Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leads Canadians taking starring roles in NBA Finals
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There has never been an NBA Finals with as much Canadian flavour as the one set to tip on Thursday.
While players like Jamal Murray and Andrew Wiggins have played key roles in the past in the biggest basketball series of the year and others like Dwight Powell, Tristan Thompson, Cory Joseph, Joel Anthony, Todd MacCulloch to Bill Wennington, Rick Fox and Mike Smrek have played bit parts, the 2025 matchup between Oklahoma City and Indiana is a completely different scenario.
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The Province
30 minutes ago
- The Province
B.C. firefighter says he was denied entry to U.S.: 'Good enough to fight their wars but not good enough to cross their borders'
'I've always felt a strong bond with the United States,' said Jamie Flynn, who once served under U.S. military command. He said the denial was 'deeply upsetting' Jamie Flynn, a Canadian permanent resident who is a Vancouver firefighter, says he was not allowed into the U.S. due to what he believes was a "clerical error." Photo by @jamieflynnbase / Instagram A B.C. firefighter says he was denied entry into the United States, where he was going to take part in a competition for First Responders from different countries around the world. Jamie Flynn posted on social media on Thursday to detail what happened to him when he was en route to Birmingham, Alabama. He said he was supposed to represent Vancouver firefighters in the Jiu Jitsu category at the World Police & Fire Games. He described the games as an 'international event uniting frontline responders through sport,' in a post on Instagram. 'Being denied entry to the United States is deeply upsetting,' he told National Post in an emailed statement on Friday. 'I lost my flights, my time away, and my opportunity to compete at the World Police & Fire Games in Alabama — an event I had trained extensively for.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Flynn said he is a British citizen living in Canada as a permanent resident. He is a firefighter in Vancouver and volunteers with Squamish Search and Rescue. He has served in the British Parachute Regiment (SFSG) and has also served alongside U.S. forces under Joint Special Operations Command. 'I operated under U.S. command, wore the American uniform, and fought under the American flag. I've always felt a strong bond with the United States,' he told National Post. 'I have no criminal record and no known issues that would justify this denial.' In his post on Instagram, he said he trained for the competition in the U.S. for months. 'And still, I'm grounded — sidelined not by injury or lack of effort, but by bureaucracy and silence,' he wrote. Essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Flynn intended to fly to Alabama from Vancouver International Airport on Wednesday. He never made his flight because his Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) had expired and would not be renewed, Global News reported. He said he received an update on the ESTA app that said, 'Travel not authorized.' ESTA is an automated system used to determine the eligibility of visitors to travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. It is valid for two years, or until a passport expires, and allows for multiple entries. If a traveller receives a 'travel not authorized' response to their application, CBP says online that they can look into applying for a visa if they still wish to enter the country. The denial only prohibits travel under the Visa Waiver Program and does not determine eligibility for a visa, per the agency. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Canadian citizens travelling with a Canadian passport do not need to apply for an ESTA. Flynn said that he did not receive an explanation from anyone at the U.S. border, the U.S. consulate or the ESTA program. 'This feels like a clerical error,' he said, and, he added, it's cost him thousands of dollars. 'I'm gutted. I'm angry. And I want answers.' He ended the post with the line: 'We were good enough to fight their wars — but not good enough to cross their borders.' Flynn told National Post that he is looking forward to being able to visit the U.S. again in the near future. He has since submitted a visa application. Unfortunately, he said, the earliest available appointment is Feb. 11, 2027. University of Toronto law professor and Rebecca Cook Chair in Human Rights Law Audrey Macklin said her advice for travellers going to the U.S. is to avoid it altogether 'unless absolutely necessary.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'Even at the best of times, states often treat non-citizens arbitrarily, and do not feel obliged to explain their actions,' she told National Post over email. 'This is sometimes justified on the ground that non-citizens do not have a right to enter, and therefore have no standing to complain about how a decision to admit or exclude is made. Since the rule of law is in free fall in the United States at the moment, the arbitrariness is more extreme, more coercive, and more frequent. That is why travellers should avoid the United States if they can.' U.S. Customs and Border Protection Public Affairs Officer Jessica Turner said in an emailed statement to National Post that 'CBP cannot comment on specifics regarding travellers' ESTA denials.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'U.S. Embassies and Consulates are not able to provide details about ESTA denials or resolve the issue that caused the ESTA denial,' she said. 'Embassies and Consulates will process an application for a non-immigrant visa, which, if approved, will be the only way that a traveler whose ESTA application has been denied would be authorized to travel to the U.S.' Read More Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here. Vancouver Canucks Vancouver Canucks Vancouver Canucks News NHL
