EDMONTON — As we head into what will be an historic heat wave, a few common questions have popped up.

So, let’s tackle some of them.

1. Will the heat bring thunderstorms?

No. There is some very warm air aloft and that’s going to put a “lid” on things and prevent any rising air/convection. So, we are not expecting any showers or thunderstorms to develop this weekend or through at least the firsh half of next week.

2. Will it be a dry heat? Or will humidity be a factor?

Saturday (and probably Sunday) will be a dry heat. But, the models are projecting dewpoints to climb into the 12-14-degree range early next week. If that happens, it will be FEELING about 4 degrees hotter than the temperature and humidex readings could be around 40.

3. Is there a chance it doesn’t get as hot as expected?

This depends on how hot you’re expecting it to get. If you’re wondering about the 37s and 38s that some forecasts are spitting out, then there’s a decent chance we don’t get there.

I have some 34s and 35s in my forecast and don’t feel comfortable going higher than that (as of now…that may change as we get into next week).

These types of weather patterns are a bit easier to predict in the long range and there is very high confidence that daytime highs will get to between 32 and 37 degrees for several days early next week. The question is – will it be closer to the bottom or top of that range? I’ve sort of split the difference for now.

4. Is this really a historic heat wave?

Yes. Edmonton has never gone more than six consecutive days with daytime highs of 30 degrees or hotter. That six-day stretch happened from June 2 to 7 in 1961. There is a very good chance of tying that record and a good chance we’ll break it. The current forecast has eight consecutive days of highs hitting 30 or hotter.

5. How long will the heat wave last?

There’s some uncertainty with this. Daytime highs will probably be in the 30s through to the end of next week (July 3).  But, the following days don’t look a lot cooler. Edmonton could see daytime highs in the 25-to-30 degree range right through the end of the first week of July. The hottest days of the heat wave will likely be Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. After that, we should at least drop out of the risk of seeing mid 30 highs.

TORONTO — Global Affairs Canada says it has received preliminary reports indicating that at least four Canadians “may be affected” by a condominium building collapse in Florida.

The agency said in an emailed statement to CTV News that Canadian consular officials in Miami are in contact with the affected families and working with local authorities to gather additional information.

Global Affairs Canada said no further details are available at this time.

About 160 people were still unaccounted for as of Friday after a building in Surfside, Fla. partially collapsed on Thursday. Rescue crews continue to search through the rubble with their bare hands and heavy machinery in hopes of finding survivors.

Four people are confirmed dead after a wing of the 12-storey Champlain Towers South, located near Miami Beach, went down.

Authorities have not yet said what may have caused the building collapse.

Foreign Affairs Minister Marc Garneau said on Twitter that Canadian consular officials are ready to provide assistance to any Canadian citizens impacted by the collapse.

“Our hearts go out to those impacted by the collapse of a condo building in Surfside, Florida,” Garneau tweeted in part on Friday evening.

“We are grateful for the emergency workers providing urgent support on the ground.”

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also commented on the collapse via Twitter, saying he is “shocked and saddened” by the news.

“Those who have lost a loved one, to those who have been injured, and to those who are waiting for news about someone who is still missing: know that you are in our thoughts, and Canadians are here for you,” Trudeau tweeted.

Canadian citizens in Florida requiring emergency consular assistance should contact the Consulate General of Canada in Miami, at 1-844-880-6519 or ccs.scc@international.gc.ca.

They can also contact Global Affairs Canada’s Emergency Watch and Response Centre by calling 1-888-949-9993 (toll-free from the U.S.), +1 613 996 8885 (call collect where available), by text message at +! 613-686-3658 or by sending an email to sos@international.gc.ca

With files from The Associated Press

EDMONTON — Masks in public indoor spaces will no longer be necessary in Edmonton as of the province’s full reopening on Canada Day, Edmonton councillors decided in a narrow vote on Friday.

The councillors voted 7-6 in favour of dropping the rule as of Stage 3 of the Alberta government’s “Open for Summer” plan.

Mayor Don Iveson, Ward 4’s Aaron Paquette, Ward 8’s Ben Henderson, Ward 10’s Michael Walters, Ward 1’s Andrew Knack, and Ward 6’s Scott McKeen all voted against the motion.

McKeen, representing the dense, inner-city community Oliver, noted he heard a lot of concern about dropping the rule from residents because, he speculated, it feels more threatening downtown than in the suburbs.

“In a place like Oliver, in order to live your life, it means getting the heck out of your apartment and out into some tighter spaces,” he told his colleagues.

Henderson referenced a call from the Old Strathcona Business Association to keep the rule until public confidence was higher, so as to not impact local business.

“I think we are also putting the businesses in a difficult situation where a lot of businesses, for the continued protection of their staff, would like to keep masking still in place and are really worried if we don’t have their back, it’s going to be really hard to do and we’re going to put them in conflict with their customers,” he said.

Most councillors spoke of a nearly split reaction from their constituents. But a small majority decided to follow the medical advice presented to council and that upon which the provincial government is basing reopening.

Ward 2 Coun. Bev Esslinger commented, “I would encourage everyone to continue wearing their masks. I think I will. That’s a recommendation, not a mandate.”

Ward 9 Coun. Tim Cartmell voted in support of the motion on the belief the provincial government is best positioned, with a health ministry, of making these decisions.

