Chiefs of Ontario meeting opens with call to action…Parliament Hill rally against governments’ bills
By Turtle Island News staff HIAWATHA FIRST NATIONS- The three-day Chiefs of Ontario (COO) 50th anniversary meeting opened here this morning amid a call to action to descend on Parliament Hill after First Nations were hit by both Ontario and federal bills including Ontario’s Bill 5, Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act and Ottawa’s proposed Bill C-5, One Canadian Economy Act without consultation. Both bills are expected to hit First Nations hard. Ottawa’s proposed bill C-5 will grant sweeping powers and allowing fast-tracking of major infrastructure projects while undermining Indigenous rights, environmental protections and democratic authority, Chiefs said. The proposed law would allow a single federal minister to approve projects, bypass regulatory safeguards, and override constitutional obligations all without further parliamentary review. At the same time the bill will allow...
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128-year-old shipwreck on Vancouver Island charred by fire
By Nono Shen A shipwreck that has been part of Vancouver Island’s history for more than a century is a charred skeleton after a fire earlier this month. Photographer Geoff Johnson said he went to look after hearing of the fire at the wreck that has been sitting on Big Beach in Ucluelet for almost 130 years. “It was really dramatic,” recalled Johnson in an interview, adding that the wooden wreckage seemed to be “more corpse-like now than it was before.” Ucluelet fire Chief Rick Geddes said crews attended the fire in the early morning of June 10 and the cause of the blaze is being investigated. The shipwreck suffered “significant damage” from the fire, although it’s still very much intact, Geddes said. “It’s not uncommon for us to get...
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Air Inuit announces Aug. 6 ‘early’ takeover of Kuujjuaq-Montreal route
By Jeff Pelletier, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunatsiaq News Air Inuit will take over Canadian North’s route between Kuujjuaq and Montreal starting Aug. 6. The transfer of the route was announced in February when it was revealed that Makivvik Corp. and Inuvialuit Regional Corp. had tentatively sold Canadian North, which currently operates the route, to Exchange Income Corp. of Winnipeg for $205 million. As part of the deal, Canadian North would go to Exchange Income Corp. with the exception of the Kuujjuaq-Montreal route, which Makkivik Corp. retained and would operate through its other airline, Air Inuit. The companies originally aimed for an Oct. 1 date for that transfer. But in a news release Friday, Makivvik announced the change would happen sooner than expected. “Makivvik and Air Inuit want to reassure...
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Alberta doctors association raises concerns over premier limiting free COVID vaccines
By Lisa Johnson The organization representing Alberta doctors is joining health-care unions in raising concerns over Premier Danielle Smith’s decision to charge most Albertans for a COVID-19 vaccination this fall. Dr. Shelley Duggan, president of the Alberta Medical Association, says the policy leaves behind many seniors and health-care workers, and doesn’t even mention pregnant individuals, First Nations, Inuit, Métis or members of other racialized groups. The association head noted that goes against recommendations from Canada’s National Advisory Committee on Immunization. “Being unclear about policy and creating barriers to vaccination for the most high-need groups are counterproductive measures,” Duggan said in a statement. “We need a structured, substantial strategy, one that makes it as easy as possible for those who need vaccine the most to get it.” Smith has said the...
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Ring of Fire road to bring prosperity to First Nation, problems for caribou: report
By Liam Casey A proposed road to the mineral-rich Ring of Fire in northern Ontario will bring economic prosperity to Webequie First Nation, though it may endanger caribou in the region, a newly released assessment finds. Webequie First Nation is leading an environmental and impact assessment of the Webequie Supply Road that would connect to mining exploration activities in the Ring of Fire. That road will connect to two other proposed roads that would link the remote First Nation to the provincial highway system hundreds of kilometres south. “This is a critical milestone for our people and our project,” Chief Cornelius Wabasse said in a statement. “We are proud of this important work and the respectful approach taken to get it done. We are also grateful for all those who...
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Minister says all federal bills should be analyzed through an Indigenous lens
By Alessia Passafiume As First Nations leaders prepare to rally on Parliament Hill against Ottawa’s controversial ‘major projects’ legislation, the federal minister for Indigenous services says she’s asked Prime Minister Mark Carney to screen new federal bills for their impacts on Indigenous communities. Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty says other ministries — including labour, industry and natural resources — touch on Indigenous rights in different ways and the legislation they introduce should be analyzed through an Indigenous lens. Her comments come as First Nations prepare to protest on Parliament Hill against C-5, legislation that would allow the federal government to override certain laws — including the Indian Act and the Species at Risk Act — to get major projects approved. First Nations leaders say C-5 could trample on their rights...
