Texas company to pay B.C. First Nation $12M over 2016 tugboat spill
A British Columbia First Nation says a Texas company has agreed to pay more than $12 million in the first portion of a “multi-part settlement” after a grounded tugboat spilled about 110,000 litres of pollutants in central coast waters in 2016. The Tribal Council at the Heiltsuk Nation says in a notice to members on Facebook this week that the deal involves parties including Houston-based liquid marine transport operator Kirby Corp. The statement says Kirby has agreed to pay the Heiltsuk Nation after a court order is issued later this year, as well as to attend a washing ceremony in Bella Bella, B.C. Kirby has also agreed that its vessels will no longer travel through Heiltsuk waters without prior consent. The deal comes after the tugboat Nathan E. Stewart ran...
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Winnipeg police to begin wearing body cameras next week as part of pilot project
Dozens of Winnipeg police officers are set to start wearing cameras next week as part of a six-month pilot project. The force says 40 front-line officers will be equipped with body-worn cameras to be used during their regular duties, including responding to calls and during investigations. The service is to get feedback from the community and partner organizations. It’s also planning to host public forums. City council previously cited concerns over costs of the technology but heard from Chief Gene Bowers earlier this year that there’s no cost for the pilot. RCMP in Manitoba announced last year that nearly all their front-line officers are equipped with body cameras, while the Manitoba First Nations Police Service has deployed the technology to all its 12 detachments. This report by The Canadian Press...
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What you need to know about the federal government’s grocery and essentials rebate
By The Canadian Press Staff The federal government’s new Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit will see its first round of quarterly payments go out today. The benefit was known previously as the GST/HST credit, so people who were eligible for that program likely will receive the new benefit. Here’s what you need to know about the program: — The government estimates about 12 million Canadian are eligible. — Before the quarterly payments of the grocery benefit begin, eligible recipients will receive a one-time GST/HST payment top-up to cover the transition period between the old program and the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit. One-time GST/HST top-up: — It is based on your 2024 tax return. — The government has set maximum income levels to qualify for the top-up. The maximum 2024...
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Outdoor learning, Indigenous teacher pathways supported with $50K grants
By Jordan Copp, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Coast Reporter Sunshine Coast School District 46 (SD46) received two new $50,000 grants focused on outdoor education and Indigenous teacher development. During the district’s May 13 board meeting , Superintendent Kate Kerr said, “This is really going to focus on building more capacity with our educators.”The funding is through the Free to Play program in support of Project LEAP: Leading Educators in Adventurous Play.The staff report states that the project will “build educator confidence and leadership in outdoor play and land-connected learning through mentorship, collaboration, and shared practice with play experts, Elders, and Knowledge Keepers.”It says that through modelling, coteaching, and reflective learning opportunities, staff will deepen their understanding of play-based learning, reciprocity with the land, and inclusive outdoor facilitation. This will allow...
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Decades in the making, Deb Haaland’s political rise spurs both inspiration and scrutiny
By Savannah Peters And Susan Montoya Bryan SAN FELIPE PUEBLO, N.M. (AP) — As the sun peeked over the Sandia Mountains, Deb Haaland was at a familiar spot, the tribal community where she used to work, waving at motorists and encouraging them to stop and vote in New Mexico’s primary. It was the final day of voting earlier this week, and Haaland was embracing friends and former colleagues at San Felipe Pueblo where she was once a tribal administrator. She talked food, family and handcrafted silver jewelry with Pueblo women who have watched her political ascent with pride and are hoping to see her become the first Native woman to become a governor in the U.S. Before the day was over, Haaland, who is a citizen of Laguna Pueblo, secured...
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First Nations chiefs say civil disobedience an option if Alberta referendum proceeds
By Lisa Johnson Treaty chiefs representing First Nations across the West say they are willing to carry out acts of civil disobedience if necessary to fight Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s separation vote. And Treaty 8 Grand Chief Trevor Mercredi on Thursday renewed a call for Smith to put a stop to the upcoming referendum. He pointed to a recent court decision that stalled a separation petition drive on the grounds Smith’s government did not fulfil its constitutional duty to consult First Nations. “If they’re ignoring courts, ignoring the rulings, it shows to me that they are lawless,” Mercredi said of the United Conservative government. He said First Nations have not given consent and will stop the referendum in any way they can, including getting in the way of industry, or,...
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Aecon signs agreement with Arctic Gateway on infrastructure in northern Manitoba
Aecon Group Inc. says it has signed a collaboration agreement to support infrastructure in northern Manitoba with Arctic Gateway Group, an Indigenous and community-owned business. The memorandum of understanding says the companies will collaborate on the development of the Port of Churchill and Hudson Bay Railway. The companies say the agreement will leverage Aecon’s construction and infrastructure expertise and Arctic Gateway’s leadership in Indigenous and economic development in the region. The port and railway are operated by Arctic Gateway Group, which has an ownership group comprising 29 First Nations and 12 remote northern Manitoba communities. The Port of Churchill is the country’s only deepwater northern seaport that both has direct access to the Atlantic Ocean and is connected to the continental rail network. In April, Aecon Group Inc. reported a...
