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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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2 RCMP officers charged after N.W.T. man died in police custody in 2025
2 RCMP officers charged in man's 2025 death
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
The RCMP says it has laid charges against two of its own officers after a man from Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, died in their custody last year.
The Alberta RCMP, which led the investigation into the man's death, says the two Yellowknife officers face charges of criminal negligence causing death and failing to provide the necessities of life.
The charges stem from an incident in March 2025, police say, when the two officers responded to a report of a disturbance at a Yellowknife business.
When the officers arrived, the RCMP says they detained a man who was showing signs of intoxication and left him inside a police vehicle while they gathered more information at the scene.
Police say the officers returned to the car and found the man, 56-year-old Lawrence Blackduck, unresponsive.
He was ultimately pronounced dead at the scene, the RCMP says, after life-saving measures were attempted and paramedics were called.
The RCMP did not give further details about the officers' alleged conduct which gave rise to the charges.
The national police service says it conducted an internal review in the aftermath of the incident and it has since made changes to police policy and training related to in-vehicle detentions.
Chief Superintendent Dyson Smith of the Northwest Territories RCMP extended his condolences to Blackduck's family and community and called the incident "deeply troubling."
"“This is a difficult day for our organization and the communities we serve. We recognize the seriousness of this incident and remain committed to transparency, accountability and maintaining public trust and confidence," Smith wrote in a statement.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2026.
Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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Ce parcours hanté en forêt près de Québec te plonge dans un village rempli de zombies
Es-tu « game »? 🧟
EUHEU et Woodooliparc | Facebook
Octobre, c’est le mois parfait pour avoir peur. Si tu fais partie des fans d’Halloween qui en redemandent chaque année, voici une sortie spooky près de Québec à mettre à ton agenda. Au Woodooliparc, situé dans la ville de Scott, en Beauce, Zone Toxic t’entraîne dans un parcours hanté où un village entier te plonge dans l'horreur.
À lire également : Cette maison hantée GRATUITE sur la Rive-Sud de Québec a un parcours rempli de monstres
Le point de départ de l’histoire? Une fumée verte toxique se serait échappée du laboratoire d’un scientifique, transformant le village de Dead Town en véritable terre de zombies. Disons que sa population n’est plus tout à fait humaine…
Le parcours te fait passer par une forêt plongée dans le noir et par différents bâtiments qui cachent des scènes troublantes. Pour espérer t’en sortir, tu devras traverser les couloirs d’un manoir hanté, le repaire où le scientifique mène ses expériences les plus morbides.
À chaque détour, des personnages costumés et maquillés t’attendent pour te faire sursauter, alors personne n’est vraiment à l’abri. Ta gang et toi pourrez donc voir qui survivrait en cas de situation aussi apocalyptique... tout en créant des souvenirs inoubliables.
Tu as envie de tester ton sang-froid? Alors sache que cette activité est recommandée aux personnes de treize ans et plus et se déroule les vendredis et samedis soir jusqu’au 31 octobre. Comme les places sont limitées, c’est mieux d’acheter ton billet d’avance. Bonne chance!
Zone Toxic au Woodooliparc
Prix : 35 $ par billet
Quand : Les vendredis et samedis dès 18 h jusqu'au 31 octobre 2026, sur réservation
Adresse : Woodooliparc - 295, rue Drouin, Scott, QC
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Des commentaires haineux et antisémites inquiètent la communauté juive au Québec
Suites aux rassemblements illégaux observés auprès de la communauté hassidique d'Outremont durant le dernier week-end, le Centre consultatif des relations juives et israéliennes-Québec (CIJA) a condamné plusieurs commentaires antisémites sur les réseaux sociaux.
L'organisation a d'ailleurs publié un avis sur Twitter visant à sensibiliser les gens à ce sujet et dénoncer.
La sélection de l'éditeur : Ce que tu dois savoir si tu veux déneiger ton auto ou ta cour pendant le couvre-feu
CIJA-Québec
Le CIJA a également réaffirmé que la communauté doit se conformer aux directives de la santé publique, condamnant les contrevenants.
« Bien que nous comprenions et partagions la frustration que cette histoire a suscitée, nous sommes également profondément préoccupés par la façon dont cela est exprimé sur les médias sociaux », indique le CIJA.
L'organisation, qui agit comme porte-voix de la communauté juive dans la province, se dit inquiète :
« De nombreux exemples inquiétants montrent que dans certains cas la colère de certains s’est exprimé de manière antisémite et haineuse. »
Ces commentaires sont d'ailleurs signalés auprès de Facebook et même au Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM), dans certains cas, mentionne le CIJA.
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