Peaceful protest held for murdered Indigenous woman
By Alexandra Noad, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Lethbridge Herald A young Indigenous woman, who was murdered in September of 2024, was described by her father as a firecracker who also very empathetic with a big heart. Charmayne Briggs Scout says she remembers the day she found out her sister Ginnean Briggs Scout was killed as if it was yesterday. On the evening of Sept. 19, 2024 Charmayne received a call from her father, James Briggs, saying the police needed to speak with her. Once she got to her dad’s home the police broke the news that her sister had died. Charmayne says it took a minute to process what she was told. “It took a couple of seconds for it to kick in, to realize what (the police officer) told...
Register
Portion of N.S. legislature closed to public after week of protests over grant cuts
A floor of the Nova Scotia legislature is closed to the public following a week of rallies and demonstrations over grant cuts. Speaker of the House Danielle Barkhouse said public access would be temporarily closed to the second floor of Province House in downtown Halifax. The gallery of the legislature and the main floor remain open to the public. “As most people know, the emotions are high here in the House,” she told reporters Friday. There have been protests outside the legislature throughout the week over $130 million in cuts to funding for Indigenous and African Nova Scotian projects and arts, tourism and culture programs. “I changed the specifics to this floor because I want to make sure that we have a safe environment for all MLAs here at Province...
Register
Portion of N.S. legislature closed to public after week of protests, demonstrations
A floor of the Nova Scotia legislature is now closed to the public following a week of rallies and demonstrations over grant cuts. Speaker of the House Danielle Barkhouse said Friday public access would be temporarily closed to the second floor of Province House in downtown Halifax. The gallery of the legislature and the main floor remain open to the public. Barkhouse says the public restriction is needed to ensure a safe environment for the members of the legislative assembly. There have been protests outside the legislature throughout the week over $130 million in cuts to funding for arts, tourism and culture programs, as well as money set aside for Indigenous and African Nova Scotian projects. Barkhouse did not say when the second floor would reopen to the public. The...
Register
‘Wine tonight?:’ Statistics Canada data shows liquor store sales down another year
By Fakiha Baig Having alcohol in the home felt like an eternal struggle for Andrea Pain. “I always (had) that dialogue with myself about, ‘Am I going to have a glass of wine tonight?” the Burlington, Ont., resident said in a phone interview. “‘No, maybe I shouldn’t, but I really want one.’ And I would keep going back and forth.” Then, last year, an idea she had drained her mental turmoil. “In the last year, one of the most important changes I made was not drinking at home,” said the 63-year-old, who is also the executive director of Moderation Management, a U.S.-based non-profit company that helps people moderate their drinking. “I reserve my drinking choices for when I go out. My own in-store liquor purchases have gone down significantly.” And...
Register
Treasury Board not tracking impact of public service job cuts on equity groups
By Catherine Morrison Advocates are raising concerns about how job cuts will affect public servants in equity groups — something the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat says it’s not tracking. The federal government has committed to cutting the number of public service jobs by about 40,000 from a 2023-24 peak of 368,000 as it looks to find savings. Departments and agencies across the public service have started notifying staff of coming job cuts. Barb Couperus, a spokesperson for the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat — which oversees government operations — said the office does not collect information centrally on the impact of workforce adjustment on employment equity designated groups. Equity groups include women, Indigenous people, people with disabilities and members of visible minorities. Couperus said heads of departments are responsible...
Register
Where things stand after another weekend of war
By Cara Anna Iran has named a son of its late supreme leader as his successor. U.S. President Donald Trump already had expressed disdain for Mojtaba Khamenei, calling him “unacceptable.” The Islamic Republic’s war strategy now has a new commander, and the powerful paramilitary Revolutionary Guard has pledged allegiance. Oil prices shot above $100 a barrel. Both sides in the war struck new targets over the weekend, including civilian ones. Bahrain accused Iran of hitting one of the desalination plants that are crucial for drinking water in Gulf countries. Israel struck oil depots in Tehran, sending up thick smoke and causing environmental alerts. The U.S. announced another soldier’s death. Saudi Arabia announced the first deaths there. Anger grew in Arab countries over Iran’s launching of hundreds of missiles and drones...
Register
Brant County approves master plan for Nith trails
By Kimberly De Jong, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Brant Beacon Brant County Council approved the North of the Nith Trails and Open Spaces Master Plan during its regular meeting on Tuesday, February 24, 2026. The North of the Nith Trails and Open Spaces Master Plan was designed to establish a sensible, long-term vision that guides the development of a connected, sustainable, and accessible trail network across the North of the Nith over the next 20 years. The North of the Nith is a roughly 344-acre area of land owned by the County of Brant and the Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA), and is located along the north side of the Nith River near Paris and is largely forested with diverse natural features such as wetlands, floodplains and the Nith River,...