“We should not be in the position of acting like a senate or a court of appeal,” he argued. “It is time to transfer this decision, whether we support it or not, whether we believe what is being offered or not, whether we trust in the politicians or not, to transfer this back to the seat of government that should properly be judging and governing on these matters.”

RULE COULD RETURN IF PROVINCE BACKTRACKS REOPENING

The amendment passed Friday would see the city’s mandatory face coverings bylaw become effective again if the province were to backtrack to Stage 1 or 2 of reopening, or if the chief medical officer of health required face coverings in public places.

And, among the few public health orders to remain in place after July 1, the province will still require face coverings in settings like public transit and inside city-owned buildings.

The motion at Edmonton City Hall to deactivate the public health measure on Canada Day, in lockstep with the province’s full reopening, was defeated by one vote on Tuesday. That day, council decided to hold a special debate and a third reading on the vote. The first two readings passed by a vote of 7-6, with only Coun. Aaron Paquette voting “no” to approve the third reading.

On Friday, he said he had heard of threats made against himself and his family over the debate. He asked for emotion to be removed from the conversation, and his colleagues echoed calls for discourse to remain respectful and thoughtful.

Paquette said he considered what would be the responsible, versus the popular, action to take.

“The problem is, the experts have told us what’s reasonable. They haven’t told us what’s optimal,” he commented, calling Alberta’s COVID-19 track record “verifiably worse” than other provinces’.

“My concern is that who’s put at risk. And of course, it’s those who are most vulnerable. Those who depend on government to ensure their safety when other people are not going to be responsible for ensuring that safety.”

Earlier in the week, St. Albert voted unanimously to lift local rules on Canada Day with the province. Also in the capital region, Fort Saskatchewan repealed on June 22 its own mandatory face coverings bylaw, which was superseded by provincial orders. Leduc suspended its mandatory face coverings bylaw in March, and Strathcona County let its rule expire in March, as well.

Calgary decided to delay making a decision on its mask bylaw until July 5 to allow more time for residents to get a second dose.

Edmonton began requiring masks in all public indoor spaces on Aug. 1, 2020. The Alberta government didn’t make masks mandatory provincewide until December.

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Steven Dyer and Jeremy Thompson 

CALGARY — The work to search for and document Alberta’s unmarked graves and deaths at residential schools will take “years,” say those who are partnering with communities on the work.

The University of Alberta’s Institute of Prairie and Indigenous Archaeology (IPIA) is using ground-penetrating technology and drones to search for unmarked burial sites. It’s already partnered with five communities, including the Enoch Cree First Nation and Papaschase First Nation.

Professor Kisha Supernant, who is Métis, said more communities are reaching out after the discovery of 215 unmarked graves in Kamloops and 751 unmarked graves on the Cowessess First Nation in Saskatchewan.

“We’ve had a pretty steady stream of inquiries and First Nations and Métis communities reaching out to us to talk about ways that they can start this (work),” Supernant said.

She called the news out of B.C. and Saskatchewan heartbreaking, but not surprising.

“I think there are many unmarked graves across many of these landscapes around residential schools, and there are other places where our relatives, our Indigenous relatives, are in unmarked graves and unprotected areas,” she said.

FUNDING TO DOCUMENT UNMARKED GRAVES

On Wednesday, the Alberta Government announced $8 million in funding to search and document unmarked graves.

Searching the province could take a long time, Supernant said. Alberta was home to the most residential schools of any province or territory in Canada.

At least 134 schools are recognized in the country, 25 of them were here in Alberta between 1893 and 1996.

“This is going to have to be addressed on a nation-by-nation basis, to have the community and the family members decided how they want to go forward,” said Core Voyageur, a sociology professor at the University of Calgary.

“We can’t take the process and the decisions out of the hands of the family and of the First Nations,” she said.

Voyageur is a residential school survivor herself, having attended the Holy Angels Residential School in Fort Chipewyan, Alta.

Her research suggests there at least 4,200 students estimated to have died at Canadian residential schools.

“I’m fully expecting that we’re going to find human remains in my own community, and this is going to impact my family and friends,” Voyageur said.

EDMONTON — A potentially record-setting heat wave will begin in Alberta over the next two days.

Northwestern Alberta will get into the 30s starting Friday. Edmonton will be close to 30 on Friday and then into the 30s starting Saturday or Sunday.

The heat wave will be historic for both temperatures and length.

Prior to Tuesday, Edmonton hadn’t hit 30 degrees in June since 2015. Now, we could end June 2021 with six 30-degree days. The hottest days will likely be Mon/Tue/Wed with daytime highs in the mid 30s.

Sunday, Monday and Wednesday are all potential single-day record-setters in the city.

The other record that might fall is the “consecutive 30-degree days” mark.

June 2-7 in 1961 was the city’s longest stretch of days hitting 30 degrees. If we get to 30 on Saturday and next Friday, we’ll break that record and go seven straight days with highs 30 or hotter.

Elsewhere around the province, numerous daily records will fall and there’s the potential for some spots to hit their all-time hottest recorded temperatures.

Heat warnings will be issued by ECCC in the coming days and will likely remain in place through most of next week.

This will be a dangerous heat event, particularly for elderly Albertans and those with underlying health issues. The lows are forecast to be in the 17-to-20-degree range, so there won’t be any relief from the heat. You should be making a plan and preparing now for ways to stay cool and hydrated over the course of the next week.

Aside from the health risks, the wildfire risk will be extremely high, especially across northern Alberta. There’s no sign of any significant moisture over the next 4 to 7 days in the vast majority of the province.