Top Stories – May 16 – Stable Or Higher?

While there have been no big jumps around here in the past week or so, national gas prices continued their rise on the weekend, with drivers in Vancouver paying up to $2.34 per litre at the pumps. Many experts have attributed soaring prices to market destabilization brought on by Russia’s attack on Ukraine, as well as recovering global demand as COVID restrictions ease.

Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, are set to begin a three-day tour of Canada tomorrow that will focus on Indigenous reconciliation and climate change. They are also looking to connect with a Canadian public that is increasingly skeptical of the monarchy. An online poll last month, found that 51 percent think the country should NOT remain a monarchy in coming generations, compared with 26 percent who thought it should.

The World Travel and Tourism Council says the sector will come within sight of pre-pandemic levels of activity in Canada this year, but won’t match 2019 numbers until next year. The Canadian tourism industry lost 300-thousand of its 1.7 million jobs in 2020 before recovering more than a third of them last year. But the trade organization says employment levels are set to grow at only three percent this year to 1.5 million jobs in total.

RCMP have charged a Kamloops woman in a series of arson fires between Kamloops and Falkland. 42 year old Angela Elise Cornish is facing four counts of arson and is being held in custody pending a bail hearing today. She was arrested as the result of a joint investigation between RCMP and BC Wildfire Service.

Mars Wrigley Canada announced a voluntary recall of some varieties of SKITTLES Gummies, STARBURST Gummies and LIFE SAVERS Gummies after customers reported finding very thin metal strands embedded in the candy or loose in the bag. The products were sold in a variety of sizes ranging from 57 to 280 grams, and distributed across Canada, the U.S. and Mexico.

As the price at the pump rises, big oil companies are pocketing Billions of dollars each quarter. In February, 2020, U.S. oil fields generated around 13 Million barrels of crude a day… last month, they produced less than 11.9 million. This shortfall raises the question of whether energy companies are deliberately sitting on their hands to keep prices and profits high.

A Trail area man lost his Lotus for 7 days and is $483 out of pocket for excessive speeding. The 54 year old was clocked doing 122km/h in a 60 zone on Highway 3B.

A white 18-year-old wearing military gear and livestreaming with a helmet camera opened fire with a rifle at a supermarket in Buffalo, killing 10 people and wounding three others Saturday. Authorities describe it as ‘racially motived violent extremism.’ Police said he shot 11 Black victims and two who were white before surrendering.

Ukraine celebrated a morale-boosting victory in the Eurovision Song Contest. The folk-rap ensemble Kalush Orchestra won the glitzy, televised contest with its song “Stefania,” which has become a popular anthem among Ukrainians during the war. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy vowed his nation would claim the customary winner’s honour of hosting the next annual competition.

Sports

The Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames will represent Canada in round 2 of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Johnny Gaudreau scored in overtime to lift the Flames over the Stars last night in game 7. Edmonton beat Los Angeles in their 7th game on Saturday. The Leafs were eliminated by Tampa.

The Blue Jays were 1 and 2 against the Rays in Tampa on the weekend. Toronto is back home for a few games starting tonight with the Mariners.

At the Men’s World Hockey Championships in Finland, Canada’s record in the preliminary round is 2 and 0 after a 6-1 win over Italy yesterday and an earlier victory against Germany.

The start of the Canadian Football League season could be in jeopardy. The CFL Players’ Association rejected the league’s latest collective bargaining agreement offer and the league says no further talks are scheduled. The BC Lions canceled practise in Kamloops yesterday.

Former Seattle Seahawks safety Earl Thomas was arrested in Texas more than two weeks after a warrant was issued over an alleged violation of a protective order. Police said Thomas violated the court order by sending threatening messages to a woman about her and her children.