Ottawa to spend $108M to upgrade Iqaluit’s sewage system
By Arty Sarkisian, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunatsiaq News Iqaluit will get $108 million in federal funding for water and sewer upgrades which could allow the city to nearly double its current housing supply, Nunavut MP Lori Idlout says. “That’s how impactful it can be,” she said Tuesday, after an announcement at Iqaluit’s public works garage. “Given that we always have a shortage of housing, that is very exciting to me knowing that focusing on this infrastructure will create more opportunities for more housing to be built.” The money will come from the $51-billion Build Communities Strong Fund, first introduced in the 2025 federal budget. It’s earmarked for hospitals, bridges, water systems and other core infrastructure. In Iqaluit, the funding will go toward upgrades to trucked water and sewer services...
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David Eby confident Indigenous MLAs will vote to pause B.C’s DRIPA legislation
By Wolfgang Depner British Columbia Premier David Eby says he’s sure his government will retain the legislature’s confidence and pass his plan to suspend sections of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act that he says pose a legal peril. The B.C. NDP holds a single-seat majority in the legislature, but Eby has told an unrelated press conference in Kelowna, B.C., that his caucus is “strong and united” about the need to pause the legislation known as DRIPA for up to three years. Some First Nations leaders have condemned the plan and Eby says the issue is “incredibly challenging” for the three Indigenous MLAs in his government. But he says they understand the “very serious litigation risk” flowing from the so-called Gitxaala ruling last year, that says DRIPA...
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Indigenous women’s groups call for funding to limit risks to safety, prosperity
By Alessia Passafiume Advocates are calling for long-term, stable federal funding to safeguard Indigenous women and girls and warning the federal government’s major projects push could place them at higher risk. Hilda Anderson-Pyrz, president of the National Family and Survivors Circle, said groups like hers still don’t know if they’ll receive continued funding from Ottawa. She said that uncertainty undermines their efforts to address the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. “When we’re looking at the safety and human security of Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit and gender-diverse people, it’s really critical that organizations who are doing this important work — and even through the lens of prevention and economic participation — that they receive long-term, sustainable and equitable funding,” she said. “They’re severely underfunded. There’s a...
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Environmental groups launch constitutional challenge over Ontario’s special economic zones
By Liam Casey Several environmental groups have launched a constitutional challenge seeking to kill an Ontario law that allows cabinet to suspend other laws, arguing the Doug Ford government has abdicated the role of the legislature. Wildlands League, Environmental Defence Canada, Friends of the Earth Canada and Democracy Watch allege Ontario’s special economic zone law delegates powers reserved for the legislature and wrongly puts them in the hands of the cabinet. Ford’s Progressive Conservative government passed Bill 5, which included the special economic zone provision, last year. That provision allows cabinet and the environment minister to suspend any and all provincial and municipal laws within such zones as they see fit. “We say that this delegation that the Special Economic Zones Act allows for goes too far, that it’s not...
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Environmental groups launch constitutional challenge over Ontario’s special economic zones
By Liam Casey Several environmental groups have launched a constitutional challenge seeking to kill an Ontario law that allows cabinet to suspend other laws, arguing the Doug Ford government has abdicated the role of the legislature. Wildlands League, Environmental Defence Canada, Friends of the Earth Canada and Democracy Watch allege Ontario’s special economic zone law delegates powers reserved for the legislature and wrongly puts them in the hands of the cabinet. Ford’s Progressive Conservative government passed Bill 5, which included the special economic zone provision, last year. That provision allows cabinet and the environment minister to suspend any and all provincial and municipal laws within such zones as they see fit. “We say that this delegation that the Special Economic Zones Act allows for goes too far, that it’s not...
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Storytelling at the heart of artists Aysanabee, AHI’s Canmore show
By Leah Pelletier, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Rocky Mountain Outlook CANMORE — One minute Aysanabeewas playing solo open mics in crowded bars, the next he’s on stage giving an acceptance speech for his fourth Juno award. The last four years for the Oji-Cree artist have been a whirlwind, from a debut album in 2022, to making history as the first Indigenous artist to win alternative album and songwriter of the year at the 2024 Junos and now, on the verge of his newest EP, Timelines, he’s reminded of where it all started. “I was in the pandemic just recording ( Watin ), nobody knew who I was. I was just playing little bar shows in Toronto here and there … and just thinking about where I was to where I...
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Fisheries expands mass marking of hatchery chinook in southern B.C.
