Data centre capacity could soar to 20 GW in planned projects: government document
By Anja Karadeglija A document prepared for the federal artificial intelligence minister to use when pitching international investors on Canada’s AI ecosystem identifies a massive proposed increase in Canada’s data centre capacity. But spokespeople for the government pushed back strongly on the figure, saying it is not a projection of the capacity Canada expects to build, and the total capacity will be much less. It says Canada currently has about 337 megawatts of AI data centre capacity, and there are more than 20 gigawatts — or 20,000 megawatts — in projects that are “under planning or development.” The number was included in a presentation prepared by a government department for Artificial Intelligence Minister Evan Solomon to use with international investors. It was obtained by The Canadian Press through access-to-information. “With...
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Winnipeg cops unveil ‘reconciliation’ cruiser — but critics are unimpressed
By Crystal Greene, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, IndigiNews The Winnipeg Police Service (WPS) proudly showed off the newest tool in its law enforcement arsenal last week: a “reconciliation” cruiser, featuring symbols from Anishinaabe and Inuit cultures. “Reconciliation requires action,” WPS Chief Gene Bowers told reporters on June 30. “This cruiser will be used to create spaces to share, listen and learn.” But for the force’s critics, the timing of the symbolic gesture could not have been more inappropriate. The event unveiling the cruiser — which includes animals from Anishinaabe culture’s Seven Sacred Teachings, and an ulu (blade) and kayak representing Inuit culture — coincided with a ten-day drug enforcement crackdown advocates say disproportionately harms Indigenous people. The policing blitz targets people who use drugs openly on the city’s streets. Dawnis...
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Officials fear winds will fan out-of-control Brunswick Complex fire near Boston Bar
Officials say strong winds through British Columbia’s Fraser Canyon northeast of Vancouver could further fuel two wildfires that are burning out of control, forcing hundreds from their homes and cutting off power in the area. The BC Wildfire Service says the Brunswick Creek and Ainslie Creek wildfires burning near Boston Bar, B.C., measure a total of more than 114 square kilometres and have forced residents to evacuate from 222 properties. Two evacuation alerts that warn other residents to be ready to leave on short notice now cover 188 nearby properties, including the community of Boston Bar. Six separate evacuation orders are now in place, including for two First Nation communities, along with two evacuation alerts for other residents. The fires have also forced the closure of the Trans-Canada Highway, and...
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Late-June Somass River sockeye run brings abundance to First Nations
By Nora O’Malley, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Ha-Shilth-Sa Port Alberni, BC – Canning jars are filled and freezers are stuffed with fresh sockeye salmon after a fortunate spell of cool weather sparked an abundant late-June return up the Somass River. Tseshaht First Nation fisher Shae Doiron netted almost 1,000 fish in a single set with her father Chuck and two deckhands. The lifelong fisher said the June 28 catch was the best she’s ever had. Chuck simply described the big pay day as “paradise”. “Grateful and blessed,” Shae adds. “We are taken care of for the winter.” Located in Port Alberni, Tseshaht and Hupačasath First Nations have an Economic Opportunity (EO) agreement with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) to gill net in the upper Alberni Inlet and the...
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U.S. approves relocation of Marineland belugas
By Dominique Gené, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunatsiaq News Thirty beluga whales stranded at the now-defunct Marineland park in Niagara Falls, Ont. appear to be bound for the United States instead of to the Arctic Ocean, as one Nunavik man had proposed. Last fall, when Canadians learned the once-popular tourist attraction considered euthanizing the whales it could no longer pay to care for, Nunavik’s Jason Etok proposed an alternative solution. He suggested they be relocated the belugas to an Inuit-led marine habitat in the Arctic, such as Hudson Bay or Ungava Bay, where they could live in a more natural environment. But the relocation of Marineland’s remaining beluga whales is moving forward, after the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration authorized accredited American facilities to receive the animals. In addition,...
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‘A wound that cannot be repaired’: Two fallen N.W.T. wildfire fighters identified
Two of the three people who died after a plane fighting wildfires in the Northwest Territories went down last month have been identified. A social media post from NWT Fire on Wednesday says Olivier Lamy and Ryan Beck were killed June 24 when a Turbo Commander 690 crashed near Fort Simpson, west of Yellowknife. Buffalo Airways has said one of its aerial firefighting pilots also died in the crash. Their identity has not been released by officials. Territorial wildfire officials say Lamy was an air attack officer who previously fought wildfires with Parks Canada, and Beck was in his second season as an air attack officer trainee. “Their loss is a wound that cannot be repaired and is felt far and wide in the wildfire community,” the agency’s post says....
