Northern Ontario First Nations claim billions over Robinson Treaties
By Margaret Kirk, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Next week, the federal and provincial governments are required to offer a long-anticipated settlement for the Robinson Superior Treaty (RST), an amount expected to surpass the historic $10-billion payout recently awarded to Robinson Huron Treaty (RHT) signatories. This marks another major milestone in Canada’s reconciliation efforts, as First Nations along Lake Superior move closer to justice for 150 years of unfulfilled treaty promises. Members of Garden River, Mississauga, Batchewawa and Thessalon First Nations — all which neighbour the Sault Ste. Marie community — have been awarded upwards of $100,000 in settlement money as treaty holders, but not without some controversy of how each First Nation has decided to allocate the funds. Next, neighbours along the Lake Superior shores to the west of the...
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Unhoused people displaced following fire at Labrador Inn
By Derek Montague, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Independent An interior fire at the Labrador Inn in Happy Valley-Goose Bay has left hotel management and the provincial government looking to house around 20 people for at least one night in the dead of winter. At 10:35 a.m. Happy Valley-Goose Bay firefighters responded to a call at the Inn and arrived within four minutes. According to town Fire Chief Brad Butler, the fire damaged a couple of bathrooms and the hotel’s kitchen area but not the residential area. “Nobody was injured; it was a quick knock-down by the fire department,” Butler said. “[The fire] was in behind walls. We had to rip walls and ceiling out,” he said, adding his firefighters “did a good job, and [the fire] didn’t extend too...
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Quebec coroner says man found near U.S. border in 2023 died of drowning, hypothermia
By Morgan Lowrie -CP-A 44-year-old Haitian man found dead in 2023 after he had tried to cross into the United States made a final phone call to his wife before succumbing to hypothermia and drowning in shallow water, a coroner has found. The body of Fritznel Richard was discovered on Jan. 4, 2023, in a ditch containing 45 centimetres of water near the U.S. border in St-Bernard-de-Lacolle, Que., says the report by coroner André-H. Dandavino. Richard had been living in Montreal but wanted to join his wife, who had already crossed to the United States, in the hopes of obtaining a green card. He died trying to cross the border on foot through some fields on Dec. 23, 2022. That night, as heavy snow fell around him, Richard called his...
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The Latest: The Pentagon will send 1,500 troops to secure US-Mexico border, officials say
-AP-Donald Trump is remaking the traditional boundaries of Washington, unleashing unprecedented executive orders and daring anyone to stop him. Here’s the latest: Trump administration has paused US resettlement of ‘Afghan allies,’ citing vetting Republican Rep. Brian Mast of Florida, the new chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and a military veteran, told the AP that the Trump administration had intentionally paused the planned U.S. arrival of more than 1,600 Afghans already cleared for resettlement in the United States. Mast cited “questions about the vetting of these individuals.” The Trump administration in its first days announced it was suspending overall U.S. refugee admissions for at least three months, while it considered whether to resume or end the program. The pause includes the U.S. travel of remaining Afghans who worked alongside...
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B.C. First Nation leader apologizes, walks back on Northern Gateway pipeline support
By Chuck Chiang -CP-The president of the Union of BC Indian Chiefs is apologizing and walking back comments suggesting he supported reviving the Northern Gateway pipeline project, and now says he doesn’t support “resuscitating dead projects.” In a statement released by the union, Grand Chief Stewart Phillip says the pipeline rejected in 2016 “would have been an absolute disaster” for British Columbia’s land and waters, and his participation in opposition to the project was “an absolute honour and privilege.” The union says in the statement that the answer to the Northern Gateway pipeline from Alberta to the Pacific “is still no,” while Phillips says he wants to “sincerely apologize for any confusion.” Phillip was asked at a news conference on Tuesday about Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s suggestion of reviving the...
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No ‘Team Canada’ without First Nations land rights, BC leaders say
By Rochelle Baker, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Canada’s National Observer First Nations leaders say they must be part of “Team Canada” — and decision makers on resource projects — to combat looming U.S. tariffs as they head into a key annual summit with the B.C. government. Eby’s opening remarks at a press conference for the ninth B.C. Cabinet and First Nations Leaders’ Gathering on Tuesday focused on the province working closely with Indigenous leadership to address challenges, such as housing affordability, the toxic drug crisis, global inflation and the threat of the U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade tariffs. However, chiefs with the First Nations Leadership Council made it clear that making headway on rights and title issues, decision-making around resource projects and aligning B.C. laws with the province’s Declaration on...
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Six Nations Public Works battling watermain breaks
SIX NATIONS OF THE GRAND RIVER- Six Nations Public Works crews were out in force today ( Jan 22, 2025) after frozen water lines burst on Chiefswood Road filling the ditch and running onto nearby yards and roadway. (Photos by Jim C. Powless) Six Nations Public Works is battling the two watermain breaks that require immediate repairs and are causing a loss in water service on Chiefswood Road between 5th and 6th Line and on 5th Line from Chiefswood Road and 1983 5th Line that is expected to continue into this evening. Six Nations Elected Council’s staff said the disruption is also expected to continue tomorrow (Thursday) morning as public works employees work to complete the emergency repairs. In addition the band’s “Truckfill” will be out of service to...
