Graham Avenue gets a colourful makeover
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CBC
2 hours ago
- CBC
B.C. couple dodging dozens of calls about their missing cat — but their cat isn't missing
A B.C. couple is begging people to stop calling them. For over a year, Natasha Lavoie and Jonathan McCurrach have been fielding dozens upon dozens of calls from strangers claiming they've found the couple's cat, Torbo. But they don't have a cat named Torbo. And their cat, Mauser, isn't missing. "Sometimes, like six times a day, I'm getting these really random phone calls and people leaving me voicemails saying that they found my cat and they want money for my cat," Lavoie told CBC's On The Coast host Gloria Macarenko. "I'm like, 'My cat's at home in the air conditioning.'" After many months of trying to figure out why this was happening, McCurrach asked a caller how they got their number. The caller explained the number was listed on a shirt styled to look like a missing cat poster. "Why would you use a real number?" McCurrach asked. CBC News reached out to the company in question — Wisdumb NY — which said the shirt is no longer online. However, on the company's Instagram page, there are photos of missing cat posters with 604 area code numbers attached. "The use of a real number within the art created was not intentional," a customer service representative said in an email to CBC News. Some phone numbers have been set aside in North America for fictional use, all starting with the number 555. As Terry O'Reilly explained in a 2021 episode of Under the Influence, the use of 555 started when TV shows and films started using phone numbers more frequently in their plot lines, and attached to those numbers complaints about prank phone calls. Phone companies reserved 555-0100 through to 555-0199 for fictional use. The Guardian, Netflix was forced to edit a phone number in the series Squid Game after a South Korean woman was deluged with calls in 2021. In 2009, the same thing happened when rapper Soulja Boy featured a U.K. family's phone number in a song. Lavoie said she's hesitant to change her number because it's a 604 area code — which was B.C.'s first area code and nowadays, is hard to get. In May, the province got its sixth area code, 257. "I've had my number for 20 years," she said. "I don't want to change it. I'll just keep not answering." WATCH | Woman bombarded with calls after number listed on shirt: B.C. woman's number listed without permission on American lost cat T-shirt 4 days ago Over the last year, Surrey's Natasha Lavoie has been receiving dozens of calls about people finding her lost cat Torbo. But Lavoie's cat is actually named Mauser, and isn't missing. Lavoie and her partner Jonathan McCurrach investigated and found out that an American fashion brand called Wisdumb had listed her number on a T-shirt depicting a lost cat, without her permission. The couple says the label hasn't been co-operative after they reached out. Some of the calls have been disturbing. In one voicemail they received, a caller claimed they had a snake that "eats free kittens." "When we started actually picking up the calls or responding to the voicemails, I thought it was some attempt at a scam. You hear about scams all the time about missing pets," McCurrach said. He said the calls are coming primarily from the United States, but they have received a couple from Canada. "Half the time, they just cut you off and go like, 'No, I've got your cat. I want the money for the cat.' And I'm like, 'No, there's no money, there's no cat.' And they usually hang up." Lavoie and McCurrach did reach out to the company, which gave them an answer similar to what CBC News received. But McCurrach said he wishes they'd offered a "real apology."
CBC
2 hours ago
- CBC
Virginia Park residents concerned about parking chaos during upcoming events
Residents who live in the neighbourhood of Virginia Park have plenty of experience having to compete for parking during major events and summer festivals. The neighbourhood has seen numerous events happen within walking distance, including KDays, Edmonton Heritage Festival and last weekend's Rockin' Thunder concerts. But this weekend the neighbourhood will face a double whammy: The Weeknd performs a concert Saturday at Commonwealth Stadium while KDays is happening at nearby Edmonton Expo Centre and Exhibition Grounds. Debbie Boccabella has lived in the Virginia Park neighbourhood for 24 years and says how much of a nightmare parking is depends on the event and whether residential parking rules are in effect. "The parking for KDays, people come and go. It's residential parking for the football games, which that doesn't make much sense to me, why they can park for the exhibition, but not for the football games," Boccabella told CBC on Wednesday. "We do have a problem during Heritage Days, because a third of Edmonton comes here, and they park everywhere. [The city] put up some signs when you enter the neighbourhood about residential parking. But people ignore them. They park on the sides of the streets." CBC spoke to multiple residents who say they are concerned about blind spots in neighbourhood and safety concerns that become exacerbated during events when people are on the hunt for a parking spot. "KDays and other controlled events where the festival goers are allowed to park without the normal restrictions, it's quite chaotic," said resident Howard Gibb. "I have concerns, as we all do, about just the congestion and chaos and possible chances of accidents," said Gibb pointing to the intersection of 79th Street and 112th S Avenue. "That corner over there behind us, there is signage saying not to park there, and that's for a good reason." Jenny Albers, acting director of traffic operations with the City of Edmonton, told CBC the city is excited about the number of events happening in the coming weeks. For The Weeknd concert this Saturday there is no parking at Commonwealth Stadium and parking restrictions in neighbourhoods around the stadium will be in effect from 3 p.m. to midnight on Saturday. The city said this is standard practice for parking around Commonwealth Stadium during major events. When restrictions are in place, only residents with valid parking permits can park on streets in those areas and the permits must be displayed during the parking restriction hours. Vehicles parked without valid permits may be fined $100 and towed. The Commonwealth LRT parking lot closes on July 19 at 5 p.m. and the city encourages concert-goers to consider other forms of transportation, such as taking ETS, cycling, ridesharing or taxi. Edmonton Transit Service will allow The Weeknd concert tickets to be accepted as valid fare up to 90 minutes before the concert start time and 90 minutes after the concert ends. During KDays, the parking enforcement team will be monitoring 311 inquiries to respond to parking infractions. Parking enforcement is in effect for Saturday and Sunday from 12 to 9 p.m., and Monday from 12 to 8 p.m. The city asks residents or visitors in Virginia Park and other surrounding areas to contact 311 using the app if there are any parking or traffic safety issues during the event. Daniel Nider, who has lived in the Virginia Park neighbourhood for 33 years, said he hopes the city includes more proactive signage so non-residents are not left wondering where to park. Especially after roadwork was done on 112th Avenue in 2019. "When they redid the street, they made it narrower. So it's hard to get two cars by sometime when it where there was more," Nider said.
CTV News
3 hours ago
- CTV News
The YXE Urban Games returns to Saskatoon
Watch Discover Saskatoon's Stephanie Clovchok on the 2nd edition of the huge showcase of urban sport and culture.
