Author: Sophie Mitchell

Long-term agreement gives Prime Video exclusive rights to Wednesday night NHL games and select Stanley Cup Playoff series beginning in 2026-27 TORONTO — Rogers Communications and Prime Video have signed a 12-year sublicensing agreement that will make the streaming platform the exclusive Canadian home of nationally broadcast Wednesday night NHL games beginning with the 2026-27 season, further expanding digital access to live hockey across the country. Under the agreement announced Tuesday, Prime Video will exclusively stream national Wednesday night regular-season NHL games in both English and French, while also securing exclusive rights to select Stanley Cup Playoff matchups each year.…

Streaming platform expands August slate with original series, films, documentaries and exclusive sports coverage Prime Video has announced an extensive lineup of original programming, films and live sports arriving throughout August 2026, offering subscribers a mix of scripted dramas, action series, documentaries and exclusive sporting events. The month’s schedule is headlined by the debut of Sterling Point, a coming-of-age drama set in Ontario’s Muskoka region, alongside the return of the hit action series Reacher for its fourth season. New feature films, including Beast Race, The Last Sunrise, The Christophers, and You, Me & Tuscany, also join the platform, while sports…

Vancouver-based country and bluegrass songwriter continues decades-long career with haunting new release rooted in Prairie storytelling VANCOUVER — Canadian country and bluegrass singer-songwriter Mary Garnett Edwards has released her latest single, Boneyard, a dark and emotionally charged track that showcases the veteran artist’s storytelling approach while offering listeners a preview of her forthcoming album, Madhouse. Now based in North Vancouver after growing up in Edmonton, Edwards has spent more than 50 years writing and performing original music. Her latest release draws listeners into a rural setting marked by poverty, betrayal and tragedy, reinforcing the narrative-driven songwriting that has defined her…

Free August 3 festival to feature Glen Washington, Exco Levi, Tonya P and family-friendly cultural celebrations BRAMPTON, Ont. — The JAMBANA One World Festival will return to Brampton Sports Park on Monday, Aug. 3, 2026, bringing a full day of live music, Caribbean culture, food and community programming as part of Canada’s Emancipation Day celebrations. Presented by TD in collaboration with the City of Brampton, the free festival has become one of Canada’s leading multicultural events, drawing thousands of visitors annually to celebrate the history, heritage and contributions of the African and Caribbean diaspora while promoting diversity and inclusion. Running…

Ryan Meili and veteran Saskatchewan musicians release long-awaited debut album blending classic folk rock with Prairie storytelling SASKATOON — Saskatchewan folk rock band Blue Umbrella has officially released its debut album, Recklessly Yours, bringing together a group of seasoned Prairie musicians for a project more than three decades in the making. Available now on streaming platforms and vinyl, the 12-track record is led by singer-songwriter Ryan Meili, widely known across Canada as a family physician, public health advocate and former leader of the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party. The album combines the warm melodies of 1970s folk rock with the raw…

New Brunswick Indigenous singer-songwriter releases emotionally powerful track ahead of upcoming seven-song album Tobique First Nation singer-songwriter Mike Bern has released “The Belt,” a deeply personal new single that examines the lasting emotional scars of war and how those experiences can shape family life across generations. The New Brunswick artist’s latest release continues his tradition of drawing from lived experience, delivering a thoughtful reflection on trauma, resilience and the complexities of fatherhood through the eyes of a child. Produced by Mathieu LeGuerrier, the song serves as the lead single from Bern’s forthcoming seven-song album, expected later this year. The project…

Drumheller’s Heavy Music Festival Unveils 14th Edition Lineup Featuring International and Canadian Metal Acts The Loud As Hell Open Air Festival is set to return to Drumheller, Alberta, from July 31 to August 2, 2026, bringing another weekend of extreme music, camping, live entertainment, and community gathering to the heart of Alberta’s Badlands. Entering its 14th edition, the annual event will once again transform the Dinosaurs Down Stampede grounds into one of Canada’s premier destinations for heavy metal fans. Known for combining live music with Alberta’s distinctive landscape of hoodoos, canyons, and dinosaur fossil beds, the festival will feature performances…

Historic Collaboration Brings Qawwali and Flamenco Together for a One-Night Performance Toronto audiences will witness a unique cross-cultural musical collaboration this fall as Massey Hall and the Aga Khan Museum present the North American premiere of Qawwali Flamenco on November 19, 2026. The one-night performance will feature acclaimed Pakistani qawwali master Faiz Ali Faiz alongside renowned Spanish flamenco guitarist Juan Gómez “Chicuelo”, marking the opening performance of the Aga Khan Museum’s 12th Annual Duende International Flamenco Festival. Scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. at Toronto’s historic Massey Hall, the event introduces Canadian audiences to a production that blends two deeply…

Coroner Confirms Public Inquest Will Examine Circumstances Surrounding 2022 Death Following Transfer from Niagara Detention Centre Ontario’s Office of the Chief Coroner has announced that a mandatory inquest will be held into the death of Tyson Demers, a 26-year-old man who died after being transferred from the Niagara Detention Centre to hospital in 2022. The inquest, confirmed by Dr. Karen Schiff, Regional Supervising Coroner for the West Region, Hamilton Office, will examine the circumstances surrounding Mr. Demers’ death and may result in recommendations intended to help prevent similar deaths in the future. The announcement was made by Ontario’s Ministry of…

Largest Ontario Community Environment Fund Allocation Supports 26 Projects to Protect Air, Land and Water TORONTO — The Ontario government is investing nearly $3 million in 26 community-led environmental projects across the province as part of its ongoing efforts to improve local ecosystems, strengthen environmental resilience and support healthier communities. The funding represents the largest allocation in the history of the Ontario Community Environment Fund (OCEF), with money collected through environmental penalties imposed on polluters being redirected toward conservation and restoration initiatives. The Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks announced the funding on July 28, saying the projects will…