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First Nation implements security checkpoints to combat crime
By Mike Stimpson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, SNnewswatch.com GINOOGAMING — Since Monday, anyone driving into this First Nation neighbouring Longlac must get clearance from security personnel. Guards are stationed at the bridge to Ginoonaming, and a vigilant sniffer dog is at the ready to detect drugs. There’s also a checkpoint at the reserve’s south-end road entrance. The checkpoints are a response to growing problems of drugs, violence and organized crime in recent years, Gigoonaming Chief Sheri Taylor told Newswatch. The First Nation “has been in a state of emergency since 2024,” she said in an interview at her office. She was referring to a May 2024 band council resolution to declare a state of emergency after a spate of drug- and alcohol-related crime that imperilled Ginoogaming youth. “We had a...
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Liberals’ grocery benefit payments start for eligible Canadians today
By Craig Lord One of the federal Liberals’ flagship affordability measures will land in the bank accounts of eligible Canadians starting today. First announced by Prime Minister Mark Carney in January, top-up payments for the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit will start going out today. The program previously was called the GST/HST credit and is usually paid out on a quarterly basis to lower-income households to help them keep pace with the rising cost of living. An estimated 12 million Canadians are eligible for the one-time benefit and amounts vary based on the size of the household, with a single adult with no children getting up to $267 and a couple with two kids receiving a maximum of $533. The one-time top-up payment is worth 50 per cent of the...
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Canadian Heritage aware of turmoil in Indigenous languages office months before audit
By The Canadian Press Staff Documents show the Canadian Heritage department was aware of internal strife at the Indigenous languages office for months before it launched a financial audit of the organization. Half a dozen sources, including former employees, told The Canadian Press that over the five years of its existence, the arm’s-length Office of the Commissioner of Indigenous Languages has failed to move the needle on strengthening Indigenous languages and supporting research. Instead, they say, the office has focused on extensive travel and hosting one big conference in Ottawa that cost $10 million. They also allege a toxic work environment, bullying, projects left uncompleted and staff quitting in frustration. The sources spoke on the condition they not be named due to fear of reprisals. Similar allegations are outlined in...
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Documentary about Treaty 8 to be screened in Fort St. John
By Energeticcity.ca Local Journalism Initiative Reporter FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — A screening of a documentary about of the history of Treaty 8 will be in Fort St. John later this month. The film, ‘Spirit of Treaty 8’ will have two showings on Sunday, June 21st, at the North Peace Cultural Centre. The date coincides with the 125th anniversary of the signing of Treaty 8, which took place in June 1899 and was signed by the Crown and bands in the Lesser Slave Lake area of modern-day Alberta. Geographically, the area of Treaty 8 covers 840,000 kilometres, stretching from northern Saskatchewan to the Northwest Territories. The project was announced in 2025 as a collaboration between the city of Fort St. John and the Treaty 8 Tribal Association, and was produced...
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Federal government announces mining workforce alliance to build ‘talent pipelines’
By Michael MacDonald The federal government has announced a new industry-led alliance aimed at growing the skilled workforce for Canada’s mining industry, which is struggling to fill key jobs. Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu made the announcement Thursday in southwestern Nova Scotia, saying the new body, dubbed the mining and minerals workforce alliance, is part of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s drive to build a more independent economy. “They have a labour shortage … in many areas of the country,” Hajdu said in an interview, referring to the mining industry. “They cannot find the kinds of professionals they need.” The minister said the industry and other skilled trades are also facing “a negative net popularity’ with young people. “These are good quality, solid careers and too few Canadians know about them. Too...
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AFNQL urges the provincial government to abandon Bill 1
By Lucas-Matthew Marsh, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Iori:wase The Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador (AFNQL) is urging the Quebec government to withdraw the proposed Quebec constitution. At a meeting in Montreal last Wednesday, the AFNQL’s council of chiefs unanimously reaffirmed that withdrawing Bill 1 is the only acceptable path forward. AFNQL Regional Chief Francis Verreault-Paul argued that the bill would enshrine the “legal erasure” of First Nations within Quebec’s legal framework. “Adopting this bill, in its current or amended form, would amount to constitutionalizing the political and legal erasure of First Nations — move that directly perpetuates the Doctrine of Discovery and is incompatible with any genuine form of reconciliation,” Verreault-Paul said. The Quebec Constitution Act, tabled in the National Assembly last October, aims to codify Quebec’s alleged fundamental values...
