Book explores the Inuit knowledge that helped find Franklin expedition ships
By Shari Narine, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Inuit interaction with the Franklin expedition is the thread that runs through The Land Was Always Used: An Inuit Oral History of the Franklin Expedition, but it’s the life of the Inuit in Qikiqtaq (King William Island) that is the heartbeat of the story. “(The Inuit) used everything: the ocean, the air, the land. Our life was so interconnected with our environment, and we didn’t come along just because we heard that there were strange men stumbling across (King William) island,” said Edna Ekhivalak Elias. She conducted interviews for the book with Inuit in Gjoa Haven on King William Island, now part of Nunavut. Gjoa Haven is the community closest to the Franklin shipwrecks. “It was just populated by sparse groups of Inuit...
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Ottawa provides $20M for B.C.’s forest sector amid softwood duties, trade war
OTTAWA-CP-The federal government is providing about $20 million in funding to support British Columbia’s forestry sector, part of Ottawa’s effort to bolster the economy amid the Canada-U. S. trade war. Energy Minister Jonathan Wilkinson says it’s more important than ever to support the sector, which is subject to American duties on softwood lumber and now faces the additional threat of steep tariffs from U.S. President Donald Trump. A statement from Natural Resources Canada says the funding will support 67 projects to help boost the competitiveness and resilience of the sector. About $11.3 million will flow through the Investments in Forest Industry Transformation program for six projects that are adopting new technologies and focusing on product innovation to diversify revenue. More than $7 million will go through the Indigenous Forestry Initiative...
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Poilievre says he wants to greenlight Ring of Fire mining permits within six months
By Rianna Lim Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said Wednesday he’ll “set a deadline” to approve all federal permits for mining in northwestern Ontario’s Ring of Fire region within six months. Poilievre said that a Conservative government would also commit $1 billion over three years to building a road network to link the mining sites to Ontario’s highway network and First Nations communities in the area. “We will make this money available by cutting foreign aid, bureaucracy, consultants, and other Liberal waste to free up money for productive investments,” he said. Poilievre was at a construction firm in Sudbury, Ont., Wednesday, as all parties are preparing for an expected federal election call possibly just days away, a campaign in which developing Canada’s resources will be a key issue. The Ring of...
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With new youth centre in Kangiqsujuaq opening, there’s still work for Nunavik, director says
By Cedric Gallant, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter The Nunavik Youth Houses Association celebrated its 20th anniversary with the completion of a brand new youth centre in Kangiqsujuaq. Nunavik Youth Houses Association director Tuniq Ningiuruvik says more funding and sponsors should come forward to help Nunavik create more youth houses. (Photo credit of Tuniq Ningiuruvik/Facebook) Youth houses are “very important,” the association’s director general Tuniq Ningiuruvik said in an interview from his home in Quaqtaq. The association was created by the Nunavut Regional Board of Health and Social Services to create youth houses and provide youth services across the region. “Youth don’t have a lot of places to go to. It is the arena and that’s about it,” Ningiuruvik said. Youth houses are for children and teens between the ages of...
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Cost of Hudson’s Bay redevelopment in Winnipeg to double, says First Nations group
By Brittany Hobson A First Nations-led project to redevelop the former Hudson’s Bay Co. building in downtown Winnipeg to advance reconciliation has doubled in cost. The Southern Chiefs’ Organization says the price tag is currently at $310 million, more than double the original estimate of $130 million. Grand Chief Jerry Daniels says the rise in cost is related to supply chain pressures, inflation and U.S. tariff threats on construction materials. The six-storey building is to be transformed to include 200 affordable housing units for First Nations citizens, restaurants and office and retail spaces for entrepreneurs. The original project included a health centre offering Western and traditional medicine, but Daniels says that’s being re-examined due to rising costs. Daniels says the project is expected to be completed in 2028. This report...
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Lack of consent stalls plans for North America’s first whale sanctuary in Nova Scotia
By Michael MacDonald An ambitious plan in Nova Scotia to build North America’s first coastal refuge for captive whales may have hit a dead end. Documents obtained by The Canadian Press reveal the non-profit Whale Sanctuary Project (WSP) has yet to secure approval from all five owners of property adjacent to where the group plans to build a huge, floating net enclosure for belugas and orcas retired from marine theme parks. The documents, obtained through the province’s freedom of information law, state that the U.S.-based group won’t be granted a Crown lease for 81 hectares of land and water near Wine Harbour, N.S., unless the landowners grant unanimous consent. Executive director Charles Vinick said Tuesday the $20-million project on Nova Scotia’s eastern shore — announced five years ago and supported...
