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'Catastrophic' brake failure led to icefield rollover in Alberta that killed 3 people
Brake failure lead to icefield rollover: report
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh
A fatality inquiry report into a deadly tour bus rollover in Jasper National Park says it was the result of a "catastrophic" brake failure and neglected repairs.
The Ice Explorer bus lost control on a road leading to the Athabasca Glacier at the Columbia Icefield in July 2020, tumbling about 50 metres down an embankment before coming to rest on its roof.
Three people died and 14 others were seriously injured.
"In short the brakes suffered a catastrophic failure because they were worn, improperly inspected and concerns with respect to the brakes functioning were not attended to," Justice Vaughn Myers wrote in his 13-page report.
The inquiry held a year ago, heard the driver of the bus complained the vehicle, which had air brakes, was not stopping quickly enough.
The report from the Alberta Court of Justice judge said the bus was in neutral when it stopped at the top of the hill and then reached speeds of nearly 50 kilometres an hour when it raced down. The top speed for the Ice Explorer in 4th gear is limited to 14 kilometres an hour.
"There are two primary contributing factors. The first is the driver, for reasons unknown, negotiating the lateral moraine in neutral and without the six-wheel drive engaged," he wrote.
"Unable to use engine power to slow the bus, the driver would have to rely on conventional braking. We know that the driver attempted to brake as a result of the sounds of the airbrakes. We can safely assume she applied the brakes because she said she did and it would be the natural human reaction to do so."
Myers also noted that there is no requirement on the bus to have seatbelts and those who died were thrown out of the vehicles as it rolled down the embankment.
A fatality inquiry cannot assign blame but makes recommendations to prevent similar deaths.
Dionne Durocher, 24, of North Battleford, Sask., as well as Kamleshbai Patel, 58, and Griva Patel, 28, of Edmonton, died in the crash.
Myers made a number of recommendations, including that future inspection reports should be dated, as well as identify and detail what work was done during the inspections.
His report listed other contributing factors in the deaths due to the lack of seatbelts and the slope of the hill, which at 40 per cent is above the maximum grade specifications of 36 per cent set out by the manufacturer.
Brewster, also known as Pursuit, conducted its own internal investigation of the crash. The company added seatbelts to its buses and made changes to training for its drivers.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 13, 2026.
By Bill Graveland | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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Alberta courts Mexico’s wealthy travellers as northbound tourism surges
Mexican visitors spent about $51 million in Alberta in 2025, up from 6,000 travellers.
Canadians love their getaways to Mexico, but here’s an obvious truth to ponder over a margarita or a shot of Alberta whisky: flights breeze over the U.S. in both directions.
Increasingly, direct flights north carry well-off Mexicans destined to drop their dollars on uniquely Alberta experiences, the province’s tourism minister said.
Speaking to The Macleod Gazette last week in a phone interview from Mexico City, Andrew Boitchenko said: “People in Alberta think Mexico is only for one thing — for us to go and enjoy beaches and oceans. But we never think of traffic and travellers coming from Mexico to Alberta.”
It’s time to change that mindset and build on existing northbound momentum, Boitchenko emphasized.
Mexican visitors spent about $51 million in Alberta in 2025, as the passenger volume from the country increased to about 8,000 from 6,000 the year before, the province calculated.
Numbers are set to keep growing in Canada overall, with Mexican visitation projected to be 40 per cent higher than 2025 levels by 2030 and spending to increase 60 per cent.
The province aims to reach $25 billion in tourism value by 2035, after a record visitor spend of $15.2 billion last year. And Boitchenko thinks Mexico will blaze a significant stretch of that trail.
His mission to Mexico Oct. 5-9 focused on strengthening relationships with tourism and government representatives there, while also promoting direct air access and Alberta’s unique tourism experience.
The junket was also designed to encourage future investment in tourism development.
Joined by representatives from Travel Alberta, Boitchenko met with airline, travel, media and government representatives to promote Alberta as a top-tier, year-round destination.
His meetings were set to include Canada’s ambassador to Mexico, the Mexican secretary of tourism, and the Alberta’s government office there for trade and investment.
Also on the agenda were dinner with a major tourism-focused marketing agency, along with two Alberta-focused promotional events.
Mexico is a worthy place for promoting Alberta tourism, Boitchenko said. When his department targets tourism-building opportunities, it looks for sources of high-earning and high-spending travellers.
More than 300,000 people in Mexico have a net worth greater than $1 million. “That’s a lot of wealthy people.”
But why Canada and why Alberta? For one, getting a visa is simple, especially if Mexicans already have a valid U.S. non-immigrant visa. For another, quick non-stop flights are commonplace.
Then there’s the beauty and variety of the province itself.
More Albertans, in fact, should take a cold hard look in the mirror — or at a map — and appreciate what they have.
“We underappreciate our cold lakes, our fall and spring seasons, and winter is beautiful. (Mexicans) don't have a winter season like we do,” Boitchenko said.
