Year in review: A look at events in July 2024

1 – RCMP in northern Alberta say a 45-year-old man has died during a Canada Day parade. Mounties in Fort Vermilion say the man fell off the equipment he was throwing candy from and sustained fatal injuries. Police have not released his identity. Fort Vermilion is a hamlet of about 750 people around 550 kilometres northwest of Edmonton.

2 – The UN weather agency confirms that Tropical Cyclone Freddy, a deadly Indian Ocean storm that lashed eastern Africa last year, was the longest-lasting cyclone ever recorded – at 36 days. Freddy topped the previous record held by Hurricane John, which struck Hawaii and lasted almost 30 days in the northern Pacific three decades ago.

2 – A former New York mayor and key legal adviser to Donald Trump is disbarred in the state. That’s after a New York appeals court ruled Rudy Giuliani repeatedly made false statements about Trump’s 2020 election loss. Giuliani was the primary mouthpiece for Trump’s false claims.

2 – An Ontario judge orders pro-Palestinian protesters at the University of Toronto to dismantle their encampment on the downtown campus by 6 p.m. the next day. A decision from the judge says the encampment has taken away the university’s ability to control what happens on the area known as King’s College Circle – while the harm to the university is greater than the harm to the protesters if the encampment is taken down.

3 – Another glass ceiling shatters as Lieutenant-General Jennie Carignan is appointed Canada’s next defence chief. She will be the first woman to hold the Canadian Armed Forces’ top job. She was also the first woman to lead a combat force in the Canadian military. Carignan is a 38-year veteran who was serving as chief of professional conduct and culture – a post created in the wake of the sexual misconduct crisis in the military.

3 – A bill banning child marriage is signed into law in Sierra Leone. It aims to protect girls in the West African nation where about a third are married before adulthood. Sierra Leone is home to 800,000 child brides and the UN children’s agency reports half of them are married before age 15. The law criminalizes marrying any girl who is under 18 and carries penalties of fines and up to 15 years in prison.

3 – Legal Aid Alberta plans to end its services the following week after receiving an ultimatum from Premier Danielle Smith’s government on a new funding arrangement it says would undermine its independence and put it financially under the control of the justice minister. The society says its independence is crucial to a well-functioning justice system while the government says it’s committed to funding legal aid but must spend tax dollars carefully.

3 – Former Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter will be charged with a federal felony connected to the sports-betting scandal that led to him being banned from playing in the NBA for life. Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn file what’s known as a criminal information sheet that shows the case related to an existing prosecution of four men charged with scheming to cash in on a tip from a player about his plans to exit two games early. The document doesn’t specify a court date or what charges are involved.

3 – A First Nation community in Manitoba confirms that ground-penetrating radar has made a discovery at the site of a former residential school. Chief David Monias of Pimicikamak Cree Nation says ground-penetrating radar has found 150 abnormalities at the site, including 59 unmarked graves at a nearby cemetery. Monias says more work is needed to determine whether some of the anomalies are unmarked burial sites. The St. Joseph’s Residential School operated from 1912 to 1969 and managed by the Roman Catholic Church.

4 – Canada now has its 48th national park. The federal government and PEI’s Mi’kmaq First Nations reach an agreement to turn a 50-kilometre strip of islands off the province’s northwest coast into a national park reserve. Lennox Island First Nation Chief Darlene Bernard is thrilled about the agreement, which will ensure the protection of Pituamkek, which means “at the long sand dune.” Federal Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault says no date has been set for the official opening of the park, pending steps made with the government’s Indigenous and community partners.

4 – Hudson’s Bay Company buys luxury department store rival Neiman Marcus. The US$2.65-billion deal comes after months of speculation. HBC says it will be spinning off the newly acquired department store with its other international assets, including Saks Fifth Avenue and Bergdorf Goodman to form a new entity called Saks Global.

4 – The Saskatchewan government files for an injunction over the Canada Revenue Agency collecting carbon money. Justice Minister Bronwyn Eyre argues it’s unconstitutional for the federal government to take money from provinces. Without providing details, she says Ottawa is coming after Saskatchewan’s bank account. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he has faith the CRA will collect the money owed by Saskatchewan.

