Anger over police shootings leads to hiring of Indigenous investigator
By John Chilibeck, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Daily Gleaner The independent team that investigates police violence in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia is going to hire an Indigenous person, a longstanding demand of First Nations leaders who are upset about the fatal shootings of four of their members in recent years. Six years after Chantel Moore, a young Indigenous mother from British Columbia, was shot to death by a police officer in Edmundston in northwestern New Brunswick, the Serious Incident Response Team has posted an ad to hire for a new position, an Indigenous liaison officer, for New Brunswick. The chiefs who represent the six Wolastoqey communities that call the St. John River Valley home told Brunswick News it was a positive first step. “We were encouraged to see...
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Hope from above: study finds satellites could help Ontario conservation authorities protect wetlands
By Anushka Yadav, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Pointer “Conservation authorities face a practical question: do we need to pay for expensive high-resolution satellite imagery, or can free imagery do the job?,” Toronto and Region Conservation Authority Senior Manager of Ecosystem & Climate Science, Jonathan Ruppert, wondered. Nearly two years ago, Ruppert along with four other researchers set out to one of Brampton’s most ecologically important nature preserves to get an answer to that question at a time when conservationists across Ontario are increasingly being asked to do more with less. Nature’s sponges—wetlands—sit at the edge of subdivisions and highways, connecting land and aquatic ecosystems while filtering water, storing carbon and protecting communities from flooding. Yet, they are among the first ecosystems threatened as Ontario’s relentless urban growth consumes more...
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Aluki Kotierk acclaimed as Inuit Circumpolar Council chair
By William Koblensky Varela, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunavut News Former Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. president Aluki Kotierk was acclaimed as chair of the Inuit Circumpolar Council (ICC) on July 25 after no other candidates were nominated. Kotierk, from Iglulik, is also chair of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. “I am hopeful that Greenlanders, Canadians, Alaskans and all Inuit can collaborate,” Kotierk said through a translator in her acceptance speech. Her term will run from 2026 to 2030, replacing outgoing chair Sara Olsvig, who’s from Greenland. Ahead of Kotierk’s acclamation, the ICC adopted a declaration on the last day of the organization’s assembly in Iqaluit calling on all governments to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Resisting attempts to seize Inuit land, maintaining...
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Police watchdog in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia hiring Indigenous investigator
By Eli Ridder A police watchdog in Atlantic Canada is hiring an Indigenous investigator after years of advocacy by First Nations communities reeling from a series of officer-involved deaths. The Serious Incident Response Team, which serves Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, says it created the new position to build trust in police by including Indigenous perspectives. The watchdog, known as SIRT, investigates incidents of death, serious injury, sexual assault or intimate partner violence that may have resulted from the actions of a police officer. Police actions have come under increased scrutiny in recent years due to a flurry of tragic deaths. Four Indigenous people have been killed by police officers in New Brunswick since 2020, including Bronson Paul, who was fatally shot by RCMP in January. The agency’s director Erin...
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To find the root of Canada’s wildfire emissions, look below the trees: study
By Jordan Omstead Most of the carbon emitted by Canada’s record 2023 wildfires came not from burning trees, but from peat and soil, according to a new study that warns a warming climate is making the country’s vast underground carbon deposits increasingly vulnerable to fire. The study says it estimates, for the first time, that about 76 per cent of those emissions came from burning peat and soil, while the rest was trees and other aboveground vegetation. As wildfires become larger and more intense, long-term carbon stored in peatlands and soils could become a growing source of greenhouse-gas emissions, the study warns, contributing to a feedback loop in which global warming fuels fires and fires fuel further warming. “As Canada stores about one‐fifth of the world’s soil organic carbon, these...
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Coastal Nations want ‘master planning,’ not piecemeal projects
By Sonal Gupta, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Canada’s National Observer When Heiltsuk Nation Chief Marilyn Slett invited coastal leaders to gather in Bella Bella, BC, she was expecting a potential fight against Alberta’s proposed new oil pipeline to the North Coast. But after a July 2 announcement moved that threat south, they met anyway — to plan for the pressures already building on the ocean. “We’re not operating from a state of crisis,” said Slett, who is also president of Coastal First Nations. “But we’re not completely future-proof.” The federal announcement sent Alberta’s proposed West Coast pipeline to the Major Projects Office, with a route expected to largely follow the existing Trans Mountain corridor. It also left the federal North Coast tanker ban in place, easing months of concern among...
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First Nation Chiefs want public inquiry and changes to Ministry of Natural Resources after wildfire response
By Alex Murray Writer First Nations chiefs from across northwestern Ontario came together in Thunder Bay to call for a public inquiry into the Doug Ford government’s emergency response to the region’s wildfires. “The lack of communication and evacuation support should horrify all Canadians. Our community was on its own,” said Gull Bay First Nation Chief Wilfred King, who organized the press conference hosted by Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) on Tuesday (July 21). “In the year 2026, how could this happen? More importantly, how do we make sure this never happens again? That’s what an inquiry must answer,” King, who declared a state of emergency for his community on July 14, added. The inquiry would look at issues with operational decision-making, emergency coordination, communication with First Nations, resource allocation, and...
