Canadiens fans give Carey Price a hero’s welcome as goalie enters ring of honour
By Daniel Rainbird The Montreal Canadiens welcomed Carey Price back to the Bell Centre with a memorable, spine-tingling ovation Tuesday night. Canadiens fans cheered for close to four minutes during an on-ice ceremony, wildly serenading their longtime star goaltender with a blend of “Ca-rey! Ca-rey!” and “Olé, Olé” chants ahead of puck drop against the Minnesota Wild. Price, meanwhile, stood beside the team benches, next to the five individual trophies he won over his illustrious career, as he attempted to get a word in. “From the bottom of my heart, the most sincere ‘Merci beaucoup,’” Price told the crowd, his voice trembling. Canadiens rookie goalie Jacob Fowler has been compared to Price thanks to his stoic, panic-free play style. Price himself has said Fowler is the goalie who reminds him...
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Remembrance Day ceremonies to honour CFB Wainwright fire victims
By Bill Graveland Four soldiers killed in a fire during a training exercise are among those being honoured today at a Remembrance Day ceremony in Wainwright, Alta. Federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is set to attend along with other dignitaries, military members and veterans. On Oct. 17, a strong wind sent flames from a grass fire racing onto troops at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright, southeast of Edmonton. Pte. Shaun Farrell, 23, of Prince Albert, Sask.; Pte. Aidan Goulding, 23, of North Vancouver; and Pte. Hayden Lykkemark, 19, of Langley, B.C.; and Sgt. Morgan Wong, 26, of Edmonton died in the blaze. Thirty-nine others were injured, and many are still recovering in hospital. Prime Minister Mark Carney has called it one of the worst tragedies for the Armed Forces on Canadian...
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Canadians gather for Remembrance Day ceremonies across the country
Canadians across the country are gathering today to reflect on the legacy of war and remember the men and women who served and died defending this country. Canadians will mark 25 years since the start of the Afghanistan war, a conflict in which 40,000 Canadian Armed Forces members served and 159 lost their lives. The Afghanistan conflict, which lasted more than 12 years, was the longest in Canadian history and saw the largest deployment of Canadian troops since the Second World War. Three Second World War veterans are expected to attend the ceremony in Ottawa and Prime Minister Mark Carney, Gov. Gen. Louise Arbour and other dignitaries will lay wreaths at the National War Memorial. CF-18 fighter jets and a Black Hawk helicopter will perform flypasts over the national ceremony,...
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MLAs honour Indigenous veterans, fallen Wainwright troops
By George Lee, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Macleod Gazette Honouring the service of Indigenous veterans in Canada unlocks a story steeped in irony and inequality, the legislature was reminded in the lead-up to Remembrance Day. First Nations, Métis and Inuit military personnel stood up to oppression in two world wars for a country that continued to deny Indigenous people basic rights and freedoms at home, Brooks Arcand-Paul told his colleagues in advance of National Indigenous Veterans Day on Sunday, Nov. 8. Pte. Mary Greyeyes from Muskeg Lake Cree Nation in Saskatchewan joined the Canadian Women’s Army Corps in 1942, becoming the first Indigenous woman in any branch of the country’s military. The air force and navy weren’t options for Greyeyes. Although both did accept women, recruits had to be...
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Kuujjuaq festival organizer hopes to spark conversation about Inuit identity
By Dominique Gené, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunatsiaq News For organizer Saali Kuata, the Path to 100 Festival offers an opportunity to move beyond commemorating the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement. It allows for Inuit to examine how it has shaped their communities. Art can start that conversation. “Art is just another language that we can use that can transcend language,” said Kuata, Avataq Cultural Institute program director, in an interview. The Path to 100 festival celebrates the 50th anniversary of the JBNQA and takes place at the Katittavik Theatre in Kuujjuaq from Sunday to Wednesday. It features an art exhibition, performances and workshops, as well as discussions about cultural identity, futurism and economic development. The governments of Quebec and Canada, as well as representatives for Nunavik Inuit and...
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Rama First Nation Chief recovering at home from heart attack
By Danielle Pitman, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, OrilliaMatters.com Chippewas of Rama First Nation Chief Ted Williams announced over social media Sunday that he is recovering from a heart attack. He said he “feels very fortunate” to be alive; he also survived an earlier heart attack several years ago. The long-time Rama chief says he expects to be away from his job for “an extended period of time.” Williams is currently recovering at home. Last week’s heart attack, however, meant he could not attend Sunday’s Remembrance Day ceremony in Rama. Chippewas of Rama head councillor Ted Snache stepped in during Williams’ absence. In his social media post, Williams said it was first time he could remember missing the annual Indigenous Veterans Day ceremony in Rama. His post included reverent sentiments toward...
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Orange warnings raised over next B.C. deluge, as second death linked to wild weather
By Chuck Chiang Forecasters are escalating rainfall warnings in southwest British Columbia, saying some areas could receive a deluge topping 250 millimetres in a new parade of storms that is set to drench the region. Orange warnings have been raised for west and central Vancouver Island, Howe Sound and the Sea to Sky regions, with Environment Canada warning of flooding and landslides after the “very robust” frontal system makes landfall Tuesday morning. Wild weather has been pummelling B.C. since last week and may have claimed a second victim, after the death of a pedestrian who was hit by a car in Vancouver while she was crossing the road during a heavy downpour. Police noted the weather conditions when they announced that the 78-year-old woman had died in hospital on Saturday,...
