Supreme Court to hear case on constitutionality of requiring oath to the Crown
The Supreme Court of Canada says it will hear a case on whether requiring prospective lawyers to swear the Oath of Allegiance to the reigning monarch is unconstitutional. The decision comes after Alberta’s top court decided in December that the rule in the province violates the constitution and infringes on religious freedom. The Court of Appeal of Alberta said the legally required oath forced Prabjot Wirring to choose between practising law in Alberta and his faith as an Amritdhari Sikh. Wirring originally challenged the oath in June 2022, arguing he swore an allegiance to Akal Purakh, the Creator in the Sikh faith, and couldn’t make an allegiance or devotion to any other figure or entity. “I knew from Day 1, because of my faith as a Sikh and because of...
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Cat Lake chief proposes First Nations-led wildfire authority
By Mike Stimpson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, SNnewswatch.com CAT LAKE — Wildfire evacuees having returned to Cat Lake, the fly-in First Nation’s chief has ideas on how future fire seasons could be handled better. Chief Russell Wesley released a press statement Thursday saying this year’s “catastrophic fires” in northern Ontario “are a warning that the current approach to forest management, emergency preparedness and climate adaptation is not sufficient.” Wesley told Newswatch he released the statement — which includes an action plan for the provincial and federal governments — partly out of “frustration with the With the Cat Lake experience, but also because as a chief, I have to represent the greater public as well.” An audit of this year’s wildland fire management will take too long when there are actions...
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Conservative MP Larry Brock announces he will resign next month
BRANTFORD, ONT-Ontario Conservative MP Larry Brock is resigning as member of Parliament and is to return to his previous role as a prosecutor in southwestern Ontario. Brock, the MP for Brantford-Brant South-Six Nations, said in a social media post Thursday he would officially resign his seat Sept. 18 to return to the “front lines of justice” at the Crown attorney’s office in Brantford, Ont. First elected in 2021, Brock served as justice critic but was shuffled out of that position by Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre in June. His departure also leaves another vacancy for the Conservatives and triggers a byelection in the southwestern Ontario riding. He is the seventh MP to leave Poilievre’s caucus since the 2025 election, with four of them crossing the floor to the Liberals. “My commitment...
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Officials will not release cool water from a Colorado River reservoir to protect threatened fish
By Dorany Pineda And Brittany Peterson Federal officials said Thursday they will not release cool water this year from one of the Colorado River’s major reservoirs, which would have protected a threatened native fish downstream but put more strain on already struggling hydropower production. In an email obtained by The Associated Press, the Bureau of Reclamation told various groups that water from Glen Canyon Dam in northern Arizona would not be released “due to significant hydropower generation concerns under already strained system conditions.” As the Colorado River and its once massive reservoirs shrink from overuse and climate change, officials were faced with a decision that pits conservation of the humpback chub — a threatened fish native to the river — against ratepayer costs for electricity. The decision comes after the...
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Okanagan Indian Band ‘getting stronger everyday’ amid devastating wildfire
By Aaron Hemens, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, IndigiNews Although a devastating wildfire continues to leave hundreds without access to their homes, Okanagan Indian Band (OKIB)’s chief says his community “is getting stronger everyday.” “We’re holding up,” naspəpʕásəs Dan Wilson told IndigiNews on Wednesday, almost a week since the Bradley Creek wildfire ignited on reserve lands at nk̓maplqs (the head of Okanagan Lake) on July 31. “We’re very resilient. We have a long history — we’ve been here for 10,000 years.” The fire — which Wilson said sparked on range land above the community’s powwow grounds — is currently listed as out of control and is measured at more than 2,800 hectares, according to BC Wildfire Services’ Aug. 6 update. “It was really a shock how fast this happened,” said Wilson....
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Climate change made Ontario, N.W.T. fire conditions roughly twice as likely: report
By Jordan Omstead The conditions underlying intense July wildfires in Ontario and Northwest Territories were made roughly twice as likely due to human-induced climate change, said a new report published Thursday. The report by an international team of scientists says what were once rare fire conditions are now increasingly likely today due to climate change, driven by the burning of fossil fuels. “The geographic spread of these fires is scary and shows that despite preparedness from wildfire governance, adaptation alone is not enough,” said Theodore Keeping, a co-author and Imperial College London research associate. “We need to rapidly move away from fossil fuels to avoid events like this becoming even more of a reality.” The World Weather Attribution report says early observations indicate the hot, dry and windy conditions fuelling...
