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.

We all know how difficult it can be to get tickets to a big concert. You do everything right, but the gig is sold out within seconds of going on sale. It’s so frustrating. Maybe, then, it’s time for a different approach.

In the Nihonbashi district of Tokyo is a shrine that’s more than a thousand years old. It is called Fukutoku, a calm place in the midst of a very busy part of the city. But this Shinto shrine is visited for a very specific purpose. Like other such shrines, people come to ask for kami—good fortune and good health—from the Shinto gods.

But Fukutoku attracts people with a very special wish: The ability to get concert tickets. Superfans from all over Japan visit the shrine and pray that they’ll have luck getting to a show by their favourite artist.

Does it work? Fukutoku believers say “yes.”

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

Skiantos was one of the first wave of punk bands in the 1970s. They were formed in 1975, but decided that they weren’t as angry as some of their peers, so comedy—the kind that draws from Futurism and Dadaism—became a driving part of their whole existence.

When it came to their music, it wasn’t exactly what you’d call polished or professional, but that was the point. The rawness, the out-of-tune vocals, and the weird lyrics were all designed to provoke the audience. Sometimes, for added effect, they’d throw vegetables into the crowd

Their most infamous gig was at the Bologna Rock Festival on April 2, 1979. For their set, they brought out a kitchen, a table, a TV, and a fridge. They boiled some spaghetti, sat down, ate it, and left, without playing a single note. It was…baffling.

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

For the first time since January 2025, new data from Statistics Canada shows Canadian trips to the United States are increasing.

That data, released Tuesday, indicates that this April, the number of return trips from the U.S. for Canadian residents increased 1.8 per cent year over year.

The spike was driven by trips via car, up 8.1 per cent to 1.5 million, 65 per cent of which were same-day trips. Return trips by air also went down by 7.1 per cent year-over-year to 805,900. All in all, Canadians returned from 2.4 million American trips in April.

Canadians have been boycotting travel to the U.S. following the American administration’s trade war against Canada and U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats to make the country into the “51st state.”

Trump was sworn into office in January 2025.

In February 2026, Canadian-resident return trips from the U.S. by automobile declined 12.3 per cent to 1.2 million in February 2026, with the number of return trips by air (749,500) decreasing 12 per cent compared with February 2025.

In addition to the increase in Canadian-resident return trips from the U.S., Canadian residents returned from 3.8 million trips abroad in April, an increase of 2.1 per cent year over year.

This marks the first year-over-year monthly increase since February 2025.

Canadian residents also made 1.4 million return trips from overseas countries in April, up 2.7 per cent year over year.

Americans are also continuing to travel to Canada, with U.S.-resident trips to Canada equalling 1.5 million, rising 6.9 per cent from the same month in 2025 and marking the third consecutive monthly year-over-year increase.

In April 2026, 432,700 overseas residents arrived in Canada, down 6.7 per cent from the same month one year earlier. The majority (87.9 per cent) of these arrivals were by air.

Statistics Canada outlines the main driver for the year-over-year decrease in arrivals was fewer arrivals from Europe (-20,800; -10.2 per cent) and Asia (-8,200; -6.2 per cent).

Despite fewer visitors in April, the U.K. remained the top country of residence for overseas visitors to Canada. The U.K., France and Mexico overall accounted for 30.4 per cent of all overseas arrivals in Canada.

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

Calgary police are asking for the public’s help locating a youth accused of assaulting a nine-week-old baby boy while he was being pushed in a stroller during a walk with his father last week.

Investigators say the incident happened between 4:30 and 5:00 p.m. on Monday, June 15, along a sidewalk in the 0 to 100 block of Country Village Gate Northeast, near Coventry Hill Boulevard.

Police say a youth who was riding a scooter along the same sidewalk reached out and struck the sleeping baby in the torso, then rode away.

A photo supplied by Calgary police shows apparent bruising left on the child’s torso from the force of the blow.

The youth is described as approximately 10 years old with short blonde hair and wearing a white T-shirt at the time of the encounter.

Calgary police are asking anyone with information about the incident or who may have relevant CCTV footage to contact them at 403-266-1234.

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

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

The man who went over the weir of the South Saskatchewan River has been identified by Saskatoon police, who said they are still trying to recover him from the river.

Adan Vargas Salvador, 32, was visiting the city from Mexico when he was seen “in distress” while riding on a jet ski. He was riding near the weir at 33rd Street and Spadina Crescent in Saskatoon on Saturday afternoon, the Saskatoon Police Service said in a news release Tuesday.

Police said they are communicating with Salvador’s family as this recovery mission continues.

Drones, aircraft, and watercraft were used by police and the Saskatoon Fire Department in the search for Salvador along the river and riverbanks, police said.

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

It started as an unusual spike in water usage.

But now, a Kingston, Ont., man is facing charges over allegations a water company was stealing water from fire hydrants.

The accusations stem from complaints Gananoque, Ont., police received on June 4 and 5.

