In the news today: B.C. wildfire losses, GM talks start, Montreal police scandal

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

Evacuees slowly learn of losses from B.C. wildfire that forced thousands to flee

The thousands forced out by the Bald Range wildfire in the South Okanagan region of British Columbia are slowly coming to terms with their losses.

Kyla Gaudiuso says she found out her home in Faulder, B.C., west of Summerland, had been destroyed when she received a photo of the ridge where it once stood, completely engulfed in flames.

She says while she hasn’t received official word, the photo has left her certain her home is gone, but hopes the blaze is contained soon so she can see the destruction for herself.

R-C-M-P believe the wildfire has claimed one life — an 80-year-old woman from Meadow Valley who was trying to flee the blaze with a family member. More than 20,000 residents have been forced from their homes on the western shores of Okanagan Lake.

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Fire crews fight the Bald Range wildfire west of Summerland, B.C., in this Friday handout photo.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout – B.C. Wildfire Service (Mandatory Credit)

Why information officer kept camera rolling even as he fled B.C. wildfire with family

The true devastation of B.C.’s Bald Range wildfire remains up in the air, but one staffer from the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen has been doing his part to keep evacuees updated.

Erick Thompson, the district’s senior manager of communications, decided that when he had to flee with his family from their home in Summerland on Saturday, he had to keep filming.

Thompson’s livestream videos on YouTube — raw and unfiltered — have connected thousands of anxious residents with the latest updates on the fire, evacuations and support.

He says it wasn’t until after he left the community that he learned from a friend his videos had reached as far east as Halifax, and that while he’s become a public face for the wildfire emergency, he’s just doing his job.

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Luciano Frattolin is taken away in custody from the Essex County Court in Elizabethtown, New York on Friday, July 24, 2026. Luciano Frattolin charged with 2nd-degree murder and concealment of a human corpse.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher Katsarov

New York trial of man accused of killing daughter enters fourth week

The trial of Luciano Frattolin, accused of killing his nine-year-old daughter last summer during a trip to upstate New York, is entering its fourth week. 

The 46-year-old is on trial in Elizabethtown, N.Y., and has pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree murder and concealment of a human corpse in the death of Melina Frattolin.

The girl’s body was found in a marsh in a rural area of New York, and an autopsy determined her cause of death to be drowning.

The prosecution wrapped up its case last week with a five-hour video recreating the route Frattolin may have taken in the hours before he reported Melina missing.

The defence also called its first witness on Friday, but it remained unclear whether Frattolin would take the stand.

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The GM-CAMI assembly plant in Ingersoll, Ont., on Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Mark Spowart

Unifor to begin talks with General Motors today after deal with Ford

Unifor is set to begin contract negotiations with General Motors today. 

The union represents more than 4,600 members at Ontario GM facilities, including the Oshawa assembly plant, the CAMI facility in Ingersoll as well as operations in St. Catharines and Woodstock.

In July, Unifor named General Motors as the next U.S. automaker for contract talks after members earlier approved a new three-year contract with Ford that included three per cent annual pay increases.   

The union says the agreement with Ford marked successful pattern-setting negotiations. 

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Montreal Police Station 39 is shown in the Montréal-Nord borough, on Saturday, June 13, 2026.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes

Brutality, racism allegations deepen trust gap after years of complaints in Montreal

Montreal police are expected to provide an update Tuesday on a scandal at a station in a multicultural neighbourhood in the northern part of the city.

Police Chief Fady Dagher announced in June that they were disbanding a 16-member patrol unit at the station.

He said some officers were suspended and could face criminal charges over allegations of racism and misconduct.

Local residents say they have been denouncing alleged police misconduct in the neighbourhood for years with few results.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 10, 2026.

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