Calgary Daily Digest — Jan. 29, 2026

Overtime thriller — The Edmonton Oilers came back to beat the San Jose Sharks 4-3 in overtime on Jan. 29, 2026, with Zach Hyman and Evan Bouchard scoring and Leon Draisaitl adding a goal and two assists; Connor Ingram stopped 17 of 20 and Yaroslav Askarov stopped 28 of 32. This game saw San Jose jump to a 3-0 lead (Collin Graf, Adam Gaudette, Michael Misa) before Bouchard tied it with 58.1 seconds left; Macklin Celebrini recorded his 90th assist at 19 years, 230 days.

Travel warning for Indigenous people — First Nations leaders, including Alberta’s Blood Tribe Chief and Council and the Assembly of First Nations, are urging members to use caution crossing into the U.S. after reports of ICE detentions and U.S. officials not respecting Canadian status cards. The advisory (this week) recommends carrying long-form birth certificates, passports and blood-quantum letters from one’s First Nation, and some communities are advising against non-essential travel.

Small quake felt in southern Alberta — A magnitude 4.2 earthquake struck about 12:41 p.m. and was centred roughly 18 km from Great Falls, Montana, and was felt in extreme southern Alberta near the Coutts border area. No damage or injuries were reported.

Missing baby feared dead after mother’s remains found — RCMP say 23-year-old Ayla Egotik-Learn was likely killed around Dec. 5, 2025, after her remains were found in a St. Albert apartment; her nine-month-old daughter Braylee Beasley is missing and believed dead. Christopher William Beasley, 33, was arrested Jan. 27 and charged with second-degree murder and two counts of indignity to a body; his next court date is Feb. 2 in St. Albert.

Brown-bag protest as Alberta workers return to office — About 9,000 unionized provincial employees will return to full-time, in-office work starting this weekend after the government ended its hybrid policy; union members plan a “brown bag” protest with notes reading “Hybrid work tastes better.” The hybrid policy (two days remote out of five) had about 12,600 participants (44%) as of Aug. 2025, and more than 725 grievances have been filed over denied hybrid requests.

Poilievre faces mandatory leadership review — Conservative delegates gather in Calgary this weekend and will hold the party’s first mandatory leadership review in two decades after the April election loss. Pierre Poilievre’s leadership is up for a vote (the last similar review was in 2005 when Stephen Harper won 84% support); observers expect Poilievre to prevail and are watching his Friday speech.

CFL moves: Elks sign Austin Mack and more — The Edmonton Elks signed receiver Austin Mack to a two-year deal (Mack had 136 catches for 1,973 yards and six TDs in 32 games with Montreal) and extended defensive lineman Jared Brinkman two years. Other CFL notes: B.C. Lions re-signed RB James Butler (two years) and OL Dejon Allen (one year); KeeSean Johnson got two more years with Saskatchewan; Hamilton re-signed LT Quinton Barrow; Calgary re-signed LB Kyle Wilson.

Empire winds down Voilà in Alberta — Empire Co. Ltd. is closing Voilà grocery fulfilment centres in Calgary and Edmonton and pausing Vancouver expansion after e‑commerce in Alberta underperformed, taking a $750-million writedown and forecasting $95 million in annualized operating income by fiscal 2027. Voilà will continue in Ontario and Quebec, and Empire plans same-day delivery via third-party partners such as DoorDash in Western Canada.

Heated words over separatist meetings with U.S. officials — B.C. Premier David Eby called reported meetings between Alberta separatists (Alberta Prosperity Project) and U.S. officials “treason,” after reports of talks about funding and a proposed US$500 billion credit idea. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has not denounced the movement; the story has drawn criticism from Ontario’s Doug Ford, and an Ipsos poll shows about 29% of Albertans say they’d vote to separate (support drops when costs are considered).

Fatal crash being probed on Barlow Trail — Calgary police say a single-vehicle crash around 3:45 a.m. at Barlow Trail and 7 Ave NE killed the lone driver, a man in his 20s, after the 2025 Kia K4 hit the median and a signal pole. Barlow was closed between 4 Ave and 16 Ave NE during the investigation; speed is believed to be a factor and impairment is still being checked.

Corus Radiothon backs new Stollery children’s hospital — The Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation launched the No Bounds campaign to raise $1 billion for a standalone hospital; the Corus Radiothon aims to raise $1.9 million in 2026 to kick things off. Planning should finish in 2026 for a site at 122 St. and 51 Ave (U of A South Campus); building the hospital will still take an estimated five to eight years, and the current Stollery has 236 beds.

Alberta cracks down on predatory towing — New rules under the Consumer Protection Act will require tow operators to clearly communicate towing and storage costs, get consent before towing, and allow access to vehicles and belongings; violators could face fines of $100,000–$300,000 or up to two years in jail. The province also highlighted a 200-metre exclusion zone (since Aug. 2025) and said education will lead up to an April 1 implementation date for the tougher measures.