Report urges ‘policy reset’ for Canada’s telecom sector to help operators invest
By Sammy Hudes A new report says the focus of Canada’s telecommunications policy should shift from lowering consumer prices to creating better conditions for companies to invest in their networks at a time when traditional revenues are plateauing and capital costs are expected to rise. The paper from U.K.-based Global System for Mobile Communications Association calls for a “policy reset” that prioritizes affordable and predictable spectrum pricing, support for 5G and AI infrastructure such as data centres, and improved regulatory certainty. It also recommends continued public-private funding to bolster rural and Indigenous connectivity. “Canada is reaching an inflection point in terms of telecoms policy,” said Niall Magennis, senior policy director for the association, which represents more than 1,000 mobile operators and related businesses across the world. “We have to remember...
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Canadians step up to give blood after fire at Alberta military base kills four
By David Baxter Canadian Blood Services says it has been “deeply moved” by a surge in public support following a deadly fire at a military base in Wainwright, Alta. The non-profit reported Monday that it saw a fourfold increase in the number of appointment bookings for blood donations on Sunday. Close to a dozen people were at the Edmonton Canadian Blood Services branch at opening Monday morning. Some had appointments booked before the fire, while others rushed to claim spots that were quickly being filled. Michael Harper said he arrived Monday morning hoping they would take his donation as a walk-in appointment. Harper said he was an army reservist and his unit served in the same armoury as Sgt. Morgan Wong — one of soldiers who died in Saturday’s fire....
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Maple leaf love: Albertans vote strongly to stay in Canada
By Jack Farrell O Canada, Alberta is staying put. In a historic referendum Monday, voters marked their ballots in overwhelming numbers to remain in the country that made Alberta a province 121 years ago. In early returns, about 76 per cent of Albertans said yes to Confederation, while 24 per cent said they wanted the province to hold a second, binding referendum on leaving. Both Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Prime Minister Mark Carney lauded the result. “Thank you, Alberta!” Smith wrote on social media. “Albertans have voted for a stronger Alberta in a united Canada.” Smith said she would give a TV address Tuesday night to detail where the province goes from here. Albertans have voted in droves to stay in Canada. The result was satisfying for the pro-Canada...
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Judge reserves decision on fate of Saskatchewan Mountie killer’s truck
By Jeremy Simes REGINA, SASK-CP-A man sentenced to life in prison for killing two Mounties in a chase involving his blue pickup truck 20 years ago will have to wait on whether he can get the vehicle back. Justice Daryl Labach told a Saskatoon courtroom Monday he’s reserving his decision on what to do with Curtis Dagenais’ 1986 GMC 1500. The judge is set to make a ruling on Dec. 4. Prosecutors are seeking the vehicle be forfeited to the Crown, while Dagenais — who represented himself without a lawyer — argues it still holds value for parts and that the issue has been mentally difficult. “(I’m) locked up like a dog,” Dagenais, 61, told court. It has been 17 years since a jury convicted Dagenais of first-degree murder for...
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Federal ministers defend major projects bill at House committee meeting
By Catherine Morrison Four federal ministers are defending the government’s contentious legislation to speed up major projects in the House of Commons today, as Ottawa continues to face criticism from Indigenous, environment and labour groups. The 243-page bill would fast-track approvals for major projects, cut their review times and create zones of “national interest” to pre-approve certain types of projects. Labour leaders and union members gathered across Canada last week to protest Bill C-39, arguing the legislation would undermine workers’ right to strike. A collective of First Nations groups has also condemned the legislation, arguing it would weaken environmental oversight and strip away their ability to influence decisions affecting their territories. Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc said today that Bill C-39 does not reduce Ottawa’s requirement to consult with Indigenous...
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Ministers tout Indigenous policing investment
By Connor McDowell, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Brandon Sun While no new money was announced for Indigenous policing on Friday, federal and provincial public safety ministers held a press conference in Brandon to announce $163.5 million in past funding commitments. Speaking at the Waywayseecappo Conference Centre, federal Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree said the combined funding from the two governments is aiding the expansion and effectiveness of Indigenous-led policing efforts. “I’m happy to announce that our governments today, Canada and Manitoba, are jointly supporting two major investments in First Nations policing and community safety here in the province under the First Nations and Inuit Policing Program,” Anandasangaree said. “This money will strengthen its capacity to deliver First Nations-led, culturally informed policing to the 12 First Nations communities that it currently...
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Kendra Jessie: One of TikTok’s 2026 Indigenous Voices to Watch
By Chevi Rabbit, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Alberta Native News For Indigenous youth growing up in small communities, seeing someone from a place like theirs’ succeed on a larger stage can change what they believe is possible. For Kendra Jessie, that connection is personal. The Indigenous content creator, speaker and fitness coach grew up in High Prairie, Alberta, in Treaty 8 territory. She is mixed Cree and Ukrainian, with status from Sucker Creek First Nation and family connections to Gift Lake Métis Settlement and Whitefish Lake First Nation. “I grew up in High Prairie, Alberta, probably until I was going into high school,” Jessie says. “My dad was a really big advocate for putting me into sports and being active and being part of sports teams.” Sports became a constant...
