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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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7 destinations pas chères pour les Québécois selon l'expert en aubaine des Vols d'Alexi
Prends des notes, tu as un voyage à organiser! ✈️
Voyager peut être très dispendieux. Hôtels, restaurants, activités touristiques, transports, des vacances outremer peuvent certainement demander un certain budget et même parfois te faire grincer des dents devant ton portefeuille qui se vide à une vitesse fulgurante.
Pour t'aider à économiser un brin et te permettre alors de profiter au max de tes congés, l'expert en aubaines, Alexi Roy, l'homme derrière Les Vols d'Alexi, une entreprise qui te permet de recevoir des alertes de vols à bas prix, s'est entretenu avec Narcity afin de te donner ses destinations préférées qui sont souvent à petits prix pour la population québécoise.
Que ce soit en raison des nombreuses offres de vols pas chers à partir de Montréal, du coût de la vie, ou du taux de change, ces sept endroits valent assurément le détour! Prends des notes et sors ta valise et tes lunettes de soleil, car tu as un voyage à préparer!
À noter que les aubaines mentionnées pour chaque pays sélectionné par le voyageur peuvent avoir été publiées il y a plusieurs jours. Il se pourrait donc que les prix ne soient plus valides. Par contre, cela te permet d'avoir une idée des différents tarifs possibles pour ces destinations.
Le Portugal
Le Portugal est l'une des destinations préférées des touristes qui s'envolent vers l'Europe. Sur le bord de l'océan Atlantique et de la Méditerranée, ce pays envoûte par ses plages magnifiques, sa riche culture et, bien sûr, sa scène culinaire savoureuse.
« Tap Air, c'est le transporteur qui permet d'avoir les prix les plus bas vers l'Europe. Vu que la maison-mère est à Lisbonne, ça fait que cette destination est beaucoup moins chère », indique Alexi.
L'expert des bonnes aubaines a d'ailleurs trouvé des vols aller-retour, de septembre 2023 à février 2024, vers Lisbonne pour 541 $, soit 51 % de rabais par rapport au prix habituel.
Arrivé.e là-bas sache que les prix au Portugal, pour le logement, le transport, la nourriture et les activités, sont peu élevés si on les compare à d'autres pays européens. Le coût de la vie serait, selon la plateforme Numbeo, 45 % moins cher qu'au Canada.
Monnaie courante : Euro
Pour voir l'aubaine datant du 18 avril 2023
San Francisco
Tout récemment, Alexi a déniché des vols aller-retour directs vers San Francisco pour moins de 500 $ : « Ce qui est intéressant avec une destination comme celle-là, c'est que tu es à l'autre bout carrément des États-Unis alors l'espèce de ratio dollars/distance est vraiment vraiment bon et ce sont des vols directs ».
Alexi précise que ce n'est pas une destination plus dispendieuse qu'une autre dans l'état de la Californie. Le fana des voyages recommande de visiter les attractions touristiques telles que le fameux Golden Gate Bridge, mais aussi de partir à l'aventure un peu à l'extérieur de la ville pour explorer la nature impressionnante.
Monnaie courante : Dollar américain
Pour voir l'aubaine datant du 4 mai 2023
Guadeloupe
« Le coût de la vie est super acceptable là-bas. Je dirais que tout ce qui est Guadeloupe et Martinique, […] ce sont vraiment des coup de coeur. »
Le spécialiste des recherches de vols peu dispendieux a d'ailleurs trouvé, à maintes reprises, plusieurs vols vers cette île paradisiaque à peu de frais et de multiple abonné.es en ont profité. Reste donc à l'affût si des vacances au soleil te font de l'oeil.
Monnaie courante : Euro
Pour voir l'aubaine datant du 30 avril 2023
Colombie
« La Colombie a eu une réputation un peu plus mouvementée il y a environ 10 ans, mais maintenant c'est très appréciée. […] C'est vraiment pas cher! Le billet d'avion c'est pratiquement la dépense la plus élevée durant tout le voyage, ce n'est vraiment pas dispendieux la Colombie », lance-t-il.
Concernant les villes à visiter, Alexi recommande particulièrement Medellín, Bogota et Carthagène. Tu peux actuellement trouver des vols pour la Colombie pour 619 $ aller-retour, pour des séjours entre mai 2023 et janvier 2024. Les vols sont 46 % moins chers que les prix habituels.
Monnaie courante : Pesos colombiens
Pour voir l'aubaine datant du 8 mai 2023
Calgary
Depuis l'arrivée des compagnies aériennes à bas prix au Canada, on peut penser à Flair Airlines et Lynx Air, l'Ouest canadien s'est complètement ouvert aux Québécois.es : « C'est vraiment Calgary et Vancouver qui sont très bas (les vols). Oui, encore là, c'est au Canada, donc ça reste très abordable. […] Ce sont vraiment des destinations gagnantes. […] Calgary, souvent le monde qui va aller là-bas, c'est pour faire des road trips sur les super routes à travers les montagnes. Dans ce coin-là, tu peux aller à Banff, tu peux te promener. »
Alexi trouve souvent des vols directs pour moins de 150 $ aller-retour. À un tel prix, ça vaut la peine d'explorer ce beau coin de pays.
Monnaie courante : Dollar canadien
Pour voir l'aubaine datant du 14 avril 2023
Orlando
« Tu peux partir de Plattsburgh au lieu de Montréal pour te rendre en Floride. C'est un truc que beaucoup de Québécois ne savent pas. Si tu fais une heure de route à partir du centre-ville de Montréal, tu fais juste dépasser la frontière, […] et tu peux sauver beaucoup pour des vols internes aux États-Unis », conseille Alexi.
En effet, sur sa fiche d'aubaines tirée de sa plateforme, on peut voir qu'un aller-retour en partance de Plattsburgh vers Sanford en Floride peut facilement coûter environ 150 $, soit 69 % moins cher que les vols aller-retour habituels.
Monnaie courante : Dollar américain
Pour voir l'aubaine datant du 26 avril 2023
L'Irlande
Le globe-trotteur propose de concorder les aubaines avec des fêtes populaires pour encore plus de plaisir et participer à la culture du pays. Tu pourrais par exemple prendre part au Carnaval de Rio au Brésil ou à la Saint-Patrick en Irlande.
Il a d'ailleurs déniché des vols aller-retour entre Montréal et Dublin, avec une escale à Lisbonne, pour 590 $ pour des dates en décembre 2023 et février 2024. Sur place, tu pourras prendre la route et découvrir les vallées vertes de ce beau pays d'Europe et tous ses trésors.
Monnaie courante : Euro
Pour voir l'aubaine datant du 24 avril 2023