Kenora will be one of 38 stops on the Canada Celebrates World Cup tour.
It will stop in the city on July 7th.
That coincides with two group of 16 games, one of Vancover and other in Atlanta, Georgia.
Victor Montagliani is a FIFA vice-president and says it’s their way of sharing the World Cup for people who can’t attend the games.
“We’re bring this to the communities that maybe are not as fortunate to be in the stadium,” Montagliani said during an event to launch Canada Celebrates the World Cup.
“This Canada Celebrates program is free, so anybody can show up and enjoy the sport, and watch the matches, without being in the stadium, watch the matches for free and celebrate football.”
Montagliani says they have been working on the Celebrate Canada tour for a couple of years now.
“We had an extensive process working with local communities, where football lives, over the last two years, working on what they would like to be seeing in their community, where what we have with FIFA.”
The tour will kick off on June 1st in Mount Pearl, Newfoundland and wrap up on July 19th in Niagara Falls, which is the final day of the World Cup.
FIFA says Canada Celebrates will combine live match screenings with soccer activaties, cultural events and sponsor-led programs.
The province is defending it’s record on road safety in northern Ontario.
That’s despite the fact there have been 10 deaths and numerous accidents this winter and spring on Highways 11 and 17.
Premier Doug Ford says they continue to put money into the highway system.
“About $600 million…we’re going full steam on making sure that we expand highways that no governments have never been expanded before,” Ford told a press conference in North Bay Thursday morning.
“The 11/17…the two (lanes) plus one (lane) that’s never been done in North America.”
The Associated Minister of Transportation Rick Bresee says the province is meeting its own timelines to make sure roads are clear after a snowstorm.
“Our target was 90 percent to achieve those goals. We’re actually achieving 98 percent, meeting those timelines and getting sure the roads are cleared as quickly as possible.”
This past week alone Highway 17 between Ignace and Thunder Bay was closed twice due to collisions during snowstorms.
Captain Georgi Daymonov of the SS Sakar was christened with the ceremonial top hat on Thursday morning, marking the Port of Thunder Bay’s first ocean ship arrival of the year.
The Top Hat Ceremony has been around for generations as one of the first signs of spring in the city.
Official guidelines for the Port of Thunder Bay’s annual Opening of Navigation ceremony
It hasn’t exactly felt like spring yet this year, though. Colder temperatures and heavy snowstorms called for tremendous icebreaking efforts from ships like the Edward Massey and the Spur to allow marine traffic through the port.
“Usually by the time the first saltie (ocean ship) arrives, we’re ice-free in the harbour, and that’s very much not the situation this year,” said Chris Heikkinen, CEO of the Port of Thunder Bay. “Every year can pose different challenges, and this year the ice certainly has been a challenge.”
Heikkinan said this is the most ice the Great Lakes have had since 2019.
“(The trip to Thunder Bay) was very tough. It’s a challenge because it was very vast ice, up to one meter,” Daymonov said. “But with the good knowledge of the pilot and good experience, we reached Thunder Bay.”
Daymonov and much of his 18-person crew are from Bulgaria. There are also Romanians and Ukrainians on board. The Sakar is a cargo ship sailing under the flag of Malta.
The Sakar stopped by Thunder Bay to pick up canola on its way to France. The 32,000-ton vessel will stay the night here before setting sail again Friday morning.
“We’ve officially opened the shipping season for international vessels to the Port of Thunder Bay, and this is significant for us,” Heikkinen said. “The international ships are responsible for 25% to 30% of the cargo that is shipped at our port annually, so it’s really important that we recognize the opening of the season when it does occur.”
Mayor Ken Boshcoff attended Thursday’s ceremony. He was once the port’s Director of Marketing. Boshcoff said he was happy to see Daymonov as he has Bulgarian heritage as well.
“The Port has always been a dear place in my heart. And it’s vital for our city. It’s a treat to be here today,” Boshcoff said.
Mayor Ken Boscoff shakes Captain Daymonov’s hand at Thursday’s ceremony (Jacob Henriksen-Willis/April 9 2026)
Basketball Nova Scotia is sending a firm warning to spectators after a fight broke out at the U14 Provincial Club Championships.
Executive Director Lori Lancaster tells our newsroom in an email, it was at the Division 3 Gold Medal Game at Dartmouth High School, March 29.
“We have been told the altercation resulted from some back-and-forth discussions with opposing spectators,” says Lancaster.
