N.S. exploring potential transit system linking Halifax to three rural communities
By Lyndsay Armstrong The Nova Scotia government is considering to build a new transit network to link Halifax with three rural communities, and looking for a partner for the proposed new service. The province issued a request for information Wednesday from potential service providers for a new system connecting the capital city with Truro, Wolfville and Bridgewater. It said the inter-municipal transit system would ideally offer regular, dependable travel along routes for daily commuting. The Department of Public Works says the network would connect to existing fixed-route services run by municipalities. Public Works Minister Fred Tilley said in a statement he’s heard loud and clear that a regional public transit system is needed in Nova Scotia. “Frequent, reliable and affordable transit service means more options to access jobs, schools, health...
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Alberta eyes accelerated review system for major projects over $250 million
By Jack Farrell Alberta is proposing rule changes that would see Premier Danielle Smith’s government become more involved in kick-starting potential big-ticket industrial projects. A bill introduced Tuesday by Energy Minister Brian Jean would set out a new project review process with a group of cabinet members being the first to set eyes on proposals. The goal is to assist private industry in bolstering their applications. “It’s sort of like going to the teacher halfway through a major project just to make sure … you’re on the right path,” Jean told reporters before the bill was introduced. “We’re going to make sure you do it right at that point or at least check your work.” Under the bill, a cabinet review would then lead to further checks by a committee...
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Chief calls for walkway along Highway 17
By Mike Stimpson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, SNnewswatch.com LONG LAKE #58 FIRST NATION — Chief John O’Nabigon Sr. says his community has seen too many highway tragedies, and the province could do something about it. On March 23, he sent a letter on behalf of his First Nation to Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria expressing concerns about “pedestrian and community safety along Highway 11.” The Treaty 9 Indigenous community’s requests in the letter include “immediate safety interventions including reduced speed measures” where the highway passes through Long Lake 58, and “medium-term capital .” Greenstone municipal council received the letter as information at its April 13 meeting. Greenstone includes the community of Longlac, which neighbours Long Lake 58. More than 400 people live on the Long Lake 58 reserve, according to the...
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B.C. has tabled provincial ratification legislation for Kitselas First Nation treaty
By Wolfgang Depner The Kitselas First Nation in northwestern B.C. has reached a major milestone in its treaty process as the province tabled legislation to ratify the agreement. The legislation tabled Wednesday by Indigenous Relations Minister Spencer Chandra Herbert is the second in as many days after Tuesday’s introduction of the K’omoks Treaty Act. The treaty grants the Kitsalas ownership over 38,250 hectares of land in its territory near Terrace, B.C., along with self-governance in several areas, including the administration of justice. Deputy Chief Coun. Cyril Bennett-Nabess says his First Nation has overcome a “struggle,” which began over 113 years ago with the implementation of the Indian Act, which will no longer apply to the band, once Ottawa has ratified the treaty. Negotiations between the provincial government and the First...
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Evicted residents not required to remove mobile homes off B.C. reserve lands: court
By Darryl Greer The B.C. Court of Appeal has ruled that residents evicted from a mobile home park on Songhees Nation lands on Vancouver Island no longer have to remove their homes from the property, but they aren’t entitled to compensation for leaving them there. Residents of the E. George Estates Manufactured Home Park were ordered to vacate the lands last year by the B.C. Supreme Court, after being given three years’ notice by the Songhees that their tenancies were ending. Songhees Chief Ron Sam said at the time that some of their members were living in “unsafe housing” off reserve, and the mobile home park was being cleared out to make way for “urgently needed community housing.” The lower court found the mobile homes were “chattels” on the lands...
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First Nations overdose deaths in B.C. drop in 2025, but still disproportionally high
By Ashley Joannou The number of overdose deaths of First Nations in British Columbia dropped by about a third in 2025 but the population continues to be disproportionately impacted by the province’s toxic drug crisis that has killed more than 18,000 people in the last decade. Dr. Nel Wieman, the chief medical officer with the First Nations Health Authority, said Wednesday that emergency has been used for political gain by some, putting progress at risk. The health authority released Indigenous-specific data for 2025 on the day after the province marked 10 years since declaring a public health emergency on April 14, 2016. “The politicization of this emergency and the increased vilification of people who use substances threatens progress, especially as the backlash against proven, evidence-based harm reduction measures that save...
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B.C. tables another First Nation treaty ratification, but overlap concerns persist
By Wolfgang Depner The Kitselas First Nation in northwestern B.C. has reached a major milestone in its treaty process as the province tabled legislation to ratify the agreement, in the second such achievement for a First Nation in as many days. But like the province’s treaty process with the K’omoks First Nation, the Kitselas process is also facing opposition from its neighbours. The legislation tabled Wednesday by Indigenous Relations Minister Spencer Chandra Herbert grants the Kitselas First Nation ownership over 38,250 hectares of land in its territory near Terrace, B.C., along with self-governance in several areas, including the administration of justice. Deputy Chief Coun. Cyril Bennett-Nabess said during a ceremony before the legislation was tabled that his First Nation had overcome a “struggle,” which began over 113 years ago with...
