Gambier OCP shift: Trust committee to embed First Nations policy directives
By Jordan Copp, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Coast Reporter The Gambier Island Local Trust Committee voted to draft amendments that embed Squamish Nation–driven directives into the Official Community Plan (OCP), moving reconciliation from principle to policy. Planner Melanie Zupanek said the project now requires “a much more focused work program” so the LTC can complete tangible components before the fall 2026 election cycle. She framed the first step as bringing forward OCP language that “is grounded in the reality of these issues.” Staff outlined a narrowed work plan focused on implementing Squamish Nation recommendations A1, A2, A4 and A5 — including updated acknowledgements, explicit reconciliation commitments, and recognition of how historic settlement patterns and protected‑area designations have affected Indigenous cultural use — followed by advisory planning commission review and limited...
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Brantford Police Warning Public of Extortion Scam
BRANTFORD,ONT-The Brantford Police Service (BPS) is warning the public of an extortion scam that threatens harm through text messages. BPS said they have received reports of victims that were targeted through threatening text messages of harm that were directed at them or their family. BPS said the messages could also contain images, or videos of masked individuals wearing tactical-style gear that was intended to intimidate victims into sending money. BPS said the threats are designed to create fear and pressure victims into making immediate payments. What to Do If You Receive These Messages The Brantford Police Service reminds the public: Do not engage with the sender. Do not send money or provide any personal information. Hang up / stop communication immediately. Call police right away to report the incident Additional...
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First Nation shooting in northern Quebec leaves two men dead
Quebec provincial police say two men in their 30s were killed in a double murder Wednesday evening that has shaken a First Nation community in northern Quebec. The deaths appear to be linked to organized crime, Sgt. Hugues Beaulieu said Thursday. “It seems to be an isolated event, possibly within the context of organized crime, a kind of settling of scores in the drug trafficking world,” Beaulieu said. The two men were found inside a bullet-ridden vehicle following multiple reports of gunshots on a street in Mistissini, a Cree community located along the shore of Lake Mistassini, 600 kilometres northwest of Quebec City. The Eeyou Eenou Police Force investigated the shooting on Riverside Street. The victims, both local residents, were transported to a local medical facility where they were pronounced...
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Power line announcement ‘absolutely huge’ mayor says
By Matt Prokopchuk, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, TBnewswatch.com LONGLAC — Count Greenstone’s mayor among those who say they’re excited about slated power line upgrades. James McPherson said an announcement by the Ontario government that formally designated the long-planned Greenstone transmission line a “priority project,” and tapped Hydro One to develop and build it, is “absolutely huge for all of us.” He said it will especially benefit the seven First Nations that have partnered together with the opportunity to invest in a 50 per cent stake in the project, as well as Greenstone itself. “The biggest thing is opportunity for more industrial expansion. And for all of us who live along that line, that when the power goes out, it may not be four or 12 hours (to get it restored),”...
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Legal setbacks against a dam in the Amazon raise questions about Brazil’s reliance on hydropower
By Gabriela Sá Pessoa SAO PAULO (AP) — The Belo Monte hydropower plant in the Brazilian Amazon, one of the world’s largest, was designed to channel water from the Xingu River in a way that would avoid the need for large reservoirs, which could flood surrounding areas. After years of legal battles, authorities approved the project, located in the southwestern part of the state of Para, on one condition: it would not threaten ecosystems and communities of Indigenous people along stretches of the river. A decade after operations began in 2016, Brazilian courts have found that Belo Monte failed to meet that requirement and that its environmental and social impacts were far greater than forecast. “They were just confirming what we already knew,” said Ana Laíde Barbosa, a member of...
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First Nation under lockdown after shooting resulting in ‘multiple fatalities’: chief
A First Nation in northern Quebec is under lockdown after a deadly shooting. Chief Michael Petawabano of the Cree Nation of Mistissini has issued a statement urging members of the community to stay in their homes and lock their doors as police investigate a shooting that has caused “multiple fatalities.” He says travel in and out of the community is restricted and all public buildings and facilities are closed. Petawabano says the lockdown will remain in place until law enforcement confirms it is safe to resume normal activities. The chief says the community is grieving for the lives lost and the families affected by the shooting. Officials first announced the lockdown late Thursday night, saying there was an active shooter at large. Mistissini is a community located along the shore...
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Smudging on skates: Indigenous roller derby team slams onto the big screen
By Dionne Phillips, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, IndigiNews A documentary about a multinational all-Indigenous roller derby team is skating into theatres across the country this week. Rising Through the Fray, by Kanien’kehá:ka (Mohawk) filmmaker Courtney Montour, chronicles the journey of Team Indigenous Rising. The team, formerly known simply as Team Indigenous, describes itself as “borderless” because it’s rooted in cultural identity, not local geography — its skaters come together from dozens of nations despite colonial boundaries dividing them. Montour, from the community of Kahnawà:ke, spent several years filming Team Indigenous Rising for her latest project. In an interview with IndigiNews, she says she’d been following roller derby throughout her life. But when she heard an all-Indigenous team would attend the Roller Derby World Cup in the United Kingdom, she knew...