Register
Gathering of knowledge keepers at U of M brings ‘generations together’
By Maggie Macintosh, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Winnipeg Free Press The University of Manitoba is hosting a record number of visitors, ranging from schoolchildren to seniors, at its 20th annual gathering of knowledge keepers. A sacred fire was lit on the Fort Garry campus shortly before sunrise Thursday to mark the occasion. “This gathering is to bring many generations together so that we can spend time with one another and learn from each other,” said Vanessa Lillie, director of cultural integration, Indigenous, at U of M. More than 700 people have registered for the 2026 Elders and Traditional Peoples Gathering. There are representatives from all over the province, as well as Ontario, B.C. and as far as the U.K. Lillie described the energy on campus as joyous as the two-day...
Register
Poilievre has “serious” reservations about Carney’s suggested fiscal watchdog
By Catherine Morrison Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said he has “serious” reservations about Prime Minister Mark Carney’s suggestion for a new parliamentary budget officer and is calling for the latest interim watchdog to get the job. He suggested that he has been told the name of the appointee, but did not disclose it in a letter to Carney he made public on social media Thursday. Interim PBO Jason Jacques was appointed to a six-month term in September that ended Monday. With no budget officer installed, the office itself can’t publish any reports or accept new work requests from parliamentarians. It will continue to work on existing requests while waiting for a new officer to be named. Poilievre said he only heard of Carney’s suggested appointment on Sunday and that the...
Register
Manitoba’s first supervised consumption site to open in a few weeks, minister says
By Steve Lambert Manitoba’s first supervised drug consumption site could be open within a few weeks, even as some nearby residents continue to oppose the idea. The NDP government said Thursday it is setting up a temporary mobile structure at the site in central Winnipeg, while work continues on an existing building and getting federal approval for a permanent operation. “For two and a half years, we’ve been trying to set up a site,” Bernadette Smith, the minister for addictions, told reporters. “This is the fastest way we can get one set up, so we’re going to be moving with our partners to set one up as quickly as possible.” The province has opted to use a federal provision that allows provinces to run temporary sites, officially called urgent public...
Register
Blueberry River First Nations chief and council urge members against ‘escalating situation’ with pipeline protest
By Ed Hitchins, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Energeticcity.ca FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — The chief and council of Blueberry River First Nations (BRFN) does not support band members’ protests and blockades north of Fort St. John at a worksite relating to the NEBC Connector project. Media reports suggest both contractors and band members of BRFN had set up a blockade on 260 Road off Highway 97 at NorthRiver Access 33a related to construction of the project on Monday, March 2nd. The project is slated to connect NorthRiver Midstream’s highway LNG hub near Wonowon to the Gordondale area of Alberta. In a statement to Energeticcity.ca, BRFN chief and council acknowledged “members are unhappy” with current contract agreements the First Nation has with industry partners, but do not support the actions of...
Register
AFN criticizes travel advisory for First Nations people entering the U.S
By Jeremy Appel, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Alberta Native News The Assembly of First Nations (AFN) is backing the cross-border Jay Treaty Alliance’s criticism of a recent Canadian government travel advisory urging First Nations people to carry a Canadian passport when entering the U.S. Article III of the 1794 Jay Treaty between the U.S. and what was then British North America guaranteed free cross-border travel for U.S. citizens, British subjects and “the Indians dwelling on either side of the boundary line,” in addition to exempting Indigenous travellers from duties and taxes on “their own proper goods” when crossing the border. According to Pine Tree Legal Assistance, a non-profit law firm based in Portland, Maine, anyone from Canada who has more than 50 per cent “Aboriginal blood” can travel to or...
Register
Carney says he backs strikes on Iran ‘with some regret’ as world order frays
By Rod Mcguirk MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Wednesday he supported the strikes on Iran “with some regret” as they represented an extreme example of a rupturing world order. Carney spoke at the Lowy Institute, a Sydney-based international policy think tank, during the Australian leg of a trade-focused, three-nation visit that began in India. He will address the Australian Parliament on Thursday, then fly to Japan on Friday. “Geostrategically, hegemons are increasingly acting without constraint or respect for international norms or laws, while others bear the consequences. Now the extremes of this disruption are being played out in real time in the Middle East,” Carney said. The Canadian prime minister stressed his country was not apprised beforehand of the U.S.-Israeli airstrikes, in his first remarks...
Register
Bill C-10 would hold government’s feet to the fire on implementation of modern treaties
By Aaron Walker, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Windspeaker.com More than two decades after modern treaty leaders first began calling for independent oversight, they are now urging Parliament to move forward on Bill C-10, An Act respecting the Commissioner for Modern Treaty Implementation. Leaders say the Act would finally close a long-standing accountability gap in how Canada lives up to its commitments in the constitutionally protected agreements. Eva Clayton is one of those leaders. She has spent much of her career navigating the gap between what Canada promises in modern treaties and what happens once the ink dries. Now, as president of the Nisga’a Nation and co-chair of the Land Claims Agreements Coalition (LCAC), she is watching Parliament debate what treaty partners describe as a missing piece in Canada’s constitutional machinery:...
