TORONTO – Anthony Stolarz watched from the crease as his teammates battled for 60 hard minutes.

The goaltender also did his part with a string of big saves against Connor McDavid and Co.

One shot was the difference Saturday. The Maple Leafs once again came out on the losing end.

Toronto went toe-to-toe with Edmonton in a grinding, playoff-style matchup accented by an Evan Bouchard blast and 19 saves from Devon Levi in the Oilers’ 1-0 victory.

The Maple Leafs (8-12-2) completed a disastrous 0-6-0 homestand with their best performance of an ugly 12-day stretch, but wound up with the same result.

“It’s definitely frustrating,” Stolarz said after finishing with 22 saves against an opponent that improved to 15-3-3. “That’s how we have to play. Get to the net and throw pucks to the net, get to their goalie, play solid defence and limit our mistakes.

“That’s a hell of a hockey team right there. They’re up there in the standings and we stuck with them every minute of this game. This is something that we have to build on. We have to play like this every night.”

Toronto’s six straight home losses — a gauntlet that also included games against the Utah Mammoth, Montreal Canadiens, New Jersey Devils, Minnesota Wild and Colorado Avalanche — are the most since the 1985-86 season.

“Guys played their tail off … I don’t think anybody’s going to question that,” Maple Leafs head coach Jim Hiller said. “I’d like to see them get rewarded. You write your stories, but I’m here to tell you we deserved better than that over that six-game homestand.

“We’ll move on to the next one.”

Toronto centre John Tavares, who had a goal called back for a high stick early in the third period, said the group’s failure to get results at Scotiabank Arena has been bitterly disappointing.

“We feel for our fans,” he said. “But the effort and the continued buy-in guys are having and trying to find our way through it, I thought has been there.

“Right there to win the hockey game and I guarantee we’re going to keep working to find our way through it. We’ll get through it and be better for it.”

The veteran forward added it’s important to keep doubt at bay as the Maple Leafs prepare to hit the road for a Tuesday matchup against the Chicago Blackhawks.

“You try not to always get caught up in the results, but it’s ultimately what matters,” Tavares said. “I’d be lying if you didn’t say you feel it and it’s disappointing and frustrating, but you’re trying to channel all that in the right way. The way the group is continuing to stay positive and stick together is what we have to do.

“It’s tough sledding.”

Toronto defenceman Chris Tanev said everyone in the organization has to look in the mirror.

“At the end of the day, you need to get results,” he said. “That’s what this league is about. But got to try to build off of that and work hard to improve the areas that we need to.”

Hiller said the search for answers will continue as Toronto aims to climb out of this early hole — last in the Atlantic Division and already eight points out of a playoff spot — after missing the post-season last spring for the first time in a decade.

“We’re all professionals,” he said. “This is a hard thing to go through. But what’s your options? I think to me, your option is: come out and play your (butt) off.

“Hopefully things turn out better.”

CALLED BACK

Tavares tipped a William Nylander shot past Levi that would have tied the score 1-1 before the goal was called back for a high stick following a long review.

“That one hurt,” Hiller said. “I saw a goal called on the ice. I stared at my monitor for a minute. I couldn’t see anything that said it wasn’t (a goal). They stared at the monitor for five minutes.

“They found something that I didn’t see.”

BACK IN THE SADDLE

Tanev returned to the lineup after sitting out Thursday’s 5-2 loss to Colorado for load management after also watching last Sunday’s 4-0 setback to New Jersey.

The Maple Leafs are attempting to manage the 36-year-old’s workload after he was limited to 11 games last season and missed a chunk of the schedule earlier this fall.

“Whenever I’m playing, I’m gonna work my (butt) off to help this team win,” said Tanev, who’s clearly not in favour of the plan for his availability. “And when I’m not playing, I’m gonna work my butt off to make sure that I’m doing everything I can to stay healthy.

“Hopefully I can stay healthy for a period of time and then we can re-evaluate what’s happening.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 14, 2026.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

MONTREAL – Artturi Lehkonen had a goal and an assist to help the short-handed Colorado Avalanche beat the Montreal Canadiens 4-1 without injured stars Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar on Saturday night.

