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Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed on what you need to know today…
Tourism operators face heavy debt, even as business roars back
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Out-of-control wildfire near Jasper, Alta., grows to 8,000 hectares: Parks Canada
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A wildfire burning in Jasper National Park’s Chetamon Mountain is now estimated to cover an area of between 5,000 and 7,000 hectares, Parks Canada said Monday.
An earlier estimate Monday pegged the fire at about 8,000 hectares.
A lightning strike on Sept. 1 started the fire, which grew from 400 hectares Saturday to 1,500 hectares Sunday.
Warm, dry and windy weather Sunday pushed the fire eastward, but the region had overnight rain, the agency said,
Katie Ellsworth, a fire management officer with Parks Canada, said Monday the fire posed no threat to the town of Jasper, about 360 kilometres west of Edmonton.
The fire was about 15 kilometres north of the town, Ellsworth said.
“We’ve been really challenged by the rugged and complex terrain,” Ellsworth said of the Chetamon area.
“The significant smoke conditions are making it challenging for bucket operations and it’s making it challenging to access some of those larger water resources like water tankers from our partners in Alberta,” she said.
Power in Jasper went out again early Monday morning, after a brief outage was restored Sunday evening, wildfire officials said.
As of Sunday, eight helicopters were flying over the fire to drop water on the flames; 77 Parks Canada firefighters and personnel, as well as other pilots and contractors, were working to prevent the fire from spreading to high-risk areas, the agency said.
A heatwave that settled over much of Alberta the past week has not helped with fire conditions. Several areas in Alberta set new daily maximum temperature records on Sunday including Calgary and Edmonton but cooler temperatures are setting in around Jasper. Rain is expected today and later this week.
The agency’s top priority is protecting critical infrastructure and adding more helicopters to the suppression efforts, officials said. That includes protecting culturally significant sites, such as the Moberly Homestead, which is part of Métis history.
The fire spread to the Atco, TransMountain and Canadian National Railway lines, officials said.
Parks Canada closed Snaring and Celestine Lake Roads and the surrounding areas, including nearby campgrounds, to ensure public safety during fire operations.
The agency also restricted aircraft take off and landing at the Jasper air strip, citing public safety.
Fire spreads to Jasper, Alta., power supply
Before Jasper lost power Sunday evening, Alberta Emergency Alert had advised residents to prepare for a possible power outage, including filling up their vehicle’s fuel tank, as gas stations rely on electricity.
Jasper Mayor Richard Ireland, who held a joint press conference Sunday with fire officials, urged residents and people visiting the area to adhere to restrictions and other advisories and closures.
Ireland also told residents to make sure their cellphone batteries are charged.
“Our message, still, is one of preparation,” Ireland said.
“The message to residents and visitors is – that in the face of uncertainty, be prepared. I don’t know how long extensive might be, and we don’t know yet, all of the capacity issues so there is just such uncertainty in this unfolding situation.”
No evacuation order has been issued.
The municipality had been working with Atco and Parks Canada in the event of a power outage.
Amanda Mattern, regional manager for Atco Electric, said Monday the utility switched to emergency generation to critical sites like the hospital, fire hall and the municipality’s emergency crisis centre. Atco will look to extend power to homes and businesses in the coming days.
It is sad to see the forest burn 🔥 in Jasper National Park. They are trying their darnedest to put it out. <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/jasper?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#jasper</a> <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/fires?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#fires</a> <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/wildfires?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#wildfires</a> <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/canada?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#canada</a> <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/alberta?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#alberta</a> <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/sad?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#sad</a> <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/devastating?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#devastating</a> #🔥🔥🔥 <a href=”https://t.co/2fDPetsOSt”>pic.twitter.com/2fDPetsOSt</a>
—@YEGHugo
Ireland did not anticipate the need for an evacuation as of Sunday afternoon. But new visitors may eventually be restricted from coming into Jasper, and resources may need to be directed to helping people currently visiting exit the community, he said.
Hugo Sanchez, an Edmonton resident visiting the area, said it looked like the entire mountain was in flames.
“It’s devastating to see all the fire,” Sanchez told CBC News. “[Crews] are trying to put it out. They can’t — but you see they’re trying their best.”
Air quality statement issued
Environment Canada issued a special air quality statement for the Jasper National Park area Monday morning, because wildfire smoke continues to cause poor air quality and reduced visibility.
People may experience increased coughing, throat irritation, headaches or shortness of breath, the statement says, adding that children, seniors and those with heart or lung disease are particularly at-risk.