The Fisheries Department is expanding its program that marks chinook from hatcheries in southern British Columbia, distinguishing them from wild salmon. A statement from the department says the marking by removal of the adipose fin — a small dorsal near the tail — does not affect the health or survival of the fish. It says differentiating between wild chinook and those from hatcheries is important for fishery management, hatchery operation, scientific understanding and supporting conservation objectives for struggling wild populations. The department says the practice can facilitate more selective fisheries that focus on fish from hatcheries and avoid vulnerable wild stocks, while helping to protect the genetic diversity of wild salmon through improved hatchery management. The change applies to chinook released from Fisheries and Oceans hatcheries in southern B.C., about...
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UINR looking for feedback on project relating to Mi’kmaw approach to climate change
By Adam McNamara, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter – The Victoria Reporter Bras d’Or Lakes – After receiving provincial funding from the Nova Scotia Department of Environment and Climate Change to complete their Mi’kmaw Approach to Climate Change Project, the Unama’ki Institute of Natural Resources (UINR) is looking for input from community members. “We want to hear from you to better understand your climate change priorities, risks, needs, indicators, and actions. Your input will be invaluable in creating educational materials tailored for Mi’kmaw communities and in crafting a long-term climate action strategy for Unama’ki,” explained a statement issued by the UINR on April 1. The environmental stewardship organization received $893,750 in provincial funding last summer, to lead climate action rooted in Mi’kmaw knowledge, community priorities and culturally relevant approaches. The UINR...
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Indigenous women’s groups call for funding to limit risks to safety, prosperity
By Alessia Passafiume Advocates are calling for long-term, stable federal funding to safeguard Indigenous women and girls and warning the federal government’s major projects push could place them at higher risk. Hilda Anderson-Pyrz, president of the National Family and Survivors Circle, said groups like hers still don’t know if they’ll receive continued funding from Ottawa. She said that uncertainty undermines their efforts to address the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. “When we’re looking at the safety and human security of Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit and gender-diverse people, it’s really critical that organizations who are doing this important work — and even through the lens of prevention and economic participation — that they receive long-term, sustainable and equitable funding,” she said. “They’re severely underfunded. There’s a...
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Treaty chiefs call for moratorium on glyphosate use
By Jacqueline M. St. Pierre, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Manitoulin Expositor NORTHERN ONTARIO—Leaders representing the 21 First Nations of the Robinson Huron Treaty of 1850 are drawing a hard line: forestry companies do not have permission to carry out aerial or ground-based herbicide spraying within their territory. The message, delivered through Robinson Huron Waawiindamaagewin (RHW), is not new—but it is sharpened. Jurisdiction, they say, never left. “RHW does not give permission to Interfor or any other forestry company to conduct aerial or ground-based spraying of herbicides in our territory,” said Dean Sayers, speaking on behalf of the RHW Waawiindamaagewin Political Working Group. “Jurisdiction remains with the Robinson Huron Treaty Nations. Our laws and responsibilities guide how our forests must be protected.” The words land in a region where the...
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Lambton-Kent public trustees call for Indigenous transportation ‘barriers’ to be dismantled
By Blake Ellis, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Petrolia Lambton Independent Roberta Northmore says Indigenous communities with students attending public schools in Lambton-Kent should not have to pay for transportation to get to class. The vice chair of the Lambton-Kent District School Board raised this issue during the March 31 meeting. Director of Education Gary Girardi and Associate Director Brian McKay made a presentation at an Indigenous liaison committee meeting in November where they explained First Nation students living on reserve as designated as fee paying students that are federally funded. Under the Education Act, they are considered “other pupils of the board.” First Nation payment of fees to a school board falls under either an education services agreement or reciprocal education agreement. Under these agreements, transportation costs are not included...
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Breaking down barriers to dental care
By Sandi Krasowski, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Chronicle-Journal Dentists and dental hygienists across Sovereign Dental locations in Thunder Bay were recognized for their dedication to improving oral health outcomes across Northwestern Ontario on March 31. Patty Hajdu, minister of jobs and families, and minister responsible for FedNor, provided certificates for the staff but was unable to present them in person due to illness. The recognition hinged on National Dentist Day and National Dental Hygienists Week, and follows a similar presentation to dental assistants earlier in March during Dental Assistants Recognition Week. “It’s great to see the team at Sovereign Dental continuing to provide high-quality care close to home,” Hajdu, member of Parliament for Thunder Bay-Superior North, told The Chronicle-Journal. “Through the Canadian Dental Care Plan, more people across our...
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How the Artemis II crew trained to observe and photograph the moon: A NASA science team geologist explains
By Gordon Osinski, Professor in Earth and Planetary Science The Artemis II crew has now broken the record — previously held by Apollo 13 — for the farthest distance any humans have ever travelled from Earth. The crew also completed a flyby of the moon’s far side and sent back some amazing images of the lunar surface. I am a professor, an explorer and a planetary geologist, specializing in the study of meteorite impact structures. I am also a member of the First Artemis Lunar Surface Science Team and have been supporting NASA in developing the geology training for Artemis astronauts. The flyby was particularly exciting as it offered a stunning new perspective of the lunar surface. It also provided the first operational test of a new science team...