4 – After seven years, the director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service is stepping down. Not only is David Vigneault stepping down as head of Canada’s spy agency, but he is leaving the public service altogether. He is calling his time in the job one of the most challenging and rewarding periods of his career. The organization celebrates its 40th anniversary this month.

5 – Britain’s Labour Party sweeps to power after more than a decade in opposition. The reverberations continue following Britain’s election, which saw the Conservatives ousted after 14-years in power and replaced by the Labour Party. Leader Keir Starmer, who will head the new government as prime minister, says Labour will always put “country first, party second.” He adds that a mandate like the one his party has been handed comes with great responsibility. With more than half of all 650 seats counted, Labour looks set to secure one of its biggest-ever majorities in the House of Commons

5 – Ontario’s main liquor retailer closes its doors for 14 days due to a labour dispute with its unionized workers. Roughly 10,000 workers, represented by the Ontario Public Service Employees Union, walked off the job at one minute past midnight. Online ordering and free home delivery services are still available. Should the strike last longer than 14 days, the LCBO says 32 of its locations will reopen for just three days a week with limited hours.

5 – The Prime Minister’s Office announces Liberal MP Anthony Housefather is going to be the government’s new special adviser on Jewish community relations and antisemitism. The Quebec Jewish MP has been outspoken about the rise in antisemitism since the war broke out between Israel and Hamas. At one point he considered leaving the Liberal caucus after an NDP motion on the war left him feeling intense anger and isolated within his party. Housefather says he is looking forward to making a real difference in his new role.

5 – The Roman Catholic Church is ordered to pay $104 million in settlements to nearly 300 survivors of historical abuse in Newfoundland and Labrador. An insolvency monitor’s report says individual claim entitlements from the archdiocese of St. John’s range from $55,000 to $850,000. One lawyer whose firm represents dozens of survivors of abuse at the former Mount Cashel orphanage in the province’s capital says the order is an important step.

6 – Reformist candidate Masoud Pezeshkian wins Iran’s run-off presidential election, besting hardliner Saeed Jalili by promising to reach out to the West and ease enforcement of the country’s mandatory headscarf law after years of sanctions and protests squeezing the Islamic Republic. However, he also notes there would be no radical changes to Iran’s Shiite theocracy.

6 – Oscar-winning producer Jon Landau, who worked closely with director James Cameron on “Titanic” and the “Avatar” series, dies at the age of 63. The pair account for some of the biggest blockbusters in movie history, including “Avatar” and its sequel. No cause of death has been given.

7 – A doctor shortage in British Columbia forces a hospital to temporarily close down. The Nicola Valley Hospital in Merritt, B.C. will not be providing emergency care for 48 hours. The health authority says all other in-patient services at the hospital will continue, but staffing challenges has prompted the closure. Patients needing emergency care will need to drive nearly 100 kilometres away to the Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops.

7 – A far-left coalition of French political groups gains enough seats to stop the rise of the right-wing surge in France. The legislative elections leave France facing the stunning prospect of a hung parliament and political paralysis, a unique position for a pillar of the European Union and Olympic host country. According to the official results released early Monday, all three main blocs fell far short of the 289 seats needed to control the 577-seat National Assembly. The New Popular Front coalition gained just over 180 seats, which places the far-left first, ahead of Macron’s centrist alliance and Marine Le Pen’s right-wing National Rally.

8 – The U.S. Justice Department says Boeing will plead guilty to a criminal fraud charge stemming from two deadly crashes of 737 Max jetliners that killed 346 people, and pay a US$243.6-million fine. The announcement means it is up to a federal judge to accept the plea and issue a sentence that is part of the aerospace giant’s deal with U.S. prosecutors. Prosecutors say Boeing violated a 2021 deal that had shielded the company from prosecution earlier, while lawyers for some of the relatives of those who died in the two crashes say they will ask the judge to reject the agreement.

