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There are a couple of new faces over at the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo! Two male polar bears —six-year-old Baffin and seven-year-old Siku—are settling into their new home after arriving safely from Winnipeg’s zoo. The bears, who were both orphaned at less than a year old, are part of a new $11.5-million polar bear sanctuary, which will be unveiled on Dec. 1. It’s the first time since 1999 that polar bears will reside at the zoo.

- Krista Sylvester, Managing Editor

👀 In today's edition:

• Calgarians returning home from Israel

• Housing crisis worsens in Calgary

• Showcasing another Alberta-made film

Today’s read time: Approx. 4 minutes

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WORTH KNOWING

🌧️ Today: High 14C, Low 5C. See the 7-day forecast.

🚗 Driving today? Check the current traffic situation, and find the city’s traffic report and road closures.

⚠️ Here’s the current smoke forecast / check Calgary wildfire and fire restrictions and the Alberta Wildfire Dashboard.

Calgary family returns to Canada from Israel as tensions rise

A Calgary family on a family vacation in Israel when a surprise attack took place is now back in Canada. David Wallach, his wife Zohar, their daughter and her boyfriend arrived in Tel Aviv just days before the Hamas terrorist group launched a surprise attack on Israel.

As City News reports, the family had two close encounters with rocket attacks. Just two days after arriving, they woke up to the sound of explosions. “Daily sirens, rocket attacks, they didn’t stop.” The family said one rocket attack just barely missed them on Wednesday.

In a CTV article, the family said they decided not to wait for rescue flights from the Canadian government, instead turning to a Toronto businessman who was chartering small planes to get people out of Israel.

As Global News explains, tensions are rising and Calgarians with connections to both Palestine and Israel are feeling vulnerable. Calgary police have enhanced patrols at places of worship in both the Jewish and Muslim communities. Around 300 Calgarians attended a rally on Sunday.

Related Story

Need to know

🏠 Calgary continues to set records with rental rate hikes and vacancy rates, which is putting additional pressure on renters.

🏘️ The city plans to roll out new business licence requirements for short-term rentals after research into the market.

👮 Calgary police are asking the public for help identifying a man after a public sexual assault last month.

❤️ More emergency shelter space for women opened in Calgary providing 40 more spaces.

🧑‍⚖️ The Alberta Review Board is allowing some more freedom for a man who killed his mother.

🏒 Hockey Calgary has questions about a new country-wide dressing room policy that is causing confusion.

🥫 A new public fridge is now open downtown to help tackle food insecurity and affordability.

💔 Canada’s most wanted: Family of Calgary mother of five hopes for justice as they await the arrest of the man accused in her death.

🦙 The owner of an alpaca farm is mourning the loss of nine of her animals, including her dog after a barn was destroyed by a fire.

COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT

Calgary-based production company wraps up its latest project filmed in Alberta

Calgary-based production company Numera Films recently wrapped up its latest production with the working title Project: Six-Shooter, which is described as their most ambitious project to date with the most NDAs signed. Numera Films’ core members are Morgan Ermter, Griffin Cork, and Josef Wright. Their flagship series, Abracadavers, is currently in pre-production for its third season and its previous two seasons will be streaming in Canada very soon. Their feature documentary, OMA, was acquired by Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment and is currently available on Shaw and Telus Optik. We spoke with Cork about his production company and its latest project.

What are some of the joys you’ve experienced working on this project?

As with most of Numera’s projects, the best part about making them is the people. We assembled a crack team of independent artists who poured their hearts and souls into this production. We had to move fast, and everybody had to come correct, or we wouldn’t have made our days. Without a doubt, the greatest joys are when we wrapped early and we just got to hang out as a little film family in Sundre, Bassano, or whatever small Albertan town we were in that week. We travelled around quite a bit during principal photography, and there’s nothing like playing some confusing board game with your lead actress and your key grip in a motel. It’s just a good way to spend the summer!

What was it like filming across Alberta and what does its landscape offer to the film?

One of the biggest strengths that Alberta has to offer the global film market (in addition to its hardworking people) is the varied vistas. Within an hour or so of Calgary, you can find barren desert wastelands, lush and mysterious forests, or a foreboding mountain range. When we were pitching Alberta to the international studio heads, the thing that took them most by surprise was the fact that we just have multiple ghost towns scattered around the province. And more than that, every town we shot in welcomed us with open arms. From the local governments, to the motels, to the shooting locations, to the local restaurants we engaged for catering, everyone was so kind and accommodating. There’s a real sense of wanting to make it happen here in Alberta.

Things to do

🎟️ Haunted Mini Golf: There are just a couple of weeks left to get your ghostly golf game on at Winsport from Thursdays to Sundays until Oct. 31.

🎟️ Fencing: Try something new at Fencing Calgary and enjoy a free one-hour trial where you can strap on the gear and work with a coach to see if the sport is for you.

👨🏼‍🍳 Food and Nutrition: Cancer recovery for people with eating challenges - SHC Wellness Kitchen. Are you faced with eating challenges due to swallowing difficulty, taste changes, or dry mouth caused by your cancer treatment? Learn tips for regaining health through good nutrition with survivors like you. Plan to attend both sessions on October 26 and November 2.*

Have an event suggestion? Message us and we might share it!

*Sponsored Listing

Where to eat & drink

🍴 Please & Thanks: Stop in for delicious street food at Please & Thanks, then grab a drink at its underground secret bar! However, proper dress is required.

🍴 Diner Deluxe: This popular breakfast, brunch, and lunch spot has three locations all serving up tasty made-from-scratch comfort food using local and sustainable ingredients when possible.

🍴 Freestyle Social Club: This spot serves a tasty cocktail menu and food items such as Okanagan cherry glazed pork ribs and shucked oysters. It also has two group golf simulators for guests to enjoy.

Have a food or drink suggestion? Message us and we might share it!

Local specials

💸 Gong Cha: From the finest tea estates in Taiwan and around the world, Gong Cha picks top-quality tea leaves for its various drinks. Try milk tea, fruit tea, pearled tea, and more!

💸 Hudsons: Enjoy the delicious pairing of Burgers and Brews Mondays where you can enjoy $5 Henry Hudsons draft beer and the $15 From Scratch Burger with fries.

💸 Corner Street Diner: Stop into this classic diner with a modern twist on Tuesdays and Fridays for all-you-can-eat fish and chips.

Know of any hot specials or deals? Message us and we might share it!

That’s it! Thanks for reading. If you have a hot story tip you want to share, feel free to reply back anytime.

We’ll see you back here on Thursday, same time, same place 🫡

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