Gas firm says a contractor is dead in a gas plant fire near Fort St. John, B.C.
ST. JOHN B.C.-A contractor has been killed and another person hurt in a fire in a gas plant north of Fort St. John, B.C. Alberta-based Tourmaline Oil, which runs the Gundy oil and gas extraction facility in Wonowon, B.C., says the site was “immediately shut down” after the fire on Monday night. The B.C. Energy Regulator says the fire was put out shortly after midnight Tuesday. The company says in a statement that the injured worker was taken to hospital for treatment, and it doesn’t anticipate any further risk to the public or environment. The regulator says in a statement that the fire started when workers struck a pipe that sparked the blaze and Tourmaline activated its emergency response plan, isolated the area and informed everyone within the area of...
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‘It was amazing’: Prophet River First Nation on youth empowerment conference 2025
By Ed Hitchins, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Energeticcity.ca PROPHET RIVER, B.C. — A northeast B.C. First Nation’s youth got a glimpse of the big city during a high school conference last week. Youth from Prophet River First Nation (PRFN) were among Indigenous young people from across Canada to participate in the Soaring: Indigenous Youth Empowerment Gathering in Vancouver. PRFN youth coordinator Lisa Wolf was a chaperone for members, and said being at the gathering on April 8th and 9th at Canada Place was “amazing.” Other Treaty 8 Nations to send youth included Blueberry River First Nations, Saulteau First Nations and Fort Nelson First Nation. Wolf has also taken PRFN youth to the Spark Conference in Edmonton earlier this year and added the invitation came from the PRFN education department. “It...
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Names sought for project honouring missing, murdered Indigenous women
By Alexandra Noad, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Lethbridge Herald A recent business graduate from the White Bear First Nation in Prince Edward Island is honouring missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls across North America, traditionally known as Turtle Island, through a cape with cones of names from those who have lost loved ones. Lox MacMillan-Metatawabin, lead of the project, which she named The Silent Jingle, says the idea came to her about two years ago during a brainstorming session on Post-it notes. “The vision came right there when we were just coming up with ideas and I was like ‘it could be red, it could signify missing and murdered Indigenous women and two-Spirit.” She says the name alludes to the voices which aren’t able to share what happened to...
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Names sought for project honouring missing, murdered Indigenous women
By Alexandra Noad, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Lethbridge Herald A recent business graduate from the White Bear First Nation in Prince Edward Island is honouring missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls across North America, traditionally known as Turtle Island, through a cape with cones of names from those who have lost loved ones. Lox MacMillan-Metatawabin, lead of the project, which she named The Silent Jingle, says the idea came to her about two years ago during a brainstorming session on Post-it notes. “The vision came right there when we were just coming up with ideas and I was like ‘it could be red, it could signify missing and murdered Indigenous women and two-Spirit.” She says the name alludes to the voices which aren’t able to share what happened to...
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First Nations Health Authority backs harm reduction on B.C. overdose anniversary
By Brenna Owen Deaths from toxic drugs may have dipped, but now is not the time to pull back on life-saving measures, especially given “misinformation” in the public discourse, the top doctor at British Columbia’s First Nations Health Authority said Monday. Dr. Nel Wieman said Indigenous Peoples continue to be disproportionately represented among the deaths as the province marked the ninth anniversary of the toxic drug crisis being declared a public health emergency on April 14, 2016. Wieman said her team was pushing B.C.’s Health Ministry to help find a tailored approach for Indigenous-specific issues with the goal of preventing more people from dying and closing the gap with the non-Indigenous population. Wieman presented data showing 427 Indigenous people in B.C. died of a toxic drug overdose last year, a...
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Is the N.W.T.’s housing actually getting any better?
By Claire McFarlane, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Cabin Radio New housing data proves what most people in the Northwest Territories already know – the territory’s housing crisis persists. The data may also offer a slight glimmer of hope. Every five years, the N.W.T. Bureau of Statistics evaluates the territory’s homes based in part on three criteria: adequacy – does it need major repairs or not; affordability – do the home and associated bills like water, heat, electricity and insurance cost less than 30 per cent of household income; and suitability – does it have enough rooms for all the people trying to live in it? The last survey, in 2019, reported that 43 per cent of N.W.T. homes had at least one of those problems. The 2024 survey employed the...
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Saulteau First Nations announces dates for July’s Pemmican Days
By Ed Hitchins, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Energeticcity.ca MOBERLY LAKE, B.C. — A summertime tradition will continue in 2025 within the territory of Saulteau First Nations (SFN) as dates for its Pemmican Days have been announced. The annual event was started in the area by family groups who wanted to showcase traditional Indigenous culture in the Moberly Lake area. Named after Pemmican, a cultural food made of tallow, dried meat and occasionally mixed berries, SFN began managing the gathering in 1988, according to community events coordinator Carlee Westgate. “Pemmican is a huge part of the culture here,” said Westgate to Energeticcity.ca. The four-day event will feature games, crafts and sporting competitions. In a move away from previous years, the traditional community feast will take place on the Thursday preceding the...