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Police watchdog in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia hiring Indigenous investigator
By Eli Ridder A police watchdog in Atlantic Canada is hiring an Indigenous investigator after years of advocacy by First Nations communities reeling from a series of officer-involved deaths. The Serious Incident Response Team, which serves Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, says it created the new position to build trust in police by including Indigenous perspectives. The watchdog, known as SIRT, investigates incidents of death, serious injury, sexual assault or intimate partner violence that may have resulted from the actions of a police officer. Police actions have come under increased scrutiny in recent years due to a flurry of tragic deaths. Four Indigenous people have been killed by police officers in New Brunswick since 2020, including Bronson Paul, who was fatally shot by RCMP in January. The agency’s director Erin...
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Kanesatake council announces aid for septic upgrades
By Hadassah Alencar, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Eastern Door More than $3.2 million in funding towards a “first wave” of septic system upgrades for Kanehsata’kehró:non was announced by the Mohawk Council of Kanesatake (MCK) on July 23. The investment by Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) will improve 17 percent of Kanesatake’s septic systems and is part of a long-term project expected to eventually upgrade all the community’s septic tank systems. Those chosen to receive funding were selected on an “evaluation and prioritization process related to the risks of contamination of the territory’s water sources,” according to an MCK public statement. This evaluation is based on an inspection and inventory of septic system in Kanesatake by the W8banaki Tribal Council that began last year and will last until 2027. W8banaki representatives...
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Feds received more than 21,000 emails on proposed changes to major project reviews
By Nick Murray The federal government says it received more than 21,000 emails on proposed changes to how major projects are reviewed and will spend the coming weeks combing over those submissions. A window for public feedback on the proposed changes closed Wednesday. The government said it will publish a report summarizing the submissions by the end of the summer. A spokesperson for the Privy Council Office — which oversees the major projects office — said that while officials are still compiling the feedback, as of July 17 the government had received 187 written submissions from stakeholders. They included Indigenous and environmental groups, think tanks, academics, provinces, territories and municipalities. “The Government of Canada also attended 24 meetings with Indigenous groups (including three virtual engagement sessions) and 27 stakeholder meetings,”...
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Funds to fight crime not for Kanesatake
By Hadassah Alencar, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Eastern Door A federal-provincial action plan to target the growth of organized crime exploiting Indigenous communities in Quebec does not include direct funding to Kanesatake, according to the Ministry of Internal Security, while funding for Kanesatake’s community security stays in limbo. Last week, the long-awaited crime-fighting plan was announced with federal minister of Public Safety Gary Anandasangaree committing $2 million in funding for increased collaboration between the Surete du Quebec (SQ) and Mohawk communities in the province. Kanesatake does not have an Indigenous police force, so instead, the SQ will establish partnerships with Mohawk communities such as the Kahnawake and Akwesasne, said the Ministry of Internal Security in a statement. “Consequently, these new teams and the enhanced collaboration will undoubtedly have a...
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Kahnawake steps up for victims
By Marcus Bankuti, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Eastern Door Helen Paavola, chief of the small community of Namaygoosisagagun First Nation, flew into her homelands this week, finding nothing left but ashes. Not even the road bridges are left standing. “My members barely escaped with the clothes on their backs. My community was left to evacuate without notice and support,” she said. Images taken from a tin boat show a goliath wildfire, dwarfing the forest below, but videos, pictures, and words do no justice to the reality on the ground, she said. As wildfires raged in northern Ontario, Namaygoosisagagun, also known as Collins, was not the only community left to manage its own escape. “If you’ve never been to Whitewater Lake,” said Pauline Drake, chief of that First Nation, “it...
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Caretaker chief’s presence questioned
By Hadassah Alencar, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Eastern Door Mohawk Council of Kanesatake (MCK) caretaker council member Brant Etienne attended the annual general assembly of the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) last week, but some Kanehsata’kehró:non have criticized his presence and participation at the meeting. Etienne said he attended the three-day general meeting to vote on resolutions as a council chief, advance ongoing community projects, and meet with other chiefs. From July 14 to 16, he participated in smaller meetings and in some of the plenaries and focused on the community’s security needs as well as general interests at the assembly. For example, on the first day, Etienne addressed the assembly to remind other chiefs that Kanesatake’s need for improved security is shared by many other Indigenous communities, and...
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How can Fort Simpson better prepare for future evacuations?
By Claire McFarlane, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Cabin Radio As Fort Simpson residents settle back home following a wildfire, some are starting to think about what could be done differently should they face another evacuation. Issues being raised include access to essentials if people remain in town, a plan for pets that can’t be evacuated, and how residents should be notified of an evacuation. Tyler Pilling, the Northwest Territories village’s director of protective services, said many aspects of the village’s 20-day evacuation went relatively smoothly, in part because residents had enough time to pack up and leave. “It probably would have been very hectic if we only had a few hours, like some places have been given,” said Pilling, “but the 24 or so hours we had before things really...
