It was supposed to be a joyful family reunion, but instead a British Columbia grandmother is stranded in China in a coma, her family unable to pay the hundreds of thousands of dollars to bring her home via air ambulance.

Her family says Lilia Avoutova, 78, who is of mixed Chinese and Ukrainian heritage, arrived in Kunming on March 4.

But she and her 79-year-old husband, Savout, both from Burnaby, B.C., never made it to Avoutova’s birthplace of Xinjiang, an autonomous territory in northwest China, after she suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and stroke two days later.

Daughter Elena Lanteigne said her mother has been in an induced coma in a Kunming hospital since March 8.

“It was really tough, so the reunion never happened,” said a tearful Lanteigne, speaking from Kunming where she and her brother have been for about three weeks.

“It’s really tough to see your loved one in a hospital bed and intubated with all these instruments around them, and not knowing how they’re doing and if they’re going to survive and if they’re going to do well,” said Lanteigne, wiping away tears on a video call.

She said her mother had lived in China until she was about 10 when Avoutova’s father’s farm was confiscated by the government.

The family moved to Kazakhstan, where Avoutova married and had her children, before the family moved to Canada about 30 years ago.

Lanteigne said her mother had reconnected with her relatives in China in the past 10 years and was hoping to see them on what she expected to be her last visit to her hometown.

Communicating with doctors has been “extremely challenging” in China due to the language barriers, Lanteigne said, forcing them to rely on Google Translate to understand her mom’s conditions.

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She said her parents didn’t buy any travel medical insurance, and now the ICU in China costs about $1,000 per day, which has become a “heavy burden” for her.

Her retired parents live a “very frugal” life, and they are pretty much out of the money at this point, she said.

“My brother and I have had some savings, and we’ve been able to dip into those, but that’s also started to run out,” she added.

Lanteigne said it’s “extremely stressful” to think about finances, and they still need to figure out the big expense of bringing her mom home.

Lanteigne said they had got some quotes for getting a medical transport flight, which basically functions as an air ambulance equipped with a medical crew, so that they can bring her mom home right away, but the costs are about $400,000, which they can’t afford.

There is another option available — transporting her mom to Vancouver from Kunming by using stretcher service on a commercial airline, and the costs would be around $108,800.

But it’s riskier since Avoutova has a cerebral hemorrhage, and when the plane goes up to a high altitude, it can place pressure on the brain, making it “quite dangerous,” said Lanteigne.

Lanteigne said her mom’s family doctor suggested the best option right now is to wait at least a month or two, allowing the bleeding inside the body to reabsorb, which would make it safer for her to travel.

Lanteigne said she is clinging to the hope that her mom can leave the ICU soon and move to the rehabilitation unit, allowing them to prepare to take her home in the next couple of months.

She said her mom is one of those people who can make friends with anyone, and wherever she goes, people are naturally drawn to her.

“People want to talk to her, get to know her. She’s just extremely friendly,” said Lanteigne, adding that her grandchildren fondly called her babushka, meaning grandmother in Ukrainian.

When people would visit Avoutova at her home, she would serve tea and feed them.

“If she doesn’t have anything in her house, which is very rare, she will run to the store, and she will find something in her cupboards,” said Lanteigne.

Although the past three weeks have been tough, Lanteigne said they did have some promising news days ago — her mom briefly opened her eyes and was able to move her hand a little bit.

“Lately, I’ve been talking to her about people who’ve been reaching out, and just so that she knows that people are thinking about her. People are aware of who she is, and there are people who want to help,” said Lanteigne.

Avoutova is also a grandmother of four grandchildren, and Lanteigne said she has been playing audio and video recordings sent by her grandkids next to her bed, telling her that they can’t wait to see their beloved “babushka.”

Lanteigne said her mom showed her what kindness and compassion are, spending her life caring for others, and now she must find a way to bring her home, no matter how difficult the process would be.

The journey isn’t easy, but Lanteigne said she was touched by the overwhelming response she got from Canadians through an online fundraising page.