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First Nation under lockdown after shooting resulting in ‘multiple fatalities’: chief
A First Nation in northern Quebec is under lockdown after a deadly shooting. Chief Michael Petawabano of the Cree Nation of Mistissini has issued a statement urging members of the community to stay in their homes and lock their doors as police investigate a shooting that has caused “multiple fatalities.” He says travel in and out of the community is restricted and all public buildings and facilities are closed. Petawabano says the lockdown will remain in place until law enforcement confirms it is safe to resume normal activities. The chief says the community is grieving for the lives lost and the families affected by the shooting. Mistissini is a community located along the shore of Lake Mistassini. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 29, 2026. ....
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Ontario education minister places seventh school board under provincial control
By Allison Jones Ontario’s education minister placed a seventh school board under supervision Wednesday in order to prevent dozens of teachers from being laid off, he says, and he is planning to soon take control of another board over financial concerns. Paul Calandra announced that he has put Peel District School Board under supervision and is giving the York Catholic District School Board two weeks to make a case for avoiding the same fate. The board in Peel Region, west of Toronto, was about to lay off 60 teachers, Calandra said. That would have affected about 1,400 students. “Mid-way through the year, they were planning on laying off teachers and moving around classrooms and impacting students,” he said in an interview. “You can just imagine what that does in schools,...
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Nearly $23M expansion slated for local wastewater system
By Matt Prokopchuk, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, TBnewswatch.com SIOUX LOOKOUT — Several years’ worth of work is scheduled to start this spring on Sioux Lookout’s wastewater system. That’s according to Mayor Doug Lawrance, who told Newswatch increasing the capacity of the existing water treatment plant is needed to accommodate the municipality’s growth. “Our population has just grown steadily over the decades and continues to grow,” he said. “And the town expands and, as a result, the infrastructure needs to expand as well.” In a media release, the municipality says the province has committed more than $16.6 million for the work (the municipality is responsible for over $6.1 million on top of that), which will include upgrading existing infrastructure, improving mechanical and other systems and bettering “effluent and solids management.” “Together,...
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Family of Alex Pretti retains lawyers who helped prosecute the George Floyd case
By Michael Biesecker The parents of Alex Pretti have retained a former federal prosecutor who helped Minnesota’s attorney general convict the police officer who kneeled on George Floyd’s neck of murder. Pretti, an intensive care nurse at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center, was shot multiple times on Saturday as he was filming Border Patrol officers conducting an immigration enforcement operation. Steve Schleicher, a partner at the Minneapolis firm Maslon, is an experienced litigator who served as a special prosecutor for Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison in the 2021 trial of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. Prior to entering private practice, Schleicher served as a state prosecutor and worked for 13 years in the office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota, handling cases ranging from murder to organized...
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You’ll soon see copper recycling points around Yellowknife
By Aastha Sethi, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Cabin Radio The North Slave Métis Alliance and the City of Yellowknife have signed a memorandum of understanding to launch a new copper recycling program. The agreement – signed on Wednesday at the AME Roundup conference in Vancouver – will enable the collection, processing and recycling of waste copper from governments, businesses and residents. According to a news release, the goal is to divert copper from the landfill and recover a material increasingly in demand for clean energy technologies, electric vehicles and modern infrastructure. Beginning in spring 2026, residents and businesses will be able to drop off copper at existing recycling depots as well as at the city’s solid waste facility. The project was transferred to NSMA as part of a closure agreement...
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Ford, Holt agree with Carney — almost nothing is ‘normal’ with U.S. right now
By Kyle Duggan Ontario Premier Doug Ford and New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt said Wednesday they agree with Prime Minister Mark Carney’s suggestion “almost nothing is normal” right now with the United States. “I agree with him. I think the whole world is watching that, including Americans,” Ford told a news conference in Ottawa. “It’s unfortunate President (Donald) Trump has taken this avenue that he’s going down, but remember — a tariff on Canada is a tax on Americans. Americans know it, they’re feeling it.” Holt said she agrees “nothing is the same” with the United States and New Brunswickers don’t recognize their longtime neighbours and trading partners. “We see it in New Brunswick right now with ICE agents on the border of New Brunswick and Maine and Calais, and...
