Homeowners in designated southern Alberta floodways can apply for relocation compensation until Aug. 30, said a release today from the Alberta Government.

Processed through the Disaster Recovery Program, Albertans who choose to move out of floodway areas have the option to sell their property to the government. Homeowners who take part will recieve 100 per cent of their 2013 municipal property tax assessed value.… Read More

Flood relocation deadline approaching is a post from: CREBNow

Today Calgary Economic Development and Calgary Chamber held a Business Recovery Task Force Commemoration sharing stories from local businesses impacted by 2013 flooding.

Also released at the event was an Emergency Business Contact Database to help facilitate communication and collaboration between the Calgary Emergency Management Agency (CEMA) and the business community during emergencies such as natural disasters.… Read More

In Quotes: Local businesses commemorated is a post from: CREBNow

West Village plans cast future of downtown core into spotlight

Construction cranes that dot the east downtown skyline are providing Calgarians a not-too distant
vision of what the city’s core might soon look like.

Yet industry experts suggest future plans in the underdeveloped West Village will provide a better understanding of what’s really in store in the heart of Calgary.… Read More

The new west is a post from: CREBNow

Watch above: Many frustrated fans stormed out of Commonwealth Stadium after spending part of the game waiting for 50/50 tickets that some didn’t even get to buy. Laurel Gregory reports.

EDMONTON — A 20-year-old Edmonton man who attended Thursday night’s Eskimos game is $348,534 richer, after winning the highly anticipated 50/50 draw.

The winner came to the Eskimos’ office first thing Friday morning. An official cheque presentation has been scheduled for Tuesday.

READ MORE: Meet the 20-year-old who won the Eskimos’ 50/50 jackpot 

Last night’s win amounts to more than half of the total amount handed out last season. In 2013, $678,353 was awarded to 10 different winners.

It’s also more than most CFL players will make in a year.

Just over 40,000 people attended the game at Commonwealth Stadium, and many stood in long lines for a chance to get their hands on the enormous prize.

Edmonton police officers were on hand to control crowds, as there were some frustrated fans who weren’t able to buy a ticket before sales were cut off.

Several people said they stood in line for more than an hour to get tickets for the jackpot, which hit $250,000 by the middle of the second quarter.

READ MORE: Where’s the other half of the Eskimos’ 50/50 jackpot going?

Many fans were less than impressed with the wait time.

“Ridiculous. Epic fail. Epic fail,” said Eskimos’ fan Daniel Gilchrist as he finally reached the front of a line. “I’ve already invested more than an hour in line, you’ve gotta go through with it.”

“I bought $260 worth of tickets,” said Donny, an Esks fan.

“My wife went through one lineup… and she was an hour.”

WATCH: Eskimos’ VP of Marketing speaks about 50/50 draw complaints and the big winner

The Eskimos didn’t expect such huge interest in the 50/50.

“I think it was the perfect storm of 50/50 and the football game,” said Allan Watt, the team’s vice president of marketing.

“We anticipated that, when the pot started at $72,000, that we might get to $150,000.

“Well, with 10 minutes after the gates are open, it’s already $100,000 and before the game started it was $150,000 and very soon after it was $200,000.

“We thought for sure that we could handle $200,000 over the first half of the game and into the third quarter, which is what our licence allows us to do… We had no idea. We’re at the maximum number of sellers, the maximum number of units,” said Watt.

“We were just overwhelmed by the maximum number of potential buyers.”

“Not having ever seen anything like this before, you just say to yourself ‘we just somehow have to gut it out tonight.’”

The football team said due to the massive volume of tickets, it was unable to draw the winning 50/50 number during the game. It was announced early Friday morning, on social media and through a post on the team’s website.

“Clearly when we had a situation like this, it just, it was a runaway,” said Watt.

“If we ever get in that position again, we need to be a little bit more robust in how we handle that,” he added.

The 50/50 jackpot began at $71,732 Thursday night. The unclaimed amount was carried over from the game against the Ottawa Redblacks on Friday July 11. During that game, the winning number was drawn in the final minutes of the game and then posted online, but no one came forward to claim the prize before the July 15 deadline.

