B.C. postponing changes to heritage act to increase consultation, says minister
By Wolfgang Depner The B.C. government is postponing changes to the law that governs the designation and protection of heritage sites as Forests Minister Ravi Parmar said more time is needed to consult with First Nations, industry and other groups. The government was planning to bring forward changes to the Heritage Conservation Act this spring, but Parmar said the legislation requires more engagement because of its importance. The province had gathered hundreds of pages of public feedback, including thousands of surveys, on plans to revise the act. Parmar said he and ministry staff spent much of the winter break going through those documents. “We are going to take advantage of the engagement that British Columbians, particularly those stakeholders, have provided us in that feedback, and go have more direct conversations...
Register
B.C. First Nations raise alarm over Chilcotin River landslide risk
By Wolfgang Depner First Nations in British Columbia’s central Interior are sounding the alarm over landslide risk along the same stretch of the Chilcotin River where a massive slide blocked the waterway for several days in the summer of 2024. The Tsilhqot’in National Government issued a statement saying a geotechnical report commissioned by the province after that slide found an “imminent” risk of rockfall into the river that supports several important salmon populations. A photo shared by the nation shows what it describes as “tension cracks” in the steep slope above the river, with some material apparently starting to break away. The nation said the emergency task force it convened in 2024 has developed a stabilization plan — but it was “alarmed by recent indications” from B.C. and Ottawa that...
Register
Firearms damage found near power line that failed, causing outage: Manitoba Hydro
By Brittany Hobson A preliminary examination into a days-long power outage that led to a water catastrophe at a northern First Nation found firearm damage near the power line, Manitoba Hydro said Monday. The Crown-owned utility said an inspection of the wire that broke at the end of last month in Pimicikamak Cree Nation showed shotgun pellet damage to portions of the infrastructure, including the power line. Several aerial markers used to alert aircraft were damaged due to shotgun pellets. Manitoba Hydro said while it hasn’t been determined pellets caused the line to break, the utility is warning hunters and other firearm owners that shooting at electrical infrastructure can shorten its lifespan, cause outages and create safety risks. Hydro workers have seen damage to infrastructure such as transformers, insulators and...
Register
The Latest: Greenland and threat of Trump tariffs loom over Davos
DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) — The annual meeting of The World Economic Forum attracts corporate executives, academics, philanthropists and media to the Swiss Alps town of Davos for dialogue, debate and deal-making. The Geneva-based think tank first hosted the event in 1971 with the goal to improve European management. Beginning Tuesday, 850 CEOs and chairs of the world’s top companies are expected to be among 3,000 participants from 130 countries in the Alpine resort through Friday. U.S. President Donald Trump’s third visit to Davos as president comes as U.S. allies worry about his ambition to take over Greenland, Latin America grapples with his efforts to reap Venezuela’s oil and business leaders and lawmakers at home express concerns about his hardball tactics toward Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. Here is the latest:...
Register
B.C. First Nations raise alarm over Chilcotin River landslide risk
By Wolfgang Depner First Nations in British Columbia’s central Interior are sounding the alarm over landslide risk along the same stretch of the Chilcotin River where a massive slide blocked the waterway for several days in the summer of 2024. The Tsilhqot’in National Government issued a statement saying a geotechnical report commissioned by the province after that slide found an “imminent” risk of rockfall into the river that supports several important salmon populations. A photo shared by the nation shows what it describes as “tension cracks” in the steep slope above the river, with some material apparently starting to break away. The nation says the emergency task force it convened in 2024 has developed a stabilization plan — but it was “alarmed by recent indications” from B.C. and Ottawa that...
Register
Vancouver conference aims to unite Indigenous tech community
By Marissa Birnie For Shauna McAllister, working at Canadian technology companies as a Cree and Métis woman meant she was often the only Indigenous person in the room. “When it comes to being an individual who is proud of their identity and wants to incorporate that into their work, that can be very lonely,” McAllister, a sales lead for Indigenous majority-owned company R8dius told The Canadian Press. But she and others are hoping to change that by participating in an inaugural conference bringing together hundreds of Indigenous technology professionals in Vancouver in the coming week. The Indigenous Tech Conference, organized by the Indigenous Tech Circle, is set to take place on Tuesday and Wednesday. Indigenous Tech Circle founder and CEO Ryan St. Germaine said the conference aims to connect people...
Register
Hundreds of Kashechewan First Nation evacuees arrive in Niagara Falls, Ont.
By Maan Alhmidi Niagara Falls, Ont., is now hosting hundreds of Kashechewan First Nation evacuees after a water crisis in the northern Ontario community forced many to leave their homes, the city’s fire chief said on Monday. Jo Zambito said 858 people from Kashechewan are currently living in two Niagara Falls hotels and the city is ready to welcome more evacuees who could arrive in the coming days. “They’re doing well. They’re well under the circumstances,” he said in an interview. “They’ve had to evacuate their homes and they are in a different community than they’re used to back home. They’re in a community that has highrises and they’re in a tourist area, lots of vehicular traffic, something that they’re not used to.” Kashechewan First Nation’s executive director, Tyson Wesley,...
