No changes for Fort Frances residents following hydro dam operator rebrand
By Liam Oliver Neilson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Fort Frances Times The owner of the Fort Frances Generating Station has sold off its U.S. power assets and rebranded Canadian assets from FirstLight to Caelo Energy. Despite this change, Fort Francians can expect the same services with no difference in costs. The Public Sector Pension Investment Board (PSP Investments), Caelo Energy’s parent company, announced Tuesday that it had completed the sale of its U.S. operations, including the FirstLight brand under which the Fort Frances plant had been held, to private equity firm Hull Street Energy. “We’ve gone through several name changes of whoever owns and operates that generating station, and there really should be no impact other than people’s email domain changing,” said Joerg Ruppenstein, president and CEO of Fort Frances...
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Experts decry Nunavut’s ‘Band-Aid’ approach to foster care
By Daron Letts, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunatsiaq News The broken child welfare system in Nunavut is rooted in the territorial government’s colonial approach to the problem, say some with years of experience with the system. “The taking of Indigenous children never stopped at residential school,” said Jeremy Young, who was separated from his mother as a child. “It only continued with foster care.” Young spoke to Nunatsiaq News about his experience in Nunavut’s foster care system Thursday in response to the latest report by the federal auditor general into the territorial government’s handling of youth in its care. Tuesday’s report, the fifth over 15 years, shows little has changed. The Nunavut government is failing to account for the number of children in its care, failing to do consistent check-ins...
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Manitoba Métis Federation ‘appalled’ at lack of Métis funding in federal budget
By Alessia Passafiume The Manitoba Métis Federation says it’s appalled by the lack of Métis-specific funding in Prime Minister Mark Carney’s new budget. While First Nations and Inuit have targeted funding measures in the budget, Métis do not, despite having pressed the government for supports in areas like housing and health care. The only mention of Métis in the budget is in association with $806 million set aside over five years to implement a Trudeau-era Indigenous child welfare law. Manitoba Métis Federation president David Chartrand says there is “no doubt” Red River Métis citizens will be angered by the fact that their needs were dismissed in the budget. He says the MMF met with ministers and the prime minister ahead of the budget and he’s disheartened his requests were not...
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Indigenous peoples have to remain vigilant on energy, says former First Nations chief
By Marieke Glorieux-Stryckman The former chief of the Assembly of First Nations for Quebec and Labrador said he believes the energy industry is heading in the right direction in terms of reconciliation. But Ghislain Picard added Indigenous nations have to make sure their rights are respected amid recent pushes for development by the federal government. “There is good momentum, but at the same time, First Nations have no choice but to remain vigilant,” he told The Canadian Press on Thursday at an energy conference in Montreal. The former chief, who is from the Innu community of Pessamit, praised an effort by Hydro-Québec in recent years to include First Nations and Inuit in energy development projects, citing the utility’s 2035 action plan, which lists creating partnerships with Indigenous communities as a...
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Winnipeg’s Centennial Concert Hall hall under fire: Indigenous teacher alleges racial profiling
By Maggie Macintosh, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Winnipeg Free Press An Anishinaabe teacher is calling for a formal apology saying she was singled out by security officers and repeatedly demanded to show ID at a school event hosted at the Centennial Concert Hall. Seven Oaks School Division administration has requested a meeting with management of the downtown venue to discuss allegations of racial profiling reported by the teacher and a colleague who witnessed security guards confront her. “I didn’t blend in, in their eyes. I didn’t fit their vision of what a professional teacher looks like,” Pamela Morrison told the Free Press about the moments that left her feeling “dumbfounded” and “othered” upon arriving at the concert hall Tuesday. Hundreds of Seven Oaks teachers gathered in downtown Winnipeg that morning...
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MLA elected to Government of Nunavut cabinet
By William Koblensky Varela, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunavut News Cambridge Bay MLA Fred Pedersen was chosen to fill the cabinet vacancy on Nov. 5, but his ministerial portfolios were not announced. “That has not been determined yet,” said Joanna Awa, press secretary for Premier John Main. The election by his MLA peers comes two days after MLA Brian Koonoo resigned from his four ministerial portfolios of Energy, Environment, Language, and Culture and Heritage. Pedersen was first elected MLA in the October 2025 territorial election and previously served as the executive director of the Kitikmeot Inuit Association. Arviat South MLA Jamie Kablutsiak will now become deputy speaker of the legislative assembly, replacing Pedersen in that role. Koonoo becomes a member of the Standing Committee on Legislation, the Standing Committee on...
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Winnipeg’s Centennial Concert Hall hall under fire: Indigenous teacher alleges racial profiling
By Maggie Macintosh, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Winnipeg Free Press An Anishinaabe teacher is calling for a formal apology saying she was singled out by security officers and repeatedly demanded to show ID at a school event hosted at the Centennial Concert Hall. Seven Oaks School Division administration has requested a meeting with management of the downtown venue to discuss allegations of racial profiling reported by the teacher and a colleague who witnessed security guards confront her. “I didn’t blend in, in their eyes. I didn’t fit their vision of what a professional teacher looks like,” Pamela Morrison told the Free Press about the moments that left her feeling “dumbfounded” and “othered” upon arriving at the concert hall Tuesday. Hundreds of Seven Oaks teachers gathered in downtown Winnipeg that morning...
