It’s an interesting selection of releases for New Friday, including a big one from Muse and an interstellar ode by PJ Harvey.

Singles

1. Almost Monday, No More Regrets (Hollywood Records/UM Canada)

San Diego’s Almost Monday started gaining momentum earlier this year when word of their second album, Thank God It’s Almost Monday (due September 9) was announced. This is the third advance single. Keep an eye on them.

2. PJ Harvey, Voyager (Partisan)

God love Polly Jean. Her latest single is about, yes, the Voyager space probes launched in 1977 and still operating, even though V1 is 24.56 billion miles away and V2 is 21.34 billion miles from home. Why is she so interested in interstellar craft? Boy band singer-turned-astrophysicist Brian Cox invited her to contribute a song to his Emergence stage show, which debuts later this. The song will also probably end up on Harvey’s next (still-untitled) album.

3. Odd Marshall, Wreck Your Life (For Rock’n’Roll) (Anagram Canada)

What do you do after you flip your pick-up in a snowstorm? You contemplate life and then start writing songs again. That was the experience Canada’s Odd Marshall, who is back making music after about 10 years. Through cheer chutzpah, he convinced Christopher Thorn and Roger Stevens from Blind Melon into the project. They have never worked together outside of their old band. And the keyboardist? Rami Jaffee of The Foo Figthers.

4. Tame Impala, Hummer (Independent)

The tribute album has returned via Sending Hearts to All My Dearies: A Tribute Album to The Smashing Pumpkins (yes, that’s a line from the song Mayonnaise). Among the 15 songs is this one by Kevin Parker and Tame Impala. Siamese Dream, he says, was the soundtrack to his high school years with Hummer the song that made the biggest emotional impression. The whole package will be out digitally on August 14 while a 2 x LP package arrives on October 16.

5. Team Dresch, One Song (Jealous Butcher)

Team Dresch, led by Donna Dresch, was a mainstay of the riot grrrl scene of the Pacific Northwest back in the 90s and heroes of queercore punks everywhere. Not only are they back playing gigs, but they will have a new record for the first time in 30 years on September 18. The woman in the video is the daughter of bass player Jody Bleyle. This rocks.

Albums

1. Butthole Surfers, After the Astronaut (Sunset Blvd.)

This isn’t exactly a new album because it was completed in 1998. But since it’s been shelved since then, it’s kinda new to everyone. This was supposed to be the follow-up to Electric Ladyland, the Surfers’ breakthrough album, but the label said it wasn’t commercial enough. When the band took it to another label, it was reworked and released under the title of Weird Revolution. This, however, is the first time it’s been heard in its original form.

2. Muse, The WOW! Signal (Warner)

This pairs well with the PJ Harvey single. As he’s shown with previous songs and albums, Muse’s Matt Bellamy is also a fan of astronomy and cosmology. For the band’s tenth album, Matt is all about “cosmic mystery,” the concept of First Contact, and the vastness of space. The title refers to a strangle signal picked up by a radio telescope in 1977 and never fully explained. They’re out there, Matt. They’re out there.

3. Beth Orton, The Ground Above (Partisan)

I have been a fan of Beth for years and I just wish more people knew about her. To the uninitiated, she’s an English singer-songwriter whose career goes back to at least 1993. You’ve probably heard some of her songs in TV shows like Dawson’s Creek and Grey’s Anatomy plus movies like Vanilla Sky. If you like what you hear, there are eight other albums worth checking out. (My favourite is Central Reservation from 1999.)

4. The Pretty Reckless, Dear God (Fearless/Concord)

Here’s the fifth album from Taylor Momsen and her crew. The band is darker and better for it. There’s plenty of misery here (depression, grief, abuse of various substances) and they handle it well. And yes, it’s also kinda sexy. That’s why the video is age-restricted. You’ll see why.

5. Switchfoot, Forever Now (BMG Rights Management)

Back to San Diego for the first new album from Switchfoot in five years. This is their fourteenth album and is being presented as a concept record around “the emotional rollercoaster of a person’s final day on Earth.” Joe Foreman, the band’s frontman, asks, “If you found out that today was your last day, how would you live it? What would matter most?” Heavy stuff.

6. Temples, BLISS (V2 Records)

Finally, a little psych from the UK. For their fifth album, Temples seemed to have been able to pull things in the direction of Massive Attack, Underworld, Tame Impala, and Daft Punk while still retaining that fuzzy, shimmery glow. My album of the week.

