In today’s news: Orderly evacuation for Jasper Park and city

Here’s a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press to bring you up to date…

Orderly evacuation for Jasper Park and city

Several fires in Jasper National Park erupted with a vengeance late Monday night, forcing all park visitors, along with the 4,700 residents of the town of Jasper, to flee west without warning over mountain roads through darkness, soot and ash.

Photos and videos shared on social media flash a bumper-to-bumper cavalcade of cars and trucks, headlights on, red tail lights on, cars stopping, stopping, starting, crawling through swirls of acrid smoke.

The town of Jasper — and the park’s main east-west thoroughfare Highway 16 — were caught in a fiery pincer. Fires threatening from the northeast cut freeway access from the east to Edmonton.

Another fire breaking out from the south forced the closure of the north-south Icefields Parkway. That left one route open – west to BC

Park and city officials scrambled to clear traffic jams, find fuel for vehicles, help vulnerable people to safety while pooling resources to fight the fires.

Here’s what we’re watching…

Storms on the way as BC wildfires intensify

The BC Wildfire Service says a significant change in weather could intensify fire activity as Environment Canada warns of severe thunderstorms in several parts of the province after weeks of hot, dry conditions.

The service says there were thousands of lightning strikes over the weekend in the northern province, and more lightning is on the way in several regions, with strong storms that could bring gusty winds, nickel-sized hail and heavy rain.

The service says hot, dry conditions persist across the province’s south, with more than 350 fires burning in BC, four of which are classified as “notable wildfires.”

Environment Canada says heat warnings remain in effect for a number of communities where daytime temperatures have topped 30 degrees, although temperatures are expected to drop in the coming days.

BC’s Ministry of Transportation says non-essential travel to the Interior is also discouraged as wildfire activity has increased, warning of possible highway closures and delays.

LCBO stores to reopen in Ontario

Hundreds of Ontario liquor stores will reopen today following a strike that closed their doors in early July.

About 10,000 employees of the Liquor Control Board of Ontario returned Monday to prepare for the opening of nearly 700 stores after walking off the job on July 5.

In addition to the reopened retail stores, the LCBO says there will no longer be limits on online orders, but any online order can take up to three weeks for delivery.

Smaller bars and restaurants began to see alcohol stocks dwindle as the strike dragged on for two weeks.

The Ontario Public Service Employees union, which represents LCBO workers, said the labor dispute is largely about Premier Doug Ford’s plan to allow convenience and grocery stores to sell ready-to-drink cocktails, saying expanded sales of the drinks would -would threaten jobs.

What will make Toronto flood-proof?

Toronto councilors, who presided last week over a city with flooded transit stations, roads and basements, are set to discuss how to make the metropolis more resilient to climate-induced flooding.

Mayor Olivia Chow’s motion, set to be tabled at Wednesday’s city council meeting, is expected to spark discussion about flood mitigation efforts. The motion, which acknowledges how climate change has made storms causing flooding more intense and more frequent, asks city staff to look at which broken programs could be revived, which are already working and what can still be done.

Experts say Toronto and most other large Canadian cities face a tough task.

Across Canada, a once-every-50-year rainstorm could occur every 10 years by the end of the century if planet-warming fossil fuels continue to be burned at high levels, according to a 2019 federal assessment.

In Toronto, extreme storms could bring 30 percent more precipitation by 2080, a recent city report indicated.

Accused to testify in the Coutts conspiracy trial

The trial of two men accused of conspiring to kill Mounties at the Coutts border checkpoint in Alberta is expected to hear more testimony today from one of the accused.

Chris Carbert told the court he brought weapons and armor for the blockade, but says there was no plan for violence unless he had to run into the mountains and fend off someone trying to give him the COVID-19 vaccine.

Carbert and Anthony Olienick are being tried together before a jury at the Court of King’s Bench in Lethbridge.

The two were charged after police made arrests and seized weapons at the blockade in early 2022.

The protest against the COVID-19 rules and vaccination mandates blocked traffic for two weeks at the Alberta-US border crossing at Coutts.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on July 23, 2024.

The Canadian Press