“We have beautiful mountains. We have a lot of snow, and they love coming to Alberta for that. But we also have lakes and many year-round opportunities we’ve developed through our tourism zones, Travel Alberta and our government departments,” he explained.
Alberta has year-round tourism and recreation opportunities in its famous mountain resorts. It has the badlands of Drumheller, further dinosaur opportunities near Grande Prairie and in Devil’s Coulee in southern Alberta, and dark, remote sites for viewing the Northern Lights, said Boitchenko.
“We have a lot of areas in the province where people can go and firsthand have life experiences that they don't have in their own countries, especially Mexico,” he said.
The minister, who represents Drayton Valley-Devon, called the reception received by Alberta’s delegation “overwhelming,” perhaps influenced by unease these days with the U.S. as a tourist destination.
“When people from Mexico come to Alberta, they feel that it's different than anywhere in the world,” he said, “and that it's safe, it's welcoming.”
Copyright 2026, The Macleod Gazette. All rights reserved.
George Lee, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Macleod Gazette.
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Saskatchewan politician says paid nearly $30K for private jets; NDP wants answers
Saskatchewan politician gives cost on private jets
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Heywood Yu
A Saskatchewan Party backbencher says he paid close to $30,000 out of his own pocket for two trips on a private jet and that one of those flights was for government business.
Kevin Weedmark released a letter Tuesday from Maurice Herauf, the province's conflict of interest commissioner, who provided his opinion on the airfare expenses.
Herauf wrote in the Sept. 18 letter that Weedmark's invoices indicate he paid for the flights with his own money and therefore did not violate a section of Conflict of Interest Act.
"Since you paid for the flights from your personal funds there is absolutely no financial benefit that can be attributed to your decision to fly to functions on either date," Herauf wrote.
The letter says Weedmark had asked Herauf to provide an opinion on his flights after the Opposition NDP had flagged it as a concern.
The trips took place over the course of a year.
On Aug. 21, 2025, Weedmark spent $8,271 on a private jet to fly the owners of the Moosomin Dairy Queen and two of their family members to the Jim Pattison Children's Hospital in Saskatoon for a tour. The Dairy Queen had raised $42,000 for the hospital and Weedmark was one of their volunteers. Herauf wrote the trip was private in nature.
On Aug. 27 of this year, Weedmark spent $20,106 on another jet for two government functions in the province before making a stop in Regina and then flying back to Moosomin. One of the functions was an official opening of an addictions treatment facility in Lloydminster on the Alberta boundary, and the other was to celebrate the anniversary of a seniors complex in Saskatoon.
The letter says the health minister's office had requested Weedmark attend both events, as Weedmark is also the minister's legislative secretary. Weedmark has also said it would have been difficult for him to drive to Lloydminster in time, so he chose to fly.
However, the Opposition NDP says Weedmark still needs to show the receipts to prove he didn't improperly benefit from his role as a legislature member.
Earlier Tuesday, the NDP sent a letter to Herauf asking for an opinion on whether Weedmark breached conflict of interest rules.
Meara Conway, the NDP's health critic, said she wants to know if Weedmark had paid commercial value for the flights. She said the NDP got a private jet quote for a similar aircraft. That quote came in above $20,000.
"If the flight was below commercial value, it was a prohibited gift or personal benefit under (the act)," she said. "The rules exist to make sure that decisions are being made in the public interest."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 13, 2026.
By Jeremy Simes | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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12 livres de croissance personnelle qui pourraient changer ta vie
Tu as fini l'école et tu as aucune idée quoi faire du reste de ta vie? Perso, j'ai commencé à lire des livres de croissance personnelle au début de la vingtaine. Quand j'étais jeune, j'avais une confiance en moi inébranlable et je me voyais au volant de ma BM, vivant dans un condo au Vieux-Port à 25 ans. Yeah right.
Il y avait tellement un grand écart entre la vie que j'avais en tête et mon quotidien (cet article témoigne de mon emploi du temps) que je me suis mise à faire énormément d'angoisse et à me sentir déprimée.
Ça a l'air super cliché, mais la lecture de plusieurs livres de type «psycho pop» m'a vraiment aidée. Bien entendu, lire un livre du genre ne changera pas ta vie du jour au lendemain. En fait, ta motivation va être ultra haute durant les jours suivant la fin du livre...puis l'angoisse revient. J'ai réalisé que c'est la lecture de plusieurs ouvrages sur différents sujets, étalée sur plusieurs années, qui a rebâti mon estime personnelle et ma facilité au bonheur.
PS: L'erreur à ne pas faire est d'acheter des livres sur le bonheur. Il vient tout seul quand tu fais la paix avec toi-même et que ton mode te vie te rend heureuse.