8 – Russian missiles strike a children’s hospital in Kyiv and kill at least three people elsewhere in the Ukrainian capital, while another attack in the central city of Kryvyi Rih kills at least 10 people. It is the biggest bombardment of Kyiv in several months. The Ukrainian air force says the daylight attacks included hypersonic missiles. The Kinzhal flies at 10 times the speed of sound, making it hard to intercept. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia targeted five cities with more than 40 missiles of different types.

8 – The European climate service Copernicus is reporting the global temperature in June hit a record high for the 13th straight month. And it was the 12th straight month the world was 1.5 degrees Celsius warmer than pre-industrial times, which is the warming limit nearly every country in the world agreed to in the 2015 Paris climate agreement. June was also the 15th straight month that the world’s oceans, which make up more than two-thirds of Earth’s surface, have broken heat records.

8 – Two former Quebec junior hockey players are sentenced to jail for the sexual assault of a 17-year-old girl at a hotel in 2021. Twenty-one-year olds Nicolas Daigle and Massimo Siciliano pleaded guilty last October to sexually assaulting the girl after celebrating a championship trophy win. Both will spend 30 months in jail, while Daigle will serve an two extra months after also pleading guilty to two charges of filming and exhibiting a video of the act. At the time of the assault the two were members of the Victoriaville team in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League.

9 – Democrats hold a private meeting where cellphones are banned at their party headquarters to talk about whether they will support U.S. President Joe Biden or urge him to step aside in light of health concerns. One politician described the mood as “dour” as members of Congress discussed their party leader, who emphatically refuses to bow out. There is growing concern that if Biden remains in the race, the election will centre on his age issues instead of Donald Trump.

10 – The Privy Council Office says there was an administrative oversight during the vetting process before Birju Dattani’s appointment as the head of the Canadian Human Rights Commission. It has now implemented new procedures for screening federal appointees following concerns by Jewish organizations that it failed to search online posts Dattani made about Israel while attending graduate school under a different name almost a decade ago. A spokesman says the Privy Council Office will now use the services of the RCP and CSIS and ensure all aliases are more thoroughly reviewed in the future.

10 – Canada announces it will provide Ukraine with another $500 million in military assistance. At the NATO summit in Washington, D.C., Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is set to have a one-on-one discussion with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss the war. There has also been pressure from American politicians who are publicly critical of Canada for failing to meet NATO defence spending commitments. Of the 32 allies, only 23 are expected to meet the two per cent target this year, but Canada is the only nation-member that hasn’t presented a plan to get to that minimum.

11 – The 32 NATO members formally declare Ukraine is on an “irreversible” path to membership in the Western military alliance. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg underlined Ukraine will not join the alliance’s ranks immediately. But he insists it must happen after the war ends to ensure Russia never attacks Ukraine again. NATO member countries also announced more help for Ukraine, including getting the first NATO-provided F-16s to Ukrainian military pilots by this summer.

11 – In their most serious rebuke against Beijing, NATO allies call China a “decisive enabler” of Russia’s war against Ukraine and expressed concerns over Beijing’s “no-limits partnership” with Moscow, its nuclear arsenal and its capabilities in space. The sternly worded final communique from the NATO leaders’ summit makes clear that China is becoming a focus of the Western military alliance. China this morning rejects the “enabler” label. The country accuses NATO of seeking security at the expense of others and tells the alliance not to bring the same “chaos” to Asia.

11 – Canada will work with Finland and the U.S. on an “ice pact” to help allies build icebreakers to safeguard the Arctic. Senior Canadian and U.S. government officials say the trilateral agreement is aimed at bolstering shipbuilding capabilities in the three countries to deter Russian and Chinese ambitions in the Far North. The deal was signed on the sidelines of the NATO summit.

11 – Admitted serial killer Jeremy Skibicki is found guilty of first-degree murder in the killings of four Indigenous women in Winnipeg. The verdict carries an automatic life sentence with no chance of parole for 25 years. The defence had argued Skibicki should be found not criminally responsible, saying he had been suffering from schizophrenia when he killed the women in 2022. But Crown prosecutors told the judge he had the mental capacity and awareness to commit and cover up the killings, which they characterized as racially motivated.

