EN - News
York University Is Talking About Going On Strike And Here's What Students Need To Know
Here we go again...
Discover Narcity
Get the latest and greatest stories every day in your inbox.
Calgary fire officials share home safety tips during school drills
Calgary officials recommend two escape routes per room and twice-yearly home drills.
With students now settled into the new year, Calgary fire officials have reminded residents that safety doesn’t end at the schoolyard line.
Members of the Calgary Fire Department (CFD) held a media availability on Oct. 22 at St. Elizabeth Seton School, located in the city’s northwest, to demonstrate the behind-the-scenes of fire drills.
Chief Steve Dongworth said each school must complete at least six fire drills each year, and that fire officials must attend at least one. He said this ensures staff, students, and the broader community know what to do.
“Firefighters attend the drill to support school staff, check access points, fire safety systems, evacuation procedures, and assembly areas — all critical parts of a fire escape plan,” said Dongworth.
“We also connect teachers with important fire safety educational resources, so that students and parents can learn what to do in emergency situations.”
He said that, over the years, the fire department has become more involved in spreading this awareness, including partnering with school boards. The basic principle remains the same, however: getting everyone out fast and efficiently.
“To get out quickly, to check that everyone’s accounted for by assembling in a position or a place where it’s agreed that’s what’s going to happen,” said Dongworth.
“So that we can, when we come, take care of whatever situation there is that needs to be taken care of.”
Kean Hallisey, this year’s junior fire chief, is a Grade 8 student who said he wants to become a fireman. He said that it’s important to take fire plans seriously not only at school, but at home, too.
Hallisey recommended that every home have an escape plan with two exit options for each room and a predetermined meeting location far from the home.
“You should practice it twice a year so you remember what to do and stay safe in a real emergency,” he said.
“If you have a pet or something, and you are out, stay out — you can ask the [firefighters] to get them. Hopefully, they can get it for you.”
For more information about home fire safety, visit the City of Calgary’s website.
Copyright 2026, LiveWire Calgary. All rights reserved.
Sarah Palmer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, LiveWire Calgary.
Keep reading
Show less
Conservatives call for cuts to permanent residency admissions in immigration plan
Conservatives issue demands for immigration plan
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang
The Conservatives are calling on the government to implement temporary resident exit tracking, boost collaboration with the provinces and further reduce permanent residency admissions in the coming immigration levels plan.
Conservative immigration critic Michelle Rempel Garner outlined these and other demands in a press conference today, and blamed government policy for a rise in anti-immigrant sentiment in recent years.
She said the government should be putting more emphasis on integrating newcomers to restore faith in the system and ease social tensions around immigration.
Prime Minister Mark Carney said Wednesday the government "will not budge" on its goal of making immigration numbers sustainable and its plan is "getting them to that level now."
Last year's immigration levels plan, which set a target of admitting 380,000 permanent residents annually between 2026 and 2028, also included two programs aimed at giving permanent status to more than 130,000 temporary residents who aren't included in the broader target.
The government must provide an updated levels plan in the next few weeks.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 22, 2026.
By David Baxter | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
Keep reading
Show less
Do municipal councils represent the diversity of their constituents?
An interactive map compares ward demographics, councillors and voter turnout in three cities.
Toronto, Mississauga and Brampton are among Canada's most diverse cities, but how closely do their municipal councils reflect the communities they represent?
As voters prepare for the Oct. 26 municipal elections, New Canadian Media has examined the barriers to political representation in these three major cities.
The series explored the challenges facing immigrant and visible minority candidates; the advantages enjoyed by incumbents; the role of campaign fundraising; and debates over the use of languages other than English to reach voters. It has also looked at whether public transit systems are meeting the needs of immigrant communities.
Voter participation remains a concern. In Ontario's 2022 municipal elections, participation fell to a historic low of 32.9 per cent, according to the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO).
Toronto, Mississauga, and Brampton are reporting increased advance voting numbers, although that may not translate into a higher overall voter turnout.
In its Turn up the Turnout report, the AMO suggests the shrinking of the local media environment has had far-reaching impacts on voter participation and turnout.
As part of this coverage, NCM reporter Rodrigo Huerta Aguirre created an interactive map to help readers explore the relationship between local demographics, elected representatives and voter participation.
The map below shows municipal election results from 2022 and subsequent byelections, along with information on councillors, ward demographics drawn from the 2021 census and voter turnout in Toronto, Mississauga and Brampton.
These details offer a closer look at the communities that municipal councils represent, and the residents who participate in choosing them.
The map reveals striking differences between wards, even within the same city. In Mississauga, immigrants made up nearly 60 per cent of residents in Wards 4 and 6 according to the 2021 census. In Wards 1 and 2, immigrants accounted for one third of the population.
Voter participation varied widely across Toronto in 2022, with turnout reaching 38 per cent in Parkdale–High Park but falling to 22 per cent in Humber River–Black Creek.
By placing these demographic figures next to the names and photographs of elected representatives, the map shows how closely municipal councils reflect the communities they serve. The differences in voter participation also raise broader questions about political representation and the barriers to participation explored in NCM's election coverage.
<div style="width: 100% !important; clear: both; margin: 25px 0;"><iframe style="width: 100% !important; height: 700px !important; min-height: 600px !important; border: 0 !important; border-radius: 12px; box-shadow: 0 4px 16px rgba(0,0,0,0.1);" title="2022 municipal election map: Toronto, Mississauga and Brampton" src="https://rodrigohuertaguirre.github.io/ncm-election-map/" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen">
</iframe></div>
Copyright 2026, New Canadian Media. All rights reserved.
Rodrigo Huerta Aguirre, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, New Canadian Media.
Keep reading
Show less