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CanCon, espionage and Trudeau’s archives: Highlights from the 2026 federal budget
The federal government has tabled the 2026 budget proposing $142.1 billion in new spending and projecting a steady decline in the deficit. Here are some highlights from the new fiscal plan. Support for northern communities The federal government is earmarking $610 million over four years for the Nutrition North subsidy program, which is meant to help offset high grocery prices in the North. Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, the organization that represents Inuit in Canada, says the program has failed to actually improve food security and reduce prices. A chunk of change for Canadian content The federal budget includes the government’s promised $600 million in funding for the cultural sector — but only for one year. In June, Ottawa announced it would provide $600 million in annual funding for Canadian content to...
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Budget offers $4B in cultural funding for museums, ice rinks, CBC
By Anja Karadeglija The Liberal government says it is providing “unprecedented” support in the new federal budget for culture and recreation through $4 billion in funding over five years. “Culture is foundational to a strong, proud and sovereign Canada,” says the budget document tabled Thursday. The measures include a total of $783.1 million on a cash basis over five years for Canadian museums. The budget says the money will go to support Canada’s national museums, the National Battlefields Commission, the National Arts Centre and Library and Archives Canada. It is to “help repair and renew aging facilities, protect national collections, and sustain the exhibitions, performances, and services that connect Canadians to our history and culture.” The budget is also making admission to Canada’s national museums free for those under 25....
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Five things: What the budget means for your cost of living
By David Baxter The federal budget contains a lot of government jargon like “supercycles” and “mega deductions” that might mean little to people struggling with the high cost of living. Finance Minister Francois Philippe Champagne said Thursday the budget’s overarching goal is to strengthen both Canada’s sovereignty and the economy by boosting productivity rates that have sagged for decades. The idea is that a stronger economy will help many Canadians with day-to-day affordability challenges, but there are some targeted affordability policies in the 511 page budget document. Bigger Groceries and Essentials Benefit The Groceries and Essential Benefit, a rebranded version of the GST credit, is one of the government’s key affordability measures. The budget proposes a one-time 50 per cent top-up to the benefit for the 2026-27 fiscal year, that...
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Federal budget outlines plan to end homelessness within 10 years
By Catherine Morrison The Carney government is promising to end homelessness in Canada within a decade. The 2026 budget, released Thursday, offers $11.2 billion to tackle homelessness over four years, starting next year, and $17.8 billion over 10 years. The federal government says it would “create the conditions to end homelessness” by setting up a new fund to support projects addressing health, addictions and social supports. Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne called it one of the government’s “flagship” policies. “We are committed to changing how Canada addresses homelessness and supports those who are unhoused, because every Canadian should have the security of a warm home,” the budget document says. “This is a call to action for every level of government, Indigenous partners, the private sector, and the not-for-profit sector to come...
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Feds commit $32B to close First Nations infrastructure gap, $3B for health services
By Alessia Passafiume The new federal budget commits $32 billion over 10 years to repair, replace and build First Nations infrastructure — though the Assembly of First Nations says the work will require more. The federal budget released Thursday is largely framed around building up the Canadian economy. The government says the First Nations infrastructure funding will make essential services more reliable and help communities retain skilled workers. “Building a strong and united Canada also means continuing the important work of reconciliation,” Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne said in prepared remarks. “It means ensuring Indigenous communities have the same foundations that every community needs to thrive: safe housing, clean water, good schools, reliable infrastructure, stable and culturally responsive policing services, and the ability to shape their own future.” There is a...
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Six Nations Police investigate robbery at Mississauga Road business
OHSWEKEN, ON, -Six Nations Police Service (SNPS) is investigating a robbery of a local business that saw four to five men enter the business, assault the clerk and make off merchandise. SNPS responded to the robbery in progress report at a business on Mississauga Road, between Ojibway and Highway 6 , Nov., 2, 2026 at about 1:45 a.m. Six Nations officers learned, upon arrival, that four to five male suspects gained entry to the business, stole merchandise, and fled the scene prior to police arrival. An adult male employee was assaulted during the incident and was assessed and medically cleared at the scene by paramedics. The police investigation located a vehicle believed to have been abandoned by the suspects after fleeing the business. SNPS, believing the suspects were still in the...
