In the news today: Jasper to learn date for return to town today

Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed…

Jasper to learn date for return to town today

Details about when and how evacuated residents of Jasper will be allowed to return to their homes nearly three weeks after a wildfire forced them to flee will be announced today.

Parks Canada says Unified Incident Command will hold a virtual media briefing this morning to provide information on the phased re-entry into the town of Jasper.

On Saturday, Jasper Mayor Richard Ireland said the date when people will be permitted back into the town would come Monday.

Ireland said the dedicated work of the fire incident management team meant plans to re-enter the town safely were moving faster than expected.

About 20,000 visitors to Jasper National Park and 5,000 town residents were forced out last month due to fires, and flames destroyed one-third of the town’s buildings.

Here’s what else we’re watching…

Coutts blockade trial moves toward sentencing

Lawyers for two men convicted of mischief at the border blockade at Coutts, Alta., are scheduled to appear in court today as the case moves toward sentencing.

A jury on Aug. 2 also found Anthony Olienick and Chris Carbert guilty of possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose, and Olienick was convicted of possessing a pipe bomb.

They were acquitted of the more serious charge of conspiring to murder police officers.

RCMP found a cache of weapons, ammunition and body armour near the blockade at the Canada-U.S. border crossing in 2022.

The blockade was one of several held across the country to protest COVID-19 rules and vaccine mandates.

Retailers hope for continued anti-crime push

Manitoba’s recent efforts to curb retail theft are working, by many accounts, and some businesses are hoping for more permanent changes.

Winnipeg police warned last December of a sharp rise in retail theft — sometimes involving violence — and boosted officer presence in retail areas.

In May, the provincial government announced it would pay for police officers in Winnipeg to work overtime to target parts of the city where retail theft was most rampant.

Police released statistics last month on the program’s impact over the first several weeks. There were 203 arrests. There were 31 tickets issued for offences such as trespassing.

Last week, police announced charges against a man accused of stealing nine times from one grocery store and a single time from another outlet.

How extreme weather events pressure food prices

Extreme weather events like fires, floods, heat waves and droughts pose an increasing risk to Canada’s food supply chain, putting pressure on prices all the way to the grocery store shelf, say experts.

These kinds of events are becoming more frequent and intense in Canada and around the globe.

A 2019 federal government report said temperatures are projected to keep increasing, driven by human influence, while precipitation is also projected to increase.

Weather plays a big role in food production, and factors like too much or too little heat or moisture can affect not only the volume of food produced, but also the prevalence of pests and diseases, said Amanda Norris, senior economist at Farm Credit Canada.

Pegula, Anisimova to play all-American women’s singles final at National Bank Open

Amanda Anisimova upset fellow American and No. 8 seed Emma Navarro 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 on Sunday to make the women’s singles final at the National Bank Open.

Anisimova will face defending champion and No. 3 seed Jessica Pegula of the U.S. in Monday’s red, white and blue finale at Sobeys Stadium after she topped No. 14 Diana Shnaider of Russia 6-4, 6-3.

Ranked No. 6 overall, Pegula improved to 16-2 at the NBO, including last year’s victory that followed back-to-back semifinal appearances.

Anisimova, meanwhile, was the lowest-ranked player to make the Canadian semis since Sloane Stephens (No. 934) in 2017.

She also picked up her fourth victory against a top-20 opponent in Toronto after previously taking down No. 3 Aryna Sabalenka, No. 12 Daria Kasatakina and No. 17 Anna Kalinskaya.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published August 12, 2024.

The Canadian Press