CTV National News for Tuesday, August 22, 2023: B.C. wildfires update; Daring cable car rescue

Tonight the mounting toll of buildings obliterated by ferocious wildfires in BC structures lost or damaged it’s a lot of unknown uh it’s stressful the anguish and frustration on the ground children trapped in a cable car dangling in the air the harrowing rescue in Pakistan plus Shoppers shaken by the sound of gunfire

A frantic scrambled after a shootout inside Canada’s biggest shopping mall CTV national news with Omar sachadina good evening everyone 27 thousand people remained under evacuation order in British Columbia but as of midnight the province is easing a travel ban to several communities in the southern interior including Penticton Vernon

Kamloops and Kelowna but the restrictions have not been lifted in West Kelowna where billowing smoke is now part of the chart landscape these just some of the 200 structures that have burned to the ground and dramatic new video has emerged from three and a half hours Northwest of

There near liluit a swirling Vortex of flames called a fire whirl or fire NATO as Crews responded last week ctv’s Vanessa Lee is in West Kelowna tonight on the front lines of the fire fight still burning out of control and has already destroyed swaths of communities today BC Premier David EBY tried to

Comfort those who have lost everything and Farm some of our band members that they have they don’t have a home to go to frustration is boiling over and some evacuated resources and are refusing to sit back while Flames creep dangerously close to their properties including Jason workington in Lee Creek who scrambled to

Save the home he built with his own hands we had a plan and lots of production and uh and so it wasn’t a hard decision to stay for me when we were here that night it was popping and blowing up like we were Beirut just all you could hear was explosions retired

Firefighter Brad Davies was across the lake when he saw a frantic post from his friend not even an evacuation order was going to get in the way of helping him it’s unfortunate but if helping my best friends against the law I’m probably going to have to consider what the

Repercussions for breaking that law is because I’m still going to help my friend and I think that there needs to be better leadership in organizing all these compassionate people that want to volunteer their skill sets their time their resources and get them in there with wildfires getting more frequent and

Intense there is a desperate plea not just for more resources but to empower people who simply want to help I know for a fact that we saved um one house where the Flames were licking the deck at two in the morning on on Saturday morning after The Firestorm I risk

Authorities are urging people not to take it’s to save your life and uh and it’s to save the lives of First Responders too so that they don’t have to go back in and rescue people from the jaws of the fire officials are also reminding tourists to stay away from the

Lake country and shushwap areas adding non-essential travel to West Kelowna is still not allowed Omar so much Devastation all right Vanessa thank you and as firefighters work around the clock many are noticing their hard work indirectly this is how people are checking the status of their homes from

Their doorbell cameras and it isn’t going unnoticed often you’ve talked back to us through your doorbell cams and told us that we’re doing a good job and that’s new for us but we appreciate that and today after being forced to flee some homeowners finally got a sense of

The destruction ctv’s Alyssa Tebow with their return with smoke of Destruction can be seen for the first time in West Kelowna and along Okanagan like home after home reduced to Rubble by fire others seemingly untouched well we haven’t even taken it all in yet actually because we just got home Ron

Walkerton and his wife watched from their living room as the McDougall Creek Wildfire burned hours later they were evacuated they returned home this morning after the evacuation order was lifted and found large pieces of Embers around their home I think we got lucky we definitely want to thank all the

Firefighters I know there’s lots of people that have lost their homes there which is really sad about 90 homes in West Kelowna and West Bank First Nation have been burned 100 more damaged further north and another six homes lost across Okanagan Lake the damage is significant but there is some good news

To the best of our knowledge at this time there has been no loss of life and there are no Missing Persons of outstanding from the fire officials say it’s still too dangerous for many people to come home and assessment crews are still working this couple doesn’t know

Yet if their home is okay it’s a lot of unknown it’s stressful and they’ve been through this before losing their home in Fort McMurray then rebuilding their lives in BC I said right now I have what is important for me my family and we are safe so as soon we are safe anything