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First Nations Health Authority backs harm reduction on B.C. overdose anniversary
By Brenna Owen Deaths from toxic drugs may have dipped, but now is not the time to pull back on life-saving measures, especially given “misinformation” in the public discourse, the top doctor at British Columbia’s First Nations Health Authority said Monday. Dr. Nel Wieman said Indigenous Peoples continue to be disproportionately represented among the deaths as the province marked the ninth anniversary of the toxic drug crisis being declared a public health emergency on April 14, 2016. Wieman said her team was pushing B.C.’s Health Ministry to help find a tailored approach for Indigenous-specific issues with the goal of preventing more people from dying and closing the gap with the non-Indigenous population. Wieman presented data showing 427 Indigenous people in B.C. died of a toxic drug overdose last year, a...
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First Nations Health Authority backs harm reduction on B.C. overdose anniversary
By Brenna Owen The top doctor at British Columbia’s First Nations Health Authority says deaths from toxic drugs may have dipped, but now is not the time to pull back on life-saving measures, especially given “misinformation” in the public discourse. Dr. Nel Wieman says Indigenous Peoples continue to be disproportionately represented among the deaths as B.C. marks the ninth anniversary of the toxic drug crisis being declared a public health emergency. She says her team is pushing B.C.’s Health Ministry to help find a tailored approach for Indigenous-specific issues to prevent more people from dying and close the gap with the non-Indigenous population. Wieman presented data showing 427 Indigenous people in B.C. died of a toxic drug overdose last year, representing a 6.8 per cent decrease from 2023. However, she...
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Nuu-chah-nulth queer language words celebrated at storytelling event
By Nora O’Malley, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Ha-Shilth-Sa Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, B.C. – Ten years ago, Hesquiaht First Nation and Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ elder Nicki Love McCarthy asked Nuu-chah-nulth knowledge keepers if they knew of any words that described queerness. Through a flurry of texts, emails and Facebook messages, the knowledge keepers were able to bring these words forward, and McCarthy generously shared them during a Sunday, April 13 afternoon presentation in the Sičquuʔuƛ (Sitch – KHOO – ootl) Theatre in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve’s Kwisitis Visitor Centre. Sičquuʔuƛ is the late Barbara Touchie’s Nuu-chah-nulth name and means “a dorsal fin coming around a point of land”. Touchie was dedicated to revitalizing Nuu-chah-nulth language and culture. Parks Canada renamed the theater after her in 2016. “I’m very grateful for the language people. Our...
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8,600 textbooks shredded: How can we avoid this happening again?
By Anasophie Vallee, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Telegram PC MHA Lela Evans is questioning how long NL students were learning inaccurate information about Indigenous peoples. In early February, the Department of Education ordered school administrators to shred 8,600 Grade 7 and 8 French immersion textbooks. According to a CBC News article, the books were initially purchased back in January 2023 for $202,140; it was only recently it was determined the books contained false information about Indigenous peoples and history. The Department told The Telegram that “schools were asked to destroy the books so that they would not remain in circulation and risk perpetuating inaccurate information.” They added that it is common practice for schools to be asked to dispose of delisted resources that are outdated or no longer suitable/approved....
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Tariff response to be focus at Queen’s Park as new session begins after election
By Liam Casey and Allison Jones -CP-Ontario’s response to the escalating trade war with the United States will factor heavily in the first legislative sitting after Premier Doug Ford cruised to victory in the snap February election. Ford will outline his government’s priorities in a throne speech today delivered by the lieutenant-governor. The Progressive Conservative government is expected to table legislation Wednesday to open up interprovincial trade in another effort to combat the effects of U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canadian goods. Ford says he wants to make trade between provinces and territories less onerous. Interprovincial trade is set up with a number of protectionist barriers that Ford says makes trade easier with the United States than the rest of the country and also makes labour mobility difficult. Ford...
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Guilty plea entered in 2022 Sheg slaying
By Jacqueline St. Pierre, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Manitoulin Expositor SHEGUIANDAH FIRST NATION—In the heart of Manitoulin Island’s tranquil landscapes, a storm brewed on June 24, 2022, culminating in a tragedy that underscored the Island’s escalating struggle with external criminal elements. Hanif Glave-Duncan, a then 20-year-old from Hamilton at the time of the incident, pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the shooting death of 32-year-old Cheyenne Roy at a residence on Wiigush Miikan in Sheguiandah First Nation. Mr. Glave-Duncan, also known locally as Jordan Doe and Jordan Duncan, had embedded himself in the Island’s drug subculture. Residing with his then-partner Payton Atawish, he operated a drug trade from her home. On that fateful night, Mr. Roy, armed with bear mace, intended to confront and rob Mr. Glave-Duncan of drugs and...
