Winds of change: tracking Canada’s extreme weather events

At around 4 p.m. on May 21, 2022, Salwa Saikaley was making coffee in the kitchen at the back of her south Ottawa home when her husband, Toufic, shouted from the front of the house: “Come here, come here, come here!”

Salwa ran to the glassed-in sunroom and looked out in disbelief. The skylight from their second-floor bathroom was lying shattered on the driveway, and the side of the house had been blasted with insulation. According to Toufic, a “black wind” had raced down the street, seemingly out of nowhere, tearing trees out by their roots.

Rushing back to the kitchen, Salwa looked out to see the neighbour’s tree lying across their backyard, the fence crushed beneath it. Their patio set had been flung across the yard, narrowly missing a window, and was now embedded in the dirt of their freshly planted garden, along with strips of aluminum siding, broken fence boards and more insulation. Up and down the street, similar tableaus of destruction suggested something stronger than an average thunderstorm had just torn through the suburbs south of the capital’s core: a metal signpost bent to a 45-degree angle, the snapped-off tip of a fir tree wrapped around it; roofs stripped down to their decking but, curiously, only on the western side. The Saikaleys had never seen anything like it.

Natural, accident or arson? Wildfire season begins each spring when heat, wind and dry vegetation fuel fires that can last for days and move incredibly quickly. Between April and September, about 8,000 wildfires are reported annually across the country, and when they encroach on communities, the risks to humans multiply. While climate change exacerbates the fire risk, humans start more than half of all wildfires — sometimes intentionally. And they invariably leave evidence behind.

With smoke in the air and the ground still smoldering, fire investigators and handlers with sniffer dogs arrive on the scene in a wildfire’s wake. They look for burn patterns in the grass or trees, deeply scorched areas and any signs that an accelerant, like gasoline or diesel, was used. They want to know where the fire originated and what — or who — started it. The dogs sniff out potential accelerants and investigators take samples.

The tintamarre showcases the vitality of the Acadian culture — and some supersized papier-mâché heads

By Darcy Rhyno with illustrations byAaron McKenzie Fraser

When I don the giant head, I become an instant celebrity. A woman puts her arm around me to have her photo taken. Children gather at my feet and gaze up, half curious, half scared. One reaches up to touch the beard to see if it’s real. Everywhere I turn, people are snapping my picture. Others wearing giant heads are equally popular. The attention has me feeling like someone else entirely, someone larger than life. And, I think, that’s the point.

I’m outside l’Université Sainte-Anne in the municipality of Clare, N.S., where an energetic Acadian band is playing traditional tunes that have people dancing on the grass. Even with the weight of the massive papier-mâché head threatening to topple me, I feel compelled to dance, too. More arms around me. More photos. Acadian flags everywhere. The French tricolour with the distinctive yellow star painted on faces. Tricolour socks. Tricolour wigs.

Canada is bursting with great ideas. Some of them are small, affecting a single community. Some are changing the whole world.

In a way, the scope hardly matters. When innovation strikes, it tends to spread. You see a bold new solution affecting one part of your life and you start thinking about other ways to make a difference. Great ideas are everyone’s business.

That’s why, in 2018, the Rideau Hall Foundation convened the Canadian Innovation Space, a partnership of cross-disciplinary organizations that strives to build a stronger, more resilient culture of innovation in Canada. A major component of the program is Canadian Innovation Week, which takes place annually in the third week of May and aims to shine a spotlight on the people and organizations developing technology and programs to improve the lives of Canadians and the health of our communities and ecosystems from coast to coast to coast.

This special departure of our Annapurna Sanctuary Photography Trek in Nepal is led by Javier Frutos. Trek the Annapurna Base Camp with this incredible RCGS photographer, explorer, and adventurer. This special photographic departure includes breathtaking scenery and trekking with a helpful photographer’s eye by your side. From photographing glaciers in the Alps to penguins in Antarctica, Javier has extensive experience and will be on hand to share the secrets to wildlife and nature photography surrounded by some of the most fascinating scenery in the world.

The Annapurna Himal is a vast mountain range with several peaks above 7,000 metres. Part of the range forms a natural amphitheatre known as the Annapurna Sanctuary, ringed by such giants as Annapurna 1, Glacier Dome, Gangapurna, Fang, and Machhapuchhare. The trek starts through forested hillsides before arriving at the Sanctuary with its panoramic views of the Annapurna. At higher altitudes, the close-up mountain views are perhaps the finest in the world. There is a day to explore this awe-inspiring mountain arena before returning to Pokhara via a different route.
Meet your ambassador: Javier Frutos

Check out these other upcoming trips:
- Consummate Explorer Package with Ocean Quest Adventures
- Saskatchewan Whooping Cranes with Carol Patterson
- Heli-hiking in the Cariboos with Robin Esrock