11 – Shelley Duvall, one of the stars in the 1980 horror film “The Shining” dies at age 75. Duvall’s longtime partner says she died in her sleep at her Texas home due to complications of diabetes. At her peak, Duvall was a regular star in some of the defining movies of the 1970s and 1980s.

12 – A New Mexico judge throws out the involuntary manslaughter case against actor Alec Baldwin in the shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film “Rust.” Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer dismisses the case with prejudice based on the misconduct of police and prosecutors over the withholding of evidence from the defence.

12 – Dr. Ruth Westheimer dies at the age of 96. The sex therapist became a pop icon, media star and bestselling author through her frank talk about bedroom topics that were once considered taboo. Her publicist confirms Westheimer died at her home in New York City.

13 – The Federal Court of Canada is being asked to declare that only humans, not artificial intelligence, are authors under Canada’s copyright law. The University of Ottawa’s law clinic files the application in the first court case to test how the Copyright Act treats artificially generated content, such as text, images and videos created by systems such as ChatGPT. Director David Fewer says it’s important to establish the rules now, since the amount of AI-generated content is about to explode. He says copyright law shouldn’t be extended to entities that aren’t human.

13 – Flamboyant weight-loss guru Richard Simmons dies at home of natural causes, one day after his 76th birthday. Simmons mixed laughs and sweat and may be best known for his “Sweatin’ to the Oldies” exercise video series. He built a mini-empire in his trademark tank tops and short shorts while making television appearances, writing best-selling books and opening exercise studios.

13 – A shooting at a Donald Trump rally in Butler, Penn., is investigated as an assassination attempt. The campaign team for the former U.S. president says he is doing fine, and Trump posts to Truth Social that he was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of his right ear. Officials say the shooter, who was killed by Secrete Service while in an elevated position near the venue, was 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks from Bethel Park, Penn. One rally attendee was killed, and two spectators were critically injured.

14 – “Beverly Hills, 90210” and “Charmed” television star Shannen Doherty dies at age 53. A statement from the actors publicist says she died after years with breast cancer. In December 2016, Doherty posted a photo of her first day of radiation, calling the treatment “frightening” for her. Later in February 2020 she revealed that the cancer had returned and she was at stage four. As a child star, Doherty worked steadily in TV series’ such as “Little House on the Prairie,” in which she played Jenny Wilder.

14 – Former NFL receiver Jacoby Jones dies at the age of 40. Jones’s 108-yard kickoff return in 2013 remains the longest touchdown in Super Bowl history. The NFL Players Association and his family say he died at his home in New Orleans. A cause of death is not given. Jones played from 2007-15 for the Texans, Baltimore Ravens, San Diego Chargers and Pittsburgh Steelers, while also playing a critical role in several huge plays for the Ravens during their most recent Super Bowl title season.

15 – U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon grants a defence motion to dismiss the classified documents case against former U.S. president Donald Trump in Florida. Cannon was appointed to the bench by Trump when he was president. She dismissed the prosecution because of concerns over the appointment of prosecutor Jack Smith. Trump’s lawyers argued Smith was illicitly appointed and that his office was improperly funded by the U.S. Justice Department. U.S. special counsel Jack Smith’s office says it will appeal the order to dismiss.

15 – An Italian-led team finds a sizable cave accessible from the deepest known pit on the moon. It’s in the Sea of Tranquility, not far from where Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed 55 years ago. The scientists say the pit was created by the collapse of a lava tube and they suspect there are hundreds of other caves that could house future astronauts.

15 – Donald Trump earns enough delegate votes to become the official Republican presidential nominee at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. Trump also selects Ohio Senator JD Vance – once a fierce critic before becoming a loyal Trump ally – as his running mate.

15 – “Balaclava rapist” Larry Takahashi is granted full parole more than 40 years after his attacks. The now-71-year-old serial sex offender is known for attacking 23 women in Edmonton. The Parole Board of Canada made the decision while he continues to serve three concurrent life sentences. In its decision the board says Takahashi’s psychological assessment concludes his risk to reoffend either sexually or violently is “relatively low or well below average.”