The game was called with seven seconds left and did not continue.
“Very unfortunate for the young athletes competing.”
In a statement President Sarah MacEachern says championships are meant to celebrate hard work and passion and everyone deserves to feel safe, supported and respected.
“We want to be clear. Any form of abuse, aggression, or threatening behaviour at our events will not be tolerated,” reads the statement.
This is not the first time Basketball Nova Scotia came down hard on spectators.
A little relief is finally on the way at gas pumps in New Brunswick.
According to an industry source, the price of regular self-serve gas will drop five cents a litre when the prices are adjusted Thursday night.
That would bring the maximum below $1.90 per litre, and represent the biggest single-week drop since early December.
The news is even better on the diesel side, with the maximum price expected to drop nine cents Thursday night.
That would lower the maximum to $2.48 a litre.
Current maximums are just over $1.94 for regular gas and $2.57 for diesel.
In Nova Scotia, maximum regular self-serve prices range from about $1.89 to $1.91 per litre while diesel is selling for between $2.46 and $2.48 per litre.
On Prince Edward Island, the maximum prices are $1.99 a litre for regular self-serve, more than $2.57 per litre for diesel and above $1.93 per litre for home heating oil.
A stretch of downtown New Glasgow has been destroyed after a fire ripped through a row of historic buildings.
In a post on social media, the New Glasgow Fire Department says the blaze started Wednesday afternoon and lasted through until Thursday morning as crews put out hot spots.
“The loss of businesses and apartments will be felt for many years,” says the fire department.
It is unclear what started the fire but New Glasgow fire thanks neighbouring departments for their help.
Mayor Nancy Dicks says the town is deeply saddened by the devastating fire and extends sincere condolences.
“The businesses directly impacted include Zelda’s Flowers, Proud Pets and Twagy Vintage, all valued members of our downtown business community and wonderful downtown partners and friends,” says Dicks.
The tragedy, she says, also impacted 14 people who were tenants in the buildings.
In a statement on social media, Premier Tim Houston says the fire is a heartbreaking loss.
“I’m thinking of everyone impacted. A big thanks to first responders for all they did to get these fires under control to support the community,” says Houston.
Justice Minister Sean Fraser echoes Houston’s remarks saying there was “extraordinary damage” to the core of downtown New Glasgow and thanks first responders.
Nova Scotia is remembering one of its most accomplished athletes.
Nancy Garapick has died at the age of 64. Swimming Canada says she passed away peacefully at her home in Langley, British Columbia.
Garapick rose to prominence at a young age, becoming Canada’s youngest Female Athlete of the Year at just 14 in 1975.
That same year, she set a world record in the 200-metre backstroke at just 13 years old while swimming with the Halifax Trojan Aquatic Club.
She went on to represent Canada at the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal, winning bronze medals in both the 100-metre and 200-metre backstroke.
Over the course of her career, Garapick won 17 national titles and 38 championship medals, along with multiple international honours.
She was inducted into the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame, the Nova Scotia Sports Hall of Fame, and the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame.
Garapick later continued her involvement in swimming at the university level and remained connected to the sport throughout her life.
In a statement, Swimming Canada extended condolences to her family, friends, and the broader swimming community, noting her lasting impact on the sport in Canada.
When Maribel Lopez heard her cruise ship was not going to Bermuda, she even considered cancelling her trip altogether.
“I was definitely a little disappointed and I had second thoughts about even coming to the trip at all,” she said.
Virgin Voyages’ Valiant Lady launched Saint John’s cruise season Wednesday morning — more than two months ahead of schedule.
According to Port Saint John’s cruise ship schedule, the season was not set to begin until June 20.
The ship, with more than 2,000 passengers on board, sailed Monday from New York and was originally bound for Bermuda, but was forced to divert to Saint John due to weather conditions.
Lopez, who is from Brooklyn, N.Y., said with New York still experiencing cold weather, she had “sadly” not put her winter clothes away when she heard the news.
However, she said the diversion meant she had to think more carefully about what to pack to face the negative temperatures in Saint John.
“I definitely packed more relaxed and warmer clothes,” she said. “Some outfits will not be seeing the time of day here but it’s okay.”
Lopez travelled with her friend Rachel Torres, also from Brooklyn. She said both she and Torres are still processing the change of plans and are “rolling with the punches.”
“Ultimately, I had my time scheduled off, and I was like ‘I’m on vacation, so I have to go somewhere’,” she said.
