Membertou showcases that it grows great places together
By Rosemary Godin, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Cape Breton Post People in Membertou First Nation spent a recent weekend mowing, clipping and deadheading the flowers. Judges from the Communities in Bloom project visited the First Nation last week to judge it for the 32nd edition of the annual national event. The community is being considered in the Atlantic Novice category. “The community would like to remind all businesses and residents to tidy up their properties before the judges arrive,” a notice to the community said. Communities in Bloom is a Canadian non-profit volunteer and partnership-driven organization that uses a multi-tiered competitive evaluation process to foster community strength, involvement and continuous improvement. The program nurtures environmental sustainability, enhancements of green spaces and heritage conversation in cultural and natural environments encompassing municipal,...
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Brantford Police arrest three and seize cocaine
BRANTFORD-The Brantford Core Engagement Response Team (CERT) arrested three individuals and seized over 30 grams of cocaine on Thursday (July 30). Officers were patrolling on foot in the area of a parking garage on Icomm Drive around 8 p.m. when they observed three people in a physical altercation. An intervention by the CERT officers resulted in all three individuals, who Brantford Police say were known to each other, being placed under arrest. They also said only minor injuries were suffered as a result of the physical altercation. A search incident to arrest resulted in the discovery of 20.8 grams of cocaine and a quantity of Canadian currency in the possession of the first accused male. The female accused in the incident was found to be in possession of 11 grams...
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Potlotek chief faces four opponents in Cape Breton band election
By Rosemary Godin, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Cape Breton Post Five people are running to be chief of Potlotek First Nation in its upcoming band election to be held Aug. 11. Running against incumbent Chief Wilbert Marshall are: retired businessman Kenny Basque; seasonal fisherman Wayne Johnson; recent Cape Breton University business grad and community volunteer Noelle Julian; and Potlotek’s economic development officer Tahirih Paul. Presently, Marshall chairs the board of directors for the powerful Atlantic First Nations Water Authority Inc., among his many other wider positions within Mi’kma’ki. He is also a voting member of the board of directors for the Union of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaq. A year ago, Marshall was a recipient of the King Charles III Coronation Medal and received it at a special ceremony at the same...
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N.B. RCMP admit to unintentionally starting house fire with tear gas canister
By Eli Ridder New Brunswick RCMP say they unintentionally caused a house fire during a standoff last year when they used a tear-gas canister that ignited after landing inside a home near Fredericton. An RCMP spokesperson only confirmed the house fire in Kingsclear First Nation after a media request this week, as it was not included in a news release at the time. A police statement from 2025 said the Upper Kingsclear Fire Department and public safety officials attended the scene, about 25 kilometres west of Fredericton. Patrick Polchies, a Kingsclear First Nation councillor, said the April 2025 fire “demolished” the house on Tomahawk Avenue. “The fire totalled the place, it was nothing but a pile of rubble,” Polchies told The Canadian Press in an interview Thursday. He added a...
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MPP Holland disputes chief’s claim of no contact
By Mike Stimpson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, SNnewswatch.com THUNDER BAY — The MPP for Thunder Bay-Atikokan says he did, in fact, speak with Kiashke Zaaging Anishinaabe’s chief about the wildfire situation, contrary to what the chief has told news media. Kevin Holland’s communications director reached out to Newswatch after it ran an article from Ricochet Media in which Chief Wilfred King accused Holland of lying. In the article, King is quoted as saying the MPP “is not being truthful to anybody, especially when he says that he had a discussion with me. I had no discussion with Mr. Holland, whatsoever.” Kiashke Zaaging Anishinaabek, also known as Gull Bay First Nation, has been under evacuation since July 14 due to a large wildfire in its vicinity. King and other First Nations...
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Carney touts B.C. port expansion plan to strengthen independence, diversify economy
By Brenna Owen Prime Minister Mark Carney has backed a proposal to expand a major port facility in Metro Vancouver, saying its existing capacity won’t be enough to meet Ottawa’s goals for growing and diversifying the economy. Carney outlined his support for the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority’s Roberts Bank Terminal 2 expansion project as he toured part of Global Container Terminals’ Deltaport facility at the site in Delta, B.C., on Thursday. “When you look at the capacity of the Port of Vancouver, it’s bigger than the capacity of the next five biggest ports in Canada combined,” he said. “But within the next decade, it’s not going to be enough.” Canada must expand port capacity and connected infrastructure if the country is to become “stronger, more independent, more diversified,” increasing trade...
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First Nations slam Ontario’s lack of commitment to publicly review wildfire response
By Kathryn Mannie and Liam Casey First Nations leaders condemned Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s government for its lack of commitment to hold a public inquiry on the devastating wildfires in the northwest, or even release the province’s debrief. In calling for a public inquiry, First Nations have said the province failed to warn them in advance of several fast-moving fires, which destroyed two communities, and that communication with the province have been poor to non-existent. Several First Nation chiefs told a press conference at Queen’s Park on Thursday they are not getting answers from the premier, Natural Resources Minister Mike Harris, Emergency Preparedness Minister Jill Dunlop or Indigenous Affairs Minister Greg Rickford. During an update on the wildfire situation hours earlier, Harris sidestepped questions about holding a public inquiry. He...
