Six Nations Police investigate fatal single vehicle collision
OHSWEKEN, ON, October 13, 2026 – An 18-year-old Ohsweken man has been killed in a single motor vehicle collision on Cayuga Road at Sixth Line that occurred at about 1:30 a.m. Monday Oct., 12. Six Nations Police Service (SNPS), the Six Nations Fire & Emergency Services and Six Nations Paramedic Services responding to the single motor vehicle collision found a pickup truck had struck a large tree. The driver, an 18 year old Ohsweken man, the only occupant of the vehicle, was pronounced deceased at the scene. SNPS closed the roadway for several hours while both SNPS and the OPP West Region Traffic Unit investigated the circumstances surrounding the collision. Anyone who may have witnessed the collision is asked to contact Six Nations Police at (519) 445-2811. ...
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Coroner’s inquest set to begin examining death of Toronto woman who fell from balcony
By Paola Loriggio A coroner’s inquest is set to begin today to examine the death of Regis Korchinski-Paquet, a Toronto woman who fell from a highrise balcony while police were in her home more than six years ago. Korchinski-Paquet, a woman of Ukrainian, Black and Indigenous ancestry, died on May 27, 2020 after police responded to calls about a family dispute at the apartment. She was 29. Her death came on the heels of the police killing of George Floyd, a Black man from Minneapolis, spurring further protests amid growing calls to defund the police. It also cast a spotlight on how police interact with people experiencing mental health crises. Ontario’s police watchdog investigated the case and eventually cleared Toronto police of wrongdoing in Korchinski-Paquet’s death. The Special Investigations Unit...
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Shelter in place on New Brunswick First Nation ends after report of armed person
Residents of a First Nation in eastern New Brunswick were urged to lock their doors early Tuesday after a report of a person with a weapon. RCMP said officers were looking for a person who used a firearm at Elsipogtog First Nation, roughly 60 kilometres north of Moncton. An updated emergency alert said the police operation had ended and there was no longer a threat to public safety. Police did not immediately share further details about the matter but said officers remain in the area as part of the investigation. On its website, Elsipogtog First Nation says it is one of New Brunswick’s largest First Nations reserves. Leaders from the Elsipogtog First Nation did not immediately respond to a request for comment. This report by The Canadian Press was first...
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New Brunswick gets $219 million loan from Ottawa for hydroelectric dam repair work
By Eli Ridder The federal government says it will spend more than $260 million to help New Brunswick modernize a pair of energy projects. The bulk of the money is a $219-million loan from the Canada Infrastructure Bank to upgrade the province’s largest hydroelectric dam, located west of Fredericton on the Saint John River. New Brunswick’s electric utility is preparing the 672-megawatt Mactaquac Generation Station for a multibillion-dollar overhaul aimed at extending its operational life to 2068. Natural Resources Canada says the funding will support technical studies, regulatory reviews, First Nations engagement and planning. Crown-owned NB Power decided in 2016 to spend up to $3.6 billion to prolong the life of the dam, which would have otherwise been decommissioned by 2030 due to concrete swelling. Federal Energy Minister Tim Hodgson...
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Top court sets sentencing framework for cases involving Indigenous offenders, victims
By Jim Bronskill The Supreme Court of Canada says in cases where an Indigenous offender commits an offence against an intimate partner who is an Indigenous woman, a judge must apply sentencing principles related to both Indigenous offenders and victims of crime in a harmonious way. In a 5-4 judgment Friday, the top court provided guidance and set out a new framework for determining an appropriate sentence in such cases. The court said Indigenous people are disproportionately and excessively imprisoned, while Indigenous women and girls suffer from unacceptably high levels of violence and abuse. “Both of these pressing issues have been shaped by the experiences of colonization, and addressing them together is central to the ongoing process of reconciliation,” Justice Michelle O’Bonsawin wrote on behalf of the majority. Parliament has...
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Here’s what to know about flu, COVID-19 and RSV this respiratory virus season
By Nicole Ireland Respiratory virus specialists say Canadians should get their flu shot as soon as it becomes available in their area this fall. Most provinces will start providing the flu vaccine to the general public by the end of October and it will be free of charge. In Ontario, both the flu and COVID-19 shots became available on Sept. 28 for people age 65 and older, residents of long-term care or retirement homes and hospital patients and staff. The flu vaccine is recommended for everyone six months of age and older, said Dr. Winnie Siu, a senior medical adviser for the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI), during an online briefing for health-care professionals on Tuesday. A higher-dose version of the flu shot is recommended for adults aged 65...
