The Hamilton Tiger-Cats fumbled away their first potential win of the 2022 CFL season in a sobering 29-25 loss against the previously winless Edmonton Elks 29-25 in a Canada Day clash at Tim Hortons Field.

Ticats quarterback Dane Evans fumbled at the Hamilton 14-yard-line and Edmonton’s Jalen Collins scooped up the football and took it back for the game-winning score as the Elks picked up their first win of the season.

The Elks scored 17 points off four Hamilton turnovers, including two interceptions of Evans who finished the game with 197 passing yards on 20-of-31 throws.

Edmonton rookie QB Tre Ford made his first career start and completed 15 of his 26 passes for 159 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He also ran the ball six times for a game-high 61 yards.

Are you joking??!??!? @GoElks with the late lead!!!!#CFLGameday pic.twitter.com/NpO5F4Bezq

— CFL (@CFL) July 2, 2022

Hamilton jumped out to a 2-0 lead just 2:31 into the contest when Edmonton punter Matt Mengel conceded a safety instead of kicking into the wind from the Elks end zone.

On the ensuing drive, Evans tossed a 21-yard touchdown to Steven Dunbar Jr. to increase Hamilton’s lead to 9-0 with 7:46 to play in the opening quarter.

Edmonton got on the board with 30 seconds left in the first quarter when Kai Locksley capped off a 13 play, 79-yard drive with a one yard touchdown run but kicker Sergio Castillo missed the extra point.

Hamilton’s Lawrence Woods took the ensuing kickoff 72 yards for a touchdown to put the Ticats up 16-6 at the end of the first quarter.

Michael Domagala made it 19-7 for the Ticats with 1:28 remaining in the second period when he booted a 25-yard field goal, but Hamilton conceded a safety on their next drive to make it 19-9 at halftime.

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Danny McManus to join Hamilton Tiger-Cats Wall of Honour in the fall

After both teams traded field goals late in the third quarter, Elks linebacker Brady Shelton intercepted Evans at the Hamilton 40-yard-line which led to a Castillo field goal that cut the deficit to seven points.

Evans was picked off again at the start of the fourth quarter and five plays later rookie QB Tre Ford threw his first career touchdown, a 10-yard toss to Kenny Lawler, to even the game 22-22.

Domagala kicked a 33-yard field goal to put the Cats up 25-22 with just over three minutes left in the game before Collins’ scoop and score that gave the Elks the victory.

Hamilton is now on its first bye week of the season and next plays July 16 at home against the Ottawa Redblacks.

© 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

At least five people were killed by a magnitude 6.1 earthquake in southern Iran early on Saturday, state media reported, with the area also hit by two later strong quakes of up to 6.3 magnitude.

“Five people have died in the earthquake … and so far 12 are hospitalised,” Mehrdad Hassanzadeh, head of emergency management in Hormozgan Province on Iran’s Gulf coast, told state TV. “Rescue work has been carried out and we are now providing tents as emergency housing.”

Read more:

Aftershock rattles Afghanistan as earthquake death toll hits 1,150

The state news agency IRNA said a magnitude 6.3 earthquake and a magnitude 6.1 quake followed the 6.1 quake that flattened the village of Sayeh Khosh near Iran’s Gulf coast. There were more than a dozen aftershocks.

“All of the victims died in the first earthquake and no-one was harmed in the next two severe quakes as people were already outside their homes,” said Foad Moradzadeh, governor of Bandar Lengeh country, quoted by the state news agency IRNA.

Major geological fault lines crisscross Iran, which has suffered several devastating earthquakes in recent years. In 2003, a magnitude 6.6 quake in Kerman province killed 31,000 people and flattened the ancient city of Bam.

(Reporting by Dubai newsroom and Mrinmay Dey in Bengaluru; Editing by Chris Reese, Sandra Maler and Kenneth Maxwell)

© 2022 Reuters

Jalen Collins recovered a fumble and scored on a 14-yard return in the fourth quarter to give the Edmonton Elks their first win of the season with a 29-25 win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Friday.

Elks defensive back Jeawon Taylor stripped Hamilton quarterback Dane Evans of the ball on a rush to the outside. Collins recovered for his game-winning score with one minute 38 seconds remaining in the game.

Hamilton’s offence then progressed to the Elks’ 30-yard line, but turned the ball over on downs.

Elks rookie quarterback Tre Ford of Niagara Falls, Ont., completed 15 of 26 passes for 159 yards and a touchdown in his first CFL  career start. Ford was intercepted once.