About a week later on June 13, public utility employees detected a pull of water, prompting officers on patrol to find a suspect vehicle, which police said was a water truck. The driver of the vehicle was then arrested.

A 44-year-old man from Kingston has been charged with two counts of theft under $5,000, and possession of property obtained by crime under $5,000.

“The reality is that when someone damages or steals from a municipality, they actually increase the cost of municipal service delivery for all the other taxpayers,” said Mayor John Beddows. “I’m frankly disappointed in this case.”

It’s not known how much water was stolen or what it was used for, but the town has so far not reported any impacts to water service or response by firefighters.

Fire hydrants in Ontario typically are not publicly accessible, with Meadows noting it’s normally the fire department or public works officials doing maintenance and purging of the lines in his community.

Meadows said he didn’t care if the man was from the community or outside of it, it still affects the community the same way — by adding cost to taxpayers to produce water.

“If you see something, say something. Call it out, and this is a case, I think, of a win-win-win,” Meadows added, referencing public utility workers reporting the water pull that led to the arrest.

The man was held in custody ahead of a bail hearing. His truck has been seized as evidence.

The investigation is ongoing.

—with files from Global News’ Jesse Reynolds

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

A U.S. citizen drowned in Okanagan Lake on Friday night.

West Kelowna RCMP said that at approximately 7:13 p.m. on June 19, they were called to the lake for a report that two kayakers had capsized near Westbank First Nation Beach after the wind suddenly picked up.

Both attempted to swim to the shore, police said, but one kayaker went under and did not resurface.

Officers jumped into a person’s boat to begin search efforts while West Kelowna RCMP members deployed the detachment boat and Peachland Fire Rescue also launched their boat.

The second kayaker was quickly located.

Central Okanagan Search and Rescue was also called in and, after several hours, located and recovered the missing kayaker.

Despite all efforts, the individual was pronounced dead at the scene.

Their name is not being released at this time.

“This is a tragic reminder of how quickly conditions can change on Okanagan Lake,” Const. Ash Puri, media relations officer for the West Kelowna RCMP, said in a release.

“Wearing a life jacket can make the difference between life and death. We urge all boaters and paddlers to take that simple step every time they’re on the water.”

Neither kayaker was wearing a personal flotation device at the time of the incident, police said.

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

Canadian cities like Lethbridge, Alta., Saint John, N.B., and Thunder Bay, Ont., are some of the most affordable for those looking to own a home amid the cost-of-living crunch, according to a report from Royal LePage, which names the top 15 most affordable cities in Canada.

An average of half (51 per cent) of respondents to the report’s survey who were from Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver said they would consider moving to one of those more affordable cities if they were able to find a job or work remotely.

This also comes after a separate report from rates.ca in March showed that mortgage affordability was getting worse in most major Canadian cities.

“Home prices in Canada’s largest cities have moderated over the past couple of years, but for many buyers, the math still doesn’t work,” Phil Soper, president and CEO of Royal LePage, said in a press release.

“As barriers to entry remain high in the country’s most expensive urban centres, relocating to a more affordable city is becoming less of a last resort and more of a deliberate strategy. Aspiring homeowners who cannot secure a foothold in these markets are seriously weighing their options.”

The report from Royal LePage ranks 15 cities by its own “Affordability Factor,” which it says is based on the percentage of income needed to cover a monthly mortgage payment — the lower the percentage point, the better.

Royal LePage says it factors in 2024 income data from Statistics Canada, as well as its own aggregate home price data from the first three months of 2026. Aggregate, in this context, is essentially an average home price relative to the number of homes sold in a particular market.

Here are the most affordable cities:

• Lethbridge, Alta., (18.9 per cent), with an aggregate home price of $338,700.
• Saint John, N.B., (19.6 per cent), with an aggregate home price of $265,900.
• Thunder Bay, Ont., (20.3 per cent) with an aggregate home price of $339,900.
• Red Deer, Alta., (24.9 per cent) with an aggregate home price of $447,200.
• Regina, Sask., (25 per cent) with an aggregate home price of $397,900.
• St. John’s, N.L., (26.3 per cent) with an aggregate home price of $377,900.
• Edmonton, Alta., (26.3 per cent) with an aggregate home price of $472,300.
• Trois-Rivières, Que., (27.3 per cent) with an aggregate home price of $400,100.
• Fredericton, N.B.,  (27.8) with an aggregate home price of $377,200.
• Winnipeg, Man., (27.9 per cent) with an aggregate home price of $424,500.
• Windsor-Essex, Ont., (28.7 per cent) with an aggregate home price of $480,500.
• Saskatoon, Sask., (28.8 per cent) with an aggregate home price of $458,000.
• Sherbrooke, Que., (28.9 per cent) with an aggregate home price of $423,200.
• Moncton, N.B.,  (29.5 per cent) with an aggregate home price of $399,300.
• Charlottetown, P.E.I., (30.6 per cent) with an aggregate home price of $428,200.

