Filmmaker seeks to empower Indigenous communities with training program
By Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Energeticcity.ca MOBERLY LAKE, B.C. — A filmmaker is looking to empower local First Nations communities through his filmmaking program. Farhan Umedaly is a filmmaker with West Vancouver’s VoVo Productions, a company he helped found in 2009 with backgrounds in microbiology, sustainability and music production. From an Ismaili background, Umedaly and his family came to Canada as refugees. A filmmaker for 18 years, his projects include the 2015 film The Last Stand for Lelu, about the struggles of the Lax Kw’alaams Band of Lelu Island against the provincial government’s push for an LNG terminal. He told Energeticcity.ca his Empowering Filmmaking program, set to take place over a week in June at West Moberly First Nations, is based on a principle of service – something important to...
Register
Beyond regulation: Why committed leadership will decide Canada’s energy future
By Amir Bahman Radnejad and Brenda Nguyen The Canadian government’s discussion paper, Getting Major Projects Built in Canada, represents a significant and long overdue shift in how it approaches major infrastructure and energy development. After years of slow, fragmented and unpredictable project approvals, the recognition that Canada’s regulatory system has undermined competitiveness and discouraged investment is both accurate and welcome. Investor surveys in Canada’s resource sector consistently identify regulatory uncertainty and approval delays as major deterrents to investment. If implemented effectively, the proposed reforms — particularly efforts to reduce duplication, co-ordinate consultations, establish clearer timelines and move toward a “one project, one review” framework — could enhance Canada’s appeal to energy investors and move the country closer to its ambition of becoming an “energy superpower.” But regulatory reform alone won’t...
Register
Carney says ‘Canada is working’, as Alberta readies for referendum
Prime Minister Mark Carney addressed the thorny issue of Alberta’s separatist movement on Friday with a metaphorical plea for unity, saying it’s time to build up the country together. He likened the federation to the Parliament buildings: currently under renovation. Carney, while on a construction site tour of Parliament, didn’t directly mention the plan announced by Alberta Premier Danielle Smith to hold a vote in the fall about whether to have a binding referendum on separation. But the prime minister insisted the country can be improved by working closely with the province on his economic agenda. “We’re renovating the country as we go,” Carney said in the Library of Parliament, gesturing up toward construction work in the Centre Block. “Alberta being at the centre of that is essential.” Carney talked...
Register
Carney says ‘co-operative federalism’ is working, as Alberta preps for referendum
Prime Minister Mark Carney addressed the thorny issue of Alberta’s separatist movement in the form of a metaphor this morning — likening Canada to the Parliament buildings: currently under renovation. Carney, while on a construction site tour of the Library of Parliament, didn’t directly mention Alberta’s plan to hold a vote on whether to have a binding referendum on separation. He listed contributions made by Albertans to the country and said Canada is currently working the “spirit of co-operative federalism,” with Alberta at the centre of that work. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announced in a televised address Thursday there will be separation question on an Oct. 19 referendum. Albertans won’t directly vote on whether Alberta should leave Canada but will be asked if the province should hold a future binding...
Register
CRTC triples streamers’ financial contributions to Canadian content
By Anja Karadeglija Large online streaming services must contribute 15 per cent of their Canadian revenues to Canadian content, the federal broadcast regulator said Thursday. That’s three times the five-per-cent initial contribution requirement the CRTC set out in 2024, which is being challenged in court by major streamers, including Apple, Amazon and Spotify. Contribution requirements for traditional broadcasters, which currently pay between 30 and 45 per cent, will be lowered to 25 per cent. “The total contributions are expected to stabilize the funding at more than $2 billion in support of Canadian and Indigenous content, such as French-language content and news,” the regulator said in a press release. The CRTC also set out rules on how the money must be spent for both streamers and broadcasters, including contributions toward production...
Register
‘Very good news,’ that High Court will hear B.C. mineral claims case, Eby says
By The Canadian Press The B.C. government needs clarity from the Supreme Court of Canada on a landmark mineral rights claim, Premier David Eby says. But the lawyer representing the challenger says that they would have preferred the province respect the lower court’s decision. Eby said Thursday it is very good news that the High Court will hear its appeal of a ruling that found the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the provincial mineral claims regime are “inconsistent.” The B.C. Court of Appeal ruled in December that the provincial Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, or DRIPA, should be “properly interpreted” to incorporate the UN declaration into the laws of B.C. with immediate legal effect. That ruling set off the appeal from the...
Register
Plea to missing Webequie man: ‘Let us know you’re OK’
By Mike Stimpson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, SNnewswatch.com THUNDER BAY — In a ballroom at the Superior Inn, Destiny Rae broke from a plea for help in the search for Kelsey Anderson to deliver a message directly to her missing boyfriend: Please call. “I’ve been searching … and I’m not leaving until I find you,” Rae said into reporters’ microphones during a news conference held Thursday afternoon by Webequie First Nation and Nishnawbe Aski Nation. “You’re loved and you didn’t need to think that you weren’t … So please just let us know you’re OK. Let us know you’re all right. “Because we need to know, we need to hear you, we need to see you.” Kelsey Anderson was last seen in the afternoon of Saturday, May 9, at a...