READ MORE: Canadian QB Tre Ford starts for Edmonton Elks on Canada Day in Hamilton

Evans was 20-for-31 in passing for 197 yards and a touchdown throw. He was intercepted twice.

Edmonton improved to 1-3, while Hamilton has lost four in a row to start a season for the first time since going 0-8 in 2017.

Elks head coach Chris Jones has never begun a season with four consecutive losses.

Down 10 points to start the third quarter, the Elks yielded a 33-yard field goal to Hamilton before booting field goals of their own from 38 and 32 yards.

The Elks trailed 22-15 entering the final quarter.

Edmonton’s Matthew Thomas picked off Evans, his sixth interception of the season, to start the fourth quarter.

That set up Ford’s first career touchdown pass of 10 yards to Kenny Lawler to tie the game 22-22.

Hamilton pulled ahead on Michael Donagala’s 33-field goal with 3:11 remaining before Collins gave the visitors the lead.

The Ticats debuted an alternate steel grey uniform with yellow name plates and black numbers.

Hamilton led 16-6 after the first quarter. Hemmed near their goal line, the Elks conceded a safety after their opening drive.

The home side marched for an opening touchdown on its next possession.

READ MORE: Edmonton Elks’ game against Hamilton Tiger-Cats to be battle between struggling CFL clubs

Evans threw for his fifth touchdown of the season, hitting receiver Steven Dunbar with a 21-yard strike and a 9-0 lead.

Ford appeared more relaxed on his second drive. He led the Elks down the field for a score in 13 plays, resulting in a one-yard scoring run by Kai Locksley on third-and-one.

Edmonton missed the extra point, but Lawrence Woods grabbed the ensuing kickoff for a 72-yard touchdown return. In an unproductive second quarter, the Elks scored a single off a 59-yard field goal attempt from Sergio Castillo.

A late 25-yard field goal from Domagala extended Hamilton’s lead, but the Ticats were forced to settle for a safety in the final minute.

Kameron Kelly intercepted a late first-half pass from Ford at Hamilton’s 15-yard line to preserve the 10-point advantage at halftime.

© 2022 The Canadian Press

Despite the team’s difficult start to the Canadian Premier League season, FC Edmonton is starting to see more success on the pitch as of late.

The Eddies won 3-0 over York United FC while playing at home on Clarke Field on Friday. While the victory was just the team’s second win of the year, it’s also the Eddies’ second win in their past three games.

READ MORE: FC Edmonton captures 1st win of of CPL season

While York United FC had the edge in possession in Friday’s match, FC Edmonton dominated in shots on goal, six to one.

Edmonton midfielder Bicou Bissainthe opened the scoring when he headed in a cross on a corner kick in the 24th minute of the match.

The Eddies’ Mamadi Camara scored the team’s second goal in the 57th minute. He broke away from several York defenders to accept a pass and score right in front of the Ontario team’s net.

Gabriel Bitar scored FC Edmonton’s third goal in the 59th minute.

Despite Friday’s win, FC Edmonton remains at the bottom of the CPL standings with two wins, four draws and eight losses on the season.

After @MastaKacher reached a milestone of 150 career matches this afternoon, we gifted him a team-signed ball for achieving that big milestone.

Congrats Masta!!! 👊🏻#FCEd #CanPL pic.twitter.com/H5IomVii01

— FC Edmonton (@FCEdmontonNow) July 2, 2022

The Eddies’ next match is on Saturday, July 9 when they host Pacific FC at Clarke Field.

© 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Canada Day celebrations returned to Regina this year after a three year hiatus due to COVID-19.

It was a Canada Day full of fun, food, performances and a love for the country. Hundreds of people lined the areas by the legislative building in Wascana Park on Friday to take in the festivities.

Read more:

Canada Day events in Regina packed with family fun activities

One of those attendees was Daniel Schmidt, who says he was having an incredible time.

“I’m hanging out, enjoying some sun, enjoying some festivities, this is a fantastic celebration,” Schmidt said.

The delay in public celebrations has made this year’s bash an above-and-beyond effort. Carrie Hackel, the director of marketing and communications for Regina’s Canada Day committee, says there were hurdles to bring this year’s celebration to life.

“Unfortunately, over the last couple of years we lost over half of our committee, so we’ve all had to do extra duties this year to pull things together,” Hackel said. “We’re just really happy that families can come out and just have a really enjoyable day.”

That happiness is echoed by Schmidt.

“It’s been crazy, but the nice thing about being out now for Canada Day is that we’re in public with everybody just enjoying Canada Day and celebrating, it feels fantastic…it almost feels like a new experience,” Schmidt said.

