EDMONTON — Temperatures in Edmonton topped 30 C again Friday afternoon. That makes this the longest string of consecutive 30-degree days on record in the city (dating back to the late 1800s).

The previous mark was six straight days June 2-7,1961.

June 26-July 2, 2021, now holds the record at SEVEN consecutive days.

Here’s what the past week has looked like for highs and lows:

This stretch saw two daily records set: June 28 and June 30.

Across the province, hundreds of daily record highs and more than a dozen all-time record highs were broken this week.

Three days this past week were in the top-seven hottest days of all time in Edmonton.

The above graphic has the only eight times the city has hit 35 C or hotter. Three days on that list are from this past week.

EDMONTON — Alberta reported 110 new cases of COVID-19 over the last two days as the province’s active case count fell below 1,000 for the first time in nearly a year.

Alberta now has 895 active cases. It’s the lowest recorded since July 16 and first time the active case count has dipped below 1,000 since July 17.

The province provided updated data for the last two days on Friday after taking Canada Day off. 

The province administered just over 1,900 first doses of vaccine on the holiday Thursday and more than 28,000 second doses.

Just over 73 per cent of eligible Albertans have now received a first dose and 44.8 per cent are fully vaccinated.

The number of COVID-19 deaths in Alberta remains at 2,301 after one more death was reported Friday. One death was also removed after it was later deemed to be not due to COVID-19.

The province reported an 0.69 per cent test positivity rate based on about 5,500 tests. 

Alberta’s COVID-19 data will next be updated Monday afternoon.

CALGARY — Seven people from two families were killed in an early-morning fire in Chestermere, Alta. on Friday. Five others — an adult and four children — managed to escape.

The fire began about 2:30 a.m. in the city about 16 kilometres east of Calgary.

Among the dead are a 38-year-old male, a 38-year-old female, a 35-year-old male, a 12-year-old male, a 12-year old female, an eight-year-old female and a four-year-old male.

Calgary Imam Syed Soharwardy with the Islamic Supreme Council of Canada said two families, who were both Muslim, were living in the home.

One family had been in Calgary for what he described as “a long time” and the other had recently moved to Alberta from Ontario.

Friends of the family say they’ve spoken with the homeowner, who managed to help his two children and two of his brother’s children out of the burning home.

“We have no words how much sadness we are feeling right now and how devastated we all are,” said Khaleel Bhatti, a family friend.

Nareem Essa, a neighbour, says it is a “very sad incident” for everyone in the town.

“It’s very shocking news. Chestermere is a small community and a very caring community.”

‘OUR HEARTS ACHE’

Chestermere Mayor Marshall Chalmers says the entire community is reeling from the news of the fatal fire and will join together to help the affected family grieve.

“Words cannot effectively express the devastation on our community. Our minds cannot fully comprehend the overwhelming loss,” he said in a statement Friday afternoon.

“Our hearts ache for this family, this neighbourhood, and the community at large. While many will feel helpless in the face of such heartbreak, all we can do is to join together to grieve, to listen, and to support those impacted.”

Chalmers also thanked the efforts of first responders as well as the many people across the province for their thoughts and prayers.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

This is a developing story and will be updated throughout the day.

EDMONTON — Edmontonians marked Canada Day but for some, the federal holiday this year was a time for reflection and not celebration.

Thousands swapped their traditional red and white for orange – a colour change to help honour the children who died at residential schools.

After the discoveries of unmarked grave sites at Kamloops and Cowessess, many believed Canada Day should be marked in a different way to be more inclusive of the reality colonialism played.

Enoch Cree Nation organized a convoy procession to raise awareness and honour Indigenous children who never returned home.

“Today brings a lot of sadness for the Aboriginal children that went missing,” Billie-Jo Wolfe said. “We need to reunite together.

“It’s been a really emotional week,” she added. “Just knowing what happened to our Aboriginal children and being in residential schools it’s been a big effect on native people and non-native people.”

The convoy left the reserve west of Edmonton and proceeded to Wetaskiwin for further events and ceremony.