Register
Manitoba politician calls Saskatchewan farmer who killed Colten Boushie a victim
By Steve Lambert A Manitoba legislature member faced criticism Thursday for saying the farmer who killed Colten Boushie in a high-profile case in Saskatchewan was a victim. Opposition Progressive Conservative member Josh Guenter made the comment while debating a resolution in the legislature about the rights of people to defend their homes with force if necessary. Eric Redhead, a member of the NDP government, accused Guenter of engaging in rhetoric that could lead to more deaths like that of Boushie, a Cree man shot a decade ago near Biggar, Sask. Gerald Stanley was acquitted of second-degree murder after testifying that he thought Boushie and others were on his property to steal vehicles. Stanley said his gun went off accidentally when he confronted Boushie. “The farmer was the victim, and he...
Register
CRTC triples streamers’ financial contributions to Canadian content
By Anja Karadeglija Large TV streaming services like Netflix must contribute 15 per cent of their Canadian revenues to Canadian content, the federal broadcast regulator said Thursday. That’s three times the five-per-cent initial contribution requirement the CRTC set out in 2024, which is being challenged in court by major streamers, including Apple and Amazon. Contribution requirements for traditional broadcasters, which currently pay between 30 and 45 per cent, will be lowered to 25 per cent. “The total contributions are expected to stabilize the funding at more than $2 billion in support of Canadian and Indigenous content, such as French-language content and news,” the regulator said in a press release. The CRTC made the decisions as part of its implementation of the Online Streaming Act, which the U.S. has identified as...
Register
Fort Simpson homeless shelter plans for new building
By Claire McFarlane, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Cabin Radio Architectural plans for a new homeless shelter in Fort Simpson are ready. Now operators say they need funding and a plot of land to make it a reality. “It will be a major addition to the town when we have a really big, beautiful new building like that,” said Chuck Blyth, president of the Dehcho Society for Wellness and Sustainable Development. He said the architectural plans are inspired by a shelter in Dawson City, Yukon, which includes both emergency shelter beds and transitional housing units, allowing residents to move along the housing continuum. Blyth said the shelter has received funding from the territorial government to address much-needed repairs at the existing building. The shelter is currently being run out of a...
Register
New program training Indigenous housing inspectors in the North
By Claire McFarlane, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Cabin Radio When Stan Knight worked as an RCMP officer in northern Manitoba and Nunavut, he said he noticed the degree to which proper housing – or a lack thereof – can influence social issues. Now retired from police work, he started Zachary Knight Enterprises and the Inspector in a Box program to improve housing conditions and build a skilled workforce across the North. The program trains Indigenous home inspectors in isolated communities to document the condition of an existing home, then create a scope of work and list of repairs required to bring the home to a livable standard. While there is a fee to take the program, Knight said his company can help communities and First Nations apply for grants to...
Register
Mining in Nunavik depends on Inuit leadership, better transportation: professor
By Dominique Gené, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunatsiaq News While Nunavik can be a key contributor to Canada’s mining future, unlocking that potential requires better transportation to the south and the mobilization of a new generation of Inuit leaders, says a geologist and emeritus professor at the University of Quebec. Michel Jébrak opened the Nunavik Mineral Exploration Fund’s mining workshop in Kuujjuaq on Wednesday with a presentation on how global politics shape Arctic mining — especially in Nunavik. “Inuit communities must have the expertise, funding, and decision-making power to shape mining development,” he said in a French interview, after his talk. “Good development is development done by the people.” About 100 people attended Wednesday’s events, including mayors, landholders from several communities, representatives of the regional government, the Cree Nation of...
Register
Cocktail of pills, caffeine and fire retardant put B.C. chinook salmon at risk: study
British Columbia researchers found more than 200 contaminants in water and chinook salmon tissue samples collected from five sites in the Lower Fraser River estuary including everything from cocaine and antidepressants to caffeine and flame retardants. They say some of the “cocktail” that the juvenile fish are swimming in presents a possible risk to the young fish themselves and is concerning for the endangered whales that eat them. The study, to be published in Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, is believed to be the largest screening of its kind in the Lower Fraser River and was done by researchers from the Fisheries Department, Simon Fraser University, the Raincoast Conservation Foundation and Environment and Climate Change Canada. Senior author Tanya Brown said of the contaminants found, 16 were deemed “priority contaminants,” meaning...
