Chiefs slam Crown negotiators in treaty annuity case
By Mike Stimpson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Thunder Bay Source MICHIPICOTEN — Robinson Superior Treaty annuity talks failed because Ottawa and the Ontario government wouldn’t make a fair and reasonable offer, the chief of Michipicoten First Nation said Tuesday. The Crown’s negotiators seemed to think $3.6 billion “was an honourable suggestion on their part,” Chief Pat Tangie told Newswatch. “It was, as far as we’re concerned, absolutely not fair compensation.” The 12 First Nations in the Robinson Superior Treaty region were in negotiations to compensate for well over a century of underpayments in annuities under the treaty. Annuities paid to every member of First Nations under the 1850 treaty were supposed to increase as economic activity grew. Instead they have been frozen at $4 per year since 1874. In July,...
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Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs to choose new leader in byelection
By Brittany Hobson -CP-First Nations leaders are to choose a new head for the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs after the sudden death of Cathy Merrick last year. The advocacy group representing 63 communities is hosting a byelection in Winnipeg to fill the role of grand chief. The four candidates in the running are Kyra Wilson, Glenn Hudson, Leroy Constant and Bava Dhillon. Wilson, the former chief of Long Plain First Nation in southern Manitoba, played a central role in calls to search a Winnipeg-area landfill for the remains of two slain First Nations women. Hudson is the former chief of the province’s largest First Nation, Peguis First Nation, and was in charge when the community became the first in Manitoba to assume control of child welfare in 2023. The other...
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Crown stipulates, at Prince Graham murder trial, turf wars main factor
By Jacqueline St. Pierre, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Manitoulin Expositor SUDBURY—The deadly consequences of a turf war over the drug trade in M’Chigeeng First Nation unfolded in the early hours of April 5, 2022, leaving Brandon Brooks, 30, of Toronto, dead. Testimony at the ongoing first-degree murder trial of Prince Almando Graham, 39, of North York, has shed light on the harrowing series of events. Assistant Crown attorney Cecilia Bouzane, in her opening address on January 16, 2025, told the Sudbury Courthouse jury: “To the eyes of the drug dealers, M’Chigeeng was a highly profitable area to do business. Prince Graham was a drug dealer. He made it known to the people of M’Chigeeng (that) he would possess the reserve. This was his turf.” April 4, 2022: Graham’s Alleged...
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Aroland First Nation signs agreement with Ontario government
By Mike Stimpson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Thunder Bay Source GREENSTONE – Aroland First Nation taking a big step toward becoming a Ring of Fire hub is very welcome news, Greenstone Mayor Jamie McPherson said Tuesday. “It’s good for the whole area,” he said after Aroland and the province announced an agreement that will enable the eventual construction of roads to the Ring of Fire. “We have to work together as an area and help each other, and this is great,” said McPherson. “We’re extremely, extremely proud of what Aroland has accomplished today.” Aroland First Nation Chief Sonny Gagnon, Premier Doug Ford and cabinet minister Greg Rickford announced a “shared prosperity agreement” for economic growth and infrastructure Tuesday in a news conference in Toronto. The agreement includes support for upgrades...
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Squamish Nation reveals ambitious land use plans in North Vancouver, Squamish
By Abby Luciano, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, North Shore News Correction: This story has been amended to update incorrect information. A previous version stated that the Squamish Nation plan aimed to create 600 homes over the next 25 years. The Nation has clarified that the plan aims to identify opportunities to break ground on 600 homes within the next two years. Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) is one step closer to reaching their ambitious development goals for the North Shore and Squamish areas following the approval of a wide-sweeping plan for Nation lands. The Squamish Nation council recently approved the first phase of its Land Development Strategies plan, putting the focus on two sites on the North Shore and one in Squamish. Each site will honour the Nation’s history while also...
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‘Just shedding my snake skin’: Retiring MP Charlie Angus is Canada’s brashest voice against Trump
By Matteo Cimellaro, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Canada’s National Observer Charlie Angus, a longtime NDP MP, is set to exit stage left after announcing he will not run in the next election. But in quintessential Angus style, he isn’t leaving without making noise. Ever since the U.S. tariff threat, Angus has been publicly railing, seemingly every chance he gets, against President Donald Trump and his cronies, including multi-billionaire Elon Musk. He’s hopped on podcasts, YouTube videos and other print interviews; he’s written op-eds and continues to post on social media at a prolific clip to launch bareknuckle attacks against what he calls a bully to the south. The broadsides against Trump have caught the attention of alternative and mainstream media alike, inciting virality in both Canada and the U.S. Over...
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Parks Canada says eradicating zebra mussels in Manitoba park is ‘not feasible’
-CP-Zebra mussels appear to be here to stay in Riding Mountain National Park in Manitoba, a popular boating destination for summer tourists. Parks Canada says hundreds of live juvenile zebra mussels were found in the fall, attached to docks and infrastructure near the east end of Clear Lake. That is a different part of the lake from where they were first found and where a containment curtain had been installed to try to prevent them from spreading. Parks Canada last year banned most personal watercraft, including non-motorized vessels such as canoes and standup paddle boards, from the water. The department says trying to eradicate zebra mussels from the lake is not feasible and for this year, it is looking at allowing watercraft back on the lake if they are not...
