Meet Ottawa's snooker legend
Ervin Budge was inducted into the Ottawa Sport Hall of Fame for his contributions to snooker in the nation's capital.
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CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Kananaskis golf course getting ready for G7, possible Trump visit
Darren Robinson, general manager of the Kananaskis Country Golf Course, has his hands full preparing the facility for the upcoming G7 Leaders meeting in Kananaskis, Alta., Monday, June 2, CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh KANANASKIS — Darren Robinson had some very important news to tell U.S. president George Bush and José María Aznar, the prime minister of Spain. The pro shop was open. Aznar had told Robinson, general manager of the Kananaskis Country Golf Club in Alberta's Rocky Mountains, that he wanted to visit the shop. True to his word, Robinson walked over to the two world leaders on a patio and interrupted their conversation. 'What was probably only 10 seconds felt like 10 minutes,' Robinson recalled of the G8 leaders' summit in 2002 in Kananaskis. He said the pair paused their discussion, and Bush waved over British prime minister Tony Blair. The four then talked about golf, running, the mountains, as the other leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, chatted ahead of a dinner at the golf club. 'I'm like, somebody pinch me. It's really happening,' Robinson said. Twenty-three years later, Robinson is again teeing up to possibly host some of the world's most powerful people for the G7 leaders' summit in Kananaskis set for June 15-17. The golf club is included in the tightly controlled perimeter that will be closed to public access during the summit and is one of two primary locations the leaders could use. The summit is being hosted by the Pomeroy Kananaskis Mountain Lodge, a short drive from the course. There's speculation U.S. President Donald Trump, with his known affection for golf, could tee off on the scenic course that sits at the foot of Mount Kidd. Trump even owns Kananaskis Country Golf Club merchandise. Prime Minister Mark Carney gifted the president a hat and gear from the club during his first White House visit in early May. Requests for comment to the White House and the Prime Minister's Office about whether Trump or Carney would get in a golf game at the summit were not returned. The summit's itinerary hasn't been shared publicly. And if history informs Robinson's expectations, any activities involving leaders at the course would be spontaneous. Robinson remembers one afternoon in 2002, when he mentioned to Jean Chrétien, touring the club before an upcoming dinner, that it was a shame the prime minister didn't have time to play. '(Chrétien) says, 'Who says I don't have time?' And he starts taking off his tie and jacket,' said Robinson, mimicking Chrétien's French accent. Chrétien hit two clean shots on his way to the putting green, said Robinson. But on the third shot, a short chip to get on the green, the prime minister accidentally nicked a divot out of the grass before making contact with the ball. 'Before the ball even stops rolling, he reaches into his pocket, drops another one, hits that nicely onto the green,' Robinson said. 'And then he looks at me and says, 'I call that a Clinton.'' Chrétien, after dropping the reference to former U.S. president Bill Clinton, played three more holes before getting back to work, said Robinson. He added that several interactions he had with Bush were personal highlights of the summit. It was a year after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. U.S. staffers asked Robinson to draw up a five-kilometre loop the president could run the next morning. When Bush arrived early the next day in his sneakers, he asked if a woman at the club dressed in athletic gear would jog with him, said Robinson. 'Now I'm filming the two of them walking up. And president Bush says to me, 'You set me up with an Olympic runner.'' Months later, Robinson received a manila envelope in the mail from the White House with a letter signed by Bush thanking him for the stay and a photo of the two of them talking on the club patio. This year, Robinson said he'll be on the course waiting to help, but isn't expecting a 2002 repeat. 'You hope that there's any opportunity to have some similar and memorable experiences,' he said while standing at a tee box overlooking the 16th hole on the course. 'If they happen, great. That would be wonderful. And if they don't, they don't.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 6, 2025. Matthew Scace, The Canadian Press
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Montreal hopes to repair damaged reputation during Grand Prix weekend
Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands, drives during the qualifying session at the Canadian Grand Prix June 8, 2024 in Montreal. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi MONTREAL — Montreal is hoping to redeem itself during the upcoming Grand Prix weekend after last year's event became a source of embarrassment. The city says it's taking steps to improve access to the Formula 1 site on a man-made island and to reduce congestion during the event, which begins June 13. The Montreal fire department also says it's working with restaurant owners to ensure they're ready for the influx of tourists. Fire inspectors caused an uproar last year when they abruptly ordered some restaurants to close their patios on one of the busiest evenings of the year. The 2024 Grand Prix weekend was also marred by flooding at the race site, traffic headaches and miscommunication. City officials are concerned this year about the possible impact of a transit strike that will affect bus and metro service before and after the event. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 5, 2025.
