An astronomical event that will unfold on Monday is prompting several Alberta school boards to take precautions to ensure student safety is not at risk.

If the sky is clear on April 8, Albertans may be able to witness a partial solar eclipse, however, it is not safe to view the event unless eyes are properly protected.

In a post on its website, the Calgary Board of Education said because of the risk of “viewing the eclipse in an unsafe manner,” it is inviting “all students to remain at school during the lunch break.”

“We know that this provides a unique learning experience for students and staff in our schools; however, there can be a serious impact on vision,” the CBE said.

The school board asked parents to ensure their child comes to school with a lunch.

“If students are not participating in educational activities around the event, schools may choose to have students … be involved in supervised indoor activities,” the CBE said.

“If you decide that your child will walk home for lunch on Monday, please discuss with your child not to look at the sun to protect his/her eyes from damage by the solar eclipse.”

The Calgary Catholic School District also posted similar guidance on its website, as did Edmonton Catholic Schools.

In an email to Global News on Thursday, Lethbridge’s Catholic school division — the Holy Spirit Catholic School Division — said that “at this time,” its superintendent has asked that all principals and schools keep the students inside during the eclipse.

“We are also advising all students to remain at school for lunch, with parents sending lunches with them, and to stay away from windows looking outside. In addition, we’re urging parents to speak with their kids about not looking at the sun during an eclipse due to the damage it can cause to their eyes.”

The Lethbridge School Division also warned students and parents about how the partial solar eclipse could damage someone’s vision if precautions are not taken.

In an email sent to Global News on Thursday, a spokesperson for Edmonton Public Schools said it is asking students within that school division “to remain inside for the duration of the partial solar eclipse.”

“For schools that have an open campus, with students leaving offsite for lunch, we have asked staff to reinforce the risks of viewing the sun without proper eye protection.”

The spokesperson added that safety tips and information about viewing a solar eclipse have been provided to all public schools in Edmonton.

In a news release issued last week, the senior manager of the planetarium and space sciences at Edmonton’s TELUS World of Science said safely viewing a partial solar eclipse “requires special solar filters.”

“It is not safe to watch a partial solar eclipse with your eyes alone,” Frank Florian said.

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Along with the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC), the Edmonton science centre is presenting an opportunity for Edmontonians to take part in a telescope viewing of the partial eclipse at the RASC Observatory in Coronation Park. The event is free of charge and runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Monday.

The science centre said it is also selling safe solar viewers at its Galaxy Gift Shop.

On its website, the U.S.’s National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), describes a partial solar eclipse as an event that happens “when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth but the Sun, Moon, and Earth are not perfectly lined up.”

“Only a part of the Sun will appear to be covered, giving it a crescent shape. During a total or annular solar eclipse, people outside the area covered by the Moon’s inner shadow see a partial solar eclipse.”

In Edmonton, the partial eclipse is expected to begin at 11:54 a.m. on April 8. At 12:46 p.m., the event will be in “mid-eclipse” phase while the partial eclipse is expected to end at 1:39 p.m.

In Calgary, the partial solar eclipse will be visible between the hours of 11:48 a.m. and 1:38 p.m.

In the Lethbridge area, the eclipse is expected start just after 11:45 a.m., reach its maximum at 12:43 p.m. and end at 1:41 p.m.

Canadians are mostly looking for help paying their bills in the 2024 federal budget, not investments in the military or clean energy transitions, according to polling released Friday.

The Ipsos poll conducted exclusively for Global News surveyed 1,000 Canadians between March 15 and 18 about what their top three priorities were for the upcoming federal budget, set to be tabled by Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland on April 16.

The cumulative top priority for those polled was help with the rising cost of living (44 per cent).

Women (53 per cent) more so than men (36 per cent) rated cost-of-living support as a priority. Half of gen X respondents (those born between 1965 and 1980) said they were looking for pocketbook help in the budget, the highest proportion of any generation.

“Pocketbook issues dominate the list of the things that Canadians want to see addressed in the budget,” Sean Simpson, senior vice-president at Ipsos Global Affairs, tells Global News.

He says he sees a clear focus among voters on taxes, affordability and other household finances in the polling.