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Coastal nations take to ‘B.C.’s’ highest court to push province’s UNDRIP obligation
By Amy Romer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, IndigiNews In the province’s highest court, two coastal First Nations argued that all “B.C.” laws must be interpreted consistently with the UN Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous People (UNDRIP). Members of the Gitxaała and Ehattesaht First Nations spent three days in the B.C. Court of Appeal last week, in their latest action involving the province’s Mineral Tenure Act. A lower court ruling in 2023 affirmed the province’s duty to consult — and has led to reform of the rules which in the past have allowed mining companies to develop on Indigenous lands without obtaining consent. Gitxaała and Ehattesaht considered this a partial victory. They now want to see the higher court declare that the Mineral Tenure Act is inconsistent with UNDRIP as...
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Former N.L. cabinet minister withdraws from federal election nomination process
By Justin Brake, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Independent On Jan. 16 Keith Russell announced his bid for the Conservative Party of Canada’s nomination in Labrador. But just over a week later the former provincial cabinet minister backed out, citing issues with the party’s nomination process. “It would be my honor and privilege for a chance to be the next MP for Labrador,” he wrote in his Jan. 16 Facebook post announcing his bid. “This process is unfolding very very quickly and if you would like to make sure that I am the successful candidate in the upcoming nomination and cast your vote, then I need you to sign up with the link below before 6:00PM tomorrow January 17, 2025.” Over the next 24 hours, Russell “had a heart warming...
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Federal judge temporarily blocks Trump administration freeze on federal grants and loans
By Chris Megerian And Lindsay Whitehurst WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge on Tuesday temporarily blocked a push from President Donald Trump to pause federal funding while his administration conducts an across-the-board ideological review to uproot progressive initiatives. The order capped the most chaotic day for the U.S. government since Trump returned to office, with uncertainty over a crucial financial lifeline causing panic and confusion among states, schools and organizations that rely on trillions of dollars from Washington. U.S. District Judge Loren L. AliKhan blocked the funding freeze only minutes before it was scheduled to take effect. The administrative stay, prompted by a lawsuit brought by nonprofit groups that receive federal money, lasts until Monday afternoon. Another court hearing is scheduled that morning to consider the issue. The White House...
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Privy Council had diplomats urge Denmark to expedite Carolyn Bennett’s ambassadorship
By Dylan Robertson -CP-Bureaucrats working for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had diplomats push Denmark to speed up the appointment of former cabinet minister Carolyn Bennett as ambassador to that country — a change most embassy staff learned of through a media leak. The government has not offered a rationale for asking Denmark to expedite its approval of Bennett’s appointment, which came a week before her resignation as MP. In a major upset, the Liberals lost Bennett’s former seat of Toronto-St. Paul’s in a byelection last year. The Canadian Press obtained emails through an access-to-information request showing the Privy Council had Global Affairs push Canadian diplomats multiple times to have Bennett accepted by Denmark and installed months ahead of schedule. Bennett announced in July 2023 that she would not seek re-election....
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New immigration pilot aims to fill gaps in workforce
By Clint Fleury, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, TBnewswatch.com THUNDER BAY — Eligible local businesses will soon get some help recruiting skilled workers seeking to immigrate to Canada. The city has been selected as a host site for a new immigration pilot program. The Rural Community Immigration Pilot aims to connect employers with newcomers to address labour shortages and help local businesses find skilled workers. The healthcare sector will be the primary focus of the program, as well as the retail and accommodation sector and skilled trades, said CEO Jamie Taylor, The Thunder Bay Community Economic Development Commission (CEDC). The CEDC is leading the program and still needs a little time to work out the details, said Taylor, but she did say the program will be employer-driven. “We’re gonna be reaching...
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Man missing from residential care facility charged with impaired driving
SIX NATIONS OF THE GRAND-A 69-year-old Ohsweken man is facing impaired driving charges after police conducted a traffic stop on Jan. 17. Six Nations Police said they were on patrol at about 2 p.m. when they observed a man driving a vehicle on Tuscarora Road. Police said they determined he was not licensed to drive and said they had been looking for him for some time after he did not return to a local community residential care facility. Police arrested and charged Ronald Longboat of Oshweken with operation while prohibited, two counts of fail to comply with undertaking, three counts of drive under suspension, drive motor vehicle unlicensed, use plate not authorized for vehicle and fail to surrender insurance card. The vehicle was impounded for seven days. The accused is...
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Nova Scotia cleanup plan further delays the removal of toxic sludge from First Nation
By Lyndsay Armstrong -CP-A councillor with Pictou Landing First Nation in Nova Scotia says a cleanup plan approved by Ottawa further delays the removal of contaminated sludge that his community has been living next to for decades. Federal Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault on Friday gave the Nova Scotia government the go-ahead for the remediation of Boat Harbour in Pictou County, where a pulp mill dumped effluent next to a Mi’kmaq community for more than 50 years. The decision comes with conditions, including the creation of an advisory committee in partnership with the First Nation to identify possible locations for the long-term storage of the contaminated waste. Pictou Landing band councillor Derek Francis says he is angry the decision doesn’t include a plan to urgently relocate the toxic sludge away from...
