'Some structural damage' from wildfire near Fort Nelson, B.C., mayor confirms
More than one home has been damaged or lost due to a massive wildfire outside of the B.C. community of Fort Nelson, the mayor confirmed Wednesday.
It’s springtime in Europe — time for the annual blossoming of spectacle and sound known as the Eurovision Song Contest.
Taking place in May in Malmö, Sweden, the 68th annual competition will see acts from 37 countries vie for the continent’s pop crown in a feelgood extravaganza that strives — not always successfully – to banish international strife and division. And you don’t have to be in Europe to watch, or to help pick the winner.
Here’s a guide to all things Eurovision.
On one level, it’s simple: Eurovision is an international pop music competition in which acts from countries across Europe, and a few beyond it, compete in a live televised contest to be crowned Eurovision champion.
But it’s also much more -- a celebration of diversity, national pride and the joyous power of pop. And glitter. So much glitter.
Launched in 1956 to foster unity after World War II, Eurovision has become a campy, feel-good celebration of pop music with an audience of hundreds of millions around the world. It has grown from seven countries to almost 40, including non-European nations such as Israel and Australia.
It’s now known for songs that range from anthemic to extremely silly, often with elaborate costumes and spectacular staging.
Paul Jordan, an expert on the contest who is known as “Dr. Eurovision,” said the contest “is almost indescribable in terms of its scale, in terms of its craziness — but I would liken it to probably the musical version of the Olympic Games.”
This year’s contest will be held in Malmö in southern Sweden, with two semifinals on May 7 and 9 followed by a grand final on May 11. Traditionally the competition is hosted by the previous year’s winner, and Sweden triumphed in 2023 with “Tattoo,” a power ballad by pop diva Loreen.
The Nordic nation is a Eurovision powerhouse that has won the contest seven times, a number equaled only by Ireland.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of a Eurovision’s most iconic moment, ABBA’s victory in the 1974 contest with “Waterloo.” The win propelled the band toward superstardom and helped jump-start Sweden’s music industry.
Fans are hoping for an appearance by the Swedish supergroup in Malmö, though the band members have played down those suggestions.
Eurovision’s motto is “united by music” and organizer the European Broadcasting Union strives to keep political divisions out of the competition, though it doesn’t always succeed.
Russia has been banned since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Last year’s contest was held in the English city of Liverpool because the 2022 winner, Ukraine, was at war.
This year, pro-Palestinian activists and some musicians have urged organizers to drop Israel from the event over its conduct in its war against Hamas, which has killed more than 33,000 people in Gaza, according to its Health Ministry.
Israel has not been suspended, but it was ordered to change the lyrics of its competing song, originally titled “October Rain,” an apparent reference to Hamas’ cross-border Oct. 7 attack that killed some 1,200 Israelis. Renamed “Hurricane,” the power ballad will be performed by 20-year-old singer Eden Golan.
With feelings running high, organizers issued a statement saying they “firmly oppose any form of online abuse, hate speech, or harassment directed at our artists or any individuals associated with the contest.”
Jordan said Eurovision organizers have sometimes been accused of inconsistency in setting the contest’s boundaries.
“You’re not allowed political entries …and yet Finland 2013 has a song about equal marriage,” he said. “You had other songs about world peace -- technically they’re political too. So what is the division between politics and non-politics is quite a blurred line.”
Pro-Palestinian groups plan demonstrations in downtown Malmo during Eurovision week that they hope will draw thousands of protesters from Sweden and neighboring countries.
Malmö district police chief Petra Stenkula said security would be “rigorous,” with Swedish police reinforced by officers from Denmark and Norway.
Eurovision’s complex voting system, which awards points from juries of music industry professionals as well as viewers across Europe, makes winners notoriously hard to predict.
Jordan said there used to be a “typical” Eurovision sound -– a three-minute pop song in English with a key change — but the contest is now much more diverse. Many acts perform in their national languages and some draw on folk traditions and instruments, though slick production and electro beats still predominate.
Winners have ranged from Canadian chanteuse Celine Dion, who competed for Switzerland in 1988, to fright mask-wearing Finnish metalheads Lordi in 2006, bearded Austrian drag performer Conchita Wurst in 2014, Italian rock band Måneskin in 2021 and Ukrainian folk-rap group Kalush Orchestra in 2022.
Bookmakers’ favorites this year include nonbinary Swiss singer Nemo’s powerhouse song “The Code” and Croatian singer-songwriter Baby Lasagna’s earwormy electro number “Rim Tim Tagi Dim.”
Other entries to watch include the Netherlands’ Joost Klein with pop-rap song “Europapa,” “La Noia“ by Italian TikTok star Angelina Mango and “Teresa & Maria” by the Ukrainian duo of rapper alyona alyona and vlogger Jerry Heil.
Spain’s entry, “ Zorra” by the duo Nebulossa, has drawn controversy because its title can be translated as an anti-female slur.
The U.K., which has not won since 1997, is pinning its hopes on Olly Alexander’s vertiginous pop song “Dizzy.” Host country Sweden is represented by identical twins Marcus & Martinus -– who, confusingly enough, hail from Norway -- with the confidently titled “Unforgettable.” Eurovision voters will be the judge of that.
Viewers in the U.S. and other nonparticipating countries can vote online or using the Eurovision app; viewers in participating countries can also vote by phone or text message.
More than one home has been damaged or lost due to a massive wildfire outside of the B.C. community of Fort Nelson, the mayor confirmed Wednesday.
A warning from a Saskatoon driver about using your fast-food app while in the drive-thru line — a trip to get some free lunch cost him a lot more than he bargained for.
An 'unrepentant' YouTuber has been ordered to pay $350,000 in damages as compensation for a 'relentless' campaign of defamation waged online against a business owner and his company, the B.C. Supreme Court has ruled.
Chief Robert Michell says relief isn't the right word to describe his reaction as the search begins for unmarked graves at the site of a former residential school he attended in northern British Columbia.
While it's unclear what these closures might mean for the 27 restaurants in Canada, Red Lobster is expected to file for bankruptcy protection in the U.S. this month.
A man from B.C.'s Lower Mainland has been sentenced to four years behind bars after shooting a sex worker in the back during a drug-fuelled 43rd birthday.
Nearly six dozen dogs were seized from a home Wednesday morning by the Winnipeg Humane Society. It is the largest known seizure of animals in the city’s history.
Of the $40-million Aiden Pleterski was handed over two years, documents show he invested just over one per cent and instead spent $15.9 million on "his personal lifestyle." The 25-year-old Oshawa, Ont. man was arrested and charged with fraud and money laundering on Tuesday.
A man with a long record of dangerous driving told investigators he smoked marijuana oil and took prescription drugs hours before he sideswiped a bus, killing eight Mexican farmworkers and injuring dozens more, according to an arrest report unsealed Wednesday.
When Adam Kirschner wrote 'Slap Shot,' he never imagined the song would be embraced by his favourite team.
A team is ready to help an entangled North Atlantic right whale in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
A $200 reward is being offered by a North Vancouver family for the safe return of their beloved chicken, Snowflake.
Two daughters and a mother were reunited online 40 years later thanks to a DNA kit and a Zoom connection despite living on three separate continents and speaking different languages.
Mother's Day can be a difficult occasion for those who have lost or are estranged from their mom.
YES Theatre Young Company opened its acclaimed kids’ show, One Small Step, at Sudbury Theatre Centre on Saturday.
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
A Listowel, Ont. man, drafted by the Hamilton Tigercats last week, is also getting looks from the NFL, despite only playing 27 games of football in his life.