Fire Investigators Dig Through the Ashes for Answers in Vulcan Training Exercise

VULCAN, AB  = When a structure burns, investigators begin with a fundamental question: where did the fire start? From there, the investigation seeks to determine how it began and whether similar incidents can be prevented in the future. 

In many respects, the exercise resembles an archaeological dig. Investigators search patiently through layers of damage, debris, and visual clues, working backward from the aftermath toward a point of origin. In heavily damaged structures, that process can become exceptionally difficult. Burn patterns may appear misleading at first glance, making a methodical approach essential.

The challenge is not simply finding evidence. It is correctly interpreting what that evidence reveals.

Firefighters, investigators, and public safety professionals from communities across central Alberta gathered in Vulcan this fall to strengthen their skills in fire investigation, a discipline that blends practical experience with a scientific method of investigation. 

Dozens of Disappeared and Murdered Women

 

The Highway of Tears Revisited

Highway 16 is one of the most beautiful roads in Canada and one of the saddest.

For decades, Indigenous women and girls have experienced disproportionately high levels of violence across Canada. Along Highway 16, a troubling pattern emerged. Young women vanished while travelling between communities. Some were later found murdered. Others have never been found at all. What became known as the Highway of Tears was not merely a series of criminal investigations. It became a story about isolation, vulnerability, transportation, poverty, and the value society places on certain lives.

The Pacific Northwest of British Columbia is connected to the rest of the province by a long ribbon of pavement known as Highway 16. Stretching approximately 724 kilometres between Prince George and Prince Rupert, the route traverses some of the most beautiful and isolated landscapes in Canada. It is a highway of mountain ranges, river valleys, dense forests, and immense distances. For decades, however, it has also carried another name: the Highway of Tears. 

The Child Nobody Could Find

Until It Was Too Late 

An 11-year-old boy was reported missing. More than a year later, homicide charges have been laid 

The most disturbing question may be how long nobody noticed he was gone

 BURNABY, B.C. — The homicide investigation into the death of 11-year-old Kai Pavlovic has produced the outcome everyone feared and nobody wanted. More than a year after a well-being check request first brought police to the case, investigators have announced charges against two Burnaby residents following the discovery of the boy's remains. 

For the wider public, one detail remains particularly unsettling. Early police statements described Kai as, "last known to be living with his family," before the investigation began. Later updates indicated investigators believed he may have been staying with an unidentified caretaker and appealed publicly for that individual to come forward.

That language raises difficult public-safety questions.

Maya Gebala Reaches Another Milestone -- A Big One -- Leaving Hospital

Maya is 1 of 1 for sure 

Maya Gebala has been released from BC Children's Hospital, Oct. 29, 2026, according to her father, David Gebala. Maya is a survivor of critical injury in the library at the Tumbler Ridge school where 6 people were shot to death, and others injured early this year. Maya was airlifted to B.C. Children's Hospital with catastrophic injuries Feb. 10, 2026. 

MAYA RECEIVES YOUTH HEROISM AWARD