Ontario launches $3.1-billion critical minerals plan
By Abdul Matin Sarfraz / Canada’s National Observer / Local Journalism Initiative Ontario’s new $3.1-billion plan for a critical minerals supply chain created in partnership with First Nationsis raising concerns about weakened environmental protections and inadequate Indigenous consultation. Announced Wednesday, the provincial initiative will create a “made-in-Ontario” supply chain and boost First Nations equity, according to the government. But critics say environmental protections and First Nationsconsultation will be sidelined in the rush to develop the Ring of Fire — a vast region about 500 kilometres northeast of Thunder Bay. The new provincial funding includes $3 billion in loan guarantees through an expanded First Nations Opportunities Financing Program, $70 million over four years to strengthen First Nations capacity in mining-related regulatory processes, and $10 million in scholarships for First Nations students...
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First Nations want feds to block landfill ear Dresden
By Pam Wright, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Chatham Voice Walpole Island First Nation Bkejwanong Territory officials are asking the federal government to step in to stop the York1/Whitestone Fields dump expansion north of Dresden. On behalf of the band and nearby communities, Chief Leela Peters has sent a letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney calling for an “immediate moratorium” on the York1/Whitestone Fields project. Dated May 9, the five-page letter states the proposal “threatens critical ecosystems; First Nation sovereignty; public health and safety; and reinforces an increasingly visible pattern of environmental racism, injustice and constitutional neglect.” The letter outlines various threats posed by the expansion, including the potential to pollute the water that 30 million users on Great Lakes depend on; the threat to 88 species at risk in the...
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Ottawa claims child welfare talks stalled over AFN’s ‘unreasonable’ requests
By Alessia Passafiume The federal government has told the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal that negotiations with the Assembly of First Nations on reforming the child welfare system are stalled and the AFN’s requests are “unreasonable.” In a May 15 filing to the tribunal, Ottawa said it has made “intensive and meaningful efforts” to reform the system since 2016 — when the tribunal concluded that the federal government had discriminated against First Nations children by underfunding the on-reserve child welfare system. But Ottawa told the tribunal that negotiations with the AFN are “no longer working” and there is no “practical utility” to continuing them. “Canada has met its obligations under the Tribunal’s consultation orders, which do not require that Canada consult indefinitely or until the complainants obtain the variable outcomes they...
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Wabun Tribal Council picks up leadership and innovation award
By Marissa Lentz-McGrath, Local Journalism Initiative, TimminsToday.com A northern tribal council has received provincial recognition for its leadership in helping shape inclusive energy policy in Ontario. At the Power of Water Canada Technical Conference in Niagara Falls on May 8, Wabun Tribal Council (WTC) was presented with the Ontario Waterpower Association’s 2025 Leadership and Innovation Award. Mattagami First Nation Chief Jennifer Constant said the award reflects the progress being made in First Nations leadership across the region. “Wabun received it on behalf of the communities for their participation in developing policy,” she said. “So it feels great. It feels great to be one of the communities that’s fortunate to have such leaders in those areas, in helping shape new ways of inclusion for First Nations.” WTC is a non-profit regional...
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New study reveals massive carbon stores in Hudson and James Bay peatlands
By Marissa Lentz-McGrath, Local Journalism Initiative, TimminsToday.com As debate around the Ring of Fire intensifies, new research is bringing fresh urgency to the conversation. The Hudson and James Bay lowlands, home to some of the most expansive peatlands on the planet, contain an estimated 30 billion tonnes of carbon, enough to meaningfully shape global climate trajectories if released, according to the new study. The five-year collaboration between WWF-Canada, Mushkegowuk Council’s Department of Lands and Resources, and McMaster University’s Remote Sensing Lab was published in Geophysical Research Letters. It maps peat depth and calculates carbon storage across a vast region of muskeg, wetland, and subarctic forest. James Snider, vice president of science, knowledge and innovation at WWF-Canada, said the findings reinforce the global importance of protecting the area. “The headline message...
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Film at imagineNATIVE discusses range of masculinity of Siksika Nation men
By Sam Laskaris, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Windspeaker.com The documentary feature Siksikakowan: The Blackfoot Man by writer/director Sinakson Trevor Solway will screen at imagineNATIVE in Toronto, the largest Indigenous film and media arts festival in the world. Solway is a member of Siksika Nation in Alberta. His film will be shown June 7 at the TIFF Lightbox. Siksikakowan delves into the masculinity of the Blackfoot men of Solway’s First Nation. Men from the community discuss their lives, showing not only their strengths but their vulnerabilities as well. “Growing up in the prairies and growing up with my family in Siksika, I grew up around a lot of ultra-masculine men,” Solway said. “And I didn’t always feel like I fit into that as, like, a young artist or a sensitive, creative...
