Prophet River First Nation collects input on future Fort St. John urban reserve
By Ed Hitchins, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Energeticcity.ca FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — A local First Nation was eagerly looking for input on what the future might look like for its urban reserve. Prophet River First Nation (PRFN) held several community engagement sessions throughout this week, including on Wednesday, October 15th, for the general public at Fort St. John’s Pomeroy Hotel and Conference Centre. The engagement meeting followed similar ones with PRFN members and Elders, which were held during the evening of Tuesday, October 14th and at lunch on Wednesday, respectively. PRFN has partnered with consulting firm McElhanney regarding the land it owns across from Robert Ogilvie Elementary on 86th Street in the city, as well as lands which were added to its reserve south of Fort Nelson. Additions to...
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Four Treaty 8 First Nations take province to court over Crown land sales
By Jeremy Appel, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Alberta Native News Four northwestern Alberta First Nations have launched a legal challenge of the provincial government’s decision to sell more than 15,000 acres of Crown land to Mackenzie County for agricultural development. Collectively known as the Nations of the North Peace, Dene Tha’ First Nation, Beaver First Nation, Tallcree Tribal Government and Little Red River Cree Nation are asking the Court of King’s Bench to reverse the third and final stage of a process that was done without sufficient consultation or consideration of their Treaty rights. The Nations of the North Peace announced their request for judicial review with an Oct. 6 news release. In 2010, then-premier Ed Stelmach began auctioning off 136,000 acres of public land in Peace Country to Mackenzie...
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Federal government returns former military land to BC First Nation
By Sonal Gupta, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Canada’s National Observer The First Nation with the least reserve land per person in British Columbia has reclaimed a swath of ancestral territory on Vancouver Island once fenced off for the federal military. The 80 hectares of land, known traditionally as te’tuxwtun, or Mount Benson, was taken from Snuneymuxw First Nation by the government in the mid-1800s and used by the Department of National Defence. It later became the Nanaimo Indian Hospital from 1946 to 1967 — a site where many Indigenous people suffered under Canada’s forced assimilation policies. “Snuneymuxw never surrendered our land,” Mike Wyse, chief of the nation, told Canada’s National Observer. “We signed a treaty that we had our understanding, but our understanding of the English language wasn’t as clear...
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Treaty 8 Nations challenge Alberta’s Crown land sale in court
By Aaron Walker, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Windspeaker.com Four Treaty 8 Nations in northern Alberta have launched a court challenge against the province, claiming Alberta violated their Treaty rights through its latest Crown land sale that the Nations say continues a long pattern of dispossession. For the Nations of the North Peace, land is not a commodity, but a living relationship passed from one generation to the next, a connection Alberta’s actions continue to threaten, the Nations assert. The Beaver First Nation, Dene Tha’ First Nation, Little Red River Cree Nation, and Tallcree Tribal Government argue that Alberta’s land-sale decision to sell more than 15,000 acres of public land to Mackenzie County near High Level breaches the province’s constitutional duty to consult and accommodate Indigenous peoples. The Nations’ judicial review...
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‘Breathtaking’: Hope Truck fundraiser raises $151,000 for communities
By Ed Hitchins, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Energeticcity.ca MOBERLY LAKE, B.C. — An initiative designed to help communities – both of First Nations and settler communities – in the Peace has revealed final fundraising totals. The Hope Truck fundraiser, which began in March, was a collaboration between West Moberly Industrial Metalwork (WM-IMW) – a division of West Moberly First Nations’ economic arm, West Moberly Corporate Alliance – and Tumbler Ridge-based coal company Conuma Resources. Following a gala on September 27th, the initiative revealed a total of $151,917.44 was raised after expenses. This means the four communities involved – Chetwynd and Tumbler Ridge as well as Saulteau First Nations (SFN) and West Moberly First Nations (WMFN) – will receive a share of $37,979.44 WM-IMW director of marketing and Indigenous relations Marilyn...
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Prince George shoplifter who wanted cleaner clothing gets 27 days in jail
By Bob Mackin, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Prince George Citizen A 32-year-old from Prince George pleaded guilty to theft under $5,000 during an Oct. 8 Provincial Court video hearing from jail in Surrey. Judge David Simpkin sentenced Corey Trent Tom, who is a member of Takla First Nation, to 50 days in jail. Tom received credit for 23 days in pretrial custody, leaving 27 days to serve. He was also ordered to spend the next year on probation under the joint proposal from Crown and defence lawyers. Simpkin heard that Tom, who is in custody at the Surrey Pretrial Centre, was arrested on Aug. 25 in Richmond after stealing $267.95 of clothing and deodorant from the Real Canadian Superstore. An RCMP officer intercepted Tom, who was riding a bicycle, on...