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Brant OPP arrest man in theft of Ninja juicers
(BRANT, ON) – A 34-year-old Brantford man has been arrested and charged after Brant County OPP responded to a theft at a retail store on Grand River Street North St., in Brant County January 14, 2025, at about 10:41 a.m.. OPP said a store manager spotted a male suspect shopping in the store and interacted with him shortly before the man left the store with two stolen items. The suspect had exited through the store’s entrance and fled the scene. The stolen items included: Ninja Slow Juicer valued at $219.99 Ninja Portable Juicer valued at $99.99 Total value (including tax): $361.60 Following an investigation, Brant County OPP charged, shortly after midnight Jan. 16, 2025, a Brantford man. Charged with Theft under $5,000 was Brandon D’Antonio, 34, of Brantford. The accused...
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Brantford Police charge two in trafficking and firearm seizure
BRANTFORD, ONT-Two men are facing firearms and drug charges after the Brantford Police Service (BPS) Drug and Firearm Enforcement Unit launched a drug investigation in Nov., 2024 involving a suspected drug dealer believed involved in trafficking fentanyl and hydromorphone in the city. BPS executed a search warrant at an Albion Street residence in the city Jan., 21, 2025 with the assistance of the BPS Emergency Response Team and the Forensic Identification Unit. As a result BPS said Canadian currency, a digital scale, and a loaded 12-guage sawed off shotgun were located along with the following illicit drugs : Approximately 32.8 grams of suspected fentanyl 68 suspected hydromorphone pills BPS said neither of the two suspects possess a valid firearms license. One of the suspects is bound by a Firearms Prohibited...
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NAPS will grow ‘exponentially’ in coming years: police chief
By Mike Stimpson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Thunder Bay Source THUNDER BAY — Nishnawbe Aski Police Service’s top cop says the force is poised to expand “exponentially over the next five to 10 years” thanks to provincial funding. NAPS is on track to add 80 new uniformed officers to its current 260 this year, Chief Terry Armstrong told Newswatch this week. The 80 new officers would swell the NAPS rolls to about 320 once you subtract 20 or so leaving the service in the course of the year, he said. NAPS is projected to eventually have about 520 officers plus more than 100 civilian employees, he said. Armstrong was the NAPS chief from 2013 to 2018 and then returned from retirement last March after Roland Morrison was suspended as police...
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Construction completed at Kivalliq Long-Term Care Centre in Rankin Inlet
By Darrell Greer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Kivalliq News -CP-A special ceremony was held in Rankin Inlet on Tuesday, Jan. 14, to mark the completion of construction on the Kivalliq Long-Term Care Centre. The $194-million facility, paid for through federal and territorial funds, is a cornerstone of the Katujjiluta mandate priority Aging with Dignity, according to the Government of Nunavut. The state-of-the-art facility is designed to provide specialized care for Elders with complex health needs, including dementia. Featuring 24 beds, it will ensure Elders can receive top-quality care close to home while honouring and celebrating Inuit culture. The building boasts a hair-dressing salon, sewing room, workshop, lift-assisted private washrooms, kitchen, sitting rooms and meeting rooms. The centre will undergo a commissioning phase for the next few months to prepare for...
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University of Guelph to lead national network focused on agri-food innovation
By Rosa Saba -CP-The University of Guelph is leading the creation of a network meant to spur investment in Canadian agri-food innovation, including developing new technologies to address pressing issues like climate change. The university received an almost $16.3 million government grant over five years to support the platform, called Sustainable Food Systems for Canada, or SF4C. The platform is designed to help agri-food entrepreneurs grow their businesses. Canada’s agriculture industry is facing several major challenges, in particular climate change, said Rene Van Acker, interim president and vice-chancellor at the University of Guelph. He says technology can help farmers face that challenge. “Agriculture has always been an adapter of technology, whether that was mechanical or genetic or chemical, and now data,” he said. He said anything that can accelerate that...
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Lil’wat seeking building for new healthcare staff and services
By Luke Faulks, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Pique Newsmagazine In Ucwalmícwts, “es zúmin’” means “to care for.” It’s a name befitting Lil’wat Nation’s new and expanding primary care centre (PCC). But after only a few months of operation, Lil’wat Nation officials are seeking a new building to merge its two existing es zúmin locations to accommodate new staff and account for future upgrades in service. “Our communities are growing in this area and our current system isn’t able to provide services to all our First Nationscommunities,” said Lil’wat Health & Healing director Jessica Frank. “We also want to have these new services closer to home, and [offer] outreach services to the community and other places.” Discrimination in healthcare The es zúmin’ PCC is one of 13 new primary care facilities...
