Island Coastal Economic Trust seeks modernization in effort to stay afloat
By Hope Lompe, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Gabriola Sounder The Island Coastal Economic Trust is a local-government led fund founded by the province in 2006 with the goal of expanding economic growth for Island and coastal communities. It started with $50 million, and had another injection of $10 million in 2023, with the mandate for the Trust to use the funds to support economic growth projects. Since then they have put about $2 million into the economy annually. This has included things like GIRO on Gabriola Island and the Vancouver Island Convention Center in Nanaimo. However, with funds dwindling, and independent review of the Trust concluded without intervention it would be set to close by 2028. The Trust has proposed a governance modernization of the Trust, which will allow First...
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Finalists for the Amazon Canada First Novel Award
By Nicole Thompson “Endling” author Maria Reva and “Small Ceremonies” writer Kyle Edwards are among the finalists for this year’s Amazon Canada First Novel Award. Last year, Reva took home the Atwood Gibson Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize for her novel about the Ukrainian bride business and Russia’s invasion of that country, and Edwards won the Governor General’s Literary Award for Fiction for his book about a team of Indigenous hockey players from north-end Winnipeg. Also in the running for the $60,000 award, now in its 50th year, is Kate Cayley for “Property,” which takes place over the course of a single day in a gentrifying Toronto neighbourhood. Jon Claytor is a finalist for his graphic novel “Nowhere,” about a 12-year-old boy who moves to a small town where zombies and...
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Sturgeon Lake First Nation declares emergency as rising waters threaten access
By Nicole Goldsworthy, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, SaskToday.ca STURGEON LAKE FIRST NATION — Sturgeon Lake First Nation has declared a state of emergency to secure support and resources as rising water levels, flooded roads and deteriorating bridge conditions affect access to the community. Chief and council passed a band council resolution on May 5, declaring the emergency effective immediately and until further notice. In the SLFN statement it said, “Rising water levels are affecting access along Highways 355 and 788, as well as the community’s main traffic bridge. Water levels at the bridge are continuing to rise, and officials warn that if the structure is overtopped, it will become inaccessible.” As of 4 p.m. on May 5, water at the main bridge was approximately 12 inches below the bridge deck,...
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Six Nations marks Red Dress Day with march
By Alex Murray Writer OHSWEKEN, SIX NATIONS OF THE GRAND RIVER- Dressed in red and chanting “Stop the Violence…No More Silence,” over 100 Six Nations community members joined Ganohkwasra Family Assault Support Centre’s annual Red Dress Day march Tuesday May 5th making their way through Ohsweken. Flanked by Six Nations Police, community members walked about 600 metres up Chiefswood Road through Ohsweken from Ganohkwasra Family Assault Support Services to Veterans Park. As the group marched, they held up signs with slogans and pictures of Murdered and Missing loved ones and chanted things like “Stop the Violence, No More Silence.” Six Nations Public Works and Flowers by Leenie were among the buildings along the route that showed their support with red dresses displayed outside their doors. Red Dress Day began in...
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B.C.’s legislature looks into changes as MLA avoids censure after using Nazi slogan
By Wolfgang Depner Politicians in B.C.’s legislature say they are looking into whether they can close a loophole that has allowed a member to avoid a censure motion after she used a slogan associated with Nazi Germany. Independent MLA Tara Armstrong last month used the term “blood and soil” in her attack on a First Nations treaty, a phrase frequently used by German Fascists before and during the Second World War. But an attempt by the B.C. Greens to censure Armstrong and force her to apologize failed because she, along with another member of the legislature, prevented the motion from coming up for debate. Government House Leader Mike Farnworth says he is working with the Official Opposition and B.C. Greens to deal with Armstrong’s “abhorrent” comments inside and outside the...
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Historic floods force evacuations in northern Saskatchewan
By Nicole Goldsworthy, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, SaskToday.ca PRINCE ALBERT — Record flooding along the Shell and Carrot rivers has forced evacuations in northern Saskatchewan First Nations and prompted the Prince Albert Grand Council (PAGC) to activate its emergency operations centre (EOC). Members of Red Earth Cree Nation and Shoal Lake Cree Nation were evacuated late Monday. Priority 1 individuals — those requiring immediate medical support or considered vulnerable — along with Elders and prenatal and postnatal members, were relocated from both communities by Tuesday. PAGC activated its EOC on Tuesday in co-ordination with Saskatchewan First Nations Emergency Management and the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency to support response efforts and monitor rapidly changing conditions. Officials are also working with the Canadian Red Cross to assist evacuees as they register for...