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Their stories matter: Calgary’s Sisters in Spirit vigil calls for justice
By Chevi Rabbit, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Alberta Native News For 22 years, the Sisters in Spirit march and vigil has taken place across Alberta. Chantal Chagnon has helped organize Calgarys annual gathering, held in recognition of Sisters in Spirit Day on October 4. The vigil honours the lives of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and Two-Spirit people and supports the families seeking justice. A Cree-Métis woman from Muskeg Lake Cree Nation, Chagnon has witnessed the movement grow from a relatively quiet initiative into an annual reminder that the violence and exploitation affecting Indigenous families remain ongoing concerns. “It’s become a huge reminder every single year that this is a problem, this isn’t going away. We’re not going away,” Chagnon said. Sisters in Spirit began as an initiative of...
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Cody Lightning brings hockey, community and raw storytelling to the silver screen with ‘Smudge the Blades’
By Chevi Rabbit, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Alberta Native News For Cody Lightning, Smudge the Blades is more than a hockey film. It draws on the young players he coached, the Northern Alberta communities he knows, his family’s filmmaking history and the experiences that brought him back to storytelling. The filmmaker, actor and hockey coach brought his second feature to the Toronto International Film Festival, where Smudge the Blades had its world premiere on Sept. 12 as part of the festival’s Centrepiece programme. On Sept. 20, it received the Best Canadian Discovery Award, which recognizes an emerging Canadian filmmaker whose first or second feature brings a distinctive voice to Canadian cinema. The award includes a $10,000 CAD cash prize. The TIFF jury described Smudge the Blades as “electric,” praising its...
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Tsawwassen First Nation charts a bold path forward with updated Land Use Plan
By Radha Agarwal, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Delta Optimist When the Tsawwassen First Nation (TFN) adopted British Columbia’s first urban modern treaty in 2009, it began a remarkable revitalization. Seventeen years later, that foundational vision is evolving. With its member vote approving the 2025 Land Use Plan Update, Tsawwassen is aiming to balance explosive growth with a deep commitment to cultural roots, ecological stewardship, and community wellness. The numbers tell a story of steady transformation. In 2009, about 660 people lived on Tsawwassen Lands. By late 2025, that population climbed to roughly 5,400 residents, including 4,900 leasehold residents and 500 members living in the Village. Projections estimate the population will reach 10,000 by 2040 and 12,000 by 2050. Economic development has mirrored this population boom. In 2025, more than 250...
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People Are Dying of Heart Attacks at Nanaimo’s Outdated Hospital
By Michelle Gamage, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Tyee Doctors at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital say the province has delayed critical hospital upgrades for 18 years, which is causing patients to unnecessarily suffer and die. Nanaimo Regional General was designated a tertiary care hospital in 2008, which means it should be able to offer just about any care a patient on the central or northern Vancouver Island may need, outside of specialist cardiac, neuro and transplant surgery, which are centralized in Vancouver or Victoria. The services that Nanaimo should be able to offer, but cannot, include a cardiac catheterization laboratory, general internal medicine, neurology and stroke care, oncology, general pediatrics, gastroenterology, palliative care and hospice, pediatric psychiatry and hematology, to name a few. But the province never followed through on...
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NDP MLA Brooks Arcand-Paul warns against promises of better treaties through Alberta separation
By Chevi Rabbit, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Alberta Native News As Alberta’s separatism debate continues, NDP MLA Brooks Arcand-Paul says promises of better treaty negotiations through separation raise serious questions about the future of First Nations’ rights and relationships with the Crown. Arcand-Paul, who represents Edmonton-West Henday, said the political discussion must consider the perspectives of Indigenous Peoples and the longstanding treaty relationships that predate Alberta becoming a province. For him, the issue extends beyond a potential referendum. It concerns whether First Nations’ rights will be respected, how Indigenous communities will be included in decisions affecting their future and whether existing treaty commitments will continue to be honoured. “Our Elders, my knowledge keepers, the people who have taught me about treaties, have always said that we do not renegotiate our...
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What does Bill C-39 mean for First Nations? Senators question Carney government
By Carl Meyer When Senator Michèle Audette questioned the Canadian government over its latest plan to fast-track industrial projects, she started by speaking in Innu-Aimun. For the senator, an Indigenous women’s rights advocate who was a commissioner in the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, speaking the language was a way to centre her Innu community’s past, as Canada tries to shape its future. “It was to remind, in that important space, that there was a moment when the government had tried to erase us through legislation and policies,” Sen. Audette, who comes from the First Nation of Innu Takuaikan Uashat Mak Mani-Utenam in eastern Quebec, told The Narwhal in an interview. The people she was reminding were a trio of federal ministers who had appeared...
