quebec, officials have already started preparing for flooding and rising water levels.

In Montreal, crews are installing pumps, dikes and inflatable barriers as river levels climb and flood risks increase.

The city says the Outaouais and des Prairies rivers could spill over their banks in the coming days, particularly with more rain in the forecast and saturated soil conditions.

A special weather statement is also in place for Sunday, with 15 to 25 millimetres of additional rainfall expected.

Provincial data shows that one medium-sized flood has been reported along the Ouareau River north of Montreal, along with about 20 minor floods, while several other locations remain under close watch.

Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada said officials are preparing for the worst, particularly if water levels approach those seen during the major floods of 2017 and 2019.

Meanwhile, parts of northern Ontario and Manitoba are also dealing with hazardous conditions, including heavy rain and, in some areas, late-season snow and freezing rain, which could further complicate travel and increase flood risks.

Central Ontario is already dealing with flooding, with some areas in a state of emergency.

Minden Hills, Ont., has been under a state of emergency since Tuesday in response to rising water levels on the Gull River.

The City of Peterborough has also reported more than double its average rainfall for April.

Environment Canada says areas up north could see 15 to 25 centimetres of snow, along with strong wind gusts up to 60 kilometres per hour, which are expected to reduce visibility in blowing snow.

Officials warn that road conditions could become hazardous and may deteriorate quickly, with potential disruptions to transportation and services.

Residents are urged to avoid non-essential travel, avoid flooded roads, stay away from rivers and creeks, and monitor local alerts.

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

CLEVELAND – There was a short list of things that went well for the Toronto Raptors in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Scottie Barnes had 21 points and seven assists as Toronto fell to the Cavaliers 126-113 on Saturday, leading a young group of Raptors players who had limited or no NBA playoff experience. Despite that, Barnes felt they were not intimidated by a raucous sold-out crowd of 19,432 fans at Cleveland’s Rocket Arena.

“I think we handled the environment and the crowd and what we were expecting,” said Barnes, who had only reached the post-season once before. “I think we handled that pretty well. The game didn’t go the way we wanted it to.”

The list of things that went wrong was a lot longer, however.

“They had a lot of guys scoring at a high rate. They got some transitions,” said Barnes. “We’ve just got to do better guarding the ball, try to activate and not allow so many easy buckets, where guys were getting easy shots, going to the rim, getting some layups and dunks.

“Get better at that, tidy some things up. Just cut their scoring down.”

RJ Barrett of Mississauga, Ont., led Toronto with 24 points. All-star Brandon Ingram had 17 points on nine field-goal attempts, a step down in his team-leading production in the regular season.

“At the end of the day, me shooting nine shots is not going to win basketball games,” said Ingram, who is appearing in his third playoff series. “I’ve just got to figure out ways where I can still be effective while they’re doing whatever defensively.”

Ingram also noted that the Raptors faded at the end of each quarter, allowing the Cavaliers to go on runs that helped them carry the momentum over from period to period.

“I think we just have to be more intentional. We’ve got to know that this is a game that we have to play the full 48 minutes,” said Ingram in his post-game conference. “We have a small margin for error, and we’ve just got to come in more focused and learn from this game.

“If they outscored us in the last three minutes, then that’s the time that we got to tighten up the most.”

Another issue was pacing.

Toronto’s 18.9 fast-break points per game were the most across the entire NBA in the regular season. Against the Cavs they had three points on one fast break.

“They were getting back. I feel like they were getting back,” said Barnes. “Just trying to wait for us, other than them top-blocking (Ingram), everyone else was just trying to stay compact, stopping us from running.”

Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic had another explanation.

“Our biggest problem was our 17 turnovers,” said Rajakovic, who is the first European to coach a team all season into the playoffs. “We did not do a good job of taking care of the ball.

“We had a lot of situations that we were just careless with the ball. We’ve got to do a much better job of controlling that part.”

Rajakovic noted that Toronto missed Immanuel Quickley, its usual starting point guard, who was out with a mild right hamstring strain.

Quickley averaged 16.4 points, 5.9 assists and four rebounds over 70 games for Toronto this past season.

Jamal Shead made his playoffs debut in Quickley’s place, joining a starting five that included Barnes, Ingram, Barrett and Jakob Poeltl. Shead, who is in his second season, started 12 regular-season games and averaged 6.6 points and 5.4 assists.

“Jamal did what he could out there, just trying to guard the ball, stay in front of it, be physical as much as he can,” said Barnes, who was tasked with Barrett and Shead to try and defend Cleveland guards Donovan Mitchell and James Harden.

Mitchell had 32 points and Harden had a double-double with 22 points and 10 assists.

“Obviously, you’ve got to watch out for fouls with those guys,” said Barnes. “But, (Shead) did what he could. He was trying to be physical.”

Shead, Ja’Kobe Walter, and rookie centre Collin Murray-Boyles all played over 20 minutes apiece in their first NBA playoff games. Ingram said that inexperience had to be taken into account.

“Emotions running high,” said Ingram. “Some of them might not quite know what’s going on, just trying to be effective offensively and defensively.

“I think the game will slow down a little bit more for them next game, and I think we’ll be better.”

Game 2 of the best-of-seven series is in Cleveland on Monday.

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

© 2026 The Canadian Press