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N.B. government dismisses concerns it mistreated municipality in park deal
By Eli Ridder The New Brunswick government is dismissing concerns it treated a municipality unfairly when it chose a First Nation to operate the beach at a provincial park. Tourism Minister Isabelle Thériault says Wotstak First Nation was the best prepared out of three options to manage the 31-hectare North Lake Provincial Park in western New Brunswick. But the mayor of nearby Lakeland Ridges says he was caught off guard when the province on Tuesday announced the First Nation had been selected. Mayor Greg Grant says his municipal council wrote the province a letter of intent in early June to run the park — and didn’t hear back until the announcement. Grant says two local summer students lost out on a job opportunity when the municipality wasn’t chosen. In a...
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Brantford Police Seize Over $157k Worth of Drugs During Cocaine Bust
BRANTFORD-A Brantford man has been arrested and a large quantity of cocaine seized by the Brantford Police Service (BPS) following a drug trafficking investigation. The drug probe was launched in May 2026 by the Brantford Police Service Drug and Firearm Enforcement Unit. Following the investigation, BPS executed a Controlled Drugs and Substances Act search warrant on July 3, searching both the suspect’s vehicle as well as their Lombard Street residence. The search resulted in the discovery of about 1,579 grams of cocaine, which has a street value of around $157,910, according to BPS. Investigators also located multiple cellphones, drug packaging material, a digital scale, and Canadian currency during the search. A 52-year-old man from Brantford was arrested as a result of the investigation. He is being charged with one count...
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Data centre capacity could soar to 20 GW in planned projects: government document
By Anja Karadeglija A document prepared for the federal artificial intelligence minister to use when pitching international investors on Canada’s AI ecosystem identifies a massive proposed increase in Canada’s data centre capacity. But spokespeople for the government pushed back strongly on the figure, saying it is not a projection of the capacity Canada expects to build, and the total capacity will be much less. It says Canada currently has about 337 megawatts of AI data centre capacity, and there are more than 20 gigawatts — or 20,000 megawatts — in projects that are “under planning or development.” The number was included in a presentation prepared by a government department for Artificial Intelligence Minister Evan Solomon to use with international investors. It was obtained by The Canadian Press through access-to-information. “With...
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Federal government says self-identified Inuit group is fishing illegally in Labrador
By Sarah Smellie A group that says it represents about 6,000 Inuit in southern Labrador has launched its own fishery outside of the oversight and authorization of the federal Fisheries Department. The NunatuKavut Community Council, or NCC, has been encouraging its members to fish together if they are worried about enforcement by Fisheries and Oceans Canada, which says any fishing under the council’s unauthorized harvesting plan is illegal. The dispute is the latest source of friction involving the NCC as it pushes for federally mandated rights as an Inuit group, despite lacking recognition by any federally recognized, rights-holding Inuit collective. “We do this work … so that our people can have food forever, their own foods, their traditional foods, doing it in a way that passes along our traditions and...
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First Nations lacrosse legend to be inducted into Ontario hall of fame
By Sam Laskaris, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Windspeaker.com Though some of his greatest accomplishments were about three decades ago Larry King continues to be recognized for his lacrosse exploits. King is one of the six individuals who will be inducted into the Ontario Lacrosse Hall of Fame this year. Induction ceremonies will be on Nov. 24 in St. Catharines, Ont. King, 64, is a member of the Mohawks of Akwesasne, which is located on the Ontario/Quebec border and straddles into the state of New York. “I physically reside in Quebec,” said King, who will be inducted into the Ontario hall via the Player category. “But the New York state border runs right off the corner of my house. It’s right through the middle of my swimming pool.” King said his...
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Prime minister reflects on personal history with Britannia mine
By Ina Pace, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Squamish Chief Prime Minister Mark Carney looks back on his familial ties to the Britannia Mine, and lessons learnt from its operation. Prime Minister Mark Carney has some personal ties within the Sea to Sky, Britannia Beach to be specific. As shown in a video clip posted to his official Facebook page on July 4, Carney said his maternal grandfather worked at the Britannia copper mine from the 1930s through to the early 1950s. The clip is taken from Carney’s announcement of the Canada-British Columbia Cooperative Prosperity Agreement on July 2 in Vancouver, in which he noted a series of agreements between the province and federal government, such as federal support for the Red Chris Mine Extension, George Massey Tunnel Replacement Project...
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‘I’ve just done what needed to be done:’ features women on the frontlines of climate disasters
By Breanne Massey, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Wren An in-depth documentary that takes a look at the “wisdom of women” frontline responders, community leaders and survivors of climate change disasters in British Columbia and the Northwest Territories hopes to spark conversations about resilience and solutions. The new documentary entitled Emergence: Women in the Storm from award-winning directors Nova Ami and Velcrow Ripper was showcased for the community by the Kamloops Film Society and Thompson River University’s Hot Topic Cultural Mapping Research Group at the Paramount Theatre July 4. “We hope that it inspire(s) people to engage with emergency planning in a little bit more of a critical way,” Hannah O’Neil, Thompson Rivers University (TRU) Wildfire Cultural Mapping Group research assistant told The Wren by phone, adding it’s critical for...
