Ottawa opens up 15% Trans Mountain equity stake to Indigenous groups on pipeline path
By Brett Bundale The Canadian government is offering Indigenous groups a collective 15 per cent ownership stake in the Trans Mountain pipeline through a low-cost loan. In a letter to a First Nation along the pipeline’s path and seen by The Canadian Press, a federal Department of Finance official says the equity investment would be equally distributed among participating groups. It says details of the federal government’s offer would be shared during a series of in-person meetings in Vancouver, Victoria, Kamloops and Edmonton planned for late October. The official says the government will provide the affected Indigenous communities with up to $100,000 to support such expenses as travel, office space rental and equipment through March 2028. Ottawa bought the existing Trans Mountain pipeline, its expansion project and related assets for...
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Cape Breton container port proponent shifts focus to offshore wind development
Proponents behind a 13-year-old bid to build a shipping container port in Cape Breton say they’re now focused on developing a terminal to support the offshore wind sector. Novaporte, led by CEO Albert Barbusci, issued a statement Tuesday saying that as of last week, it had drummed up investor interest for the new proposal at Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Canada Investment Summit in Toronto. Sydney Harbour Investment Partners, which is leading the project and is also helmed by Barbusci, did not immediately respond to an interview request Tuesday. And its investment partner, Toronto’s Fengate Asset Management, declined to provide more information. Novaporte’s revamped website calls the new plan: “Canada’s North Atlantic platform for energy, trade, defence and digital infrastructure.” The company said in a release that it wants to build...
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Community events planned for National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
By Darryl Knight, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Standard Newspaper Orange shirts will be a familiar sight around Brock Township next week as residents gather to remember the children who never returned home from residential schools and honour those who survived. The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, also recognized as Orange Shirt Day, will be marked Wednesday, Sept. 30, with a number of opportunities for residents to learn, reflect, and remember. In Brock, the day’s local observance will include a flag ceremony at noon at the Brock Municipal Building in Cannington. Residents are invited to join members of council for the ceremony and are encouraged to wear orange shirts in recognition of the day and the Every Child Matters movement. The observance comes with an understanding of the land...
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B.C. Premier Eby calls election for Oct. 24, framing Trump as ‘existential’ threat
By Wolfgang Depner British Columbia Premier David Eby has called an election less than two years into his mandate and amid chaos within the B.C. Conservative Opposition whose leader quit days ago. The NDP Leader went to Government House in Victoria on Tuesday to ask Lt.-Gov. Wendy Cocchia to dissolve the legislature, setting off an election campaign with voting day on Oct. 24. Eby said the threat posed by U.S. President Donald Trump and his trade war represented an “existential moment” for B.C. The date of final voting is a week after municipal elections are scheduled, and Eby called the vote despite pleas from numerous local government leaders not to overlap the campaigns. The snap election comes amid frantic efforts on the right side of the political spectrum to consolidate...
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The Latest: Trump says US and Iran met shortly after he threatened annihilation in UN speech
President Donald Trump said U.S. and Iranian officials met Tuesday, shortly after he threatened in his address to the U.N. General Assembly that he may “annihilate” the Islamic Republic if a deal isn’t reached soon to end nearly seven-month war. Trump told reporters about the meeting but offered few details about the talks. Trump returned to the U.N. General Assembly at a tumultuous moment for the world — and for his presidency. The president used his address to tick off progress — including adding private sector jobs, stemming illegal migration and curbing crime — before defending his decision to start a war with Iran. He accused Iran of stalling to make a deal to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz and negotiate an endgame to the war until after the...
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AFN chief warns Carney against ‘abusing’ majority to pass major projects bill
By Alessia Passafiume The national chief of the Assembly of First Nations is warning Prime Minister Mark Carney against “abusing” his majority government powers to pass his new major projects bill, which she says could affect First Nations rights. The Building Canada Strong Act shifts the responsibility for reviewing many big projects, such as pipelines and power transmission lines, from the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada to the Canada Energy Regulator. It also proposes changes to the Canada Labour Code. Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak says Carney’s government risks dishonouring the Crown if it limits debate and consultations on the bill, as it did when it passed its major projects legislation in 2025. She says Carney must let First Nations leaders bring forward amendments to the legislation and his government must...
