Edmonton Sun

JUST GETS BETTER

Is 200 points, an unthinkable summit in the modern era of complex defensive structure and bigger, better goalies, within his reach? You wouldn’t think so. Not when the highest total in the last 36 years is Wayne Gretzky’s 163. But 31 points in 10...

NO GIVE UP

Turns out the recipe for beating the defending Stanley Cup champions is pretty simple: five points from Connor McDavid (for 31 points in 10 games), two goals and three assists from Leon Draisaitl and three-power play goals. Top heavy? Yes....

FIGHT AHEAD

A new mandate issued by Alberta Premier Danielle Smith that those publicly representing her governing Untied Conservative Party (UCP) must not espouse separatist views is drawing early pushback from a prominent separatist leader. Smith shared those...

WIN FOR ‘REMAIN’

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith vowed she will not be holding a formal referendum on separation as long as she is in power, while also moving forward with reforms on immigration. In her televised address on Tuesday evening, Smith called the voter...

HEAVY HEARTS

Canadians from coast to coast are answering the call to support those impacted by the deadly wildfire which tore through CFB Wainwright over the weekend. Legacy Place Society announced on Sunday they are receiving multiple requests for housing...

‘HEAVY HEARTS’

The Canadian Armed Forces on Sunday night identified the four soldiers confirmed dead after a fire that also left dozens injured at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright east of Edmonton. The soldiers have been identified as Pte. Aidan Goulding, from North...

‘WE ARE THE BEST’

The sea of blue flags at the legislature grounds on Saturday made the crowd seem larger than the 2,000 or so who were there. Before the speakers took the stage, they shimmied as an Alberta-themed remake of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama” played....

LAST PUSH

As the Oct. 19 referendum approaches, there is a rise in the number of Albertans supporting Option 1 — for the province to remain in Canada, according to a Leger poll. The new October poll by Leger shows support for remaining in Canada has increased...

RUN ENDS

The message from head coach Mike Babcock after Edmonton beat the L.A. Kings 4-1 on Tuesday was pretty simple: Nice win, but don’t make a habit of it. The Oilers, outshot 40-16 by the Kings, knew they got away with one and needed to up their game when...

FINDING A WAY

MAMMOTH 5-2-0 AT OILERS 5-0-1 TONIGHT, 7 P.M.; SNW/880 CHED There are challenges on the Edmonton Oilers’ horizon much more daunting than Anaheim, San Jose and Los Angeles. And, more often than not, if they are being outshot 40-16, they will get what...

READY, SET, VOTE!

I spent the Thanksgiving weekend in the heart of Alberta separatist country — a rural section of Premier Danielle Smith’s own riding. While the riding itself may not vote for the province to leave Canada in the Oct. 19 referendum, I’m sure the poll...

VANDALS STRIKE

A more than century-old cenotaph in northeast Edmonton has been vandalized, prompting a restoration effort ahead of Remembrance Day in less than a month’s time. The Beverly Memorial Cenotaph, at the corner of 118 Avenue and 40 Street, is Alberta’s...

UGLY LOOKS GOOD

It was a game only a mother could love. Or a coach. Or a team desperately trying to find a new identity after years and years failing to win a championship with the old ones. Was Saturday afternoon’s 3-1 win over the San Jose Sharks — where they had...

‘VERY SAD’

About 200 people gathered in a Chinatown restaurant Thursday night to discuss why detainees are being released into the community — and what can be done about it. But leaders in the community vented their frustration that no federal MPs or UCP...

NOT TO BE DENIED

Evan Bouchard is pretty much daring people to doubt his place among the best defencemen in the NHL. Oh, he’s on most everyone’s list of top blueliners in the game already, but it almost always comes with some kind of asterisk: They’ll say he’s one of...

BAD BUILDS

Last weekend, hundreds of Edmontonians gathered in Downtown’s Churchill Square to protest once more city council’s and the city administration’s mad, mad dash to shove massive infill projects down the throats of residents in established...