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Main political parties won’t say how, or if, they’re vetting Indigenous candidates
By Alessia Passafiume The federal Conservatives and NDP won’t say how or if they’re vetting their candidates’ claims to Indigenous identity — even though both parties went after a Liberal MP last year over his shifting statements about his background. The Liberal and Green parties did not immediately respond to a request for comment. MP Randy Boissonnault — who served as employment minister in Justin Trudeau’s cabinet — quit the post late last year after facing weeks of questions about his claims of Indigenous identity and his business dealings. Both Conservative and NDP MPs called for Boissonnault’s resignation and raised concerns about the Liberal party’s statements about his identity over the years. Boissonnault apologized for his statements about the nature of his family’s background and told a House of Commons...
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Jury reaches verdict in trial of pipeline company’s lawsuit against Greenpeace, spokesperson says
By Jack Dura MANDAN, N.D. (AP) — A North Dakota jury reached a verdict on Monday in the trial of a pipeline company’s lawsuit accusing the environmental advocacy group Greenpeace of defamation and disrupting the Dakota Access Pipeline project, according to a Greenpeace spokesperson. Nine jurors deliberated the case brought by Dallas-based Energy Transfer and its subsidiary Dakota Access against Netherlands-based Greenpeace International, Greenpeace USA, and funding arm Greenpeace Fund Inc., after a three-week trial. The company alleged defamation, trespass, nuisance, civil conspiracy and other claims against the Greenpeace defendants, and sought hundreds of millions of dollars in damages. The jury was to decide what damages, if any, to award. The case reaches back to protests in 2016 and 2017 against the Dakota Access oil pipeline and its Missouri River...
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Ontario Premier Doug Ford announces new cabinet with familiar names, few changes
By Liam Casey and Allison Jones Ontario Premier Doug Ford named a new cabinet Wednesday with many familiar faces, though he has shuffled his housing, education and environment ministers. Paul Calandra is moving from housing to become the education minister, taking over from Jill Dunlop, who has moved to emergency preparedness. Todd McCarthy is taking on the role of environment minister, a higher-profile role than his previous job as minister of public and business service delivery. Sylvia Jones remains deputy premier and health minister, while Peter Bethlenfalvy continues as finance minister and Vic Fedeli continues as minister of economic development, job creation and trade. Rob Flack, previously the agriculture minister, is taking the housing portfolio. Greg Rickford remains as minister of Indigenous affairs, but also takes on the newly created...
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Energy sector CEOs call on Ottawa to use emergency powers to speed up key projects
By Lauren Krugel A group of energy sector chief executives is calling on the leaders of the four federal political parties to declare a Canadian energy crisis and use emergency powers to help speed the development of key projects in the “national interest.” In an open letter to the political leaders published Wednesday, the CEOs of 10 of the largest oil and natural gas companies and the four largest pipeline companies outlined their plan to strengthen Canadian economic sovereignty. The executives called for a simplification of regulation and a commitment to firm six-month deadlines for project approvals. They also want an elimination of the federal government’s cap on emissions, the repeal of the federal carbon levy on large emitters and loan guarantees to help Indigenous co-investment opportunities. “We are at...
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Tories, NDP won’t say how they’re vetting Indigenous candidates
By Alessia Passafiume -CP-The federal Conservatives and NDP won’t say how or if they’re vetting the their candidates’ claims to Indigenous identity — even though both parties went after a Liberal MP last year over his shifting statements about his background. MP Randy Boissonnault — who served as employment minister in Justin Trudeau’s cabinet — quit the post late last year after weeks of questions about his claims of Indigenous identity and his business dealings. Both Conservative and NDP MPs called for his resignation and raised concerns about the Liberal party’s statements about his identity over the years — although Boissonnault has since said his adoptive great-grandmother was Métis. In an email, Conservative party director of communications Sarah Fisher says the party does not comment on its vetting practices and...
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It’s pothole season at Six Nations
By Lynda Powless Editor Potholes abound this spring on Six Nations’ roads and crews are working to rectify the situation. Six Nations Councillor Dayle Bomberry, chair of the Built Environment, Climate Adaptation and Membership Committee gave Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) an update on the committee and said they’d be speaking with Director of Public Works Mike Montour shortly to gain insight into the department’s plan to mitigate the poor road situation. “I know a lot of people are going on about potholes occurring. We’ve had a warm spell, the ground has thawed out, there was lots of snow, and the frost is coming out pushing the edges and concrete pavement up. A little patience, the roads guys are out there repairing the holes,” he said. Bomberry also asked that...
