CTV Calgary's top 5 stories for June 2024
At CTV Calgary, we strive to bring attention to the stories that matter to the community and resonate with our audience.
Here are the top stories for the month of June.
5. WestJet starts cancelling flights as mechanics prepare for possible job action
A short time after WestJet avoided a strike by its Encore pilots, the Calgary-based airline faced more job action by its mechanics last month.
In response to the threat, the company began cancelling a number of flights as a way to mitigate the impact of the strike.
In a statement, WestJet said it was working toward a deal with the mechanics and working out a way to "accommodate all impacted guests."
All of the passengers on cancelled flights were entitled to compensation from WestJet by law.
4. Alberta woman with cerebral palsy threatened with $5,000 fine for using mobility scooter
Jennifer Clarke, 48, who was born with cerebral palsy, uses an enclosed, all-season mobility scooter to get around her community of Olds.
However, in early June, she was stopped by bylaw officers near a local park and told she couldn't use the vehicle anymore.
"(I was) given a warning that I’d be fined $5,000 or that my mobility scooter would be towed if I used it on a public pathway," Clarke told CTV News.
The Town of Olds, in the meantime, said it recognizes that mobility aids are essential for some residents but acknowledged that there have been complaints about prohibited vehicles, including mobility vehicles with back seats and larger cargo area that can be seen as being "more like a car."
Olds resident Jennifer Clarke, 48, who has cerebral palsy, has been using her Gio All-Season Enclosed Mobility Scooter to complete day-to-day tasks.
The province said there are also limits on what is considered a mobility device but is in discussions with the town to see if an exception is required in Clarke's case.
3. Fire tears through Calgary strip mall
Fire crews and police were called to the scene of a fire at a Calgary strip mall on June 20 and by the time CTV News arrived at the scene, smoke could be seen pouring out of the entrance of one of the businesses, with flames coming from the roof.
While the impact to businesses at the shopping mall along Macleod Trail was significant, officials were also concerned about the use of water to extinguish the fire, especially amid the city's water crisis brought on following a water main break on June 5.
The CFD said the fire is believed to have started inside the business and burned its way to the roof and into the parapet, an extension of the wall and roof.
Neighbouring businesses sustained smoke damage, but all of the fire damage was limited to the business of origin.
2. Country superstar Shania Twain stops to dine at southern Alberta café
It's not everyday when a small town Alberta business caters to an internationally recognized recording artist, but that's just what happened when Shania Twain strolled into Diamond Valley, Alta. on June 4.
Staff at the Chuckwagon Café told CTV News they didn't recognize the singer and her husband when they first seated them, but came to the realization while they ate their meal.
Shania Twain performs during MusiCares Person of the Year honoring Jon Bon Jovi on Friday, Feb. 2, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)
"They were amazing people," said server Susan Green of the encounter. "We want them to come back whenever they want."
Twain and her husband, who are both vegetarians, ordered eggs benedict and topped it of with some banana cream pie.
1. Calgary activates municipal emergency plan after water main break
The biggest story in June began on June 5, when a water main broke in northwest Calgary, flooding a large section of the community and cutting off water services to thousands of homes.
The next day, the city informed residents that the pipe that broke was the largest in the water system – a 78-inch feeder main built to bring water directly from the larger of Calgary's two water treatment plants.
In the weeks that followed, Calgarians and residents in surrounding communities that also rely on fresh water from the Bow and Elbow Rivers were ordered to not use any treated water outside and consider a variety of options to cut down their indoor water use.
The feeder main was repaired by the end of June, but the city is continuing to struggle with the aftereffects of the crisis, with water use still not back to 100 per cent capacity more than a month after the break.
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