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Robinson Superior Treaty First Nations reject $3.6 billion offer for 175 years of breaches
By Margaret Kirk, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter The Robinson Superior Treaty Litigation team has rejected what they call a “low-ball” $3.6 billion offer from the federal and Ontario governments for 175 years of treaty breaches. The Supreme Court of Canada had given Canada and Ontario until Jan. 27 to engage in “meaningful negotiations” to make offers to the 12 First Nations. The final offer of $3.6 billion was turned down by the Northern Ontario First Nations, many of which border Thunder Bay, Marathon, Wawa, Nipigon, and Terrace Bay. The closest band to Sault Ste. Marie involved is Michipicoten First Nation. Judge Patricia Hennessey, who has presided over all three phases of the trial, will impose a court ordered settlement as a result of the six-month negotiation period being unsuccessful. The...
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Manitoba school division to pause bringing back ‘God Save the King’ in classrooms
-CP-A school division in western Manitoba is holding off on reintroducing “God Save the King” during morning announcements. Trustees with the Mountain View School Division have voted to pause the plan and see whether it is legally required and supported by area residents. Scott Lynxleg says he voted to get more information because he’s heard from parents and staff that the change could affect Indigenous staff and students. Manitoba legislation includes a regulation that says the royal anthem should be played at the end of the school day in all public schools. However, the tradition has not been enforced for many years, with many school divisions abandoning it altogether. During a Monday board meeting, of which The Canadian Press obtained a recording, chair Jason Gryba told the other trustees that...
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Indigenous fishers, co-operatives are winners in Ottawa’s shuffle of baby eel quotas
By Michael Tutton -CP-Ottawa has issued the latest version of how it is proposing to distribute licences for the lucrative baby eel fishery in the Maritimes. In a letter to stakeholders on Monday, the Fisheries Department says it is maintaining its plan to shift half the quota of close to 10,000 kilograms of elvers away from nine large licence holders to new entrants from Indigenous communities. However, Ottawa confirms it is backing away from a pilot project to redistribute 27 per cent of the catch of the nine licence holders to 120 fishers who used to work for them. That old pilot proposal, introduced in December, drew strong criticism from the potential recipients, who said they preferred to remain employees and felt safer on the rivers under the existing arrangement....
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UBC students team up with Lil’wat for Sea to Sky forestry research
By Luke Faulks, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Twenty-one students with the University of British Columbia’s Master of Sustainable Forest Management (MSFM) program visited the Sea to Sky in January to learn from Lil’wat Forestry Ventures (LFV) about economic and traditional elements of forestry. Between Jan. 20 and 24, the students worked with LFV on how to develop a landscape-level forest management plan that respects key conservation, fire management and cultural values. They were led by Ken Byrne, a UBC lecturer and registered professional forester (RPF) and lecturer at UBC. Byrne has been organizing these expeditions for some time, usually working to arrange the MSFM in partnership with a community forest or smaller tenure nearby or owned by a First Nation. “Indigenous content is layered throughout the program, because obviously we’re...
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B.C. Chief Joe Alphonse stepping down after 16 years
By Andie Mollins, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Williams Lake Tribune Nits’ilʔin (Chief) Joe Alphonse will not run in the 2025 chief and council election for Tl’etinqox (Anaham). Alphonse, who also sits as Tribal Chair for the Tŝilhqot’in National Government (TNG), has been Nits’ilʔin of Tl’etinqox for 16 years. With over 1,000 members, Tl’etinqox is the largest community of the Tŝilhqot’in, a nation consisting of six communities between the Fraser River and the Coast Mountains in west-central British Columbia. In a special statement posted on Facebook by the TNG on Jan. 27, Alphonse thanked his supporters and said he was proud to be leaving the community in a strong financial situation. “Without support you can’t be Chief – so I am, and always will be, grateful for that,” he said....
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North Coast First Nation sues Canada, B.C. and Prince Rupert Port
By Radha Agarwal, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Prince Rupert Northern View The Gitxaała Nation is suing the federal and provincial governments and the Prince Rupert Port Authority (PRPA) in the BC Supreme Court. The North Coast First Nation filed the Jan. 27 civil lawsuit along with Lu Sa Hax Hoyaxgm Wil’nat’aał (LSHH), the joint committee of Hereditary Chiefs and the elected Council. It alleges the Crown and PRPA failed to fulfill their duty to consult with Gitxaala on significant land and resource decisions in the Prince Rupert Harbour area, resulting in cultural and economic losses for the Nation. The claim stresses the Crown has repeatedly shunned Gitxaała’s rights by downplaying its claim to the territories within the Prince Rupert Harbour, Kaien Island and the mouth of the Skeena River. This...
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