Logging firm wins injunction to halt Walbran Valley blockade on Vancouver Island
By Darryl Greer A forestry company has won an injunction to halt a blockade against old-growth logging in the Walbran Valley on Vancouver Island. Tsawak-qin Forestry Inc., which is co-owned by Western Forest Products and the Huu-ay-aht First Nations, had sought an end to the blockade outside Port Renfrew, B.C., that began on Aug. 25. Tsawak-qin Forestry filed a lawsuit against the blockaders last week, claiming the “unknown individuals” have prevented the company and its contractors from accessing the site by erecting structures and “a large wooden sculpture” to block a forest service road. B.C. Supreme Court Justice Amy Francis says the protesters appear “highly organized” and have illegally obstructed the company’s lawful access to the area and cannot “impose their will” by force. Francis says the court cannot weigh...
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Mountie injured in crash while responding to Manitoba mass stabbing hopes for healing
By Brittany Hobson A Mountie seriously injured in a highway crash while responding to a mass stabbing on a Manitoba First Nation says she’s doing well but the tragedy will stay with her forever. Cpl. Brianne Bartmanovich, a member of the detachment in Powerview, says she has served Hollow Water First Nation for seven years and her thoughts are with the victims and their families. “I am hopeful that together, we will be able to heal in our own time,” she said in a statement released by the RCMP on Friday. “Thank you to everyone who has reached out and sent kind message for my recovery. It means so much to me and to my family.” Police have said 26-year-old Tyrone Simard of Hollow Water First Nation killed his 18-year-old...
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Métis facility to receive proceeds from Winnipeg boxing gala
By Sam Laskaris, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Windspeaker.com As far as Jack Park is concerned, it’s a win-win situation. Boxing fans in Winnipeg will have the opportunity to see some live boxing action, and it’s hoped that plenty of money will be raised for a worthwhile cause. Melee Gala X, Manitoba’s premier boxing gala event, is scheduled for Sept. 27 at Club Regent Casino in the city. The Melee Gala, first held in 2013, was established by Winnipeg’s United Boxing Club. Over the years it has served as a fundraiser for various charities within province. This year’s beneficiary is Michif Manor, a short-term stay facility that offers accommodations at a reduced price to Red River Métis families that travel to Winnipeg for critical health services. M Builds, a Winnipeg-based construction...
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Fort Prov firefighters earn less than GNWT counterparts, union says
By Claire McFarlane, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Cabin Radio As wildfire evacuees from Fort Providence began returning home on Thursday, the union representing 32 firefighters in the community and in Hay River said those workers earn lower wages than their Northwest Territories government counterparts. In a Thursday morning news release, the Public Service Alliance of Canada and Union of Northern Workers said firefighters employed by Evergreen Forestry have been working without a collective bargaining agreement for the past two fire seasons. In a statement to Cabin Radio, Evergreen Forestry said the company and the union could not come to an agreement. “We have now both agreed to resolve the dispute by arbitration,” said the company’s manager, Robert Lafleur, in an email. “This means that we will continue operating as usual,...
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Minister says Indigenous advisory council just the start of major project talks
By Alessia Passafiume The newly appointed Indigenous advisory council marks the start — not the end — of talks with community leaders on how to move the government’s major projects agenda forward, Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty said on Thursday On Wednesday, 11 Indigenous leaders from across the country were named to the federal government’s new Indigenous Peoples’ Council tasked with advising the new federal body working to fast-track major infrastructure projects. While First Nations, Inuit and Métis representatives were selected, some Indigenous groups, including the Southern Chiefs Organization in Manitoba, raised concerns about the makeup of the council and the lack of representation from their nations. “Our province has the largest urban Indigenous population in Canada, yet our Nations are entirely absent,” Southern Chiefs Organization Grand Chief Jerry Daniels...
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Alberta premier praises first batch of national-interest projects
By Lauren Krugel Energy industry players and Alberta’s premier says they see promising signs in the first batch of projects announced under Ottawa’s new fast-tracked approval process, but environmentalists warn the inclusion of liquefied natural gas locks Canada into a high-carbon future. Prime Minister Mark Carney on Thursday named the first five proposals to be referred to the new Major Projects Office based in Calgary, which aims to speed development of projects deemed in the national interest. “When I looked at the first five projects, I thought: ‘Finally — they get it,’ because it’s all the projects that have been difficult to build,” Alberta Premier Danielle Smith told reporters in Edmonton. Topping the list is the second phase of LNG Canada in Kitimat, B.C., where natural gas piped from Alberta...
