In the news today: WestJet strike looms, alert reforms, who let the dogs out?

Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed …

Deadline nears on WestJet flight attendants strike threat

WestJet and its flight attendants union are continuing their contract talks as the clock ticks closer to a possible strike.

If a deal has not been reached by Sunday morning, either side could begin a work stoppage that would see hundreds of flights cancelled during a long weekend in much of the country.

The company has not disclosed how many flights have been cancelled in anticipation of a strike or lockout, but it is standard practice for airlines to wind down flight schedules ahead of a deadline so that planes and crews are not left scrambling to return.

Ahead of the potential strike, WestJet has been allowing passengers travelling between July 30 and Aug. 4 to make a one-time change or cancellation with no fees. 

Ticket holders given notice of a cancellation due to the strike are eligible for refunds.

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Death of Calgary boy with autism hits home for Conservative MP and party leader

Federal Conservatives are demanding a Canada-wide framework for public alerts for missing vulnerable children after the death of a Calgary boy with autism.

Police announced Wednesday that 11-year-old Parker had been found in a labyrinth of pipes under the city, nearly two weeks after he wandered from his daycare home.

Party leader Pierre Poilievre and Alberta MP Mike Lake, both of whom have children with autism, have written to federal Emergency Management Minister Eleanor Olszewski.

They are proposing improved first-responder training and search protocols for missing children with autism and developmental disabilities.

Olszewski says she has received the letter and plans to meet with Lake next week.

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Trial of man accused of killing his nine-year-old daughter to wrap its second week

The last testimonies of the week are scheduled today in the trial of a man accused of killing his nine-year-old daughter last summer during a trip to New York.

Luciano Frattolin is charged with second-degree murder and concealment of a human corpse in the death of Melina Frattolin, who lived in Montreal.

On Thursday, investigators walked the jury through how they tracked the man’s movements in the hours before he reported his daughter was missing.

The prosecution also presented documents police found in his car that include disparaging comments about the girl’s mother.

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B.C. firefighters face critical days as dry fuels and winds increase fire risks

A cold front with gusty winds could bring extreme fire behaviour in areas where British Columbia communities are threatened by wildfires. 

Bryce Moreira with the BC Wildfire Service says the front is expected to move through B.C. by Saturday, bringing gusty winds of 30 to 40 kilometres per hour, creating conditions that can grow fires quickly. 

The service says many areas are “extremely dry,” especially in the southern part of B.C., and Moreira says the days ahead will be critical for firefighters.

Residents near Green Lake, northeast of Clinton, learned Thursday that an upgrade from evacuation alert to an order is a “likely scenario” in the coming days as the Pear Lake wildfire moves in that direction. 

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Alberta lets the dogs out, recruits more canine muscle in fight against mussels

There’s a trio of dogs that spend their summers trying to keep Alberta’s waterways clean.

Alberta has just about a dozen stations scanning boats for invasive mussels, aquatic animals that eat tiny particles in the water, but in large numbers can hog the food from other creatures.

It can lead to fewer and smaller fish in Alberta lakes, so dogs Hilo, Jane and Winnie join the teams of inspectors scanning boats for the species to search for their odour.

Watercraft inspection stations scanned nearly 22,000 watercraft last year, though the canines were not a part of all of those.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 31, 2026.