Gull-Masty Makes Progress – New funding announced for Jordan’s Principle as backlog evaporates
By Patrick Quinn, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Nation Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty announced February 26 the federal government will budget $1.55 billion to renew Jordan’s Principle funding over the next year. The investment intends to protect access to essential supports for First Nations children. “As a First Nations Minister, I understand what it is like to be a client of Indigenous Services Canada,” Gull-Masty told the Nation. “I have friends and family who regularly apply to Jordan’s Principle and, as a young mother, I would have applied to Jordan’s Principle had it been around when my children were young.” The child-first principle was established in 2007. It is named after Jordan River Anderson, a five-year-old boy from Norway House Cree Nation in Manitoba. He died in 2005 during...
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National survey finds Canadian business schools largely disconnected from Indigenous economies
By Aaron Walker, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Windspeaker.com A new national survey is shedding light on a long-standing gap in Canada’s business education system. Luminary, an Indigenous-led innovation and economic collaboration hub, found that many business schools remain disconnected from Indigenous economies, with limited partnerships with Indigenous businesses, economic development corporations and entrepreneurs. The Saskatchewan-based organization recently released its Canadian Business School Indigenous Engagement Report 2025, described as the first national benchmark of Indigenous engagement in Canadian business schools. The report points to uneven progress and gaps in areas of strategy, curriculum, research, and partnerships. Among the key findings, just 59 per cent of business schools surveyed said they had an Indigenous strategy in place, including plans to support Indigenous students, develop Indigenous-focused curriculum, or build partnerships with Indigenous communities...
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Nunavik police chief ‘honoured’ to step into permanent role
By Dominique Gené, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunatsiaq News Nunavik’s police chief Jean-François (Jeff) Bernier says he is “honoured” to step into the role permanently and is ready to tackle the challenges that come with the job. “It’s really the challenge that [this position] represents and the uniqueness of the North that grew on me,” he said in an interview. “I’m sure we can achieve very much for all the 14 communities. But I won’t lie, there are tough challenges ahead.” Bernier had served as interim chief since November as part of an agreement with the Quebec City Police Service. He recently announced his retirement from the Quebec service to take on the new role in Nunavik, and his appointment as permanent police chief was announced Tuesday by Kativik Regional...
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Essential Services – National friendship centre network faces funding uncertainty
By Patrick Quinn, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Nation As the national friendship centre movement expands to support Canada’s growing urban Indigenous population, the National Association of Friendship Centres (NAFC) is facing funding uncertainty that risks cutbacks to vital community services. “We’re trying to show what friendship centres are contributing,” said new NAFC CEO Jennifer Rankin. “It’s repositioning ourselves as an economic partner by telling how many jobs we’re creating, infrastructure projects we’re involved in, the emergency response we’re providing.” While the NAFC requested $65 million annually in long-term funding, the federal government has indicated that funding will be less than half of previous years, when it reached over $70 million. Core funding provided through the Urban Programming for Indigenous Peoples (UPIP) program since 2017 is expiring after the March...
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Road tolls in Kahnawake inch forward
By Marcus Bankuti, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Eastern Door North of 100,000 commuters pour through Kahnawake’s territory every day, and the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK) is proving that the announcement last year that it might toll infrastructure on the territory was no idle warning. That’s the signal sent with the announcement of a major feasibility study on road tolls, which will be led by Arcadis, the same company that worked on the tolling system for the high-profile Gordie Howe International Bridge connecting Windsor and Detroit. The MCK believes the information yielded by the study will equip it to consider how tolls could best be implemented on the territory to achieve a range of goals. “The Council’s very supportive of this project and finally carrying it out,” said MCK...
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Nisga’a Nation members allege ‘heightened financial risk’ of B.C. LNG projects
By Darryl Greer Two members of the Nisga’a Nation have filed a lawsuit in B.C. Supreme Court alleging the First Nation failed to adequately consult its citizens before partnering with Western LNG on the development of the Prince Rupert Gas Transmission Project. Cecil Mercer and Stephen Nyce say in their lawsuit that the pipeline project is interconnected with the Ksi Lisims floating natural-gas facility and marine export terminal near Prince Rupert, B.C., which has been dubbed a nation-building project by the federal Liberal government. The lawsuit says the projects “rely on the export of LNG,” at a time of declining demand in target markets, and it argues infrastructure built to facilitate LNG exports could become obsolete as countries transition to low-carbon energy. The lawsuit says the pipeline’s cost was first...
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Poilievre pitches Canadian kindness on ‘The Joe Rogan Experience’ podcast
By David Baxter and Sarah Ritchie Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre laughed off a conspiracy theory about Justin Trudeau in the opening minutes of his 2.5-hour sit-down with podcaster Joe Rogan, where he made a case for Canadians being America’s nice-guy neighbours. While talking about his early interest in politics, Poilievre mentioned that he read a biography of Fidel Castro. “Justin’s dad!” Rogan interjected. The Conservative leader shook his head and laughed, “No, no, not Justin’s dad,” adding later that it’s “a hell of a (conspiracy theory). I don’t think it’s a true one though.” Poilievre’s interview with “The Joe Rogan Experience” was released Thursday afternoon. The Conservative leader appeared on the show in his typical navy suit but sounded more laid back than usual — and even swore occasionally. The...