Environment Canada advises people in the area to consider taking precautions to reduce their exposure to wildfire smoke.
Most of Alberta, including the Jasper National Park area, is under fire advisories, restrictions or bans.
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Published Apr 23, 2024 • 3 minute read
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Canadian tourism operators says the tourism sector hasn’t returned to what it was pre-COVID.
Many businesses report carrying a heavy debt load, with Vancouver-based ecotourism company Maple Leaf Adventures saying it’s carrying it’s heaviest debt load in 38 years.
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Co-owner Maureen Gordon says while she and her competitors are recovering, higher interest rates are putting a damper on the post-COVID rebound.
Tourism Industry Association of Canada C-E-O Beth Potter says while the sector brought in 109-billion dollars in revenue last year, the federal government must help out by bringing in a new low interest loan program.
Tourism Minister Soraya Martinez Ferrada has said tourism operators have been affected by the warmest winter on record, but will be helped by the federal carbon rebate.
Here’s what else we’re watching …
Trudeau to make announcement in Saskatoon today
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will be in Saskatoon today, where he will make an announcement highlighting measures focused on youth, education, and health that were contained in last week’s budget.
Joining Trudeau at the announcement in Saskatchewan’s largest city are minister for northern affairs Dan Vandal and Women and Gender Equality and Youth Minister Marci Ien.
Trudeau has faced conflict with the Saskatchewan Party government, whose leader, Premier Scott Moe, has been a vocal and long-standing opponent of the federal carbon levy.
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Moe is one of several premiers who have asked Trudeau to host a meeting to discuss alternatives to the consumer carbon price.
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‘Perfect storm’: Quebec farmer protests continue
Quebec farmers are continuing a series of protests that have brought slow rolling tractors to communities across the province’s agricultural regions.
The president of Quebec’s farmers union Martin Caron says producers are struggling with higher interest rates, growing paperwork and fees on plastic products, like containers of seeds, fertilizer and pesticides.
His organization is asking the current Coalition Avenir Quebec government to ensure farmers can get loans with interest rates of three per cent.
A spokesperson for Quebec’s agriculture minister says farmers can get emergency financial aid through a new program and that the government is consulting with the farmers union about reducing paperwork.
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Study shows caribou growth at wolves’ expense
New research suggests western Canada’s caribou population is growing.
But the same study also shows the biggest reason for the rebound is the slaughter of hundreds of wolves, a policy which will likely need to continue.
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Thirty-four researchers compared notes on herds in Alberta and British Columbia based on a study in Ecological Applications and found between 1991 and 2023, the caribou population dropped by half.
However, over the last few years the numbers have begun to slowly rise, as it’s estimated there are now more than 1500 caribou than there were had not restoration effort been made.
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Second World War hangar in Edmonton burns in fire
An aircraft hangar built during the Second World War at Edmonton’s former municipal airport has been destroyed by fire.
A spokesman for the City of Edmonton says in an email firefighters were called to Hangar 11 just before 7 p.m. Monday.
The city’s email says 11 fire crews were dispatched to the scene to deal with the heavy smoke and flames and the wooden building later collapsed.
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How a Newfoundland town shaped creepy ‘King Tide’
A new movie shot in Newfoundland showcases a community heavily reliant on a magical child.
“The King Tide” is about an isolated villagers having their lives forever changed after a mysterious infant washes up on their shores, the sole survivor of a devastating boat wreck.
They name the baby Isla, raise and learn she has healing powers promising immunity from injury and illness.
As the years pass, they become reliant on Isla’s abilities, but when her powers start to fade, a panic sets in as the community begins to fracture.
The movie was shot by Newfoundlander Christian Sparkes in Keels, Newfoundland, a former bustling fishing community which he says he’s been looking to film in for years, but couldn’t until recently due to the cost.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 23, 2024.
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We're still stockpiling reusable bags. Big grocers have adopted solutions, but experts have concerns – CBC News
Canada’s plastic bag ban has had an unintended consequence: a proliferation of reusable bags piling up in basements, closets and, eventually, landfills.
“They’re everywhere,” said environmental researcher Tony Walker. “We’re drowning in them, and we shouldn’t be.”
To combat the problem, several of Canada’s big grocers have introduced solutions. Last week, Walmart launched a free national recycling pilot program for the retailer’s reusable blue bags. Competitors Sobeys and chains owned by Loblaw Companies Ltd. use recyclable paper bags for grocery delivery.
But some environmental experts argue that paper bags are also problematic and that the best solutions are those that help customers actually reuse their reusable bags.