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Ex-judge to decide if Vancouver constables must apologize in person to Heiltsuk pair
British Columbia’s Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner has appointed a retired judge to determine if two officers who wrongfully handcuffed an Indigenous man and his granddaughter outside a Vancouver bank in 2019 should be required to provide an oral apology “consistent with Indigenous law.” Maxwell Johnson of the Heiltsuk Nation and his then-12-year-old granddaughter were detained by the officers when they tried to open an account at the Bank of Montreal using their Indigenous status cards. The agency says in a news release that a discipline proceeding found Vancouver police constables Canon Wong and Mitchel Tong committed misconduct and that they were ordered by a retired judge in March 2022 to provide oral apologies. It says the officers provided written apologies but have not yet agreed to apologize “the...
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‘Borderline friendly’: Premiers of Alberta and B.C. meet with Carney, talk pipeline
The potential pipeline to the West Coast was one of multiple topics discussed Wednesday by the leaders of B.C., Alberta and Canada in what was described as a “borderline friendly” meeting. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith met with her B.C. counterpart David Eby and Prime Minister Mark Carney in Ottawa. The pipeline has the been the focus of sharp debate between Eby and Smith in recent months, but Eby told reporters Wednesday that “the tone was very civil in the meeting and borderline friendly.” Eby has criticized the project and Smith’s urgency for it as being premature given that no private company has stepped up to finance it and no route has been nailed down. Eby said he looked forward to hearing more from Alberta as work progresses, noting a commitment...
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First Nation under lockdown after shooting resulting in ‘multiple fatalities’: chief
A First Nation in northern Quebec is under lockdown after a deadly shooting. Chief Michael Petawabano of the Cree Nation of Mistissini has issued a statement urging members of the community to stay in their homes and lock their doors as police investigate a shooting that has caused “multiple fatalities.” He says travel in and out of the community is restricted and all public buildings and facilities are closed. Petawabano says the lockdown will remain in place until law enforcement confirms it is safe to resume normal activities. The chief says the community is grieving for the lives lost and the families affected by the shooting. Mistissini is a community located along the shore of Lake Mistassini. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 29, 2026. ...
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‘Creeping snow drought’: Canadian research shows less snowpack a concern
By Jeremy Simes New research shows less snowpack in certain regions of Canada can have wide-ranging effects on everything from farms and wildlife to the broader economy. The Concordia University study, published in the Nature journal “Communications Earth and Environment,” says the usable water from snowpacks has dropped sharply in areas of the Canadian Rockies. The mountainous region is the headwaters of major rivers in British Columbia and the Prairies, feeding communities and habitats. Ali Nazemi, an associate professor at the university and an author of the study, has called the finding “creeping snow drought,” which he says threatens Canada’s water supply. “You don’t really realize it up to the time that you are in the middle of a crisis,” Nazemi said in an interview. The researchers analyzed snowpack data...
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QC Police investigate murder-suicide in a First Nation community
Quebec provincial police say they are investigating a murder-suicide in a First Nation community northeast of Montreal. The investigation is being led by Manawan police in collaboration with Quebec provincial police. The local police say they were called to a private residence in the Atikamekw community of Manawan on Sunday, and discovered two bodies. Police say they found the bodies of a 44-year-old man and 36-year-old woman. The woman’s death would be the fifth femicide reported this month in Quebec. The Atikamekw Council of Manawan expressed its solidarity for the community in a social media post. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 28, 2026....
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Ontario investing $4.2 million in critical water upgrades at Mitaanjigamiing First Nation
By Liam Oliver Neilson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Fort Frances Times Mitaanjigamiing First Nation will be getting $4.2 million in funding towards critical water infrastructure upgrades for its water treatment plant. Kenora-Rainy River MPP Greg Rickford made the announcement on Jan. 22, 2026. According to the province, the investment comes from the Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program’s (MHIP) Health and Safety Water Stream. Plant upgrades will enhance drinking water quality, plant resilience, protect public health and enhance long-term community development. “This expanded funding for critical water infrastructure will contribute to strengthening the safety and reliability of water services in Mitaanjigamiing First Nation,” Rickford said in a press release. “The Health and Safety Water Stream is ensuring the safety, functionality and longevity of the water of the treatment plants that communities rely...
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Emo to get $1.4 million for sewer system upgrades
By Liam Oliver Neilson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Fort Frances Times Emo will be getting more than $1.4 million from the province to upgrade its wastewater treatment equipment, Kenora-Rainy River MPP Greg Rickford announced on Jan. 22. The investment is part of $700 million in provincial funding announced last week to assist 127 municipalities and First Nations communities in upgrading and expanding critical water infrastructure. “Emo, the centre of this beautiful Rainy River District, received $1.4 million for the construction of a new sanitary holding tank with duplex pump systems,” Rickford said. “There’ll be upgrades to electrical, mechanical and other systems. People in emo can expect clean, safe water in some of the most modernized control systems and upgrades to the actual machinery and equipment that takes their water and...
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