Register
College celebrates successes while navigating enrolment shifts
By Mike Stimpson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, SNnewswatch.com THUNDER BAY — Confederation College has seen a steep drop in enrolment by international students, but college president Michelle Salo says the province has come through with more money to help soften the financial blow. The college’s 2026 Report to Community says the eight-campus institution had 3,456 full-time students enrolled in post-secondary programs in 2025-26, down by 870 from the previous year. International student enrolment dropped by more than 1,000 in those years, to 947 in 2025-26 from 2,014 in 2024-25. Salo acknowledged there has been “a significant decline in the international enrolment,” and it’s had an impact on college finances. “It definitely has a negative impact,” she said after presenting the community report to an audience in a college lecture theatre,...
Register
Alberta is to vote on whether to hold a separation referendum. Here’s how we got here
By Dayne Patterson Premier Danielle Smith announced Thursday that Albertans will be going to the polls Oct. 19 to vote on whether there should be a future binding referendum on the province quitting Canada. Here’s a timeline of pivotal moments in Alberta’s separatism debate: Oct. 28, 1980 — The federal government ignites widespread alienation in Alberta with the National Energy Program, which seeks to cushion the shock of high oil prices through a system that artificially depresses prices for the oil-dependent province. Albertans view it as a federal money grab. Feb. 17, 1982 — Gordon Kesler of the Western Canada Concept Party of Alberta wins a provincial byelection in the riding of Olds-Didsbury on a platform of Alberta separating from Canada. Later that year, he loses his seat in the...
Register
Referendum on a referendum: Albertans to vote on putting separation on another ballot
By Lisa Johnson and Jack Farrell Premier Danielle Smith says Albertans will be going to the polls in October to cast their vote on separation – but they won’t actually be voting on whether to separate. Instead, they’ll be choosing whether or not it’s time to hold a binding referendum on quitting Canada. Smith made the announcement in a televised address Thursday night, saying it’s the best solution to fight for the country while giving a justifiable voice to those who no longer feel that Canada works for them. “Kicking the can down the road only prolongs a very emotional and important debate,” Smith said in the pre-recorded speech. “Muzzling the voices of hundreds of thousands of Albertans wanting to be heard is unjustifiable in a free and democratic society....
Register
‘Losing is not an option’: Forever Canadian petition leader intent on keeping Alberta in Canada
By David Boles, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, St. Albert Gazette If you ask Thomas Lukaszuk, there’s only one answer to the newest referendum question Albertans will be answering on October 19. “We will win,” he said. The former deputy premier of Alberta and the man leading the federalist Forever Canadian initiative responded to Premier Danielle Smith’s address to the province on Thursday night. Over 400,000 people signed Lukaszuk’s petition, launched in response to the separation movement. In her address on May 21, Smith said an additional referendum question will be posed in conjunction with the nine others Albertans will be voting on in just under five months’ time. The latest question will ask whether Albertans want to remain in Canada or whether the legal process should be commenced to hold...
Register
Alberta’s Smith to answer questions about referendum on holding separation referendum
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is set to hold a news conference today about her referendum question on separation, which separatist leaders are dismissing as “spineless” and ineffective. Smith, in a televised address Thursday, announced Albertans would vote in an Oct. 19 referendum on separation. However, they won’t directly vote on whether Alberta should leave Canada. They will be asked if the province should later hold a binding referendum to separate. Jeff Rath, the lawyer for Stay Free Alberta, the group that collected signatures to try to force a separation referendum, called the move an insult to those seeking independence. Cam Davies, leader of the pro-independence Republican Party of Alberta, agreed and called Smith’s referendum question “spineless.” Smith said her plan is the best way for Albertans, particularly those unhappy with...
Register
Ottawa reveals plans to shut down and offload Nanisivik naval port on Baffin Island
By Kyle Duggan The federal government is shutting down its short-lived Nanisivik naval station on northern Baffin Island as a cost-cutting measure, and plans eventually to offload the property to another party. The Department of National Defence announced Thursday it already has started to transition the problem-plagued Nanisivik Naval Facility out of operations. The Arctic base, launched by the government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper, was once envisioned as a deepsea port and a pillar of Canada’s Arctic sovereignty. The station was built at a former mining site and refurbished by the federal government, but only came online in recent years after many years of delays and cost overruns. Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government insists the station is no longer needed, citing its very short seasonal access window, repeated construction...
Register
Brantford Police issue arrest warrant for Ohsweken woman wanted in aggravated assault
By Alex Murray Writer An Ohsweken woman is wanted by the Brantford Police Service (BPS) in relation to an aggravated assault from January 2026. An arrest warrant has been issued for a woman BPS identified through their investigation as 22-year-old Takia Greene of Ohsweken. BPS said they released Greene’s name and photograph because they are asking the public to come forward with information on her whereabouts. When, or if, she is located and arrested, Greene would be facing a charge of aggravated assault in relation to a January 2026 stabbing . BPS warned residents that spot Greene not to approach her and instead call the police. BPS could not be reached for additional comment on the case. Anyone with information that could help locate Greene is asked to call BPS...
Register
