Liberals expected to shake up labour code with new economic bill
By Craig Lord The Liberal government is expected to unveil new legislation with major implications for labour relations on Monday. The Building Canada Strong Act will be one of the first pieces of legislation Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government introduces in the new fall sitting of Parliament. In addition to streamlining rules for project reviews across the country, the act is expected to propose changes to the Canada Labour Code. Labour leaders, including the heads of Unifor and the Canadian Labour Congress, have said any measure that restricts workers’ ability to strike would weaken their rights and strip them of bargaining power. They worry the legislation will codify the government’s use of Section 107 of the Canada Labour Code to quash strike actions when a dispute is deemed to threaten...
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Government to table bill Monday aimed at speeding up major project approvals
By Nick Murray Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government will table a bill today to fast-track the approvals for major projects. The Building Canada Strong Act is expected to remove the responsibility for reviewing many big projects, such as pipelines and power transmission lines, from the hands of the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada. A discussion paper earlier this year also said Ottawa was aiming to create so-called “economic zones” to give ministers the power to pre-approve certain projects. The government originally intended to introduce the bill in the spring but pumped the brakes after pushback from environmental and Indigenous groups. It underwent extensive consultation through the summer, with Ottawa receiving more than 21,000 emails on it. Earlier this month, the government said it abandoned plans to exempt certain projects from...
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Manitoba RCMP: 60 collision deaths this year, e-bike laws coming
By Renee Lilley, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Portage Graphic Leader A sharp rise in fatal traffic collisions across Manitoba has police urging motorists to exercise greater caution, with local statistics showing severe crashes continuing to impact the Portage la Prairie region. According to year-to-date data released by Manitoba Traffic Services, RCMP officers across the province responded to 52 fatal collisions resulting in 60 deaths as of Aug. 31. The figures represent a 27.5 per cent increase in fatal collisions and a 24 per cent increase in total fatalities compared to the RCMP’s five-year average for the same period. Staff Sgt. Shelley Lepla of Manitoba Traffic Services described the upward trajectory as deeply concerning, noting that the month of August alone saw collisions claim eight lives across the province, including two...
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FCM research touts municipal investment amidst trade war
By Renee Lilley, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Portage Graphic Leader Portage la Prairie City Councillor and Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) Manitoba Director Joe Masi is pointing to new national research to highlight why federal cost-sharing is critical for major local projects, including the city’s planned $118-million water treatment plant expansion. The new study, released by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, highlights the substantial economic returns generated by municipal infrastructure investments across the country. According to the research, every dollar spent on local infrastructure yields $1.05 in Gross Domestic Product (GDP), drives more than $2 in overall economic activity, and creates seven jobs for every $1 million invested. “This study really makes a strong case for government because we are in a period where the federal government wants to build...
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N.S. seafood processor wants accuser to name names in $10-million lobster lawsuit
By Devin Stevens A Nova Scotia seafood processor is arguing that a commercial fishing group suing it over claims it bought illegal lobster needs to name names and provide more detailed allegations before the case can continue. Independent Fisheries Ltd. and its president, Xiaoming (Mark) Mao, argue in court papers that they’re being asked to prepare a defence to the $10-million lawsuit “with no understanding of the (alleged) facts.” The Unified Fisheries Conservation Alliance, a group representing thousands of independent, multi-species commercial fishers and associations across the Maritimes, filed a lawsuit against Mao and Independent Fisheries Ltd. in November 2024. The suit also names the owners and operators of Fisher Direct Ltd. and Seawell Holdings Ltd., both based in Shag Harbour, N.S., as defendants. The alliance alleges it conducted an...
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Carney touts ‘right partnerships’ in Arctic as he welcomes Norwegian PM to Ottawa
By Anja Karadeglija Prime Minister Mark Carney says his focus on building international relationships, including with Norway, is part of the answer to renewed threats from Russia. During a news conference with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store in Ottawa, both leaders were asked about warnings from the Polish prime minister that Russia may be planning hybrid strikes with drones or rockets on European countries that support Ukraine. Store said those warnings should be taken seriously and that Norway’s intelligence has concluded there are “real threats coming from hybrid activity, ranging all the way to potential sabotage.’ Carney didn’t comment on the credibility of the threats, but said he agreed with Store’s statements. “One of the advantages of this relationship and deepening across a broad range of relationships is, yes,...
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Police statement heard in fatal hit-and-run case
By Carrie Ivardi, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, TBnewswatch.com THUNDER BAY — A truck driver who pleaded not guilty in a fatal hit-and-run was told by a police officer that it was hard to believe the driver was unaware he had struck a person with his truck after the driver said he thought it was just a rock. The trial for Gurmeet Singh Brar, from Edmonton, continued this week in a Thunder Bay courtroom. Brar is accused of failing to stop at the site of a collision that killed Kathleen Desmoulin, 41-years-old, of Long Lake #58 First Nation in November 2023. On Tuesday, the court heard a three-and-a-half-hour video interview with police that was recorded following Brar’s arrest in May of 2024. The Crown said it was necessary to their case...
