Aroland fire evacuees resting after ‘long ride’ to Sudbury
By Mike Stimpson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, SNnewswatch.com AROLAND — Most on-reserve members have made the long trip to Sudbury as a large forest fire continues burning near Aroland First Nation, Chief Sonny Gagnon said Thursday. “Out of 405 that were in the community, we took out 252 people,” he told Newswatch from a hotel in Sudbury. Gagnon said 226 were taken to Sudbury “and 26 went to other places — (to stay with) relatives in Thunder Bay and so forth.” The people transported to Sudbury by bus and van were those who were especially vulnerable, the chief said — “the ones that are sick and the ones who are having respiratory issues and the babies and their mothers.” He said the Aroland members remaining at home are “holding strong,...
Register
Fort Frances reiterates bylaw to save water for emergencies
By Maya Ekman, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, NWOnewswatch.com FORT FRANCES – The town is reminding people of its non-essential water-use bylaw after they found reservoir levels to be very low on Tuesday. In order to save water in case of emergencies in relation to the forest fire situation nearby, the town also shut off water to the Legion Park Splash Park from about 8 a.m. to 1 p.m for the day. “On our regular checkup on Sunday, we figured that our reservoir levels were way, way lower than we anticipated, which is significant to any major water break around the town,” said Ram Dokala, environmental superintendent for the town. He continued that no breaks were found upon searching, and they then figured that the low levels in the reservoir were...
Register
‘Brutal’: Ontario outdoor workers stay home, others mask up amid wildfire smoke
By Christopher Reynolds Outdoor workers donned masks, took more breaks or stayed home altogether Thursday as wildfire smoke continued to waft across Ontario and health officials raised concerns. Environment Canada said the air quality in Toronto continues to be “very high risk,” with warnings in place from Thunder Bay to Windsor and Kingston. An orange air quality warning continued to blanket a wide swath of the province, signalling “very poor air quality,” the department said, as dozens of forest fires burn out of control across northwestern Ontario. Chris Smith, who runs Toronto home building company Woodsmith Construction, said he’s cancelled work on two of his company’s four projects for the day, calling the weather “brutal.” “My eyes were burning all day on the job sites yesterday. I had a massive...
Register
Michigan issues Line 5 permits despite conceding its ‘significant impacts’
By Kelly House/bridge Michigan State agencies on Wednesday issued key permits for the controversial Line 5 tunnel in the Straits of Mackinac, concluding the project’s benefits outweigh drawbacks that include disruption to Native American burial sites and harm to wetlands and rare species. The permits issued by the departments of Natural Resources and Environment, Great Lakes and Energy also make way for the US Army Corps of Engineers to sign off on the project, which supporters and foes alike expect to happen soon. The project’s future remains unclear, however, as other permits remain tied up in state and federal court and one Great Lakes tribe promised a new lawsuit over Wednesday’s decision. “Even in death we cannot know peace,” said Whitney Gravelle, president of the Bay Mills Indian Community, which...
Register
Energy Minister says proposed pipeline will protect Canadians, put Sarnians to work
Petrolia Lambton Independent Local Journalism Initiative Ontario’s Energy and Mines Minister Stephen Lecce was in Sarnia Wednesday rallying support for a new all-Canadian pipeline from Alberta to Ontario that would remove dependency on the U.S. for crude oil delivery. The 3,300-kilometre Northern Shield Energy Corridor is proposed from Hardisty Alberta to Sarnia-Lambton’s refining hub, and would travel through Saskatchewan, Manitoba and northern Ontario without crossing into American territory as existing pipelines do. Saskatchewan has already thrown support behind the project and Manitoba has said the province will work with Ontario if the pipeline is connected to Churchill, Lecce said. “The study we’ve undertaken has already explored this path,” he said. “In good faith we’ll work with Premier (Wab) Kinew and the people of Manitoba.” Lecce made his remarks at Kel...
Register
U.S. lawmakers press Canada on wildfires as Carney defends environmental record
By The Canadian Press Some U.S. lawmakers on Thursday threatened to sanction Canada – or even possibly annex it entirely – as they raged about wildfire smoke blanketing many parts of Canada and swaths of the United States. Dozens of fires burning in northern Ontario have forced people from their communities and destroyed homes in Namaygoosisagagun First Nation north of Thunder Bay. Smoke from those fires is causing air quality warnings including across Ontario, and in multiple states including Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, New York and Indiana. “Hey Canada, ‘just let it burn’ is not a solution. Unless you want to become the 51st state, learn to manage your forests,” Aric Nesbitt, a Republican state senator in Michigan, said in an online post. Ohio Sen. Bernie Moreno said in a post...
Register
Port of Vancouver’s ‘transformational’ upgrade is referred to Major Projects Office
By Darryl Greer The federal government has referred a plan to vastly expand the Port of Vancouver to Canada’s Major Projects Office for possible fast-tracking, boosting a project that environmentalists have fought for years. Federal Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon said at a news conference at the Roberts Bank port terminal in Delta, B.C., on Thursday that the expansion is a “transformational strategy” to grow and diversify trade. MacKinnon said the upgrades known as the Gateway Strategy will aim to boost trade capacity and allow Canada to reach more global markets such as the Indo-Pacific region. “Canada needs modern transportation infrastructure that helps our businesses compete, gets Canadian goods to new markets, and creates good jobs across the country,” MacKinnon said in a statement. “By investing in our ports and transportation...