Else can be replaceable it’s now been four days since Flames roared through this community and for the thousands of people still out of their homes the weight is unending I know lots of you are tired you’re tired of being out of your homes you’re tired of this

Situation that we’re in but we’re not giving up more evacuation orders could be lifted as early as tonight with cruise making final Assessments in some neighborhoods but for the area’s hardest hit well this story is far from over Alyssa Tebo CTV News Kelowna the Northwest Territories and the federal government are discussing ways

To safely bring evacuees back home but they’ll have to wait longer there are two parts to the return plan one is fire safety and two is ensuring essential services are back up and operational unfortunately for now it’s not safe to return hot and dry conditions are making the fire fight

Harder roughly 68 percent of the territory’s population has been evacuated and evacuees from those wildfires found themselves caught up in another frightening situation in Edmonton they were inside the country’s largest shopping Center when it was suddenly locked down because of a shooting ctv’s Nicole Weisberg reports awaited from the

From next Monday Night by going for dinner and shopping at West Edmonton Mall and then when we were shopping we heard an alarm and we didn’t really know what it was at first I thought maybe there was a shoplifter the alarm that rang out over the mall’s

PA system told Shoppers to shelter in place people were seen running to safety into any shop with the doors open while the police tactical team swept them all the price family went into a Footlocker store staff brought them into a back room where they stayed about two hours

We heard quite a few different things we heard there was two dead bodies in the theater then we heard there was another dead body outside of Simon’s I never thought I’d have to experience something like that as the incident unfolded police warned about misinformation being posted online when the lockdown was

Lifted just before 10 pm police confirmed three men were seriously injured in a shooting they believe it was targeted involving two groups outside two of the males collapsed on the pavement with serious injuries and the two others fled into the mall police found there that was shot at hasn’t been

Found and the people who fired at them from a white SUV remain at large we are incredibly lucky that nobody lost their lives yesterday that no innocent people were injured not even a year ago we had a flood and then there was the fire two times we had to be evacuated because of

A fire and now there’s this so what’s going to be the next thing the mall was back open today and officials say they’ll continue working with police to ensure the highest degree of safety for their patrons Nicole Weisberg CTV News Edmonton firefighters in northeastern Greece discovered the bodies of 18 people near

A Shack in an area destroyed by a massive wildfire and there’s speculation the victims may have been migrants in the port town of alexandropolis more than 60 patients from a hospital were evacuated to a ferry today hundreds of firefighters have been battling to contain a nearby fire that started

Saturday in Pakistan a group of students had a terrifying close call they were using a cable car that connects to another village where their school is located when the cables snapped turning a four-minute journey into an hours-long mid-air Rescue Mission here’s ctv’s John venaveli Rao the harrowing scene shortly after the

Accident shows the cable car on an angle precariously dangling from a single wire stuck halfway across a Ravine and trapped inside six children and two adults who used to lift daily to get to a school in a mountainous region with few roads the race to rescue them

Happening in an area north of Islamabad the children ranging in age from 11 to 15. the car essentially hanging by a thread 300 meters up after a cable snap relatives and people on the ground watching and praying as Pakistan’s military early on sent helicopters in a

Daring move a Commando tried to repel to the car but some worried the Chopper’s downwash could destabilize it and break the remaining cable and the first attempts were aborted across Pakistan people were transfixed by the rescue efforts which were also hampered by strong winds eventually a harness was lowered to a passenger who

Then stepped out of the car and was lifted to safety to the cheers of those watching but as Darkness approached the Choppers were called off Rescuers then deployed a makeshift chair lift and showing incredible bravery they managed to create a ziplock the passengers were then pulled to safety

For some nearly 16 hours after their ordeal began when the helicopter oppression could not go on uh in the dark I think The Rescuers uh made this Brave decent because they didn’t want the kids to be waiting all night and the parents to be suffering from anxiety in

Rural regions of Pakistan cable cars are common and tonight many leaders there calling for new inspections of them CTV News Toronto a political Scandal over developing protected land has led to a sudden resignation tonight in Ontario Ryan Amato has stepped down from his role as Chief of Staff to the housing Minister

