Calgary Daily Digest — 08 Jan 2026

Evan Bouchard completes Oilers rally

• Edmonton rallied for a 4-3 road win over Winnipeg. Evan Bouchard had a goal and an assist; Connor McDavid also recorded a goal and an assist. Zach Hyman and Vasily Podkolzin scored. Final: Oilers 4, Jets 3. Edmonton record moves to 22-16-6; Winnipeg falls to 15-22-5 and is winless in 11 straight games.
• goaltending: Calvin Pickard stopped 13 of 16 shots for the win; Connor Hellebuyck made 26 saves. Attendance: 14,373 at Canada Life Centre. Bouchard’s game-winner was a power-play blue-line shot at 10:37 of the third.

Copper thieves cause major damage to St. Albert rink

• Thieves stole all copper wire from the Kingsmeade pump house (Kingswood neighbourhood), discovered Dec. 23, 2025. City estimates damage at about $100,000.
• Result: power cut to park amenities, frozen pipes in the pump house, and likely loss of rink access for the rest of the winter. RCMP investigating; city crews assessing repairs and timelines.

Alberta doctors plead for state of emergency as hospitals overwhelmed

• Hundreds of emergency and internal medicine doctors are urging the provincial government to declare a state of emergency for hospitals amid an unprecedented winter surge.
• Quote: Paul Parks (Alberta Medical Association emergency physicians’ section president-elect) warned care is not being delivered safely or timely. Physicians report near-fatal waits and systemwide overcrowding.

Report: Calgary ‘chronically underinvested’ in water system over 20 years

• Independent panel on the June 2024 Bearspaw feeder main rupture found “steady erosion” of the utility due to chronic underinvestment, governance gaps, unclear accountability and asset-management failures.
• City council questioned the panel and pledged to implement key recommendations.

Big melt forecast — temperatures to soar this weekend

• Rapid warmup expected across Alberta; Calgary forecast near +10°C Saturday (normal ~-3°C). Strongest warmup in southern areas and foothills; central Alberta milder, north modest.

Calgarians’ water use still above sustainable levels

• City reports 507 million litres consumed on Wednesday vs. sustainable target 485 million litres (+22 million litres).
• Context: following Dec. 30, 2025 Bearspaw South Feeder Main rupture (that normally supplies ~60% of city water), Calgary is relying on the smaller Glenmore plant operating at close to three times normal winter capacity. City expects repaired pipe back in service next week.