Fifteen school trustee contenders face voters at North Delta’s heated all-candidates forum
By Radha Agarwal, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Delta Optimist Fifteen of the 18 candidates running for a seat on the school board faced off in North Delta on Monday night, bringing everything from sharp debates on classroom safety to a brief moment of theatre-room chaos during an all-candidates meeting. Voters heading to the polls on Oct. 17 will choose seven school trustees for a four-year term. Monday’s forum at North Delta Secondary School was the first of two organized jointly by the Delta Teachers Association, the Delta District Parent Advisory Council (DPAC), and CUPE Local 1091. The hopefuls fielded questions on transparency, violence in schools, truth and reconciliation, and student and staff support. The crowd filled half the auditorium, which included candidates’ introductions, three main questions for all candidates, a...
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In a changing northern landscape, Inuit bear guards keep people safe in the wilderness
By Frey Blake-Pijogge, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, IndigiNews After retiring from his career as a federal conservation officer, Derrick Pottle — an Inuk Elder from Tikigâksuagusik (Rigolet) — devoted himself to guiding people on the land, carving, hunting, and training bear guards. The seasoned instructor and guide founded BearSafe Planning in 2005, which trains and certifies students to perform the role of guarding for the bear species found in the region and beyond — including polar bears, grizzly bears, and black bears. Pottle’s three-day course is advertised as offering “safety, protection, confidence in bear country.” Bear guards work to monitor for bears and prevent encounters with humans out on the land. “The whole objective of the course,” he told IndigiNews, is firstly “people’s safety” around bears. But that aim “is...
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Indigenous groups given just two months to consult pipeline project designation
By Alessia Passafiume Indigenous communities along the expected route for the newly announced West Coast oil pipeline were given just two months for consultations about whether the pipeline should be designated a project of national interest — and that was still more than the government first planned. The consultations at first were to take place over one month but were extended to two months after Indigenous leaders raised concerns about the tight timeline. A summary of those consultations posted online by the federal government says Indigenous groups decried the lack of information about the project, which they said prevented them from fully assessing its impact. Prime Minister Mark Carney promised his major projects agenda would not interfere with Canada’s obligations under the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous...
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Alberta highlights Indigenous roots of restorative justice as $720,000 grant deadline approaches
By George Lee, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Macleod Gazette Restorative justice funding in Alberta leverages practices that are deeply rooted in the Indigenous communities of Turtle Island and their teachings, a cabinet minister emphasized on Canada’s National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. “National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is an important day to recognize our history and the work that continues toward reconciliation,” Justice Minister Mickey Amery said on Wednesday, Sept. 30. “That work carries into our justice system, where we continue to support Indigenous approaches to justice and restorative practices that communities have relied on for generations.” Contacted by The Macleod Gazette about the Alberta Restorative Justice Grant, Amery added: “I cannot talk about restorative justice without identifying and highlighting the important role Indigenous communities have played in...
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‘We’re still here’; Nunavut Inuit organization president gives rousing speech on National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
By William Koblensky Varela, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunavut News Close to 200 people crowded into the Royal Canadian Legion Cadet Hall in Iqaluit on Sept. 30 for the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation commemoration. The event usually includes a march through town, but it was moved indoors this year due to inclement weather. A moment of silence was held for the victims and survivors of residential schools before a parlak, or candy toss, was held for Elders and children. Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. President Gloria Uluqsi delivered a rousing speech that elicited several rounds of applause. “Our language is still here. Our culture is still here. Our knowledge is still here. We are still here,” she said. “Today, I want to thank the Inuit who survived. I want to...
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Carney gives Alberta pipeline special interest designation, to be called Pacific Link
By Fakiha Baig A pipeline to haul Alberta oil to tankers on the B.C. coast took a big step forward Thursday. Prime Minster Mark Carney, with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith at his side, announced the line – to be known as Pacific Link — is the first project to receive national interest designation under the Building Canada Act. The designation doesn’t mean the line is a done deal, but it streamlines and simplifies rules, timelines and oversight to help make it a reality. The goal is to get consultations, environmental safeguards, financing and Indigenous partnerships completed by Sept. 1, 2027, to clear the way for construction to begin and ensure startup by 2032-33. “This is an important day for Alberta and for Canada,” Carney announced in the oilsands hub of...