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‘Dooming the moose’: Manitoba Cree chief calls for voluntary stop to hunting
By Brittany Hobson The leader of a First Nation in Manitoba is urging all moose hunters to stop hunting in the community’s traditional territory due to what she calls dwindling population numbers. Misipawistik Cree Nation Chief Heidi Cook is advocating for a “voluntary hunting closure” of an approved game hunting area that encompasses a large part of the community along the northwestern shores of Lake Winnipeg. Cook is appealing to all hunters, including members of Misipawistik, to prioritize the long-term health of the moose population by halting harvesting in the area beginning Monday, when the season opens. “At this moment in time, the moose population just cannot sustain that harvest. So we’re asking all Manitobans to stand with us in protecting moose and calling on our government to do better,”...
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Rio Tinto agrees to continue paying for Nunavut region’s scholarships and cultural programs despite diamond mine closure
By William Koblensky Varela, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunavut News Global mining company Rio Tinto signed a Diavik diamond mine closure agreement with the Kitikmeot Inuit Association on Sept. 17 in Kugluktuk, Nunavut. The deal committed Rio Tinto to continue funding scholarship and cultural programs in the Nunavut region during the permanent closure process for the mine, 300 km northeast of Yellowknife. Currently, the Kitikmeot Inuit Association offers a maximum $1,500 scholarship for college students who stay in their community, a $2,000 scholarship for students who leave their community, and $5,000 for post-graduate studies. Most of that comes from the Rio Tinto Diavik Community Scholarship Fund, which offers $3,100 per student up to two times in their educational career. The mining company has social impact contracts with the Government of...
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How groups tied to U.S. Atlas Network turned a fringe separatist movement in Alberta into a political threat
By Brett McKay, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Investigative Journalism Foundation Separatism has gone from an idea on the margins of the conservative movement to one at the centre of Alberta’s government. Over the last decade, a cadre of libertarian think tanks has been instrumental in bringing Alberta separatism into the mainstream, promoting the idea through research, conferences, social media and the press. They’ve helped craft government policy to prepare Alberta for independence, and to make the threat of secession a powerful “or else” in the province’s stand-off with Ottawa. Connecting this web of institutes and academics are their ties to the U.S.-based Atlas Network, and the revolving door relationship between members of the network and the administration of Alberta Premier Danielle Smith. Atlas Network is a U.S. non-profit that acts...
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Kronis talks amendments to abandoned boats legislation
By Hope Lompe, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Gabriola Sounder, Gabriola Sounder Abandoned boats in the waters surrounding Gabriola, Nanaimo and Ladysmith is a long-standing issue multiple terms of federal MP’s have attempted to get on top of. Vessels left in the water pose a significant risk to the surrounding marine environment, including water contamination caused by fuels, oils and greases, anti-fouling paints and toxic materials found on boats, reads a 2020 report by Sheila Malcomson, MLA for Nanaimo-Gabriola Island. In the “What We Heard” report, survey participants described the low value of older boats combined with the high cost of proper disposal and lack of disposal options, resulting in older boats being sold for a low price or abandoned when they become too costly to maintain. Tamara Kronis, MP for...
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N.L. politicians vote in favour of Quebec energy agreement worth billions
By Sarah Smellie The Newfoundland and Labrador government has voted in favour of a multi-billion dollar agreement to share energy from Labrador with Hydro-Québec, though it passed by a thin margin. The province’s 20 governing Progressive Conservatives rose in the legislature Thursday night in favour of the draft deal. One Independent member joined them. The remaining 18 members — 15 Liberals, two New Democrats and one Independent — stood to oppose. The draft deal came after years of negotiations, one change in government and a renegotiation process. It has inspired anxiety, anger and hope in a province desperate to end a history of hydroelectric failures and persistent crushing debt. Thursday’s vote came after a four-day debate about the non-binding agreement, which proposes plans for more than $50 billion worth of...
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Canadian Medical Association updates code of ethics to address racism, discrimination
By Alessia Passafiume The Canadian Medical Association has updated its code of ethics to clarify how doctors are expected to address racism and discrimination in health care. The CMA says the updates give physicians clearer guidance on providing culturally safe, trauma-informed and equitable care, respecting Indigenous knowledge and working with colleagues. The reforms are part of the CMA’s reconciliation action plan and the code is now available online in four Indigenous languages: Anishinaabemowin, Michif, Northern Michif-Cree and Inuktitut. “Racism and discrimination have no place in health care, yet we know that they persist, sometimes with tragic consequences,” said Bolu Ogunyemi, president of the CMA. “We can and must do better, and this updated code of ethics and professionalism is an important step in that process.” The CMA has apologized for...