WATCH: Thursday night’s Eskimos game could mean big win for lucky football fan

Edmonton leads the way when it comes to 50/50 ticket sales. Thanks to new electronic ticketing, buyers have three options: one ticket for $5, three tickets for $10 or 10 tickets for $20. The new system has resulted in much larger jackpots since it was introduced in 2012.

The pot at the pre-season game on June 13 was over $45,000, while the season opener on July 4 saw one lucky winner take home nearly $74,000.

Edmonton Eskimos players and staff are not allowed to purchase tickets. However, that didn’t stop them from speculating before the game, how high the jackpot would go.

“I would expect it to be between $150,000 to $200,000,” said Edmonton Eskimos’ quarterback Mike Reilly. “I would imagine they would draw at least as much as they did last time, plus with the added excitement probably more. So, over $200,000? I don’t know.”

Others  mused on what they would do if they did win. Head coach Chris Jones, born in Tennessee, said he would share the wealth.

“My mom has been a school teacher her whole life,” Jones told reporters.

” I’d probably buy my momma a house down south. Because it doesn’t cost very much down south, so I’d probably my momma house down there.”

Thursday night’s attendance was 40,066. The Edmonton Eskimos lost their first game of the season, and the battle of Alberta 26-22 to the Calgary Stampeders.

Watch above: Wind and rain is wreaking havoc around the Capital Region, including at the Edmonton International Airport, where dozens of flights have been cancelled or diverted. Fletcher Kent reports.

EDMONTON – Officials with the Edmonton International Airport say they are working to get back on schedule after approximately 48 flights were cancelled or diverted due to high wind conditions Friday.

Shortly before 5:30 p.m., EIA said the high wind weather event was subsiding. However, flight delays may continue as the airport works towards normal operations.

Earlier in the day, Heather Hamilton, a communications officer with EIA, said there were wind gusts of up to 95 km/h Friday.

In addition to the 48 flights that were cancelled or diverted, many flights experienced delays.

Jody Moseley, director of communications for the Calgary Airport Authority said 11 flights were diverted to Calgary. Passengers are being bused from Calgary to Edmonton.

People on other flights scheduled to leave from Edmonton are being transported to Calgary by bus to catch their flights there.

The airport is operating under high wind conditions which continued for most of the day.

READ MORE: Wet, blustery weather across Edmonton and Central Alberta 

The EIA is still operating and the runway is open. Some flights continue to arrive and depart.

“The decision to divert or cancel flights is guided by airline policy, and at the discretion of the pilot in the interest of passenger safety,” said EIA in a statement.

Passengers whose flights have been cancelled should contact their airlines for rebooking.

Flying to/from @FlyEIA today? Please check your flight status at http://t.co/8rVRBIwc58 before coming to the airport. #YEG

— WestJet (@WestJet) July 25, 2014

Travellers are asked to check the EIA’s website for flight information before leaving for the airport.

Passengers scheduled – or rebooked – for flights Friday night and Saturday are being asked to arrive at least two hours before their scheduled flights.

CALGARY – Calgary’s Muslim and Jewish leaders have condemned tensions during recent rallies in the city over the Gaza conflict.

Leaders of both religious groups met Thursday after an imam reached out to Jewish leaders and requested a meeting.

Last week, a protest at city hall in support of Palestinians killed by Israeli fire in Gaza turned violent when a handful of Israeli supporters showed up.

Some men began pushing and shoving, and one man stomped on an Israeli flag before police moved in and separated the groups.

Police have also charged a man after two replica handguns were brought to a pro-Israel rally earlier this week.

The leaders have agreed imams will invite rabbis to speak at mosques and rabbis will invite imams to speak at synagogues to promote understanding.

“Violence cannot be tolerated under any circumstances. We may disagree on issues and perspectives but we are firmly against resolving disputes and conflicts through violence,” reads a statement from both sides following the meeting.

“The only way to resolve disputes and conflicts is through dialogue and the promotion of mutual understanding.”

The meeting was held at the Beth Tzedec synagogue.

For most of the Muslim leaders, the joint statement said, it was the first time they had ever entered a synagogue and met a rabbi.

“We believe in the freedom of expression. This is a treasured value of Canadian society that every citizen has an equal right of expression. We recognize and respect the rights of both the pro-Palestine and pro-Israel individuals and groups,” the statement said.