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‘Rock the Indigenous Vote’ campaign being run against Kenora council candidates
By Pam Fedack, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Kenora Miner & News Ahead of the upcoming municipal election, a local resident’s objections to past remarks made by a city council candidate have led her to register as a third-party advertiser. Tania Cameron says she plans to buy radio ads and signs opposing Karla Treadway, Tyler Johnson and Chris McCaffrey, who are running as an impromptu bloc under the banner “A New Vision for Kenora.” Her concerns centre on remarks she attributes to Treadway in podcast discussions about residential schools and reconciliation. She also opposes Johnson and McCaffrey because they are sharing their campaign banner with Treadway, though she acknowledged she has not reviewed their individual platforms. The three candidates say they share a goal of revitalizing Kenora’s downtown area. However, each...
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Condolences for two First Nations elders killed in Delta, B.C., crash
First Nations, politicians and community leaders are expressing their condolences after a collision that killed two elders outside a shopping centre near the Tsawwassen First Nation on Wednesday. Delta police say the driver may have had a medical emergency before the crash in which four pedestrians were struck outside the Tsawwassen Mills mall while taking part in a walk to mark the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. The Indian Residential School Survivors Society says in a post on social media that the loss of the two “beloved” elders is devastating, while the Huu-ay-aht First Nations on Vancouver Island says it feels the tragedy deeply as an elder who died was a grandparent of one of its citizens. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith began her news conference today about the proposed...
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Kinew urges Bloodvein to end checkstop as hunters report being turned away
By Steven Sukkau, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Winnipeg Sun Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew says a checkstop near Bloodvein First Nation should not be used to prevent licensed hunters from accessing public Crown land, as the Manitoba Wildlife Federation calls on the RCMP to intervene in the dispute. Kinew said Friday the province has issued a cease-and-desist letter to Bloodvein First Nation and provided it to the RCMP. The comments came after the Manitoba Wildlife Federation reported that licensed hunters were again being turned away at the checkstop on Provincial Road 304 during the current hunting season. The federation says it has received at least five reports of hunters being denied passage. “I know that folks in Bloodvein are passionate about the moose population. So is our minister. So is the...
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St. Andrews Airport explores runway expansion to serve larger aircraft
By Steven Sukkau, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Winnipeg Sun St. Andrews Airport is exploring an expansion of its primary runway that could allow larger aircraft to operate from the facility. Robert Mark Chislett, Chairman of St. Andrews Airport Inc., said the proposal remains in the early planning stages and is being considered as part of a broader strategic plan for the airport. “We’re at the very early stages,” Chislett said. “The strategic plan will help guide us going forward.” The airport’s existing primary runway is about 3,000 feet long and 75 feet wide. Chislett said some airport tenants have asked whether it could be expanded to about 4,500 feet long and 100 feet wide. The request is partly driven by the needs of air operators serving First Nation communities in...
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Presidents rarely visit Indian Country. Trump’s planned Choctaw Nation rally will be the latest
By Savannah Peters ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — President Donald Trump is holding a campaign rally on the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma on Thursday, putting him in the company of just a handful of U.S. presidents who have visited tribal nations while in office. The rally is part of Trump’s recent campaign push through deep red states, where he has been stumping for Republican candidates and promoting his agenda ahead of November’s midterm elections. The Choctaw Nation is renting its venue for the rally but not sponsoring the event, it said. “We hope his visit provides an opportunity to learn more about what we do as a sovereign nation for our members and for all people in southeast Oklahoma,” Choctaw Nation Principal Chief Gary Batton said in a statement. It’s not...
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Fact File: Masked agitators at First Nation in B.C. not a false flag action
By Timon Johnson Claims have spread online this week that a white nationalist group’s demonstration at a First Nation in British Columbia, which has been denounced by authorities as “disgusting” and “cowardly,” was in fact a false flag operation. The claims say the action was the work of government agents with purported goals ranging from stifling free speech to influencing the upcoming provincial election. But a number of elements, including statements by prominent members of the organization, point to the action being carried out by white nationalists. THE CLAIM On Sunday, a group of masked individuals dropped a banner from an overpass in Kamloops, B.C., with a message mocking reports of unmarked graves at the nearby site of the former residential school on Tkemlups te Secwepemc First Nation. As photos...
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Two First Nations elders killed in B.C. mall crash, Prime Minister Carney says
By Darryl Greer Prime Minister Mark Carney says the Tsawwassen First Nation in Delta, B.C., has lost two beloved elders in a crash at a shopping centre, which police have said appears to have been set off by a medical emergency. Carney said it was “devastating” to lose the members in an accident on a day already so heavy with grief. “My thoughts are with the loved ones of those who died, those who were injured, and the entire community who are in grief and shock,” he said on social media. The crash, which also injured two others, happened Wednesday at the Tsawwassen Mills shopping centre on the reserve, about 30 kilometres south of Vancouver. Police in Delta, B.C., say two people have been killed in a crash at the...