“My friend suggested it, and I was like, it seems really awkward, asking people for money, asking strangers for help.”

But the GoFundMe page has raised more than $16,000 as of Saturday, almost 70 per cent of the goal.

“I’m just blown away. I’m really shocked, so surprised by the sheer volume of the people who have come out to help,” said Lanteigne.

“And I really appreciate that. I think it’s just been incredible, and it just shows the incredible human spirit that people have for each other. That’s so heartwarming, I can’t even put it into words. It’s been amazing to see that.”

Don Bourassa says a proposed wind farm near his home in southeast Saskatchewan has ruined relationships in his community — to the point where he feels he has been bullied.

A resident of the Rural Municipality of Weyburn, Bourassa said one of his neighbours approached him about buying his property to keep him quiet on Enbridge’s Seven Stars Energy Project.

“He wants me out of there, to shut up,” Bourassa said in an interview. “That’s bullying and I’m not falling for that.

“It’s neighbours hating each other.”

Enbridge is planning to build the 200-megawatt facility near Weyburn, Sask., southeast of Regina, by late 2027. It would be one of the province’s largest wind facilities, featuring 46 turbines capable of powering about 100,000 homes.

It’s also eight kilometres from Bourassa’s acreage.

He said lines have been drawn between those who are getting money from the project and those who aren’t. If it goes ahead, the wind farm would occupy some private property.

“We didn’t buy these acreages to have these monsters come beside us,” he said. “I didn’t live here for 35 years to have a project like that dumped on us.”

Residents have recently packed town halls in the municipality, urging elected officials not to approve it. They argue it will harm their livelihoods and the surrounding environment.

Kim Brady, another resident, said the project has pitted neighbours and relatives against one another.

“People don’t talk, they won’t talk. It’s not ever going to go away,” he said. “I hope (the province) sees how unhappy residents are and, hopefully, they are going to listen and stop this project.”

Half of the turbines are to be located in the Rural Municipality of Weyburn, while the other half are to be in the Rural Municipality of Griffin. Weyburn has approved the project’s development permit, but Griffin has not.

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Global News at 5 Saskatoon: March 6

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Griffin has said it needs to receive documents on the project’s environmental effects before it makes a decision.

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Both municipalities declined interview requests on the project.

Enbridge said in a statement it’s continuing to address Griffin’s questions. It has also filed its environmental impact statement, the company said.

Bourassa said there’s concern the turbines will be noisy, affect wildlife, become an eyesore and bring down property values. He also argues they’re not as environmentally friendly as advertised, as they’d require loads of raw material in order to be built.

He said he also worries the oil used to lubricate the turbines’ moving parts could leak into groundwater. “I don’t want to take that chance,” Bourassa said.

Brady said he’s concerned about the light the turbines will emit at night when planes fly over. “These things are heavily subsidized … which is taxpayers’ money,” he said.

The province is providing a $100-million loan guarantee to the project through the Saskatchewan Indigenous Investment Finance Corporation. Six First Nations communities and Métis Nation-Saskatchewan are to receive the loan to acquire 30 per cent equity in the project.

Saskatchewan’s government says it supports the farm.

“(It) will increase Indigenous participation in the economy, create jobs and add generation capacity to our power grid,” it said in a statement.

The City of Weyburn, which is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Weyburn, also supports it.

Mayor Jeff Richards said the project could be transformative.

“The overwhelming majority of residents that I’ve spoken with are in favour of the project,” he said. “They’re excited to see the investment in our area.”

Enbridge said the project will bring in $4 million each year to the Weyburn area for 30 years. This includes tax revenues for rural municipalities, road upgrades and lease payments to landowners.

The company said lubricants for generators would be contained in oil-tight platforms. It also said no turbines would be built within permanent or semi-permanent wetlands or waterways.

About 40 landowners are to receive payments from the project, but the compensation terms are confidential, the company said.

In responding to residents’ concerns, Enbridge said it plans to move turbines further away from homes. It’s also to install lights that only turn on at night when aircraft are nearby. Noise levels also wouldn’t exceed 40 decibels, or that of a “quiet library,” it added.

