‘It’s finally time to upgrade:’ Bearspaw First Nation to build travel centre in Eden Valley
By Leah Pelletier, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Rocky Mountain Outlook EDEN VALLEY — Bearspaw First Nation has been given the go ahead to build a new travel centre including a gas bar, convenience store and retail space at the entrance of the Eden Valley reserve. The development, decades in the making, received the green light from the MD of Foothills on Nov. 5, after a zoning change from agriculture to community commercial was approved for the five-acre plot of land adjacent to Highway 541, west of Longview. “It’s going to be a tremendous opportunity for the Eden Valley reserve,” said Rob Shotclose, CEO of Bearspaw First Nation. “It’s finally time to upgrade that community’s commercial centre, retail centre and also move it out from across the river right up to...
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Six Nations Police investigating armed robbery in the village
OHSWEKEN, ONT. – Six Nations Police (SNP) are investigating an armed robbery at an Ohsweken business Friday Nov., 14 that saw a masked man make off with cash. SNP said at about 6:35 p.m. on Nov. 14, a man wearing a camouflage hoodie, a dark-coloured toque and a balaclava, with a flashlight on top of his head, came into the store on Chiefswood Road brandishing a firearm. The armed individual took about $1,000 in cash and fled the area prior to police arrival. No injuries were reported in relation to the incident. Community members were asked to avoid the area while officers investigated, with assistance from the Ontario Provincial Police’s (OPP’s) K9 Unit and the Emergency Response Team (ERT). Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact Six Nations...
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Haida documentary links basketball to sovereignty and identity
By Aaron Walker , Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Windspeaker.com A new feature documentary from Haida filmmaker Patrick Shannon is drawing a direct line between a village basketball team and the Haida Nation’s long fight over title of its lands and waters. Saints and Warriors follows the Skidegate Saints through the 2023-24 basketball season as the team tries to defend its dominance at the All Native Basketball Tournament while key players are also leading political and legal efforts to secure acknowledgement of Haida title of Haida Gwaii off mainland British Columbia. The 98-minute film, produced by InnoNative and Grand Scheme, is rolling out in select theatres across Canada starting this Friday, Nov. 21. It will be available to rent or buy starting Nov. 28. “Saints and Warriors is a story about...
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Plan to boost northern port features in Manitoba government’s throne speech
By Steve Lambert The Manitoba government is scheduled to outline its plans for the coming year in its annual throne speech this afternoon. Premier Wab Kinew has said the speech will include plans to create a Crown-Indigenous corporation that will help ensure Indigenous involvement in the planned expansion of the Port of Churchill. Manitoba has been pushing the federal government to help pay for improvements at the port and the railway that serves the northern town as a way to ship more goods through Hudson Bay to Europe. Prime Minister Mark Carney met with Kinew on Sunday and said there remains a lot of work to do on the project. The NDP government is also expected to reintroduce a bill on the notwithstanding clause that failed to pass in the...
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Toronto City Hall raises Palestinian flag, joining other cities across Canada
By Cassidy McMackon The mood was celebratory on the rooftop of Toronto City Hall on Monday morning, as dozens gathered in the brisk weather to watch the Palestinian flag fly over the building for the first time. The International Centre of Justice for Palestinians, which petitioned for the move, said ahead of the flag-raising that it would mark a “symbolic show of solidarity” for Palestinians in Canada on the 37th anniversary of the Palestinian Declaration of Independence. On the rooftop, supporters joined chants of “free free Palestine” and lined up to have their photo taken with the flag before it was raised. Below in Nathan Phillips Square, several dozen supporters also gathered to see the flag go up, while some pro-Israeli protesters also stood in protest. “It’s fantastic,” said ICJP...
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Manitoba police officer shot in foot by fellow officer during confrontation with dog
A police officer in Manitoba is recovering from surgery after he was shot in the foot by a fellow officer. The Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba says it’s looking into the shooting. It involved officers with the Manitoba First Nations Police Service on the Brokenhead Ojibway Nation, northeast of Winnipeg. The agency says the officers were executing a warrant at a home Saturday, when they were confronted by a large, aggressive dog. It says an officer tried to shoot the dog, and the second officer was inadvertently hit. The injured officer was transported to Health Sciences Centre Winnipeg, where he underwent an operation to remove a bullet from his foot. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 17, 2025. ...
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BC transmission line risks repeating Site C failures: critics
By Rochelle Baker, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Canada’s National Observer The rush to develop BC’s $6-billion North Coast Transmission Line risks charging down the same troubled path of poor oversight and cost over-runs faced by the Site C dam, critics warn, pointing to a new report. At the end of October, BC Hydro provided the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) with its Site C “lessons learned” report, which outlined why the Peace River project costs nearly doubled to $16 billion from the original $8.8 billion figure in 2014. The North Coast Transmission Line (NCTL), which will power natural gas operations, LNG export facilities, mining and the Prince Rupert port expansion, is the next big-ticket item tackled by BC Hydro. It will double electricity flowing from Prince George to Terrace and...