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NDP supports First Nations’ call for inquiry into wildfire response
By Mike Stimpson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, SNnewswatch.com TORONTO — The Ontario NDP and Indigenous leaders on Thursday afternoon repeated their call for a public inquiry into the province’s handling of wildfires. A few hours earlier, Natural Resources Minister Mike Harris repeated his assurance that the government will review its work after the forest fire season ends. Premier Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservative government “needs to be held responsible for their failure to prepare” for this year’s highly disruptive and destructive fire season, Kiiwetinoong MPP Sol Mamakwa said in a news conference in Toronto with caucus colleagues and First Nation chiefs. Asked during a morning news conference in Queen’s Park about calls for a public inquiry, Harris did not commit to one. “Well, after every fire season we do quite a...
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She knew what she wanted / Iakoterièn:tarahkwe Tsi Nahò:ten Ionská:nekskwe
By George Rahrhainté:ri Ross, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter The Eastern Door Being raised Catholic, my adoptive mother, Pauline, wanted to be a mother so badly. She’s from Ontario, and moved to Montreal with her sister, Aline, when they were in their early 20s. Pauline was a schoolteacher, and Aline a nurse. They bought their house in LaSalle, right on Brome Street where I would grow up. At the time, Pauline was engaged to a man who wanted to have a wife who would stay at home, cook, clean, and raise the children. He had even told her how many kids that they should have. She was a very strong woman for sure; the kind of person who knew what she wanted to do and go for it. She always stood...
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Canada’s gender-based violence laws are improving. Frontline worker conditions are not
By Alice Mũrage and, Julia Smith The Conversation When it comes to gender-based violence (GBV) Canada has made legal and policy strides over the past decades, and indeed the past few years. Once viewed as a domestic matter, GBV is increasingly recognized as a public safety, public health and human rights issue. In 2022, for example, the National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence provided a shared framework to guide a co-ordinated national response with provinces and territories. Coercive control is now receiving greater legal recognition through the introduction of a new tort on intimate partner violence by the Supreme Court of Canada. And Bill C-16, the Protecting Victims Act, which was passed into law on June 18, creates a new offence of controlling conduct toward an intimate partner. Despite...
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Judge keeps Nunavik detention class action in Montreal
By Dominique Gené, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunatsiaq News A Quebec Chief Justice has ruled that a class action lawsuit alleging Inuit detainees were held longer than legally permitted before receiving bail hearings will remain in Montreal instead of moving to Amos, where many members were jailed. Lawyer Alexandre Brosseau-Wery, who represents plaintiff Michael Carrier, argued that the same transportation challenges cited in the lawsuit would make it harder for class members to participate in the case. Carrier, who is from Kangirsuk, filed the lawsuit in 2018 after he was detained for 10 days at St-Jérôme detention centre in Montreal before he received a bail hearing. The class action argues that “adjournments beyond three clear days result in unlawful detention, unless there has been consent,” and that Carrier’s experience is...
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Youth learn emergency skills at paramedicine summer camp
By Maya Ekman, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, NWOnewswatch.com KENORA – “Kids can do hard things when they’re given the opportunity to learn,” said Rachel Sitar, the paramedic program coordinator for the Seven Generations Education Institute (SGEI) Kenora campus. On July 22, kids ages 12 to 16 participated in the free Explore Paramedicine Summer Camp program where they learned the basics of emergency response with SGEI and the Kenora District Services Board. Sitar said that they wanted to create the camp for two reasons. “We wanted to introduce youth to careers in paramedicine and healthcare, and then we also wanted to teach some practical emergency skills that they could use in real life.” The group first learned how to stay safe on a scene by practicing situational awareness, and learning to...
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Lawsuit claims Manitoba Hydro outage not caused by shotgun damage
By Steven Sukkau, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Winnipeg Sun The Cross Lake Band of Indians has launched a proposed class-action lawsuit against Manitoba Hydro, the federal government and the Province of Manitoba, alleging years of ignored warnings left the northern First Nation vulnerable to the 110-hour power outage that displaced thousands of residents last winter. The statement of claim, filed Tuesday in the Manitoba Court of King’s Bench, seeks damages as well as court orders requiring Manitoba Hydro to build a redundant power line to the community and governments to improve emergency power, water and wastewater infrastructure. None of the allegations have been tested in court. The proposed lawsuit stems from a power outage that began Dec. 28, 2025, when the sole transmission line serving Cross Lake failed, leaving the...