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High-speed rail construction could begin in four years, LeBlanc says
By Maura Forrest The federal government wants construction on a planned high-speed rail line between Toronto and Quebec City to begin within four years. On Thursday, Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc said the government’s new major projects office will work to speed up engineering and regulatory work on the Alto high-speed rail line. “This is a very exciting project in a very densely populated area,” he told reporters at a press conference in Montreal. LeBlanc made the comments at the Port of Montreal, where a planned expansion is among the first five projects under consideration for fast-track approval through the federal government’s major projects office. Alto was not among the five projects unveiled Thursday, but the government has listed it with others identified for future development. Former prime minister Justin...
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Kinew optimistic Port of Churchill project in Manitoba will move forward
By Brittany Hobson Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew says Manitoba has scored an economic win even though the Port of Churchill expansion isn’t one of the first infrastructure projects being considered for fast-track approval under new federal legislation. Prime Minister Mark Carney has named the first five proposals considered of national interest to be referred for speedy approval. Among five additional projects listed as future projects is upgrading the Port of Churchill on Hudson Bay so it can ship year-round. The federal government says the Port of Churchill project looks to expand trade routes with an all-weather road, an upgraded rail line, a new energy corridor and marine ice-breaking capacity. Kinew says it’s exciting to see Ottawa look to Manitoba for developing a project of national importance. He adds he’s not...
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Minister says Indigenous advisory council start of major project talks, not end
By Alessia Passafiume Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty says the newly appointed Indigenous advisory council marks the start — not the end — of talks with community leaders on how to move the government’s major projects agenda forward. On Wednesday, 11 Indigenous leaders from across the country were named to the federal government’s new Indigenous Peoples’ Council and tasked with advising the new federal body working to fast-track major infrastructure projects. While First Nations, Inuit and Métis representatives were selected, some Indigenous groups, including the Southern Chiefs Association in Manitoba, raised concerns about the makeup of the council and the lack of representation from their nations. Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew similarly raised concern about the lack of First Nations representation from Manitoba on the council, saying it’s a “missed opportunity”...
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Carney’s major project list includes LNG development, nuclear power, mining
By Kyle Duggan An expansion to the Port of Montreal and work to double liquefied natural gas production in B.C. are among the first five projects under consideration for fast-track approval through the federal government’s new major projects office. Prime Minister Mark Carney said Thursday these are all viable projects that are “in the national interest.” “The proponents behind each of these projects have already done much of the hard work,” Carney told a press conference in Edmonton. “They’ve undertaken already extensive consultations with Indigenous peoples, consultations that meet the standards of existing legislation.” The first major projects list includes five projects that will be considered for speedy approval by the government’s major projects office, and another five that require further development. The projects up for fast-track approval include a...
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Carney says federal government will strike more pharmacare deals with provinces
By Sarah Ritchie The federal Liberal government is committed to signing pharmacare deals with all provinces and territories, Prime Minister Mark Carney said Thursday, ending months of speculation about the program being cut short. Carney said those deals would be finalized “as quickly and as equitably as possible.” “Those are clear commitments and we will keep them,” he said. The government launched the first phase of the pharmacare program last year, which provides what it calls “universal, single-payer, first-dollar coverage” of contraceptives and some diabetes medications at little or no cost to patients. The pharmacare law was passed last fall as part of the supply-and-confidence agreement the minority government struck with the NDP. As a starting point, it required the federal government to negotiate funding deals with provinces and territories...
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Quebec environmental lawyers group sues Ottawa over major projects bill
By Stéphane Blais A group of environmental lawyers says it has filed a lawsuit in Quebec Superior Court challenging the validity of the federal government’s major projects law. Centre québécois du droit de l’environnement says the legislation gives the government excessive powers and jeopardizes democracy and environmental protections. Prime Minister Mark Carney has said the law passed in June aims to speed up federal approval for projects of national interest, such as mines, ports, and pipelines. The government passed the law to boost the economy and strengthen Canada’s sovereignty in response to the trade war launched by the United States. Geneviève Paul, executive director of the environmental group, says the law removes the ability of the public and the courts to act as a check on government decisions, a role...
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Ontario flouts backlash, fast-tracks Ring of Fire access road
By Abdul Matin Sarfraz / Canada’s National Observer / Local Journalism Initiative Despite pushback from First Nations and environmental advocates, the Ford government is moving ahead with the first segment of a road network to Ontario’s mineral-rich Ring of Fire. The $61.8 million upgrade to Geraldton’s Main Street project will connect Highway 11 to Highway 584 in Greenstone and is billed as the “gateway” to the Ring of Fire, about 500 kilometres north of Thunder Bay. The road is the first Ring of Fire project to be approved under Premier Doug Ford’s controversial Bill 5, which aims to fast track projects by creating “special economic zones” exempt from environmental rules and planning laws. The province says it is a critical step toward unlocking the region’s nickel, copper, platinum and chromite...