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Vigil held on Parliament Hill for missing and murdered Indigenous women
By Sarah Ritchie People take part in the National Day of awareness and remembrance for Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQI+ people (MMIWG2S) on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Tuesday, May 5, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Spencer Colby Bridget Tolley said the thought of coming to Parliament Hill on Tuesday morning was overwhelming. “I cried this morning, because I didn’t want to be here. I don’t want to be here, but I have to be. Not only for my mother, but for all our sisters,” she said. Tolley is the founder of Families of Sisters in Spirit, a group that’s been working to raise awareness of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. Her mother, Gladys Tolley, was killed in 2001 when she was hit by a Quebec provincial...
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‘I thought I was going to die’: Roadside shooting victim testifies at murder trial
By Bill Graveland CALGARY -An Alberta power company worker believed he was a goner one summer day as he stood beside a rural road when two men drove up and one shot him through the arm. Matthew Andres told court the pair wanted his keys and his truck and by the time it was over, he was in a race for his life and another man was dead. Andres was testifying in Court of King’s Bench on Tuesday at the jury trial of Arthur Penner and Elijah Strawberry. They have pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder and attempted murder. Crown prosecutor Photini Papadatou has told the jury she will prove the two accused stole a vehicle and were looking to swap it out while setting the original vehicle ablaze when...
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Ganohkwasra message taking flight
Ganohkwasra Murdered and Missing Indigenous People PSA to take flight By Alex Murray Writer Ganohkwasra Family Assault Services Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) message is taking flight. Ganohkwasra has produced a public service announcement titled “This is our Truth” that is being aired on Porter Airline flights for two months. The unveiling at the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum in Mount Hope, Ont., last Thursday (April 30) brought community members and families of Murdered and Missing Indigenous People together to watch the new PSA, along with Ganohkwasra staff. The 30-second PSA will air on outgoing flights at Hamilton International Airport from May 1 to June 30, 2026. Ganohkwasra executive director Sandra Montour says it will include 15,000 in-flight activations, which means 15,000 people will see the PSA bringing...
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MCFN partners with Arcadis in future development
By Sam Laskaris Writer Representatives from the Mississaugas of Credit First Nation (MCFN) are ecstatic with their latest partnership. At a news conference, which was held at the CN Tower in Toronto on Apr. 29, it was announced that the Mississaugas of the Credit Business Corporation (MCBC), which represents the business development interests of the First Nation, has established a partnership with Arcadis. Arcadis is the world-leading company that delivers engineering, sustainable design and consultancy solutions for various assets. The new partnership, called MCBC-Arcadis Limited Partnership, allows Arcadis to be MCBC’s advisory and design partner on new developments on the First Nation’s treaty lands. The lands include almost four million acres in southern Ontario. “The agreement between MCBC and Arcadis is something very big for us,” said MCFN chief Margaret...
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Iqaluit march for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls pays homage to Nunavut victims
By William Koblensky Varela, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunavut News Angel Ootova was just 9-years-old when her mom died in a domestic violence incident in Iqaluit, while Angel and her brother were in Pond Inlet. On May 5, Angel and 47 people marched from Iqaluit’s Four Corners intersection to Iqaluit Square in honour of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, known as Red Dress Day. “I’m here today in honour of my mom, who was murdered June 7, 2008 — 18 years ago — and I’m walking for my childhood best friend, Savanna Pikuyak and for Sula Enuaraq and her two beautiful kids, Alex and Aliyah, who were also murdered,” Angel said. Initially, Angel was told that her mom, 46-year-old Della Ootova, died from alcohol poisoning. That later turned...
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Low turnout and access are barriers for Six Nations child welfare settlement process
Limited community turnout and concerns about awareness, access and fairness were at the forefront of a Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) discussion on the First Nations Child and Family Services and Jordan’s Principle settlement during its April 28 General Council meeting. Holly Johnston is the Ontario South liaison with Deloitte who is the administrator of the First Nations Child and Family Services and Jordans principal settlement. She provided an update telling SNEC that while many applications have been submitted in the province, local engagement has been significantly lower at Six Nations information sessions. “Ontario has 18,662 applications for the settlement compensation” she said. Eight Six Nations members attended three recent information sessions, while two others were cancelled due to weather. The update outlined the purpose and scope of the settlement,...
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Construction on target for new Kawenni:io/Gaweni:yo Elementary and Secondary School
Construction of the new Kawenni:io/Gaweni:yo Elementary and Secondary School is under budget and on schedule Councillor Amos Key Jr. shared an update at the Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) General Council meeting on April 28 highlighting steady progress on the long-anticipated school building. “I just wanted to share with you also that [the project] is right now under budget… and they’re also under schedule, so they’re right on time,” Key said. He attended the Kawenni:io/Gaweni:yo Elementary and Secondary School Annual General Meeting with project leadership on April 21. The Kawenni:io/Gaweni:yo school project was provided with $27 million in funding from SNEC after SNEC recognized the school is aimed at providing a modern learning environment grounded in Gayogohono (Cayuga) and Kanienkehaka (Mohawk) language immersion with strong cultural and community values. The...