Fedor Svechkov and Brock Nelson also scored for Colorado (12-6-3) after MacKinnon and Makar both exited Thursday’s 4-3 overtime loss to the Ottawa Senators with lower-body injuries.

Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 25 shots and Nicolas Roy added an empty-net goal.

Nick Suzuki replied with a highlight-reel goal for Montreal (12-4-4), which had gone 12 consecutive games without losing in regulation (9-0-3).

Jakub Dobes made 22 saves in his first start in nine days.

Svechkov opened the scoring on Colorado’s first shot at 3:57 of the first period. He held on to the puck on a two-on-one rush and beat Dobes for his third of the season.

Nelson doubled the lead at 15:55 during a delayed Montreal penalty, rifling a one-timer from a tight angle for the Avalanche’s second goal on three shots.

Suzuki cut the deficit with a spectacular goal at 10:25 in the second. The Canadiens captain received a pass from Juraj Slafkovsky in the slot, smoothly spun around Avalanche defenceman Devon Toews and flicked a backhand off the post and in for his eighth of the season.

Lehkonen, a former Canadien, restored the two-goal lead at 4:14 in the third period, burying his 15th of the season into a gaping net on the power play after Dobes made a pair of desperation saves.

Newhook appeared to score with 9:05 remaining in regulation when he deflected a shot from Kirby Dach past Blackwood. But after a lengthy review, the goal was called back for a high stick.

TAKEAWAYS

Canadiens: Veteran forward Chris Kreider will miss six to eight weeks with a lower-body injury sustained in Thursday’s 5-2 win over the Boston Bruins. Canadiens defenceman Mike Matheson (lower body) also missed the game, while bruising winger Florian Xhekaj and blueliner Adam Engstrom entered the lineup.

Avalanche: Head coach Jared Bednar said MacKinnon will be out at least a month, while Makar is expected to miss two weeks.

KEY MOMENT

Suzuki faked a slapshot before pulling off his deke around Toews, his Canadian teammate at last February’s Milan Cortina Olympics. The normally stoic centre raised his stick and pumped his fists after the goal, knowing he’d just scored a beauty.

KEY STAT

Colorado defenceman Brent Burns became the 14th player in NHL history — and only active player — to play in 1,600 games. The 41-year-old from Barrie, Ont., has suited up in 1,028 consecutive contests dating back to Nov. 21, 2013. Phil Kessel owns the NHL’s all-time “Ironman” record at 1,064 straight games, a number Burns could pass Feb. 15.

UP NEXT

Avalanche: Finish a four-game trip Wednesday against the Utah Mammoth.

Canadiens: Open a three-game road trip Monday against the New York Rangers.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 14, 2026.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

TORONTO – Devon Levi made 19 saves for his first NHL shutout and Connor McDavid extended his season-opening point streak to 21 games as the Edmonton Oilers downed Toronto 1-0 to hand the Maple Leafs their sixth straight home loss Saturday.

Evan Bouchard scored for Edmonton (15-3-3), which improved to 7-1-1 over its last nine games.

McDavid picked up an assist to give him an eye-popping 50 points (11 goals, 39 assists) and add to his league lead.

Anthony Stolarz stopped 22 shots for Toronto (8-12-2), which suffered its sixth consecutive regulation loss to complete a disastrous six-game stretch at Scotiabank Arena.

The goaltender started consecutive games for the first time this season with Sergei Bobrovsky struggling to find traction after signing with the Maple Leafs in free agency on July 1.

Toronto, which dropped to 1-8-0 over its last nine contests, picked up a 7-2 victory in Edmonton on Oct. 24.

TAKEAWAYS

Oilers: Head coach Mike Babcock faced his former team in Toronto for the first time since being fired in November 2019.

Maple Leafs: Veteran defenceman Chris Tanev returned to the lineup after sitting out Thursday’s 5-2 loss to the Minnesota Wild. The 36-year-old was also held out of last Sunday’s 4-0 setback to the New Jersey Devils.