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Ottawa amends, extends tariff relief program beyond U.S. steel imports
By Craig Lord The federal government is extending its relief program for firms importing tariffed U.S. goods and is changing the mix of goods eligible for those remissions. Since the early days of Canada’s retaliatory duties against the United States, Ottawa has offered what it calls a temporary remission program to reduce the burden on Canadian firms caught in the tariff crossfire. The government has routinely extended that program and modified what’s eligible for remissions as it looks to give itself more time to help firms transition away from U.S. suppliers, particularly for steel. The program’s expiration date will be extended by another year to June 30, 2028. Effective Monday, it will also expand to include non-steel goods used in mining, quarrying and oil and gas extraction. Goods used by...
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Peru’s move to reconsider protections for uncontacted Mashco Piro raises fears of Amazon logging
By Steven Grattan MEXICO CITY (AP) — Indigenous leaders in Peru are warning that a government decision to reconsider protections for one of the world’s largest uncontacted Indigenous groups could expose more of their Amazon rainforest territory to logging, raising fears of violent encounters and the spread of life-threatening diseases. The Mashco Piro, who live deep in the forests of southeastern Peru and avoid contact with outsiders to preserve their traditional way of life, have increasingly been spotted near encroaching logging concessions in recent years, highlighting growing pressure on their ancestral lands. Eusebio Rios Iviche, vice president of the Indigenous organization FENAMAD, told The Associated Press on Monday the decision threatens to reverse years of efforts to protect the Mashco Piro, exposing them to greater risks of encounters with outsiders...
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First Nations reject premier’s speedy shale gas timeline
By John Chilibeck, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Daily Gleaner One of New Brunswick’s biggest Indigenous groups is throwing cold water on the idea of lifting the moratorium on shale gas development, arguing the Holt government has rushed ahead without proper consultations. The Wolastoqey Nation in New Brunswick, which represents six St. John River Valley communities, issued a news release on Thursday stating the Liberal government had prioritized its own timelines over “thoughtful consideration and genuine Wolastoqey involvement” on the controversial decision. At issue is whether the provincial government should lift the 12-year moratorium and allow companies to frack for gas again in southern New Brunswick, what the Wolastoqey and the Mi’kmaq consider their traditional territory. Fracking gas could create scores of jobs and millions of dollars in wealth, but...
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Alberta First Nation claims B.C. hydroelectric projects violate treaty rights
The Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation in Alberta is suing the British Columbia and federal governments and BC Hydro, alleging that provincial dam projects were built without regard for their rights, culture and way of life. Chief Allan Adam filed a notice of civil claim on behalf of the First Nation in B.C. Supreme Court last week, claiming the projects have unlawfully interfered with the Athabasca Chipewyan’s treaty rights, dating from the 1960s when the W.A.C. Bennett Dam was built to the recent completion of the John Horgan Dam, formerly referred to as Site C. The lawsuit says the Bennett dam’s “potential downstream impacts in Alberta” were never communicated to the First Nation at the time. The lawsuit also says the John Horgan Dam had “measurable impacts” on the waterflows in...
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For nearly 1,000 years, the mesa in all its forms has been an American icon
By Dario López-mills PHOENIX (AP) — Spanish explorers named them mesas, meaning tables, when they came upon them. But in geological terms, a mesa is simply a flat-topped mountain or hill. Millions of years of constant erosion — from the eternal forces of gravity and wind — have created the iconic mesas of the American Southwest. For Native Americans, the original inhabitants of these lands, the elevation of the mesas formed natural fortifications that provided vantage points and tall sides that were supposed to protect them from outside threats. They remain sacred landmarks with a deep spiritual connection. Old Oraibi, a Hopi village in Northern Arizona located on a mesa, is the oldest continuously inhabited community in the United States dating to 1150. ___ LIKE SO MUCH American imagery, mesas...
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Exhibit at Lakehead honours Indigenous veterans of Treaty 3
By Clint Fleury, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, TBnewswatch.com THUNDER BAY — A nearly week-long exhibit at Lakehead University’s Agora continues to shine a light on the experiences of First Nations, Métis and Inuit soldiers from the Northwest. Lakehead University and the Native Veterans Association of Northwestern Ontario are hosting the annual commemorative exhibits during Veterans’ Week and in honour of National Indigenous Veterans Day. The latter was on Sunday Nov. 8. “To have reconciliation between First Nations and the settler population across this country, we have to speak our truth of what we’ve endured and experienced,” says David Thompson, researcher and volunteer with the Native Veterans Association of Northwestern Ontario. The organization was founded by the late Second World War veteran Charles “Willy” John of the Red Rock Indian Band...