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City governance review puts anti-racism committee on the chopping block
By Clint Fleury, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, TBnewswatch.com THUNDER BAY – City staff will present proposed changes to how city council operates later this year, including a recommendation to dissolve the anti-racism and equity advisory committee. It’s one of 10 advisory committees city staff are proposing to dissolve as part of a broader restructuring of city council governance. Chris Krumpholz, chair of the anti-racism and equity advisory committee, said dissolving these committees is the wrong move for council. Monday’s committee of the whole meeting, Krista Power, director of legislative services and city clerk, will present a first reading of the city governance structure report, which, if passed by council on June 23, would replace council’s committee of the whole meeting with smaller standing committees and dissolve 10 advisory committees. Also...
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Brazil auctions off several Amazon oil sites despite environmentalists and Indigenous protests
By Fabiano Maisonnave BRASILANDIA, Brazil (AP) — Brazil auctioned off several land and offshore potential oil sites near the Amazon River on Tuesday as it aims to expand production in untapped regions despite protests from environmental and Indigenous groups. The event came months before Brazil is to host the U.N.’s first climate talks held in the Amazon. The protesters outside Tuesday’s venue warned of potential risks that oil drilling poses to sensitive ecosystems and Indigenous communities in the Amazon. A luxury Rio de Janeiro hotel hosted the auction conducted by the National Oil Agency. Most of the 172 oil blocks for sale are located in areas with no current production, such as 47 offshore locations close to the mouth of the Amazon River and two sites inland in the Amazon...
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In Oklahoma, Juneteenth highlights tribal slavery descendants’ fight for recognition and citizenship
By Graham Lee Brewer Juneteenth may mark the day in 1865 when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas found out they had been freed, but thousands of people in Oklahoma are still fighting for full citizenship in the tribal nations that once held their ancestors in bondage. Several tribes practiced slavery, and five in Oklahoma — The Cherokee, Seminole, Choctaw, Chickasaw, and Muscogee nations — signed reconstruction treaties with the U.S. in 1866 abolishing it three years after President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. They granted the formerly enslaved, known commonly as Freedmen, citizenship within their respective tribes. Only one of those tribes, the Cherokee Nation, continues to fully grant the rights of citizenship. For descendants of people who were enslaved by tribal nations, Juneteenth is both a celebration of freedom for...
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Minister says all federal bills should be analyzed through an Indigenous lens
By Alessia Passafiume As First Nations leaders gather on Parliament Hill to protest Ottawa’s controversial major projects legislation, the federal minister for Indigenous services says she has asked Prime Minister Mark Carney to screen new federal bills for their impacts on Indigenous communities. Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty says other ministries — including labour, justice, industry and natural resources — touch on Indigenous rights in different ways and the legislation they introduce should be analyzed through an Indigenous lens. Her comments come as First Nations prepare to protest C-5, legislation that would allow the federal government to override certain laws — including the Indian Act and the Species at Risk Act — to get major projects approved. First Nations leaders say C-5 could trample on their rights and accuse Carney’s...
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Conservatives vote with Carney government to rush Bill C-5
By Natasha Bulowski, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Canada’s National Observer The federal Conservatives voted with the Liberals on a special order to push a massive piece of legislation on major project approvals through the House of Commons before the week’s end. The proposed legislation would grant the federal government broad powers including the option to override laws related to projects deemed “in the national interest.” Three hundred and five Conservative and Liberal MPs voted in favour of the government’s time allocation motion to limit debate on the bill, while 30 Bloc Québécois, Green and NDP MPs and lone Liberal MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith voted against it. The federal government is determined to get Bill C-5 — dubbed the One Canadian Economy Act — through the House of Commons before MPs leave...
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Winnipeg School Division honours Indigenous graduates in the city and beyond
By Brittany Hobson Parker Ledoux never imagined spending the last month of her Grade 12 school year cooped up in a Winnipeg hotel room far from her home. But when an out-of-control wildfire encroached on Creighton, Sask., at the end of last month and forced its some 1,200 people to flee, that’s exactly what happened. With graduation celebrations supposed to take place next week and community members still displaced, Ledoux is not sure what the quintessential teenage experience will look like for her and her classmates. The Winnipeg School Division recognized the uncertainty high school evacuees may be facing and opened up its own ceremony honouring Indigenous graduates to students forced out of their homes by the wildfires. “I am so grateful to be here today,” said Ledoux, a Red...
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Alberta man convicted of manslaughter for stabbing woman in head with knife
By Aaron Sousa An Alberta judge has convicted a man of manslaughter in the 2023 killing of a woman who was stabbed in the head with a steak knife. Blake Bird was initially charged with second-degree murder, after Saundra Bearhead was discovered on a couch with the knife in her head outside a home on the Paul Band First Nation She died in hospital three days later. Court of King’s Bench Justice Kent Teskey says he had doubts as to whether Bird had the intent to commit murder. Court heard Bearhead had been drinking with Bird and another woman earlier in the day and that Bird confessed the killing to police and his family. The judge’s written decision says Bird told police he was blackout drunk and accidentally stabbed the...