 

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

When there is a live music event, we often refer to it as a “gig.” Why? I’ve heard several explanations, and here’s the most recent, which comes from the musical history of New Orleans.

It begins with a term used in illegal lotteries, which moved to horse racing. A two-number betting combination was known as a “saddle,” while a three-number combo was called a “gig,” after a type of horse-drawn cart. When musicians were paid for a show, they got paid with whatever was left over after the venue took its cut. This was dicey because a club may or may not pay.

Getting money at the end of the night was like a “gig” bet at the track. You might or might not get paid. Therefore, playing a club show also became known as a “gig.”

Sidebar: The term “gig” may also refer to a show played using a horse-drawn cart as a stage that would be hauled from place to place.

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

The massive rainfall experienced last weekend didn’t just flood roads, basements and fields — it’s also affected a section of the North Saskatchewan River banks to the point that a popular bridge crossing is now closed.

Following inspections completed Thursday, the City of Edmonton said it was closing the east sidewalk on the High Level Bridge, starting at or around 6 p.m.

Recent heavy rainfall has caused slope instability near the southeast side of the High Level Bridge, above Kinsmen Park.

The city said a section of the slope next to the wooden guardrail has experienced failure, making it unsafe for pedestrians and active mode users.

An additional 30-60 mm of rain is forecast for this weekend. With the ground already saturated and rainfall totals for the month of June well above normal, Environment Canada said additional precipitation will increase the risk of overland flooding, washouts and potential impacts to infrastructure.

As a result, the east sidewalk over the 113-year-old bridge will remain closed until further notice.

Also as a precaution, a portion of the far-left turning lane will be closed on the 109 Street hill, directly after the High Level Bridge.

Left turns to Saskatchewan Drive and down Walterdale Hill will be maintained. The city said drivers should plan ahead for potential delays.

Pedestrians and active mode users can still cross the High Level Bridge using the west sidewalk.

The next round of rain is forecast to begin Friday evening and carry on through Sunday.

While 30-60 mm of rain amount on its own wouldn’t normally be too concerning, it hasn’t been a normal June.

Edmonton, on average, gets around 70 mm of rain in June — but this year, 203 mm has fallen so far in the city.

It has been the second-wettest June on record for Edmonton and could potentially become the worst ever — the wettest June ever was in 1914, when 216.5 mm was recorded.

A special weather statement issued Wednesday encompassed central Alberta surrounding Edmonton, stretching from Edson and Fox Creek in the west to the Saskatchewan border in the east, and Athabasca and Lac La Biche in the north to Rimbey, Wetaskiwin and the highways 14 and 13 corridors in the south.

Environment Canada said it is still working to determine what areas will be most impacted by the upcoming rainfall.

The city said it will continue to monitor conditions and provide updates as more information becomes available, but relief doesn’t appear to be in sight any time soon.

Another system is also forecast Sunday night into early next week, Environment Canada said, that may bring additional heavy rainfall to vulnerable areas of central Alberta.

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The CFL is headed into week four, and while it’s still relatively early in the season, the Saskatchewan Roughriders have been plagued by injuries.

With quite a few new faces and starters on the game-day roster due to injury, the team will be leaning on their depth early as they take on the Toronto Argonauts Friday night.

“It’s always next man up,” said running back coach Andrew Harris. “They’re prepared, they’ve been working their butts off in the meeting room. They’re prepared on the field. Ability is nothing without opportunity, so they’re getting an opportunity to show out, and we’ll see how the chips fall.”

On the offensive side, running back A.J. Ouellette will be out due to an ankle injury, prompting Quali Conley to get the start. Additionally, Dhel Duncan-Busby won’t be suiting up. He is listed on the one-game injury list due to shoulder soreness. Taking the starting role as a pass catcher is Regina native and former Ram, D’Sean Mimbs.

“It means everything,” said Mimbs. “Me and my dad have been talking about all the work I put in and to finally get the chance … I’m excited … I’m a little bit nervous, but I’m excited to go out there and play.”

The defensive side was hit harder, specifically the secondary. Defensive backs Rolan Milligan Jr, Nelson Lokombo and Juju Hughes are out with injuries, prompting veteran Jonathan Edouard to get his first start in the green and white after one week with the team.

