Krill catch in Antarctica soars to record following collapse of conservation deal
By Joshua Goodman MIAMI (AP) — Trawling near Antarctica for krill — a crustacean central to the diet of whales and a critical buffer to global warming — has surged to a record and is fast approaching a never before reached seasonal catch limit that would trigger the unprecedented early closure of the remote fishery, The Associated Press has learned. The fishing boom follows the failure last year of the U.S., Russia, China and two dozen other governments to approve a new management plan that would have mandated spreading out the area in which krill can be caught and creating a California-sized reserve along the environmentally sensitive Antarctic Peninsula. In the first seven months of the 2024-25 season, krill fishing in Antarctica reached 518,568 tons, about 84% of the 620,000-ton...
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Sioux Lookout airport partners with anti-human trafficking initiative
By Matt Prokopchuk, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, TBnewswatch.com SIOUX LOOKOUT — Employees at the municipal airport in Sioux Lookout are scheduled to receive training on how to spot human trafficking. The airport has partnered with #NotInMyCity, an organization founded and led by Canadian country musician Paul Brandt, that aims to combat human trafficking and sexual exploitation. The partnership with the Sioux Lookout Municipal Airport “will include staff involvement in learning and training courses to identify the signs of human trafficking, and awareness campaigns throughout the organization,” according to a media release from the airport. Doug Lawrance, Sioux Lookout’s mayor, said it’s an important initiative, given how busy the local airport is, and the vast expanse of northern communities it serves which overwhelmingly rely on air travel for access. “The airport...
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After taking back land in Colombia, Indigenous prepare their youth to safeguard it
By Steven Grattan CALOTO, Colombia (AP) — Indigenous Nasa children are gently splashed with water using a leafy branch — a ritual meant to protect them and symbolically “open the path” — before setting off with wooden signs they had painted with messages like “We were born to protect the environment” and “Peace, please.” Wearing protective gloves, the children nail their signs to trees lining a dirt road still used at times by armed groups for drug trafficking, as they collect trash from land their families reclaimed from vast industrial sugarcane plantations in Colombia’s conflict-scarred southwest. This is no ordinary schoolyard activity. It’s a quiet act of defiance — and a hands-on lesson in protecting land and culture. Just beyond the reclaimed land of the Indigenous López Adentro reserve, near...
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First Nations Bank reaches funding deal for Whistler development
First Nations Bank of Canada says it has reached a deal to help fund a new Indigenous-led development in Whistler, B.C. The money is going to Lil’wat Business Group to help it build Tseqwtsúqum, a housing and commercial space planned for the Function Junction neighbourhood of the mountain town. Funding is coming through the Indigenous Land Development Program that First Nations Bank is running in partnership with the Canada Infrastructure Bank. The federal agency agreed last year to put up to $100 million to support the program, which provides below-market rate loans to help Indigenous communities realize their development goals. First Nations Bank did not disclose financial terms of the Lil’wat Business Group deal, but says it is its largest yet under its Indigenous Land Development Program. The bank said...
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Sanikiluaq students get a ‘taster’ of what it’s like to do wind turbine work
By Arty Sarkisian, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunatsiaq News When Timiusi Kittosuk walked into a wind turbine blade factory in Gaspé, Que., earlier this month, he could smell a mix of gas and nail polish remover. A few employees in white protective overalls were working with fibreglass, a material made of glass threads and hardened liquid plastic that’s one of the main building components of wind turbine blades. Looking at the scene, Kittosuk felt he had found his vocation. Sanikiluaq students take part in a two-week wind turbine technician course at Collège d’enseignement général et professionnel in Gaspé, Que., earlier this month. (Photo courtesy of Nunavut Nukkiksautiit Corp.) “It made me want to join them to build blades for the wind turbine,” he said in an interview Wednesday. The 27-year-old...
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Possible industry-related earthquake recorded Saturday near Grande Prairie, Alberta
-CP-Some residents of northwestern Alberta may have felt the ground shake after an earthquake was recorded in the region on Saturday night. Earthquakes Canada says the 4.2 magnitude quake struck about 36 kilometres south of the city of Grande Prairie. Earthquakes Canada says the quake was said to be lightly felt in Grande Prairie and the surrounding area and is a possible industry-related event. The Alberta Energy Regulator says in an statement the earthquake was measured at 4.04 magnitude and that the Alberta Geological Survey, which is a branch of the regulator, is reviewing data to determine the cause. No damage was reported, and none is expected. Earthquakes Canada’s magnitude scale says quakes between 3.5 and 5.4 are “often felt, but rarely cause damage.” Approximately 70,000 people live in Grande...
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Grey councillors dig up concerns about archaeological management plan
By Chris Fell, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, CollingwoodToday.ca Members of Grey County council have expressed concerns about the development of an archaeological management plan. At its meeting on July 24, county council received its first glimpse of an extensive project undertaken by county planning staff to create an archaeological management plan. Councillors received a presentation from consultants from TMHC Inc., as well as a staff report about the project. Planning staff explained that the main goal of the process is to establish a clear, concise and consistent framework governing when development projects are required to conduct an archaeological study. While currently there are provincial regulations that require archaeological matters to be taken into consideration during the planning process; the county does not have a formal process in place. “The current...
