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Expert says bus model involved in deadly Calgary crash considered ‘extremely safe’
Bus in Calgary crash considered safe: expert
An expert on low-carbon transportation says the roughly 1,000 compressed natural gas buses running in Canada are still considered “extremely safe” after one such bus was involved in a deadly crash in Calgary that claimed the lives of three people.
On Thursday, a chain-reaction crash happened when a transit bus hit several vehicles before rear-ending a parked bus, igniting an explosion that also left more than a dozen others injured.
Calgary police said one officer was taken to the hospital with injuries after running towards a bus as fire erupted.
One of the 12-metre-long buses involved in the crash was powered by compressed natural gas, a kind of fuel considered cheaper and more environmentally friendly than diesel gas.
Buses that run on compressed natural gas are common in public transit and have been in operation for the past two decades, said Josipa Petrunic, president and CEO of Canadian Urban Transit Research and Innovation Consortium (CUTRIC), a national non-profit focused on low-carbon transit research and planning.
“It's considered extremely safe technology, so we all need to find out what happened to create an unsafe environment in a crash situation,” Petrunic said.
There are 958 compressed natural gas-powered buses operating in Ontario, Alberta and B.C., according to a CUTRIC database report.
Petrunic said there are several heavy-duty safety mechanisms involved in building these buses, including a series of tools and technologies designed to manage leakage and reduce the risk of fire. Their tanks are also designed to withstand heavy impacts.
Usually, the most unsafe part of these buses, and any form of public transportation, is the lack of seatbelts, Petrunic said.
A spokesperson from Nova Bus confirmed that it was the manufacturer of the bus that was rear-ended in Thursday’s crash and the company is in contact with Calgary Transit.
The spokesperson also said that it was “premature to speculate on the cause before a thorough investigation has been completed.”
“Safety remains Nova Bus's highest priority, and we are offering our full cooperation to Calgary Transit and the relevant authorities as they work to establish the facts.“
Calgary Transit procures its buses from manufacturers that go through Altoona testing, a rigorous certification process for any new bus model to assess its durability and reliability before being rolled out into their fleet, said Petrunic.
The agency has nearly 250 CNG buses, which represents about 20 per cent of its fleet, according to the agency’s website. The website says the city plans to buy about 150 more this year to replace diesel buses.
As investigators continue to look into the cause of the crash, Petrunic said industry leaders will be looking into what factors went into the collision.
“A series of events had to have occurred in tandem for this cataclysmic event to occur leading to death,” said Petrunic. “A transit crash shouldn't result in passenger deaths.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2026.
By Sadeen Mohsen | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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Bank of Canada's Macklem warns global resilience 'under strain'
Macklem warns global resilience 'under strain'
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang
The head of the Bank of Canada says the global economy has held up well through a series of recent shocks but that resilience is being tested.
Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem spoke to reporters today from the sidelines of the International Monetary Fund meetings in Bangkok.
He says the global economy has been performing better than expected in the face of ongoing wars in Iran and Ukraine and sweeping trade disruptions.
But he also says that resilience is increasingly "under strain" as shocks like the Middle East conflict persist and drive up energy prices.
Macklem says there are only so many times countries can release global oil reserves before the well starts to run dry and needs to be restocked.
The Bank of Canada will get a look at how domestic prices are responding to global cost pressures when Statistics Canada releases its September inflation report on Monday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2026.
By Craig Lord | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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Rallies planned in final weekend before Alberta separation referendum
Rallies planned in final weekend of Alberta vote
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh
It's all over but the rallies in the final weekend before Albertans vote on their place in Confederation.
On Monday, voters go to the polls to decide if Alberta should stay in Canada or if it's time for a second, binding referendum on leaving.
Supporters for and against the topic have events planned, including in Edmonton at the legislature.
It's been a week of last-ditch pleas.
Prime Minister Mark Carney wrapped up a two-day barnstorming tour of the province to rally the pro-Canada vote.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is also voting to stay in Canada, and says recent joint deals with Ottawa -- such as fast-tracking a new oil pipeline --show that a united country can get things done.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2026.
Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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L'île de l'amour vient tout juste de commencer et la production intervient déjà
Il y a déjà des flammèches! 🤯
Alors que la deuxième saison de L'île de l'amour vient tout juste de débuter, la grande première diffusée le dimanche 17 avril et la première quotidienne du 18 avril ont déjà semé plusieurs réactions chez le public. À peine deux jours après le début de la téléréalité, la production intervient déjà auprès des fans.
C'est dans une story partagée sur Instagram et sur Facebook le 20 avril que l'équipe derrière l'émission de dating a voulu passer un message aux téléspectateur.trices.
Dans sa publication, la production fait un rappel quant au respect à adopter tout au long de la saison, autant envers les candidat.es de l'aventure qu'en échangeant avec les autres internautes sur les réseaux sociaux :
« À L'île de l'amour, on crée des flammèches! Mais ce n'est pas une raison pour s'enflammer sur les médias sociaux [...]. Nous prendrons ces commentaires très au sérieux et les commentaires irrespectueux seront supprimés.
« Nous demandons à tous nos téléspectateurs d'être respectueux et de se rappeler que nos insulaires sont des humains qui ont des sentiments. Nous voulons que L'île de l'amour demeure une expérience positive pour tout le monde », conclut l'équipe.
Ce n'est pas la première fois qu'une émission québécoise doit intervenir sur la sphère publique pour rappeler de ne pas être déplacé.es envers les participant.es.
L'équipe derrière l'aventure de Si on s'aimait avait d'ailleurs tenu un discours similaire après qu'un duo de l'aventure ait suscité de fortes réactions.