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Safety concerns are slowing recovery efforts for the damaged sightseeing bus that rolled off a glacier road in Jasper National Park on Saturday, killing three people and sending the other 24 passengers to hospitals across Alberta, the RCMP say.
It’s unclear what caused the accident, which sparked a massive rescue mission involving 28 ground ambulances, fixed-wing ambulances and helicopters from more than a dozen communities in Alberta. Fourteen passengers were in critical condition, primarily with head or pelvis injuries; five passengers were in serious condition and the remaining five were in stable condition.
The coach, which doesn’t have seatbelts, was at its maximum capacity under COVID-19 regulations. The vehicles date back to the early 1980s but are frequently retrofitted, said Dave McKenna, the president of the Banff-Jasper business for Pursuit, which operates the tours at the Columbia Icefield. This is the first serious incident involving one of the company’s vehicles.
RCMP work on the scene of a sightseeing bus rollover at the Columbia Icefields near Jasper, Alta., Sunday, July 19, 2020. Three people were killed and more than a dozen others were critically injured when a glacier sightseeing bus rolled at one of the most popular attractions in the Rocky Mountains, the Columbia Icefield.Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press
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Federal regulators were warned national alerting system could fail years before Nova Scotia mass shooting
Federal regulators knew that there were problems with Canada’s national public alert system long before it ultimately failed during the Nova Scotia mass shooting in April. A 2017 “fact-finding” report commissioned by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission found that the system is a potentially dangerous patchwork that lacks government leadership.
In the wake of the mass shooting, provincial officials and local RCMP officers were trying to send out a message through the system, but issues around communications protocols meant that such an alert was never sent. Instead, the RCMP put out warnings only through Twitter, which is not widely used in rural regions.
The mishandling of the shooting has led to widespread criticisms, and Nova Scotia Justice Minister Mark Furey announced that he would launch an inquiry into how police handled the emergency.
Worrying increase in COVID-19 infections among young Canadians, scientists warn: A majority of Canadian provinces are reporting increasing COVID-19 cases among the 20-29 age group, causing concern that an uptick could lead to a severe outbreak. The summer months, combined with few employment opportunities, may be contributing to the rise among young people.
Experts are also worried about an uptick among the under-20 age group, despite school being out of session. While children may not show symptoms, scientists say that once cases rise among youth, there’s no doubt that it will spread to older generations.
Read more on COVID-19:
- Global coronavirus death toll surpasses 600,000 as Hong Kong warns of resurgence
- Alberta COVID-19 cases surge, leading other provinces
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ALSO ON OUR RADAR
Gunman posing as delivery driver kills son of U.S. judge presiding over Jeffrey Epstein lawsuit, husband shot: A gunman shot and killed the 20-year-old son of District Judge Esther Salas who is presiding over a lawsuit brought by Deutsche Bank investors over Jeffrey Epstein.
Floods in India, Nepal displace nearly four million people: The northeastern state of Assam in India is facing twin challenges of combating floods and COVID-19. Heavy flooding from monsoon rains has displaced millions in the state, as well as in neighbouring Nepal. Dozens are missing and there have been at least 189 deaths, government officials said.
Trump refuses to publicly commit to accepting U.S. election results if he loses: In a Fox News interview, U.S. President Donald Trump said it was too early to say if he would accept the results of November’s presidential election, echoing what he said in 2016. Mr. Trump also said that polls showing him lagging behind Democrat Joe Biden were fake.
Individuals charged with vandalizing statues: Three individuals charged with vandalizing statues in downtown Toronto were no longer in custody early yesterday morning, after an hours-long rally for their release that the Toronto Police Chief later characterized as a distraction from more important issues of anti-Black racism. Now several MPPs, lawyers and members of the Black Lives Matter movement are calling for the charges against the protesters to be dropped.
Montrealers demand action against sexual violence: Hundreds of people protested in a Montreal park yesterday calling for action against sexual violence. A wave of online testimonials this month about both well-known figures and private citizens has sparked a provincewide conversation on abuse, harassment and assault.
Read more:
MORNING MARKETS
Euro, euro zone bond markets hold out hope for recovery fund: The euro and euro zone bond markets held out hope European Union leaders would strike a deal on a recovery fund for the bloc’s pandemic-ravaged economy on Monday, but the region’s stock markets turned cautious as talks paused. Around 6 a.m.ET, Britain’s FTSE 100 slid 0.27 per cent. Germany’s DAX added 0.62 per cent. France’s CAC 40 gained 0.23 per cent. In Asia, the Shanghai Composite Index jumped 3.11 per cent. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng slid 0.12 per cent. New York futures were mixed. The Canadian dollar was trading 73.69 US cents.
Looking for investing ideas? Check out The Globe’s weekly digest of the latest insights and analysis from the pros, stock tips, portfolio strategies and what investors need to know for the week ahead. This week’s edition includes bargain value stocks, tech ETFs and a tasty growth play.
WHAT EVERYONE’S TALKING ABOUT
A case in Alberta raises the question: Why are bad police so rarely fired?
The Editorial Board: “In most other jobs, a severe and deliberate abuse of your employer’s trust would result in dismissal. Yet Police Acts across Canada lean to protecting police. Rehabilitation is favoured over getting rid of bad apples.”
We must act now to prevent the loss of an entire generation in long-term care
Doris Grinspun: “As we prepare for the second wave, we must change course. We must start with nursing homes as these house the Ontarians who have suffered the most. We must then focus on primary care and home care. We need these sectors to be ready to care for people in their communities, especially vulnerable populations.”
In Canadian law, ‘terrorism’ seems to be the hardest word – and it’s going to get harder
Leah West: “Reducing the threat, whatever we label it, will ultimately demand engagement with the broader population: challenging the fears and narratives at the root of these conspiracy theories, and providing education on how to identify a person who might be radicalizing toward violence.”
TODAY’S EDITORIAL CARTOON
Brian GableBrian Gable/The Globe and Mail
LIVING BETTER
Four vegetables you should be eating this summer
The short time from field to table allows locally grown produce to retain vitamin C and B, nutrients susceptible to breakdown. Plus, buying local produce supports economic growth in your province.
MOMENT IN TIME: Archive Jazz 3
Reflected in the polished lid of his piano, jazz musician Oscar Peterson plays a number for Night on The Town, an hour-long musical tour of Toronto night spots to be telecast on CTV, c. March 1964. Originally Published April 3, 1964Herb Nott & Co. Ltd.
For more than 100 years, photographers and photo librarians have preserved an extraordinary collection of 20th-century news photography for The Globe and Mail. Every Monday, The Globe features one of these images. This month, we’re celebrating jazz.
The Canadian jazz giant Oscar Peterson had good reason to be satisfied in 1964. The year saw the release of his best-known work, Canadiana Suite, a “musical portrait of the Canada I love,” he said, with eight patriotic pieces each inspired by a different region of the country. The Grammy-nominated album begins with Ballad to the East, journeying westward with melodious stops on a conceptual railway journey at Laurentide Waltz, Place St. Henri, Hogtown Blues, Blues of the Prairies, Wheatland, March Past and Land of the Misty Giants. Such a cross-country journey by rail would take five days. With trio-mates Ray Brown (on double bass) and Ed Thigpen (drums), Mr. Peterson made it in 35 minutes – first-class, naturally. Brad Wheeler
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