Register
Hodgson pitches major projects to First Nations as wildfires scorch communities
By Alessia Passafiume As Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson pitched First Nations chiefs in Ottawa on Thursday on the federal government’s major projects push, chiefs in Ontario and Quebec were scrambling to secure federal help for communities forced to evacuate due to wildfires. One small northwestern Ontario community, Namaygoosisagagun First Nation — also known as Collins First Nation — has burned to the ground. Ontario Regional Chief Abram Benedict and Anishinabek Nation Grand Council Chief Linda Debassige said the community is being left behind by Indigenous Services Canada because it isn’t recognized as a First Nation by the federal government. Anishinabek Nation has been fundraising on Collins First Nation’s behalf. Chiefs and officials gathered in Ottawa this week for the Assembly of First Nations annual meeting held a blanket dance...
Register
Ontario asks Ottawa for wildfire help amid calls to rebuild destroyed First Nation
By Kathryn Mannie and Elissa Mendes The Assembly of First Nations called on the federal government to provide immediate support to a northern Ontario First Nation razed by wildfire, as the province also sought help from Ottawa to evacuate communities threatened by out-of-control blazes. A fast-moving forest fire destroyed homes and buildings on Namaygoosisagagun First Nation, also known as Collins First Nation, more than 200 kilometres north of Thunder Bay. Dozens of wildfires were bearing down on other communities, forcing widespread evacuations and blanketing much of the province with hazardous smoke. The council of First Nations said at its annual general meeting Thursday that it’s seeking an independent review of the Collins First Nation evacuation as the community was left to fend for itself. It called on Ottawa to commit...
Register
Ontario could see relief from wildfire smoke as blazes continue across north
People who have been wheezing and sneezing at the sight and smell of northern Ontario wildfire smoke this week could be in for some relief. Environment Canada says the hazy, smoky conditions in some areas could temporarily improve today, but for others, they could persist into the weekend. A slew of forest fires continues to burn across northern Ontario, with flames already razing communities such as Namaygoosisagagun First Nation, also known as Collins First Nation, north of Thunder Bay. The Ontario government and the Assembly of First Nations have called on Ottawa to provide immediate support, while other provinces such as Alberta have deployed firefighters and water bombers to help. Prime Minister Mark Carney has said his government is in close contact with its counterparts in Ontario and is ready...
Register
China warns of reciprocal countermeasures after US shortens foreign journalist visas
By Didi Tang WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration announced Thursday it will drastically shorten visas for foreign journalists in the U.S. to 240 days, down from years, and cut those for Chinese journalists to only 90 days, raising concerns over press freedom in the United States and prompting China to warn of possible reciprocal countermeasures. The rule announced by the Department of Homeland Security will do away with the “duration of status” system, which allows foreign journalists to stay and work in the United States as long as they meet eligibility requirements. That will be replaced with a fixed period of time, though the visas may be extended. The agency says it’s necessary to better vet the visa holders. But advocates for foreign journalists oppose the change, saying the...
Register
Bruce County council to vote on draft official plan started in 2018
By Pauline Kerr, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Walkerton Herald Times WALKERTON – Bruce County’s new draft Official Plan (OP), eight years in the making, comes before council on July 16. It will be up to council to decide whether to adopt the OP and forward it to the province for approval. The province has final say on the plan. The OP has been in the works since 2018. In the past eight years, there has been extensive engagement with the public, prescribed agencies, municipalities and First Nations including Saugeen Ojibway Nation. Development of the plan was conducted according to statutory requirements of the Planning Act which included a special meeting (Section 26 of the Planning Act) on Oct. 21, 2021; the first round of open houses (Oct. 2-4, 2024);...
Register
Study reveals: Nearly Two-Thirds of Indigenous Women in Canada Face Mistreatment During Childbirth
By Jeremy Appel, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Alberta Native News Almost two-thirds of Indigenous women in Canada have experienced some form of mistreatment and three-quarters have been disrespected while giving birth, according to a recent academic study. The survey, published in Global Frontiers in Women’s Health on June 30, 2026, was based on the findings of a broader national survey of 6,096 Canadian women’s experiences in the maternal health-care system. Of these participants, 309, or 6.7 per cent, were Indigenous. The data shows that First Nations, Metis and Inuit women were more likely to suffer various forms of mistreatment while giving birth than white women, almost half of whom experienced mistreatment, or other racialized women, just more than half of whom experienced mistreatment. The study was coauthored by University of...
