Western Standard News Update | Declassified records show Canada most pandemic-ready | 13 Aug 2026

In this Western Standard News Update, Chief Editor Dave Naylor covers Luke Combs announcing a Commonwealth Stadium show in Edmonton, Merritt’s mayor calling on Ottawa to intervene in recurring BC ER closures, and declassified records showing Canada was once described as the world’s best prepared country for a pandemic. Naylor also looks at Mark Miller’s UK trip for “social cohesion” briefings, Parks Canada concerns over the $90-billion high-speed rail project, a gambler losing his appeal over seized Las Vegas winnings, Summerland wildfire re-entry delays, and ASIRT clearing RCMP officers in two separate incidents.