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Ontario’s Endangered Species Act is officially dead. Here’s what that means
By Leah Borts-Kuperman, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Narwhal Updated on April 7, 2026, at 5:23 p.m. ET: This story has been updated to remove reference to golden eagles as having federal protections, and therefore being de-listed under the Species Conservation Act. Golden eagles are still listed under the new act, so receive provincial protection for their nesting area only. Ontario’s Endangered Species Act is now officially repealed. The province says the move will allow quicker approvals for road, mining and housing developments, while experts say it could streamline destruction of critical habitats, further threatening wildlife such as woodland caribou, barn owls and red-headed woodpeckers. The Endangered Species Act, passed in 2007, set explicit provincial goals for species recovery and stewardship. It was once considered the gold standard for species...
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Easter bunny arrives at Six Nations armed with chocolate!
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RCMP infiltrated Indigenous movements during Cold War era
By Jacqueline St. Pierre, Local Journalism Initiative Manitoulin Expositor MANITOULIN—The files read like a nation whispering to itself in the dark—paper trails, code names, shadows parked across the street. But the story they tell is not new. It is an old habit, dressed in Cold War language. Long before the Royal Canadian Mounted Police began cataloguing Indigenous leaders under what it called a “Native extremism program,” it had already been deployed as an instrument of removal—enforcing a federal vision of land that required Indigenous peoples to be confined, managed and, when necessary, displaced. In the late 19th century, as Canada pushed westward, the North-West Mounted Police—predecessor to the RCMP—was sent to secure territory for settlement and the railway. They enforced the reserve system that followed the numbered treaties, restricting movement...
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Chiefs of Ontario Calls on Government to Strike a Commission of Inquiry to Investigate Systemic Spying on First Nations
Chiefs of Ontario Calls on Government to Strike a Commission of Inquiry to Investigate Systemic Spying on First Nations Chiefs of Ontario Calls on Government to Strike a Commission of Inquiry to Investigate Systemic Spying on First Nations March 26th, 2026|Categories: Communications, Justice, Political (Toronto, Ont. – March 26, 2026) Chiefs of Ontario is demanding an apology and federal action on widespread spying on First Nations by police and security forces in Canada. An CBC Indigenous article said the Royal Canadian Mounted Police spent decades spying on First Nations leaders and organizations whose only crime was advocating for their inherent rights and sovereignty. Chiefs of Ontario is calling for an impartial, First-Nations led federal inquiry into state-sponsored spying on First Nations groups to understand why the policy was implemented, which...
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Six Nations has history of RCMP spying
If Six Nations has any kind of relationship with the RCMP its one of historic spying. From the early 1920’s, with the ousting of the Six Nations Confederacy government, the RCMP have been spying on Six Nations. The relationship has historically been one of RCMP surveillance and intervention. Declassified files show the RCMP monitored and targeted Six Nations and other Indigenous political organizations from the 1960s to 1980s, attempting to disrupt their sovereignty, alongside recent monitoring of activism linked to land disputes. Timeline of RCMP Historic al Six Nations Interference In the 1920s: The RCMP actively undermined the Six Nations Confederacy Council. The RCMP launched raids of Chiefs and Confederacy followers homes and seized wampum belts to force a transition to an Indian Act band council. Surveillance and Monitoring: Records...
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Editorial:
It was simply all about the land. Who owned it. Who controlled it. And what Canada was willing to do to get it. Ultimately what it became about was extinguishing a people through identity theft and removing any Indigenous governments that existed. The country that became Canada decided to use its Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and its predecessor the North-West Mounted Police to do its dirty work. The body acted as its army of infiltration, removal and its “Native Extremism Program.” First Nations people became the targets and generations of suppression began. Now as the special in this week’s paper tells us, is a story our generations have lived. A story that has made us the people we are today, cautious, watching, and knowing. And created the political chasm...
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Today in History
April 1 In 1999, dignitaries including Prime Minister Jean Chretien and Gov. Gen. Romeo LeBlanc dined on muskox, whale skin, Arctic char and raw seal to celebrate the creation of Nunavut in the eastern Arctic. Canada’s third territory gave the Inuit title to an area more than five times the size of Alberta. In 2011, five tiny First Nations on Vancouver Island began new chapters in their collective histories, when a land-claims treaty that took almost 20 years to negotiate took effect. In addition to 24,550 hectares and resource and program payments, it gave powers of self-government, including taxation rights, to the bands representing about 2,500 people near the communities of Bamfield, Port Alberni, Campbell River and Ucluelet. In 2022, Pope Francis apologized for the role the Roman Catholic Church...
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