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A Pathway to Home – Chisasibi housing research project addresses local realities
By Patrick Quinn, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Nation A recent workshop in Chisasibi gathered input for an initiative exploring “Community-Led Pathways for Affordable and Resilient Housing.” The three-year project is a collaboration between the Cree Nation of Chisasibi, the Chisasibi Eeyou Resource and Research Institute (CERRI), Concordia University, and the Volt-Age Living Lab. By combining technical solutions with community engagement and energy-planning expertise, the project addresses issues of overcrowding, aging infrastructure, high energy costs, and the impacts of harsh weather. The collaborative approach is designed to reflect the community’s unique needs, values and priorities. “The housing situation in Chisasibi is a big problem,” said Brody Sam, a 17-year-old trainee at CERRI. “The biggest issues are mould, overcrowding and having to make additions to current housing. I’ve sometimes seen three...
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Steelworkers Humanity Fund donates $20,000 for wildfire relief in Northwestern Ontario
TORONTO, July 24, 2026 — The Steelworkers Humanity Fund (SHF) is donating $20,000 to support people and communities evacuated by recent wildfires in northwestern Ontario, as well as future wildfire relief efforts across Canada. This year’s wildfire season has forced more than a dozen communities to evacuate in recent days, including 10 First Nationscommunities across northern Ontario. Close to 2,500 people have evacuated to Thunder Bay and other host communities where the United Steelworkers union (USW) represents members affected by the wildfires, in sectors including sawmills and mining. At the initiative of USW local unions in the region, the SHF will divide its support between two initiatives. The Northwestern Ontario Wildfire Community Support Fund was established through a partnership between the United Way of Thunder Bay and the Thunder Bay...
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Critics accuse Ottawa of ignoring human rights as it signs trade deal with Ecuador
By Catherine Morrison Critics are accusing Ottawa of prioritizing trade over human rights by signing a free trade deal with Ecuador. International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu and Ecuador’s minister of production, foreign trade and investment Luis Alberto Jaramillo took part in a signing event in Ottawa on Friday. A Global Affairs Canada news release issued Friday said the event marks an “important milestone in Canada’s efforts to diversify trade and create new opportunities for Canadian businesses.” “It also reflects Canada and Ecuador’s shared commitment to strengthening their trade and investment relationship and bringing the agreement into force as soon as possible,” said the release. Several Canadian organizations and civil society leaders have warned that a Canada-Ecuador free trade deal will threaten the environment and worsen a human rights crisis in...
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Petition urging Alberta separation vote successful with 223K verified signatures
By Jack Farrell Elections Alberta announced Friday that a citizen-led petition looking to force a vote on Alberta quitting Canada is successful. The agency said it verified nearly 223,000 signatures out of almost 280,000 valid names counted. It needed almost 178,000 signatures to be successful. Despite the result, the petition is largely moot. It was quashed in court in May, although the ruling is being appealed by those behind the petition campaign as well as Premier Danielle Smith’s government. Smith has cited the separatist petition and a competing pro-Canada petition as the reason why she has put a separation question on the province’s Oct. 19 referendum The question asks Albertans if they want to remain in Canada or hold a second, binding referendum on leaving the country. The premier has...
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‘Too big to rig’: Alberta separation petition succeeds with 223K verified signatures
By Jack Farrell and Lisa Johnson A citizen-led petition seeking to force a vote on Alberta quitting Canada is officially successful. Elections Alberta announced Friday it verified nearly 223,000 signatures out of almost 280,000 valid names counted. The petition needed almost 178,000 signatures to be successful. Despite the result, the document is largely moot. It was quashed in court in May, although the ruling is being appealed by those behind the petition campaign as well as by Premier Danielle Smith’s government. Smith has cited the separatist petition and a competing pro-Canada petition that got a little more than 400,000 verified signatures as the reason why she has put a separation question on the province’s Oct. 19 referendum. The question asks Albertans if they want to remain in Canada or hold...
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‘Too big to rig’: Alberta separation petition succeeds with 223K verified signatures
By Jack Farrell and Lisa Johnson A citizen-led petition seeking to force a vote on Alberta quitting Canada is officially successful. Elections Alberta announced Friday it verified nearly 223,000 signatures out of almost 280,000 valid names counted. The petition needed almost 178,000 signatures to be successful. Despite the result, the document is largely moot. It was quashed in court in May, although the ruling is being appealed by those behind the petition campaign as well as by Premier Danielle Smith’s government. Smith has cited the separatist petition and a competing pro-Canada petition that got a little more than 400,000 verified signatures as the reason why she has put a separation question on the province’s Oct. 19 referendum. The question asks Albertans if they want to remain in Canada or hold...
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