“As for property value, please note that based on the current body of literature, our view is wind projects do not have a measurable negative effect on rural property prices,” Enbridge said.

Saskatchewan has recently seen two other large wind farms built over the past four years.

A 200-megawatt Bekevar Wind Facility near Kipling, southeast of Regina, began operating two years ago. Southwest of Regina is a 200-megawatt farm built in 2022.

James Husband, reeve of the Rural Municipality of Hazelwood, where the Bekevar project operates, said public opinion on the facility has been divisive.

“My opinion is all of the arguments against them are mostly just excuses for the fact that people don’t like them politically,” he said. “As far as the energy being renewable and clean energy, I think that’s irrelevant.”

He said council chose to support the project because it would bring in large tax revenues.

The facility is to provide $300,000 this year and about $600,000 in two years once the municipality starts collecting 100 per cent of the share, he said.

The money will go toward better roads and improving recreation facilities, Husband added.

“With these turbines comes federal money. Any way we can get the federal government to spend money in Saskatchewan is a positive,” he said.

The Canada Infrastructure Bank, a federal Crown corporation, spent $173 million on the facility and Ottawa has invested $50 million.

As for light and noise issues, Husband said it’s minimal.

“When I go out to check cows in the middle of the night, I’ll see all the red lights blinking. I don’t think that’s a big deal,” he said. “If you stand right underneath them, there’s a bit of noise, but not any more than the wind on a windy day.”

He added, “Birds aren’t dying.”

Patricia Jackson, mayor of Kipling, said the facility hasn’t changed the way her community lives.

“Truthfully, I think what’s happened is we’ve got two sides that have become polarized,” she said. “Nobody is prepared to sit down and listen.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 28, 2026.

Sitting in the heart of Saskatoon’s downtown, Gather Local Market has always been a community staple, home to crafty small businesses with flair.

They’re welcoming a new anchor tenant to the building.

“When we gather, we invite people to stay longer. They spend more money, and we connect deeply — it’s impactful. It’s growth, and growth is beautiful,” said Discovery Saskatoon CEO Stephanie Pocha, welcoming the bar to the city.

Rebellion was started in Regina by Mark Heise and his business partners, where they have their own brewery. The success they found in the warehouse district has prompted them to expand to Saskatoon, driven by their passion for beer.

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“Beer is meant to be social. That’s what so special about beer. It’s a gathering, you make friends, you sit at the bar,” said Heise.

Rebellion started in Regina in the warehouse district where their brewery is located. They’ve made the decision to expand to Saskatoon in the face of mounting pressures on the service industry.

“No money, living at home, no jobs, living at home, it’s expensive to go out, health concerns, changing habits, video games, just many overall — that drinking culture has changed so much when it comes to Gen Z,” said David Williams, an associate professor with the Edwards School of Business.

For Rebellion, finding the right location was key. With all the surrounding foot traffic and the community atmosphere, Williams says they may beat the trend.

“Good ambience, clustering of similar businesses, good vibe, part of the hipster part of town so it seems good,” said Williams

Rebellion is now open for customers at Gather Local Market.

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Community leaders in the Alberta Avenue area are breathing a sigh of relief after Edmonton city council decided to get tough on derelict business properties.

“We had been told 21 years ago it wasn’t possible and we actually know now it is possible,” said Christy Morin, executive director for Arts on the Ave.

Morin had been advocating for run-down properties to be dealt with, in the hopes new developments are built in their place.

Derelict properties attract crime and increase the change of severe safety risks like fires, she added.

“When I look at these buildings, I actually feel really sad,” Morin said on Friday, pointing to a half-dozen boarded up businesses sitting vacant along a single block of 111th Avenue, between 93 and 94 Street.

On Thursday, a city committee meeting unanimously passed a motion by Ward Métis Councillor Ashley Salvador.