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Indigenous leaders denounce UBC profs’ ‘outdated and regressive’ lawsuit against land acknowledgements
By Aaron Hemens, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, IndigiNews Indigenous leaders are condemning a lawsuit by a group of University of British Columbia (UBC) professors and one graduate student who are against the school making land acknowledgements, along with other diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. One syilx Okanagan chief described the legal demands as “attempts to erase syilx Okanagan presence and rights.” Five UBC faculty members — including three professors at the school’s Okanagan campus, as well as a professor and a graduate student at its “Vancouver” campus — filed the petition in the B.C. Supreme Court on April 7, calling for a judge to ban the province’s largest university from engaging in what they called “political activity.” Those activities, according to the petitioners, include statements that UBC is on unceded...
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US Army to control land on Mexico border as part of base, migrants could be detained, officials say
By Tara Copp And Lolita C. Baldor WASHINGTON (AP) — A long sliver of federal land along the U.S.-Mexico border that President Donald Trump is turning over to the Department of Defense would be controlled by the Army as part of a base, which could allow troops to detain any trespassers, including migrants, U.S. officials told The Associated Press. The transfer of that border zone to military control — and making it part of an Army installation — is an attempt by the Trump administration to get around a federal law that prohibits U.S. troops from being used in domestic law enforcement on American soil. But if the troops are providing security for land that is part of an Army base, they can perform that function. However, at least one...
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Outdoor education facility officially opened in Îyârhe Nakoda FirstNation
By John Watson, Local Journalism Initiative, Rocky Mountain Outlook ÎYÂRHE NAKODA FIRST NATION – A new outdoor education building has been officially opened at Mînî Thnî community school to offer students hands-on learning experiences and a different experience to more standardized desk learning. Since 2022, the Wim and Nancy Pauw Foundation has donated $290,000 to the Stoney Education Authority, and has committed an additional $125,000 annually for the next two years to the facility. “We are still looking at getting an official name for our outdoor land-based building, and basically, it is there for our four schools to utilize so that we can do land – based education and lessons in a totally different setting from the regular traditional classroom,” said Bill Shade, superintendent of Stoney Education Authority. “We wanted...
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From longhouse to powerhouse: Six Nations pursues energy sovereignty
By Sonal Gupta, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Canada’s National Observer A 130-year-old Indigenous longhouse is leading the charge toward energy independence for an Ontario community — and showing how their cultural values can fuel the future. The project, led by the Cayuga Nation of the Six Nations of the Grand River, aims to reduce reliance on energy sources such as propane for heat and power by integrating clean energy solutions with their cultural traditions. The Sour Springs Longhouse, built in 1892, is an important ceremonial site for the Six Nations community in southwestern Ontario. In 2022, the community undertook a three-phase renovation, which includes energy-efficient retrofits, the installation of a 24-kilowatt hybrid solar photovoltaic (PV) system, and the construction of a low-carbon seed storage facility. But first, it was a...
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Judge rules BRFN counsel in ‘conflict of interest’ amid ousted Chief’s judicial review
By Ed Hitchins, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Energeticcity.ca FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — The dismissed Blueberry River First Nations (BRFN) Chief is celebrating a victory in her fight against the council which ousted her. Judy Desjarlais was removed last fall after an independent investigation by BRFN council launched in 2023 said she had failed to “act unilaterally, but did so regardless” pertaining to exemptions granted for Petronas’ industrial work on BRFN’s high-value areas. The high-value areas are zones of particular importance for BRFN’s way of life that require specific management to protect them from new development. The federal judge in Desjarlais’ review protesting her removal, Justice Catherine A. Coughlan, has said the opposing counsel hired by BRFN was in a conflict of interest. BRFN’s counsel had previously worked at another...
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Next generation of scientists and innovators showcase their creativity, curiosity
By Maggie Macintosh, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Winnipeg Free Press Up-and-coming researchers showed off their microplastic extractions and homemade artificial intelligence models at the 2025 Manitoba Schools Science Symposium. Five years after it was abruptly called off due to COVID-19, the annual event inviting Grade 4 to 12 students to put their hypotheses to the test is rebounding. The competition has returned to the University of Manitoba’s Max Bell Centre and its latest edition drew 335 competitors from 35 schools — the strongest turnout since 2018-19. Veteran Ella Strachan was among them. For her final science fair, the Grade 12 student wanted to measure plastic pollution in Lake Winnipeg and determine where it is most likely to accumulate. She had a dozen vials of lake water containing colourful debris on...
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Mushuau Innu sign expanded bylaws to combat drug crisis
By Heidi Atter, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Independent The Mushuau Innu Band Council has signed new an expanded trespassing bylaw and expanded enforcement bylaw, giving expanded powers to community safety officers to search personal effects at the airport, search band-owned homes, and for the band council in Natuashish to ban more people from the community with the goal of disrupting the flow of drugs into the remote First Nation community. The bylaw changes, signed April 7 by the chief and council, came less than two months after mothers and grandmothers in Natuashish held a meeting on the drug situation in the fly-in community in February. At the time, the women proposed a number of ideas, including the now-expanded community safety officer powers and home searches. Chief John Nui said...
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