🌦️ Weather & Roads
- Alberta has recorded 23 tornadoes so far this year. The Northern Tornadoes Project reports 23 tornadoes in Alberta and 48 across the three prairie provinces as of mid-July, versus a 30-year annual average of 34 tornadoes; observed strengths this season range from EF0 to EF2, with two EF3s reported in Manitoba and Saskatchewan.
- Kananaskis is drying after the June 28 flash floods but closures remain. Alberta Parks and Friends of Kananaskis Country report many backcountry campgrounds, trails and day-use areas still closed almost two weeks after the June 28 storm; Boundary Ranch owner Rick Guinn says his ranch is back in “perfect condition” after trenches and land bridges were installed.
🏛️ Government & Politics
- Mark Carney is in Calgary to meet Treaty 6, 7 and 8 chiefs and visit the Stampede. Carney arrived from a Middle East trip and will meet Treaty 6, Treaty 7 and Treaty 8 First Nations representatives this afternoon before visiting the Calgary Stampede grounds; MPs Maninder Sidhu, Marc Miller and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre are also in Calgary for the event.
- More than 20,000 people have applied to work Alberta’s fall referendum. The province reports over 20,000 applicants for referendum roles for the upcoming autumn vote.
🎨 Community & Culture
- City rescinded a noise-ticket as Stampede music complaints rose to 186. The City of Calgary recorded 186 noise complaints as of Thursday, up from 124 at the same point last year; complaints included 124 tied to the Cowboys Music Festival and 37 to the Badlands Music Festival, and one ticket issued at Badlands was rescinded after review.
- Jake Dolegala will start for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats after Bo Levi Mitchell’s broken left ankle. Mitchell suffered a broken left ankle on July 5 and had completed 78.2 percent of passes for 1,107 yards, nine touchdowns and one interception this season; Dolegala’s CFL career record as a starter is 2–9 and he has been in Hamilton for two seasons.
📰 Also Today
- Canada lost millions of hectares of farmland, long-term land-use changes under review.
- Study explains why avoiding temptation may beat resisting it, behavioural research highlighted.
- Calgary Stampede remains a bachelorette destination, debate over party culture continues.
- A whooping crane made a rare appearance in central Alberta, conservation success noted.
- Alberta tornado count is already more than 50% higher than last year, season comparisons reported.
- ASIRT released new details about a fatal RCMP shooting near Irricana, investigation update issued.
- Judge hears killer’s claim that “violence is wired in” ahead of Calgary sentencing, court proceeding reported.
- Questions raised about Calgary Stampede affordability, ticket and cost discussions ongoing.
- Multiple Bow River rescues near Canmore prompted water-safety warning, RCMP/fire services alerted public.
- First Nations chiefs say they were blindsided by pipeline announcements, chiefs nationwide reacted.
