Canada Day in Ottawa a Washout

Parliament Hill in Ottawa was washed out from thunderstorms

Canada celebrated its 159th birthday today. This morning in Vancouver we enjoyed a pancake breakfast, where we ate pancakes topped with sliced strawberries, maple syrup and whipped cream, and a side of sausages.

It was a beautiful day in Vancouver, but in the nation's capital, Ottawa, the celebrations there were literally a washout.

Extreme weather led to severe thunderstorms that resulted in outdoor concerts, fireworks and even the last performance by the Canadian Forces Snowbirds to be cancelled.

Pancake breakfast for Canada Day

"In the interest of public safety and due to extreme weather and the condition of the site, we unfortunately have made the difficult decision to cancel the National Canada Day Evening Show," Canadian Heritage wrote.

There was so much rain in Ottawa that there was flooding in some areas and power outages. 

Even Prime Minister Mark Carney was prevented from flying to Edmonton to deliver his Canada Day speech because of the thunderstorms in Ottawa.

Earlier in the day he was flipping pancakes in his own riding in an Ottawa suburb and gave a speech encouraging Canadians to remain united.

Carney said Canadians have stood strong in the face of global challenges, "working together, resolutely, to build our future. Because in a crisis, fortune favours the bold."

Alas this crisis drowned out any fortunes for today... All we can say is, hopefully the weather will be better next year for Canada's 160th?

Canadians Sour on Bick's Pickles

Bick's pickles are specifically made for the Canadian market

It turns out the car industry isn't the only one where the product goes across the border a few times to be made.

Pickles, specifically Bick's, are made using Canadian cucumbers and metal lids, but based in the United States after it was acquired by TreeHouse Foods Inc in 2014.

After US President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on Canadian goods in March, the Canadian government retaliated with counter tariffs on certain goods, including a 25 percent tariff on "cucumbers and gherkins."

US-based Bick's buys Canadian cucumbers

Now supermarkets are running out of Bick's pickles -- which are specifically made for the Canadian market -- and aren't restocking them anytime soon, because consumers won't have the appetite to pay 25 percent more for pickled cucumbers.

A Safeway in Edmonton had this sign at the pickle shelf:

"Bick's pickles are currently unavailable as an unfortunate impact of tariffs. We are pleased to offer a selection of alternatives for your shopping convenience."

This has resulted in sales of Bick's falling 25 percent in the last three months.

It's pretty ironic, considering Bick's purchases 11 million pounds of Ontario cucumbers each year, and the metal lids are bought from an Ontario manufacturer.

How about making your own pickles with brine?

For some die-hard pickle fans, they are willing to shell out more for their favourite pickled vegetable, while others may turn to other local brands. 

Or they can use their leftover Bick's pickle brine to make their own pickles, by salting the cucumbers and boiling the brine before adding them together in the jar.

Vancouver Tops List of Fentanyl in Wastewater

Vancouver has highest level of fentanyl in wastewater

Vancouver has landed on the number one spot for something it won't be proud of -- having the highest level of fentanyl byproduct in its wastewater. Toronto and Edmonton are second and third respectively out of seven Canadian cities.

The Canadian Wastewater Survey measures the level of 10 different drugs, including norfentanyl, a byproduct of fentanyl breakdown in the body. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is used to treat chronic pain, but users can become addicted to it. Those who overdose on this drug, which is 20 to 40 times stronger than heroin, can die from it.

Seven Canadian cities' wastewater were tested

According to statistics released Friday, levels of norfentanyl in Metro Vancouver were four to five times higher than all other participating cities in 2022 and 2023. Toronto and Edmonton have the next highest levels, while Halifax has the lowest, as well as Montreal and Saskatoon.

Sadly Statistics Canada analyst Lisa Oliver is not surprised by the findings and says they are consistent with the last two years of data.

In addition, the Public Health Agency of Canada says fentanyl was implicated in more than 80 percent of accident opioid toxicity deaths in Canada in 2023.

Other substances included in Statistics Canada's analysis include cocaine, amphetamines and ecstasy, cannabis and other opioids like codeine and oxycodone.

The data was collected from seven Canadian cities: Metro Vancouver, Edmonton, Toronto, Montreal, Halifax, Prince Albert and Saskatoon.

Canada's North is Burning

Wildfires may reach Yellowknife by this weekend

At dinnertime this evening, we watched the TV as government officials in the Northwest Territories tell residents of the capital city Yellowknife that the wildfires that have been burning are fast approaching and that they need to leave the city by Friday.

"The fire now represents a real threat to the city," said Environment Minister Shane Thompson, adding the wildfire could reach the outskirts of the city by the weekend. He said it was currently 17km away.

Mayor Alty telling people to leave by car or plane

The unprecedented evacuation affects 22,000 residents, while Yellowknife Mayor Rebecca Alty, said there would be planes arranged to take people out while the only road out was open -- but warned people needed to have a full tank of gas to drive out. Most people are driving to Edmonton.

"The window of opportunity right now is going to allow us to evacuate everybody safely," Thompson said, adding, "we need you to do it now," because the fire threatens both air and road access.

Residents were also told not to leave by boat or shelter in a cabin or island on Great Slave Lake, as officials explained the air quality would not be good. In other words, everyone had to leave.

NWT Premier Caroline Cochrane called the situation unprecedented. "There's no other way to describe it," she said.

People driving out of Yellowknife to Alberta

Never in my lifetime did I ever think Canada's north would be on fire and tens of thousands of people would have to evacuate.

But after seeing the devastation in Lahaina in Maui, and the wildfires in Ontario, Quebec, Alberta and British Columbia, it seems we were warned about climate change but nothing substantial was done to mitigate it.

Will the planet spare us or will we see more death and destruction soon?