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Fire evacuees begin returning home to Manitoba First Nation after cool, wet weather
A First Nation in Manitoba is welcoming residents back, almost three weeks after the community of more than 6,000 people was evacuated due to wildfires. The chief of Pimicikamak Cree Nation says a fire in the area is now largely contained and the community has begun a gradual repatriation of evacuees that includes flights today from Winnipeg. Chief David Monias reposted a video on social media showing a steady rain in the region. He says the community’s infrastructure is intact and water systems have been tested by health officials. Elsewhere in the province, people in Snow Lake, Sherridon and Herb Lake Landing were allowed to return on the weekend. Officials with the City of Flin Flon say those running critical businesses there have begun to re-enter but the general community...
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Brant arts community reeling after loss of actor, playwright and director
By Celeste Percy-Beauregard, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Hamilton Spectator The Brant arts scene has lost a bright light. The community is reeling after learning of the death of Martin Smith, an actor, director, playwright and local arts champion in Brantford-Brant and beyond. He was 67. “He truly was an extraordinary man and was constantly rallying and active in all sorts of community theatre and arts projects,” his partner, Becky Rounce, told The Spectator. As word of his June 11 passing trickled out, community members and artists took to social media to express their shock and sadness. “Mentor,” “pillar” and “beloved” is how the posts described him. Smith moved to Brantford around 12 years ago and became a fixture of the local arts scene. He penned more than a dozen...
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Wagmatcook prepares for 2025 Nova Scotia Mi’kmaw Summer Games
By Rosemary Godin, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Cape Breton Post The highly-anticipated 2025 Mi’kmaw Summer Games is expected to draw upwards of 5,000 athletes and visitors from across Mi’kma’ki and beyond to Wagmatcook First Nation in August and excitement is building in the community. Scheduled for Aug.15–24, this sporting and culture event always brings communities together for a powerful celebration of athletic excellence, Mi’kmaq culture and unity. “This is more than just a sporting event, this is like the Olympic Games for the Mi’kmaq,” said Wagmatcook Chief Norman Bernard and portfolio holder for Sports and Recreation. “This is a moment of pride for our people. It’s about showcasing who we are, celebrating our youth, and honouring the strength and spirit of Mi’kmaw communities across the region.” Wagmatcook Chief Norman Bernard...
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Child sex charges stayed against Manitoba First Nation chief
By Brittany Hobson Crown prosecutors have stayed child sex charges against the chief of a Manitoba First Nation. The provincial court says charges of sexual assault, sexual interference and possessing and making child pornography were stayed Friday against Christopher Traverse. His lawyer, Candace Olson, says the complainant admitted during testimony that she lied about the allegations. Traverse was the leader of Lake St. Martin First Nation in the Interlake region when he was arrested in April 2024. He was accused of forcing the girl when she was eight into a bathroom in his home, taking photos or her and sexually assaulting her in December 2023. Traverse pleaded not guilty to the charges and maintained his innocence during his trial, which started in March. The Crown’s office says in an email...
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May calls Carney’s decision to limit debate on major projects bill a ‘new low’
By Kyle Duggan Green Party Leader Elizabeth May said Monday that Prime Minister Mark Carney’s decision to ram his government’s major projects bill through the House of Commons this week represents a “new low” in contempt for Parliament. May told a press conference she hasn’t seen anything like it since the Conservative government under Stephen Harper pushed a major omnibus bill through more than a decade ago. May said she was “shocked” by Harper’s decision to bring in and fast track C-38 in 2012, a bill that was 400 pages long and “destroyed 70 environmental laws.” “This is worse,” she added. “It appears to me — and it remains to be seen — that Mr. Carney’s new majority coalition is Liberal-Conservative, delivering (Conservative Leader) Pierre Poilievre’s policies with a more...
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Drop in Canadian tourists hurting U.S., say northeast governors
By Hina Alam New England governors say tariffs and anti-Canadian rhetoric by the United States government is taking a bite out of tourism, with some states seeing a drop of up to 60 per cent in visitors from north of the border. Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey said Canadian tourism to her state and others such as Maine, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont is down between 20 and 60 per cent compared with last year. “We have seen impacts that you can’t quite put a price on,” she told reporters Monday in Boston, following a meeting between New England governors and premiers from Eastern Canada. “But there are real concerns about travelling to the United States, and safety concerns … and what might happen in terms of border activity.” Delegations...
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Who is running to be CYFN Grand Chief?
By Talar Stockton, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Yukon News The Council of Yukon First Nations Grand Chief is set to be elected at the CYFN annual general meeting in Teslin on June 25. There are five candidates in the running. This election is unique in that the person elected will be taking on the responsibilities of both the CYFN Grand Chief, and the Assembly of First Nations Yukon Regional Chief, due to a consolidation announced earlier this month. Grand Chief Peter Johnston has held the position since 2016, having been the only candidate to put his name forward and winning by acclamation in 2016, 2019, and 2022. He is not running for re-election. Grand chiefs are elected by representatives from the Youth Council, Elders’ Council, and from each member and...
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