“All those issues, in some way, shape or form, are tied to the amount of money that Canadians have that seems to be draining from their wallet at record speeds these days,” Simpson says.

The other budget line item garnering significant interest is investments in health care, with 38 per cent of respondents ranking it as a priority.

But when asked about a hypothetical hike of one per cent in the GST to fund services like pharmacare – the framework for which the Liberals have introduced as part of their supply-and-confidence deal with the NDP – only five per cent of those surveyed said they saw it as a priority.

Instead, more Canadians are signalling that they’re hoping for a reduced tax burden from Ottawa.

One in three respondents said they’d like to see a cut to their personal tax rates included in the 2024 budget, while one in five said they want the Liberals to freeze the federal carbon price, which rose on April 1. The planned increase spurred countrywide protests that halted traffic on major Canadian roadways.

Some 19 per cent said they wanted to see the Liberals reduce their overall spending, while 18 per cent signalled reducing the federal deficit should be a priority for Ottawa this spring.

But like Canadians, the federal government is finding it has less cash on hand to meet its own rising costs, including servicing debt under the weight of higher interest rates. The parliamentary budget officer said in a report last month that the slowing economy and rising debt costs are leaving Ottawa with little fiscal wiggle room heading into the 2024 budget.

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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Liberal MPs have been on a cross-country tour teeing up line items in the budget related to Canada’s housing market, affordability and homebuilding efforts.

Some 15 per cent of respondents to the Ipsos poll said they’d like to see measures that will cool the housing market in the federal budget, while 12 per cent indicated that funding to build new homes was a priority.

Only five per cent of respondents said an increase in the GST rebate for homebuyers was a priority, though that rose to 10 per cent of gen Z respondents (born between 1997 and 2005).

Other priorities, such as increasing defence spending and accelerating the transition to clean energy, ranked lower on Canadians’ lists:

• Investing in Canada’s ​Armed Forces and defence​ (11 per cent)
• To support the transition to greener energy​ (10 per cent)
• Incentives to lower their carbon footprint​ (nine per cent)
• Help businesses struggling with the pandemic impact (eight per cent)
• Freeze hiring in the federal public service (six per cent)

These are some of the findings of an Ipsos poll conducted between March 15 and 18, 2024, on behalf of Global News. For this survey, a sample of 1,000 Canadians aged 18-plus was interviewed. Quotas and weighting were employed to ensure that the sample’s composition reflects that of the Canadian population according to census parameters. The precision of Ipsos online polls is measured using a credibility interval. In this case, the poll is accurate to within ± 3.8 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, had all Canadians aged 18+ been polled. The credibility interval will be wider among subsets of the population. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error, and measurement error.

Access to emergency healthcare services in Halifax was dealt another blow on Thursday as the city’s QEII infirmary site was without running water or heat following a second water main break at the hospital in 24 hours.

One patient with accessibility needs said he was advised to leave due to the fact he wasn’t able to access the hospital’s washroom facilities.

“I have no circulation in my legs. I can’t walk,” said David Macdonald, who said he had recently undergone surgery.

“The health department came in and they moved everyone they could move out of the hospital. Some people live far away, they live five or six hours from here. How can they get home?”

John Gillis, communications chief at Nova Scotia Health, said the second water main break occurred early on Thursday morning while crews were attending to the original break.

“Both water main breaks were in the same pipe. One break occurred, was repaired, and unfortunately, afterward, another break occurred in the same section,” he said during a media availability on Thursday.

Gillis added the water main breaks resulted in the loss of water and steam for the entire Halifax Infirmary campus including both the Veterans Memorial and Abbie J. Lane buildings.

He said some surgeries at the Victoria General Hospital in Halifax and the Dartmouth General Hospital are being rescheduled to accommodate urgent cases that would normally be done at the Halifax Infirmary.

“It’s not possible to proceed with dialysis and difficult to proceed with surgery under these conditions,” he said, noting a decision to move patients hasn’t been made “at this point.”

“It’s cooler in the building than we want it to be on a day like this and access to bathrooms is difficult.”

Gillis said crews have been forced to transport water, washing stations, and portable toilets into the hospital as a temporary measure. He said he isn’t aware of the current number of patients who remain inside the building at the time but said inpatient care is ongoing.