The day was packed with fun for the whole family. Attendees were treated to performances ranging from concerts, to dance performances to magic shows.

Read more:

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The streets were also lined with many vendours and food trucks with a variety of different options, such as barbecue, hot dogs, ice cream and slushies.

But for some, Canada Day had a more important meaning than simply taking part in fun activities. On a day set aside for patriotism, it’s important to remember Canada’s Indigenous history and the reconciliation efforts being made.

Evan Whitestar, the Indigenous advocate from Mother Teresa Middle School, along with other Indigenous students from the school, were invited to Wascana Park to put on a First Nations drumming and dance performance as a part of the day’s festivities.

“We’re choosing not to celebrate Canada Day and recognize or acknowledge all the genocie it took, but we’re choosing to recognize our resilience as a First Nation community,” Whitestar said. “We found our education, along with our culture and identity through our hallways and we’re choosing to embody what we want to be.”

 

© 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Thousands of British Columbians gathered on Canada Day around the province, however, celebrations had a different tone this year.

After the discovery of the unmarked graves across the country last summer, the City of Victoria decided it was time to do Canada Day a little differently.

Read more:

As it happened: Canada Day celebrations, protests held across the country

The city’s mayor crossed the inner harbour, before the opening of Victoria’s Canada Day celebrations, in a traditional Indigenous canoe. It was a new beginning for Canada Day in the capital.

“It really means a lot for the Lekwungen people to have that happen today,” Margaret Charlie said, a Songhees First Nation Elected Council member.

Along with the national anthem, traditional dancers took centre stage and a moment of silence was held – a stark contrast to typical fireworks.

“It’s about having western culture and in our case in these lands Lekwungen culture live side by side.  It’s not either or, it’s a both and I think that we’re really seeing that today,” Lisa Helps said, Victoria’s mayor.

Read more:

Thousands gather in Ottawa for Canada Day celebrations, protests amid tight security

In other communities across the province, the theme of truth of reconciliation was at the forefront.

NDP leader Jagmeet Singh was at Canada Day festivities at Edmonds Park in Burnaby.

“We reflect on the injustice that the country has committed and commit to making sure we build a better country,” said Jameet Singh.

While there is still much work to be done according to the NDP leader,  this Canada Day marks another step on the path to reconciliation, setting a precedent for years to come.

© 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

After a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19, the Funtastic Slo Pitch Tournament & Music Festival in Vernon is making a return.

From June 30 to July 3 there will be 112 teams from all over Canada and the U.S. competing in one of North America’s largest slo-pitch tournaments. Each team requires five men and five women on the field, and there are over 4,500 players registered.

According to the Funtastic Sports Society president, it took a valiant effort from everyone involved to ensure the tournament would play on.

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“There was a ton of work by our board, and you know I can’t say enough about the hard work that they put into this event, but this event would be nothing without our volunteers,” said Jamie Austin, Funtastic Sports Society president.

“I mean you look around here and all you see is yellow shirts everywhere and that’s 100 per cent volunteer hours. We could not have this event we could not make this event function without the volunteers.”

The tournament attracts a variety of different skill levels — from the more serious to those who just want to dress up and have fun. One man from Calgary playing in the competition for the first time says he couldn’t be happier about spending a weekend with friends out on the field.

Read more:

Vernon will still host 2022 BC Winter Games, postponed to 2023

“Our teams been around for a little while. I’m the new one to the team but they’ve been waiting to get back to this tournament for a long time,” said Tristan Wright.

“They’ve been really excited to get out and play ball so it’s just a good time to vacation, get team bonding and stuff in and just have some fun trying to win some baseball games.”

Then there are others like Diana Kelly and her family who are playing for so much more than just wins. This is her 10th year playing in the tournament, and her and her team are dedicating this weekend to her late father.

Read more:

Forrest named North Okanagan’s athlete of the year

“He passed away this year from cancer, so I just wanted to have a little tribute this year to him, so we made these shirts for him, and he loved to come watch the family try their hand at ball, so it’s always been quite enjoyable for all of us,” described Kelly.

The tournament wraps up on Sunday with two teams from each division competing for a championship.

For a schedule of events, check out the Funtastic website.

© 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

New York lawmakers approved a sweeping overhaul Friday of the state’s handgun licensing rules, seeking to preserve some limits on firearms after the Supreme Court ruled that most people have a right to carry a handgun for personal protection.

The measure, signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul after passing both chambers by wide margins, is almost sure to draw more legal challenges from gun rights advocates who say the state is still putting too many restrictions on who can get guns and where they can carry them.