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Six Nations Elected Council’s Cannabis Commission struggling
By Lynda Powless Editor Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) has invested over $9 million of the community’s own source revenues trying to create an independent cannabis commission that still struggles to reach financial independence. SNEC was told at its March 11th council meeting an inability to maintain staff and board members is hindering the Six Nations Cannabis Commission (SNCC) ability to gain its financial independence from SNEC. At the same time SNCC is facing rising safety concerns. The SNEC founded the SNCC in 2019. The plan was SNCC would develop a licensing and regulatory process and act as a legal cannabis regulator licensing local cannabis owned businesses and producers. SNCC was incorporated as an independent entity but is still funded by SNEC. SNEC Councillor Cynthia Jamieson, co-chair of the Lands and...
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Six Nations Fair working on growth for 2025
The Six Nations Fair Board is working toward making 2025’s event one of the biggest since the pandemic. Councillor Dean Hill, chair of the Community Committee gave Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) an update on the committee at the General Council meeting on March 11 and said the fair board gave a presentation outlining their needs and how they plan to expand the fair. “Last year, I thought there was a huge improvement with the petting zoo and exotic animals,” he said. Although Hill didn’t say what additions may come, or how much SNEC was asked to donate to the fair, he said more information will come to council soon and the fair board will present to full council. He said the board is working hard to build good relationships...
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Six Nations Elected Chief outlines her diary
Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) recognized a number of local youths in a variety of different ways including an awards banquet held at the Gathering Place recently. Elected Chief Sherri-Lyn Hill, in an update to SNEC said she spent February giving speeches and attending presentations. During the March 11th General Council meeting, she highlighted three youth initiatives including the Community Treasures. Hill served as the master of ceremonies at the awards banquet on February 8 at the Gathering Place. The awards recognized 25 high school students from various high schools who have achieved grade averages between 81.33 per cent and 97.76 per cent. Turtle Island News requested a copy of the list of award winners, but it was not received by press time. The Ruby Sears Award was presented to...
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Measles cases being reported by more Ontario Health Units
While there have been no confirmed cases of measles breaking out at Six Nations, surrounding communities continue to see their numbers rise. Almost a dozen Ontario health units are now reporting cases of measles. Grand Erie Public Health (GEPH) and Southwestern Public Health (SWPH) reported the majority of cases. The two heath units declared an outbreak in January. Six Nations Public Health officials have not responded to Turtle Island News request for local information. Symptoms of measles appear seven to 21 days after exposure. They include high fever, runny nose and cough, red, watery eyes and a distinctive rash that begins on the face and spreads to the rest of the body. Almost a year ago a child died from measles in Hamilton. In the last four and a half months, 31...
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Bus service coming to Six Nations and Mississaugas of Credit First Nation
OHSWEKEN, ON – Metrolinx GoBus services will soon be available at Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and Six Nations. The service starts April 5, 2025, the expanded GO bus service will operate three trips daily seven days a week to and from the Brantford Bus Terminal. The route includes access to McMaster University, the Lakeshore West GO train service from the bus terminal at Aldershot GO Station. Bus schedules and service details will be available on Wednesday March 19, 2025, on the Go Transit website, www.gotransit.com. SNGR and MCFN Stops Include: Sour Springs Road @ Mohawk Road Sour Springs Road @ Chiefswood Road Six Nations Sports & Cultural Memorial Centre 50 Generations Drive (Oneida Business Park) New Credit Variety & Gas Bar The service is the first bus service...
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Local man facing impaired driving charge
SIX NATIONS OF THE GRAND-An Ohsweken man is facing impaired driving charges after a passing motorist reported a motor vehicle collision to Six Nations Police (SNP) last month. Six Nations Police responded to a single motor collision on Third Line Saturday, February 22, 2025, at about 11:46 p.m.. Police and Six Nations Fire and Emergency Medical Services were all on scene. SNP said witnesses at the scene told police two individuals were seen inside the vehicle. The driver of the vehicle was still on scene, but the passenger had been picked up by a passing vehicle and left the scene prior to police arrival. SNP said signs of impairment were observed on the individual remaining. SNP arrested and charged Steven VanEvery-Hill, 29, of Ohsweken, ON with the following criminal offences:...
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Where did they go and what did we get?
It is always interesting to hear Six Nations Elected Chief Sherri-Lyn Hill read off a list of places she has been at the start of council meetings. From Ottawa to across the country her travel itinerary seems to be growing, but not how Six Nations is benefiting. In the past Elected Chiefs have gone out of their way to not only tell the community whom they spoke to, but why they went , the results and what the plan is for the future sparking a debate among councillors. Oh, and they did in open meetings! A feat hard to do these days since this council hides in closed meetings at the drop of a hat to discuss community business. Surprisingly, when some travel is discussed, in the short open sessions,...
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