Former chief Turtle running for NDP in Kenora-Rainy River
By Mike Stimpson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter GRASSY NARROWS – The Ontario New Democratic Party has a candidate for Kenora-Rainy River: Rudy Turtle, former chief of Grassy Narrows (Asubpeeschoseewagong) First Nation. Turtle told Newswatch on Thursday he is running in the Ontario general election because “there are some issues that we need to speak up about. For example, we need more housing in our area and also helping people that are on the streets and being able to help our young people begin their lives in a proper way. “And one of the issues that’s come up, too, is highway safety,” he continued. “I’m very concerned about highway safety.” Turtle was chief of Grassy Narrows for two non-consecutive terms, and a councillor for 10 years as well. In his 14...
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B.C. Lt.-Gov. Janet Austin wraps up seven-year post
By Marcy Nicholson -CP-British Columbia’s lieutenant-governor is leaving office after seven years on the job, with Premier David Eby telling her farewell ceremony that her focus on reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples was among her key contributions. Janet Austin’s work during her tenure advanced reconciliation in the province, Eby told the ceremony at the legislature in Victoria on Wednesday. In her own remarks, Austin said she was “deeply honoured” to provide royal assent for B.C.’s Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, which passed unanimously in the legislature in late 2019. “Our challenge now is to help British Columbians understand that the work of reconciliation is not only a legal and moral imperative, but a strategic investment in a more prosperous, equitable and sustainable future for all Canadians,” she said....
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‘Staggering’ number of families struggle in B.C.’s system for disabled kids: advocate
By Ashley Joannou -CP-British Columbia’s children’s representative says the province is at a “threshold moment” for fixing an underfunded and fragmented system of supports for children with disabilities that is almost impossible to navigate and has left a “staggering” number of families at a breaking point and struggling to get help. The latest report from Jennifer Charlesworth’s office says up to 83,000 young people with disabilities are not receiving adequate services in the province, and while spending has increased 190 per cent in the 18 years her office has been in place, most went to salaries and a narrow set of programs. The document, published Wednesday, says the representative’s office has produced a dozen reports making recommendations to fix the system, but the government has been slow to respond, often...
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B.C. extends deferral of logging in Fairy Creek amid reports of tree spiking
By Marcy Nicholson -CP-The British Columbia government has approved a legal order to extend temporary protections to an old-growth forest on Vancouver Island even as the minister of forests acknowledged that the RCMP are investigating reports of tree spiking in the area. Ravi Parmar said he was informed of the reports last week, calling the news of such vandalism “incredibly alarming.” Spikes are typically metal and can injure or even kill a person who attempts to cut down or mill the tree. “I want to be very crystal clear to British Columbians, anyone who goes out and spikes a tree, puts the lives of forestry workers on the line, risks their safety, potential death each and every day, I want to condemn these actions,” Parmar told reporters on Wednesday. The...
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A New Zealand mountain is granted personhood, recognizing it as sacred for Māori
By Charlotte Graham-Mclay WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — A mountain in New Zealand considered an ancestor by Indigenous people was recognized as a legal person on Thursday after a new law granted it all the rights and responsibilities of a human being. Mount Taranaki — now known as Taranaki Maunga, its Māori name — is the latest natural feature to be granted personhood in New Zealand, which has ruled that a river and a stretch of sacred land are people before. The pristine, snow-capped dormant volcano is the second highest on New Zealand’s North Island at 2,518 meters (8,261 feet) and a popular spot for tourism, hiking and snow sports. The legal recognition acknowledges the mountain’s theft from the Māori of the Taranaki region after New Zealand was colonized. It...
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Federal, provincial and territorial health ministers wrap in-person meeting
By The Canadian Press Staff The country’s health ministers are wrapping up two days of meetings in Halifax today with a busy agenda. The in-person talks come as health systems are strained and millions of Canadians don’t have a family doctor. Ministers are set to talk about health data, mental health and substance use and pharmaceuticals, among other topics. The NDP is pushing federal Health Minister Mark Holland to sign deals with his counterparts to begin the first phase of pharmacare coverage. The federal government is negotiating with provinces and territories to cover the cost of contraceptives and diabetes medications as it studies the best way to launch a universal pharmacare program. The health ministers are set to hold a press conference this afternoon. This report by The Canadian Press...
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Sentence set for ex-priest who pleaded guilty to assaults on Nunavut children
-CP-A judge is set to sentence a former Catholic priest who pleaded guilty to indecent assault against seven Inuit children more than four decades ago. Crown and defence lawyers have jointly recommended a six-year prison sentence for Eric Dejaeger, who is 77. Court heard the assaults on six girls and one boy took place between 1978 and 1982 in the hamlet of Igloolik, Nvt. In victim impact statements last week, the five surviving complainants gave harrowing accounts of the abuse and described how it caused addiction, mental-health struggles, poor self-esteem and mistrust. The youngest victim to speak was four when the abuse started, and others were between six and nine. Dejaeger was previously convicted of dozens more offences against children and adults in Nunavut and Alberta. This report by The...