KEY MOMENT

Bouchard opened the scoring at 15:34 of the second when he took a pass from McDavid and blasted his 12th goal of the season through a partial screen on Stolarz.

KEY STAT

McDavid became the fifth different player in NHL history to record 50 points in 21 games or fewer. He joins Mario Lemieux (17 games in 1988-89, 18 games in 1995-96, 18 games in 1992-93), Wayne Gretzky (18 games in 1983-84, 19 games in 1984-85, 20 games in 1987-88), Bernie Nicholls (21 games in 1988-89) and Mike Bossy (21 games in 1984-85).

UP NEXT

Oilers: Visit the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday.

Maple Leafs: Visit the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 14, 2026.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

The International Association of Political Consultants is set to give its 2026 Democracy Medal to Prime Minister Mark Carney, Global News has learned.

Carney, travelling in Asia for the next several days, was unable to accept the award in person, which was to be announced Saturday evening at the International Association of Political Consultants’ (IAPC) annual conference in Seville, Spain.

Previous winners of the IAPC’s Democracy Medal include Russian democracy activist Alexei Navalny, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and South Africa’s Nelson Mandela.

The IAPC was established in 1968 and it first presented a Democracy Medal in 1982 to Polish Solidarity leader Lech Walesa. The IAPC has about 180 members worldwide who work as political consultants, strategists and pollsters.

“The IAPC Democracy Medal 2026 goes to Prime Minister Mark Carney because, at a time when the political landscape is shifting faster than at any point in a generation, he offered the world something rare: clarity,” IAPC President Marko Rakar said in a draft statement reviewed by Global News.

“He did not raise his voice; he raised the standard. With calm and clear thinking, he showed that middle powers are not powerless, and that working together they can defend the rule of law, honour the obligations nations owe one another, and help keep the international order and the peace it protects.”

Carney’s hallmark foreign policy speech so far in his 18-month tenure as prime minister was given at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 20. In the speech, Carney argued that middle powers, like Canada, should reject the power of ‘hegemons’ and build coalitions with like-minded partners.

Carney did not mention either the United States or China by name as the ‘hegemons’ that had caused a “rupture” in the international order.

But he issued a call to action at Davos to middle powers in Europe and Asia: “In a world of great power rivalry, the countries in between have a choice: to compete with each other for favour or to combine to create a third path with impact,” Carney said. “We should not allow the rise of hard power to blind us to the fact that the power of legitimacy, integrity, and rules will remain strong — if we choose to wield it together.”

Carney has built on some of the themes of his Davos speech in subsequent speeches in international fora, including, for example, at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France earlier this fall.

“Our members nominated him and our membership chose him, because democracy needs leaders who tell the truth about the world as it is and still work for the world as it should be,” the IAPC’s Rakar said in the draft release.

Carney, who started the day Sunday at the ASEAN Summit in Manila, The Philippines and will end the day at the Francophonie Summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, did not immediately respond to comment about the IAPC’s award.

After Cambodia, Carney travels to Shenzhen, China, for the annual summit of Pacific nation leaders known as APEC to be hosted by Chinese President Xi Jinping. U.S. President Donald Trump is also expected to attend.
Carney says he expects to have a one-on-one meeting with Xi but it is unclear if he will meet separately with Trump.

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

CALGARY – Malik Carney will see familiar faces on the other side of the football Sunday.

The Edmonton Elks defensive end went up against the Montreal Alouettes’ offensive line in pursuit of Als quarterback Davis Alexander in last year’s Grey Cup game, which Carney won as a member of the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Carney will line up against most of the same Alouettes starters Sunday in Calgary with the same goal of hunting down Alexander.

“He’s such a wild card. You don’t know what he’s going to do,” Carney said Saturday at McMahon Stadium.

“He is mobile, he can create explosive plays in the pocket, outside of the pocket. I can’t really give you our details and what our plan is, but we do have a plan for him and the only thing I can really say is that we have to do a great job of containing him and not letting him get going.”