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Few signs an election is underway in Quebec’s Far North
By Katrine Desautels North of the 55th parallel, there are few indications that a five-party race is underway to elect Quebec’s next government. In several Nunavik villages, not a single campaign sign was on display just over three weeks before the election. In the last Quebec general election, in 2022, voter turnout in the Ungava riding was 30.21 per cent — far below the provincial average of 66.15 per cent. The northern riding is the largest in the province, covering an area larger than Alberta. In addition to Nunavik, the riding includes about twenty sparsely populated municipalities, including Chibougamau, Chapais, and the Eeyou Istchee James Bay region. The average person in the riding is under 33 years old and more than two thirds of the people who live in the...
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Truth and Reconciliation Week invites everyone to listen
By Somya Lohia, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Shootin’ the Breeze The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation invites Canadians to spend the week before Sept. 30 learning, listening and reflecting during Truth and Reconciliation Week. A five-day online series runs Sept. 21 to 25, and is open to anyone wanting to learn more about the history and legacy of residential schools ahead of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Each day brings a lunch-and-learn webinar with survivors, Indigenous leaders, artists, elders and other knowledge keepers speaking. The webinars run about an hour, ending with a question period between the moderator and guests. The webinars start at 11 a.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, with a noon start on Thursday. There are two sessions on Tuesday, with the first...
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Staffing problems stall federal investigations of missing and killed Native people
By Sarah Raza And Savannah Peters SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Peter Martin went missing two years ago from the Fond du Lac reservation in Minnesota. His family hasn’t stopped looking, but they say the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs investigation into Martin’s disappearance has stalled since the agent assigned to the case left the role in early 2025. “They’ve never had a person take his space for this region and yeah, we haven’t heard from them since,” said family friend Kayla Jackson. The bureau’s Missing and Murdered Unit was created in 2021 to address the crisis of violence against Native Americans and put new resources toward solving cold cases. But a recent federal audit by the Interior Department’s internal watchdog found staffing issues have plagued the unit since its...
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First Nations youth continue fight over Carney’s major projects agenda, summit
By Alessia Passafiume As Canadian politicians were pitching their major projects plans to foreign investors at a first-of-its-kind summit in Toronto, First Nations youth in Ottawa were making a pitch to Canadians on why they should join the fight to stop them. Jeronimo Kataquapit and his cousin Ramon had just returned from a weeks-long journey on the coast of James Bay, a body of water that straddles Quebec and Ontario at the southern tip of the Hudson Bay. Jeronimo called it “hardcore camping,” where he, Ramon and his parents roughed it on the shorelines, spotting polar bears, flocks of geese and caribou along the way. The trip wasn’t for rest and relaxation for the family from Attawapiskat First Nation. It was part of their ongoing efforts to leave physical traces...
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What the missing winter road could mean for Bathurst caribou
By Eshana Gohil, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Cabin Radio For the first time in decades, the Bathurst caribou herd will spend a winter without the Tibbitt-Contwoyto winter road passing through areas used by the animals. The road, used for decades to resupply diamond mines north of Yellowknife, is not being planned for the 2027 season after mine operators said they do not currently require it. Camps will be placed into care and maintenance, with a 2028 road considered more likely. For the Bathurst herd, estimated at just 3,609 animals in 2025 according to the Northwest Territories government, the absence of hundreds of kilometres of winter road traffic could provide a rare reprieve. The herd has declined dramatically from an estimated 470,000 animals in 1986. Its population was estimated at between...
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Nunavut non-profit receives $5.5 million from Australian mining company’s charitable arm
By William Koblensky Varela, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunavut News A non-profit organization that funds Inuit-led initiatives in Nunavut, called Annauma Community Foundation, received $5.5 million from Australian group BHP Foundation. Annauma will give out 40 per cent of that money in community grants over the next three years, attendees of the Nunavut Trade Show were told at Iqaluit’s Aqsarniit Hotel on Sept. 15. “We would be doing a disservice to community if one year we only had $500,000 and the next year we had $3 million. So that’s why we spread that across three years, so we can maintain stability, said Danielle Gibbie, executive director of the Annauma Community Foundation. Long-term funding from Annauma goes towards the traditional sewing organization Agguaq Collective in Rankin Inlet, youth group Red Fish...
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Controversial comments dominating municipal election discourse
By Pam Fedack, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Kenora Miner & News A Kenora resident is calling out some individuals running in Kenora’s 2026 municipal election, and calling on the candidates to make their positions clear on whether or not to return Anicinabe Park to three area First Nations. Tania Cameron, an Indigenous activist with close ties to the community, took to social media earlier in the month to argue the incoming council could play a significant role in deciding whether the city continues fighting the claim in court. Cameron first issued an open letter asking candidates to outline their views on the park, reconciliation, Indigenous economic partnerships, policing and the social issues facing Kenora. Since then, subsequent posts made on social media by her and others have called the positions...
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