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Ontario Chiefs sound alarm on escalating opioid crisis in First Nations communities
By Jacqueline St. Pierre, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Manitoulin Expositor ONTARIO —The new report from the Chiefs of Ontario (COO) and the Ontario Drug Policy Research Network reads like a ledger of sorrow and resilience. It maps a cruel truth: between 2019 and 2022, the rate of opioid-related deaths among First Nations in Ontario nearly tripled, reaching 12.8 per 10,000 people, compared to 1.4 for non-First Nations. In 2023, First Nations people were ten times more likely to visit hospital because of opioid toxicity. Many more use opioid agonist therapy; many more live under the shadow of systemic trauma. “These statistics shed a light onto one of the most pressing issues of our time,” said Abram Benedict, Chief of the COO. “Far too many people—both First Nations and non-First...
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As Ontario expands front-line powers, critics warn of “care by patchwork”
By Jacqueline St. Pierre, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Manitoulin Expositor ONTARIO —Across Ontario—and nowhere more visibly than in rural and Northern regions like Manitoulin—the face of health care is changing fast. The provincial government is moving to expand the powers of paramedics, pharmacists, psychologists, optometrists, and other allied professionals in what it calls an effort to provide “more connected and convenient care.” But critics say the changes reveal something else: a system under strain, shifting duties downstream as family medicine and hospital care continue to buckle. Under the new proposals, pharmacists could soon prescribe medications for 14 additional ailments, including sore throats, mild headaches, sleep disorders and shingles. Optometrists would gain authority to perform minor surgeries under local anesthetic, use laser therapy for cataracts and glaucoma, and order diagnostic...
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Ontario Provincial Police locate human remains believed connected to Simcoe homicide
NORFOLK COUNTY, ON – The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) have located human remains in a wooded area off Highway 6 in Haldimand County Thursday, Oct., 16, 2025 believed to be connected to a homicide investigation in Simcoe. The human remains were located at about 6:00 p.m., off Highway 6 just west of Caledonia and south of Stirling Street and are believed to be part of the ongoing Simcoe homicide investigation. A postmortem examination to confirm the identity and cause of death is scheduled at the Ontario Forensic Pathology Service (OFPS) on Friday, October 17, 2025. OPP are asking residents and members of the public who may have been in the area of Highway 6 west of Caledonia and south of Stirling Street on Sunday, October 5, 2025, between 10:30 p.m....
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ROPE Squad seeking public’s help in locating federal offender
Wendel McLean TORONTO, ON – The Repeat Offender Parole Enforcement (R.O.P.E.) Squad is requesting the public’s assistance in locating a federal offender wanted on a Canada Wide Warrant as a result of a breach of their Statutory Release. Wendel McLean is described as a mixed race Indigenous/black male, 41 years of age, 5’10” (178cm), 195 lbs (89kg) with black hair and brown eyes. Wendel McLean is serving a 6-year sentence for: Break and Enter Commit Robbery – Use Restricted/Prohibited Firearm x 2 The offender is known to frequent the Greater Toronto Area. Anyone having contact with this offender or information in regards to their whereabouts is asked to contact the Provincial R.O.P.E. Squad at 416-808-5900 or toll free at 1-866-870-7673 (ROPE) or Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or call 9-1-1. ...
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B.C. First Nation on Vancouver Island gets back 80 hectares of land from Ottawa
A British Columbia First Nation is getting some land back in an agreement with the federal government as part of a claim settlement that dates back almost two centuries. Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Rebecca Alty and Snuneymuxw First Nation Chief Mike Wyse say in a joint announcement that the three parcels of land in Nanaimo, B.C., total about 80 hectares and were Defence Department lands. The announcement comes months after an agreement between the two parties to settle a claim over the federal government failing to set aside village land previously promised in an 1854 treaty. The federal government has also agreed to provide $42 million in compensation to the First Nation in the agreement. The nation says its vision for the land involves a mixed-use developments that include housing, commercial...
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Yukon Liberals roll out platform as common election promises emerge between parties
By Ashley Joannou The Yukon Liberals have unveiled their campaign platform, hoping to be re-elected on promises of a $300-million hospital expansion and a dramatic reduction in the wait-list for government housing. Liberal Leader Mike Pemberton is the first to roll out a full campaign platform as the territory nears the halfway point of the election, set for Nov. 3. “These are practical solutions that make a real difference for Yukoners in housing, health care, affordability, arts, recreation, safety, the economy and true partnership,” Pemberton told a news conference in Whitehorse on Thursday. Several key Liberal planks in its platform are similar to promises already made by the New Democrats and Yukon Party during the territorial campaign. Both the Liberals and the Yukon Party are promising an expansion of Whitehorse...
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Premier calls for investigation of foreign interference & money laundering in P.E.I.
By Hina Alam Prince Edward Island Premier Rob Lantz says he wants a federal investigation into allegations of Chinese foreign interference and money laundering in his province by two Buddhist groups. The premier has written letters to the RCMP and to a federal anti-money-laundering agency, asking them both to look into the allegations. In the letters, Lantz says his province is concerned about allegations that the province has been used as an operating base for the Chinese Communist Party. While the two Buddhist groups have been a source of public speculation and uncertainty over several years, he said comments made by a former solicitor general of Canada and former RCMP superintendent in Ottawa in early October have reignited the issue. “It was suggested that information exists that would provide grounds...