Winnipeg Free Press
31 minutes ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Sponsored Content FPDI drone pilot program
When Corbin Spence-Hart's boss approached him earlier this year to see if he would be interested in taking part in a training program to become a licensed drone pilot he immediately said yes. Spence-Hart works as a First Nations safety officer in Nelson House, part of Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation in northern Manitoba. He viewed the opportunity to become an accredited drone pilot as a chance to do more to help people in his community including assisting on search and rescue missions and helping deal with the wildfires that have plagued the region of late. In April, he was part of the first cohort of 15 students to graduate from the Advanced Drone Accreditation Training program offered through First People's Development Inc. (FPDI), a non-profit organization that facilitates partnerships designed to develop and deliver training- to-employment programs to meet labour market needs. The pilot program was developed in conjunction with Saskatchewan Polytechnic and its Centre for Continuing Education's training solutions department. Instruction was provided by Transport Canada-certified instructors from Queen City Drone, a Regina-based company that has trained hundreds of drone pilots in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Evan Colgan, supervisor of FPDI's robotics and drones department, says the organization offered a couple of previous drone courses that were extremely popular with young learners and felt it was time to provide something a little more advanced to help meet a growing demand for trained drone pilots. 'We thought we needed to get others accredited so that First Nations communities can utilize this new technology because its growing and there's so many regulations that you need to know,' he says. 'This class is kind of perfect, especially for those communities that may not get this kind of chance otherwise.' Students received about 20 hours of classroom instruction as well as hands-on training as part of the Advanced Drone Accreditation Training program. Classroom instruction was provided in FPDI's offices on Mountain Avenue while flight training took place in a park space the organization reserved for test flights. The three-day program covers a wide range of topics including: a thorough understanding of Canadian Aviation regulations governing the use of drones; how to pilot a variety of different drones; how to read flight charts; and how to communicate with air traffic controllers. The final day includes a written test and a flight review which students must pass before receiving their pilot's license. The program is free of charge and is open to any First Nations person who resides in Manitoba. 'We really wanted to make it accessible to our First Nations which is why we offer the free tuition,' Colgan says. 'We really just wanted to make sure that we give as many people a chance as possible to help out their community.' Spence-Hart says one of his favourite parts of the program was having an opportunity to test fly some of the latest state-of-the-art drones including those used by law enforcement and firefighters. He also appreciated the fact that the instructors did a good job of explaining all the rules and regulations in easy to understand terms. 'They did an excellent job. They really helped us with some of the more confusing (topics),' he says. Queen City Drone owner Ryan Beston conducted both the classroom and hands-on instruction for the program's first session. He was impressed with the enthusiasm of the students and their genuine desire to learn. 'One of the guys in the class was actually the fire chief of his (community). He went up afterwards to a Sask Polytech staff member after we were done and said: 'When I came into this class I knew zero about drones or anything remote controlled. Now I'm 100 per cent sure I can do great with this',' Beston recalls. Gerry Youzwa, director of training solutions for Saskatchewan Polytech, says teaming up with FPDI to offer drone accreditation training was a natural fit for the institution since a big part of its mandate is to partner with industry to design custom training programs that address specific skills gaps in the labour market. 'Obviously our goal (with the program) was to provide Indigenous participants hands-on training in drone technology,' she says. 'Those types of skills are really in high demand and can help people manage emergency response plans and really map out the topical aerial view of different land masses that are being impacted.' A second session of the program is scheduled to run July 28 to 30 and will be open to 15 students. Future sessions will depend on demand from First Nations communities and FPDI may consider expanding it to include other provinces if there is enough interest. 'It's loads of fun and I hope more people join it,' Colgan says.