It advised administration to “develop a non-residential derelict tax subclass,” and to “bring forward a report with options for a vacant non-residential subclass to address vacancy of developable properties.”

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Property owners could see assessment notices for their derelict businesses go out as soon as two years from now, giving them time to figure out what to do with the buildings.

“Two years is a flash in the pan,” said Morin. “We’ve been doing this for 21 years and others than have gone before us have been trying earlier, so this is one link in the armour that we really, really needed.”

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New tax subclass takes aim at derelict commercial property owners in Edmonton

Allan Bolstad, civics director for the Alberta Avenue Community League, said the current residential derelict tax has helped in re-development of rundown homes.

“There’s some owners that have taken the steps to either fix their places up or knock them down,” Bolstad said.

“The city’s come in and boarded up all sorts of houses that have been identified as problem properties, vacant properties.

“That’s helped clean things up.”

Bolstad wants the city to take a more aggressive approach in dealing with derelict properties. He said the tax subclass will certainly help get the ball rolling.

“That’s really held the neighbourhood back and we’d like to see that change.”

As for the future of the area, Morin is excited at the possibilities a revitalized area could bring.

“Just that real connectivity of commercial and community and arts in the creative industries.”

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Emergency crews responded to reports of a fire and possible explosions at a construction site in downtown Toronto Friday evening, prompting multiple road closures and safety warnings.

Toronto Police Service said the incident happened around 6:02 p.m. near Richmond Street West and John Street.

Police said the fire was reported on the roof of a building under construction, with information indicating items may have been exploding and debris falling onto the street below.

Officers attended the scene alongside Toronto Fire Services.

Toronto Fire Services later confirmed that crews responded to a two-alarm fire on the roof of a commercial building. The fire also ruptured propane cylinders, causing heavy flames and thick smoke.

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Authorities initially said injuries were unknown and urged the public to use caution in the area.

Videos of loud explosions and large plumes of smoke have been circulating on social media since the fire.

Richmond Street West was closed between Peter Street and Duncan Street, with pedestrian access also restricted.

In an update, police said the fire had been extinguished and no injuries were reported, although some road closures remain.

An investigation is is underway.

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Ernest John is relieved that legal action, which would force him out of the Fairview homeless encampment in Penticton, has been put on hold, at least for now.

“I do have a certain fear being forced to do something and move,” John told Global News.

The Ministry of Transportation owns the land, but the province’s application for a court injunction to evict the roughly two dozen residents and dismantle the camp, along a busy stretch of Highway 97, has been postponed.

A hearing was scheduled to begin in Penticton provincial court on Monday, but it has been adjourned with no new date scheduled.

“I have no idea where I would go after this,” John said. “Nowhere to turn, nowhere to plant our feet.”

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Injunction to clear Penticton encampment

While empathetic to the plight of the encampment residents, nearby businesses are frustrated.

“I was hoping for a little bit more forward progress and now it seems like it’s all completely halted again,” said Luke Bradley, truck sales consultant at Inland Truck and Equipment.

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“They’ve been there for two-and-a-half years, almost three years, and it’s just progressively gotten worse and worse.”

Among the concerns are frequent fires, including the latest one on Thursday.

There have been at least half a dozen fires at the site in the past two-and-a-half months.

Last year, one of the fires spread to the Leisureland RV Centre and destroyed two trailers.

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Penticton frustrated by homeless encampment

Business operators say the risk isn’t just to neighbouring properties but also to the encampment residents.

“Potential danger to themselves, too,” Bradley said. “They’ve been allowed to make a homestead out of it. But it’s not, it’s not a responsible homestead.”

While both sides agreed to adjourn for now, the province won’t elaborate or say what its intention is moving forward, stating, “the matter remains before the courts. ”

The Penticton and Area Access Centre, which promotes equal and just access to all available support services, has taken up the cause and says the adjournment will allow encampment residents more time to find legal representation.

“If they don’t have any representation, they can’t defend themselves,” said Lucy Whittaker, the centre’s executive director.  “They can’t speak up and explain why they are there and where they might, what might be a reasonable solution.”