Voici donc une compilation de livres que j'ai beaucoup aimés, en français et en anglais:
I Am That Girl d'Alexis Jones
Ce livre m'a fait comprendre à quel point il faut travailler FORT pour se rendre où on veut. La pensée magique que tu vas devenir directrice de j'sais pas trop quelle entreprise avant 30 ans en étant lazy AF, ben tu dois l'effacer de ta tête immédiatement. Aussi, elle explique comment prendre du plaisir en trouvant ta passion.
L'art de la simplicité de Dominique Loreau
Si ton tiroir à maquillage est rempli de 42 produits que tu n'as pas utilisés depuis que tu sortais au Fuzzy et que tu gardes du vieux linge du Forever 21 en te disant que ça va revenir à la mode (tsé au pire tu peux le racheter à 12$ si ça revient en 2021), tu dois lire ce livre. Ça a été mon introduction au minimalisme, et maudit que je me suis sentie mieux après m'être débarrassée de trop de choses auxquelles j'étais attachée pour les mauvaises raisons.
Ces Françaises qui ne grossissent pas: Comment font-elles? de Mireille Guiliano
J'ai probablement lu 15 livres traitant de méthodes pour perdre du poids. Le hic? Tous les livres parlaient de régimes. Bien entendu, aucun n'a réellement changé ma façon de m'alimenter, jusqu'à ce que je découvre ce livre, qui traite davantage de la perception par rapport à la nourriture. As-tu déjà vu une Française ultra mince qui se privait de manger plein de cheese?
Sur le même sujet, ce livre de Dominique Loreau est également excellent (minimalisme dans l'assiette): L'art de la frugalité et de la volupté, inspiré de l'alimentation des Japonaises.
Strong Looks Better Naked de Khloé Kardashian
Moment cocasse: je suis à Vancouver dans un café et un beau jeune homme trop sociable vient me faire la jasette et me demande ce que je lis. Oui, il y a Khloé Kardashian à moitié nue sur la couverture. Mon frère a ri de moi quand j'ai recommandé ce livre à sa blonde... mais je promets que c'est inspirant. La plus jeune des Kardashian a toujours été considérée comme le vilain petit canard de la famille et a struggle toute sa jeune vingtaine avec son image personnelle (prise de poids, trop de boisson, déboires personnels, etc). Le livre parle de sa prise en main.
Le Secret de Rhonda Byrne
Oui, le livre qui a mauvaise réputation. Non, c'est pas le nom d'une secte! Perso, la loi de l'attraction a changé ma vie pour vrai. Quand je crois quelque chose avec AUCUN doute, genre il va y avoir un parking dans la prochaine rangée, ça arrive. Si le sujet t'intéresse, je te suggère de regarder ces 2 vidéos: Comment j'ai utilisé la loi de l'attraction pour perdre 70 livres et Comment arriver à la vie de tes rêves.
Je recommande aussi Le pouvoir de la même auteure, qui décrit la loi de l'attraction d'une façon plus simple. #fulllove
Le Why Café de John P. Strelecky
J'ai lu ce livre en quelques heures seulement. Si tu ne sais pas ce que tu veux dans la vie, tu dois lire ça. Une magnifique histoire qui t'aidera à trouver ta passion/mission personnelle et qui t'aidera à cesser d'accorder de l'importance aux choses (ou gens) qui grugent ton énergie.
Du même auteur: Le Safari de la vie (pour trouver tes 5 grands rêves de vie). PS: Je ne recommande pas Le Why Café 2.
Tremblez mais osez de Susan Jeffers
J'ai lu ce livre dans un moment hyper stressant de ma vie, à la croisée des chemins. Je devais prendre une grande décision concernant mon avenir professionnel et personnel, et ça m'a vraiment aidé à sauter dans le vide. Sans aucun regret! La vie de tes rêves est déjà en cours. Suffit juste de plonger dedans pour de vrai.
Who Moved My Cheese? de Spencer Johnson et Kenneth Blanchard
C'est mon chum qui l'a acheté et perso, le titre ne m'avait pas convaincue. Tu dois vraiment passer outre la couverture style années 80, ça vaut la peine! Si tu as de la misère à dealer avec le changement, ou si quelque chose qui s'en vient te fait peur, tu dois lire ceci. C'est un genre de fable super cute et vraiment efficace.
Le grand saut de Russ Harris
Ce livre m'a fait comprendre que des pensées négatives, c'est TRÈS normal. Tout le monde en a...tout le temps...même le Dalaï-Lama. L'auteur enseigne de bonnes façons de vivre avec et aide à chasser cette angoisse quotidienne.
Sur le même sujet, Le piège du bonheur m'a aussi aidé à gérer mes pensées pas lfun. Il ne faut jamais confondre pensées et émotions!
En passant, je te recommande d'écrire dans tes livres et de noter les pages les plus inspirantes. À laisser tout près de ton lit ou bien à un endroit stratégique pour que tu puisses lire un p'tit passage dès que tu te sens comme d'la marde. Parce que c'est toi la personne la plus importante de ta vie.