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‘Out of many, one,’ says a US national motto. What does that push for unity mean today?
By Deepti Hajela NEW YORK (AP) — The aspirations cut a wide swath through American history since 1776 — from the “All men are created equal” of the Declaration of Independence and the “We the people” of the Constitution, to the “indivisible, with liberty and justice for all” of the Pledge of Allegiance. One can find it in the country’s name — the UNITED States of America — and in the sentiment of the motto written in Latin on its coins and one-dollar bills: E Pluribus Unum, or “out of many, one.” The effort has been optimistic and unrealistic, successful and a failure, enduring as an American ideal during moments when citizens struggled — and struggle today — to practice it. How has the notion of unity in American society...
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Sahtu Guardians program likely to move forward amid NGN fraud case
By Claire McFarlane, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Cabin Radio The Sahtú Renewable Resources Board says a program funded by the First Nations National Guardians Network is likely to move forward this spring, despite uncertainty over a final payment owed. Late last month, the First Nations National Guardians Network – or NGN – launched a civil lawsuit against one of its employees with the goal of recouping more than $6 million the organization said she had fraudulently diverted. NGN had been administering funds from the federal Department of Environment and Climate Change for Guardians programs across Canada. In a statement of claim filed by NGN, the organization said the alleged fraud left it without the money required to pay basic operating costs. The Sahtú Renewable Resources Board has received funding from...
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Circle of Turtle Lodge seek support for Indigenous centre
By Hazel Atkins, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, North Renfrew Times Four members of the Circle of Turtle Lodge visited Petawawa town council to present their vision for an Indigenous knowledge hub and their petition for the land on which to build it. Chairperson Steve Fortin said, “We respectfully present our vision for an Indigenous knowledge hub, and a sustainable community centre.” “We are petitioning for the allocation of 2-3 acres of municipally owned land near Pembroke on the Kitchi Sibi river. If the land does not already contain an existing structure, we will seek funding to build one.” The Circle of Turtle Lodge provides services for cultural revitalization, community healing, and environmental healing. “For more than 25 years the circle has delivered impactful community programs,” Fortin went on. Renfrew County...
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Funding boost bodes well for regional transit application
By Joe O’Grady, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Temiskaming Speaker TEMISKAMING SHORES – An increase in transit funding is potentially great news for Temiskaming Shores as it pursues regional expansion of the local transit system. The province has announced it will increase the Ontario Transit Investment Fund (OTIF) from $5 million to $10 million annually over the next three years. The $30 million investment, it says, will help rural and underserved communities build safe and reliable transit services, protecting Ontario’s economy and connecting more people to jobs and opportunity across the province. “We are certainly encouraged to see the province increase funding under the OTIF program,” said Mitch McCrank, Temiskaming Shores’ Director of Transportation Services. “From our perspective, it improves the overall landscape and strengthens the likelihood of meaningful investment flowing...
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Cree child takes first steps on Parliament Hill in historic ceremony
By Alessia Passafiume Six-month old Annora Crowe held her parents hands as she emerged from a teepee under the shadow of the Peace Tower in Ottawa on Wednesday and took her first steps. Annora and her parents walked around a small tree placed on top of pine and cedar boughs as elder Sarah Ottereyes performed a welcoming song. The tiny infant, wearing a ribbon skirt and carrying a replica axe, was at the centre of a historic event marking the first Cree walking out ceremony ever to be held on Parliament Hill. The ceremony is held to mark when a Cree child takes their first steps on the land after being held by their relatives for every moment of their life since birth. “Ceremonies like this are not from the...
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Inuit association, federal government agree on two conservation areas
By William Koblensky Varela, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunavut News The Qikiqtani Inuit Association (QIA) and the federal government have agreed on two new conservation areas and signed an Inuit Impact Benefit Agreement (IIBA) in conjunction with environmental protection plans. The two conservation areas are Qikiqtait and Sarvarjuaq. The former covers the waters around Sanikiluaq while the latter preserves waters between Grise Fiord and Greenland. “This agreement is a significant achievement for Inuit in the Qikiqtani region and for the future of our waters,” said QIA President Olayuk Akesuk. “Through this Inuit Impact and Benefit Agreement, we are helping ensure that conservation is shaped by Inuit priorities, Inuit qaujimajatuqangit, and Inuit stewardship, while creating lasting benefits for our communities.” QIA will establish Inuit Protected and Conserved Areas in the two...