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Regional Inuit association spending $18 million to build childhood development and wellness centre in Nunavut community
By William Koblensky Varela, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunavut News Early childhood development program Aboriginal Head Start and the Iglulik Wellness Committee will have a new home thanks to an $18.2-million investment from the Qikiqtani Inuit Association (QIA). The QIA is building a new Saviruut building to house both groups in Iglulik, Nunavut using $15 million from the federal Indigenous Community Infrastructure Fund and $3.2 million from the Public Health Agency of Canada, it was announced on Oct. 8. “This is how we build pride in our identity, build healthier families and stronger communities,” said QIA President Olayuk Akesuk. Materials for the building are expected to be delivered on the 2027 sealift, and Arctic Fresh Projects was selected to undertake construction. QIA said there has been a longstanding need in...
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Mayors oppose Oka mining project
By Marcus Bankuti, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Eastern Door After speaking out against Nio Strategic Metals’ push for a new niobium mine in Oka, mayor Patrick Hardy has been joined by the mayors of St. Joseph du Lac and Pointe Calumet in opposing the project. “There is great solidarity at the MRC (municipal regional county) at the mayors’ council, and they proposed to me to send a joint press release to make our stance extremely clear to the claim owners,” Hardy said. Early in his tenure, he met proactively with representatives of the company, he said, telling them he did not think a mine was in Oka’s best interests. The claim owner, he said, has reached out to a number of local leaders. He disagrees with the rosy picture...
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Anti-datacentre rally in Edmonton emphasizes Indigenous rights
By Jeremy Appel, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Alberta Native News More than 100 people gathered outside the Legislative Assembly building in Edmonton to protest the provincial and federal governments’ permissive approach towards building AI data centres Oct 4. Elder Taz Bouchier opened the rally with a land acknowledgement before tying the proposed 7.5-gigawatt Wonder Valley data centre near Grande Prairie’s potential water usage to the oil industry’s plans to release treated tailings fluids into the Athabasca watershed. “When did people lose sight of how valuable water is to living? When money came into play. That’s all these data centers are about,” said Bouchier. Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation is challenging the province’s decision to award a water license of 24-million cubic metres to the Municipal District of Greenview for Wonder Valley...
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Major government economic legislation C-39 clears first vote
By David Baxter and Craig Lord OTTAWA-A key piece of economic legislation, Bill C-39, has passed its first vote in the House of Commons and the 243-page bill will now be studied by a special committee. The bill proposes giving the government more powers to fast-track projects deemed to be in the “national interest” and making changes to the Canada Labour Code to reduce the number of labour disruptions in federally regulated sectors. The Conservatives voted with the Liberals on the legislation, though leader Pierre Poilievre said his party will table several amendments at committee. Poilievre said he wants the government to speed up the decision timeline on projects to between six months and a year, and to add measures to protect workers’ rights. NDP Leader Avi Lewis said earlier...
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Airlines warn against fee hikes in Ottawa’s airport privatization plan
By Christopher Reynolds Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon is promising to keep a lid on fees charged by airports under the government’s partial privatization plan, as airline executives insist the rules must be in place before investors make their bids. However, it remains unclear if the new approach will include across-the-board caps on landing fees and other charges or whether restrictions will be imposed on a deal-by-deal basis and in a more flexible fashion. “We will regulate through contract,” MacKinnon told reporters at an aviation conference in Ottawa on Thursday. “Those concessions will contain price moderation, if I can call it that, or fee moderation.” Under the plan, private entities from pension funds to First Nations would be bidding on leases to run the full gamut of airport operations, rather than...
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Cold Lake First Nations seeks judicial review of Pacific Link pipeline designation
By Alessia Passafiume Cold Lake First Nations filed an application for judicial review in Federal Court on Thursday challenging Ottawa’s decision to designate the Pacific Link pipeline as a project in the national interest. Prime Minister Mark Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announced last week the pipeline from Alberta to British Columbia would be fast-tracked under the Building Canada Act. The goal is to complete the required reviews and consultations over the next year so that construction can begin next September. Cold Lake First Nations Chief Kelsey Jacko previously told The Canadian Press his community was left out of consultations on the pipeline designation, despite the fact that his community is situated in the oilsands region. In the application for judicial review, Cold Lake First Nations’ lawyers said the...
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Eight ways to feed ourselves if rogue AI destroys modern agriculture
By Joshua M. Pearce, John M. Thompson Chair in Information Technology and Innovation and Professor, Western University The capacity of rogue AI agents to destroy our species within the next decade has recently been a hot topic of debate. Fears have been voiced within the industry about the rapidly increasing capabilities of artificial intelligence. If AI did choose (or was used) to eliminate humanity, long-term disruption of the electricity grid would be a straightforward approach. Analysis from the Council on Foreign Relations and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers outlines how sophisticated cyber operations could theoretically achieve this — a serious enough risk that Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, has been meeting with utility executives to discuss how to prevent it. An attack on the grid would hobble conventional agriculture....
