Environment and Climate Change Canada said the twister tore a path of destruction Saturday afternoon between the towns of Carstairs and Didsbury.
Officials vary in their estimate of homes damaged, ranging from nine to 14, with a handful completely flattened. No one was seriously hurt in the storm, although a woman was found trapped in her basement after the tornado destroyed her house as she was beneath it.
On Monday, the Northern Tornadoes Project surveyed the damage. It’s a Western University unit focused on understanding tornadoes in Canada.
“Obviously, this was a very significant event,” said Connell Miller, a survey lead with the group. He spoke Monday with Loren McGinnis on the Calgary Eyeopener.
Calgary Eyeopener7:26Mountain View County tornado
A powerful tornado destroyed homes north of Calgary over the weekend. We chat with a researcher surveying the damage.
Based on what he’s seen on the ground, Miller said the weekend tornado was likely more powerful than EF-2, categorized on the enhanced Fujita scale by wind speeds of 178 to 217 km/h.
According to Miller, roughly 95 per cent of tornadoes that touch down in Canada are rated EF-2 or less. He described these as “less severe,” although they are still powerful enough to topple trees or blow off a home’s roof.
The tornado that tore through Mountain View County on Saturday was more powerful than these, according to Miller.
“This tornado will definitely fall within that five per cent of tornadoes that are stronger than [EF-2],” he said. “Just where exactly that will fall is still to be determined.”
Miller, an engineering researcher, says his team determines the strength of a tornado by looking at the structure of the homes destroyed and figuring out how powerful the winds would need to be to topple the buildings.
Miller said his team will likely have a rating for the tornado by Tuesday morning. Should it be rated an EF-3, that would mean the winds were between 218 and 266 km/h. If an EF-4, the winds would have ranged between 267 and 322 km/h.
One of the houses destroyed in the storm belonged to Elisa Humphreys. She fled with her dog and cat just moments before her home was blown to pieces. She described the wreckage as looking like an airplane crash.
“What it is, is the total destruction of two homes that have just been shredded and spread everywhere,” she said.
Dozens of people in the local community have turned out over the past few days to help clean up the debris, which included machinery that was thrown from one property to another and large trees uprooted and downed.
Lance Douglas, of Olds, helped organize the ongoing cleanup efforts. He was driving home from Calgary with this son on Saturday when they saw the tornado’s aftermath.
“We were driving by on the highway and saw the devastation,” he said. “We knew the Alberta way is that you just go and help.”
Douglas helped start a Facebook group to organize cleanup efforts, reaching out to the property owners to understand their needs and if they wanted volunteers on their land.
“Everyone’s really happy to have volunteers that are coming out and helping, even those that didn’t [initially] want people on their farm further contacted us, and we’ve been able to send volunteers there, trucks and tools,” Douglas said.
A barbecue on Monday was held to show appreciation to the volunteers. Over the next few days, Douglas said, their efforts will be focused on moving gathered debris to the dump and bringing in large machinery to removed downed trees.
“There’s still miles of work yet to do,” he said.
Damage can be seen near Elisa Humphreys’ home. (Helen Pike/CBC)
Tornadoes in Canada
According to Miller, one of the reasons the Northern Tornadoes Project was founded was to get a better sense of the tornado climatology in Canada.
While official meteorological records indicated around 60 to 70 tornadoes a year in Canada, models suggested the figure should be significantly higher.
The reason the official figure is low, Miller said, is likely a matter of population density. Every year, a number of tornadoes touch down in areas where no one lives — and therefore aren’t reported.
“Since we’ve been founded in 2017, we’ve found that that [tornado] average is closer to 100 to 120 per year,” Miller said.
Terri Lang, a Saskatoon-based meteorologist with Environment Canada, said the tornado came out of a supercell thunderstorm.
“Supercell thunderstorms are the types of thunderstorms that form in very specific conditions,” she said. “These storms form their own environment, and they can last a very, very long time. They kind of feed on themselves, and they can travel hundreds of kilometres, producing all types of severe weather.”
Saturday’s intense heat was a factor — such warmth is required to produce a supercell. But for the formation of a tornado, the key factor is wind shear, with wind changing direction and/or speed over a short distance.
“That allows the storm to spin,” Lang said. “Once the storm is spinning, it’s capable of producing a tornado.”
The Canadian Cancer Society says a proposed settlement that may see tobacco companies pay out billions of dollars would do little to prevent future generations from becoming addicted to smoking.
More details are expected today on a proposed $32.5-billion deal filed in an Ontario court that would see three major companies financially compensate provinces and territories as well as some smokers and their families.
Rob Cunningham, senior policy analyst and lawyer at the Canadian Cancer Society, says that while the settlement is a good first step, it fails to support public-health measures that would change the fact that tobacco is the leading cause of death in Canada.
Cunningham says the $1 billion earmarked for research into tobacco-related diseases should be modified to also account for awareness, education and community prevention programs.
Lung Health Foundation President and Chief Executive Officer Jessica Buckley says financial restitution can’t make up for the loss of life tobacco use has caused, killing 46,000 Canadians every year.
Buckley says the close to $25 billion that would be handed to provincial and territorial governments should be reinvested into preventing people from vaping and smoking.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 18, 2024.
Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content.
WINNIPEG – The federal and Manitoba governments have signed a deal to expand food programs.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government set aside $1 billion over five years in the last budget to expand access to such programs across the country after pressure from federal New Democrats.
Manitoba is to receive about $17.2 million over the next three years under the deal.
Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland says the agreement builds on the province’s nutrition program that was expanded last month.
Manitoba’s NDP government earmarked $30 million in this year’s budget to provide public schools across the province and schools in communities with high socio-economic needs with funds to provide meal or snack options.
Manitoba is the second province to sign an agreement, after Newfoundland and Labrador did so last month.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 18, 2024.
TORONTO – He’s chasing a career milestone, but Toronto Argonauts running back Ka’Deem Carey has his eye on a different prize.
The Argonauts can clinch second in the East Division — and home field for the opening round of the playoffs — with a win over the Ottawa Redblacks on Saturday afternoon at BMO Field. Carey is third in CFL rushing with 1,005 yards and needs just 84 to surpass the career-high 1,088 yards he recorded two years ago with the Calgary Stampeders.
Two weeks ago, Carey and his teammates were hesitant to discuss Saturday’s contest because both Toronto (9-7) and Ottawa (8-7-1) had other games looming. Now, the division showdown becomes the most important contest on both teams’ schedules.
“When you preach things into existence and then it’s sitting in front of you, you get more excited for that opportunity,” Carey said. “You’ve got a rival coming into your home, it’s going to be a great game.
“Hopefully we can beat them and bring it back here again.”
Toronto has won two straight to stand second, one point ahead of Ottawa, which has dropped four consecutive games. But the Redblacks — in the playoffs for the first time since 2018 — can clinch home field for the semifinal by winning their final two regular-season games with the Argos and Hamilton next Friday.
Carey, who turns 32 on Oct. 30, has enjoyed a stellar first season with Toronto. He has his second 1,000-yard campaign in three seasons and has appeared in every game after being limited to just nine in ’23 with Calgary.
“This game is much more important to me,” Carey said. “I’m much more excited about the opportunity to clinch this home (playoff) game on our home field.
“That would be a nice reward (given) the season we’ve had. To get a home game and play on our turf — you know how loud it can get here and how crazy it can be — I’m excited about that.”
Toronto is coming off wins over Montreal (37-31 on Sept. 28) and Winnipeg (14-11 last week), the East and West Division leaders, respectively. The Argos ran for 234 yards against the Alouettes, then recorded seven sacks in halting the Bombers’ eight-game win streak.
Still, it’s been a roller-coaster campaign for the Argos, who opened ’24 minus quarterback Chad Kelly. The CFL’s 2023 outstanding player missed the pre-season and Toronto’s first nine regular-season contests after being suspended by the league for violating its gender-based violence policy.
Sophomore Cameron Dukes (4-4) and veteran Nick Arbuckle (1-0) led Toronto to a 5-4 record before Kelly’s reinstatement in August. Dukes completed 138-of-192 passes (71.9 per cent) for 1,404 yards with seven touchdowns and six interceptions while rushing for 299 yards and four TDs.
Since returning, Kelly has hit on 154-of-232 passes (66.4 per cent) for 2,120 yards with seven TDs and eight interceptions. He has also run for 189 yards and four TDs.
Toronto is 4-3 with Kelly and has won three-of-four games overall. Kelly has also thrown for 300 or more yards three times, something neither Dukes nor Arbuckle did.
The five-foot-nine, 206-pound Carey has become big part of a Toronto offence that’s averaging a league-best 124.4 yards rushing per game. Head coach Ryan Dinwiddie said establishing the run will be key against Ottawa, which is tied for second overall in sacks with 37, seven behind the league-leading Argos.
“They get after the passer so we’ve got to run the ball downhill, we’ve got to control the line of scrimmage,” Dinwiddie said of the Redblacks. “If we get the run game going that’s going to slow their pass rush a little bit.”
Ottawa’s Michael Wakefield is tied with Toronto’s Jake Ceresa for most sacks (eight). Lorenzo Mauldin IV, the CFL’s top defensive player in 2022, and Argo Ralph Holley are in a group just one off the pace.
Quarterback Dru Brown (ankle) starts for Ottawa after veteran Jeremiah Masoli and Dustin Crum both played in Monday’s 19-12 loss to Montreal. Receivers Justin Hardy (ankle) and Bralon Addison (hand) and linebacker Jovan Santos-Knox (knee) all return from injury.
Hardy leads the CFL in receptions (90) and is second in yards (1,241). He’s 231 yards shy of Gerald Alphin’s team record (1,471 yards, set in 1989).
An Ottawa player hasn’t led the CFL in receiving yards since Hall of Famer Tony Gabriel in 1977.
Ottawa won the first meeting 41-27 at TD Place on Sept. 7. Brown was 30-of-40 passing for 349 yards and a TD while Dominique Rhymes had 10 catches for 138 yards.
Kelly completed 36-of-56 passes for 463 yards but had four interceptions with three TDs, two going to Damonte Coxie.
A victory Friday night could give Ottawa its first season sweep of Toronto since ’85 when the franchise was the Rough Riders.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 18, 2024.