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Auditor general to study hiring, promotion of public servants with disabilities
By Catherine Morrison The federal auditor general is planning to study the recruitment, retention and promotion of people with disabilities in the federal public service. Documents obtained by The Canadian Press through Access to Information indicate that the audit is expected to be tabled in the spring. Claire Baudry, a spokesperson for the Office of the Auditor General of Canada, said in an email that while auditor general Karen Hogan expects to table the report in Parliament in 2026, the audit is in the planning phase and any comment on its scope or timelines now would be “premature.” Hogan’s office sent a letter to Secretary of the Treasury Board Bill Matthews on March 7 notifying him of the upcoming study. The most recent employment equity report for the public service...
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Most Canadians think the country is making progress on reconciliation: poll
By Alessia Passafiume Most Canadians believe the country is making good progress on reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples, a new poll from Leger suggests. “The extent to which people feel progress on reconciliation is being made or not has an important bearing on how they feel about the country,” said Jack Jedwab, president and CEO of the Association for Canadian Studies, which commissioned the poll. The survey of 1,580 respondents was conducted between June 20 and 22. A margin of error cannot be associated to the survey because online polls are not considered to be truly random samples. Forty-seven of the respondents self-identified as Indigenous. Jedwab said that small number and the lack of regional breakdowns of the numbers means the poll should be interpreted with caution. But the poll still...
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Lumbee tribe of North Carolina sees politics snarl recognition by Washington
By Graham Lee Brewer Since the 1980s, the Lumbee Tribe has lobbied Congress to acknowledge it as a sovereign nation. There was renewed hope last year when both major party candidates in the presidential election promised to intervene on behalf of the Lumbee. In his first week in office, President Donald Trump appeared to be making good on his endorsement. He issued an executive orderdirecting the Interior Department to create a plan for federal recognition, a move Lumbee Chairman John Lowery called a “significant step forward.” But several months later, it remains unclear if Trump will take further action. The plan was submitted to the White House in April, according to the Interior Department. However, a White House official told The Associated Press last week that the Lumbee will have...
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Police watchdog investigating after man killed during arrest in Deer Lake FirstNation
Ontario’s police watchdog says it is investigating after a police officer in Deer Lake First Nation shot and killed a 40-year-old man on Tuesday afternoon. The Special Investigations Unit says officers from the Nishnawbe Aski Police Service had a warrant to arrest the man at a residence in the community about 580 kilometres north of Thunder Bay. The SIU says its first public release about the shooting incorrectly stated the man fled from the house. In an update on Friday, it says the man exited the home and approached officers. The SIU says one of the officers shot the man, and the man was taken to a nursing station where he was pronounced dead. It says a post-mortem examination was scheduled to be conducted Friday in Toronto, and investigators were...
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Cape Breton drag star, DJ and future doc aims to inspire others with healing and humour
By Rosemary Godin, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Cape Breton Post ESKASONI – A nurse practitioner who is also a medical student and drag performer is this year’s winner of the coveted Candy Palmater Award. Eskasoni’s Athanasius (Tanas) Sylliboy, who now lives in Halifax while he attends Dalhousie University’s medical school, was recognised by Halifax Pride last week for their work spanning medicine, advocacy for culture, and the performing arts. “By day, Tanas is a clinician, student, researcher and educator working to bring cultural safety, language, and equity into medical spaces. By night, they step into the moccasins of Anita LandBack, a heartfelt drag artist and DJ who blends culture, humour, and queerness into storytelling through performance,” Pride Halifax said after announcing the award at the beginning of Halifax Pride Week....
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Saskatchewan man charged in shooting of Mountie on firstnation
By Jeremy Simes RCMP have charged a man with attempted murder after a police officer was shot on a southeast Saskatchewan First Nation. Mounties say 28-year-old Elijah Albert of Muskowekwan First Nation was also charged with shooting a gun with intent and is scheduled to appear in Regina court next week. Mounties have said the officer was sent to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. RCMP were called to a home on the First Nation early Thursday morning for a report of a man with a rifle, and it’s alleged Albert shot the officer and fled. Officers began a manhunt, arresting Albert hours later in a rural area near Lestock, 105 kilometres northeast of Regina. RCMP had issued an alert, urging people in the area not to leave their homes and to...
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Saskatchewan RCMP say suspect captured after Mountie shot while at call on house
Saskatchewan RCMP say a manhunt that ended with the capture of an armed suspect began after an RCMP member was shot at a house on the Muskowekwan First Nation. They say the officer was sent to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. RCMP declined to provide further details. The manhunt began after officers were called to the home around 2 a.m. Thursday to respond to a report of someone with a weapon. “As officers arrived at the scene, a firearm was discharged and an officer was struck,” said RCMP in a news release. They said other people in the house were not hurt. The suspect, dressed in a blue sweater and blue jeans with a rifle, fled on foot and the manhunt began. RCMP issued an alert, urging people in the area...
