Headed west of Calgary this weekend? Here's what you need to know
Wildfires continue to rage in British Columbia, putting the province under a state of emergency, meaning Calgarians headed west this weekend will encounter smoke, fire bans and potential warnings.
A fire ban is in place in the Town of Banff and Banff National Park, with campfires and charcoal barbecues not allowed, but propane or gas fuel heat sources are exempt.
Violators could face hefty fines of $500 in the town site, which goes up to $25,000 in the park.
Further west, there are 275 wildfires burning across B.C., costing the province an estimate $196 million so far in what could potentially become the most expensive fire season in the province's history.
Alberta is sending support with 350 Edmonton soldiers headed to the Vernon, B.C. area, in the province's Interior region.
Firefighters from Mexico are also on the way to B.C.
Some popular destinations for Albertans are experiencing fires; a blaze at the shore of Mara Lake was threatening the town of Sicamous, B.C., but now appears flames are moving away from the town.
Select regions near Shuswap Lake are also under evacuation order.
In Alberta, the majority of fires burning are in the north and none are considered out of control, but officials say the risk here in the southwest continues to be very high.
The City of Calgary has lifted its fire ban.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
Cargo ship had engine maintenance in port before Baltimore bridge collapse, officials say
The cargo ship that lost power and crashed into a bridge in Baltimore underwent 'routine engine maintenance' in port beforehand, the U.S. Coast Guard said Wednesday.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Far North police 'dispatch' polar bear stalking schoolyard
Police and local hunters in an Ontario Far North First Nation community have “dispatched” a polar that was showing abnormal behaviour and treating the area as a hunting ground.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.
Families shocked after Niagara Falls hotel cancels bookings made year in advance of solar eclipse
After having the foresight to book their Niagara Falls hotel rooms more than a year in advance, several families planning to take in the solar eclipse next month were shocked to find out their reservations had been cancelled.
B.C. rescuers face 'high likelihood' of failure to reunite orphaned orca with pod
The race to reunite an orphaned orca calf that’s stuck in a shallow lagoon with a neighbouring pod has entered its fifth day, and a marine scientist says the clock is ticking.
Video shows police interrupting auto theft in progress outside Toronto home
New video footage obtained by CP24 shows the attempted theft of a vehicle in a North York driveway earlier this month that was ultimately interrupted by police.
What happens after we die? Most Canadians say an afterlife does exist, survey shows
A new survey from the Angus Reid Institute has found that a majority of Canadians believe in some form of life after death, a proportion that has held steady for decades.