In the news today: Vigil for Calgary boy, New wildfire report, Muskoka teen drama

Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed …

Vigil held for Calgary boy, 11, found dead in pipe system after disappearance

A vigil was held outside Calgary’s city hall on Wednesday evening for an 11-year-old boy with autism who was found dead inside a labyrinth of water pipes a week earlier.

Parker’s disappearance from a northside day home last month prompted a massive two-week search that saw police officers, search and rescue experts, and residents scour city blocks and blast Disney music to try to find him.

Calgary Police Chief Katie McLellan told those gathered at the vigil that the search was filled with “deeply human” acts of kindness, such as leaving water bottles and snacks for Parker to hopefully find.

Mayor Jeromy Farkas, fighting back tears, said it’s hard to make sense of what happened to Parker. 

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Wildfire damage is pictured from the air in the immediate area surrounding Collins First Nation, a small, remote Ojibwa community located in northwestern Ontario, about 250 km north of Thunder Bay, Ont., on Wednesday, July 22, 2026.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

Climate change made Ontario, N.W.T. fire conditions roughly twice as likely: report

A new report says the conditions that fuelled July wildfires in Ontario and the Northwest Territories were made roughly twice as likely due to human-induced climate change.

The report by an international team of scientists says what were once rare fire conditions are now increasingly likely today due to climate change, driven by the burning of fossil fuels.

The World Weather Attribution report says early observations indicate the hot, dry and windy conditions underlying fires in the Northwest Territories could now be expected to occur every two to six years, and every six to 15 years in Ontario.

In a world without human-caused climate change, the report suggests those conditions would have been much rarer, or less than once in 40 years.

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A CPKC train passes the Brunswick Creek wildfire burning in the mountains, in Boston Bar, B.C., on Thursday, July 9, 2026.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Metro Vancouver wildfire prompts evacuation alerts as Fraser Canyon residents go home

A few dozen properties in a village in Metro Vancouver are under evacuation alert due to a nearby wildfire, while evacuees in British Columbia’s Fraser Canyon may start returning home.

The blaze burning in Belcarra Regional Park has prompted those from 35 properties in the village of Anmore, north of Port Moody, to pack essential items and be ready to leave at a moment’s notice.

The alerts come as residents in and around the Interior community of Boston Bar begin returning after weeks-long evacuation orders were downgraded to evacuation alerts.

The Fraser Valley Regional District says residents must stay ready to leave as the Brunswick Creek and Ainslie Creek wildfires, spanning more than 480 square kilometres, continue to burn out of control.

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FILE — A North Atlantic right whale surfaces on Cape Cod Bay in Massachusetts, Monday, March 27, 2023. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, NOAA permit # 21371)

Internal DFO memo warns Trump-backed bill threatens right whale survival

Staff at the federal Fisheries Department are worried the United States government is about to adopt legislation jeopardizing the survival of the North Atlantic right whale.

That’s according to an internal memo sent to senior officials in the department in May and released to The Canadian Press through an Access to Information request.

The information sheet discusses a bill backed by U.S. President Donald Trump to delay new protections for the critically endangered whale until 2035.

The note says the delay may mean the United States misses the window to implement adequate measures to ensure the species recovers.

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Left to right, Annie Jacobson (Ella Rubin), Maple (Mabel Strachan), Oona (Bo Bragason), and Ramona (AmeÌ�lie Hoeferle) seen in this undated photo from the series Sterling Point. —THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout — Sabrina Lantos/Prime (Mandatory Credit)

Prime Video teen drama ‘Sterling Point’ tackles romance and Muskoka class conflict

Known for its cottage country charm, Muskoka, Ontario, is now featured as itself in the new teen drama series “Sterling Point” on Prime Video.

The show, directed by Megan Park, explores real cultural tensions between longtime working-class residents and wealthy vacationers and developers, reflecting Muskoka’s evolving social landscape.

“Sterling Point” follows 17-year-old Annie, who inherits a property in Muskoka and encounters Ramona, representing the region’s established residents, highlighting conflicts over property and identity.

Muskoka has gained recent attention as a filming location for multiple productions, including “Bachelor in Paradise Canada” and “Heated Rivalry,” boosting its profile.

Park says portraying Canadian stories authentically is important and hopes the series encourages responsible stewardship of Muskoka’s environment.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 6, 2026. 

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