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Technical difficulties delay investment policy changes
If you tuned in to the Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) General Finance Committee meeting on April 20 chances are you saw a blank screen. The meeting could not be livestreamed due to technical difficulties Finance Commitee Chair Alaina VanEvery said. Instead, a recording of the meeting was posted April 21. The issues meant the Finance Committee could not present changes made to the Community Investment policy, Councill Alaina VanEvery said. SNEC had directed the committee to have changes back to the council table before the end of April, but it was deferred until the May 4 General Finance meeting. “I was ready to present it today… I don’t think you could see,” VanEvery said. She also said the draft included “highlighted sections of where there’s commentary and feedback” from...
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Six Nations still fighting for safe drinking water
Six Nations continues to fight for safe drinking water for the community and their lawsuit is moving deeper into the courts. Molly Churchill, from JFK Law, updated Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) on the nation’s drinking water case before the Superior Court of Justice at the General Council meeting on April 28. “The purpose of this update is to provide an update on Six Nations of the Grand River’s drinking water litigation,” Churchill said. She described the case as fundamentally about “water security on your reserve, drinking water security.” The claims administrator deemed Six Nations ineligible to join the First Nations Drinking Water Settlement in 2021 due to the water treatment plant that was completed in 2013. Churchill said at its core, Six Nations claim alleges “Canada’s failure to ensure...
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Closing arguments to begin in Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation’s education funding case at rights tribunal
By Rianna Lim Closing submissions are set to begin today in a First Nation’s complaint before the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal accusing the federal government of systemically underfunding and neglecting on-reserve education in Ontario. The Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation alleges the education funding formula implemented by the federal government in 2019 substantially underfunds on-reserve schools, fails to meet First Nation students’ needs and perpetuates historic disadvantage. The case originated from a 2009 complaint involving special education costs for two children of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and a provincewide claim of discrimination against First Nations children in the education system. Opening submissions at the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal began in October, with the First Nation seeking a finding of discrimination, permanent education reform and an immediate...
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SNEC Agrees To North Dumfries Aggregate Pit Expansion
By Alex Murray Writer Six Nations community members filed into the Six Nations of the Grand River Development Corporation (SNDC) boardroom Monday (April 27) to learn about how a recent agreement between Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) and Cambridge Aggregates (CA) could benefit the community and impact the environment. SNEC recently voted to send the agreement to community engagement, where the Edworthy West above-the-water-table aggregate pit expansion in North Dumfries could be discussed. Aggregate pits are often referred to as quarries or gravel pits and produce stone and sand used in construction. The session was sponsored by the Lands and Resources Department, Consultation, and Accommodation Process team, though no representatives from the proponents of the project, CA or parent company Heidelberg Materials, attended. Peter Graham, consultation supervisor for SNEC and...
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Six Nations Councillor appointed to Crime Stoppers committee
A Six Nations councillor has been appointed to Brant-Brantford Crime Stoppers, following weeks of discussion around community involvement and oversight. At the April 28 General Council meeting, Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) approved a recommendation from the Unity Building, External Government Relations and Justice Committee to appoint Councillor Leslie Greene to the organization. The motion was ultimately carried after further debate and a new seconder, despite some opposition from council members. Discussion at SNEC highlighted the existing relationship between Crime Stoppers and Six Nations policing. Councillor Dayle Bomberry said the program has been active in the community “for the last few years,” working with police on criminal matters and supporting fundraising efforts. “They say that the relationship has proven beneficial to the Six Nations peace service,” Bomberry said. “So they’re...
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Editorial: Hmmm, audit time coming…
Six Nations Elected Council is facing yet another audit year. For us here at Turtle Island News it will be the 33rd budget since we launched the newspaper. A local band budget that went from $1 million to today’s $30 million plus. At least, it would be $30 million if the band didn’t dump the community’s own source revenues on it to bring it down to what it thinks the community will accept . So instead of seeing a $30 million deficit the community would only see a $8 or $9 million deficit depending on how much own source revenues are used to keep a lid on the overspending. Those own source revenues, by the way, are the community’s own dollars including gaming dollars that come in annually from two...
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Today in History
May 1 In 2007, the House of Commons unanimously apologized to former students of Canada’s Residential Schools for the trauma they suffered as a result of policies intended to assimilate Indian, Inuit and Metis children into mainstream society. In 2022, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby said Canada’s residential school system was a cultural genocide. And after listening to residential school survivors share their stories during his visit to Saskatchewan’s James Smith Cree Nation, the head of the Anglican Church said he could understand why many survivors feel it was an actual genocide. Welby apologized that the church allowed “terrible crime’’ to happen at the schools. May 2 In 2023, the House of Commons unanimously backed a motion to declare the deaths and disappearances of Indigenous women and girls a Canada-wide...
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