City staff recommend giving $450K to new community food hub
By Clint Fleury, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, TBnewswatch.com THUNDER BAY – Our Kids Count could be getting $450,000 from the city to help establish a new community food hub. City administration is supporting the funding request, which would go towards buying the former Circle K building at the corner of Simpson and McKenzie Streets. Jackie Knough, executive director of Our Kids Count, told Newswatch the facility would be a home for its food security program. “We’ve been doing a lot around food security, and we’re just noticing more and more the need is continuing to increase. We haven’t been able to meet everyone’s needs. When we do a community breakfast, the lineups are throughout the door. We have over 200 people, and so this new space will allow people to...
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Alberta launches website for potential new West Coast oil pipeline
By Lauren Krugel The Alberta government has launched a website for the bitumen pipeline it wants to see built to the northwest B.C. coast. It says the page will act as a central hub for project information and updates to ensure transparency and open dialogue. It includes a section dedicated to debunking myths, such as that construction has begun, the province is paying for the project and that a route has been decided. In October, the province announced it would spend $14 million on early planning work, but the aim is for the private sector to eventually take the lead and for Indigenous partners to come on board. Support for the idea was a centrepiece of a sweeping energy accord signed between Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Prime Minister Mark...
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Alexina Kublu, Nunavut’s third languages commisioner, passes away at 71
By William Koblensky Varela, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunavut News Alexina Kublu, Nunavut’s third languages commissioner and first justice of the peace, recently passed away at age 71. “Ms. Kublu was an educator, interpreter-translator and lifelong advocate for Inuktut who served with distinction as a member of the National Task Force on Aboriginal Languages and Cultures. Ms. Kublu was a dedicated community volunteer and senior justice of the peace,” said Nunavut Legislative Assembly Speaker David Joanasie on Jan. 6. Kublu, from Iglulik, was a residential school survivor. Her story of survivorship can be found on Isuma TV in Inuktitut. She went on to become a teacher in Arctic Bay, Arviat, Kinngait and Iglulik. She also taught at Nunavut Arctic College’s language and culture program, later overseeing the college’s Inuit studies...
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Damage extensive to homes in Manitoba First Nation hit by power outage, frozen pipes
The chief of a First Nation in northern Manitoba says residents are dealing with cracked floors and overflowing sewage after a power outage caused pipes to freeze in many homes in the community. Chief David Monias says it’s unclear how many of the more than 1,300 homes in Pimicikamak Cree Nation will require repairs because the community lacks the proper resources to inspect the homes. He says the First Nation desperately needs plumbers, home inspectors and electricians to assess the damage after the outage that happened Dec. 28. The community has identified at least 200 homes where the water has had to be shut off to prevent any leaks and future destruction. Monias has been calling for the deployment of the Canadian Armed Forces for emergency logistical support, including water...
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A town in North Carolina is returning land to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians
By Graham Lee Brewer An important cultural site is close to being returned to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians after a city council in North Carolina voted unanimously Monday to return the land. The Noquisiyi Mound in Franklin, North Carolina, was part of a Cherokee mother town hundreds of years before the founding of the United States, and it is a place of deep spiritual significance to the Cherokee people. But for about 200 years it was either in the hands of private owners or the town. “When you think about the importance of not just our history but those cultural and traditional areas where we practice all the things we believe in, they should be in the hands of the tribe they belong to,” said Michell Hicks, principal...
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Fulmer says B.C. Conservatives must be a grand coalition as he enters leadership race
By Wolfgang Depner Yuri Fulmer said the Conservative Party of B.C. needs to be a “grand coalition” that refrains from “undisciplined” behaviour if it wants to govern, as he becomes the first high-profile candidate to run for the party’s leadership. Fulmer, the chancellor of Capilano University who made his fortune with fast food franchises, said that means that the Conservatives have to “welcome a lot of people” into the party who don’t feel comfortable there now — including former B.C. Liberals. “Let me very clear,” he said in an interview. “I’m running to be the leader of the B.C. Conservatives. I am a Conservative. What I will do, though, is welcome into the Conservative tent people who are conservatively minded, and they may have called themselves B.C. Liberals in the...
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Federal, provincial leaders to tour Manitoba First Nation hit by outage, frozen pipes
By Brittany Hobson Federal, provincial and Indigenous leaders are expected to travel today to a beleaguered Manitoba First Nation that has been crippled by a frozen water system due to a days-long power outage. Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew, federal Minister of Northern and Arctic Affairs Rebecca Chartrand and Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak are scheduled to be part of a delegation that visits Pimicikamak Cree Nation to survey damage that has prompted the community to declare a state of emergency. Damage to critical infrastructure has forced thousands out from the nation, about 530 kilometres north of Winnipeg, with no timeline on when they can return. Chief David Monias says it’s unclear how many of the more than 1,300 homes in the community have been affected by...