The 31-year-old Carney from Alexandria, Va., ranked second in the CFL in sacks this season with 11 behind Calgary Stampeder Clarence Hicks (12) and ahead of his Elks teammate Noah Taylor (10).

Carney, a West Division all-star this season, and Taylor will be a one-two threat against a stingy Als offensive line that allowed the least amount of sacks this season at 19, which was also a franchise record.

“Sonic and Knuckles,” declared the 27-year-old Taylor. “He’s the power, he’s a bruiser and I’m the speed guy. I’m a lot faster than him. He’s a lot stronger than me.”

Added Carney: “We complement each other very well. He’s a guy that has two ears and one mouth, and that’s a quote that I live by. You listen twice as much as you talk. He’s a great example of that.”

Carney is one of just 13 players on the Elks roster who bring previous Grey Cup experience into Sunday, with an opportunity to win his second championship ring in as many years, albeit with a different team.

“It would mean a lot. It would mean a lot, but I definitely want to see more of my teammates winning, just for them,” said the six-foot-three, 230-pound North Carolina alumni.

“Cody, going back at his former team, some of the first-time guys who (are) in the Grey Cup, even playoffs. It’s bigger than me and what I want. It’s what I want for my team.”

When it was clear the Roughriders wouldn’t re-sign him, Carney enlisted the help of six-year-old daughter Myla in choosing his next team.

“I had watched a lot of film on a couple of the teams that were extremely interested in me,” he said. “It came down to the wire of me just letting my daughter pick a logo and she picked a logo that I was siding with for sure.”

Elks head coach Mark Kilam dubbed Carney “the alpha” of the defence.

“Elevated the group as a whole, raised the level of, first and foremost, the defensive-line room,” Kilam said. “He’s a veteran guy that’s coaching and helping the young guys, giving them some tips and techniques.”

Edmonton’s defence overall was the class of the CFL this season in allowing the fewest average points per game (24.3), net offence allowed (338.6 yards) and fewest average yards per play against (6.34), while forcing a league-leading 53 turnovers under defensive co-ordinator J.C. Sherritt.

Carney led the league in forced fumbles with four.

“We carry a lot of swagger, confidence,” he said. “Since training camp, we knew exactly who we are.

“Every week, we’ve just been putting out performances that represents exactly who we are as a defence.”

The Elks spent Saturday’s walkthrough enjoying warm sun on their bare arms as the players took to the field wearing brown vests. They played games with teammates and greeted their families on McMahon’s turf.

“This is the relaxation before we bring the storm,” Carney said.

Edmonton has won 14 Grey Cups, with the last in 2015, in 26 all-time appearances.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 14, 2026.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

CALGARY – Cody Fajardo isn’t going to mess with a winning formula, not even during Grey Cup week.

The Montreal Alouettes and Edmonton Elks held their final walkthroughs Saturday. That left the players and coaches with plenty of down time before Sunday’s championship game.

For many, the night before the Grey Cup is an opportunity to catch up with family over dinner. Fajardo will go out for a meal, but with teammates Justin Rankin and Austin Mack to maintain their season-long routine.

“We’re going to ditch our families (Saturday),’ Fajardo said. “We’re going to do that because we’ve got to keep the ritual the same.”

Ditto for Fajardo being the first Elk to have his ankles taped Sunday.

“That’s just something I’ve done my entire career,” he said. “After that, it’s ready to roll in the Grey Cup.”

Montreal linebacker Geoffrey Cantin-Arku will spend Saturday night with his mother, Nancy.

“My mom just got in town so I’m happy about that,” Cantin-Arku said. “I’ll go to The Keg like we do every week, normally I go with Davis (quarterback Davis Alexander) but now I’ll go with my mom.

“I’ll have the same steak and my wings, then go to bed ready to go (Sunday).”

Montreal is in the CFL title game for the second straight year after suffering a 25-17 setback to the Saskatchewan Roughriders. The Alouettes are also chasing a second league crown after winning in 2023.

