TL;DR
- An 11-year-old autistic boy missing from Calgary for 7 days prompts one of the city's largest search efforts, with 400+ tips and 7,000+ kilometres covered.
- Canadian researchers from Microsoft's deep-learning team launched Skyfall AI to automate executive decisions, aiming to replace C-suite judgment with machine learning.
- Evacuation orders expanded near Clinton, B.C., as the Pear Lake wildfire forces 1,300 properties to evacuate with 6,650+ under alert.
- Netcoins launched crypto-backed lending in Canada, allowing Bitcoin and Ether holders to borrow from C$10,000 starting at 9.99% interest.
Politics and policy
The political standoff over Trump's 50 percent tariffs remains in limbo as the August 19 deadline nears. Prime Minister Carney and the premiers wrapped up their Charlottetown meeting on July 23 united in public, though not all left convinced a deal with Washington is imminent, with negotiations now intensifying as the window narrows (via CBC News).
Business and economy
Financial markets closed Saturday as traders digested Friday's session, where the loonie hovered near 71 cents US on tariff uncertainty and the S&P/TSX Composite drifted lower. The currency has been whipsawed by headlines about the August 19 deadline for Trump's tariffs, with traders trying to price in what a hit to Canadian exports would mean (via The Globe and Mail).
Technology and industry
Skyfall AI, founded by ex-Microsoft and Maluuba researchers, is building AI to automate executive decision-making, pitching software that would handle judgment calls normally reserved for a chief executive. The startup is raising capital backed by Fidelity and Inovia Capital to develop AI world models capable of running companies with minimal human oversight (via BetaKit).
Netcoins, the Vancouver-based crypto trading platform, has partnered with APX Lending to offer Bitcoin and Ether-collateralized loans to Canadian traders, marking the first such platform in Canada. Borrowers can access loans from C$10,000 with terms up to 60 months and rates starting at 9.99 percent (via BetaKit).
Society
Calgary police are on day seven searching for Parker Wells, an 11-year-old autistic boy who vanished July 16. The investigation has become one of the city's largest, with police covering 7,000 kilometres, reviewing 1,000+ CCTV clips, and fielding 400+ public tips, though police say "we never give up hope" (via CBC News).
Evacuation orders around Clinton, B.C., have expanded as the Pear Lake wildfire advances, affecting 1,300 properties with 6,650 more under evacuation alert. The wildfire has burned 44.7 square kilometres, part of a national season in which roughly 950 fires are still burning across Canada and smoke is affecting millions under air quality alerts (via CBC News).
Measles cases continue rising across Canada, with 27 confirmed in Quebec and travel-related cases in multiple provinces as Canada contends with losing its measles elimination status last year. Public health officials warned of possible exposures as cases traced to international travel compound a spread underlining gaps in immunity (via CTV News).
Sports
The 2026 World Junior Summer Showcase begins today in Windsor, Ontario, with Canada, Finland, Sweden, and the United States competing through August 1 at the WFCU Centre, serving as the first tune-up toward the 2027 World Junior Championship that Canada will co-host in Edmonton and Red Deer over the Christmas holidays (via CBC News).
The Canadian Forces Snowbirds are performing their farewell tour this weekend at the Red Deer Regional Airshow, marking the end of 55 years of service by the CT-114 Tutor jets before retirement, with aerial demonstrations scheduled alongside Glow Night events throughout the weekend.