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Ontario PC caucus member opposed to government’s landfill plan in Dresden
By Allison Jones and Jordan Omstead A southwestern Ontario member of Premier Doug Ford’s caucus is speaking out against his government’s decision to cancel an environmental assessment for a landfill expansion in his riding. Steve Pinsonneault, who was elected last year in a byelection in Lambton-Kent-Middlesex, promised during that campaign to work to get an environmental assessment for the site and the government ordered one last year, but now it is backtracking. An omnibus bill before the legislature that would also give cabinet the power to suspend laws for certain projects by creating “special economic zones” and change endangered species rules in a way critics say guts protections would also revoke the requirement for an environmental assessment for the Dresden, Ont., landfill proposal. Pinsonneault posted a video to Facebook saying...
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Environmental lawyers tell courtroom Ottawa’s protections for piping plovers flawed
By Michael Tutton Environmental groups argued in Federal Court this week that Ottawa’s plans for protecting the habitat of the piping plover are too vague to provide adequate protection to the endangered species. The migratory shorebirds build their nests along coastal beaches of the Atlantic Ocean, where the animals are increasingly at risk from human activities. Lawyers for East Coast Environmental Law and for Nature Nova Scotia presented their case on Tuesday, arguing that the approach approved by the federal minister in 2022 for protecting specific parts of beaches has unclear language and is weaker than Ottawa’s prior conservation strategy from a decade earlier. Federal lawyers provided countering arguments in the Halifax hearing on Wednesday morning before Justice Richard Southcott, who reserved his decision on the matter. Tina Northrup, a...
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Opportunity joins regional tourism society
By Pearl Lorentzen, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Lakeside Leader The M.D. of Opportunity is the newest municipality to join the Slave Lake Regional Tourism Society. On May 14, council voted to join the Slave Lake Regional Tourism Society for $2 per capita. This turns out to about $3,000 annually, said M.D. CAO Chad Tullis. The society has adopted a regional model similar to the Mighty Peace Tourism Society and Mackenzie Frontier Tourism Society, says the written report. The society asked the M.D. to appoint someone to the board. Joining the society could benefit tourism in the M.D., said Tullis. “I think this is a good value for our money,” said Reeve Marcel Auger. Membership could help the M.D. reach its tourism goals, he added. He put his name forward to...
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Mining claims in Ring of Fire up 66 per cent over past 3 years: environmental group
By Liam Casey Mining claims in the Ring of Fire region are up 66 per cent over the last three years and now total an area 14 times the size of Toronto, an environmental group said Wednesday after compiling the data. There are now more than 43,000 claims in the region that is some 450 kilometres north of Thunder Bay, Ont., said Anna Baggio, the conservation director of Wildlands League. “The claims are exploding, so that’s a problem,” said Baggio, who extracted the data from the Ontario Geological Survey site. “The problem is that much like the rest of Canada, this is all happening under a free entry system where anyone can register a claim as long as they have a prospector’s licence and do the Mining Act course.” Ontario...
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The Latest: Trump confronts South Africa’s president during tense Oval Office meeting
House Republicans are pushing to vote on their multi-trillion-dollar tax breaks package as soon as Wednesday, grinding out last-minute deal-making to shore up wavering GOP support and deliver on President Donald Trump’s top legislative priority. The Trump administration acknowledged in court that it deported eight migrants after being called to answer questions Wednesday about a deportation flight of Asian migrants to the African nation of South Sudan that potentially violated a judge’s order. Immigration authorities told the judge that their home countries would not take them back. They refused to say what the migrants’ final destinations would be. And Trump hosted South African President Cyril Ramaphosa at the White House after accusing the country’s government of allowing a “genocide” to take place against minority white farmers. Afrikaner farmers in the...
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Poilievre names 48 Conservative MPs as critics, announces House leadership team
By Sarah Ritchie -CP-Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has named 73 MPs to his party’s leadership team and critic roles ahead of next week’s return to the House of Commons. He has named 48 Conservative members of Parliament to critic roles, while another 14 will become associate critics. Most of them are returning MPs, though some have been shuffled to new positions left by people who were not re-elected on April 28. Rookie Alberta MP Billy Morin, the former chief of Enoch Cree Nation, takes over as critic for Indigenous services, while newly elected British Columbia MP Ellis Ross is handling environment and climate change. The party said in a press release that most critics will remain in their roles for the upcoming sitting of Parliament, “while newcomers learn the ropes...
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Ontario’s Bill 5, meant to accelerate mining starts, concerns Indigenous leaders, conservationists
By Jacqueline St. Pierre, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Manitoulin Expositor ROBINSON-HURON TREATY TERRITORY—From the so-called ‘Ring of Fire’ in Treaty 9 Omushkego territory in the James Bay lowlands , to the Robinson-Huron Treaty Territory, the Ford government’s Bill 5 has landed like a bulldozer on sacred soil, eliciting vigorous objections from First Nations leadership across the province. Anishinaabek Nation Grand Chief Linda Debassige, former chief of M’Chigeeng First Nation released an official statement saying: “As the original and rightful caretakers of these lands, waters, and resources, the Anishinabek have never surrendered or ceded title to Ontario or any colonial entity. Our inherent jurisdiction flows from our continuous occupation, our traditional governance systems, and the sacred natural laws given to us by the Creator—long before the existence of Canada or...