16 – A Manhattan jury convicts 70-year-old Democratic Senator Bob Menendez on all 16 corruption-related charges following a nine-week trial. They included accepting bribes of gold and cash from three New Jersey businessmen and acting as a foreign agent for the Egyptian government. FBI agents who raided the senator’s home in June 2022 found gold bars worth nearly US$150,000 and stacks of $100 bills, totalling more than $480,000, stuffed in boots, shoeboxes and jackets.

16 – Canada drops $9,000,000 on a New York City luxury condo to be used as the consul general’s official residence. The deed to the new Manhattan condo shows it was sold to “His Majesty the King in right of Canada” last month, and had been listed for more than US$6.6 million. Global Affairs Canada says a previous New York residence purchased in 1961 isn’t up to code, although they won’t say what is being done with it.

16 – British Columbia Premier David Eby says he’s glad to see the end of his province’s fight with Alberta over wine. The two provinces announce a one-year deal to again allow Albertans to directly order wine from more than 300 B.C. wineries. In exchange, the Alberta government will get its share of taxes. Eby says the Alberta wine standoff hit his province’s wine sector right as its crops were being hit by the effects of extreme weather.

17 – After months of anticipation, the mayor of Paris takes a dip in the long-polluted Seine River. Anne Hidalgo donned a wetsuit and goggles and plunged into the famed river near City Hall and Notre Dame Cathedral. Her swim fulfilled a promise to show the world the Seine is clean enough to host open swimming competitions during the Olympics — with the opening ceremony on the river nine days away.

18 – General Jennie Carignan says she feels ready, poised and supported to take on the manifold challenge of being in command of the Canadian Armed Forces. Carignan was promoted to the rank of general during the change-of-command ceremony at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa. Carignan is this country’s first female chief of the defence staff, and was also the first woman to command a combat unit in the Canadian military. For the last three years, she has been the chief of professional conduct and culture, a job created following a sexual misconduct scandal in 2021.

18 – Walmart and Costco agree to join the rest of Canada’s major grocery chains and sign on to a grocery code of conduct. Their participation clears the way for industry guidelines intended to level the playing field for suppliers and smaller retailers by providing guidelines for fair negotiations. The federal, provincial and territorial agriculture ministers made the announcement at their annual meeting in Whitehorse.

18 – Comedian and actor Bob Newhart has died at age 94. His publicist says Newhart died in Los Angeles after a series of short illnesses. The accountant-turned-comedian became one of the most popular TV stars of his time. Two of his well-known roles were as a Chicago psychologist in “The Bob Newhart Show” in the 1970s and a Vermont innkeeper on “Newhart” in the 1980s.

18 – Ottawa announces a multimillion-dollar plan to protect nature across Canada. Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault says the $89 million in federal funding will go toward projects in B.C., Alberta, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Ontario and Quebec. It comes as the government works toward the goal of conserving 30 per cent of the country’s land and water by 2030.

19 – Former U.S. president Donald Trump formally accepts the GOP presidential nomination at the Republican National Convention, holding a sombre tone while calling for unity among Americans. Trump began his acceptance speech with a softer and deeply personal message that drew directly from his brush with death – detailing his perspective of the assassination attempt against him in Pennsylvania. Trump outlined his agenda, detailing what will be the largest deportation operation in U-S history while repeatedly declaring illegal immigrants as “invaders.”

19 – A Russian court convicts Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich on espionage charges and sentences him to 16 years in prison after a secretive and rapid trial. Gershkovich, the newspaper and the U.S. government all denied the charges in a trial that Washington and The Wall Street Journal denounced as a sham. The reporter has been in prison since he was detained in March of last year and accused of spying for the U.S.

19 – The Liquor Control Board of Ontario reaches a tentative deal to end a two-week strike by 10,000 workers. No details have been released, but the workers’ union said the dispute was largely on Premier Doug Ford’s plan to let convenience and grocery stores sell ready-to-drink cocktails. The LCBO said that wasn’t a matter for the bargaining table, and offered increases in wages, benefits and job security. Stores will open on Tuesday if workers ratify the deal.