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Upcoming pilot program opens accounting opportunities for Squamish, Tsleil-Waututh and Musqueam Nations
By Abby Luciano, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, North Shore News Provincial organizations are helping boost accounting job opportunities for Indigenous communities with a new program. Last month, a memorandum of understanding was signed in Vancouver by the Chartered Professional Accountants of British Columbia (CPABC), Aboriginal Financial Officers Association of British Columbia, MST Education and Training Society and Humanity Financial Management Inc. to develop education, mentorship and employment opportunities for an Accounts Payable Program. The new program will help unemployed or underemployed Indigenous individuals receive hands-on training and exposure in entry-level accounting jobs and other paths. The Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Nations will be the first to pilot the new initiative. “I think there is a recognition that we need to do more to provide education and opportunities...
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New Arctic ambassador will play a ‘key role’ in defending sovereignty: Anand
By Dylan Robertson Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand says Canada’s new Arctic ambassador will play a key role in preserving sovereignty in the region as the military closely watches the movements of a Chinese icebreaker. Iqaluit resident Virginia Mearns will be Canada’s senior Arctic official on the world stage, following a career with local Inuit governments. “Canada’s Arctic ambassador is going to advance Canada’s polar interests in multilateral forums,” Anand told The Canadian Press in an interview from Inuvik, N.W.T. She said Mearns will “engage with counterparts in both Arctic and non-Arctic states” and “serve as a representative in our diplomatic core.” Anand said Canada will follow through on its $35 million Arctic foreign policy and its commitment to open new consulates in both Alaska and Greenland, despite the government’s...
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Carney pledges to uphold Indigenous rights as he meets with Inuit leaders in Inuvik
By Eric Bowling, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, NWT News/North Efforts to move nation building projects forward faster will not infringe on Indigenous rights or treaties, says Prime Minister Mark Carney. That commitment was made as a day of nation-to-nation talks commenced in Inuvik on July 24. Carney is meeting with Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami President Natan Obed and Inuvialuit Regional Corporation chair Duane Ningaqsiq Smith. “(I’m) very pleased to be able to convene this meeting with the prime minister,” said Obed. “Your leadership, and especially in convening this meeting so soon after the election and getting back to work within the ICPC (Inuit-Crown Partnership Committee) space is a real indicator that you are willing to work with Inuit in the process that we have set up with the Government of Canada...
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Indigenous leaders denounce Alberta’s plans to alter water management
By Eric Bowling, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, NWT News/North Former Tthebatthie Denesuline (Smith’s Landing) chief Gerry Cheezie is not mincing words about plans between the Alberta government and Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) to change the legal framework governing the watersheds of Northern Alberta that feed into the Northwest Territories. “When we signed Treaty 8 on July 17, 1899, there was no talk about Alberta,” he said. “Alberta just happened to be created in 1905. Then in 1930, under the Natural Resources Transfer Act, some old white guys in Ottawa and some old white guys in Alberta signed an agreement that <expletive> stole all our land and resources. “They don’t pay for any of this water usage — they use all this water for free. To produce one barrel...
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‘It feels surreal’: Fort Nelson’s Miss Indigenous Canada entry talks on readying for pageant
By Ed Hitchins, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Energeticcity.ca BRANTFORD, ONT. — After months of preparation and legwork, a Fort Nelson Indigenous woman’s chance to be crowned in a beauty pageant has finally come. Taylor Behn-Tsakoza is a member of Fort Nelson First Nation (FNFN) and announced her intentions to pursue the title of Miss Indigenous Canada earlier this year. Now at the event in Ontario, she says the experience “feels surreal” so far, with the event beginning on Wednesday, July 23rd with orientation. “Beforehand I was riddled with nerves, and was thinking ‘what am I doing?,’” said Behn-Tsakoza. “‘What was I thinking a year ago when I saw the application?’ “After meeting the girls [and] having an opportunity to just give a quick intro, it feels a lot better knowing...
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New Arctic ambassador will play a ‘key role’ in defending sovereignty: Anand
By Dylan Robertson Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand says Canada’s new Arctic ambassador will play a key role in preserving sovereignty in the region as the military closely watches the movements of a Chinese icebreaker. Iqaluit resident Virginia Mearns will be Canada’s senior Arctic official on the world stage, following a career with local Inuit governments. “Canada’s Arctic ambassador is going to advance Canada’s polar interests in multilateral forums,” Anand told The Canadian Press in an interview from Inuvik, N.W.T. She said Mearns will “engage with counterparts in both Arctic and non-Arctic states” and “serve as a representative in our diplomatic core.” Anand said Canada will follow through on its $35 million Arctic foreign policy and its commitment to open new consulates in both Alaska and Greenland, despite the government’s...
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