NOT A FAN

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid isn’t going to lie: Alex Ovechkin wasn’t his favourite player growing up. Nothing against the big Russian superstar, but McDavid was always cheering for the other side in Ovechkin’s early rivalry with Sidney...

TROUBLING TALK

What is the difference between being under Ottawa’s thumb versus Washington, D.C.’s? A weekend report in the Globe and Mail indicates Alberta separatists would sell out the province’s oil, water and critical minerals in exchange for campaign help...

APPY DAYS

What’s the difference between campaign software from California and Israel? It might depend on who you want to be Toronto’s mayor. News articles by an online outlet, Canada’s National Observer, have put the spotlight on the Victory App, a platform...

BIG BOUNCE

After moaning and bleating about 6-5 and 9-7 hockey games to begin the season, Edmonton Oilers fans were treated to two goals in 57 minutes Saturday night. On the excitement scale, it ranked somewhere between a poetry reading and listening to somebody...

PUCK STOPS WHERE?

It may look like an emergency when Tristan Jarry and Devon Levi have given up 13 goals on 45 shots in the first two Edmonton Oilers games but the EBUG Brent Epp isn’t warming up in the bullpen for Game 3, even if his jersey number is 00. They’re not...

PUMP PRIMED

ROCKY START

You can’t win ‘em all, but nobody expected the Edmonton Oilers to lose like that. After a summer spent stressing the need for a more structured and responsible game, after hiring bad cop taskmaster Mike Babcock to implement that structure and after...

UNITY MESSAGE

Before Pierre Poilievre took the podium at a Downtown Edmonton hotel Tuesday night, the Can-con playlist that preceded him was curated to tug at nationalist heartstrings. Stan Rogers. Stompin’ Tom Connors. The Band. Trooper. Even Captain Tractor’s...

CANADA HIT BY JOB CUTS

OTTAWA — Americans looking to tool around town on a brand new Can-Am Spyder will soon be out of luck. Bombardier’s distinct three-wheeled motorcycle, manufactured in rural Quebec, will be among the Canadian products banned by U.S. President Donald...

WINTER IS COMING?

Keep Dec. 14 in mind for a possible federal election. It sounds crazy given that Mark Carney’s Liberals have a majority government, one they could expand with upcoming byelections. Yet, there are a number of reasons, real and political, that make an...

READY TO ROLL

The Edmonton Oilers looked pretty impressive in Saturday’s 4-1 win. “Who’d they play?” “The Flames.” (Long pause). Still, a 4-1 win is pretty good. It sure was. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl looked in peak form. New defenceman Ryan Shea scored a...

DEAD HEAT

CALGARY — The numbers jolt you into reality on Friday morning faster and harder than a string of high-octane coffees and a couple of Red Bulls. What also slaps you in the face is the fact the nose count is done by Janet Brown, who has a very good...

‘JUST NOISE’

Edmonton Oilers Hall of Famers NEVER speak ill of the current state of the union. EVER. They are loyal soldiers to the end, company men all the way. No matter how poorly things were run or how low the organization sank in the Decade of Darkness, they...

PAUSE AT THE PUMP

Hallelujah! The provincial government has finally decided to do the right thing by Alberta drivers and remove the provincial gasoline tax until the end of the year. From Oct. 1 to Dec. 31, the price of a litre of gasoline or diesel will go down by 13...

TIX’D OFF

With just a week to go before the Edmonton Oilers begin the 2026-27 NHL season, Ticketmaster is showing there are more than 1,500 tickets available for the team’s Rogers Place opener. That number does not include resale tickets. A search of...

‘DOUBLE DOWN’

In my last column, a separatist leader tells us many UCP members are not happy Premier Danielle Smith is campaigning for what she calls a sovereign Alberta in a united Canada. They want the premier to state her position and then remain neutral. In...

WORLD OF HURT

The world woke up Sunday morning to intensified fighting between Ukraine and Russia, North Korea firing ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan and the real possibility of war between the U.S. and Iran resuming. Also this week, the United Nations...

THE BIG ISSUE

Premier Danielle Smith was overcome with emotion as she launched into speech at an online forum Saturday, tearfully relaying painful losses some Albertans have shared with her as she works to address grievances with Ottawa that have led to the Oct. 19...