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Canada’s justice system enhances protections for intimate partner violence victims
By Nora O’Malley, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Ha-Shilth-Sa Last month, significant changes to Canada’s Criminal Code were passed into law to strengthen protections for victims of gender-based violence, and to keep children safe from predators. The Protecting Victims Act (Bill C-16) received Royal Assent on June 18. Most of the changes came into force on July 18. “In general, all of the changes that are in this announcement are designed to provide more recognition of vulnerable victims and their experience of the criminal legal system and trying to mitigate that with support,” said Angela Marie MacDougall, executive director of the Vancouver-based Battered Women’s Support Services. The law gives the justice system stronger tools to intervene earlier to sexual violence, gender-based, and intimate partner violence before it turns fatal, according to...
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Iqaluit hunters prepare to net bowhead whale
By Daron Letts, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunatsiaq News There will be “maktaaq everywhere” on Iqaluit’s shore on Aug. 14 if members of the Amaruq Hunters and Trappers Association manage to catch their first bowhead in four years. An unidentified member of the Amaruq Hunters and Trappers Association prepares whale meat following a hunt of a bowhead whale near Iqaluit in August 2022. The association is planning another bowhead hunt next week. (Photo by Bill Williams, Special to Nunatsiaq News) Twenty-four hunters of all ages are set to take part in the hunt next week. “We have lots of people involved — a lot of young people,” said Naulaq Inookie, chair of the association’s qalugiaq planning committee, which is co-ordinating the hunt. The last bowhead hunt in Iqaluit was in...
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Terrace Bay station will improve EMS response: Muir
By Mike Stimpson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, SNnewswatch.com THUNDER BAY — A new and “modern” EMS station in Terrace Bay will improve service and aid in recruitment of paramedics, Superior North EMS chief Shane Muir says. “We’re really excited about the new Terrace Bay station that’s going to be put up in the community, and it’s going to service the whole region,” he said in an interview Wednesday. Paramedics at the station, to be built at 1006 Highway 17, will respond to calls in communities including Schreiber, Rossport and Pays Plat First Nation as well its host township in “a hub model,” he said. Muir said paramedics will be housed in the area and the new building will have a gym and other facilities in addition to room for up...
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Climate change made Ontario, N.W.T. fire conditions roughly twice as likely: report
A new report says the conditions that fuelled July wildfires in Ontario and the Northwest Territories were made roughly twice as likely due to human-induced climate change. The report by an international team of scientists says what were once rare fire conditions are now increasingly likely today due to climate change, driven by the burning of fossil fuels. The World Weather Attribution report says early observations indicate the hot, dry and windy conditions underlying fires in the Northwest Territories could now be expected to occur every two to six years, and every six to 15 years in Ontario. In a world without human-caused climate change, the report suggests those conditions would have been much rarer, or less than once in 40 years. Early estimates suggest this is the worst wildfire...
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Nuu-chah-nulth’s 2026 Tlu-piich Games get underway with canoe races
By Nora O’Malley, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Ha-Shilth-Sa Port Alberni, BC – Dozens of Nuu-chah-nulth athletes raced canoes across tiipis (Canal Beach) at John Douglas Park in the sweltering Alberni Valley peak summer sun, as the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council (NTC) officially opened the 2026 Tlu-piich Games on Aug. 5. Wearing a bright fluorescent green Tlu-piich Games T-shirt, rookie coordinator Brevin Charleson joked that he took the “heat” from a sticky 28C day and the “heat” from all the participants with ease. “I just sweat it off. The people and the heat. Just go with the flow and things work out,” said Charleson. “Day One was awesome. It went exactly how we wanted it to go. We were out here in the park on the beach by the water, so a...
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Treaty 8 First Nations comes out of 2026 AGM with new name, water agreement with Dene Nation
By Jeremy Appel, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Alberta Native News (ANNews) – Treaty 8 First Nations of Alberta has voted unanimously to henceforth be known as Treaty 8 Sovereign Nations, which the organization attributes directly to the “unprecedented political climate being fostered by the current Alberta government.” Treaty 8 Sovereign Nations announced its new name the day after the 2026 Honouring Our Treaty Gathering and Annual General Meeting wrapped up on July 30 on Woodland Cree First Nation territory. A July 31 news release from Treaty 8 Sovereign Nations states that the modified name better “reflects and reinforces the sovereignty held by every First Nation throughout Treaty No. 8 Territory,” noting that the Treaty was signed in 1899 – six years before Alberta came into existence. “This historic change sends...
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Brantford Police Seeking Public’s Help In Locating Missing Man
BRANTFORD, ONT-The Brantford Police Service (BPS) is looking for the public’s help to locate a missing 50-year-old man. The man, identified by BPS as “Mark,” is 5’6” and about 130 pounds with a thin build and ear-length blonde/grey hair with a blonde/grey beard. Mark also has what BPS described as an “abstract tattoo” on his left bicep, though a current clothing description was not available. Mark was last seen on July 27, 2026, on the famed Sunset Boulevard in the affluent Pacific Palisades neighbourhood of Los Angeles, California. According to BPS, he may have been in contact with friends and family in the Brantford area, which led to the call for the Brantford public’s help in locating Mark. His family and friends are very concerned about his well-being, BPS said,...