Ironically, the MVP of Montreal’s ’23 win was none other than Fajardo. Alexander was Fajardo’s backup in 2023 but led Montreal to last year’s Grey Cup as the starter.

Mother Nature will do her best to ensure quality playing conditions. The forecast is calling for the temperature at kickoff to be around 8 C and drop to roughly 4 C by the time the contest ends, with wind of 15 km/h, gusting to 23 km/h.

And maybe that will result in a good walk-up. As of Saturday, 30,832 tickets have been sold or distributed, leaving about 4,768 tickets remaining.

Montreal head coach Jason Maas, a four-time Grey Cup champion, said players differ regarding how they complete their final game preparation.

“We won’t have any meetings (Saturday), we never have a meeting game day, ever,” Maas said. “Our guys are free, they understand what we’re setting out to do.

“There’s a curfew every night but other than that the guys understand what’s at stake, there’s no worry there. I prefer guys to relax now, be with their families and obviously be ready to go (Sunday) … but what you’ve done to get here, that stays the same.”

Edmonton head coach Mark Kilam said the Elks will continue their season-long routine of holding a team meeting Saturday night.

“But from now until that time, they’ll be with their families and taking it all in or doing what they’ve got to do,” he said. “We’ll come back (Saturday night) and just do the meeting that we always do.

“Then (Sunday), we have meetings and walkthrough in the morning before pre-game meal. Then it’s just a regular game day from that.”

Montreal and Edmonton released their final depth charts Saturday and both will have game-time decisions. The teams will have up until 30 minutes before kickoff to determine the status of defensive lineman Mustafa Johnson (Alouettes) and offensive tackle Jordan Murray (Elks).

Edmonton is in the Grey Cup for the first time since 2015.

Before the opening kickoff, the legendary Canadian Forces Snowbirds will perform their final public flyover in their CT-114 Tutor jets. The iconic aerial team will fly in formation just as Canadian musician Sarah McLachlan finishes O Canada.

Blue Rodeo’s Jim Cuddy and Greg Keelor and James Barker Band will provide the pre-game entertainment. American country singer Riley Green will be the featured halftime act.

The game itself is an intriguing matchup.

Montreal’s offence is led by quarterback Alexander, the CFL’s outstanding player this season. And the Alouettes receiving corps features Tyson Philpot (CFL’s top Canadian with 124 catches, 1,809 yards and 13 TDs) and Tyler Snead (95 catches, 1,474 yards, 13 TDs).

Montreal led the CFL in offensive TDs (65), net offence (420.9), second-down conversion (56.7 per cent), average yards per play (7.53) and fewest sacks (19). The Alouettes were also second overall in passing yards (320.6).

Edmonton had the CFL’s top-ranked defence this season. It led in fewest offensive points allowed (23.6) and fewest net offensive yards (338.6), was tied with Hamilton in fewest offensive TDs allowed (44), and was second in both fewest rushing yards (81.4) and passing yards (272.7).

Edmonton also forced a CFL-high 53 turnovers, scored 178 points off turnovers (also tops) and had a plus-23 turnover ratio (first overall). Elks defensive back Tyrell Ford led the CFL in interceptions with seven.

Montreal committed the fewest turnovers (23) and interceptions (six) and sported the league’s second-best turnover ratio (plus-21).

Montreal is the 3.5-point favourite.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 14, 2026.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

Four people are facing charges following the killing of a 28-year-old man in Maple Ridge in May.

The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) said Saturday that 25-year-old Charles Thomas Shields has been charged with one count of first-degree murder.

Meghan-Lynn Jean Nagle, 43; Jason Matthew Bauer, 40; and Samantha Jennifer Garnett, 47, have each been charged with one count of manslaughter.

Maple Ridge RCMP responded to a call in the 22300 block of Rover Rd. just before 7 p.m. on May 30.

Upon arrival, officers located a 28-year-old man with life-threatening injuries.

First responders initiated life-saving measures but the man was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

The investigation was forwarded to the IHIT who worked in collaboration with RCMP Serious Crime Unit, Integrated Forensic Identification Service and the BC Coroners Service.