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TD Bank settles human rights complaint by B.C. Muslim-Indigenous man
By Brieanna Charlebois A human rights complaint has been settled between the TD Bank and a Muslim-Indigenous man who claimed he was racially profiled while trying to open a bank account at a Surrey, B.C., branch. Sharif Mohammed Bhamji, a member of the Heiltsuk Nation, said he hopes his case serves as example to others who have experienced similar injustices and encourages them to speak out. “It’s not the solution but it’s definitely part of it, and I’m glad to be part of a solution,” he said in an interview. Bhamji and TD executives took part in a traditional Heiltsuk washing ceremony on Sunday in Bella Bella, a healing ritual that the nation’s elected chief said sets the bar for corporate accountability. The monetary values of the settlement have not...
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Vote count resumes without electoral officer
By Connor McDowell, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Brandon Sun SIOUX VALLEY DAKOTA NATION — Three ballot boxes that were locked away in the Sioux Valley Dakota Nation government office on Thursday night were opened and counted on Friday afternoon without the presence of the electoral officer who had signed off on the boxes. According to a livestream on the First Nation’s YouTube channel, Jennifer Bone was leading the race for chief on Friday at press time after a tumultuous two days of vote counting. Electoral officer Burke Ratte shut down the First Nation’s ballot count on Thursday amid concerns for his safety and those of his team, he told the Sun on Friday. He said he dealt with multiple threats throughout the day, and that a group of people had...
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Calls for justice system reform follow release of man who killed two Indigenous women
By Alessia Passafiume A woman whose cousin was killed says the release last week of a man who killed two women is another outrage from a justice system that victimizes Indigenous women and girls. Shawn Lamb pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the 2012 deaths of two Indigenous women — Carolyn Sinclair and Lorna Blacksmith — and was sentenced to 20 years the following year. Lamb received statutory release earlier this month after serving two-thirds of his sentence. Offenders serving life or indeterminate sentences are not eligible for statutory release. Melissa Robinson’s cousin, Morgan Harris, was killed by someone else in 2022, and Robinson says she would like to see consecutive life sentences in any case where someone is charged with multiple counts of homicide. She says the families of victims...
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B.C. wolves use line to pull up crab traps in first possible tool use by species
By Chuck Chiang Researchers have captured video footage of wild wolves in British Columbia pulling crab traps out of the sea by their lines to eat the bait inside, in the first evidence of possible tool use by the animals. A report released Monday in the scientific journal Ecology and Evolution by researchers Kyle Artelle and Paul Paquet says they placed cameras on the beach aimed at Heiltsuk First Nation crab traps to work out what was repeatedly damaging them. The traps, set up near Bella Bella, on B.C.’s central coast, were being used to control the invasive European green crab, and some were in deeper water submerged at all times, leading researchers to believe the damage that started in 2023 was caused by marine mammals. “We were going, ‘Well,...
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Eby says B.C. is at a ‘pivot point’ as he promises future based on natural resources
By Wolfgang Depner British Columbia Premier David Eby used his appearance at the convention of British Columbia’s New Democrats to highlight several resource projects, while saying that the federal ban on tankers off B.C.’s northern coast is here to stay. Eby promised Saturday that B.C. will turn its natural resources into the wealth needed to “sustain strong public services for generations to come,” citing several projects his government is pursuing. They include the North Coast Transmission Line set to power mining and LNG projects in northwestern B.C., with Eby calling the line “one of the biggest, most transformational opportunities” in a century. He said the nation-building project, which Prime Minister Mark Carney this week listed for consideration for fast-tracking by Ottawa, will support new industries while “creating 10,000 good jobs...
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Inside the Labour Struggle at Massy Books
By Isaac Phan Nay, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Tyee After opening her bookstore eight years ago, Patricia Massy quickly became a star in the Vancouver arts scene. Massy Books has become a much-loved store, showcasing Indigenous, feminist and progressive books. While it was active, Massy’s associated art space offered about 140 community events a year. Publicly, Massy has made a commitment to fair treatment of employees and support for progressive causes. In 2022, it became the first B.C. bookstore to become a living-wage employer. But a contentious union drive, the departure of almost all the staff seeking a first contract and fierce criticism from some former employees have embroiled Massy Books in controversy for almost a year. In September 2024, a majority of about a dozen employees at the...