Montreal Gazette
2 hours ago
- Montreal Gazette
Alouettes aren't the same team without injured QB Davis Alexander
The Alouettes better hope Davis Alexander, their 26-year-old starting quarterback, is a quick healer. They're simply not the same team without him. And unless Alexander recovers quickly from the hamstring injury he suffered June 19 at Edmonton, this team is in serious trouble. Through one game, at least, McLeod Bethel-Thompson isn't the answer, despite everything he has accomplished in his career. As good and as accurate as the 36-year-old was in practice during the week, he was unable to duplicate any of that against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats' swarming defence on Friday night. The Alouettes suffered their first loss of the season and were badly outplayed in this ugly 35-17 setback before 20,911 Hamilton Stadium spectators. Perhaps it was the effects of three successive road games catching up to Montreal? But, more than likely, it was the absence of Alexander that derailed a team that started the season with a 3-0 record. The Ticats, coming off a bye in the schedule, won for the first time in three games — and exposed the visitors in the process. The Als, who entered this contest having scored a CFL-leading 105 points, failed to penetrate Hamilton's end zone for more than 55 minutes until completing an eight-play, 64-yard drive with a five-yard touchdown pass to Cole Spieker. Until that point, Montreal's scoring consisted of three Jose Maltos field goals and a Joseph Zema punt single. Bethel-Thompson and the Alouettes couldn't score a touchdown despite scrimmaging from the Hamilton 4 in the third quarter. There was no chemistry between Bethel-Thompson and his receivers. Tyson Philpot, who should have been counted on heavily because of the absence of injured Austin Mack, didn't make his first catch until just before halftime. Indeed, that was the first time Bethel-Thompson attempted a pass to him. Spieker was Montreal's leading receiver, with six receptions for 57 yards. Tyler Snead also had six catches, producing 55 yards. Charleston Rambo, arguably the Als' most-dangerous deep threat, had five receptions for 49 yards, while Philpot had four catches for 41 yards. Montreal's longest passing play was 17 yards — a feat accomplished three times, by Spieker, Snead and Philpot. When the Alouettes decided Alexander was their quarterback of the future, they traded Cody Fajardo to Edmonton last winter for Bethel-Thompson, a two-time Grey Cup champion who has passed for more than 17,000 yards and 94 touchdowns in his career. Bethel-Thompson, making his first start for Montreal, completed 24 of 41 passes for 203 yards, but also proved to be his own worst enemy and was intercepted twice. Granted, he could be excused for one of the turnovers. A third quarter attempt deflected off rookie tailback Travis Theis and into the hands of rookie Canadian middle-linebacker Devin Veresuk. Veresuk, selected second overall in this year's Canadian college draft, returned the ball 36 yards for a touchdown. Incredibly, the Alouettes trailed only by eight points following Spieker's touchdown and a defensive stop. But with 2:27 remaining in the fourth quarter and Montreal scrimmaging from inside its 10, Bethel-Thompson fumbled Justin Lawrence's snap — one that was slightly off centre, but one he, nonetheless, got his hands on. The ball was recovered in the end zone by Hamilton's Julian Howsare, which put the game out of reach. For the first time this season, the play selection of head coach Jason Maas was bizarre to say the least. Although the Ticats had allowed a league-high average of 145.5 yards rushing, Maas called only 10 running plays — three each by Bethel-Thompson and short-yardage quarterback Caleb Evans. Sean Thomas-Erlington had two carries. Theis and Stevie Scott III each had one. Theis's one carry in the third quarter produced an 11-yard gain, yet he never was utilized again. It made no sense. 'We, as a team, didn't perform well enough to win a game in all three phases,' Maas said in Hamilton. 'It's not a one-person game. But I'm sure there's things (Bethel-Thompson) would like to execute better.' It was a contest that screamed for the Als' defence to make a play. And while they tried valiantly, they couldn't produce a game-defining moment. They did create a turnover on downs on Hamilton's opening possession. And the Ticats required three plays from the Montreal 1 before Kenny Lawler scored on a pass from Bo Levi Mitchell before halftime. Safety Marc-Antoine Dequoy had Montreal's only sack, while linebacker Geoffrey Cantin-Arku forced and recovered a Jevoni Robinson fumble in the first quarter. But more was required. 'We gave up the two turnovers for touchdowns, which didn't help us on the scoreboard,' Maas said in Hamilton. 'Our defence wasn't on the field for those. We need to do a better job protecting the ball and not giving up those plays, allow our defence to play the way they're accustomed to playing.' The Alouettes were threatening to run away with the East Division, but now could be pressured for first place should the Redblacks win at home against Toronto on Sunday night, putting Ottawa only two points behind Montreal. This story was originally published June 28, 2025 at 12:14 AM.