“They have the right to protest and lobby for their causes, but these protests and rallies must be peaceful and law-abiding. We will never allow anyone to disturb the peace of our city.”

WATCH ABOVE: Global meteorologist Nicola Crosbie’s weather forecast from Friday’s edition of the News Hour. For more info, check out Global Edmonton’s weather page.

EDMONTON – High winds and heavy rain drenched areas across the Capital Region Friday, wreaking havoc on city roads, trees, power lines and resident’s basements.

The weather caused flight delays and cancellations at the Edmonton International Airport. As of 2:00 p.m. Friday, approximately 48 flights had been cancelled or diverted. EIA says passengers whose flights have been cancelled should contact their airlines for rebooking.

READ MORE: High winds cancel or divert dozens of flights at EIA 

Margie Balaneski, who lives in the area of 145 Avenue and 96 Street, spent most of the evening vacuuming water out of her basement after area sewer lines backed up into her home.

Balaneski says she has a back water shut off valve, but “it couldn’t hold the pressure that came through the lines.”

This isn’t the first time Balaneski has been forced to clean up following heavy rainfall; in August 2013, she was vacuuming water out of her basement after an intense overnight thunderstorm.

“We experienced the same problem. We have sewer water in the basement and we have been busy… vacuuming it up, taking it out in bucket loads,” she explained Friday night.

“History has repeated itself.”

READ MORE: Flooding in Edmonton following overnight storm

Due to the extreme weather, the Interstellar Rodeo was cancelled Friday night.  Artists that were set to play Friday - or whose flights had been cancelled or delayed – will be moved to Monday.

“Edmontonians are hearty, and not afraid of a little rain,” said producer Shauna de Cartier, “but the high winds and rain make for unsafe conditions and we decided to work on a Plan B.”

Organizers say Corb Lund and the Hurtin’ Albertans, scheduled to perform Friday, will be back Monday night. Saturday and Sunday performances will go ahead as scheduled. All Friday Interstellar Rodeo tickets will be honoured on Monday night.

The wet weather also rained on Taste of Edmonton’s parade Friday night.

More sad news. We’ll have to shut down at 7pm tonight due to flooding. Still have a couple wet hours left though! #yeg #yegwx

— Taste Of Edmonton (@TasteOfEdm) July 25, 2014

Okay update, we should be able to stay open as long as people keep coming. Restaurants will be open as long as it’s safe to cook!

— Taste Of Edmonton (@TasteOfEdm) July 25, 2014

But, earlier in the day, some brave souls battled the rain to check out the treats.

“There are no line-ups,” said Amber Durocher.  “You don’t have to push anyone out of your way and the food is just as good.”

Concerts at the K-Days midway went ahead as scheduled Friday night. Northlands staff offered free gate admission after 6 p.m.

Summerland Tour won’t be washed away! Free @KDaysyeg gate admission after 6 p.m. tonight. https://t.co/PbmMStePaQ #KDAYS

— K-Days (@KDaysyeg) July 25, 2014

The nightly fireworks show was cancelled, though, as the grounds closed following the concerts.

According to Global Meteorologist Nicola Crosbie, a cold low has moved in from Northern B.C., creating major instability across central Alberta.

Rain was falling at a rate of about five mm per hour, which Crosbie says is significant.

The unofficial rainfall amount in west Edmonton is 100 mm, which Crosbie says fell between 11 p.m. Thursday and 5 p.m. Friday. The average rainfall for July is 94 mm, according to Crosbie.

A wind warning was in place for much of the day, but it was dropped by Environment Canada by Friday evening.

Fortunately, this wet and rainy day is not expected to carry on throughout the weekend.

“The good news is the forecast really improves for Saturday,” Crosbie explains. “A strong ridge of high pressure builds in again and temperatures will head into the 30s by Tuesday.”

CALGARY- A Calgary couple is heartbroken, after the dog they were trying to adopt was euthanized.

Three weeks ago, Nicole and Malcolm Graham found a one-year-old dog on their lawn. They kept it overnight, and say it behaved like any other pup.

“He went through the gamut, he played with our dogs in the backyard,” Malcolm Graham says. “We didn’t see anything that made us nervous.”

The next day they contacted Animal Services in hopes of returning ‘Kingston’ to his family, but his owners couldn’t be tracked down. The city then took it in for behavioural assessments which are standard procedure for adoptions—but Kingston failed the tests.