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Six Nations School bus in ditch
OHSWEKEN, SIX NATIONS OF THE GRAND RIVER- Six Nations motorists need to take care on local roads this morning. Some roads are slippery. Slippery spots on Fifth Line between Seneca and Chiefswood Road caused a school bus to slide in the ditch . (Turtle Island News photo)...
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At least 24 Venezuelan security officers killed in US operation to capture Maduro, officials say
By Regina Garcia Cano, Aamer Madhani And Megan Janetsky CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — At least 24 Venezuelan security officers were killed in the dead-of-night U.S. military operation to capture Nicolás Maduro and spirit him to the United States to face drug charges, officials said Tuesday. Venezuela’s Attorney General Tarek William Saab said overall “dozens” of officers and civilians were killed in the weekend strike in Caracas and that prosecutors would investigate the deaths in what he described as a “war crime.” He didn’t specify if the estimate was specifically referring to Venezuelans. In addition to the Venezuelan security officials, Cuba’s government had previously confirmed that 32 Cuban military and police officers working in Venezuela were killed in the raid. The Cuban government says the personnel killed belonged to the Revolutionary...
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‘More work to be done’ on marine border crossing rules: CAO
By Matt Prokopchuk, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, TBnewswatch.com SIOUX NARROWS-NESTOR FALLS — The pending end to the remote area border crossing program is one step in a “multifaceted situation” of border enforcement in the region. That’s according to Heather Gropp, the chief administrative officer for the Township of Sioux Narrows-Nestor Falls. The municipality is one of several stakeholders in a coalition who has long been concerned about what it says is a need for tighter regulations and better enforcement on Northwestern Ontario’s border waters. One of several concerns, the group says, is the ease with which U.S.-based anglers can cross into Canadian waters on Lake of the Woods and Rainy Lake without having to check in at the border. “I think there’s more work to be done,” Gropp said of...
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Traffic stop leads to drug charge for woman
By Carl Clutchey, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Chronicle-Journal A 39-year-old Whitesand First Nation woman started the new year on a sour note last week after provincial police charged her with drug-trafficking. Provincial police said officers encountered the accused Thursday afternoon while conducting a traffic stop involving a pickup truck on Armstrong’s Airport Road. “Officers seized suspected crack cocaine, (cash) and various drug-related paraphernalia,” a provincial news release said. Police pegged the street value of the seized drugs at about $2,500. In addition to the drug-trafficking offence, Tammy Shapwaykeesic was charged with possession of proceeds of property obtained by crime under $5,000, the news release said. Shapwaykeesic, who has been released from custody, is to appear in Armstrong court on Jan. 20, the news release said. None of the charges...
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R.O.P.E . Squad seeking public’s help in locating federal offender
Sima Doban Caledonia, 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 Statutory Release. Sima Doban is described as Caucasian male, 44, 5’10” (180 cm), 205 lbs (93 kgs) with brown hair and brown eyes. Sima Doban is serving two years, one month for; Possession of Prohibited / Restricted Firearm with Ammunition Fail To Comply with Probation Order Possession of Weapon Contrary to Prohibition Order x 2 Theft Under $5000 Escape Or Being At Large Without Excuse The offender is known to frequent Hamilton and Caledonia, Ontario. Anyone having contact with this offender or information in regards to their whereabouts is asked to contact the Provincial R.O.P.E....
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Proposed ‘planned community’ would add 2,500 homes to Caledonia
By J.P. Antonacci, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Hamilton Spectator Haldimand County residents will soon have the chance to weigh in on a large housing development proposed for Caledonia. A public meeting is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. on Jan. 13 at council chambers in Cayuga to discuss a proposal from Corragreen Properties Limited for a “planned community” in the northeast end of town. Corragreen’s project would turn just under 200 acres (80 hectares) of farmland into nearly 2,500 homes, plus about 2,000 square metres of retail space and a series of parks. The development is proposed for two adjoining properties within Caledonia’s urban boundary at McClung Road and Haldimand Road 66. Haldimand council would need to rezone the agricultural land to permit residential and commercial uses before the developer can...
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Caledon residents furious after FOI documents uncover gaps in Town record-keeping around opposition to mega-blasting quarry proposal
By Anushka Yadav, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Pointer Caledon resident Tony Sevelka’s days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months and now years since he started digging into the details of a proposed blasting mega-quarry steps away from his home. His quest led him to file a freedom of information request this summer, seeking access to all public objections to the contentious project. Instead, what he received revealed a systemic failure. Out of the 73 pages the Town of Caledon sent him in response to the specific public information he had asked for, Sevelka found dozens of submissions against the quarry proposal were missing, including many formal objections that Sevelka and his neighbours had assumed would have been entered into the public record. For a proposal that could reshape...