“The emergency department is open so if you have an emergency, absolutely come here,” he said, adding that he otherwise recommends individuals choose a pharmacy, virtual care, or a separate emergency department location until the issue is resolved at the Halifax infirmary.

On the bright side, he said boilers are operating again and therefore heat will be restored to the buildings on Thursday afternoon.

“The restoration of full water pressure to be able to run water, toilets, and fire suppression … we still don’t have an estimation,” he continued.

Gillis said the water main break had no relation to the ongoing construction of the infirmary’s expansion project.

“It was a pipe inside a building here,” he said.

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When asked how patients were being treated that choose to stay inside the hospital, Gillis said he’s unaware of any instances of people being asked to leave.

“Because we have limited access to washroom facilities, we’re trying to reduce visitors to patients. If people want to come and bring extra clothes, blankets for patients, that’s ok,” he said.

Gillis added that an emergency response team is holding discussions throughout the day and will determine if the infirmary can return to normal conditions tomorrow.

In a Wednesday release, Nova Scotia Health said a water main break had forced the cancellation of some elective surgeries and has the hospital asking patients “without emergency concerns” to visit another ER.

“There is currently no running water for flushing toilets or drinking. Hand sanitizer is available and we are working to bring in drinking water and portable hand-washing stations/washrooms to as soon as possible,” the release stated.

All elective and non-urgent surgeries and procedures were then cancelled and rescheduled.

— with files from Vanessa Wright and the Canadian Press

An autopsy confirmed that a man in his 30s whose body was found in a truck in north Edmonton on Tuesday was shot to death.

In an update Thursday, the police identified the man as 32-year-old Mohamed Abdi and said his death was homicide.

Early Tuesday morning — at around 1:30 a.m. — officers responded to calls about gunshots near 94th Street and 145th Avenue.

They found a man dead in the driver’s seat of a black truck. Witnesses described seeing a white pickup truck leaving the area, police said. A white GMC was later found on fire several blocks away near 106th Street and 155th Avenue.

Investigators said Thursday that the white truck was stolen on March 18. They’re asking anyone who saw the truck between March 18 and April 2 to contact police.

Police are also asking that anyone with video from the area of 94th Street and 145th Avenue between 1 a.m. and 1:40 a.m. or from 106th Street and 155th Avenue between 1:30 a.m. and 1:45 a.m. to contact them at 780-423-4567 or #377 from a mobile phone.

Anonymous information can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

It’s one outstanding team after another that the Montreal Canadiens face as they wind down their season. While another missed playoffs wasn’t the hope, solace can be taken that the Canadiens improved as the season progressed.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have given the Canadiens a lot of trouble, and Thursday night was no different. The Lightning seized on an off-night for Cayden Primeau to win 7-4.

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It was a rare night for the Canadiens as they finally had some secondary scoring. Alex Newhook, Brendan Gallagher and Joel Armia took over the reins from the first line led by Nick Suzuki.

Newhook has had a strong season with little praise for it. Gallagher continues to work his tail off, even though his best offensive days are behind him. However, the big story on the line is Armia. He has put together a remarkable comeback season.

His season started in the minors, where it all could have gone extremely wrong for him after a suspect training camp. Armia put his head down and got to work. That work quickly produced a promotion back to the NHL.

Since then, he’s had the best season of his career. Armia scored twice in the contest to up his goal total to 16. That ties his best season registered in 2020. He has seven games to hit a career high in goals.

Armia is also third on the team in goals despite missing 16 games. He trails only Suzuki and Cole Caufield. Armia is tied with Juraj Slafkovsky, who kept his excellent run going with a tip-in on a point shot. Slafkovsky is learning he cannot be contended with physically. He can go to the front of the net and park, then wait. He’s learning what an outstanding weapon he has.

Slafkovsky used his size again, but in a different manner, on the 6-4 goal. He brought two players to him, and simply had too much strength for the Tampa players to handle. That created space for Suzuki and Caufield. It was Caufield finishing with the shot to the top corner.

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Kaiden Guhle took a hit in the first period that seemed to have left him with a concussion. He suffered a concussion in October as well. Guhle’s head was rocked against the glass by Nikita Kucherov. No penalty was called, even though the hit nailed Guhle right between the numbers.