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Schools honour Truth and Reconciliation
By Emily Bowen, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Mildmay Town Crier GREY-BRUCE – Students across Grey-Bruce marked the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Sept. 30 by wearing orange, learning about Indigenous history and culture, and taking part in activities intended to keep the work of reconciliation going beyond a single day. The day is a time to remember the children who never returned home from residential schools, honour Survivors and recognize the ongoing effects of the residential school system on Indigenous people, families and communities. At both Bluewater District and Bruce-Grey Catholic District School Boards, students, staff and families were encouraged to wear orange in recognition of Orange Shirt Day and the message that “Every Child Matters.” Flags were lowered at schools and work sites, while schools participated in...
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MPs to hold first vote on federal government’s key economic bill C-39
By David Baxter and Craig Lord The federal government’s contentious legislation to speed up major projects and reduce the number of labour disruptions is scheduled to come up for its first vote in the House of Commons Thursday. The vote will decide if Bill C-39 moves forward for further study at a House of Commons committee. The Liberals now have a majority of seats so the bill is expected to pass. Bill C-39 proposes to expand the government’s one-project, one-review, within one-year approach for major infrastructure plans to other projects across the country. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said his party would pass the legislation on to committee study to propose amendments to the “weak, watered-down, long-delayed” bill. NDP Leader Avi Lewis says Canadians did not vote for the “wholesale rewriting”...
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MPs to hold first vote on federal government’s key economic bill C-39
By David Baxter The federal government’s contentious legislation to speed up major projects and reduce the number of labour disruptions comes up for a vote in the House of Commons today. The vote will decide if Bill C-39 moves forward for further study, with the government planning to strike a special committee to study the wide-ranging legislation. NDP House leader Don Davies says he asked for his party be allowed to participate in that committee but Government House leader Steven MacKinnon turned him down. At a press conference today with labour and First Nations leaders, Davies and NDP Leader Avi Lewis said the legislation must not pass as written because of its effects on labour and treaty rights. The government insists it will uphold its duty to consult with Indigenous...
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New partnership prepares First Nations firefighters for future wildfire seasons
By Carrie Ivardi, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, NWOnewswatch.com GULL BAY — When a number of First Nations communities in the region were directly affected by wildland fires this summer and the Ministry of Natural Resources was already stretched thin, 35 firefighters were available from a relatively new partnership between the Indigenous Police Chiefs of Ontario, the RCMP and Indigenous Services Canada. These firefighters were trained at Kab Lake Lodge during four training sessions between November 2025 and October of this year, according to Ashley Russell-Taylor, chief operations officer for the Indigenous Police Chiefs of Ontario (IPCO). Russell-Taylor and representatives from IPCO, Indigenous Services Canada and the RCMP were in Kab Lake during the first week of October to observe a week of fall training of First Nations firefighters in preparation...
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Denied Indigenous rights, NunatuKavut council fighting Canada in Federal Court
The NunatuKavut Community Council in Labrador is fighting Canada’s decision to deny the group Indigenous rights under Section 35 of the Constitution. In a Federal Court application, the council says the Canadian government ignored historical and genealogical evidence when it ended Indigenous rights talks with the group last month. Dated late last week, the application seeks to quash the government’s decision to abandon talks with the council. The NunatuKavut Community Council says it represents about 6,000 Inuit in southern and central Labrador, though it is not recognized by other Inuit groups, including the Inuit Nunatsiavut government in northern Labrador. Last month, Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada said information provided by the council did not meet established tests for rights under Section 35 of the Constitution. Section 35 of the...
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Manitoba Wildlife Federation calls for full moose closure in Ducks, Porcupine Mountains
By Steven Sukkau, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Winnipeg Sun The Manitoba Wildlife Federation is calling on the province to completely close moose harvesting in the Ducks and Porcupine mountains, saying the populations in the areas have declined to critically low levels. Chris Heald, Senior Policy Analyst with the Manitoba Wildlife Federation, said the organization wants the province to enforce the existing conservation closure and prohibit all moose harvest, including cow moose. “The population has been decimated,” Heald said. “We want to see the province enforcing a complete closure.” The organization has also raised concerns about Indigenous harvesting for ceremonial and sustenance purposes in the area. Heald said the federation has spoken with First Nations leaders, elders and other conservation and hunting organizations about the situation. “Even some of the First...
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Broad support for proposal to amend Whitehorse Official Community Plan
By Noah Korver, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Yukon News Discussion of the controversial proposal to amend Whitehorse’s Official Community Plan (OCP) returned to city council chambers with the presentation of a public input report by city administration. The report relates back to the application in process to amend the city’s OCP to re-designate certain tracts of city land from greenspace to future planning, and to allow mineral exploration on future planning lands. The application was submitted by the Vancouver-based company Gladiator Metals earlier this year and has generated contentious debate around mineral exploration and the role of municipal authority in regulating industry. The application to amend the OCP was open to public comment throughout the summer of 2026, with the comment period closing at the conclusion of an in person...
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