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‘Maxed out’: Yukon budget includes record $81.8M deficit
Yukon Premier Currie Dixon hopes the budget he tabled Thursday is the worst the territory ever sees, as he warned of “tough decisions” needed to get its finances in order. The budget for this year is Dixon’s first as premier and forecasts a record $81.8-million deficit — the largest recorded in the territory’s history — along with growing debt. Dixon placed the fiscal situation squarely at the feet of the territory’s former Liberal government. “This needs to be the worst budget the Yukon government ever tables,” Dixon, who also serves as finance minister, told the legislature. “Today’s budget represents the low benchmark. It is the floor from which we must get up off of. It will shape the tough decisions needed to get us back on track.” The Yukon Party...
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RCMP investigate graffiti outside Acho Dene Koe First Nation office
By Claire McFarlane, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Cabin Radio Fort Liard resident Evangelina Fantasque said she was “dumbfounded” to come across the words “eight years of nothing” spray-painted across the exterior walls of the Acho Dene Koe First Nation office earlier this month. Vehicles parked outside the office in the Northwest Territories community were also marked with the same words. “Who would do that?” Fantasque asked. She said she wasn’t sure what the graffiti was referencing until someone else pulled up behind her and mentioned the First Nation’s chief had been in the role for the past eight years. Fantasque believes Chief Gene Hope, first elected in 2017, could be the target of the graffiti. In an email to Cabin Radio, ADKFN general manager Boyd Clark said Chief Hope wasn’t...
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Funding hopes dimming for Kanesatake security force
By Hadassah Alencar, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Eastern Door Efforts to find new funding from the federal government for the Kanesatake Perimeter Security (KPS) team before their current program ends on March 31 have been so far unsuccessful, The Pines Reporter has confirmed. The Mohawk Council of Kanesatake (MCK) will attempt to reallocate some internal funding to extend the KPS services, said caretaker council member Brant Etienne. So far, the federal government has not communicated with the caretaker council of any intention to renew or point to new funding, he said. “In one form or another, we’re all committed to making sure that the essential service of KPS continues to be available for the community,” said Etienne, referring to the MCK. “It’s scary because we don’t know what’s going...
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Service Nunavut portal, more manufacturing among priorities for Government of Nunavut
By William Koblensky Varela, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunavut News More manufacturing investments and an online portal called Service Nunavut, where Nunavummiut can potentially access health cards and driver’s licences, are among a list of priorities tabled by Government of Nunavut on March 19. “The exact number of services or functions through that portal is yet to be finalized, but that’s the general gist — removing barriers to services,” Main said. He said the mandate was intentionally light on details, and an upcoming capital budget plan will allocate specific project timelines. Developing a made-in-Nunavut manufacturing strategy is another feature of the territorial government’s new mandate. “We do have some limited manufacturing in Nunavut, as you know, when it comes to processing fish, some other meat processing activities, but very limited...
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School registration policies a ‘barrier’ in Kanesatake
By Hadassah Alencar, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Eastern Door As the school registration period in Kanesatake comes to an end, school staff navigate the restrictions for funding on First Nations students who seek an education in Kanesatake. Since 2012, Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) only allows school funding for Indigenous children who live on Crown land within the J0N 1E0 postal code, a policy school staff say unduly restricts Indigenous children’s ability to learn in Indigenous communities. “It puts up a lot of barriers,” said Kimberly Simon, Ratihén:te High School principal. “There might be some Indigenous students that even live in Oka within the J0N 1E0 area code, but they might not live on Crown land, and or they might be living, let’s say, in a neighbouring town and maybe...
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Invasive grasses may pose deadly risk post-wildfire, UBC researcher says
By Marissa Birnie Invasive grasses are creeping into burnt landscapes years after wildfires and could fuel massive future fires that put people’s lives at risk, a University of British Columbia researcher says. Jennifer Grenz, an assistant professor in the department of forest resources management, co-authored a study that focuses on the aftermath of the McKay Creek wildfire, a 46,000-hectare fire that burned near Lillooet in 2021 during the record-breaking heat dome. The study, published this month in the journal “Fire Ecology,” took place in B.C.’s southern Interior, a region that includes dry forests and grassland and rugged terrain ranging from narrow valleys to tall ridges. Grenz said that while native plants were slow to recover two years after the fire, invasive grasses like cheatgrass are starting to grow onto bare...