After a report found developers with access to a motto wound up with 92 percent of the land removed from the protected Green Belt the opposition is also calling on housing Minister Steve Clark to resign housing has been a key issue at the federal cabinet retreat in Charlottetown and today the new

Immigration Minister responded to an idea floated by the new housing Minister about capping the number of international students to ease the crunch we have to address this in a smart way it includes potentially looking at a cap but if we’re only looking at a cap we’re only addressing a partial part of that

Problem and ecosystem that it’s created it’s a move that could impact Canadian universities and colleges who rely on high International tuition fees to help pay the bills and joining us now is ctv’s Chief political correspondent vashi kapelos vashi we’ve heard a lot about housing being a priority at this cabinet retreat

But this isn’t the first time the Liberals have made this a key issue there was a National Housing strategy back in 2017 then two years later legislation to designate housing as a human right and yet it Still Remains a crisis in this country so specifically what new tools are the Liberals looking at

Yeah they’ve made some progress but not early enough to meet the moment right the cmhc says 5.8 million new homes have to be created by 2030 in order to restore affordability in this country today cabinet ministers heard from a slew of experts many of whom I spoke to

They told me that they told cabinet it is possible to accomplish that but it will require a whole new set of tools as you alluded to there including for example waving GST and HST on rental property building clearing up a backlog that’s a year long at the cmhc for

Apartment building things of that nature so not a lot of extra money but a lot of new ideas were put on the table another big issue at this Retreat vashi 15 billion dollars in spending cuts the new treasury board president Anita Anand has ordered ministers to make what’s been

The reaction to that and what social programs could take a hit well we don’t really know yet what they’re going to Target it’s going to happen over the next five years what we did learn today from Minister Anand was what she won’t Target services for First Nations she said won’t be touched by

Those cuts as well as services for deployed Armed Forces members it’s key to remember some extra context here Omar that of course the feds have been under a lot of pressure to spend more on defense so Cuts there at this time probably would not go over too well all

Right vashi thank you for this tonight and in the west RCMP and Prince George are investigating the cause of a terrifying explosion they are calling suspicious it sent three people to hospital ctv’s BC bureau chief Melanie Naji on the chaos in the middle of a northern BC City

A shocking explosion shattered the early morning silence sending a column of choking black smoke into the air at seven o’clock this morning most of Prince George felt the Shockwave from a large explosion that occurred right in the heart of our downtown core video posted to social media shows people

Stumbling out of a flattened building moments after the blast it was a restaurant it has been closed for maybe a decade so it’s been a while since that building has been used in the aftermath the local hospital prepared for a Code Orange meaning staff were ready for Mass

Casualties but in the end only three people were in need of treatment I can confirm that at least one of those three has injuries that would be considered serious in nature the strength of the explosion was reportedly felt by people living and working as far as five

Kilometers away some of the things fell off those shelves in the shaking Catherine sawnby runs a nearby donut shop that was jolted by the blast we definitely felt the building Shake but I don’t think we were quite knocked off of our feet but we were definitely unsteady RCMP are now investigating and combing

Through video footage in search of Clues as to the cause of the explosion Melanie Nagy CDV News Vancouver coming up I’ve heard loud and clear from parents that are concerned needing the parental okay for a contentious change plus a tasteful tribute on the highs and lows of Ben’s Chili Bowl

Saskatchewan announced a shift today on sex education and the use of pronouns in schools the move requires students under 16 to get their parents permission it’s the kind of policy that has already been met with intense opposition in another Province erctv’s Jill mcashan as Saskatchewan students get ready to

Start a new school year changes I’ve heard loud and clear from parents that are concerned concerned about how their children are identifying in school says the education Minister now a province-wide policy change means schools must seek parental consent when a student under 16 wants to change their names or pronouns

