Here is your Morning News Rundown for Tuesday, Nov. 25:

Residents fear housing plans at site of Calgary’s storied Bridgeland School – Metro Calgary

City of Calgary has warned 63 residents about their ‘unidriveways’ to date – Metro Calgary

Public has its say as budget talks begin – Calgary Herald

Morning News Rundown is a post from: CREBNow… Read More

Morning News Rundown is a post from: CREBNow

It is time to plug in the vehicle for many of us when it gets really cold at night.

A Calgary man warns to check electrical cords before plugging-in.

On Nov. 14 around 11 p.m., someone knocked on Andrew Newton’s door and said his garage was on fire.

Newton ran outside to find his 2003 Ford Winstar on fire inside.

“There was some flame and there was quite a bit of smoke coming out from the undercarriage on the driver’s side because the tires were already starting to burn,” said Newton.

He called 911, and the fire department put out the fire before the garage burned down.

They traced the fire to the block heater cord in the vehicle.

“We had some maintenance done about a month, or month-and-a-half, ago and we actually called the guy that did some work on it, and he said he hadn’t looked at the block heater at all,” said Newton.

“But he said he has heard of block heaters causing issues like that before.”

There are not any statistics on block heater fires in Calgary, but according to investigators, exposed or frayed electrical cords cause most fires.

Many auto shops include them on a winter inspection checklist, but mechanics say beyond that, they’re ignored.

Over time, salt, water and heat from the engine can damage the connections, and the older the vehicle, the greater the potential for damage.

“Just over time and continual use plugging in, the cord becomes frail and brittle over time and they can break,” said Dave Dansereau from Lad’s Auto.

“They get closed in hoods and the cord gets broken. We’ve seen them pulled out from somebody forgetting to unplug them, and they get yanked on and then they get pinched.”

Newton is still waiting for the insurance company to settle his claim.

He said when he gets a new vehicle, he will check the block heater connections regularly.

According to the fire department, drivers should only use extension cords designed for outdoor use when plugging-in their cars outside.

CALGARY- RCMP have revealed details about a dramatic arrest near Carstairs on Thursday.

They say on Thursday night, a man allegedly shot a gun at a driver to steal their vehicle on highway 2A near Carstairs.

They say the suspect drove south when Mounties began to pursue him.

The vehicle made a full stop in a field west of Beiseker and after a brief standoff, the suspect surrendered.

They say three guns, brass knuckles, and drugs were found in his possession.

39-year-old Jody Dullian of Drayton Valley now faces nearly two dozen charges including discharge of a firearm, flight from police, and sexual assault.

Dullian will appear in Didsbury provincial court on Monday.

Looking to Calgary’s future growth, the City’s Main Streets initiative will both engage citizens and utilize economic research.

At present, the initiative is gathering local perspectives about main streets issues through a number or workshops throughout the city. There are 24 main streets currently in Calgary, according to the Municipal Development Plan, many of which were formed along historic streetcar lines.… Read More

A look at Calgary’s Main Streets initiative is a post from: CREBNow

Part three of a three-part series looking at the sinister and spooky side of Calgary’s haunted housing history.

Serving as a place of work for more than 140,000 Calgarians, it may go unnoticed that the majority of this city’s historic buildings also reside downtown.

Lurking among the plethora of glass-and-steel towers representing the core’s newer additions are buildings that have managed to withstand the test of time.… Read More

Supernatural city is a post from: CREBNow

Do you believe in ghosts? If you’re a non-believer, Calgary Ghost Tours just might change your mind.

Around for eight years, the company started organizing tours around the historic communities of Inglewood and Kensington – as well as downtown and even Banff – in the search for signs of the dearly departed.… Read More

Pop the Question: Johanna Lane is a post from: CREBNow

Family transforms its home for scares and charity

Not satisfied with simply adorning their lawn with a few pumpkins, one Calgary family continues to take its Halloween decorating to the next level.

For the past 27 years, the Campbell family has annually transformed its otherwise-unassuming Rocky Ridge home into a haven for all things horrifying.… Read More

Their very own scream home is a post from: CREBNow

Making holiday wreaths from nature’s bounty

* photo courtesy Rocky Mountain Wreaths

It’s that time of year, when the days grow short, your windows need scraping and your plastic sparkly wreath comes out from storage for its repeat seasonal appearance.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.You could start cutting greens in your own landscape and bring the rich evergreen smells of the season into your home.… Read More

‘Tis the season is a post from: CREBNow

WATCH ABOVE: As Carolyn Kury de Castillo reports, website surveillance is one of the areas that is being looked and MP Jason Kenney is pushing for legal changes that would grant more powers to preventative detention.

CALGARY- Prominent Calgary MP Jason Kenney says there are lessons to be learned from the attack on Parliament Hill.

Kenney said in order to combat terrorism in Canada, police need more powers.  So he is pushing for legal changes that would grant more powers to preventative detention.

The Calgary MP pointed to the man who killed Patrice Vincent, who was under RCMP surveillance, but could not be detained.

“We are consulting with police and intelligence agencies to see where there are gaps and we will respond accordingly. The most important responsibility of government is to keep Canadians safe and we know that there are terrorists in our country who are under surveillance and if they need to be detained because they are likely to commit an act of violence, then we need appropriate powers to do so.”

Kenney paid tribute to the two soldiers killed last month on Canadian soil.

At Saturday’s poppy parade at Chinook Centre, veterans, cadets, and reservists marched past stores and shoppers, all reminders of those who defend our country.

But this year, many of those watching the poppy parade are even more thankful of men and women in uniform. Joey Bleviss from Calgary’s Poppy Fund said the citizens of Canada have now come to recognize that it can happen on our own soil.

“That was just devastating. It just doesn’t happen overseas. I think that has brought awareness to the citizens that there is a need for protecting and for valuing our men and women who go to war for us.”

“These men were targeted and killed by a terrorist because they were Canada’s uniform,” Kenney said.

“I think it’s a pointed reminder that every person who serves in Canada’s uniform is putting their lives on the line. To the defense of all of us. It’s also a reminder that there are  people around the world who would do us harm and that we can never take our national security for granted,” Kenney said.

Kenney also says that Canada may need to look at getting tougher on websites that are recruiting possible terrorists and  that website surveillance is one of the areas that is being looked at.

“There are no legal powers to do so. So we are looking at what powers we may need to prevent online radicalization of individuals,” Kenney said.

Jonathan Denis, Alberta’s justice minister says more police powers are on the table, but he also wants to work with the Muslim community to prevent recruitment.

“I hate to make a knee jerk reaction. I think we need to look at the broader perspective, look at the reports and see what can be done to prevent this in the future,” Denis said.

But civil rights groups caution, the calls for new police powers may be an overreaction.

A joint statement this week from 15 privacy and information commissioners raised concerns that proposed measures could infringe on civil liberties and privacy rights.

On Monday, Canada’s public safety minister tabled a bill that would expand the powers of CSIS to monitor and track suspected terrorists and provide increased protection for confidential sources.

“We are consulting with the appropriate authorities and we will be responding accordingly. We have a bill in Parliament right now to add additional powers for CSIS our intelligence agency, to be able to monitor Canadian terrorists abroad but there are clearly some more things we need to do here domestically learning from the two recent terrorist incidents in Canada.”

CALGARY- Some animals at the Calgary Zoo were treated to pumpkins, yams and gourds over the Halloween weekend.

The Amur tigers and otters enjoyed snacking on the orange treats Saturday.

Two species each day received special enrichment items.

On Halloween, Friday October 31st, it was also Lobi the hippo’s 8th birthday.