Hochul, a Democrat, called the Democrat-controlled Legislature back to Albany to work on the law after last week’s high-court ruling overturning the state’s long-standing licensing restrictions.

Read more:

U.S. Supreme Court strikes down New York gun law, expands rights to carry firearms

Backers said the law, which takes effect Sept. 1, strikes the right balance between complying with the Supreme Court’s ruling and keeping weapons out of the hands of people likely to use them recklessly or with criminal intent.

But some Republican lawmakers, opposed to tighter restrictions, argued the law violated the constitutional right to bear arms. They predicted it too would end up being overturned.

Among other things, the state’s new rules will require people applying for a handgun license to turn over a list of their social media accounts so officials could verify their “character and conduct.”

Applicants will have to show they have “the essential character, temperament and judgment necessary to be entrusted with a weapon and to use it only in a manner that does not endanger oneself and others.”

As part of that assessment, applicants have to turn over a list of social media accounts they’ve maintained in the past three years.

“Sometimes, they’re telegraphing their intent to cause harm to others,” Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, said at a news conference.

Gun rights advocates and Republican leaders were incensed, saying the legislation not only violated the Second Amendment, but also privacy and free speech rights.

“New Yorkers’ constitutional freedoms were just trampled on,” state Republican Chair Nick Langworthy said.

The bill approved by lawmakers doesn’t specify whether applicants will be required to provide licensing officers with access to private social media accounts not visible to the general public.

Read more:

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People applying for a license to carry a handgun will also have to provide four character references, take 16 hours of firearms safety training plus two hours of practice at a range, undergo periodic background checks and turn over contact information for their spouse, domestic partner or any other adults living in their household.

Hochul’s chief lawyer, Elizabeth Fine, insisted the state was setting out “a very clear set of eligibility criteria” and noted that the legislation includes an appeals process.

The measure signed into law Friday also fixes a recently passed law that barred sales of some types of bullet-resistant vests to the general public. The previous law inadvertently left out many types of body armor, including the type worn by a gunman who killed 10 Black people in a racist attack on a Buffalo supermarket.

The Supreme Court’s ruling last week struck down a 109-year-old state law that required people to demonstrate an unusual threat to their safety to qualify for a license to carry a handgun outside their homes. That restriction generally limited the licenses to people who had worked in law enforcement or had another special need that went beyond routine public safety concerns.

Under the new system, the state won’t authorize permits for people with criminal convictions within the past five years for driving while intoxicated, menacing or third-degree assault.

People also won’t be allowed to carry firearms at a long list of “sensitive places,” including New York City’s tourist-packed Times Square.

That list also includes schools, universities, government buildings, places where people have gathered for public protests, health care facilities, places of worship, libraries, public playgrounds and parks, day care centers, summer camps, addiction and mental health centers, shelters, public transit, bars, theaters, stadiums, museums, polling places and casinos.

Read more:

Here’s what’s in the U.S. bipartisan gun deal, including a few surprises

New York will also bar people from bringing guns into any business or workplace unless the owners put up signs saying guns are welcome. People who bring guns into places without such signs could be prosecuted on felony charges.

That’s a reverse approach from many other states where businesses that want to keep guns out are usually required to post signs indicating weapons aren’t allowed.

Gun advocates said the law infringes on rights upheld by the Supreme Court.

“Now we’re going to let the pizzeria owner decide whether or not I can express my constitutional right,” said Sen. Andrew Lanza, a Staten Island Republican. “This is a disgrace. See you in the courts.”

© 2022 The Canadian Press

Dealing with a nightmare defeat isn’t easy, but Cody Fajardo believes the Saskatchewan Roughriders are up to the task.

The Riders, coming off a short week, were trounced 37-13 by the Montreal Alouettes on June 23. It was a game that started badly for the Riders. Montreal’s Chandler Worthy took the opening kickoff 88 yards for a touchdown.

Read more:

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Fajardo admitted the Riders, who will host the Als on Saturday in Regina, were a little overwhelmed by the start and couldn’t find a way to turn back the tide.

“They run back the opening kickoff and self-doubt starts to creep in,” said Fajardo. “You’re already down seven points. Then on our first play of the game we had some miscommunication and a missed assignment that almost was a pick-six. And then the next was a throw to Shaq (Evans) and he was probably a half of an inch out of bounds so we go two and out. Then they get a field goal and you’re looking at an early 10-0 deficit and we’d only had two plays. As an offence, it’s hard to overcome that.”

The offensive woes were compounded by an impressive performance by the Montreal defence, which recorded eight sacks and three interceptions.