Royal LePage says its estimates of mortgage affordability factored in a 20 per cent down payment and a three-year fixed term loan at an interest rate of 4.64 per cent, amortized over 25 years.

The survey data, which was conducted earlier in June by Burson for Royal LePage, featured 900 adult Canadian participants living in the Greater Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver regions.

Fifty-five per cent of respondents in the Greater Toronto Area, 48 per cent in the Greater Montreal Area and 46 per cent in Greater Vancouver said they would consider relocating to one of the 15 most affordable cities listed if they were able to find work or work remotely.

Gen Z respondents were more likely to make a move at 77 per cent, compared with 56 per cent of millennials, 51 per cent of Gen X and 34 per cent of baby boomers.

“Younger Canadians – often less anchored to one community in particular – are well-positioned to make the move to another city or province, with the flexibility to put down roots where housing is more attainable,” Soper said.

“What has shifted, however, is the ease of doing so. The remote work era gave buyers the freedom to live anywhere while earning a competitive wage. As more workers return to the office, that freedom is becoming harder to come by.”

An MNP study from last year found that young Canadians were struggling with debt the most among the given age categories, which one economist described as “a kind of youth-cession.”

Separate Ipsos polling conducted exclusively for Global News in 2024 found that four in five Canadians felt owning a home was something only the rich could achieve, which included 90 per cent cent of Gen Z respondents and 82 per cent of millennials.

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

Savannah Guthrie said her family remains “in agony” as the search for her 84-year-old mother, Nancy Guthrie, continues.

She spoke out about her mother’s disappearance on the Today show Tuesday after reports that the second ransom note previously sent to a media outlet claimed that her mother was dead.

NBC News shared the details about the ransom note on Monday and Savannah told her Today show co-hosts that she didn’t “have any comment on the story.”

“This morning, NBC News is reporting new information about one of the notes sent to multiple media outlets,” Today show host Craig Melvin said.

“There is still no major update or break in the case,” Today show correspondent Liz Kreutz added.

Melvin turned to Savannah and said, “The bravery and courage with which you have done this job every day since that happened, nothing short of remarkable.”

“I love you guys, and I love this place,” Savannah said, as she began to wipe away tears. “This is unusual and unprecedented — to say the least — to be sitting here.”

Savannah explained that she is not involved in NBC News’ coverage of her mother’s abduction.

“But I can’t pretend I’m not here. And so since I am, I wanted to just take the opportunity to ask people, really to beg people, to come forward. Somebody knows something,” she said.

“This is a new story that today is on your radar, but this is the life that my sister lives, that I live, that my brother lives, that our extended families live, that our children live every day. And we are in agony and we cannot be at peace.”

She said that no matter how much she tries to “come out here every day and to smile and find that joy,” this is the moment she needs viewers to know that “we need your help.”

“We’re begging for your help. And I’m not going to miss that opportunity,” she said.

“So please, if you’re watching, no matter how small the reward is there,” Savannah added, referencing the US$1-million reward she previously offered for any information on her mother’s disappearance.

Savannah said tips can remain anonymous and urged the public to “please do the right thing.”

“We love our mom. We will never stop looking for her,” she added.

The ransom note related to the disappearance of Guthrie said the 84-year-old had died, CNN and other news organizations are reporting, citing law enforcement sources.

Some media outlets had previously reported receiving ransom notes tied to the case in the days after Guthrie’s disappearance in early February from her home in the foothills just outside Tucson.

CNN reported Monday that one of the notes revealed that Guthrie was dead — and those who kidnapped her did not mean to kill her, but she died shortly after her disappearance.

CNN said it knew the contents of one such note, and that a Tucson TV station had received two notes.

The outlet agreed to hold off on sharing the contents of the notes publicly so any future communications with the kidnapper or kidnappers could be authenticated, CNN reported.

The Pima County Sheriff’s Department declined to comment on the note’s contents.

Earlier this month, volunteers in Mexico began searching for Guthrie after an anonymous caller alleged that Guthrie’s remains could be found near a stream in Mariposa, which is located west of Nogales and near the Arizona border.

The leader of a group that works to locate missing people in Mexico, called Buscando Corazones Nogales, told El Imparcial that they received an anonymous call “telling us that the woman’s remains were in the Mariposa area in a grave over a stream, and this time we came to explore this stream that we failed to explore in the first intervention.”

Ramona Guadalupe Ayala Ortiz, head of Buscando Corazones Nogales, said the group previously searched the area from April to May and discovered more than 25 unmarked graves containing the remains of at least 32 individuals in the area.

The head of Buscando Corazones Nogales said the search for Guthrie came up empty but they would continue future search operations in the area to find her.

Authorities believe Guthrie was taken against her will after they found blood near the doorstep of her home in the foothills outside Tucson, Ariz., in February. The FBI later released surveillance videos showing a masked man on the porch that night.

Anyone with information about Guthrie’s disappearance is asked to contact 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324)

— with files from The Associated Press

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