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A lawsuit challenges Hawaii homestead leases limited to those with 50% Hawaiian blood
By Jennifer Sinco Kelleher HONOLULU (AP) — A lawsuit filed this week in U.S. court in Honolulu challenges a century-old system that provides one of the most valuable benefits for Native Hawaiians: land at almost no cost. The lawsuit says the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act, which sets aside land for those who have at least 50% Hawaiian blood quantum, is unconstitutional. It was filed Monday by the Pacific Legal Foundation on behalf of a man who is not Hawaiian but is described in the lawsuit as a lifelong Hawaii resident. It’s the latest challenge to Native Hawaiian entitlements amid the Trump administration’s pushback against diversity, equity and inclusion policies. Homestead communities across the state have been key to economic self-sufficiency and strongholds of Hawaiian culture and traditions. Those with at...
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Nunavut Inuit Heritage Centre in Iqaluit receives another $5 million from Inuit association
By William Koblensky Varela, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunavut News The Qikiqtani Inuit Association (QIA) has allocated an additional $5 million to the planned Nunavut Inuit Heritage Centre in Iqaluit, the organization announced on June 3. So far, the Nunavut Inuit Heritage Centre has collected $75 million toward its $175 million price tag, with an additional $50 million needed to help cover the facility’s operating costs. Nunavut Tunngavik Inc., the federal government, and the Government of Nunavut committed to spend $50 million on the centre in March 2025. QIA has allocated $10 million out of the $75 million set aside so far. The facility is being run by the Inuit Heritage Trust, which has a goal of returning 200,000 Inuit belongings, including archaeological artifacts and ethnographic items, back to Nunavut....
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B.C. extends pause on new mineral claims in northern regions to 2027
The British Columbia government has extended its pause on new mineral rights claim registrations in the northwestern and north-central regions until 2027 due to ongoing land-use planning with First Nations. The Ministry of Mining and Critical Minerals says in a statement that the pause, which applies to new mineral and placer claims, was set to expire on Wednesday but has now been extended to Jan. 31 of next year. The province says existing mineral claims are not affected but registration of new claims and for coal licences will remain on hold. The government says in a statement that the orders have been suspended for the completion of work with the Tahltan, Taku River Tlingit and Kaska First Nations, and to allow for engagement with industry, local governments and other parties....
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Mounties in Saskatchewan resume hunt for suspect in deadly shooting
The hunt is back on for a suspect in a deadly shooting this week at a remote northern Saskatchewan First Nation, Mounties said Wednesday. It began Monday after a shooting at a home in Pelican Narrows, 500 kilometres northeast of Saskatoon. A 28-year-old woman died at the scene and a man was also taken to hospital with injuries. Two suspects were initially arrested. One was released without charges soon after and, on Wednesday, police said the second person had been let go. At the same time, they released video footage of who they believe to be the suspect. The video depicts a person dressed in black with a black head covering running down a road. RCMP arrested two people after a shooting Monday near the health centre in Pelican Narrows,...
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Minister says Canadian forestry crisis goes beyond Trump tariffs
By Wolfgang Depner Canada’s forestry sector is the trade “canary in the coal mine” as it faces structural challenges that go beyond Trump-era tariffs, says the federal minister responsible for natural resources. Tim Hodgson made that comment Wednesday as he unveiled close to $130 million in funding for 56 forestry-related projects across the country. Hodgson, who is in Langford, B.C., to meet with Canada’s provincial and territorial forest ministers, also released a report suggesting homegrown problems, such as unstable access to fibre and lack of domestic demand that are threatening the industry with an “existential crisis.” He said the additional funding for the industry is on top of the various supports worth $2 billion, which the federal government has announced since August 2025, to help the sector remain competitive and...
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Conservative MP says First Nations votes will be critical in Alberta referendum
By Sarah Ritchie Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says Conservative members of Parliament are set to spend their summer break campaigning for Albertans to stay in Canada — and one member of his caucus says he will focus on working with Indigenous leaders to get out the vote. Edmonton Northwest MP Billy Morin said chiefs are doing something “very admirable” in Alberta by fighting for treaties and for Canadian unity. “This one matters. We can’t sit this one out,” he said. Albertans are set to vote in October on whether they want to stay in Canada or prefer to hold a future binding referendum on separating from the country. Poilievre said last month that he and his caucus will be campaigning across Alberta over the summer and encouraging people to stay...
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CP NewsAlert: Mounties in Saskatchewan resume hunt for suspect in deadly shooting
Police say the hunt is back on for a suspect in a deadly shooting this week on a remote northern Saskatchewan First Nation. Mounties arrested two people after the shooting Monday near the health centre in Pelican Narrows, 500 kilometres northeast of Saskatoon. Officers had found two people shot on a road. A woman, identified as being 28, died at the scene, and a man was taken to hospital. The first suspect was released soon after, and RCMP now say their second suspect has been let go without charges. Mounties are distributing video footage of a person they believe is the shooter, dressed in black with a black head covering running down a road. More coming....
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