It was the first game for the Riders without starting centre Dan Clark, who suffered a broken fibula on June 18 in a 26-16 victory over the Edmonton Elks. With Clark sidelined, rookie Logan Bandy stepped into the lineup against the Alouettes with just one practice to prepare for his first CFL start.

Bandy’s inexperience, combined with lack of practice time and the strength of the Montreal defence, resulted in a long evening for the Riders.

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Riders Head Coach Craig Dickenson feels the offensive line shouldn’t bear the brunt of the blame for the eight sacks.

“I think our offensive line played better than what the eight sacks would indicate,” said Dickenson. “I thought they competed hard and for the most part stayed in front of the defensive linemen, but that’s a good defensive front.

“They did a good job of disguising some things and forcing us to hang on to the ball a little longer than we wanted to. And yes, Bandy made a couple of mistakes so it was a perfect storm but it wasn’t all on the line. It wasn’t all on the quarterback. And it wasn’t all on the backs, they shared responsibility.

“Now we’ve had proper time to prepare things, get things cleaned up and we’re expecting to be a much better team and to play a lot better than we did.”

After not allowing a sack in Week 1, the Riders have given up 11 sacks in the last two games. That is the largest two-game total for the Riders since October 2016, when they gave up 12 sacks to B.C. and Montreal.

The Riders may have it a little easier on Saturday as Montreal will be without defensive lineman Almondo Sewell, who is unavailable due to a personal issue. The 35-year-old veteran is one of the top defensive players in the league and recorded two sacks in last week’s victory.

In addition to Clark’s injury, the Riders offence is also dealing with the absence of Evans, who suffered a fractured ankle in the first quarter of last week’s loss. This is the second straight season that Evans has been sidelined by a serious injury. He missed seven games in 2021 with a broken leg.

Evans is expected to miss six to eight weeks with the ankle injury and will be replaced this week by Regina’s Mitch Picton.

MONTREAL ALOUETTES (1-2) AT SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS (2-1)

Saturday, Mosaic Stadium

ALS BY THE NUMBERS: Heading into Week 4, Montreal had the leading rusher, receiver and scorer. Jeshrun Antwi has 172 rushing yards, Eugene Lewis has 307 receiving yards and kicker David Cote has 40 points.

SACK ATTACK: Riders defensive end Pete Robertson leads the CFL with five sacks and has recorded a sack in all three games this season. In 11 games last season as a rookie, Robertson collected five sacks in a backup role.

SAVING THE BEST FOR LAST: The Riders have scored 69 points in three games this season with 39 of those points coming in the fourth quarter. They have scored 30 points in the other three quarters combined.

© 2022 The Canadian Press

The Canadian Hockey League held its annual import draft on Friday. The Kelowna Rockets came away with one new player.

Selecting 43^rd overall, Kelowna picked 17-year-old Marek Rocak, a 5-foot-10 and 168-pound defenceman from Czechia (Czech Republic).

The rearguard spent last season in a U20 league, where he tallied 10 points (4 goals, 6 assists) in 33 games with HC Ocelari Trinec. Born in 2005, Rocak isn’t eligible to be drafted until 2023.

Read more:

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All CHL teams have the option to select two players. However, teams are limited to two import players, and Kelowna will have one returning from last season.

With centre Gabriel Szturc, 18, returning for a second season to Kelowna, the Rockets opted not to use their second pick.

With the 43rd pick in the 2022 CHL #ImportDraft, the
Rockets have selected defenceman @MarekRocak from Czechia.

Welcome to Kelowna, Marek! pic.twitter.com/AybntBq5LP

— Kelowna Rockets (@Kelowna_Rockets) July 1, 2022

Last season, the 5-foot-10 Szturc recorded 16 goals and 41 points in 67 games with the Rockets. And in late June, Szturc was invited to Czechia’s selection camp for the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship.

Szturc was selected 44th overall by Kelowna in the 2021 CHL import draft.

Kelowna’s other import, Pavel Novak, will be stepping away from hockey following a cancer diagnosis.

In a statement released to the media last week, Novak said “unfortunately, my health condition does not allow me to prepare for the next season. I was diagnosed with an oncological disease a few days ago and will soon begin treatment.”

He continued, saying “the coming months will not be easy for me but I firmly believe that everything will turn out well and soon I will fly again on the ice with joy and passion! I will be back stronger!”

Novak was selected in the fifth round, 146th overall, by the Minnesota Wild in the NHL’s entry draft.

In all, 64 players were selected in Friday’s import draft.

Selecting first overall were the Medicine Hat Tigers, who took 5-10 centre Adam Sykora of Slovakia.

© 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.