NEW FOCUS

A new shoulder patch will come with new war-fighting preparedness levels not seen since the Second World War at Edmonton’s army base, set to grow by another 1,000 personnel over the next five years. The newly reorganized 1st Canadian Division...

‘NOT JUDGING’

A year ago this fall, Mike Babcock was out in the wild, hunting with a bow and arrow, jokingly saying his favourite thing is looking at photos of deer. That’s when he was happily retired after his NHL seasons. Line combinations at training camp?...

‘FRESH START’

Short of hiring Donald Trump to be a special advisor to Daryl Katz, the Edmonton Oilers have pretty much hit the ceiling for off-season controversy. With Mike Babcock coaxed out retirement for a third chance at coaching, then deeply-polarizing forward...

NET ASSETS

Drafting in the National Hockey League is all about projecting, trying to figure out whether an 18-yearold with promise will be a prospect or a project four or five years later. Tough job. It’s like your own teenager, wondering what job they’ll have...

GUNNED DOWN

Three Edmonton police officers opened fire on a man armed with a gun after reports he shot an infant and woman inside a home in the upscale west-end Donsdale neighbourhood Sunday morning. The 36-year-old died on scene after officers responding to the...

EUROPEAN VACATION?

Mark Carney’s goal this week when he travels to Europe is to make Canada an “associate member” of the European Union. It’s a title and status that doesn’t currently exist, but according to the Wall Street Journal, it’s what Carney and EU leaders plan...

LANE SPLIT

Early submissions to the province’s bike lane concern portal were nearly evenly split, with opponents saying the dedicated pathways disrupt traffic and eliminate parking, while proponents argued for improvements to local cycling networks and questioned...

VIOLENT HISTORY

The man accused of stabbing two people at an Edmonton Sikh temple has a history of paranoia-fuelled violence linked to conspiracy theories, as well as a track record of breaching bail and parole conditions. Austin Sim-Pelletier, 27, was charged with...

STABBING CHARGE

A man with a history of weapons offences, including for a shooting outside a school in Red Deer, has been charged with stabbing two worshippers at a Sikh temple in Edmonton last month — though police say that so far, there is no evidence the violence...

‘GRATEFUL’

In case you hadn’t guessed by now, the Edmonton Oilers are not afraid of a little controversy. Or even a lot of it. Whether it’s Zach Kassian, Evander Kane or Jake Virtanen, the team is always willing to dole out second chances (or third chances, in...

BACK TO THE FUTURE?

Prime Minister Mark Carney invoked Canadian history Tuesday as he warned that the tariff war with the United States will cause pain. Sadly, while he looked to legitimate examples from the 1890s related to trade with the U.S., he didn’t look to recent...

THE REAL THREAT

It’s not Donald Trump’s map jokes or hockey memes that should worry Canadians. It’s what he’s signalling about trade. Sure, those posts are annoying. They get under your skin, which is why Trump posts them. What should really worry Canadians is when...

POWER MOVE

Decrepit. If you wanted one word to describe the state of Venezuela’s oil industry, it would be decrepit. There are a lot of good reasons not to use Western Canadian oil as a bargaining chip in this country’s trade war with the Trump White House, but...

NEW LEAF

Labour Day is upon us. That ever-important date on the calendar where the Canadian Football League season truly begins and the standings can get thrown right out the window during back-to-back rivalry weekends across the country. At least, that’s...

MAIL MOVE

Elections Alberta has moved up the deadline to apply for a special ballot to Sept. 25 for the upcoming referendum due to the anticipated influx of requests. Dallas Stoesz, deputy chief electoral officer for Elections Alberta, told reporters on...

FIVE EYED

If prosecutors have their way, the woman whose dogs killed a boy visiting her Edmonton home will serve five years in prison. Her defence lawyer and the boy’s father, on the other hand, would prefer to see her avoid time in jail entirely. Sentencing...

LANE FEES RISE

Construction companies that close roads to complete their builds will be paying more next year for the privilege, which City of Edmonton officials hope will reduce how long motorists are forced to navigate around them. On Tuesday, the urban planning...

