1. Calgary’s state of local emergency to continue for at least one more week
Calgary city officials said in a briefing this morning that the local state of emergency will last at least another week and could possibly extend beyond that. The Calgary Emergency Management Agency director said the cleanup process is still in the early stages as pumps draw water out of downtown and Beltline buildings at a rate of 1.08 million gallons an hour. Approximately 10,900 customers are still without power across the city with the majority in downtown and Beltline. [Calgary Herald]
2. Return to High River still days away
Officials are close to announcing a re-entry timeline for residents returning to High River but it may be days or even weeks before they’re allowed to come home. Even though the majority of the community is still without basic services, approximately 300 of the city’s 13,000 residents ignored the evacuation orders. High River was hit the hardest from flooding that rocked southern Alberta last week. [CTV]
3. Winnipeg transitway’s second phase grows in scope and cost
New figures from Winnipeg’s chief operating officer have increased the projected cost of the Southwest Transitway from $350 million to up to $600 million, as the project now includes the construction of a new busway bridge across Pembina Highway, the reconstruction of an underpass under Pembina Highway and a sewer replacement in the vicinity. Funding for the project remains in limbo as the province and the city continue to squabble over where the money should come from and how much each party should contribute. [Winnipeg Free Press]
4. Saskatoon seniors home throws 1940s-themed prom for residents who missed out from the war
Last night, Preston Park Retirement Residences organized a 1940s-themed high school prom complete with period music and dinner menus for residents who never had one due to the Second World War. More prom nights in this fashion are being organized for all 19 residences run by All Seniors Care in Saskatchewan. Later this week, College Park Retirement Residence in Regina will host a similar event. [CBC]
5. Former Winnipeggers whose daughter died in Newtown give their first Canadian interview
The parents of Ana Márquez-Greene, the six-year-old former Winnipegger killed in the Sandy Hook shooting in last December in Newtown, Conn., spoke to CBC about their daughter and their pledge to end gun violence. The Márquez-Greene family lived in Winnipeg for three years where father Jimmy Greene taught music at the University of Manitoba before moving to Newtown in July 2012. The parents said Ana thought of herself as partly Canadian. [CBC]