Concern and the complaints have been why are there policies in place that essentially take me out of the picture when it comes to something as critical and as significant in my child’s life this reverse this policy and from Saskatchewan’s largest labor union outing children as part of a political

Gamble is violent and Despicable in New Brunswick students staged a walkout in Spring after similar changes were introduced and in Manitoba with a looming election education policy changes have become a progressive conservative campaign promise it’s time for those parental rights to be updated we should be on Beyond these

Conversations in Canada it’s not up for debate anymore yet Advocates expect more provinces to follow suit making similar changes in the name of parental rights with children’s well-being they say hanging in the bounce in an environment in a home that is not safe it’s not inclusive a child can pick up on that

Very very quickly and will not feel safe to let their parents know who they really are there is pushback in New Brunswick the education policy is being challenged on whether it violates the provincial Human Rights Act and tonight the Canadian civil liberties Association is looking at legal options concerning the changes in Saskatchewan

Jill mcashan CTV News Winnipeg coming up good news after bad a family told by police their grandson was killed only to find out he’s alive and well imagine being told a family member was murdered only to find out he is alive I was numb when they when they told us I

Mean you sit there and you don’t even say a word police told Winnipeg’s Judy pachenko and her partner that their grandson Peter was identified as a homicide victim through dental records back in April they had their doubts all along after receiving a text message from him a week after they were told he

Was supposedly killed kept saying are you sure been there soon yes we’re 99.9 sure this is Peter Days Later Peter actually showed up at his father’s doorstep alive and well Winnipeg Police have since identified the person they claim is the actual victim there is dramatic video tonight

Of a rough Landing for an Alaska Airlines plane during tropical storm Hillary Sparks flew as the plane’s left wing hit the tarmac in Orange County California on Sunday the airline said there was an issue with the landing gear fortunately none of the 112 passengers and crew was injured there was an extremely rare

Sight at a Tennessee zoo a baby giraffe that doesn’t actually look like one the calf was worn a few weeks ago without the typical pattern of patches the zoo believes she is the only one of her kind after the break unity in Washington at least when it comes to an American

Culinary institution with an amazing past they say there’s no such thing as a free lunch but that wasn’t the case today at a unique American restaurant with ties to celebrities presidents and the Civil Rights Movement ctv’s Washington bureau chief Joy malvin on the story behind a legendary chili spot

There was dancing in the streets a block party birthday bash in front of Ben’s Chili Bowl a Washington Landmark celebrating 65 years with free meals you come to get to fancy get it right regular and spicy get your chili cheese fries their signature dish a DC delicacy known

As the half smoke beef and pork sausage with chili and raw onions and mustard it is delicious what’s that taste like mm-hmm it’s so good it’s worth the wait people lining up for hours for that chili Top Dog and to relish the restaurant’s role in America’s Civil Rights Movement well you

See me stand here two hours two three hours yes it is it’s worth the wait for me it’s history in the 60s the diner became a hub for leaders like Martin Luther King whose March on Washington for voting rights was planned right here after about 250 000 people here to protest

1964 the year after we passed a Civil Rights bill so I think we’re making great progress right three two one Virginia alley who started the restaurant with her late husband Ben remembers it well there was the time when a young president made the diner his first stop

It was something that I didn’t believe could happen so we parted all night out there in that street when he won celebrities politicians musicians the walls are lined with famous faces this family-owned restaurant has weathered the pandemic segregation and the 68 riots after King’s assassination Benz was the only place open everything else

Was gone everything I rebuilt but it’s the only thing that stood up so yeah definitely the Legacy for decades the diner has persevered the secret sauce says Virginia the chili is made with a lot of love lots of love dishing up a whole lot of that to a

Community that couldn’t be prouder Joy malvin CTV News Washington what a story and that’s a snapshot of this Tuesday I’ll be back with you on Labor Day Ann Marie medowake will be here tomorrow for all of us SCTV national news thank you for watching and good night thank you

British Columbia residents defying orders to stay away from fires threatening their homes; 3 people injured after a shooting at West Edmonton Mall.

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