The point that defenders of that hit will make is that Guhle has to protect himself, because Kucherov was simply following through on the play. However, the issue taken with that is there was no way that Guhle could defend himself. He was finishing a pass to his defensive partner.

Guhle must play the puck and his hands are low to accomplish that pass. Are we suggesting Guhle must suffer a concussion to make a hockey play? If Guhle does protect himself by pushing his hands against the glass when hit, he cannot simultaneously play the puck.

This is why the rule about “hitting from behind” exists. There are scenarios where a player can’t physically defend themselves in the run of play. The NFL has recognized this. They have recently initiated a penalty called “hitting a defenceless receiver.”

The penalty exists in hockey as well. Simply, call it. Just call it. Guhle was defenceless. He cannot both defend himself and make a hockey play. Let him make a hockey play without also getting a concussion. Let’s protect these players more.

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One of the hardest things to grasp is that drafting is not an exact science. It’s so common to suggest that a mistake has been made on draft day, but a lot of time must pass before a true evaluation can be made on a pick.

In his first year after the draft, Jesperi Kotkaniemi looked like the right pick. At third overall, he stormed onto the scene as a teenager and turned in a strong season. Unfortunately, he never progressed. In fact, he has regressed. Kotkaniemi was even a healthy scratch for the Hurricanes on Thursday night. Carolina is on the hook for that contract until 2030.

For every perfect selection of Auston Matthews, there’s a disaster like Nail Yakupov. Even the number one pick, in a revisit of the draft five years later, can turn out to be the wrong selection.

For this reason, the people who are so certain that a mistake in a draft has been made by the Canadiens need to wait for history to tell its own story.

Early on, when Juraj Slafkovsky struggled to keep on his feet and couldn’t win a puck battle, the knives were out and sharpened. Only a season later, Slafkovsky looks like the right choice at first overall.

With that as the backdrop, it’s quite bizarre to see the same scenario playing out with the next Canadiens early first-round pick. The fear now, and even a certainty, for many, is that David Reinbacher was the wrong choice at five.

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Matvei Michkov is speculated to be a superior player, but let’s wait on that. Michkov hasn’t played a single game in the NHL. He may actually not be all that. He’s not a big player. He’s a winger. He has no defensive game or a desire to have one — at all. He may not be the next Gretzky. Reinbacher may be the best choice, just like Slafkovsky. Give it time.

In the end, Kotkaniemi wasn’t the best choice. In fact, the best went four picks later in Quinn Hughes. Evan Bouchard went seven picks later. Both players were not even on the radar in that draft for Montreal. It was a Kotkaniemi or Brady Tkachuk or Filip Zadina choice.

It’s not a science. Every single year a five can be 10th best and a 10th may be fifth best.

This year, there is quite a lot of consternation that the Canadiens absolutely must lose a sufficient number of games to draft fifth. That is the goal. It would be a benefit to draft higher. This is not the disputed point. Of course, higher equals better over the long course of history.

However, should the Canadiens win more and drop to seven, they will still be able to get a forward in the same tier.

It is expected that Ivan Demidov will be the best of the forwards in his tier. However, it may just be Cayden Lindstrom who is best. Berkly Catton might even be the breakout star, or Cole Eiserman. Tij Iginla could also follow in his father’s footsteps and be a great one who was chosen later than he should have been.

No one knows. As long as the Canadiens get a forward in the top tier, they’ll have achieved their goal. Remember that the Vegas Golden Knights wouldn’t part with Cody Glass, taken at six, but were fine to part with Nick Suzuki, taken at 13, in the Max Pacioretty trade.

If you are still skeptical Montreal absolutely must finish fifth-worst, look at every single draft in history. There isn’t a single one where a redraft would see the same top 10 in the order taken. Not one.

So try not to lose too much sleep thinking this is the first draft ever where the order taken is the exact order of excellence the picks will mature to. Montreal will get an excellent forward in the draft. That is sufficient for the day.

Brian Wilde, a Montreal-based sports writer, brings you Call of the Wilde on globalnews.ca after each Canadiens game.