19 – A global technology failure grounds flights, disrupts computers and banking while also bringing hospital systems to a standstill. Microsoft services are supposedly on the mend after cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike reported a glitch in its systems deployed a faulty update to computers across the globe. Major Canadian companies, including Porter Airlines and Telus, noted their operations are affected by the outage. While the worst appears to be over for many countries, airports are still stalled out in Canada, the U.S., Europe, Asia and Latin America.

20 – The Manitoba Métis Federation and the provincial government sign a memorandum of understanding which aims to transfer land back to the Red River Métis. It covers about 100 acres of culturally significant land in southwest Manitoba. Premier Wab Kinew says the homes of about 250 Métis people, in the former community of Ste. Madeleine, were burned by Canada to create community pastures in 1939. He adds that the move is one step toward righting a historic wrong.

21 – U.S. President Joe Biden ends his 2024 re-election bid. Biden issues a statement announcing he will not seek re-election, saying he thinks it is the best thing for the country. A disastrous televised debate inflamed doubts of Biden’s fitness for four more years on the job. He endorses Vice-President Kamala Harris as his replacement and urges his party to unite behind her.

22 – Cyprus is displaying ancient artifacts returned after a Turkish art dealer looted them from the breakaway north after Cyprus split in 1974. The 60 most recently returned artifacts include jewelry dating to 3500 to 1500 BC and Bronze Age bird-shaped idols. There are also 1,500-year-old mosaics of Saints Luke, Mark, Matthew and James that are among the few examples of early Christian works to survive the Iconoclastic period in the 8th and 9th centuries when most works were destroyed.

22 – U.S. Secret Service director Kimberley Cheatle tells the House Oversight Committee the July 13 attempt to assassinate former president Donald Trump was the agency’s “most significant operational failure” in decades. Cheatle says the roof where a 20-year-old opened fire at Trump’s Pennsylvania rally was identified as a potential vulnerability days before. And she says the agency was told about a suspicious person between two and five times before July 13. Several politicians have called on Cheatle to resign or for President Joe Biden to fire her.

22 – The last surviving original member the Motown group The Four Tops dies. Abdul “Duke” Fakir was 88. He was a charter member of the group, alongside lead singer Levi Stubbs, Renaldo “Obie” Benson and Lawrence Payton. The Tops had 11 Top 20 hits and two Number 1’s between 1964 and 1967, including “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)” and the operatic classic “Reach Out I’ll Be There.”

22 – Alberta’s Jasper National Park and the Jasper townsite are under an evacuation order because of wildfire. An Alberta Emergency Alert directs people in both the town and the park to leave the area. The wildfire is burning around the Jasper townsite’s waste transfer station, about nine kilometres outside the town. The fire also forces closures on Highway 16 through Jasper and Highway 93 along the Athabasca River.

23 – Braya Renewable Fuels is facing a dozen charges under Newfoundland and Labrador health and safety act for a flash explosion in Come By Chance that killed a worker and injured seven others in 2022. The company is charged with failure to provide necessary equipment and training and not implementing a health and safety program. Lorneville Mechanical Contractors is facing three charges in the same incident, including failure to ensure the health and safety of workers.

23 – U.S. Secret Service director Kimberly Cheatle sends an email to staff saying she is stepping down and taking full responsibility for the security lapse at Donald Trump’s Pennsylvania rally. Cheatle faced hours of scathing criticism when she appeared before the House Oversight Committee on Monday. Politicians grilled her about how the shooter was able to get within 135 metres of the stage where Trump was speaking at an outdoor campaign rally earlier this month.

23 – A New Zealand coroner says four people who died by suicide in 2022 ordered items online from a business associated with Kenneth Law. The Mississauga man is charged with 14 counts of first-degree murder in Ontario for allegedly sending lethal substances to people who later took their own lives. The New Zealand residents who died included two university students, a 21-year-old woman and a 40-year-old man who worked as a personal trainer and DJ. Law is not facing any charges in those deaths.