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Two elders of First Nation killed in Delta, B.C., mall crash, two more hurt
By Darryl Greer First Nations members sang and drummed near the bodies of two elders who were killed outside a shopping centre south of Vancouver on Wednesday. The lament was heard from behind large white sheets that officers held up to give them privacy. The Tsawwassen First Nation said the crash occurred during its walk to mark the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Two others were also hurt in what police said was believed to have been set off by a medical emergency involving the driver of a pickup outside the Tsawwassen Mills shopping centre. Later, community members, many of them dressed in orange, linked arms or held their hands to the sky as the bodies were loaded into a coroner’s vehicle. Prime Minister Mark Carney said on social...
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Quebec parties make final pitches with election days away
Quebec’s political parties are making their final pitches to voters with just days to go before the provincial election. Indigenous issues, immigration and Quebec’s relationship with the monarchy were among the topics on the campaign trail Wednesday. Several parties made commitments aimed at improving relations with First Nations and Inuit as Canada marked the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Parti Québécois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon also defended his proposal to abolish the office of lieutenant-governor. His political rivals also weighed in on the proposal. Quebecers go to the polls on Oct. 5. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 1, 2026....
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Police seek answers in crash that killed 2 elders, hurt 2 others on B.C. First Nation
Community members on the Tsawwassen First Nation lined the road, drummed and chanted as the bodies of two elders were loaded into coroners’ vehicles outside a shopping centre near the nation’s reserve south of Vancouver. They were killed and two others were injured by a vehicle outside the Tsawwassen Mills shopping centre Wednesday while taking part in a walk to mark the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Police in Delta, B.C., said it’s believed the driver of a pickup had a medical emergency near one of the mall’s entrances and drove into a group. Prime Minister Mark Carney expressed his condolences on social media to those who lost loved ones or who were injured, saying the accident happened on a day already heavy with grief. The Provincial Health Services...
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2 killed, 2 hurt in crash involving medical emergency at B.C. mall
Two people were killed in a crash at the Tsawwassen Mills mall in Delta, B.C., on Wednesday, while two other pedestrians were injured. Police said early information indicates the driver of the vehicle may have experienced a medical emergency before the collision. They said the injured were treated at the scene by ambulance teams and transported to hospital. There was no ongoing public safety risk, and police said the crash was not related to a community walk to mark the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation that was taking place nearby. The incident prompted Tsawwassen First Nation to end the event. “Tsawwassen First Nation is deeply saddened to confirm that an incident occurred during today’s Truth and Reconciliation Walk,” it said in a statement. “We ask members of the public...
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‘We are better than that’: Canadians mark National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
By Alessia Passafiume Indigenous leaders struck a resolute tone Wednesday as the country marked the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation following reports of a white supremacist demonstration in a First Nations community in the B.C. interior. “Survivors have fought for decades to defend their truths and confront the distortion of history, while our legal system still fails to recognize denialism for what it is — hatred disguised as free speech,” Stephanie Scott, executive director of the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, told a gathering on Parliament Hill. “All of you hold the power to honour survivors and demand accountability, not only from our leaders but from one another. Truth and reconciliation is an ongoing responsibility, a human rights obligation and a sacred commitment.” Roseanne Casimir, chief of Tk̓emlúps...
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Human rights panel condemns Canada’s inaction regarding Indigenous people
By Pierre Saint-Arnaud Canada is failing to meet international legal obligations by refusing to hold thorough investigations into the crimes committed in its residential school system, says a global human rights organization. The Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal issued its final report Wednesday, saying that the residential schools posed “widespread, systematic and most serious human rights violations.” Released to coincide with the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, the 78-page report urged the Canada to investigate, prosecute and punish the perpetrators of these violations, and to provide reparations. The tribunal accused the country of doing “very little” to prevent the continuation of discrimination against Indigenous Peoples. The judgment also condemned Canada for showing “deliberate … contempt” before the international community. It said the country refused to sign certain international conventions and modify...
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Native-plant project wins B.C. award
By Nicholas L.M. Allen, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Crowsnest Pass Herald A native-plant restoration program at coal mines west of Crowsnest Pass has received provincial recognition for its approach to reclaiming disturbed land. Elk Valley Resources and Nupqu Resource Limited Partnership received the Steelmaking Coal Mine Reclamation Award during the 49th annual B.C. Mine Reclamation Symposium in Fort St. John on Sept. 23. The award recognized a partnership that uses plants grown from wild seed collected throughout the Elk Valley to restore areas affected by mining. Nupqu collects the seed and maintains a growing seedbank supporting EVR’s reclamation work. Plant species are selected to match the conditions at individual reclamation sites, with the goal of returning native vegetation and supporting biodiversity. More than 60 different plant species are collected each...
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