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Brantford Police Seeking Witnesses After Injured Man Dies
BRANTFORD, ONT-Following an incident that resulted in the death of a man, the Brantford Police Service (BPS) is seeking witnesses and footage from nearby dash or doorbell cameras. At around 9 p.m. on Tuesday, August 4, 2026, BPS was dispatched to the area of Park Road North and Dunsdon Street in the Brier Park neighbourhood in northern Brantford. BPS located an injured man on the roadway upon their arrival on the scene. The man was transported to hospital where he was pronounced deceased following life-saving efforts. BPS investigators are attempting to determine the circumstances of the incident. To assist in the investigation, BPS is asking anyone who was in the area at the time, or who may have seen something, to contact police. BPS said investigators are particularly interested in...
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N.B. police seize 4.3 million contraband cigarettes in four weeks, officials say
By Eli Ridder New Brunswick officials say police have seized millions of contraband cigarettes representing $1.1 million in lost tax revenue, after the provincial Liberal government boosted funding aimed at shutting down illicit tobacco and cannabis sales. Officers from various police agencies intercepted more than 4.3 million illicit cigarettes in three major investigations during a four-week period in May and June, authorities said Wednesday. Justice and Public Safety Department peace officers say they have seized more than eight million contraband cigarettes in New Brunswick so far during 2026, worth approximately $3.72 million in missed tax revenue for the provincial and federal governments. Public Safety Minister Robert Gauvin said the seizures are not only about taking illegal products off the streets and recovering tax revenue for the government, but also tackling...
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Wildfire destruction mounts in B.C. Interior, structures lost on 120 more properties
Wildfire destruction in British Columbia’s Interior continues to mount, with authorities outside Clinton saying structures have been destroyed on about 120 properties, adding to the loss of about 230 homes near Okanagan Lake over the weekend. Colton Davies, an information officer with the Thompson-Nicola Regional District, says some properties have lost multiple structures, with the destruction stemming from the massive Pear Lake fire that forced the evacuation of Clinton and surrounding areas on July 24. Davies says about 1,500 properties in the district remain under evacuation order due to the fire, and some of their residents have suffered “tragic” losses. He says the district is still working to determine the exact number of buildings destroyed in the district, while the village’s Mayor Roland Stanke said last week that damage...
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Six Nations Firefighters beat the heat with Sunset Splash
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First Nations Chiefs of Police: “We are not a pilot program”
By Turtle Island News staff Crime, and especially organized crime, continues seeping into First Nation communities across Canada while the government sits on its hands. That’s why the First Nations Chiefs of Police Association (FNCPA) is calling on all levels of government to take steps to allow First Nations to take the lead in combatting the ongoing crisis. Many First Nations have declared states of emergency because of organized crime and other public safety threats over the past year. Sayisi Dene First Nation in northern Manitoba declared one in June 2026 and the Anishinabek Nation made a declaration in November 2025. Ginoogaming and Long Lake #58 First Nations in northwestern Ontario declared a joint state of emergency in May. The declaration was made following an increase in criminal activities from outside...
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No date set for Iroquois Lodge elders move to Brantford lodge
By Alex Murray Writer Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC ) still has no firm date for the relocation of Iroquois Lodge residents from Delhi to Brantford. Six Nations CEO Debra Jonathan could not provide SNEC with a firm relocation date at its July 28th council meeting. Jonathan said the Ministry of Long-Term Care is still waiting on the City of Brantford to sign off on a few outstanding reports before the move from Delhi to the Foxridge facility in Brantford can happen. “I know there’s a lot of questions about when our residents will be moving from the Delhi site to the Brantford Foxridge site,” Jonathan told council. “Once those [reports] are received and reviewed then the move can begin.” Jonathan said they had hoped the reports would have been...
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One year since Kanesatake election halted
By Hadassah Alencar, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Eastern Door Not many Kanehsata’kehró:non predicted the community would go an entire year without an election after the community’s general election was suspended last year. On August 1, 2025, chief electoral officer Graeme Drew wrote in a public statement that flaws in the electoral code led to him putting a stop to the election scheduled for August 2. The decision, in the short-term, upended the community’s governance and threw into question how the community could move forward politically. Now, in the long-term, the community still grapples with ripple effects of the unknown. A Federal Court order allowed an interim caretaker council made up of five outgoing Council chiefs to govern under a limited mandate while a judicial review, which will answer how...
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