Register
Discovery of asbestos shuts John N.A. Janvier School, Cold Lake First Nations outlines next steps
By Chantel Downes, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Lakeland This Week ISC confirmed the closure was ordered on Dec. 18, 2025, following the receipt of a testing report. Suzanna Su, speaking for ISC, said, “The presence of asbestos was identified as part of a hazardous materials assessment process conducted in support of a work plan to replace the air handling units in the school.” Cold Lake First Nations and Indigenous Services Canada are developing temporary measures to support students and staff, including portable classrooms, to allow in-person learning to resume as early as Jan. 14, 2026, while mitigation and repair work continues. The assessment found no airborne asbestos at the time of testing, but surface contamination was detected in limited areas. “Air sample testing at the school determined that there was...
Register
First Nation calls for closure of N.B. RCMP detachment after man shot and killed
RCMP shot and killed a man on a First Nation in northwestern New Brunswick on Sunday evening, prompting the chief to call for the closure of the Mounties’ detachment on the Indigenous territory. The police oversight agency that serves Nova Scotia and New Brunswick says it’s investigating a “police-involved shooting” on Neqotkuk, also known as Tobique First Nation, near the province’s border with Maine. But neither the Serious Incident Response Team nor the RCMP have released any details about what led to the shooting. A statement issued late Sunday from Neqotkuk First Nation Chief Ross Perley and council identified the deceased as Bronson Paul and extended condolences to his family and friends. “Bronson was a son, father, brother, partner, nephew and so much more,” the statement said. Perley and council...
Register
Part 1: The ‘Big Bet’ on Carbon Sequestration—scientist warns Carney’s gamble might be ‘too risky’
By Anushka Yadav, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Pointer Seven years after the 2015 Paris Agreement came into effect, Mark Carney said Canada should make a “big bet” on carbon capture to meet its emissions reduction goals. “For Canada as a whole, we need to make a big bet, or I should say investment rather than a bet, in carbon capture in Western Canada to address the 25 percent of our emissions that come from the oil and gas sector,” Carney remarked in 2022 at a conference in Montreal. That year, the oil and gas industry had emitted 216.7 megatonnes (Mt) of carbon, accounting for 31 percent of Canada’s total emissions. Three years later, as Prime Minister, Carney included Pathways Plus, a carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) proposal in...
Register
Firearms damage found near power line that led to days-long outage: Manitoba Hydro
Manitoba Hydro says a preliminary examination into a days-long power outage that led to a water catastrophe in a northern First Nation found there was firearm damage near the power line. The Crown-owned utility says an inspection of the wire that broke at the end of last month in Pimicikamak Cree Nation showed there was shotgun pellet damage to portions of the infrastructure, including the power line itself. Manitoba Hydro says while it has not been determined that the shotgun pellets caused the line to break, it is warning hunters and other firearm owners that shooting at any electrical infrastructure can shorten its lifespan, cause outages and create safety risks. The definitive cause of the break on the line remains under investigation. The First Nation was without power for about...
Register
Edmonton Welcomes Delegates from Around the World to the Largest Indigenous Tourism Conference
By Chevi Rabbit, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Alberta Native News (ANNews) – Edmonton will host the International Indigenous Tourism Conference from February 17 to 19, bringing together Indigenous tourism leaders, entrepreneurs, cultural knowledge keepers, and industry partners from across Canada and around the world. The conference is being organized in partnership with Indigenous Tourism Alberta, Travel Alberta, and Explore Edmonton, and will highlight Indigenous cultural offerings from communities throughout the region. “We are partnering with Indigenous Tourism Alberta, Travel Alberta, and Explore Edmonton, and featuring some of the cultural offerings in the area,” said Keith Henry, President of Indigenous Tourism Canada and a respected Métis leader in Indigenous cultural tourism. “We expect over 1,100 delegates from probably around 11 countries to attend this conference in Edmonton from February 17 to...
Register
With Oneida battery farm humming, bidders line up to build power storage in Haldimand-Norfolk
By J.P. Antonacci, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Hamilton Spectator Last year’s sweltering summer strained the power grid as Ontarians struggled to keep cool. But the province had a powerful ace up its sleeve. Stored inside 278 giant lithium-ion batteries — each the size of a tractor-trailer — in rural Haldimand County was enough energy to instantly power tens of thousands of homes when temperature spiked and electricity demand surged. “Some of those really hot days we had this past summer, Oneida was key to keeping the lights on,” said Scott Matthews, vice-president of projects with energy storage developer NRStor Inc., a partner in the Oneida Energy Storage Project along with majority owner Northland Power, Aecon, Six Nations of the Grand River Development Corporation and the Mississaugas of the Credit...