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Fracking controversy flares at public meeting
By John Chilibeck, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Daily Gleaner The two farmers, both neighbours, didn’t see eye to eye on shale gas fracking. One, Stephen Moffett, once ran the biggest pig farm in the country east of Quebec. The other, Beth Nixon, is proud to say her family has owned its rolling hayfields in Penobsquis, a short drive from Sussex, for more than a century. Both have had production gas wells on their land for about 25 years, and both wanted to give their opinion at New Brunswick’s inaugural public meeting last week about possibly lifting the 12-year moratorium on further natural gas development. Nixon was one of more than a dozen people who lined up at the microphone Nov. 3 during the question-and-answer portion of the two-hour meeting...
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Chiefs question motive behind Indian Act talks after meeting with Carney, premiers
By Alessia Passafiume First Nations chiefs who attended a closed-door meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney and premiers last month say their concerns were overshadowed by Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew’s call for the abolition of the Indian Act. One chief also criticized Carney’s tone as he responded to a comment about how the United States works with Indigenous people. “We have to ask ourselves if this was a co-ordinated effort between Wab Kinew and the prime minister,” Treaty 8 First Nations Grand Chief Mercredi said of the talk about abolishing the Indian Act. Chief Sheila North of Bunibonibee Cree Nation in northern Manitoba said it’s beginning to appear that way to her. “I hope that wasn’t the case because that would mean they were disingenuous in what they wanted the...
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2,000 job vacancies to fill as Government of Nunavut keeps striving for 85 per cent Inuit employment
By William Koblensky Varela, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunavut News The Government of Nunavut had 2,032 vacant positions as of June 30, and filling many of those roles with Inuit employees is part of the territorial government’s responsibility, says Cambridge Bay MLA Fred Pedersen. Currently, the GN has a 52 per cent Inuit employment rate with a goal of reaching 85 per cent. Pedersen suggested reserving some jobs for Inuit, regional-based targets through relocation offers, recruiting urban Inuit back to Nunavut and hiring Inuit from outside of Nunavut as ways the GN could reach its target. “Having Inuit-only competitions to fill those vacancies, and this would include both Inuit who already live in Nunavut and also our urban Inuit that may want to move back to Nunavut to work for...
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Ottawa outlines details of $600M for CanCon in latest budget
By Anja Karadeglija The federal government has released details on how its promised $600 million for Canadian content will be spent, and the Canada Media Fund is getting the largest chunk. The fund will receive $213.4 million that the government says will support the industry in a variety of ways, including through production and promotion of content. Various independent production funds will receive $185.1 million and the independent local news fund is getting $80 million of that sum. Other allocations include $67 million for the Canada Music Fund, $51 million for the Indigenous Screen Office and $68.5 million for Telefilm Canada. While the government promised the industry $600 million in annual funding last June, last week’s federal budget only allocated funding for this fiscal year. The direct funding is meant...
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Six candidates running in regional Nunavut Inuit association presidential election
By William Koblensky Varela, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunavut News The Kitikmeot Inuit Association election campaign is underway, with six candidates throwing their hats in the ring. Jeannie Ehaloak, Rosabelle Klengenberg, Lawrence Otokiak, Simon Komangat, Raymond Quqshuun Sr. and David Audlatak Nivingalok all registered before the Nov. 6 deadline. Ehaloak is from Cambridge Bay, where she was a mayor from 2011 to 2017 and an MLA for the community from 2017 to 2021. Klengenberg, also from Cambridge Bay, is on the board with Ilitaqsiniq, a culture-based, non-profit organization. She also served with the Nunavut Literacy Council. Otokiak is the director of the Red Fish Arts Society, the Kitikmeot Inuit Association’s social and cultural vice-president, and is also a resident of Cambridge Bay. Komangat, from Gjoa Haven, is a sculptor and...
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Q&A: Meet the new Kanesatake electoral officer
By Marcus Bankuti, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Eastern Door It’s been a long road, but Kanesatake should be heading into the new year having finally elected a new Council. The person responsible for making sure it goes as planned this time around is recently selected chief electoral officer Loretta J. Pete Lambert, a lawyer from Little Pine Cree Nation. The election is set for December 19, more than 16 months after previous chief electoral officer Graeme Drew shocked the community by cancelling the August 2, 2025, contest on the eve of election day, shocking the community and pushing Kanesatake into a full-blown governance crisis. In making his decision to suspend the poll – and in effect cancel the election – Drew cited his belief that there were several ineligible...
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Pacific Link Pipeline: Indigenous leaders challenge Ottawa’s Fast-Tracked Consultation timeline
By John Wirth, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Alberta Native News As the Prime Minister’s office fast-tracks the Pacific Link oil pipeline under new major projects legislation, First Nations leaders warn that a two-month consultation window compromises free, prior, and informed consent. In a bid to distance Canadian energy interests from the USA, PM Carney and Premier Danielle Smith announced that through the “Pacific Link oil pipeline,” Canada will have its first “National designation” from its major projects office. But not everyone embraces the news. The weight of it haunts the future of Indigenous communities’ access to clean drinking water and should not be rushed. Prime Minister Mark Carney eagerly pledged that his major projects agenda would not compromise Canada’s obligations under the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous...
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