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Chartrand speaks at Portage meeting on MMF investments
By Renee Lilley, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Portage Graphic Leader Manitoba Métis Federation (MMF) President David Chartrand has pledged new provincial investments in Portage la Prairie, including a daycare centre, pharmacy, housing and a permanent building for the local government, as the federation prepares for a historic “changemaker” year. Speaking to a crowd of approximately 150 citizens at a Portage Local meeting on March 18, Chartrand said the MMF is scouting locations in the city for a new hub. He noted that the federation is being strategic about the purchase to avoid price gouging. “Without a doubt, we’re coming to invest here in Portage la Prairie for the local and also for daycare centres,” Chartrand said, adding that the city’s Red River Métis community shows a “united front” that gives...
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Port Moody backs Indigenous housing resolution headed to UBCM
By Patrick Penner, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Tri-Cities Dispatch Port Moody council has unanimously endorsed a resolution from the Aboriginal Housing Management Association (AHMA) calling on the province to establish an Indigenous-led housing alliance aimed at tackling homelessness and housing instability for Indigenous people living off-reserve. The motion was approved March 10 following a delegation from AHMA communications and justice studies staffer, Kelly Moon, who asked the city to support the proposal as it advances toward the 2026 Union of B.C. Municipalities (UBCM) convention. The resolution urges the province to create an Indigenous-led, cross-sector housing alliance bringing together senior representatives from housing, health, justice, and social services, alongside Indigenous housing providers and municipalities. Moon told council AHMA’s members already play a major role in providing housing across the province, but...
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Regional chair highlights transit, housing, and innovation in Brock presentation
By Darryl Knight, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Standard Newspaper Regional priorities ranging from housing and transit to economic development and public safety were outlined during a recent update delivered to Brock Township. At council’s meeting on Monday, March 9, Regional Chair John Henry presented Brock councillors with the annual Regional Municipality of Durham update, offering a broad overview of major initiatives and the region’s long-term vision. Mr. Henry highlighted the region’s 10-year strategic plan, which focuses on building strong communities, supporting economic growth and ensuring regional services keep pace with population increases across Durham. “Durham Region continues to grow, and with that growth comes both opportunity and responsibility,” said Mr. Henry. “Our strategic plan is about making sure we build communities that are connected, inclusive and sustainable for generations...
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The great potato giveaway: Métis society looks to distribute 55,000 lbs of potatoes
By Ed Hitchins, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Energeticcity.ca FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — Amid a snowfall on the first day of spring, locals in Fort St. John gathered around Fort St. John Métis Society offices to get their hands on potatoes. It is part of the society’s work with the Second Harvest donations program, a food rescue group which redirects unsold surplus food to local non-profit organizations, according to its website. Initially, the haul of spuds which came all the way from a Saskatchewan farm was as much as 55,000 lbs of potatoes, of which Chetwynd residents took 10,000 lbs to distribute to the district. Fort St. John Métis Society president, Alana Copeland, spoke to Energeticcity.ca about the large amount, which is being stored at Surerus Pipeline’s warehouses. “We got...
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Hawaii’s worst flooding in 20 years threatens dam, prompts evacuations as more rain looms
By Jennifer Sinco Kelleher And Audrey Mcavoy HONOLULU (AP) — As Hawaii endures its worst flooding in more than 20 years, officials are urging people in hard-hit areas to “LEAVE NOW.” The warning early Saturday came after heavy rains fell on soil already saturated by downpours from a winter storm a week ago. Still more rain was expected during the weekend, officials said. Muddy floodwaters smothered vast stretches of Oahu’s North Shore, a community world-renowned for its big-wave surfing. Raging waters lifted homes and cars and prompted evacuation orders for 5,500 people north of Honolulu. Authorities cautioned that a 120-year-old dam could fail. The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning early Saturday with light to moderate showers expected to turn heavy in some places. Gov. Josh Green said...
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Amanda Lathlin, the first First Nations woman elected to Manitoba’s legislature, dies
A member of Manitoba’s government caucus and the first First Nations woman elected to the province’s legislature has died. The Manitoba NDP Caucus says in a statement Saturday that Amanda Lathlin, who represented the northern riding of The Pas—Kameesak, died at 49 after taking a leave of absence last month due to health issues. The statement says Lathlin was a former band councillor for Opaskwayak Cree Nation and in 2015 became the first First Nations woman ever elected to the legislature. It says she worked to advance legislation extending paid leave for mothers recovering from miscarriages and improving access to sexual assault care in northern communities. A cause of death was not given in the statement. Premier Wab Kinew says Lathlin helped pave the way for other Indigenous women to...
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Lake Huron expected to drop one foot below long-term average
By Jacqueline M. St. Pierre, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Manitoulin Expositor MANITOULIN—The shoreline tells the truth long before policy reports do. Walk the beaches of Manitoulin in early spring and you begin to see it: the lake pulled back just a little farther from the rocks, docks stretching a few boards longer into the water, shoals rising where boaters remember deeper channels. It is not dramatic. Not yet. According to the US Corps of Army Engineers, Lake Huron is expected to be four to seven inches below last year’s levels and 11 to 12 inches below its long-term average. The latest monthly water level bulletin from the Canadian Hydrographic Service, part of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, shows the Lake Michigan–Huron system—hydrologically one lake—sitting low in its long-term seasonal average...
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