“Honestly, he’s one of those guys that is kind of a head scratcher as to why he wasn’t on a roster, just what he’s able to bring, you know instantly to a special team’s unit,” said head coach Corey Mace. ”

The current situation and mentality is one the Roughriders have become familiar with, yet they’ve handled well throughout the early part of the season.

“New guys on the roster, ain’t no standards changing, we’re always trying to find ways to get better and were leaning on these guys to go ahead and execute that,” Mace added.

It’s not about who’s missing, it’s about who’s ready to answer the call, and only time will tell. It is the Prairie blizzard theme game, and Saskatchewan is hoping the Argonauts wave the white flag to push to 3-0 on the season.

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

Upgrades and renovations to hundreds of affordable housing units in Edmonton are now complete.

A total of 882 units across 11 sites in the city underwent repairs over the past three years.

The renovations were funded back in 2023 from a $12.8 million contribution from the federal government, with the city kicking in an additional $10.5 million.

In a release, the city said the money is part of an agreement to repair social housing on city-owned land.

Residents of these units spend no more than 30 per cent of their income on rent — a deep subsidy that allows low-income households to afford groceries and other basic living expenses.

“We worked really hard to make sure every dollar and every dollar of investment counted for the future,” said Civida CEO Bree Claude.

Civida is an affordable housing management company that oversees operations at these and other sites in the city.

The announcement of the completion took place at one of Civida’s complexes in the southeast community of Richfield, in the Mill Woods area.

The townhomes were originally built back in the 1960s and 1970s.

Repairs included “foundation fixes, electrical upgrades, energy efficiency enhancements and accessibility improvements.”

A tour of one of the freshly renovated units showed replacements to hot water tanks and windows, along with upgrades to lighting and fixtures.

“Many folks who have been living in affordable housing can also have all the same modern amenities, all the same fixtures and great design that new affordable housing looks like as well,” said Edmonton Mayor Andrew Knack.

Knack said there is still a great need for total units of affordable housing and that funding continues to be the biggest barrier.

He added that building new should not mean neglecting what already exists.

“It is still far more economical to say, ‘Let’s renovate existing housing instead of only building new housing’ (but) you need both. It’s a both/and situation.” Knack said.

Claude said the average rent for these units is about $460 and is based on a renter’s income. She added turnover in existing units is very low and that refreshing the spaces helps give tenants a sense of pride.

“The team that’s here can tell you it was not an easy feat to be able to manage all the renovations,” Claude said.

“Our tenants were very patient, they were in it for the long game and now enjoying the results of the beautiful site.”

An additional $10.3 million went towards improvements to 1,076 mixed-income townhomes and apartments at 15 sites owned by HomeEd, Edmonton’s non-profit housing corporation.

At least half of those units rent at less than 80 per cent of market rates.

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

Calgary police are asking for the public’s help identifying a man who is accused of an indecent act that occurred at a city school in the southwest community of Braeside last week.

Investigators said at approximately 10 a.m. on Tuesday, June 16, officers were called to Braeside School (K-6) for reports a man had allegedly exposed himself to a group of students outside the school.

The students told school staff who in turn contacted police.

It’s also alleged that the suspect grabbed one of the students by their arm, but it is unclear whether he was attempting to harm the student.

The suspect fled prior to officers’ arrival, but after conducting interviews with multiple witnesses, investigators are turning to the public for help identifying him.

He is described as being in his late 20s to early 30s, with short dark hair, and was last seen wearing a dark hooded top with the hood pulled up, along with black pants, dark-coloured shoes and was carrying a light-coloured backpack with pockets in it.

Police are asking anyone who may have witnessed the incident, or has doorbell camera footage from near the school, to contact police at 403-266-1234.

Tips can also be submitted anonymously to Crime Stoppers by calling 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), online at calgarycrimestoppers.org, or by downloading the Crime Stoppers app (P3 Tips) from the app store.

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

Christopher Wood, 69, sat quietly in a prisoner’s box Thursday as lawyers argued over how much weight the judge should put on Wood’s significant mental health issues, in deciding on an appropriate period of parole ineligibility for the convicted killer.

Wood pleaded guilty to second-degree murder earlier this month, admitting he caused his neighbour Etop Ituen’s death by stabbing him repeatedly with a knife. Wood also admitted he “intended to cause Ituen’s death or intended to cause him bodily harm he knew was likely to cause death and was reckless to whether death ensued.”