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Wolf transfer from B.C. to Colorado complete, but state wildlife staff ‘threatened’
By Brenna Owen Colorado wildlife officials say the capture of 15 grey wolves in British Columbia and their release in the U.S. state is complete, an operation they say led to unspecified threats against staff. The operation that began in B.C. on Jan. 10 and wrapped up on Saturday follows Colorado voters’ approval of a 2020 ballot initiative to reintroduce grey wolves to the state, where the animals are listed as endangered. But the program has stirred opposition, and a statement from Colorado Parks and Wildlife on Sunday says its staff have been threatened over the relocations. It says its offices were “watched” and targeted by threatening phone calls and social media posts. The department says it did not share details while the wolf release was underway due to the...
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Whale Sanctuary Project almost ready to welcome first residents’ Representatives make presentation to St. Mary’s council
By Joanne Jordan, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Guysborough Journal SHERBROOKE — After five years of work, the first whale and orca sanctuary in North America Whale Sanctuary Project (WSP) is almost ready to welcome its first whale residents. During the Municipality of the District of St. Mary’s committee of the whole (COTW) meeting Jan. 15, WSP chief executive officer Charles Vinick and Nova Scotia project manager Alexandra Vance updated council on its progress. Marino and Amy Simon – WSP community liaison officer and coordinator – took part via Skype. “It has been a long road,” Vinick said, “[but] we are finally ready to move forward expeditiously.” He explained that the WSP team is focusing on bringing a mother and son to the site – Wikie and Keijo – whales living...
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Intimate doc ‘Endless Cookie’ takes two Canadian brothers from Shamattawa to Sundance
By Alex Nino Gheciu -CP-The initial concept for “Endless Cookie” seemed straightforward: two half-brothers — one Indigenous, one white — tell stories about their different upbringings, brought to life through animation. Making it work, however, proved anything but simple. Seth and Peter Scriver say they began recording sessions for their documentary nine years ago, but things quickly descended into “chaos,” thanks to the lively energy of Peter’s house in Shamattawa, a First Nations reserve in northern Manitoba. “It was impossible to find silence,” recalls Peter on a virtual call from Toronto. “There’s seven kids living in Pete’s house and he’s got 12 dogs,” Seth laughs. “We literally got interrupted one million times. And then it was kind of just like, ‘I think we have to just go with what is...
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Mattagami chief empowering the next generation
By Marissa Lentz-McGrath, Local Journalism Initiative TIMMINS – Leadership is deeply rooted in Jennifer Constant’s family. The Mattagami First Nation Chief spoke at a virtual leadership lunch on Monday (Jan. 20), sharing her experiences, her vision for sustainable and inclusive mining practices, and her commitment to community empowerment. The event, hosted by the Timmins Chamber of Commerce and Trimeda Consulting, brought together industry and community stakeholders. Constant, recently recognized as the 2024 Indigenous trailblazer at the Sudbury Women in Mining Awards, discussed her leadership journey. She began her political career in 2003 and served nine consecutive times as a councillor before being elected chief. “My mother, my grandfather, my uncle, and my great-grandfather were all chiefs,” she said. “Not begrudgingly, but knowingly, I grew up in my own territory feeling...
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‘He’s my main motivation,’: We’koqma’q’s Steven Michael Googoo developing ‘glamping’ destination following brother’s passing
By Meghan Dewar, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Cape Breton Post A new business is clearing the way for increased tourism on the northwest side of the island, despite its sad beginnings. We’koqma’q’s Steven Michael Googoo, along with members of his family, have begun a business venture called L.A Getaway Luxurious Glamping following the sudden passing of Googoo’s brother Ryle. “It’s a family project, it was me and my siblings. We were talking about it for a couple of years now, we were looking to get into the tourism industry where we could provide a glamping service,” Googoo said. “We all love glamping and the outdoors, we all have campers and love to camp. With me being out of politics, that was a good springboard to get into the tourism industry.”...
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Pentagon to send up to 1,500 active duty troops to help secure US-Mexico border, officials say
By Lolita C. Baldor And Tara Copp WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon will begin deploying as many as 1,500 active duty troops to help secure the southern border in the coming days, U.S. officials said Wednesday, putting in motion plans President Donald Trump laid out in executive orders shortly after he took office to crack down on immigration. Acting Defense Secretary Robert Salesses was expected to sign the deployment orders on Wednesday, but it wasn’t yet clear which troops or units will go, and the total could fluctuate. It remains to be seen if they will end up doing law enforcement, which would put American troops in a dramatic new role, not done in recent history. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the announcement has not yet been...
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Don’t buy American: B.C. Premier David Eby asks Canadians to think carefully about spending money in U.S.
By Marcy Nicholson -CP-British Columbians should rethink trips to the United States and purchases of American products, as the province establishes a task force to respond to U.S. President Donald Trump’s threatened tariffs, Premier David Eby said. Trump’s proposed 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian exports would be a “deliberate economic attack” on B.C. families and people should think carefully about spending money in a country that wants to do them economic harm, Eby said during a news conference in Vancouver on Tuesday. Metal cranes and piles of sea containers at the busy Port of Vancouver could be seen in the background where he spoke at the Vancouver cabinet offices. “It feels very strange to say but I really do think that for Canadians right now, when you’re planning your...
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