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‘Celebrate you’: Rockin’ Recovery returns to highlight stories of healing and resilience
By Matt Prokopchuk, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, TBnewswatch.com THUNDER BAY — “What I’m looking forward to the most is the energy.” Dustin Gagne says he’s excited he was chosen to emcee this year’s Rockin’ Recovery Day. Gagne, who is from Biigtigong Nishnaabeg (Pic River First Nation), said he likes seeing other people on their journeys to recovery from substance abuse and “having a safe place to come.” “There’s no words to describe the feeling that you get (when) you know that someone is doing something really good in their life and they’re very happy,” he said. “Their light is shining so bright, and so that’s the kind of energy that I’m excited to feel.” Rockin’ Recovery is being held for the 12th time in Thunder Bay on Sept. 13. The...
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Carney says federal government will sign more pharmacare deals with provinces
By Sarah Ritchie The federal Liberal government is committed to signing pharmacare deals with all provinces and territories, Prime Minister Mark Carney said Thursday, ending months of speculation about the program being cut short. Carney said those deals will be finalized “as quickly and as equitably as possible.” “Those are clear commitments and we will keep them,” he said at a press conference in Edmonton on Thursday. The government launched the first phase of the pharmacare program last year, which provides what it calls “universal, single-payer, first-dollar coverage” of contraceptives and some diabetes medications at little or no cost to patients. The pharmacare law was passed last fall as part of the supply-and-confidence agreement the minority government struck with the NDP. As a starting point, it required the federal government...
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Alberta premier praises first batch of national-interest projects
By Lauren Krugel Alberta’s premier says she sees promising signs in the first batch of projects announced under Ottawa’s new fast-tracked approval process, but environmentalists warn the inclusion of liquefied natural gas locks Canada into a high-carbon future. Prime Minister Mark Carney on Thursday named the first five proposals to be referred to the new Major Projects Office based in Calgary, which aims to speed development of projects deemed in the national interest. “When I looked at the first five projects, I thought: ‘Finally — they get it,’ because it’s all the projects that have been difficult to build,” Alberta Premier Danielle Smith told reporters in Edmonton. “I think that that demonstrates a real shift in the focus of this government.” Topping the list is the second phase of LNG...
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Shannon Stewart sworn in as newest member of Penticton council
By Keith Lacey, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Penticton Herald Surrounded by her three adult sons, along with other family and friends, Shannon Stewart was sworn in as the newest — and only female — member of Penticton City Council during a brief ceremony Tuesday afternoon at City Hall. Stewart, a social worker, won the recent byelection, emerging at the top of a field of 12 candidates. She is best known locally as a longtime administrator of the Clean Streets Penticton Facebook page, which has more than 6,200 members. Stewart replaces Helena Konanz on council, following Konanz’s successful run for the Conservative Party of Canada in April’s federal election. Konanz and her husband were in the gallery during the ceremony. Stewart was officially sworn in by local Justice Lynett Jung, a...
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Both Conservatives and Liberals intend to introduce bail reform legislation this fall
By Sarah Ritchie Members of Parliament will have the chance this fall to debate two different pieces of legislation intended to make it harder for people accused of certain crimes to get bail. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said Thursday his party’s bail reform bill would create a new category of major offences that includes things like sexual assault, kidnapping, human trafficking, home invasion and firearms charges. The Conservative bill would impose a reverse onus on people accused of such crimes requiring that they prove they should be released on bail. “We will strengthen bail laws by mandating judges also consider the accused’s full criminal history, and prevent anyone with prior major convictions from getting bail,” Poilievre said at a press conference in Vaughan, Ont. He said he does not expect...
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B.C. First Nations and logging firm want Walbran Valley old-growth blockade to end
By Darryl Greer The B.C. Supreme Court is set to rule on an injunction to halt a blockade against old-growth logging in the Walbran Valley on Vancouver Island, but a lawyer for one of the blockaders says the law is evolving and in need of a “course correction.” The Pacheedaht First Nation has decried the blockade on its traditional territory near Port Renfrew, B.C., claiming it is undermining its authority and should disband. The First Nation said in a statement that forestry is a “cornerstone” of its economy, and is calling for the blockaders to “stand down and leave.” The statement came after Tsawak-qin Forestry Inc., a firm co-owned by the Huu-ay-aht First Nations and Western Forest Products Inc., filed a lawsuit last week in B.C. Supreme Court alleging that...
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Lecce promotes speedy ‘one project, one process’ for new mines
By Mike Stimpson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Thunder Bay Source THUNDER BAY — Ontario’s energy and mines minister came to CEN-CAN to preach the value of a “1P1P” – one project, one process – system for getting new mines open. “It cannot take 15 years to open a mine in the province,” Stephen Lecce said Thursday in a conference that was part of the regional mining expo. “And so that’s why … we brought forth landmark one-project, one-process legislation” he said. A streamlined system is necessary because the old one “really undermines the flow of capital, and we need investment,” he said. “We need to attract global investment. We need to retain Canadian investment. “We want to see more Canadians working within our resource sector, and therefore that’s why we...
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