Calgary Daily Digest — Jan 26, 2026

Hat-trick night in Edmonton! Mattias Ekholm scored three goals as the Edmonton Oilers beat the Anaheim Ducks 7-4 on Monday, Jan. 26, 2026; Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman each had a goal and an assist, Leon Draisaitl added four helpers, and Tristan Jarry stopped 36 of 40 shots. The Ducks’ Mikael Granlund scored three power-play goals but Anaheim’s seven-game win streak ended; the Oilers host San Jose on Thursday and the Ducks visit Vancouver.

Courtroom drama in a Chinatown double-homicide trial. On Monday the accused, Justin Bone, abruptly fired his defence lawyer during the trial over the May 18, 2022 killings of Ban Phuc Hoang and Hung Trang, forcing a three-hour adjournment; Bone has dismissed lawyers multiple times since 2022 and refused to return to court (the trial resumes Tuesday). Justice Paul Belzil said the disruption shouldn’t affect the trial’s fairness, while victim family members described the process as heartbreaking.

Family pleads for equal access to a Parkinson’s device. Garry Henderson, 66 (diagnosed 2016), suffers frequent, painful dystonia and his wife Cynthia wants the Vyalev levodopa infusion (foslevodopa/foscarbidopa) — approved in Alberta in 2024 — rolled out beyond Calgary to Edmonton’s Kaye Clinic, which is delayed. Experts say 5–10% of Parkinson’s patients might benefit, Calgary’s program launched in 2024, and advocates note staffing costs of a few hundred thousand dollars annually but potential savings from fewer hospital visits.

Canadiens captain opens the door to queer players. Nick Suzuki told Quebec TV on Sunday the Montreal Canadiens are "prepared to welcome anyone that would come out," speaking alongside teammates Juraj Slafkovsky, Alexandre Texier and Oliver Kapanen ahead of the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics. The comments follow attention from the TV series Heated Rivalry; NHL leaders including Gary Bettman have voiced support for greater inclusion.

Violent carjacking sparks cross-region RCMP chase. Shortly after midnight on Jan. 22 on Highway 36 near Two Hills, a sleeping driver was allegedly forced from his car after a shotgun blast; police tracked the stolen vehicle nearly 180 km to Cold Lake where 20-year-olds John Sauve and Linda-Joyce Wood (both of Saddle Lake First Nation) were arrested. Sauve faces 13 charges, Wood nine, a modified shotgun was seized, and both remain in custody.

Long lines to sign a petition calling for Alberta’s separation. Hundreds queued at Calgary’s Stampede grounds as Stay Free Alberta gathers names; they must collect about 178,000 signatures by May to force a referendum, and a recent Ipsos poll shows 29% of Albertans support separation in principle. NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi urged MLAs to pledge for Canada, while Premier Danielle Smith uses the phrase "strong and sovereign Alberta within a united Canada," and political debate continues over costs and clarity.

Mass-casualty response after children fall ill at a Canmore hotel pool. On Sunday roughly 30 children at Canmore Inn and Suites showed symptoms like vomiting and coughing after a swim during a youth hockey weekend; emergency crews declared a mass casualty incident, sent 10 children to Canmore Hospital and one to Alberta Children’s Hospital in Calgary. Firefighters found elevated chlorine in the mechanical room, which was sealed and ventilated, and the hotel and RCMP are investigating next steps.

Local bobsledder wins an international honour. Calgary-born Metis brake woman Eden Wilson is being inducted into the North American Indigenous Athletics Hall of Fame after about six years on Canada’s Bobsleigh Team; she also works full time at KidSport to boost representation in sport. Wilson says the honour is about visibility and giving other Indigenous kids someone to look up to.

Federal research centre in Lacombe to close after more than a century. Agriculture and Agri‑Food Canada announced the wind-down of the Lacombe Research and Development Centre (operating since 1907) as part of cuts announced Jan. 22; the site employs more than 100 people and closure could take up to 12 months. Local leaders warned the loss will hurt long-term crop and livestock research, while AAFC says about 665 positions will be reduced department-wide and notices to 1,043 affected employees were issued.