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Tsleil-Waututh Nation chief stepping down
By Abby Luciano, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, North Shore News səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh Nation) Chief Justin George will soon be stepping down. The Tsleil-Waututh Nation posted the announcement on their website last week, saying the chief has made the decision to step down due to health and wellness considerations. “This is one of the most difficult decisions I have ever made,” George said in the Nation’s announcement. “Serving as chief has been one of the greatest honours of my life. I have been humbled by the trust placed in me and I will always carry with me the privilege of serving our people whom I love so much.” George began his term on July 1, 2025, succeeding previous Chief Jen Thomas who had held the position since 2021. George previously served...
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Cape Breton container port proponent shifts focus to offshore wind development
Proponents behind a 13-year-old bid to build a shipping container port in Cape Breton say they’re now focused on developing a terminal to support the offshore wind sector. Novaporte issued a statement today saying it drummed up investor interest for the new proposal at last week’s Canada Investment Summit in Toronto. Sydney Harbour Investment Partners, which is leading the project, did not immediately respond to an interview request, and its investment partner, Toronto’s Fengate Asset Management, declined to provide more information. The plan calls for building an offshore wind manufacturing port on the shores of Sydney harbour and to attract anchor manufacturers and suppliers to the area. Terry Paul is chief of Cape Breton’s Membertou First Nation, which has an equity stake in Sydney Harbour Investment. He says there’s a...
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Judge won’t block Trump administration from giving SpaceX acres of wildlife refuge in land swap
McALLEN, Texas (AP) — A federal judge on Monday refused to block the Trump administration from giving SpaceX more than 700 acres (280 hectares) of wildlife refuge as part of a land swap in Texas, while environmental groups vowed to continue their legal challenge. U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. declined the plaintiffs’ request for a preliminary injunction to prevent the parcel exchange, saying they failed to prove it would worsen ecological risks to a Gulf Coast region already transformed by billionaire Elon Musk’s rocket operations. In June, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service approved moving forward with the deal with SpaceX, which would surrender 683 acres (276 hectares) the company owns in exchange for the federal land in the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge. The 103,000-acre (41,700-hectare)...
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Feds push through FortisBC’s Tilbury LNG expansion under ‘one project, one review’
The federal government has approved expansion of the Tilbury LNG facility in Delta, B.C., saying potential adverse effects are justified by the project’s benefits. Monday’s approval under the “one project, one review” principle came immediately after the B.C. government issued an environmental assessment certificate to FortisBC for the project on Tilbury Island in the Fraser River. The province says the project could generate 6,200 full-time-equivalent years of employment during construction and 100 permanent jobs, and contribute up to $1.7 billion to provincial GDP during construction. Federal Environment Minister Julie Dabrusin says in a statement the project shows how to “create jobs and grow the economy while protecting the environment and advancing reconciliation.” The project involves adding a large new storage tank and equipment to produce up to 7,700 tonnes of...
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Liberals table bill to speed up major project approvals, avert labour disruptions
By Nick Murray Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government tabled a sweeping bill Monday meant to fast-track approvals for major projects, cut their review times and create zones of “national interest” to pre-approve certain types of projects. Bill C-39, the Building Canada Strong Act, is also proposing major changes to collective bargaining, including the use of more federal mediation to get deals done and repair relationships between unions and businesses. “This legislation will give our country the tools we need to build more, better and more efficiently. We know the challenge before us. We cannot control decisions made by other countries, but we can control how we are prepared here at home. To do that, we need the right infrastructure,” Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon told a news conference. Senior government officials...