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Wikwemikong Tribal, UCCM Police forces each taking steps to protect mental health of their serving officers
By Jacqueline St. Pierre, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Manitoulin Expositor MANITOULIN—They are protectors. They are peacekeepers. But above all, they are relatives—carrying the weight of community and crisis on their backs, often with no backup and nowhere to turn. A new report released last week lays bare a grim reality that’s long simmered under the surface of First Nations policing in Ontario. Officers working under the Ontario First NationsPolicing Agreement (OFNPA) are struggling—not from a lack of heart, but from the unrelenting strain of working alone, underfunded, and unsupported in the very communities they serve. Seventy-four percent of officers surveyed say they’ve experienced mental health issues while on the job. Over a quarter reported their mental health as “poor or very poor” in the past six months. The report,...
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Manitoba ethics commissioner faults former premier for pushing mining project
By Steve Lambert Former Manitoba premier Heather Stefanson and two of her Progressive Conservative cabinet ministers violated the province’s conflict-of-interest law and should be fined, the province’s ethics commissioner ruled Wednesday. In a 100-page report, ethics commissioner Jeffrey Schnoor said Stefanson, then-deputy premier Cliff Cullen and then-economic development minister Jeff Wharton acted improperly by pushing for the approval of a silica sand mining project after the Tories lost the Oct. 3, 2023, election to the NDP. Despite the election loss, the three Tories tried to get the Sio Silica project approved before the new NDP government, led by Wab Kinew, was to be sworn in, Schnoor wrote. Their actions violated the Conflict of Interest Act and contravened the caretaker convention — a long-standing parliamentary principle that forbids outgoing governments from...
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Six Nations marks 159th annual Bread and Cheese Day
Six Nations celebrates community at 159th Bread and Cheese event...
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Six Nations marks 159th annual Bread and Cheese Day with fun and family time!
By Tara Lindemann Writer Families had clustered along 4th Line west of Chiefswood Road long ahead of the parade that would lead them into the revelry that comes with Bread and Cheese Day marketed annually on Victoria Day, May 19. “One of the least known secrets on the Rez is that you line up as close to the fairgrounds as early as possible,” said resident Kim Porter. “You’re closest to the bread and cheese but miss the arterial clogging. “And sunburn.” Springtime chill made the sun bearable to the jubilant crowds. “It’s all about gathering, coming together with friends and family that we haven’t seen in a while,” said Brittany Maracle. “It’s an excuse to get kids together and just have fun.” Volunteers began cutting mountains of bread and laying...
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Archeologists find prehistoric artifacts at future skating rink site near Montreal
By Morgan Lowrie Last fall, as archeologist Yves Chrétien was supervising a team digging at the site of a future hockey rink northeast of Montreal, a mini excavator unearthed pieces of cut stone. Formed under an ancient sea, the stones bore marks made by Indigenous people somewhere between 6,150 and 8,200 years ago. The discovery, found below the site of a former Shell distribution centre and 18th and 19th century farms, could help shed light on the region’s little-known prehistoric period. In a recent interview, Chrétien said the stones discovered at the future rink in Sorel-Tracy, Que., were excavated from an ancient marine sediment — the stratified layers of which allowed him to calculate the approximate period they came from. “Right away, I understood that something was happening that wasn’t...
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SNEC aware of community cannabis concerns Elected Chief says
By Lynda Powless Editor Six Nations Elected Chief Sherri-Lyn Hill says community concerns over a growing cannabis market may be heard in coming meetings. The Elected Chief said SNEC is aware of community comments on the number of greenhouses being constructed to house cannabis operations. In a short update, she read that “council hears the concerns and are concerned for the continued safety of all.” She confirmed the controversial Fourth Line operation was issued a license through SNEC’s cannabis commission. She said SNEC will now hold “structured meetings” with the cannabis committee in the future. “We want you to know that Council hears the concerns being brought forward,” she said. She told the community a license was issued through the Six Nations Cannabis Commission (SNCC) to grow cannabis on Fourth...
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Brantford General Hospital says it is improving Indigenous Health Care
The Brantford General Hospital says it is making strides to improve Indigenous healthcare. Committee members presented updates and upcoming plans during the Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) General Council meeting on May 13. Councillor Greg Frazer said the Brantford General Hospital (BGH) is making changes to make Indigenous patients and families feel more confident in their model of care. Frazer said he and Elected Chief Sherri-Lyn Hill attended a regional health symposium hosted by the Wellbeing Department on May 13 at the Woodland Cultural Centre. The event brought together various healthcare professionals and services across the region, with a focus on improving healthcare for Indigenous people. Frazer commended efforts to enhance culturally relevant healthcare services, praising Michelle Bomberry, Manager of Indigenous Health Services at BGH and former SNEC councillor, for...
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