The Province
an hour ago
- The Province
Edmonton Oilers send Florida Panthers loud and clear message in Game 1 win
Edmonton Oilers' Leon Draisaitl (29), Evan Bouchard (2) and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (93) celebrate Draisaitl's game winning overtime goal against the Florida Panthers during NHL Stanley Cup playoff action at Rogers Place, in Edmonton Wednesday June 4, 2025. Photo by David Bloom / Postmedia When somebody shows you who they are, believe them. 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 It's an age-old truth that must be chilling the Florida Panthers to their core right now. The Panthers discovered Wednesday night in the 110-decibel circus at Rogers Place that what the Edmonton Oilers have been saying all along is true — this is a very different team than the one they beat last year. They're bigger, stronger, deeper, more mature and more determined. And this time they weren't going to be spooked by the enormity of the situation when the puck dropped in Game 1. This time the Oilers delivered a loud and clear message, showing their playoff mettle by overcoming a 3-1 deficit to force overtime and then winning it on Leon Draisaitl's goal at 19:29 to draw first blood in the Stanley Cup Final. 'We've done it all post-season,' Draisaitl said of the comeback win. 'We stick with it and we're never going to quit. It was a pretty evenly-played game but we got it done when it mattered most.' 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. It's the first time an Oilers team held a series lead in the Final since 1990. They fell behind 3-0 last year and then 2-0 and 3-1 in 2006. This time they're in the driver's seat, three wins away from a championship. 'It's huge,' said Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner. 'When you look back at it (last year), if we get one win right away it's a completely different story. The way that we showed up right from the get go, and continued to keep going even though we were down by two, it shows a lot of character by us.' The Panthers, making their third-straight appearance in a Stanley Cup Final, are trying to win their way into a dynasty conversation but the Oilers have their own idea of how history is going to remember this season and they got right to it. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The Oilers couldn't have asked for a better start, with Leon Draisaitl making it 1-0 just 66 seconds after the opening faceoff. From there, Edmonton controlled the rest of the period, hemming Florida in its own zone and outshooting them 14-7, with Florida's sixth and seventh shots coming in the final five seconds. Unfortunately for the Oilers, Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky gave them nothing else and Florida came out of the period with a 2-1 lead on a controversial goal from Carter Verhaeghe at 10:49 and a power-play goal, made possible by Edmonton's unsuccessful goaltender interference challenge, from Brad Marchand at 12:30. Sam Bennett clearly interfered with Skinner on the first goal, but the referees ruled that he was tripped into the Oilers goaltender by defenceman Brett Kulak. A close call that could have gone either way went Florida's and resulted in a quick two-goal swing for the visitors. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'I'd challenge that any day,' said head coach Kris Knoblauch. 'If that play happened again I'd challenge it. From what I've seen from the NHL this year, I had a lot of confidence in challenging that.' After both teams scored early in the second period — Bennett giving Florida a 3-1 lead at 2:00 and Viktor Arvidsson closing it to 3-2 at 3:17 — Florida took over. They were outshooting Edmonton 17-4 late in the frame until an Oilers power play made it 17-8, and it was Skinner's turn to frustrate the shooters. Which he did. 'Great again,' Connor McDavid said of his goalie. 'He gave us a chance to win and that's all you can ask from your goaltender.' With the Panthers up 3-2 at the second intermission, Game 1 came down to 20 minutes. The Oilers, now 4-3 in the playoffs when trailing after two periods, needed just 3:33 to tie things up on Mattias Ekholm's goal. And then Game 1 came down to one shot. Draisaitl took it for his third overtime winner of the playoffs and the Oilers are up 1-0. 'I know these guys have it in them to come back like that,' Skinner said of his veteran teammates. 'The timing of it, too, a minute left. I've seen them do it many times. Hopefully I see them do it a lot more.' E-mail: rtychkowski@