As a result of the investigation, the four suspects were arrested Friday.

“This was a tragic loss of life, and our thoughts remain with the victim’s loved ones as they navigate this difficult time,” Sgt. Freda Fong of the IHIT said in a news release.

“The charges mark a significant step in the judicial process, and IHIT wishes to acknowledge the dedication of our investigators and the support of our policing partners throughout this complex investigation.”

Police say they believe the incident was isolated and that the victim and the accused were known to each other.

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

A fifth Canadian soldier has died from injuries sustained during a training exercise at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright in Alberta last month.

Pte. William Douglas Dal Bianco of the 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry died on Friday, the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) said in a news release.

Dal Bianco was receiving medical treatment in Ontario following the incident.

“I extend my deepest condolences to the family, friends and fellow service members mourning the loss of Private William Douglas Dal Bianco. No words can ease the pain of losing a loved one, and my thoughts remain with all those affected by this tragedy,” Defence Minister David McGuinty said in a news release. “We remain committed to supporting the families and the Canadian Armed Forces community during this profoundly difficult time, and to honouring Private Dal Bianco’s service, dedication and sacrifice to Canada.”

In a statement on social media, Prime Minister Mark Carney said his thoughts were with those impacted.

“Private Dal Bianco and his fellow soldiers were training to defend Canada. With their bright futures still before them, they chose to safeguard ours,” he said.

“That is service. Now, we serve them.”

Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre also offered a statement of condolences.

“ put on the uniform to serve Canada, and Canada will not forget him,” he said on social media. “We pray for his family mourning this terrible loss, and for the 24 soldiers still fighting to recover in hospital.”

Dal Bianco is the fifth solider to have died following the incident on Oct. 17.

Sgt. Morgan Wong of Edmonton, Pte. Shaun Farrell of Prince Albert, Sask., Pte. Aidan Goulding of North Vancouver, B.C., and Pte. Hayden Lykkemark of Langley, B.C., are the other four deceased.

Approximately 350 troops with the 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry were taking part in a routine training exercise when intense winds rapidly pushed a nearby grass fire by way of the group.

After overwhelming the soldiers, the blaze then jumped the base fence and threatened nearby rural areas and the town of Wainwright.

The CAF said Saturday that 24 members remain in hospital receiving treatment and 14 members have been released from hospital.

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

Just hours after a tanker in New Orleans lost its steering and slammed into a docked river cruise boat, the city’s port sued to make sure federal investigators can seize the vessel that is owned by a subsidiary of a Chinese company.

All 197 passengers and crew on the American Heritage cruise ship survived Friday as well as the crew on the tanker.

Officials said 32 people were brought to the hospital, including two police officers thrown into the Mississippi River when the boat rolled. But none of the injuries were critical and eight remained hospitalized Saturday.

 

The lawsuit, filed by the Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans, said the Atlantic Asphalt tanker caused at least $1 million in damage to its terminal. A judge issued a warrant Friday giving federal officials control of the ship for now.

The tanker has been towed away from the site, but it could take weeks to move the cruise ship, which remains turned on its side against a terminal in the Mississippi River, Coast Guard Capt. Melanie Burnham told reporters Saturday.

The first step is to make sure the 16,000 gallons (60,500 liters) of fuel on the boat are removed safely, she said.

Traffic has been limited on the Mississippi River, but Burnham said boats should be able to move both upstream and downstream soon.

The tanker appeared to lose steering, but the exact cause of the crash is not known, Burnham said. The National Transportation Safety Board was sending investigators to New Orleans.

 

The first warning people on board the American Heritage had was the tanker blasting its horn several times as it floated toward the cruise ship, passenger Joe Knab told WDSU-TV.

The hit was hard, and the ship immediately started leaning. The crew gathered everyone on the third deck to put on life vests and start getting them off the boat, but it suddenly rolled and sent Knab and about 100 other passengers and crew into the muddy Mississippi River, where the water was 66-degree Fahrenheit (19 degrees Celsius).