According to an agreed statement of facts, Wood lived in a building at 131 Coxwell Ave. run by an organization that provides support for individuals with mental health issues. It is directly across the street from 61-year-old Ituen’s building at 126 Coxwell Ave., which also provided supports for individuals with mental health issues.

Wood told his social worker, who regularly met with him, that in the months leading up to July 2023, he was preoccupied and disturbed by a tenant who had been playing gospel radio loudly from his balcony at 126 Coxwell Ave. for several weeks.

Assistant Crown attorneys Brianne Bovell and Jackson Foreman told Superior Court Justice Maureen Forestell that Wood’s rage triggered extreme violence on the morning of July 27, 2023, when he stabbed Ituen 42 times.

Bovell said it’s significant that two forensic psychiatrists who assessed Wood were unable to find that a section 16 (not criminally responsible) defence could apply.

Second-degree murder is a mandatory life sentence with a parole ineligibility period between 10 and 25 year. The Crown says a 14-year period of parole ineligibility would be appropriate.

“Ituen was a vulnerable man as well. Living with mental health issues. The manner in which he was killed should be of note,” said Bovell.

“He was stabbed multiple times. The impact on him was a horrific death. We know he was found not moving and unresponsive by police.”

According to the facts, another neighbour named Christopher Miller who lived beside 126 Coxwell Ave. told police he knew Ituen as “Jon” and knew him to often be in the rear of 126 Coxwell Ave., where he stored his electric scooters. Miller advised police that two days before the stabbing, a man was looking for someone in the rear of 126 Coxwell Ave.

“This person complained at that time about the gospel radio,” said the facts. Miller turned over video surveillance to police that captured Wood visiting the rear of 126 Coxwell Ave. on July 25 at 5:36 p.m. and 6:34 p.m.

Wood’s social worker also received a note written by Wood on the morning of July 27 which addressed the noise from the balcony of 126 Coxwell Ave. In the note, Wood described feeling ‘suicidal’ and ‘murderous.’ One of the social worker’s colleagues informed police she observed Wood writing that note on the afternoon of July 26.

On the morning of the stabbing, a witness who was on the phone with a 911 dispatcher flagged down two officers driving along Coxwell Avenue in a marked police vehicle. After the officers exited their vehicle and entered the backyard area of 126 Coxwell Ave., they observed a white male, later identified as Wood, standing next to a Black male, later identified as Ituen.

Ituen was laying on the ground, motionless in a pool of blood.  A red knife was found next to the body. Wood was placed under arrest. During a search warrant, a red knife sheath was found in the right front pocket of his shorts.

Gospel music was playing from Ituen’s second-floor unit when police attended 126 Coxwell Ave.

It is agreed upon that Wood suffered from a number of mental health issues including chronic post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), persistent depressive disorder, major depressive disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) with insight, avoidance personality disorder, border line personality disorder and abuse disorders associated with alcohol, cocaine, opioid’s and cannabis.

It is also agreed upon that Wood’s psychiatric symptoms were likely exacerbated by the use of substances.

Bovell pointed out that one of the psychiatrists who assessed Wood, Dr. Derek Pallandi, found that at the time of the offence, he was not responding to psychosis or psychotic symptoms. Bovell said he told the psychiatrist that he “exploded in a rage by a person who was driving me crazy,” saying it was driving him up and wall and believed Ituen should have been evicted and charged by police.

The Crown also said that Wood knew that what he did was wrong. “The doctor says he knew the legal and moral wrongfulness of his actions,” said Bovell.

“In the second assessment, he refers to what he did as a terrible thing. He recognizes the gravity of what he did,” said Bovell, who said rehabilitation, denunciation, deterrence and the protection of the public must be considered in imposing a period of parole ineligibility.

Defence lawyer Adele Monaco suggested a period of parole ineligibility of 12 years would be more appropriate.

“We heard from the doctor, the noise brought him back to his home life where his mother incessantly screamed at him,” said Monaco, telling court Wood had an abusive upbringing. “The noise, the gospel, sent him into a rage.

“I’m going to submit that those mental health conditions that were linked to his childhood had a causal effect on what happened.

“He was fearful of the public. His mental health issues exacerbated the way he did or did not interact with the public and he always had a pocketknife on him. Before you is a man who has lived a horrendously traumatic life. Certain memories are triggered by noise, light, screaming and gospel. This murder was committed out of anger.”