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Alberta wants to release treated oilsands waste into the Athabasca River. Mikisew Cree First Nation says it’s ‘unacceptable’
By Carl Meyer, The Narwhal Seven months after the Liberal Party vowed to “immediately introduce and pass legislation” affirming the right of First Nations to clean drinking water, Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government says they’re still working on it. This comes as First Nations leaders call on the government to better protect the health of their communities from the threat of toxic waste in the Alberta oilsands. The Alberta government is looking closely at recommendations made in September to speed up the creation of standards, so oilsands companies can treat and release their giant reservoirs of wastewater, called tailings ponds, into the Athabasca River. The oil and gas industry has been asking for permission to release the treated wastewater. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has given Environment Minister Rebecca Schulz a...
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Federal and Manitoba governments announce more steps toward port project
By Steve Lambert One of the federal government’s proposed nation-building projects — the expansion of the Port of Churchill and the rail line that serves the remote northern community — will require a lot of work, Prime Minister Mark Carney said Sunday. “We’ll move forward in steps,” Carney said at the start of a 45-minute meeting with Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew in Kinew’s office. “It’s a very big project, very ambitious, and a lot of work to do, starting now,” he said in French. Manitoba has long touted Churchill, a town of 900 people on the shore of Hudson Bay, as a port with huge potential to ship goods via the Arctic Ocean to Europe and elsewhere. The project recently made a list of initiatives being considered as “transformative” by...
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TD Bank settles human rights complaint by B.C. Muslim-Indigenous man
By Brieanna Charlebois A human rights complaint has been settled between the TD Bank and a Muslim-Indigenous man who claimed he was racially profiled while trying to open a bank account at a Surrey, B.C., branch. Sharif Mohammed Bhamji, a member of the Heiltsuk Nation, said he hopes his case serves as example to others who have experienced similar injustices and encourages them to speak out. “It’s not the solution but it’s definitely part of it, and I’m glad to be part of a solution,” he said in an interview. Bhamji and TD executives took part in a traditional Heiltsuk washing ceremony on Sunday in Bella Bella, a healing ritual that the nation’s elected chief said sets the bar for corporate accountability. The monetary values of the settlement have not...
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Six Nations Police lift Ohweken Shelter-In-Place
OHSWEKEN, SIX NATIONS – Six Nations Police and the Haldimand Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), lifted a shelter-in-place advisory in the Fourth Line and Chiefswood Rd. area of Ohsweken at about 8 a.m. today (Nov., 17, 2025). Police have said there is no threat to public safety. Six Nations Police (SNP) issued the shelter-in-place advisory Monday, November 17, 2025, at around 4:00 a.m. in response to “an active incident involving an armed individual.” Police said as part of the initial response, members of the public in the affected area were urged to follow shelter-in-place precautions. “We recognize the significant emotional impact that receiving a shelter-in-place can cause and appreciate the public’s patience as officers worked to investigate and resolve the situation.” SNP said. “We thank members of the...
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There’s work to be done before Ring of Fire gets a spot on Major Projects list: Hajdu
By Mike Stimpson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Thunder Bay Source THUNDER BAY — There’s work to be done before a project in the Ring of Fire could be added to the federal Major Projects Office’s list, Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu said Friday. Hajdu, MP for Thunder Bay-Superior North, was speaking a day after the government announced projects to be considered for streamlined approval processes. None of them are in Northwestern Ontario. “I think my role is to make sure that there are northern Ontario projects that are on the list,” Hajdu told Newswatch. “Ultimately, I think everybody is interested in seeing the Ring of Fire move forward,” she said, referring to mineral-rich lands where Australia-headquartered Wyloo wants to tap its Eagle’s Nest deposit. “I think the Ring of Fire has...
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Shelter-in-place order lifted after gun theft in northern Alberta: RCMP
A shelter-in-place order issued by RCMP after a firearm theft in northern Alberta has been lifted. Police say in a news release that shortly after noon on Saturday, unknown suspects committed a robbery near Red Earth Creek and that several guns were taken and suspects shot at a civilian who was in the area. They fled, but at 6 p.m., several sightings of the suspect vehicle were reported, and Mounties later located the vehicle and three suspects north of Peerless Trout First Nation where police said the suspects appeared to be using a jerry can to put gas in the truck but ran into the woods when officers arrived. They say it’s believed they took three firearms with them, and police issued the shelter-in-place issue for the area of Peerless...
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Prime Minister Mark Carney in Winnipeg for Grey Cup, Louis Riel ceremony
By Steve Lambert Prime Minister Mark Carney has paid tribute to Métis leader Louis Riel on the 140th anniversary of Riel’s execution. Carney joined other dignitaries at Riel’s grave site in Winnipeg, and said Riel fought for people’s rights while the Métis faced injustice. Carney said Riel’s execution divided a young nation but his legacy helps to unite a Canada determined to learn from history. The Manitoba Métis Federation said Carney is believed to be the first sitting prime minister to attend the annual ceremony at Riel’s grave. Riel fought for a list of rights that paved the way for Manitoba’s entry into Confederation. Riel was arrested after a later rebellion in what is now Saskatchewan, convicted of treason and hanged. This report by The Canadian Press was first published...
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