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Opportunity trying for special municipal status: Wants to be consulted on highways, industry
By Pearl Lorentzen Local Journalism Initiative Reporter M.D. of Opportunity council plans to try to get special status as an Indigenous municipality. Throughout the January 22 M.D. meeting in Calling Lake, council returned time and time again to the topic. The M.D. would like to be consulted on highway development and industry, as its First Nations neighbours are. Councillors think special status, recognizing the M.D.’s large Indigenous make-up, would help with that. When discussing advocacy items for provincial ministers at the Rural Municipalities of Alberta, Councillor Darlene Jackson (Wabasca) said that the M.D. should ask Minister of Indigenous Relations Rick Wilson that the M.D. be “recognized as an Indigenous community.” Councillor Cherie Courtorielle (Calling Lake) also mentioned that the M.D. should petition Alberta Minister of Municipal Affairs Ric McIver about...
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‘These divide-and-conquer tactics are destroying us’: Matawa First Nations reflect on Doug Ford’s Ring of Fire legacy
By , Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Ricochet The same day Premier Doug Ford called an early election, his government announced it had reached a $20-million deal with Aroland First Nation that will, “build roads along the entire route to the Ring of Fire.” The Shared Prosperity Agreement includes $20 million for infrastructure and new energy transmission projects in Aroland. Ontario promises to upgrade existing roads to the community, located 60 kilometres north of Geraldton, and build a road from Aroland northward to Marten Falls First Nation. Ontario also made a vague commitment to support Aroland in vying for a smelter, and it intends to meet further over potential resource-benefit sharing. Aroland Chief Sonny Gagnon posed for photos with Ford during the press conference in Toronto on Tuesday, wearing a PC...
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Ford inks agreement with First Nation to support roads to Ring of Fire
By Matteo Cimellaro, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Canada’s National Observer Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced an agreement Tuesday worth more than $20 million to help prepare a remote northern Ontario First Nation for possible mining development in the future. Aroland First Nation, 345 kilometres northeast of Thunder Bay, is located near the “gateway to the Ring of Fire” mining region, the provincial government said in a press release. The Ring of Fire is a proposed mining area in Northern Ontario, spanning about 5,000 square kilometres. The region contains rich mineral deposits needed for Ontario’s ambitions for a complete electric vehicle supply chain. However, the Ring of Fire also sits on carbon-intensive muskeg, which could release two billion tonnes of carbon dioxide if it is developed, or the equivalent of annual...
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Remote Ontario community breaks free from diesel dependency
By Matteo Cimellaro, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter A northern Ontario First Nation is celebrating the connection to the province’s power grid today after an ambitious transmission line through the North extended its reach. Poplar Hill First Nation, 570 kilometres northwest of Thunder Bay, is a remote, fly-in community, save for the brief ice road season. Until this week, most of the nation was powered by diesel, a high-emitting fuel dangerous for the climate and human health. Now, it will become the 13th First Nation in the area to be connected to a local grid. Once finished, Wataynikaneyap Power is set to power 16 First Nations that have a 51 per cent stake in the transmission company. The line is a nearly two-decade-old initiative that will move remote northern Indigenous communities...
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Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew says Canada can’t be tariff ‘punching bag’
By Steve Lambert -CP-Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said Wednesday he still hopes Canada can avoid United States tariffs, but the country will have to respond strongly if U.S. President Donald Trump follows through on a threat to slap a 25 per cent charge on Canadian goods. “If tariffs get applied, Canada’s response has to be noticed. We can’t be a punching bag,” Kinew told reporters. “And we have to get our elbows up and let other folks know that we’re in the ring there too.” Kinew stressed his preference for diplomacy, and said while many U.S. politicians don’t like tariffs, convincing Trump is a work in progress that might be achieved through recent upgrades to border security. Kinew has so far kept details of Manitoba’s potential response to tariffs secret....
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Opposition to nuclear waste facility at ground level
By Mike Stimpson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter THUNDER BAY – Nuclear power producers want to put spent fuel rods below ground near Ignace, but some grassroots groups continue to oppose the idea. An informal gathering of critics of the proposed DGR, or deep geological repository, is set for Wednesday beginning at 5:30 p.m. in the north-side coffee shop and “no-alcohol bar” Howl at the Moon. The Nuclear Waste Info Nite – billed as a chance to “chat with regional activists” – was primarily organized by Neecha Dupuis, a member of the Ojibway Nation of Saugeen northwest of Savant Lake. “I wanted to create a space where Indigenous people and supporters can come together and talk about nuclear waste,” Dupuis explained to Newswatch. “There’s a lot of issues that we’re bringing...