Ituen’s nephew, who filed a victim impact statement, called the murder “an egregious act” and said it has caused deep grief for the family.

Wood was a given a chance to address the court.

“July 27, 2023 was a terrible day,” he said in a soft voice reading from a small piece of paper. “One man had his life taken from him and another man lost his freedom,” Wood said. He blamed “government agencies that exist in order to prevent violent interactions” and told court he had often been a victim of violence himself.

Wood said “frustrative psychosis” was at play when he flew into a “murderous rage and there was no breathing space for sensibility and doing the right thing.”

The judge will sentence Wood next month.

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

Two men have been arrested and charged after a brazen early morning shooting in Surrey.

On June 11, Surrey police officers were called shortly after 6 a.m. to a home near 96 Avenue and 133A Street after reports that shots were fired.

When officers arrived, they could see the damage to the exterior of the home, police said, and while people were inside, no one was injured.

Surrey’s Extortion Response Team (ExRT) took the lead on the investigation and on June 12, they executed a search warrant at two homes in Surrey.

Four men were arrested during the execution of the warrants.

Arman Singh, 21, has been charged with one count of reckless discharge of a firearm.

Simarjeet Singh, 22, has been charged with one count of reckless discharge of a firearm.

Police said both men remain in custody and as both are foreign nationals, officers have contacted the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA).

The other two men arrested have not been charged with criminal offences at this time and are currently in the custody of CBSA.

On Thursday, CBSA released new numbers, saying that since mid-June, they have opened 150 immigration investigations in the Pacific region, issued 69 removal orders and 49 people have been removed from Canada so far.

The federal minister of public safety said in part that “Canadians deserve to feel safe in their homes, workplaces and communities. The government of Canada is working hard to stay ahead of increasingly complex international criminal threats like extortion.”

So far this year, Surrey police have received 128 extortion-related reports, including 20 shootings.

“Those numbers have thankfully come down a significant amount, where we are only seeing one or two shootings a month, but that is still one or two too many,” Staff Sgt. Lindsey Houghton told Global News.

Police said public tips continue to play a critical role in these cases and several investigations are underway.

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

At the WILDNorth Rehabilitation Centre, west of Edmonton near Spruce Grove, there’s an abundance of baby animals being cared for.

“It is baby season here in Edmonton,” said WILDNorth executive director Dale Gienow.

“We have baby skunks being born, ducklings, hares and fledglings — it’s all happening right now.”

Every spring and summer, as many as 60 orphaned baby skunks are brought in to WILDNorth — wards the staff say didn’t all necessarily need to end up there.

“Many of our skunks brought to us because people — concerned with having skunks around their homes — are trapping adults and relocating them,” Gienow explained. “That’s orphaning young babies.

“That’s not really a great solution to the problem. There are much better ways to deal with skunks.”

There’s a baby porcupine — called a porcupette — being cared for by WILDNorth staff right now as well.

“Often these little guys get scooped up think they’re orphaned, they bring them to us,” Gienow said.

“We call them ‘accidental kidnappings’ and then sometimes, we can’t find a parent to return them to and we’re forced to raise them here.”

WILDNorth takes in more than 4,000 orphaned, abandoned or injured animals every year — more than double just a decade ago.

“If we went back 10 years ago, we were admitting about 1,500 animals,” Gienow explained.

It’s an avoidable increase: “95 per cent of the animals brought in to WILDNorth are here because they’ve been negatively impacted, in some fashion, by people.”

The non-profit also fields about 14,000 phone calls every year from concerned citizens on how to live in harmony with our wild neighbours.

“The biggest thing to consider when you see baby animals is to ask before you act,” Gienow said.

WILDNorth’s website also contains a FAQ section detailing what to do during common scenarios.

Ducklings are a common guest — accidentally left behind by the mothers on their way to water.

The biggest risk for them in transit in urban settings is road catch basins.

Ducklings won’t survive on their own, so if you see an orphaned one, Gienow says to bring them in to WILDNorth.

“Unlike geese, other duck families won’t accept these babies.”

Most of the young animals in care right now are about six to seven weeks old.

“We get them first thing, right in May,” said WILDNorth wildlife technician, Chloe Chatfield.

“It’s very sad to see little ones that could be doing better out in the wild with their parents rather than in care.”

That care can be quite intensive depending on the type of animal. Some young birds, for example, need to be fed every hour.

