Good morning, Calgary.
Well, we voted. With about three-quarters of voting areas counted, Albertans are choosing to stay in Canada by about three to one. So… what now?
First, we wait, which is my least favourite thing on this planet. Official results don’t come out until Oct. 29, so we’re in a bit of a holding pattern. I guess this is where we let the dust settle, like a married couple after a fight.
Family members stopped speaking. Co-workers got feisty. Strangers barked at one another. Now what? We tuck our tails between our legs, offer the neighbours a handshake and, in the most Canadian way possible, say, “Sorry for the heated moments over the last couple of months, eh!”
— Ben
👀 In today's edition:
Alberta's referendum results
Police want to hear from Saddletowne bus passengers
The Flames finally win at home
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Today in Calgary
🌤️ High 12C, low 0C · 7-day forecast
☀️ Make the most of Wednesday's high of 18C. Friday's high is 5C, with periods of rain.
Alberta's referendum results
Albertans are voting overwhelmingly to remain a province of Canada: 75.8 per cent for Option 1 to 24.2 per cent for starting the legal process toward a separation referendum, with 4,179 of 5,586 voting areas reporting as of 5:10 a.m. That result isn't binding, according to Elections Alberta, and neither are the five questions on immigration and provincial programs.
Calgary voted 83.0 per cent to stay, and Option 1 led in all 26 Calgary ridings. On the other nine questions, which are counted after Question 10, Yes leads on all but Question 8, on opting out of federal programs. These are unofficial results. Official results are announced Oct. 29, Elections Alberta says. Before polls even opened Monday, 43.1 per cent of eligible voters had already voted in advance or by mail, compared with 27.5 per cent in the 2023 provincial election.
Need to know
🕯️ Four Canadian Armed Forces members were killed and 39 were injured when a fast-moving fire swept through live-fire training at CFB Wainwright on Saturday afternoon, National Defence says. High winds let the fire spread very quickly. The four were Sgt. Morgan Wong, Pte. Shaun Farrell, Pte. Aidan Goulding and Pte. Hayden Lykkemark, all serving with the 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, based in Edmonton. Military families can call the 24-hour Family Information Line at 1-800-866-4546. Read National Defence's statement.
🚨 Calgary police have charged a 14-year-old boy after a 13-year-old boy was stabbed during a fight in Copperfield on Oct. 14. The younger boy was taken to hospital in stable condition with minor injuries. Read the story.
💧 About 100 homes in parts of Eagle Ridge and Heritage Park are still under a boil water advisory after a water main lost pressure during repairs Friday. Boil tap water for one full minute before drinking or cooking with it. Updates and water wagon locations are on the City's outage page.
🚿 Calgary's back on water restrictions from Wednesday, Nov. 4, for about four weeks while crews connect the new Bearspaw South Feeder Main, the City says. Outdoor water use is banned, which in a Calgary November mostly means your hose stays where it already is. The part that matters is indoors: run full loads only and aim for three-minute showers.
🔥 The Flames got their first home win of the season Sunday, beating the defending Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes 3-2 at the Saddledome on a late Yegor Sharangovich one-timer. Here's how it happened.
🏈 The Stampeders beat B.C. 32-13 Saturday in Rene Paredes' last regular-season game, but their playoff hopes are out of their hands: Calgary gets in only if the Lions beat Winnipeg on Friday. The game was briefly held up when two rabbits ran onto the McMahon Stadium turf, which is about as Calgary as it gets.
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Mind & Body
Unpopular Opinion: You Don't Have to Love Your Body
Lauren's column this week pushes back on the idea that the cure for body shame is learning to love how you look. Drawing on her years as a competitive figure skater, she makes the case for caring a lot less about your appearance and paying more attention to what your body lets you experience. Her suggestion: swap "How do I look today?" for "What did my body let me experience today?" Read the column.
🧘 Need a minute right now? Breathe walks you through a four-stage breathing exercise, and the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding exercise takes about 60 seconds.
🤝 Our Mind and Body page has a checked list of where to get help in Calgary, from crisis lines to free walk-in counselling. If you're in crisis, call or text 9-8-8 any time.
Mind & Body is a content partnership with Being Human Club.
Police ask passengers from fatal Saddletowne bus crash to come forward
File photo: KathrynHatashitaLee / Getty Images
Calgary police are asking anyone who was a passenger on either of the two Calgary Transit buses in last Thursday’s fatal crash in Saddle Ridge to come forward, saying several passengers may have left the scene before speaking with investigators. Passengers can call the police traffic section at 403-428-4000, police say.
Three passengers died and 16 people had minor injuries when a bus struck several vehicles on Saddletowne Circle N.E. and then hit the back of a second bus, whose natural gas tanks ignited, police say. Anyone affected by seeing the crash can reach the free police Victim Assistance Support Team at 403-428-8398.
Where to eat & drink
🍝 It's Pasta La Feasta month. Until Oct. 31, Calgary restaurants are serving special pasta dishes in support of The Alex Community Food Centre. This year's lineup includes River Café, Rouge, Cucina Market Bistro, Our Daily Brett, Acme Pizza & Pasta Co., The Little Noodle Shop, Le Charme and Posto.
Two we'd try: River Café's Jiggs Dinner Agnolotti is a nod to Atlantic Canada's Sunday Jiggs dinner, with corned beef brisket, pease pudding, carrots, cabbage and turnips. The Little Noodle Shop's The Hollander, inspired by the TV series Heated Rivalry, is pasta shells in miso Alfredo with maple-smoked salmon.
Have a food or drink suggestion? Message us and we might share it.
This Week in Calgary
Tue Oct 20 — Pop-up flu shot clinic, The CORE (Level 2), 8 a.m.–4 p.m. · walk-ins welcome
Until Sat Oct 24 — Ups & Downs art exhibit for Canadian Down Syndrome Week, The CORE, 10 a.m.–3 p.m.
Fri Oct 23 — Houdini's Legacy: Calgary's Masters of Magic, The GRAND, 7:30 p.m. · $40–$50
Sat Oct 24 — Parent's Night Out Halloween Party (ages 4–11), KidStrong Symons Valley, 4–7 p.m. · $45–$55
Hosting something? Add your event free.
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Reader poll
Calgary's water restrictions return Nov. 4. Can you keep your showers to three minutes?
Last time you said…
How are you planning to vote in Monday's referendum? (160 votes)
I already voted by mail or in advance — 86%
In person on referendum day — 9%
Still undecided about whether I'll vote — 4%
I'm not planning to vote — 1%
That's it!
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See you back here Tuesday and Thursday mornings.