“We just can’t keep giving [them] out,” said Walker, a professor at Dalhousie University’s School for Resource and Environmental Studies in Halifax. “We’re only meant to have a few of them, and we’re meant to use them until they fall apart.”
In late 2022, the federal government rolled out a ban on the manufacture, import and sale of several single-use plastics, including checkout bags. The regulations are being contested in court, but in the meantime, they remain in effect.
The regulations have made single-use shopping bags scarce in Canada, but they’ve also led to the proliferation of reusable bags, especially for grocery delivery.
“It just creates more waste, which is what we’re trying to avoid in the first place,” Walmart customer Udi Sela said in a CBC News interview in late 2022.
At the time, Sela, who lives in Maple, Ont., estimated his family had acquired about 300 reusable Walmart bags via grocery delivery.
“We can’t return them, we can’t do much with them.”
Now, a little more than a year later, Walmart has launched a pilot project to address the problem.
It allows customers to pack up their unwanted reusable Walmart blue bags and ship them — at no charge — to a facility where they’ll get a second life.
How it works
According to Walmart, bags in good condition will be laundered and donated to charity, primarily Food Banks Canada. Damaged bags will get recycled into other materials. Reusable bags typically can’t go in blue bins because they’re costly and difficult to recycle.
Customers must sign up for Walmart’s program, and enrolment is limited.
Jennifer Barbazza, Walmart’s senior manager of sustainability, said the retailer will fine-tune the details as the program progresses.
“[We] know that some customers have more reusable bags than maybe they need,” she said. “One of the things that we’re really excited to learn about from the pilot is customer acceptance and customer feedback.”
WATCH | Is your home overrun with reusable bags? Join the club:
Reusable bags are living rent free in closets and car trunks across the country. Most major retailers made the switch away from single-use plastic bags about a year ago, but it’s taking time for some customers to catch on. They’re forgetting to bring their bags with them, and buying more every week.
Udi Sela has already signed up.
“I definitely think it’s a step in the right direction,” he said in an interview on Friday. “It’s something that needed to be done a while ago. God knows we’ve got a ton of bags kind of piled up.”
He said he’s concerned that some customers may find mailing the bags a hurdle. However, it’s not deterring Sela, who soon plans to ship hundreds.
Passing the buck?
Not everyone is keen on Walmart’s project. Emily Alfred, a waste campaigner with Toronto Environmental Alliance, said donating the bags to the food bank is just passing on the problem.
“We need to remove waste from the system entirely, and just sending these somewhere else for someone else to deal with is not really a solution,” she said.
Alfred said a better option is a program Walmart piloted in Guelph, Ont., in 2022. For a fee, customers could check out reusable bags from an in-store kiosk and later return them to be cleaned and reused.
“That’s a real circular reuse system,” she said.
Walmart’s Barbazza said the retailer is continuing to explore different reusable bag programs, including ones placed in stores.
She also said she’s confident Canada’s food banks will make good use of the bags.
“There’s definitely a need for sturdy items to distribute materials to the food bank clients.”
The paper problem
Among Canada’s major grocers, only Walmart offers a reusable bag program for all customers.
Loblaw recently switched from reusable to recyclable paper bags for grocery delivery. Sobeys did not respond to requests for comment, but according to its website, the grocer also uses paper bags and “reusable options” for home delivery.
Several environmental experts say paper bags aren’t a good solution, because their production leaves a sizable carbon footprint.
“Paper bags are a problem,” Alfred said. “It takes a lot of energy to recycle paper, takes a lot of trees and energy to make new paper.”
Loblaw said it continues to explore a variety of more sustainable solutions. “It’s a challenge we’re committed to addressing,” spokesperson Dave Bauer said in an email.
Both Walker and Alfred applaud Metro for its grocery delivery program, because the grocer, which operates in Ontario and Quebec, reuses delivery materials.
Metro said customers can get their goods delivered in a cardboard box or reusable bags, which can be returned and used for another delivery. Or customers can opt for a plastic bin and remove their groceries from it upon arrival.
Metro does not offer similar programs for in-store shoppers.
Alfred said the federal government should introduce regulations that mandate retailers adopt effective reusable bag programs for all customers.
“It’s up to our governments and people to demand that these companies do better,” she said.
But Walker suggested that the regulations would be hard to enforce and that incentives could be a better tactic.
For example, if retailers increased the price of reusable bags, shoppers might be less likely to forget them when they head to the store, he said.
“When the cost is a disincentive to do an activity, people change their behaviour.”
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