“You have to put yourself in their point of view — they’ve been taken from their home, from their parents, in a setting they’re used to,” Chatfield said.

“Now they’re in an entirely new area, getting fed and moved around by these big, unknown creatures that are not the things they are used to.”

Ultimately, it’s a community effort to help care for these animals.

If you have found what appears to be an injured, orphaned, or contaminated animal — before approaching, catching or touching it, you’re asked to call the WILDNorth hotline at 780-914-4118.

The agency notes if someone does not answer right away, to please leave a voicemail as it deals with over 12,000 phone calls each year; 7,000 of which are come in between May and August.

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

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has given Calgary until Tuesday to change its noise rules for Stampede week concert tents or face possible provincial intervention. However, Mayor Jeromy Farkas says the issue is done.

Farkas, who was asked by reporters on Thursday about the June 30 deadline, said Calgary city councillors debated changing the rules earlier this week and they voted no.

“Our formal response was provided in advance of the June 30 deadline,” he said

Farkas claims the rules the city has on closing times and music shutdowns for off-site outdoor concerts during the Calgary Stampede festival are the same or even more permissive than comparable events in North America.

“We’ve struck the right balance between the needs of the local residents as well as those of industry,” he added.

The city has reduced concert hours and decibel levels for outdoor concerts during this year’s Stampede out of respect for residents who live within earshot of the events.

However, the city will allow an extra 30 minutes of “cool-down” music to be played for longer while patrons exited.

On Monday, Smith and other cabinet ministers sent a letter to Calgary council urging the noise and sound rules be relaxed, claiming the vibrancy of the Stampede is at risk.

The letter gives council a deadline of Tuesday to rethink the issue or face the province getting involved prior to the start of this year’s Stampede, which runs from July 3 to July 12.

On Thursday, Smith spokesperson Sam Blackett declined to comment directly on the latest comments from Farkas.

The city revised its noise bylaw after it claimed last year’s downtown Stampede concert tents drew 225 complaints, including from residents who lost sleep and whose windows vibrated due to the noise.

More than half of those complaints were related to the Cowboys Music Festival, whose organizers have also been among the most vocal critics of the city’s new noise restrictions.

After earlier accusing Cowboys’ organizers of treating their neighbours like garbage and participating in a smear campaign against the city, on Thursday Farkas posted a photo on social media thanking the operators of the Cowboys and Badlands Stampede concert tents for “a very productive meeting.”

https://x.com/JeromyYYC/status/2070192737647808520

The meeting took place a day after the organizers of the Country Thunder Alberta 2026 music festival, which was supposed to take place this weekend, made a surprise announcement that they were cancelling their festival, in part blaming the city’s new noise bylaw.

Farkas reacted to the cancellation by accusing the event’s organizers of “throwing the city under the bus” and of misrepresenting and misleading Calgarians.

According to Ryan Pleckaitis, the city’s community standards chief, there were 13 noise-related complaints during last year’s Country Thunder event, and the three-day festival only slightly exceeded what was prescribed in the event’s permits.

Pleckaitis said Thursday that last year’s noise levels led to an increased allowable decibel limit in Country Thunder’s permits for this year, from 65 to 70 dBA, while bass levels in the permits were reduced to 80 dBc.

“We would’ve sent that out to them last week or shortly before. There was no issues ever raised to us when they received their permit,” he told Global News.

Pleckaitis said the noise levels in the exemption permits are measured at the “point of reception,” which in Country Thunder’s case would have been nearby residential buildings in the East Village.

“The noise level on the festival grounds can actually be much higher than what the permit prescribes, but it just can’t travel to nearby residential communities and have detrimental impacts to residents who live there,” he said.

The teardown of the stage, tents and equipment on the site of the event at the Confluence, previously named Fort Calgary, continued Thursday.

Vendors that were preparing for a big weekend are now adjusting their plans, including YYC Food Trucks, which had several trucks ready to serve up food to festival-goers this weekend.

“It’s sadness for the trucks, for the small businesses, the operators, for everybody,” said YYC Food Trucks owner Jennifer Andrews. “It’s sad for Calgarians. We have a short season here in Calgary.”

Country Thunder organizers did not respond to Global News’ request for comment.

But so far the premier’s office hasn’t taken the option of provincial intervention off the table.

Blackett also deferred to a previous statement in which the premier’s spokesperson said the city and stakeholders should come together to find a solution that works for everyone.

–with files from The Canadian Press.

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