Lopez said she and Torres have enjoyed their time in the city so far and were glad it wasn’t as cold as they expected.
“I mean, it’s a lovely town. It’s a little different than what I’m used to in New York,” she said. “It seems a lot more quieter and calmer, but I kind of appreciate that energy.”
Lopez and Torres weren’t the only disappointed passengers aboard the ship.
Dorian Bowers and Vanessa Perrineau were looking forward to the 26-degree weather, sunshine and pink sand beaches Bermuda had to offer when they learned the ship would instead divert to the much colder Saint John.
“I love Canada, I used to come up here all the time when I was kid, to the thousand Islands, or camping near Ontario, so I’m used to it, [but] I wanted something warm,” she said. “We just got over the cold in New York.”
Dorian Bowers, left, and Vanessa Perrineau are tourists with Virgin Voyages’ Valiant Lady. Bowers says they were looking forward to a sunny vacation in Bermuda. PHOTO: KATHERINE DEL SALTO/ACADIA NEWS
Like many other passengers, Bowers and Perrineau are trying to make the best of their vacation.
Bowers and Perrineau’s first stop in Saint John was the City Market, and Bowers said they were excited to continue exploring the city and pick up some maple syrup and maple cookies.
For other passengers, the diversion not only changed their vacation plans, but also their honeymoon destination.
Eric Bates and his wife, Mariam Sultan, from Baltimore, Md., had initially planned to celebrate their honeymoon in sunny Bermuda when they received notification Friday afternoon that the ship would instead divert to Saint John.
“That’s a little serendipitous,” said Bates.
He explained they had originally planned to take a bus to New York City on Friday and spend the weekend there, but at the last minute decided to change their departure time to Saturday morning.
Eric Bates and wife Mariam Sultan. The couple is celebrating their honeymoon in Saint John due bad weather conditions diverting their cruise ship. PHOTO: KATHERINE DEL SALTO/ACADIA NEWS
“Around 4 o’clock on Friday we received the email saying ‘ahoy sailor, we are swapping that out,’ and so we had time to pack,” he said. “It could’ve been much worse in the sense that we would’ve had to invest in cold weather gear in New York City.”
Bates said he and Sultan have enjoyed their time in Saint John so far. The couple went on a trolley tour, visiting the Bay of Fundy and the Reversing Falls, and were also looking forward to stopping by Tim Hortons.
“I think it’s just wonderful that you can just have such a historic port city. There’s just a lot to look at [and] a lot of wonderful history to learn,” he said.
The Valiant Lady stayed in Saint John for one day and departed Thursday at 4 a.m.
Miners, geologists, prospectors, and investors have descended on Thunder Bay for the 30th annual Northwest Ontario Prospectors Association (NWOPA) Showcase.
Interested parties from across the northwest use the event to network, show off what they’re working on, and tap into the community.
NWOPA President Percy Clark says the event is about “displaying what the northwest has to offer in terms of mineral prospectivity and mining.”
The mining industry in northwestern Ontario is going through a period of optimism, says Clark.
“We see record gold prices, which really spur investors to invest in the industry. We see a lot of support from local, provincial, and federal governments,” he explains. “We also get a lot of support and optimism from maybe the community that isn’t directly involved in mining.”
The government support Clark speaks of includes new efforts to speed up mining permits and the achievement of significant milestones on the path to developing the Ring of Fire.
The showcase allows companies to show off not just their projects, but also the breadth of mineral wealth that can be found across the northwest.
“It’s not just gold, you know, there’s really everything under the sun here,” Clark says.
Representatives from North Rock Engineering show off a drone at their booth. PHOTO: SAM GOLDSTEIN/ACADIA BROADCASTING/APRIL 8, 2026.
NWOPA’s showcase gives companies a chance to show off some of the new tools, gadgets, and technologies that are entering the industry, such as drones.
“If you look back 30 years, the technology has really changed. Everything’s become very digitally driven,” remarks Clark. “Utilizing drone technologies, AI, and just general advancements in technology has made exploration a little bit easier, but also more sustainable and cheaper.”
Two attendees at the 2026 NWOPA examine a piece of equipment. PHOTO: SAM GOLDSTEIN/ACADIA BROADCASTING/APRIL 8, 2026
The 2026 NWOPA Showcase was hosted at the Valhalla Hotel & Conference Centre in Thunder Bay on Wednesday and Thursday.