With the understanding that an injunction is still being pursued, Whittaker issued a plea to the community.

“If there’s any lawyers out there that might be able to take this case on pro bono, we’d really love to hear from you,” Whittaker said.

Bradley said the government needs to take action before anyone is hurt or any more property damage is done.

He also urged the government to provide the necessary support to assist encampment residents.

“The government needs to find a way to help support them and fix this problem,” Bradley said.

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The City of Calgary is proposing an overhaul to the zoning district at the centre of the citywide rezoning debate, as a public hearing into the policy’s repeal continues at city hall.

Citywide rezoning, often referred to as blanket rezoning, saw the city’s base residential zoning changed to Residential Grade-oriented Infill District (R-CG) in August 2024 after an historic public hearing earlier that year.

R-CG was first introduced as a zoning district in 2014, and allows the development of rowhouses, townhomes, semi-detached and single-detached homes with up to four units as well as four secondary suites on a single property.

Redevelopment using the R-CG district would still be allowed even if citywide rezoning is repealed, but it would require property owners and developers to obtain a land-use change at a public hearing.

The changes to the R-CG zoning district up for debate were proposed by Ward 2 Coun. Jennifer Wyness when council voted in favour of kickstarting the process to repeal citywide rezoning back in December.

Those proposed changes include prohibiting mid-block rowhouses and townhouses, limiting where they could be built to the first three parcels at the end of a block.

Wyness’ motion also seeks clawed-back density from 75 to 60 units per hectare, which would reduce the maximum number of units to three with an additional three secondary suites.

A reduction of lot coverage from 60 per cent to 55 per cent, as well as limiting building heights at 10 metres, adding a requirement for contextual setbacks, and eliminating zero lot lines are also proposed.

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“When we listen to everyone speaking today, these are the commonalities of the frustrations of what is being built,” Wyness said in council chambers Friday.

Many of those frustrations are prominent in Ward 4 communities, according to area councillor DJ Kelly.

Kelly said corner lots can have ample parking and can “fit a four-plex for the most part,” while mid-block R-CG developments are “the big problem” in his area.

“Especially when you add in the secondary suites, the four-plus-fours, where are people going to park?  It’s absolutely ridiculous, it doesn’t make any sense,” Kelly said.

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Calgary political party vows to repeal citywide rezoning

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Although the majority of Calgarians speaking to council during this week’s public hearing are focused on whether citywide rezoning should be repealed, Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas told reporters Thursday he is surprised the proposed changes to the zoning district itself aren’t getting more attention.

While in line at the start of the public hearing Monday, Chris Davis with the group Calgarians for Thoughtful Growth said he’s hoping for more consultation.

“I’m concerned about getting into the weeds and starting to amend the R-CG district on the fly without doing what we needed to do all along, which was go out and consult with the community,” said Davis.

Local builders are also warning that making changes to the district “on the floor of council” could result in “unforeseen consequences” that could stifle development and disrupt the city’s approvals process.

According to an analysis by the Calgary Inner City Builders Association (CICBA), a three unit R-CG development isn’t viable and could result in an increased cost of $143,000 per unit for the end user.

“This is a result of spreading the fixed costs of a similar four-by-four project across a unit and a suite in three-by-three project,” CICBA president Grace Lui told city council Monday.

CICBA requested city council strike a stakeholder committee to look at the proposed amendments and the city’s approvals process.

A similar proposal in Edmonton, which would’ve capped the number of units in a midblock redevelopment at six instead of eight, was defeated by council in that city in February.

Around 475 people have signed up to speak at the public hearing to repeal citywide rezoning at Calgary city hall.

If city council approves a repeal, the city’s land-use bylaw would be reset to what was in place prior to the previous city council approving citywide rezoning, with the exception of properties that had development permits approved or any currently under review in the permit process.

City data shows citywide rezoning enabled 1,655 units in 2025, which made up 63 per cent of units through low-density development permits, but 4,500 units have been enabled since the policy took effect in August 2024.

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