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Indigenous peoples have to remain vigilant on energy, says former First Nations chief
By Marieke Glorieux-Stryckman The former chief of the Assembly of First Nations for Quebec and Labrador says he believes the energy industry is heading in the right direction in terms of reconciliation. But Ghislain Picard says Indigenous nations have to remain vigilant to ensure their rights are respected amid recent pushes for development by the federal government. He made the comments in an interview at an energy conference in Montreal organized by HEC Montréal and the province’s energy regulator. He encouraged stakeholders such as Hydro-Québec to collaborate with Indigenous communities for energy development and resource extraction. He says Indigenous communities worry federal legislation that changes oversight on major projects will conflict with their rights. He hopes the Democratic win in the American midterms will ease the political pressure on communities...
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Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation appealing tribunal’s rejection of systemic inequities in First Nations education
Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation-The Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation (MCFN) is appealing a Canadian Human Rights Tribunal’s rejection of its claim that systemic inequities exist in First Nations education. The MCFN appeal charges the Tribunal’s decision was “unreasonable on multiple grounds, including applying an excessively high standard of evidence and concluding that equitable education could be achieved through negotiations with the federal government, despite decades of negotiations failing to deliver equitable outcomes for First Nations students.” MCFN argues First Nations children are entitled to equitable access to quality education and says Canada must be held accountable for its obligations under human rights law. “The future of our children cannot depend on a system that continues to leave their needs unmet,” MCFN Chief Margaret Sault said. “We are...
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University of Saskatchewan dental therapy program brings care closer to rural and northern communities
By Nicole Goldsworthy, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, SaskToday.ca PRINCE ALBERT, Sask. — A University of Saskatchewan program aimed at training oral health professionals closer to home is helping address long-standing challenges in accessing dental care in rural and northern Saskatchewan. The University of Saskatchewan’s College of Dentistry launched its Bachelor of Science in Dental Therapy program in 2023. According to the university, it is Canada’s first and only Bachelor of Science in Dental Therapy program. The initiative was designed to improve access to oral health services while building a workforce equipped to serve communities where care can be difficult to access. “Dental therapists are licensed oral health-care professionals who provide essential preventive and clinical dental services,” said Dr. Walter Yim, assistant director, academic, for the dental therapy program in Prince...
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MPs voice support for recognizing Afghanistan, Gulf veterans for wartime service
By Kyle Duggan Members of Parliament say they have all-party support to speed through a bill to grant wartime service recognition to veterans of modern conflicts like Afghanistan. The Canadian government has not formally designated anything as wartime service since the Korean War, despite deployments to armed combat zones. The bill would establish a national framework for granting recognition of service during wartime, although the bill itself does not specify which conflicts count as wartime service. It requires the government to set clear criteria for designating service as wartime service, and would make the government publicly explain its decisions. Veterans groups had pushed for the legislation and say the recognition is long overdue, although it would not have any effect on pensions or benefits. Independent Sen. Hassan Yussuff introduced Bill...
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Wagmatcook welcomes piece of history back home
By Adam McNamara, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter – The Victoria Reporter Wagmatcook – According to an online statement posted by Wagmatcook First Nation, Oct.15 was a deeply meaningful day for Wagmatcook First Nation, as the community welcomed back a piece of cultural history. In partnership with Mount Saint Vincent University (MSVU), Wagmatcook celebrated the rematriation of the Mi’kmaw Prayer Book, a sacred manuscript containing handwritten Mi’kmaw petroglyphs and hieroglyphs. The historic document dates back to the 1800s, and contains the handwritten 1901 inscription of community member Pierro Googoo. Since the 1670s, these symbols were used to remember catholic prayers and hymns taught by French missionaries. Hieroglyphic texts were written in blank ledgers or on paper-thin sheets of birch bark, being passed down for generations through family lines. “After being held...
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‘A long time coming’: Chiniki First Nation breaks ground on new community centre, gym
By Leah Pelletier, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Rocky Mountain Outlook ÎYARHE NAKODA – A new community centre imagining an indoor gym, day care and event space is coming to Mînî Thnî. Breaking ground on the site west of the community last week, Chiniki First Nation chief and council say the Chiniki Gathering Place will provide a space for the Nation’s youth and elders to connect and keep their culture alive. “From time immemorial, wherever we went, we always set a base camp where everything starts, where everything is renewed, where we remind ourselves who we are and where we’re going,” said Chiniki Chief Aaron Young during the groundbreaking ceremony on Oct. 22. “ Our children will lead in directions in education, but they have to come back to our roots, and...
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Nunavut Family Services could take until 2028 to meet auditor general’s recommendations on foster care
By William Koblensky Varela, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunavut News Family Services Minister Gwen Healey Akearok and Premier John Main promised to follow through on the recommendations from the auditor general’s report on foster children, and it will take until 2027-2028 to make the changes, they said. A lack of contact between Department of Family Services employees, the foster children and foster families was a major concern highlighted by the auditor general. Foster children were contacted on average every two months, well below the minimum once-per-month guidelines, and foster parents were contacted every four-and-a-half months, according to the report. “New standards have been implemented that ensure there are checks monthly, minimum contact checks, as well as quarterly reviews,” Healey Akearok said. Those new standards were put in place since the...
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