Tugboat operators, other cruise ship captains, nearby workers, police and other rescuers rushed to help.

“It’s fine now, but it was a little scary there at the time. I thought I was drowning because I kept bobbing underneath — and the water doesn’t taste very good,” Knab told the television station, still in the jeans he was wearing on the boat, now covered in mud.

Knab said he thinks he was in the water about 15 minutes. He laughed and said his 20 years in the Navy likely helped him.

“They taught us not to drown,” Knab said.

Knab was wearing a shirt from a Hilton hotel where the passengers gathered. The rest of his belongings were in the river. Somehow his cellphone still worked. He hoped to get on a plane soon back to Wichita, Kansas, but he was not sure how Friday’s nationwide ground stop was going to throw another problem at him.

Putting the life vests on the passengers as they waited to get off the boat likely saved a number of lives when the boat suddenly turned into the water, New Orleans Harbor Police Chief Melanie Montroll said.

“Whether it’s 10 feet of water or 200 feet, having those vests, having that population put those vests on and kind of float upriver while we retrieve them — I think was the best factor of success,” Montroll said.

The American Heritage was finishing an eight-day cruise to several Mississippi River destinations.

 

The Atlantic Asphalt is a 520-foot-long (160-meter-long) vessel. It had a final destination in New Orleans, according to MarineTraffic, and was sailing under a flag for the Marshall Islands.

The ship is owned by a company called Nave Shipping SA, which is registered in Monrovia, Liberia, according to the International Maritime Organization and was one of the defendants in the lawsuit filed Friday.

Nave Shipping is a subsidiary of the China State Shipbuilding Corporation, a sprawling Chinese state-owned conglomerate, according to the live shipping tracker MarineTraffic.

China State Shipbuilding Corp. didn’t respond to an emailed request for comment.

The tanker involved in the crash specializes in carrying large quantities of asphalt and bitumen, a semi-solid substance that is often used for road construction and roofing, according to MarineTraffic.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

At least three businesses were lost following a major overnight fire that burned through the town centre in Mayerthorpe, Atla., the mayor said.

“Our community is facing a difficult and heartbreaking moment, “Mayor Allen (A.J.) Malcolm said while expressing his deepest sympathies to everyone affected by the fire.

“These businesses are more than just buildings. They represent years of hard work, dedication, personal investment, and relationships built within our community. Behind every business are people, families, livelihoods, and dreams,” he said in a statement posted to social media.

“Our downtown is an important part of who we are as a community. Seeing these businesses damaged and lost is difficult for all of us, and I know many residents are feeling a sense of sadness and loss today,” he continued.

Mayerthorpe is located approximately 120 km northwest of Edmonton.

Just before 6 a.m. Saturday, the town posted an advisory on social media asking residents to stay away from Main Street due to a “major structure fire” downtown.

“Heavy smoke is present,” the advisory said.

The town also asked residents to restrict water use for a 24-hour period.

Around noon Saturday, Lac Ste. Anne County said there was an active fire involving buildings along 50th Street.

“Heavy smoke is present in the vicinity. Those nearby are urged to limit outdoor exposure, keep windows and doors closed, and turn off air intakes if smoke is affecting your location,” the county said.

It asked the public to stay clear of the surrounding area to “ensure fire and emergency crews have unobstructed access.”

“ rapid response and dedication to protecting lives and property are second to none. We ask everyone to support their efforts by staying well clear of the area,” Reeve Jurgen Preugschas said in a news release.

According to the owner, a gym was one of the businesses lost in the fire.

One of the town’s historic buildings, built in 1941 and serving as a local grocer, was also lost, according to social media posts.

Twenty firefighters from nearby Sangudo, Cherhill, and Blue Ridge were deployed to help fight the flames.

In a statement released Saturday afternoon, Mayerthorpe RCMP said the investigation was in its early stages and investigators are working to determine whether the fire was “suspicious in nature.”

Investigators are asking anyone who saw anything suspicious to contact RCMP or local police.

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