People prepare to depart Enoch Cree Nation as part of the reconcilation convoy procession to Wetaskiwin on July 1 (CTV News Edmonton)

Wolfe said she is happy more are aware of the tragedies that happened at residential schools but hopes that can now be turned into productive collective action.

“It’s beautiful that we can come together and support each other in this,” she added. “I feel proud to be Indigenous and to have that support of non-Indigenous.”

Hundreds of marchers chanted every child matters as they went from the legislature grounds, through downtown Edmonton, to city hall. A Cancel Canada Day rally was also held at the legislature grounds.

Participants attending the Cancel Canada Day event on the Alberta Legislature grounds listen to an Indigenous Elder speak about reconciliation (CTV News Edmonton)

Shirley Gardypie was ripped from her home as a child as part of the 60s Scoop.

“I had to put my children in residential school as a single parent,” she shared. “But I never knew the damage it was actually doing.”

As she stood with the marchers on Canada Day, Gardypie said she finally feels like she is starting to be heard.

“I am just grateful for what is happening right now,” she added.

“We finally are supporting one another,” she said. “It’s reuniting our people again as a family unit.”

Some of the hundreds of marchers who attended the Every Child Matters march can be seen leaving the legislature grounds (CTV News Edmonton)

One Edmonton community league pivoted its plans to host a Canada Day parade to hosting a reconciliation parade and picnic.

“I think people thing of Indigenous people as being ethereal, like they don’t live right next door to us,” said Danny Hoyt, Riverdale Community League president. “I don’t want to walk pas their house waving a Canadian flag today when it’s just not appropriate.”

The parade travelled from Riverdale School to the community league hall. The event included Indigenous speakers and performers as organizers handed out orange ribbons and books by Indigenous authors.While many traditional festivities to help mark Canada Day were cancelled, the City of Edmonton will still have fireworks at 11 p.m.

The Edmonton Youth Council pushed to cancel the firework display as they believe it would be tone deaf and distract from reconciliation efforts.

“When Indigenous people, the people who have lived on this land for decades are calling for this, when you have Chiefs and professors from several post-secondary institutions calling for a day of reflection, maybe it’s time to consider those perspectives,” said Anuj Krishnan, vice-chair of the City of Edmonton Youth Council.

Andre Corbould Edmonton’s city manager, said in a statement to CTV News Edmonton, that the city listened and considered many perspectives about whether to host a fireworks display.

They decided to balance reconciliation with “traditions of summer” by lighting the Walterdale Bridge, High Level Bridge, city hall, and the Muttart Conservatory in orange, asking citizens to wear orange and reflect on the impact of the residential school, and still hosting fireworks.

Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson said the decision to go ahead with the fireworks was made in consultation with Treaty Six leaders.

“We inquired about the sensitivities around fireworks and in the end there was not a specific request from Treaty Six to not proceed with fireworks but guidance to say ‘Here’s how the day should be approached and if there are to be fireworks, this is how it should be presented,’” Iveson said.

The City of St. Albert will not be holding a firework display this year. The location previously used for the display, Mission Hill, is the former site of the Youville Residential School.

If you are a former residential school student in distress, or have been affected by the residential school system and need help, you can contact the 24-hour Indian Residential Schools Crisis Line: 1-866-925-4419.

Additional mental-health support and resources for Indigenous people are available here.  

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Touria Izri and Sydney Upright

EDMONTON — Rescue crews worked to locate a teenager who was swimming with family and friends in a recreational area in Wetaskiwin, Alta., but did not resurface.

RCMP told CTV News Edmonton that they received a call around 2:26 p.m. Thursday of a 13-year-old girl who went into the water at By-the-Lake Park in Wetaskiwin.

Mounties said that they assisted firefighters and water rescue crews with the search to locate the girl.

The Central Alberta Recovery Divers Service (CARDS) located the girl in the water, who was then transported to Wetaskiwin Hospital.

Attempts were made to rescuscitate the 13-year-old, however, she was pronounced dead, police say.

“RCMP offer our sincerest condolences to family, friends, and the community,” Mounties said in a statement. “Wetaskiwin RCMP would like to thank the public and those involved in the search.”