Kingston was euthanized on July 25, despite a family wanting to adopt him.

Graham says the city refused their numerous offers to try and help the dog themselves.

“They wouldn’t even entertain the idea of exploring options and bringing experts who are suited to this exact issue to the dog. We suggested to the city that we put the dog in a familiar environment and in training for specifically high-anxiety dogs. We committed to pay for that ourselves.”

The city says that the dog displayed fear, which usually leads to aggression, and they couldn’t take the risk of adopting Kingston out.

“In my opinion, if we adopt a dog out knowing that there’s a problem, we would still hold some liability,” explains Doug Anderson from Animal and Bylaw Services. “Because we were aware of it and still proceeded.”

Kingston was put down on Friday afternoon.

EDMONTON – A man wanted for an alleged kidnapping in south Edmonton early Monday morning was arrested in Calgary Thursday afternoon.

The Calgary Police Service arrested Kemol Delano Creary at a bus stop after a series of violent events over the past few days.

Creary was initially wanted on multiple warrants after allegedly attempting to kidnap a 23-year-old woman after she was dropped off at home in the area of 104 Street and 24 Avenue just before 2:30 a.m. Monday.

READ MORE: Police searching for alleged kidnapping suspect

The Edmonton Police Service says the 25-year-old man allegedly went to Calgary in a stolen vehicle on Wednesday.

Police say Creary reportedly showed up at a Calgary woman’s home with a weapon and demanded she make contact with the Edmonton woman he allegedly tried to kidnap earlier this week.

It’s not known if the two women are known to each other.

Police say Creary was apparently trying to get the woman to arrange a meeting with the 23-year-old Edmonton woman, who declined the offer.

On Thursday, police say the Calgary woman was able to once again contact the Edmonton woman to let her know Creary allegedly had a weapon and was looking for her. The Edmonton woman then called police.

Calgary Police were able to locate and arrest Creary in the area of Centre Street and Blackthorn Road around 2:30 p.m. Thursday.

Creary is now facing numerous charges from both the Calgary and Edmonton Police Services including:

CALGARY- Two rallies are being held by both Jewish and Muslim groups on Friday, just one week after emotions spilled over at a similar protest in downtown Calgary.

Pro-Israel and pro-Palestine groups plan to converge around City Hall at 6 p.m., to voice their concerns over the conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

The rallies are being held exactly one week after violence broke out at a march to show solidarity with Palestinans. A handful of Israeli supporters showed up, and a confrontation broke out that saw men begin pushing and shoving, and one person even stomped on an Israeli flag.

READ MORE: Calgary’s Jewish community calls violent downtown protest ‘shameful’

In response, the city’s Jewish and Muslim leaders had a meeting on Thursday to try and promote understanding.

CALGARY-  A massive fire broke out in southeast Calgary on Friday night, sending debris flying blocks away.

Fire crews were called just after 8 p.m. to the area of 120 Ave. and 46 St., which is near the Consolidated Gypsum warehouse.

Thick plumes of black smoke could be seen billowing into the sky from across the city.

Several fire crews rushed to the scene, and managed to get it under control a short time later.

So far there is no word on a cause or damage estimate.

Below are images of the fire taken from social media:

Firefighters on scene in the SE. #yyc @GlobalCalgary pic.twitter.com/33MMlDeB24

— Zoë Geddes-Soltess (@zodot) July 26, 2014

Big fire off deerfoot near douglasdale @GlobalCalgary pic.twitter.com/Yca1soriui

— Butcher (@tikisand1shot) July 26, 2014

Smoke continues to pour into the sky in the SE of #yyc @GlobalCalgary pic.twitter.com/gJmI9oPwF9

— Melissa Ramsay (@MeliRamsay) July 26, 2014

@GlobalCalgary pic.twitter.com/lGRJ6Wj6Ux

— Spencer Williams (@SpencerWilla15) July 26, 2014

Fire in south east calgary @CBCCalgary @GlobalCalgary pic.twitter.com/gTf9gzKYfM

— Sofia Lindsay (@sofiarsl) July 26, 2014

#fire #yyc @GlobalCalgary pic.twitter.com/WzNtAuQJAZ

— Tim Lindsay (@siroso123) July 26, 2014