Register
Mohawk Council of Kahnawake oversees rematriation of wampum string
By Lucas-Matthew Marsh, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Iori:wase Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK) Chiefs Melanie Morrison and Ross Montour travelled to Ottawa for the formal return of a wampum string believed to have originated from the community. The handover ceremony was held at the Bank of Canada Museum’s collections offices last week and included Algonquin representatives Fred and Verna McGregor, since Ottawa sits on unceded Algonquin territory. “It was very moving,” Montour said. “It was right to be a part of a ceremony to return it, which was a First Nations ceremony.” The string, composed of 87 purple wampum beads strung on a natural fibre, had been part of the Bank of Canada Museum’s national currency collection for over 60 years. Aside from a brief loan to the McCord Stewart...
Register
NASA says meteor that lit up Vancouver sky was travelling 100 times speed of sound
By Chuck Chiang A meteor that NASA says soared across the night sky above Metro Vancouver at about 100 times the speed of sound set off a fireball, a sonic boom and an explosive response online. Social media was filled with videos and reactions on Tuesday night after the bright flash and house-rattling boom was seen and heard over southwestern B.C. at roughly 9:10 p.m., with footage showing the sky brightening from one horizon to the other. Michael Unger, director of programming at the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre in Vancouver, said his email “started to blow up as people started making reports” about the event. “These events happen all the time,” Unger said. “What is rare about this event is that it created a sonic boom over a populated area....
Register
Sentencing in Prince George manslaughter scheduled
By Bob Mackin, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Prince George Citizen After months of uncertainty, the sentencing in Prince George of manslaughter convict Dakota Rayn Keewatin is finally scheduled. Lawyers for the Crown and defence appeared Feb. 23 before BC Supreme Court Justice Ronald Tindale to set March 5-6 to make their submissions about the length of Keewatin’s jail term. Minimum sentence for manslaughter involving a firearm is four years. In December, the sentencing was delayed indefinitely because the court-ordered report on Keewatin’s personal history as an aboriginal offender, called a a Gladue Report, was outstanding and defence lawyer Jason LeBlond did not know when it would be completed. LeBlond said Feb. 23 that the Gladue Report was received on Feb. 9. Both LeBlond and prosecutor Blake Bouchard told Tindale that...
Register
Indigenous-led Sea to Sky project granted $1.5 million for clean fuel innovation
By Ina Pace, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Squamish Chief Over $1 million in government grants has been allocated to a new clean hydrogen project in Brandywine, coordinated primarily by the Lil’wat Nation. A healthy lifestyle isn’t just necessary for individuals; it’s also for the land around us, and in how we use it. Reducing carbon emissions The Sea to Sky is making a “ win-win” headway in reducing its carbon footprint via community; the plan being to use clean hydrogen primarily to displace carbon emissions, in alignment with the cultural values of First Nations. On March 3 at Sea to Sky Energy Solutions (SSES), Member of Parliament for West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country Patrick Weiler—on behalf of Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Tim Hodgson—announced a federal investment...
Register
International Women’s Day: Susan Aglukark reflects on the strength and power of Inuit women
By Jill Westerman, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunavut News Women can be the metaphorical thread that binds and strengthens a community through their work and actions, and Susan Aglukark, an Inuk woman who grew up in the Kivalliq region of Nunavut, believes Inuit women have started returning to the strong ways of their ancestors. “There’s always been such an important and powerful role that Inuit women have played culturally, traditionally, and even in a transition period,” Aglukark said. “So when we think of traditional ways to contemporary Inuit communities, then and up to now, the role that they play is so important in the community.” March 8th is International Women’s Day, and this years’ theme Give to Gain – highlights generosity, mutual support and collaboration – virtues that Aglukark associates...
Register
Agnico Eagle donation welcomed as Baker Lake Abluqta Society struggle with need for food
By Jill Westerman, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunavut News The hamlet of Baker Lake with its population of about 2,200 residents is internationally known for its impressive roster of Inuit artists. Distinctive stone carvings, wall hangings, and artwork have found their way to galleries and homes far from their humble beginnings in the western Arctic. Baker Lake is also known for the abundance of wildlife that lives on the surrounding tundra – the Qamanirjuaq and Beverly caribou herds, wolves, muskox, Arctic hares, wolverines, and foxes all live in the ecosystem nearby. What might be lesser-known outside of Canada’s North is the persistent food insecurity faced by so many of its residents – often leading to requests for food on local social media pages or from the food bank. For those...
Register