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Kukko has a challenger in Nipigon mayoral election
By Mike Stimpson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, SNnewswatch.com NIPIGON — The mayoral ballot in Nipigon has a second candidate: Matthew Dupuis. The local business owner and former Red Rock Indian Band chief filed with the township clerk’s office to challenge incumbent Suzanne Kukko in her bid for a second term. Dupuis’s LinkedIn page says he has been a partner in Pelletier’s Gas Bar & Native Art Gallery in Lake Helen since 2021 and was Red Rock chief in 2018-19. He has been employed by Northern Mat and Bridge, a construction company headquartered in Grande Prairie, Alta., since 2019 and is currently its director of Indigenous partnerships and commercial strategy. “I did one term on council, one term as chief for Red Rock Indian Band, and I’ve always been basically a...
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The Fort Frances mayoral race is on: Calder and McTaggart throw their names in the ring
By Liam Oliver Neilson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Fort Frances Times With just over a month left for candidates to declare themselves in the race for Fort Frances Town Council, only two names have emerged so far in the contest for a mayor to replace Andrew Hallikas, who is not seeking another term. Lifelong Fort Frances residents Brent Calder and John McTaggart both feel strongly that they can make a positive impact on the community as they gear up for a campaign that will conclude with the municipal election on Oct. 26. All nominees for mayor and council will be confirmed by Aug. 24. Calder said he decided to throw his hat in the ring so he can work towards bringing positive changes to the community he calls home. “I’m...
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From the 2010 Olympics to the World Cup, Vancouver has pioneered Indigenous inclusion
By Anne M. Peterson VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Scattered among the many big screens airing World Cup matches and the food stands with local fare like poutine, Vancouver’s fan festival includes exhibits recognizing the host city’s Indigenous communities: the Squamish, the Musqueam and Tsleil-Waututh nations. The First Nations have been involved in more than just the fan fest, however. They are partners with the local World Cup organizing committee, drawing on a tradition started at the 2010 Winter Olympics. It’s the latest example of how Indigenous inclusion has increasingly figured into big sporting events, from the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Vancouver’s goal was to ensure that the First Nations were at the table in the planning process for...
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Canada’s resource push meets a housing crunch in northwest BC
By Sonal Gupta, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Canada’s National Observer Some of Canada’s biggest economic ambitions run through small cities in northwest BC. Terrace and Prince Rupert sit along BC’s trade corridor to the Pacific, where the province and Ottawa are looking to expand LNG exports, mining, transmission infrastructure and port capacity tied to Asian markets. But they’re already struggling with tight rental markets, aging infrastructure and little room for the workers needed to support that growth. Their mayors say governments are moving quickly on major projects while housing plans for the small cities absorbing the pressure lag behind. “There’s a wave coming to northwest BC that I do not believe anybody can brace for,” Terrace Mayor Sean Bujtas told Canada’s National Observer. “And we’re already behind.” Last week, Prime...
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Summer wind storm hits Six Nations community wide
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Six Nations Group Announces $60k In Latest Funding Round, Appoint 4 New Board Members
By Alex Murray Writer For the third time in 2026, grassroots organizations at Six Nations of the Grand River have a chance at extra funding courtesy of Six Nations Group (SNG). Operated through SNG’s Economic Development Trust (EDT), the third round of grassroots funding for this year was announced on July 2 and has $60,000 available for community investment into grassroots organizations. The EDT will start accepting eligible applications on July 6, 2026, with the deadline coming about a month later at 4:00 p.m. on August 5, 2026. Applications can be accessed at sixnationsedt.ca. This grassroots funding stream is aimed at established volunteer groups and organizations that administer projects and initiatives benefitting the community at Six Nations. Eligible applicants will not have regular employees or a registered board of directors....
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Six Nations Survivors Secretariat funding uncertain
The Six Nations Survivors Secretariat is facing another year of uncertainty over federal funding. Survivor Secretariat Executive Lead Laura Arndt SNEC asked Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC)l to allow it to keep approximately $157,000 in unspent funding at the General Finance Committee meeting on July 6. The funds are from a previous $1 million allocation from SNEC to cover the organization for the 2024-2025 fiscal year after the federal government provided no funding. Arndt said the Secretariat was forced to carefully manage last year’s funding after receiving no federal funding during the 2024-25 fiscal year until the final day of that fiscal year. The Secretariat had prepared for the possibility of having to close its doors before Six Nations stepped in with emergency funding. The Secretariat has two options for...
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