23 – First Nations chiefs in Manitoba say they are outraged and disappointed after the federal government reduced funds for searching the grounds of former residential schools. Communities could previously receive up to $3 million, but funding will now be capped at $500,000. Deputy Grand Chief Betsy Kennedy says the decision to cut back funding without discussions with First Nations leadership is disrespectful to the survivors and families affected by the system. Crown-Indigenous Relations says the funding adjustments will not apply to previously signed agreements.

24 – Thousands of wildfire evacuees who were forced from Jasper National Park into British Columbia are being directed to make a U-turn and head home, Alberta fire officials say B.C. has its hands full with wildfires and evacuations, so residents should turn back. Alberta Public Safety Minister Mike Ellis says people can go to reception centres in Grande Prairie or Calgary. Alberta has been baking and sweltering for days in 30 degree-plus temperatures, while more than 180 wildfires are burning across the province.

24 – Canada’s Olympic women’s soccer team has been dealt a blow just as play is set to begin at the Paris Games. The Canadian Olympic Committee says an assistant coach and a Canada Soccer analyst have been removed from the team and sent home after two drone incidents, including one over a New Zealand practice last week. Women’s soccer assistant coach Jasmine Mander and Canada Soccer analyst Joseph Lombardi have been removed from the Canadian Olympic team and sent home. They were allegedly using a drone to record New Zealand’s women’s soccer team during practice. Head coach Bev Priestman has removed herself from coaching the team’s opening game against New Zealand tomorrow. Canada Soccer staff will undergo mandatory ethics training. FIFA has deducted six points from Canada in the Paris Olympics women’s soccer tournament and banned three coaches in a drone spying scandal. The punishments also include a $313,000 fine for the Canadian soccer federation.

25 – Grocery giant Loblaw and its parent company George Weston are going to pay $500 million to settle a class-action lawsuit over their involvement in an alleged bread price-fixing scheme. Lawyers say the payout, if approved by the courts, is the largest antitrust settlement in Canadian history. The plaintiffs claimed Loblaw and Weston companies, Metro, Walmart Canada, Giant Tiger, Sobeys and its owner Empire participated in a 14-year industry-wide price-fixing conspiracy that artificially increased bread prices.

25 – “Taylor Swift Way” is coming to the city of Toronto. City councillors vote to temporarily mark a route through Toronto’s downtown core with signs honouring the megastar when she brings her Eras tour later this year. The motion passed almost unanimously today, designating a route stretching from Swift’s show venue of Rogers Centre to city hall’s Nathan Phillips Square as “Taylor Swift Way” for the month of November. Swift is scheduled to play six shows at Rogers Centre starting Nov. 14.

25 – Canada women’s soccer coach Bev Priestman’s time at the Paris Olympics has ended before the opening ceremony. The Canadian Olympic Committee has removed Priestman as head coach for the remainder of the Games after two team staffers were sent home for allegedly using a drone to spy on a New Zealand practice. Priestman denied any involvement, but did not attend Thursday’s 2-1 victory over New Zealand. Canada Soccer CEO Kevin Blue says additional information has come to light regarding previous drone use against opponents, predating the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

26 – Hollywood’s video game performers go on strike over an artificial intelligence dispute. Discussions for a new contract with major game studios broke down over AI policies. Union negotiators say progress has been made over wages and job safety but that the game studios refuse to make a deal over AI regulation. The strike will begin at midnight.

26 – Cool and wet weather is making a difference in the fight against wildfires destroying Jasper National Park. The park posted a statement on X saying cooler temperatures and up to 15 millimetres of rainfall since midnight had led to reduced fire activity. The Jasper townsite and national park have been overtaken by wildfires, with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith estimating a third to possibly half of all buildings have been damaged or destroyed. The federal government is offering resources to help fight the fires, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau confirming he has approved Alberta’s request for emergency assistance.

26 – France’s high-speed rail network has been “sabotaged” according to government officials, as police investigate multiple acts of vandalism including arson. The incidents have paralyzed travel to Paris from across the rest of France and Europe, only hours before the grand opening ceremony of the Olympics. French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal says France’s intelligence services have been mobilized to find the perpetrators. There were no known reports of injuries.