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Six Nations Archeologist calls for changes to Indigenous ancestral remains processes
By Alex Murray Writer The Niagara region is a hotbed for discoveries of Indigenous ancestral remains—but for now, that may not be good news for Indigenous communities or area homeowners. Indigenous ancestral remains were discovered under the home of a couple living in the Niagara region in 2023. A foreman made the find during preliminary work on the renovations for the home of Christine and Dan Reio in Wainfleet, Ontario overlooking Lake Erie. That discovery could now cost the Reios $319,000. After a preliminary investigation by police to determine possible cause of death provincial officials told the Reios they had unearthed ancestral Indigenous remains of a young man, likely around 20 years old. Tanya Hill-Montour, archeology supervisor with Six Nations of the Grand River, was enlisted to investigate the scene....
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Haldimand County wants conditions met before land returned to Six Nations
Haldimand County Council (HCC) is voicing concerns and laying down conditions before any Six Nations’ plan to add county lands to its community takes place. Concerns that could see the Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) providing them with approval on future proposals for the land, ensuring road maintenance and will allow only approved forms of development to take place. SNEC is moving to add 40 acres of land, currently under Haldimand County jurisdiction to the community through the federal Additions to Reserve (ATR) program. The fee simple parcels are located near the community’s southeast border at 160 Concession 17 Road at Hagersville. The rectangular parcel is adjacent to Six Nations jutting out perpendicular to the community towards the southeast. A Haldimand County report outlining their concerns, was obtained by Turtle...
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Six Nations Economic Development Trust has almost $500k available in second round of grants
By Alex Murray Writer Six Nations businesses and non-profits have a chance at extra funding if they can get applications in to the Six Nations of the Grand River Economic Development Trust (EDT) in time. The EDT announced on Tuesday (April 7) that they had $459,599 available for a second round of funding in 2026. Eligible businesses and organizations can now apply online at www.sixnationsedt.ca. The deadline for general applicants is 4:00 p.m. on Friday, April 24, while the deadline for grassroots applicants is a week later, on Friday, May 1, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. Of the total funding available through EDT, $399,599 is allocated for general business applications, while an additional $60,000 will go towards grassroots applicants, which have a cap of $15,000 per application. The EDT defines grassroots...
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Heather Winterstein Inquest: Witness says “It Made Me Lose Hope In the ER Department”
By Alex Murray Writer Heather Winterstein looked “terrified” shortly before she collapsed on the day she died, a woman waiting in the emergency department that day told a coroner’s inquest on Friday (April 10). Winterstein died of sepsis at the hospital December 10, 2021, after attempting to get treatment at the hospital, now called Marotta Family Hospital, over the previous two days. Emmaleen Young was sitting in the waiting room near Winterstein. Young testified she saw Winterstein slumped over in her wheelchair, and she could see a “blotchy rash” on the 24-year-old Indigenous woman’s body. Young testified that she asked Winterstein if she needed any help, and Winterstein struggled to respond, “No, thank you.” Young later watched as Heather’s body folded over and she fell out of the wheelchair and...
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B.C. First Nation asks UN body to count cultural losses in spill compensation formula
By Wolfgang Depner -CP-Delegates from a First Nation along British Columbia’s coast will lobby an international maritime body headquartered in the United Kingdom to change the compensation formula for oil spills. Chief Marilyn Slett, elected chief of the Heiltsuk Nation in northwestern B.C., will be in London on Tuesday to address the International Maritime Organization, a specialized agency of the United Nations. The IMO sets global standards for the safety, security and environmental performance of international shipping, and Slett says she will ask the organization’s legal committee to include Indigenous cultural losses. Slett points specifically to the events that happened almost exactly a decade ago, when the tug Nathan E. Stewart hauling a tank barge ran aground some 10 nautical miles west of Bella Bella, B.C. The hull of the...
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Editorial: Six Nations lands..are Six Nations lands.
Six Nations is finding itself once again in a quandary over its own lands. With a need to expand to meet urgent housing needs, a population of over 30,000 and line ups to get on the membership list the community needs land. Not just any land. It needs its own lands and the ability to expand onto them. The community, over the years, has, after long fights and arguments, had some of its lands returned. But its acreage that continues to sit idle while the band council waits through the federal governments return to reserve process. A four-stage process that is cumbersome and paper heavy. It couldn’t get much more bureaucratic. It requires reviews. It needs a proposal. Environmental assessments need to be undertaken and of course legal land searches...
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Today in History
April 19 In 1907, Tom Longboat, from Ontario’s Six Nations Onondaga Reserve, became the first Canadian to win the Boston Marathon. April 20 In 2022, Chief Byron Bitternose of the George Gordon First Nation in Saskatchewan said a months-long search with ground-penetrating radar near the George Gordon Indian Residential School site detected 14 possible graves. The George Gordon residential school was run by the Anglican Church between 1888 to 1996 and has been described as one of the worst residential schools in Canada. In 2023, the Shishalh Nation on British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast said ground-penetrating radar identified what are believed to be 40 unmarked graves of children on or near the site of the former St. Augustine’s Residential School. April 21 In 2022, a national Inuit organization endorsed a plan...
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