Register
National chief slams federal clean water bill at AFN assembly
By Jeremy Appel, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Alberta Native News OTTAWA-Assembly of First Nations (AFN) National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak slammed the federal government’s proposed legislation regarding clean drinking water for First Nations in her opening remarks at the AFN annual general assembly on July 14. Minister of Indigenous Services Mandy Gull-Masty introduced the First Nations Clean Water Act, or Bill C-37, in the House of Commons last month, which was announced alongside a $4.6-billion investment in water and wastewater infrastructure. “It’s disappointing that this new bill fails to clearly designate First Nations’ rights to clean water, because no sum of money will distract from the red flags we see in this new clean water bill,” said Nepinak at Ottawa’s Rogers Centre. According to Indigenous Services Canada, there are 38...
Register
Haida Gwaii community wants court to ban man from its land
By Bob Mackin, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Prince George Citizen A federal Crown prosecutor wants a BC Supreme Court judge to sentence a man who was banished from Skidegate reserves to six months in jail on concurrent sentences for possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking and for selling marijuana. Shaun Jackson Smith was convicted on May 12, 2025, of trafficking cocaine and selling marijuana. During a July 8 sentencing hearing in Prince George, Crown prosecutor Adrienne Switzer told Justice Christopher Greenwood that Smith was operating an “ongoing business venture” that he had established less than two months after completing his previous prison sentence. She said he owned a residence, vehicles and a boat. Police seized a quantity of drugs from Smith’s residence, including 30.5 grams of cocaine hidden...
Register
AFN Hears From Federal MPs On ATRs, Major Projects, Public Safety And More At Annual General Assembly
By Alex Murray Writer OTTAWA-The Assembly of First Nations (AFN) heard from several federal MPs during the third day of the Annual General Assembly, covering topics including ATRs, Major Projects, and public safety. Minister for Crown-Indigenous Relations Rebecca Alty kicked off the session with some updates. She said she has approved 76 Addition to Reserve (ATR) requests since she was appointed, which amounts to over 136k acres, roughly the size of Ottawa. She also acknowledged that the current ATR process is too slow and complicated. To that end, she asked all in attendance to give feedback on the new “Setting Apart of Lands as Reserve” policy that will replace the old ATR policy from 2016. She also pointed to the resolution of 31 land claims this past year, amounting to...
Register
Union denounces CN for sending rail crew through active wildfire in Ontario
By Kathryn Mannie A trade union representing railworkers is calling on Canadian National Railway to stop operating through active wildfire zones after a crew had to be evacuated from a train that was engulfed in fire. A video of the incident shared widely on social media showed orange-red flames closing in on the train as trees burned on both sides of the tracks. The Teamsters said the train was operated by its members and the union’s director of communications Marc-André Gauthier said the crew had to be treated for smoke inhalation. Forest fires in northwestern Ontario have devastated several communities, forced widespread evacuations and destroyed homes and buildings in one First Nation. A widely reshared video from a rail worker’s perspective shows fiery scenes as a wildfire closes in on...
Register
Governments co-ordinate response efforts
By Sandi Krasowski, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Chronicle-Journal As the wildfire situation in Northern Ontario changes, Thunder Bay-Superior North MP Patty Hajdu recognizes that people across the region are feeling anxious — especially those who have lost homes, property and businesses. “My team and I are working closely with affected communities and community leaders,” Hajdu told The Chronicle-Journal. “We are raising issues directly with relevant federal departments and helping people navigate federal and provincial programs and services.” She added that anyone affected by the fires who needs help can call her office at 807-766-2090. “You do not need to figure out which government, department or program to call first,” she said. “Call us. We will help you navigate it.” Hajdu said the federal government is supporting Ontario in several...
Register
Coalition forms against Building Canada Act
By Lucas-Matthew Marsh, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Iori:wase In an act of solidarity, Indigenous peoples and allies gathered in Montreal on July 1 to demonstrate against the Building Canada Act. Ellen Gabriel, who helped organize the demonstration, said this broad coalition chose Canada Day to bring attention to the country’s ongoing history of settler colonialism. “We wanted to do something that was anti-colonial, and to remind Canadians… that there is a problem here,” Gabriel said. “You are not respecting First Nations rights.” Louis Couillard, a climate and energy campaigner at Greenpeace Canada, estimated that between 50 and 100 people gathered at Place du Canada on July 1, where the John A. Macdonald statue once stood. Demonstrators called on the federal government to repeal the act and urged Canada to uphold...
Register
ITUM signs Quebec’s first Indigenous child welfare accord
By Lucas-Matthew Marsh, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Iori:wase The Innu Takuaikan Uashat mak Mani-utenam (ITUM) is the first Indigenous nation in Quebec to sign a tripartite agreement with the federal and provincial governments regarding Indigenous children in the child welfare system. At a press conference in Quebec City last week, Jonathan Shetush St-Onge, Chief of the Innu Nation of Uashat mak Mani-utenam, stressed that the agreement represents more than “an administrative reform.” “It is an affirmation of who we are, a self-determination finally respected,” St-Onge said. “It is a way to ensure that our children are no longer separated from their identity, their language, their families and their communities.” The agreement outlines the responsibilities of ITUM and the federal and provincial governments in this new system, as well as how...
Register