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Alberta holds auction, bidder ponies up US$400K to hunt one bighorn sheep
By Jack Farrell -CP-The right to hunt a single bighorn sheep, Alberta’s official mammal, has netted the province US$400,000 at auction. The Alberta government says it’s a record-setting price and hopefully a sign of what’s to come when seven more provincially issued special licences are auctioned next month at a hunting expo in Salt Lake City. “Based on the recent record setting sale in Reno, Nev., for the 2025 Minister’s Special Licence for bighorn sheep, our government is confident the province will see an increase in funding raised this year,” said Alexandru Cioban, the press secretary for Forestry and Parks Minister Todd Loewen. The special licences grant hunters with the highest bid the opportunity to hunt year-round for a specific animal. Each licence is valid for one year. The hunt...
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New Rowe’s ownership structure offers ‘additional opportunities’
By Aastha Sethi, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Cabin Radio One of the South Slave’s most prominent firms says it is now majority Indigenous-owned. Rowe’s Group of Companies celebrates half a century in business this year. The company states brothers Jack and Mike Rowe, lifelong northerners, founded Rowe’s Construction in Hay River in 1975. Rowe’s operates in fields like construction, housing, energy and hospitality. Last week, the company issued a press release declaring that Rowe’s was “proud to announce they are now majority Indigenous-owned.” “This milestone marks an exciting new chapter in the company’s journey, strengthening its ties to the communities it services,” the press release stated. Behind the scenes, chief executive officer Jack Rowe said, that announcement was based on two recent changes. He said one of the company’s major...
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Kyra Wilson wins vote to become new leader of Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs
By Brittany Hobson -CP-Leaders from First Nations communities in Manitoba have voted in a new head of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs. Former Long Plain First Nation chief Kyra Wilson took the majority of the votes during the election, which was held following the sudden death of former grand chief Cathy Merrick last fall. Wilson took the majority of the votes, securing 37. Leroy Constant and Bava Dhillon, the two northern candidates, tied for second place with 10 votes each. Former Peguis First Nation chief Glenn Hudson received four votes. Wilson was at the forefront of a protest movement after police said they would not search a Winnipeg-area landfill for the remains of two slain First Nations women. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 29, 2025....
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What the looming federal election could mean for the Bank of Canada’s independence
By Andrew Allison The Conversation The independence of central banks from the democratic process has been a bedrock of economic policy for decades. The Bank of Canada is no exception, maintaining distance from elected officials to ensure monetary policy is free from political pressures. However, a clear division between central bank and government could be tested with Mark Carney, former governor of both the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England who’s running for leadership of the Liberal Party and, in turn, the role of prime minister. His bid raises concerns about how central bank independence might be perceived under a Carney-led government. Could his tenure as a central banker result in the Bank of Canada’s independence being clawed back? After all, he has demonstrated his ability to manage...
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Arson destroys Six Nations award winning Burger Barn restaurant
By Joshua Santos and Lynda Powless, Writers Six Nations Police are treating an early morning fire that destroyed a local restaurant as one of two targeted attacks on the business. Six Nations Police Chief Darren Montour confirmed to Turtle Island News the busy and popular restaurant was hit by two violent attacks over the weekend. The first happened in an early morning shooting spree Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025, almost 48 hours before the business was hit by what is believed to have been an arson attack. Police spoke to witnesses on the scene and said there was minor damage to the building’s exterior. No suspects were found. The restaurant went up in flames early Monday morning at about 3:30 a.m.. Police Chief Montour said they are investigating to see if...
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Six Nations Firefighters win right to form a union
By Lynda Powless Editor After an almost three-year legal fight with the Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) the Six Nations Fire Fighters have won the right to form a union. The Canadian Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) rendered a unanimous decision Jan. 21, dismissing SNEC’s claim it had an Aboriginal right to regulate labour relations around fire services. Instead, the board said there is no Aboriginal right pursuant to section 35(1) of the Constitution Act that is incompatible with the application of the code. In its decision the Board found the employer failed to demonstrate that it has the Aboriginal right, (pursuant to section 35(1) of the Constitution Act), to regulate labour relations in the area of fire services. As a result, the Board dismissed the employer’s preliminary objection and found...
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Six Nations Elected Council wants to know where Development Corporation funds going
The bulk of the Six Nations Development Corporation Management Agreement funds will go toward Parks and Recreation improvement projects this year, but some councillors are not supportive. Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) approved 2025 allocations for the Development Corporation Management Agreement funds totaling just over $1.6 million at its General Finance Committee meeting on January 20 despite objections from Councillors Audrey-Powless Bomberry and Amos key. SNEC will see $1.3 million go toward resurfacing the Parks and Recreation parking lot, $40,276 will go to Parks and Recreation Baseball Diamond Three to expand the outfield, improve drainage and new topsoil. The remaining $276,211 will go toward the Community Safety Fund. Powless-Bomberry said she thought the funding wasn’t “equitable” and should be distributed among departments. She wants SNEC to have more say in...
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