Register
Group of First Nations secure equal stake in one of Saskatchewan’s largest solar farms
By Sonal Gupta, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Canada’s National Observer Last November, heavy, wet snow hit northeast Saskatchewan, snapping power lines and leaving Felix Thomas’s community without power. For a full day, homes stayed cold and dark. Many residents gathered at the local school, where a newly installed backup generator kept the heat on. “Members were saying, ‘How can we be less reliant on outside power? Can we look at solar for our homes?’” said Thomas, chief of Kinistin Saulteaux Nation. With solar panels already powering community buildings and charging electric vehicles in Kinistin, he said residents are familiar with how renewable energy could support their community. Their enthusiasm for the clean energy sources in their community led the Nation to expand their investment in solar initiatives. Now, Kinistin Saulteaux...
Register
Five face trial in Peru in rare prosecution over the killing of an Amazon defender
By Steven Grattan BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — The trial is due to start Tuesday for five men over the killing of an Indigenous Amazon leader, in a rare legal case that prosecutors and advocates say could test whether Peru can hold perpetrators accountable for violence linked to illegal logging and drug trafficking in one of the world’s most dangerous regions for environmental defenders. Kichwa tribal leader Quinto Inuma Alvarado, 50, was killed on Nov. 29, 2023, after repeatedly denouncing illegal activity within his community’s territory. Prosecutors are seeking life sentences under charges of contract killing, a first in a case involving the murder of an Indigenous environmental defender in Peru. The trial is being closely watched by Indigenous groups, environmental advocates and international observers as a test of whether Peru...
Register
Rama takes ‘very unique’ empathy-first approach to policing
By Danielle Pitman, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, OrilliaMatters.com The Rama Police Service (RPS) is one of nine standalone First Nation police services in Ontario. Last November, the Anishinabek Nation declared a state of emergency over public safety due to a lack of funding and a rise in crime rates. It cited increases of drug trafficking, organized crime, and violent crimes targeting elders and youth, as well as a growing mental health and addictions emergency. “We see similar challenges when it comes to the influx of drugs in our community,” said Rama Police Chief Jerel Swamp. These severe crimes are often from outside sources, he explained. Crimes like drug trafficking stem from metropolitan areas and transfer to First Nations communities, where they then thrive. Fewer police officers and a greater geographical...
Register
Nuclear site review could ‘prejudice’ legal case, says FirstNation
By Matt Prokopchuk, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, TBnewswatch.com EAGLE LAKE — A First Nation challenging the Nuclear Waste Management Organization in court says the ongoing assessment of a proposed nuclear waste site should be suspended. Eagle Lake First Nation filed an application for judicial review of the nuclear industry-funded not-for-profit’s site selection for the deep geological repository in December 2024. It’s arguing it wasn’t considered as an option to be a host community when the waste management organization deliberated its options leading up to the eventual selection of Ignace and Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation as hosts. “We are concerned that, as the impact assessment moves forward, it will prejudice our hearing on judicial review,” said Kate Kempton, legal counsel for Eagle Lake. “It’s just simply human nature that the more...
Register
Skeena Sawmills forest licence transfer quashed
By Bob Mackin, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Prince George Citizen A BC Supreme Court judge has set aside the Minister of Forests’ approval of the Skeena Sawmills forest licence transfer to a numbered company owned by the Kitsumkalum First Nation. The Gitanyow Hereditary Chiefs applied for judicial review because the licence area of the Terrace-based company includes land claimed by the Gitanyow. Kitsumkalum does not have Aboriginal rights to harvest in the area. In a Jan. 7 decision, Justice Matthew Kirchner agreed with the nine hereditary chiefs that the province failed in its legal duty to consult and accommodate Gitanyow when it approved the licence transfer to 1355387 BC Ltd. “The matter must be reconsidered by the minister following proper consultation in accordance with these reasons,” Kirchner ruled. The matter...
Register
Skeena Sawmills forest licence transfer quashed
By Bob Mackin, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Prince George Citizen A BC Supreme Court judge has set aside the Minister of Forests’ approval of the Skeena Sawmills forest licence transfer to a numbered company owned by the Kitsumkalum First Nation. The Gitanyow Hereditary Chiefs applied for judicial review because the licence area of the Terrace-based company includes land claimed by the Gitanyow. Kitsumkalum does not have Aboriginal rights to harvest in the area. In a Jan. 7 decision, Justice Matthew Kirchner agreed with the nine hereditary chiefs that the province failed in its legal duty to consult and accommodate Gitanyow when it approved the licence transfer to 1355387 BC Ltd. “The matter must be reconsidered by the minister following proper consultation in accordance with these reasons,” Kirchner ruled. The matter...
Register
Time served, fine and another driving ban after man fled from police
By Bob Mackin, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Prince George Citizen A Prince George Provincial Court judge sentenced a man to 134 days’ time served after he pleaded guilty Jan. 7 to fleeing from a police officer and driving while prohibited. Crown prosecutor Astitwa Thapa said Jason Matthew Ryan Farquhar would probably have received only a Motor Vehicle Act violation ticket for broken taillights Jan. 2, 2025. “He turned a simple traffic stop into a dangerous incident when he met with an accident,” Thapa told the court. “Thankfully, he was not injured and the passenger in his car was safe.” Judge David Simpkin agreed with the Crown and defence proposal of 120 days’ time served for flight from police and 14 days’ time served for driving while prohibited. Farquhar had served...
Register
