Top Stories – May 26 – Fire Injures 1

The Kelowna Fire Department had 7 vehicles and 20 firefighters at an apartment at 475 Franklyn in Rutland yesterday. They were able to contain it to 1 bedroom on the second floor. One occupant was sent to Kelowna General with minor injuries and KFD was investigating the cause.

A man who was carrying luggage with suspicious contents that led to the closure of the Victoria International Airport Tuesday afternoon has an upcoming court date. RCMP were called when an airport security employee found the first bag with two items that appeared to be incendiary devices. Both bags contained ‘inert military surplus explosives.’

An Ottawa judge has decided that “Freedom Convoy” organizer Tamara Lich will remain released on bail while awaiting trial. The judge said he does not accept that Lich breached her release conditions by agreeing to receive an award, and added Lich can be trusted to respect the conditions of her release.

Everyone is invited to the grand re-opening of the upstream section of the Mission Creek Greenway after development to improve slope stability. The announcement is at 10:30 tomorrow morning and short, guided hikes will be offered from 11-3. It happens at the Field Road entrance to Scenic Canyon regional park.

Federal Justice Minister David Lametti says his government will join a legal challenge to Quebec’s religious symbols law if it reaches the Supreme Court. The law bans public sector workers who are deemed to be in positions of authority, including teachers, judges and police officers, from wearing religious symbols on the job.

The 18 year old gunman who massacred 19 kids and two teachers at an elementary school in Texas warned in online messages sent minutes before the attack that he had shot his grandmother and was going to shoot up a school. Investigators shed no light on the motive for the attack, which also left at least 17 people wounded. The shooter had no known criminal or mental health history.

Kelowna RCMP say it was a 70 year old man that was killed as he tried to cross Highway 97 on his bike Tuesday morning. He was hit by a small car and died of his injuries at the scene in Lake Country. Police say the car’s driver remained at the accident site at Parkinson Road.

BC Cancer has launched a provincewide lung cancer screening program, providing access to eligible high-risk people at 36 sites throughout the province including Kelowna General. The Lung Screening Program expects to start screening close to 10-thousand patients in the first year of the program, and expect it to increase by 15% per year.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the safety of Canadians participating in democracy should never be jeopardized by the kinds of racist insults and threats of violence lobbed at people attending a Liberal fundraiser in Surrey on Tuesday. About four dozen protesters shouted expletives and hurled racist slurs at attendees who were mostly South Asian. One protester carried a noose attached to two flat sticks printed with the words “treason” and “Trudeau.”

Sports

NHL playoffs in Denver last night saw the Avalanche blow a 3-0 lead, and lose 5-4 as Tyler Bozak scored in overtime to give the Blues the win and send it back to St. Louis for game 6. Colorado leads the series 3-2. Calgary hosts Edmonton tonight with the Oilers up 3 games to 1.

Speaking of the Oilers, the jersey Wayne Gretzky wore during his final game with Edmonton is being sold by Grey Flannel Auctions, which expects it to fetch as much as $1.4 million when the auction closes June 5. Bidding has already hit a Million.

It’s quarterfinal day at the World Hockey Championships in Helsinki. Canada, which was 5 and 2 during the round robin, is taking on Sweden which went 6 and 1.

Joe Thornton’s career may be over… or not. The veteran center, who just completed his 24th season in the NHL and first with the Florida Panthers, says he hasn’t decided whether to retire or continue playing. Thornton turns 43 on July 2 and was the second-oldest skater this season after Islanders defenseman Zdeno Chara who’s 45.

Here’s the difference between the NFL and CFL. South of the border, bonuses PER PLAYER can be in the Millions of dollars. The CFL offered the ENTIRE players association a 1 Million dollar ratification bonus.