‘TOO PAINFUL’

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith acknowledged last-minute U.S. demands on Canadian trade negotiators would have been “too painful” to accept — while urging caution around retaliatory tariffs, defending Alberta’s decision not to boycott American alcohol...

ATTACK AT THE TEMPLE

The man arrested after a stabbing at a Sikh Temple in Edmonton had moments before been spotted walking in traffic on a major highway and had recently been released from federal prison on assault charges. The stabbings — which made international...

BROOKE’S BAND

She The North. The United States Golf Association headline said it all last month when 16-year-old Clairey Lin of Langley became the second Canadian in as many years to capture the U.S. Girls Junior Championship. She followed in the footsteps of 2025...

NEW DUO

It is universally acknowledged that golf is a game of opposites. Swinging left to right makes the ball go right to left. Swinging smooth and easy makes the ball go father. If you want the ball to go up, you hit down on it. So maybe it’s no surprise...

TOOLS NEEDED

The judge who led the public inquiry into the death of a 15-year-old boy who died of an opioid overdose is recommending the government bring its involuntary treatment legislation into force for youth as soon as possible. Alberta Justice Thomas David...

PUMP BREAK

Over the weekend, the UCP government once again defended the huge flop that is their energy rebate, the $100 cheques and e-transfers they claim to be giving to every provincial resident in place of lower prices on gasoline and diesel at the pumps. A...

KISS OF DEATH?

With damaging new U.S. tariffs set to be imposed on a wide range of Canadian goods within days, trade talks between the once chummy allies have heated up again. President Donald Trump announced last month the U.S. would slap a 50% levy on $28 billion...

‘BIG STEP’

The Edmonton Elks found their way back into the win column in dominant fashion Saturday, mounting an 18-point fourth-quarter offensive surge to post a 42-12 win over the visiting Toronto Argonauts at Commonwealth Stadium. After losing two straight...

NOT-SO-VEILED THREAT

An Alberta judge has shot down celebrity investor Kevin O’Leary’s bid to throw out a First Nation legal challenge aimed at water permits issued for a massive AI data centre near Grande Prairie. Court of King’s Bench Justice Parminder Johal on Thursday...

REALITY CHECK

Let’s face it, starting out the season 6-1 is more than Edmonton Elks fans could even hope for. With the way things have been going around here for years and years, the march back to relevancy — let alone top spot in the Canadian Football League’s...

POLL ARMY

With just over two months until Albertans head to the polls to have their say on immigration, separation and the constitution, Elections Alberta says it has received 25,000 applications so far in response to its efforts in recruiting 60,000 workers for...

SHOP HOME AT

Walk through the doors from Commerce Place into the Edmonton City Centre mall, and you’re greeted with the sharp scent of urine. On ground level of the shopping centre’s west side, the number of retail spaces that are papered overwhelm the places that...

LA DOLCE VITA

OTTAWA — With the Trump administration’s deadline to slap Canada with 50% tariffs looming a little over a week away, Prime Minister Mark Carney is spending the week in Italy on vacation. In a note sent to the Parliamentary Press Gallery on Saturday,...

FLEEING THE FLAMES

CALGARY — A Calgary man who was just starting his vacation in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley was among thousands of people forced to flee parts of the region over the weekend as raging wildfires threatened communities across the province. DJ Matt...

PURE GOLD

Men against boys. Yeah, we know, the Hlinka Gretzky Cup is an international U18 hockey tournament where the players from eight countries are all teenagers, mostly 17 with some very starry 16-year-old outliers with major talent. But Canada’s clobbering...

How to save big this back-to-school season

Back-to-school shopping can become one of the most expensive times of the year. Between the usual school supplies, clothing, technology and the evergrowing list of extras required for a new school year, costs can add up quickly. For students heading to...

PIVOT POWER

Thirty is the new 60. As in thousand. Make that 31,757, officially, as the Edmonton Elks played in front of their biggest crowd of the season, not only filling the lower bowl, but even taking the rusty chains off the staircases to allow a smattering...