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Animals from Northern Ontario welcomed at Orangeville and District Animal Centre
By Sam Odrowski, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Orangeville Citizen Nearly 45 dogs and cats from Northern Ontario arrived at several Ontario SPCA animal centres this week, including the one in Orangeville. A total of 14 dogs from the Thunder Bay & District Humane Society and Constance Lake First Nation have arrived at Ontario SPCA animal centres. In addition to the Orangeville and District SPCA Animal Centre, animals arrived in Orillia, Durham, York Region, and Brockville. The animals are now being placed for adoption. As well, 30 cats from the Kenora Cat Shelter were transported to Ontario SPCA animal centres this week to find loving homes. The transfer of these animals comes as the Ontario SPCA’s three-day “iAdopt: Furever Homes Adoption Event” concluded on Sept. 28 and found homes for 123...
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‘Economic reconciliation is real,’ says chief at Casino Rama forum
By Danielle Pitman, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, OrilliaMatters.com The third annual Anishinabek Nation Economic Development Opportunities (ANEDO) forum kicked off Wednesday at Casino Rama on Rama First Nation. The forum provides a networking space for developing opportunities and partnerships with Indigenous communities. “These gatherings matter,” said Marsha Smoke, Anishinabek Nation Southeast Regional Chief. “The support is there for those working in communities on economic development issues. I really believe that it’s important to lift people up, and so they know that we’re proud of what they do and that they should be proud of their accomplishments as well,” she said. Speakers discussed the challenges and struggles unique to First Nation communities. Some of those challenges are believed to be rooted in a system that separates Indigenous businesses from others. “It’s...
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Home invasion nets man another 94 days in jail, plus three years probation
By Bob Mackin, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Prince George Citizen A 34-year-old man was sentenced Oct. 10 in Prince George Provincial Court to another 94 days in jail for a home invasion more than three years ago. Judge Cassandra Malfair’s total sentence for Keifer John Joseph was two years less a day. Joseph has been in custody for 423 days, which qualified him for the enhanced credit of 635 days. Malfair also agreed to a three-year term of probation under the joint Crown and defence sentencing proposal. Joseph pleaded guilty to break and enter to commit an indictable offence for the Aug. 9, 2022 crime. Malfair said a resident was in his first floor apartment on Upland Street before midnight when Joseph appeared outside the patio door, exhibiting erratic behaviour...
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Justice ministers’ meeting wraps up in Kananaskis
By Anja Karadeglija A two-day meeting of ministers responsible for justice and public safety at the federal, provincial and territorial levels is set to wrap up in Kananaskis, Alta. today after discussions ranging from bail reform to the role of victims in the criminal justice system. Federal Justice Minister Sean Fraser said it was an opportunity for every province and territory to be represented in discussions about “all of the issues in Canada that touch on justice and public safety.” Fraser told The Canadian Press Thursday those discussions also covered the three justice bills the federal government is bringing forward this fall. In September, the Liberals introduced a bill targeting hate crimes, and Fraser is set to introduce next week a bill imposing tougher bail and sentencing standards for violent...
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Man charged with murder of Edmonton boy who vanished in June
By Rob Drinkwater Edmonton police say they have charged a man with second-degree murder in the death of a 14-year-old boy who disappeared in June. They say the remains of Samuel Bird have been found in a rural area outside the city. Bryan Farrell, who is 38, faces various other charges, including interfering with a body, aggravated assault and arson. Samuel was last seen leaving his mother’s home in west Edmonton to go visit a friend. Posters with the Indigenous boy’s name and photo have been plastered on utility poles across the city, and volunteers have been searching for him for months. Police say they are not looking for other suspects in the killing. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 16, 2025. This is a corrected...
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Jewelry swap scammers targeting vulnerable Brantford residents
BRANTFORD, ONT. – Brantford police are advising residents to be mindful of potential fraudsters, after receiving several reports of jewelry swap scams. According to these reports, a male and female suspect call elderly victims over to their vehicle and ask for directions to religious temples. They then hand the victim fake gold chains, claiming that their culture promotes this behaviour for good deeds. The suspects also offer to place the fake gold onto the unsuspecting victim, at which point they remove and pocket any real jewelry, before leaving the scene in their vehicle. Police are urging the public to spread awareness and notify anyone who may be especially vulnerable, as these suspects can be very convincing and often target seniors. Any local residents who believe they have been a victim...
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Fintrac imposes more than $600K penalty on First Nations Bank of Canada
Canada’s anti-money laundering agency has imposed a penalty of more than $600,000 on First Nations Bank of Canada for violations under the country’s anti-money laundering laws. Fintrac imposed an administrative penalty of $601,139.80 on Sept. 22 for five violations found during a compliance examination. The regulator says the bank failed to submit suspicious transaction reports in 31 per cent of the case files it reviewed where there were reasonable grounds to suspect transactions were related to money laundering or terrorist activity financing. It also said the bank did not develop and apply written compliance policies and procedures. In addition, it says the bank failed to assess and document the risk of money laundering or terrorist financing and failed to take prescribed special measures with high-risk clients. Fintrac also says FNBC...
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