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Carney says Canadian oil will be competitive after Maduro’s ouster
By Sarah Ritchie and David Baxter Prime Minister Mark Carney says his government is working to expand access to oil markets in Asia now that Canada faces the prospect of Venezuelan oil displacing Canadian product in the American market. His remarks came after Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre urged Carney to “immediately approve a pipeline to the Pacific Coast” in an letter shared on social media Tuesday morning. In Paris for talks on Ukraine Tuesday, Carney was asked if U.S. President Donald Trump’s push to take control of Venezuela’s oil industry heightens the need for a pipeline to B.C.’s northwest coast. “We welcome the prospects of greater prosperity in Venezuela. But we also see the competitiveness of Canadian oil,” Carney said. “And in that context, a pipeline and exports to Asia,...
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Haldimand OPP charge driver in single vehicle collision
HALDIMAND COUNTY – An Ohsweken man is facing charges after a single vehicle collision Jan., 5, 2026 on New Credit Road in Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. Haldimand Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) said the collision, at about 1:45 p.m., saw a passenger vehicle, with the driver and one passenger, had left the roadway at that location. No injuries were reported. Jordan General, 33, from Ohsweken was charged with: Operation While Impaired – Blood Alcohol Concentration (80 plus) Drive Motor Vehicle – No Licence Use Plate Not Authorized for Vehicle Operate a Motor Vehicle Without Insurance The accused is scheduled to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in Cayuga on February 3, 2026....
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A chance to ‘be involved’: Nuclear waste site assessment begins
By Matt Prokopchuk, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, TBnewswatch.com IGNACE — The years-long process for regulators to decide whether a proposed nuclear waste storage site gets the green light has begun. The Impact Assessment Agency of Canada has posted the initial project description for the deep geological repository being proposed in the Ignace area by the Nuclear Waste Management Organization, or NWMO. The public posting officially kicks off the assessment done jointly between the impact assessment agency and the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission. The first chance for people to comment on the NWMO’s proposal to federal regulators has also begun, with initial submissions being accepted until 11:59 p.m. on Feb. 4. “It’s an opportunity for the public to be involved and to learn more about this, what I call, an incredibly...
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Alberta’s Danielle Smith says Maduro capture outlines urgency of West Coast pipeline
By Lisa Johnson Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says the American capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro underlines the urgency of building oil pipelines to export Canadian oil to new markets. U.S. President Donald Trump sent political shock waves around the world with the weekend military raid, saying Washington aimed to seize the South American country’s oil reserves for American companies to exploit. “Recent events surrounding Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro emphasize the importance that we expedite the development of pipelines to diversify our oil export markets,” said Smith in a Monday statement. That includes a new pipeline to British Columbia’s West Coast to reach markets in Asia, she said. In November, Smith signed an agreement with Prime Minister Mark Carney paving the way to a potential Indigenous co-owned bitumen pipeline and...
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‘Dances with Wolves’ actor Nathan Chasing Horse disrupts court week before sex abuse trial
By Jessica Hill LAS VEGAS (AP) — Nathan Chasing Horse, the former “Dances with Wolves” actor accused of sexual abuse, was temporarily thrown out of court Monday after he disrupted proceedings with demands he be allowed to fire his defense attorney a week before trial. Judge Jessica Peterson in Las Vegas ordered his jury trial to proceed next week as planned. Chasing Horse has pleaded not guilty to 21 charges, including allegations that he sexually assaulted women and girls and that he filmed himself sexually abusing a girl younger than 14. Prosecutors allege he used his reputation as a spiritual leader and healer to take advantage of Native American women and girls over two decades. Peterson ordered him removed from court Monday for trying to speak over her. He argued...
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Poilievre calls for immediate pipeline approval following U.S. action in Venezuela
By Sarah Ritchie Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is warning the federal government that the possible end of American sanctions on Venezuelan oil could displace Canadian exports to the U.S. — and is urging the Liberals to “immediately approve a pipeline to the Pacific Coast.” In a letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney posted on social media Tuesday, Poilievre said the action taken by the United States over the weekend has “altered the global energy landscape.” U.S. President Donald Trump ordered a military raid on the Venezuelan capital, capturing President Nicolás Maduro and bringing him to New York to face charges. Trump also has openly said that he plans to take control of the country’s oil industry and encourage American companies to revitalize the sector. Canada and other democracies condemned Maduro...
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