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More than 80 wildfires extinguished in Ontario in past two weeks: minister
By Kathryn Mannie The wildfire situation in northern Ontario is moving in a reassuring direction as more than 80 fires have been extinguished in the past two weeks, Natural Resources Minister Mike Harris said Thursday. He said 159 wildfires are still raging, with 30 burning out of control. Harris characterized this year’s wildfire season as unprecedented, but said the tide appears to be turning. “We’ve had a fire season in the last two weeks like we’ve never seen before,” he said at a press conference. “Thankfully, things are calming down now. They’re getting back to normal, and we’re able to manage the situation a lot better.” The wildfires have sent thousands of people from mostly First Nation communities fleeing from their homes and released clouds of smoke that drifted across...
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Province takes next step toward nuclear power in Nanticoke
By J.P. Antonacci, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Hamilton Spectator The province is “seriously considering” a nuclear reactor for Nanticoke, Energy Minister Stephen Lecce said on Wednesday at the site of the former Ontario Power Generation coal-fired power plant in Haldimand County. “We really see potential here to attract investment and create jobs,” Lecce said, adding the province wants to “breathe new life” into the site while helping meet Ontario’s future electricity needs, with demand projected to increase by as much as 90 per cent by 2050. “We need to generate a ton of power,” Lecce said. “We have a serious challenge and a massive opportunity.” Nanticoke was one of three OPG-owned properties shortlisted for a small modular reactor in 2024. On Wednesday, Lecce announced OPG and Haldimand County will...
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New Indigenous languages commissioner says her job is to support incoming leadership
By Alessia Passafiume The interim head of the Indigenous languages commission, which is now facing a federal audit, says her job is to support new leadership to ensure a fresh start for the institution. Candice St-Aubin, who left her job as a senior federal public servant to take on the interim commissioner’s role, says on social media it’s deeply meaningful work that “asks much of the mind, heart and spirit.” Her appointment comes after The Canadian Press reported on former staff raising widespread concerns about the arm’s-length office and claiming it has failed to move the needle on strengthening Indigenous languages and supporting research. They also allege a toxic work environment, bullying and stalled projects, all leading to staff quitting in frustration. The Canadian Heritage department launched a financial audit...
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Scuba diver maintains new bubbler in Shoal Lake
By Connor McDowell, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Brandon Sun SHOAL LAKE — The new aeration system at Shoal Lake received some underwater repairs last week when a team of environmental specialists scuba dived to maintain bubblers on the lakebed. The new field of 18 bubblers off the shoreline on the east side of the lake were calibrated by technicians from AAE Tech Services during two hours of diving last week Monday. Technicians got their first underwater look at the bubblers that were installed last year in order to adjust the equipment to best promote fish health. The company’s founder, Mark Lowdon, told the Sun that it’s an annual caretaking job to ensure the equipment oxygenates the lake evenly. The equipment counteracts environmental conditions at Shoal Lake. “We are basically just...
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New Indigenous languages commissioner says her job is to support incoming leadership
By Alessia Passafiume The interim head of the Indigenous languages commission, which is now facing a federal audit, says her job is to support new leadership to ensure a fresh start for the institution. Candice St-Aubin, who left her job as a senior federal public servant to take on the interim commissioner’s role, said on social media it’s deeply meaningful work that “asks much of the mind, heart and spirit.” “I do not approach this work as temporary. The responsibility to support the preservation, revitalization, and strengthening of Indigenous languages in Canada does not pause while institutional processes continue,” St-Aubin wrote. “While the formal process will determine the leadership team that follows, I see my role as helping support those who will welcome them and ensuring they can begin their...
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Dene Nation and Alberta Treaty 8 First Nations unite to defend water rights
By Kody Ferron, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Yellowknifer The Dene Nation and Alberta Treaty 8 First Nations are teaming up to defend the water rights of Alberta and the NWT. On July 29, the Dene Nation announced that it had signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Woodland Cree First Nation of Treaty 8 territory and the Treaty 8 First Nations of Alberta. The MOU, according to the Dene Nation’s announcement, creates a formal partnership to protect the groups’ treaty water rights. The groups say that the MOU will be renewed annually to ensure it continues to be effective in its goals, including creating Indigenous-led water monitoring and stewardship throughout the Mackenzie River Basin, creating shared environmental databases and expanding the role of Indigenous knowledge and jurisdiction in the...
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N.B. RCMP admit to unintentionally starting house fire with tear gas caniste
By Eli Ridder New Brunswick RCMP say they unintentionally caused a house fire during a standoff last year. The Mounties say they used a tear-gas canister that ignited after landing inside a home in Kingsclear First Nation in April 2025. An RCMP spokesperson only confirmed the house fire after a media request, as it was not included in a news release at the time. The RCMP statement from 2025 only said the Upper Kingsclear Fire Department and public safety attended the scene. Police say they used the tear gas to draw out a man who had barricaded himself inside the residence and was firing a weapon towards responding officers. The RCMP said last year a 34-year-old man was arrested and charged with 16 counts of attempted murder and firing at...
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