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Family moves into Nuxalk village site Nusq’lst for the first time in 164 years
By Dionne Phillips, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, IndigiNews Nestled in the lush coastal temperate rainforest of the Bella Coola Valley sits the ancestral village of Nusq’lst. The last time someone lived at the historic Nuxalk townsite was in 1862, as people’s forced removal from their homelands and the devastating smallpox epidemic emptied many traditional villages. Now, 164 years later, three generations of a family are calling Nusq’lst home again. Kmalsuuncw (Orden Mack) and his mother Nuskmata turned what was originally planned as a hand-built hunting cabin into a permanent family home when Kmalsuuncw became a new father. Building the cabin quickly became a family project, with Kmalsuuncw receiving advice on its construction from cousins, uncles and other supporters. “We’ve received a lot of community support, and honestly, that’s been a...
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Iqaluit cake shop in a school bus donates sweets to nearby shelter
By William Koblensky Varela, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunavut News Cobra’s Confections has one of the more distinct storefronts in Nunavut. The Iqaluit cake and sweets shop has operated out of a school bus for the past month. Rawad “Cobra” Gafar said buying a school bus instead of renting a building helps him pass along savings to his customers. “I’ve been seeing the chocolate is like $5, $6. Nobody can afford that, and maybe because I come from tribes, I learned how to break the bread between me and the other people, and then I tell myself ‘I have the knowledge to bring like the chocolate, the chips.’ That’s why the chocolate over here is for $2. The chips for $1 and a half,” Gafar said. Gafar was born in...
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Nunavut Family Services has implemented 8 of 15 income assistance reforms suggested in 2023
By William Koblensky Varela, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunavut News A Department of Family Services study in 2023 found that the Government of Nunavut could not afford to implement guaranteed basic income, and instead suggested 15 areas of reform for the territory’s income assistance program. Since then, the GN has fully implemented five of the reforms and partially implemented another three changes suggested in the report. Minister of Family Services Gwen Healey Akearok said her department is focused on reviewing income assistance regulations instead of implementing a guaranteed basic income. A guaranteed basic income of $17,000 for single Nunavummiut currently on income assistance and $47,000 for a couple with two children would cost tens of millions of dollars more than what the Department of Family Services currently has budgeted, the...
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Quebec’s strategic maple syrup reserve running dry amid high demand
By Stéphane Rolland The head of Quebec’s maple syrup producers’ association says the province’s strategic syrup reserve has run dry amid high demand for the product. Québec Maple Syrup Producers President Luc Goulet says government support will be needed to ensure the industry doesn’t miss out on opportunities to grow the sector. Maple syrup yields depend on weather conditions. As a result, the producers’ association has established a strategic reserve to ensure prices and supply remain relatively stable. Last year, U.S. commercial customers stocked up, fearing that President Donald Trump would carry out his threat to impose tariffs. Goulet says the buffer has been exhausted as sales continue to rise. “Our strategic reserve has been reduced to zero,” Goulet said in an interview at the release of a report on...
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Defeated legislature member Pascal Paradis named Quebec’s chief negotiator
By Patrice Bergeron Former Parti Québécois legislature member Pascal Paradis has been named the province’s chief negotiator and diplomat. Premier-designate Paul St-Pierre Plamondon says Paradis is the best person for the job because of his personal and professional background. “With this appointment, we are choosing to rely on experience and competence to support our government in several crucial missions. I’m very proud to be able to welcome Pascal back to our team,” he said in a social media post. The former executive director of Lawyers Without Borders Canada will be asked to meet with Indigenous nations and to represent the province during trade negotiations between Canada and the United States. The 55-year-old lost the Quebec City riding of Jean-Talon to a Quebec Liberal candidate earlier this month in the Oct....
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Community papers connect remotely housed Albertans to satellite internet rebate
By George Lee, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Macleod Gazette The target audience for a new rebate in Alberta may need the print version of their community newspaper to first learn that the satellite-facing program even exists. Rebates worth up to $1,000 are available until March 31 for hardware and installation costs to connect certain households to low-Earth-orbit satellites for internet service. The challenge is that the 10,000 or so rural and remote households that qualify have, by definition, severely limited or non-existent internet access, a rural media roundtable organized by the provincial government heard Thursday. The eligible homes are in areas of Alberta deprived of traditional ground-based internet because of distance and topography, Technology and Innovation Minister Nate Glubish told about a dozen rural media representatives. That makes community...
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A home in Mississauga or Brampton, at what cost?
Housing market remains unattainable for most residents, while NIMBYism only makes it worse By Adrian Peries & Benjamin Steeves, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Pointer For most residents across Peel, the idea of defining themselves as property owners seems more like a mirage. The image appears tantalizingly before them, shimmering in their mind, but when they reach out for it…nothing is there. In Mississauga and Brampton, where the cost of buying a home ranks among the world’s top 15 least affordable places, even the mirage is growing more distant.Four years after being elected, Ontario Premier Doug Ford assigned ambitious new housing targets to 29 municipalities across the province: tasking Mississauga with onboarding 120,000 new homes by 2031, and Brampton with 113,000. What followed was a long, exhaustive list of sweeping...
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