26 – The Supreme Court of Canada says the Crown dishonourably breached two treaties signed in 1850 and must negotiate a settlement with First Nations within six months. The Robinson Treaties ceded a large piece of land in Ontario to the Crown in return for annual payments to the Anishinaabe of lakes Huron and Superior. The Robinson Huron plaintiffs have already reached a $10-billion settlement with Ottawa and today’s ruling gives the government six months to negotiate a settlement with the Robinson Superior plaintiffs.

26 – The 2024 Paris Olympics officially open. French President Emmanuel Macron declaring the Games open helps cap off an ambitious opening ceremony along the Seine River. Canada’s flag-bearers led a delegation of nearly 200 athletes in a scenic but rainy trip down the Seine River. The Canadian delegation was decked out in bright-red bomber jackets as they shared a boat with Chile and China.

26 – Celine Dion stages the comeback of her career during the opening ceremony at the Olympic Games in Paris. The Québécois vocal powerhouse performed publicly for the first time since revealing she was diagnosed with stiff person syndrome. Stiff person syndrome is a progressive illness that can cause muscle rigidity and severe spasms as well as affect a person’s vocal cords. Dion sang Edith Piaf’s “L’Hymne à l’amour” to help cap off an ambitious opening ceremony that saw countries enter on boats along the Seine.

27 – Ancient Rome’s most important great road is named a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Appian Way is more than 800 kilometres long, known as the “Queen of Roads,” and dates back to 312 BC. It marked a revolution in road construction and quickly became the most important roadway connecting Rome with the southern part of the peninsula. The road is Italy’s 60th entry on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

27 – Longtime hockey executive Murray Costello dies at age 90. He played four seasons in the NHL with Chicago Blackhawks, Boston Bruins and Detroit Red Wings in the 1950s. He went on to lead both Hockey Canada and the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association for two decades and was a key driver in the first women’s world championship in 1990.

28 – Edna O’Brien, one of the world’s most admired and controversial writers, dies after a long illness at the age of 93. She scandalized her native Ireland with her debut novel, “The Country Girls,” which was censored and even burned. O’Brien became known for her candour in confronting Ireland’s religious and sexual taboos and would go on to publish more than 20 books. She is considered to be one of the most notable authors to never win the Nobel or even the Booker Prize for literature.

29 – Nicolas Maduro wins Venezuela’s presidential election, even as his opponents prepared to dispute the results. Both Maduro and the opposition party claimed victory yesterday. The National Electoral Council says he secured 51 per cent of the vote, overcoming the main opposition candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, who garnered 44 per cent. The electoral authority, which is controlled by Maduro loyalists, has not yet released the tallies from each of the 30,000 polling booths countrywide.

29 – Ashley Callingbull becomes the first Indigenous woman to win Miss Universe Canada. The 34-year-old model, actress and television host is from Enoch Cree Nation in Alberta. She is currently an in-game host for the NHL, CFL and the National Lacrosse League, but has also acted on multiple TV series on APTN.

30 – Radical preacher Anjem Choudary is sentenced to life in prison for directing a terrorist group. He and his 29-year-old follower Khaled Hussein from Edmonton were convicted of belonging to a banned organization — the radical Muslim group known as ALM. The two were arrested a year ago after Hussein landed at Heathrow Airport.

31 – Hamas confirms its leader Ismail Haniyeh has been assassinated in Iran. Haniyeh was in Tehran for the swear-in ceremony of Iran’s new president. No one has immediately claimed responsibility but Hamas blames Israel. Israel had vowed to kill Haniyeh and other leaders of Hamas over the group’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

31 – Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly says Canadians should cancel any plans to travel to Lebanon and urges those already there to come home. Global Affairs Canada is warning more than 20,000 Canadian citizens in Lebanon that they can’t rely on government evacuation flights if war engulfs that country. Israel says it killed a top Hezbollah commander with a strike on the Lebanese capital of Beirut. The commander was allegedly behind a weekend rocket attack that killed 12 young people in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights.

The Canadian Press

by The Canadian Press

Year in review: A look at events in July 2024

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