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Keepers of the Water slams environmental exemption for Suncor’s tailings release
By Jeremy Appel, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Alberta Native News An Indigenous environmental organization focused on water protection is slamming the Alberta Energy Regulator’s (AER) decision to exempt Suncor’s plan to release millions of tonnes of tar sands tailings into the Athabasca River from an environmental impact assessment. “This is why we need federal oversight,” Jesse Cardinal, executive director of Keepers of the Water, told Alberta Native News. “This is what happens when you offload all of this responsibility to the provinces.” The exemption was first reported by online news outlet Canada’s National Observer, which obtained a July 2026 letter from the AER to Suncor stating that the tailings release is not a “mandatory activity for the purposes of environmental assessment.” Alberta Native News has not independently viewed the AER’s...
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Large turnout against Oka’s urbanization bylaws
By Hadassah Alencar, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Eastern Door More than 800 locals signed a register to trigger a referendum on an urbanization bylaw adopted by the Municipality of Oka in June, in a turnout that drew more than double the amount of the 414 signatories required. Of the more than 800, a total of 775 of the signatures identified as eligible to call for a referendum on zoning bylaw 2025-289, which allows for many areas of three-story buildings and one with a six-story building, while there were no signatures for the conditional use bylaw 2025-295. “It’s nice to see the citizens of Oka, Kaná:takon (the village area of Kanesatake), all come together and vote no for this because this would make a big change in our community,” said...
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Onen’tó:kon Healing Lodge names new executive director
By Fern Marmont, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Eastern Door Onen’tó:kon Healing Lodge (OHL) has officially announced the appointment of Ida LaBillois-Montour as its executive director. She originally joined the organization five years ago as its human resources coordinator. LaBillois-Montour, who is married into Kahnawake but originally comes from Lituguj Mi’gmaq First Nation, officially began her position as executive director on July 6, after serving as interim executive director for nearly three years. She took on the role when the previous director, Lori Tarbell, went on an extended maternity leave. When Tarbell went on maternity leave, LaBillois-Montour took on the role as a temporary basis, but after Tarbell extended her maternity leave and then decided to leave the OHL, LaBillois-Montour decided to apply for the position. The delay in the...
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High Chinook salmon prices bring gainful returns to Nuu-chah-nulth fisheries
By Nora O’Malley, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Ha-Shilth-Sa Port Alberni, B.C. – With wild-caught Chinook salmon fetching as high as $7.75 per pound early in the season that opened mid-August, Hupacasath and Tseshaht First Nations commercial fishers are reeling with gratitude for the lucrative run. Tseshaht gill netter Nasimius Ross holds a licence for the Tsu-ma-uss (Somass) River fishery, an economic opportunity fishery collaboratively operated by the two Alberni Valley-based nations. Ross said they usually start selling at $3.50 per pound and the average weight of a Chinook is 15 pounds. “It’s good money. One of the openings caught 600 to 700 fish. That’s one night of fishing. It’s estimated that brought just about $5 million into the economy, and that’s locally. All that stays here,” said Ross. Fellow Tsu-ma-uss...
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Nunavut’s $5-billion air force base to be constructed by 2040
By William Koblensky Varela, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunavut News The Royal Canadian Air Force’s forward operating location in Iqaluit will be under construction from 2029 to 2040, a panel of federal defence employees told the Nunavut Trade Show on Sept. 15. The base will cost $5 billion, the panelists revealed. “Here in Iqaluit, you’re more likely to expect the fighters to operate out of here — maritime patrol aircraft, the new P-8, which is about a 737-sized aircraft, operate out of here. Search and rescue aircraft, and then, as required, some transportation aircraft would come in and out resupplying in the case of any kind of prolonged operation or or an exercise,” said Christian Middleton, project manager of the Iqaluit base for the Department of National Defence. Currently, the...
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‘We demand to be heard’; food security documentary packs Iqaluit cinema
By William Koblensky Varela, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunavut News The 105-seat Astro Theatre in Iqaluit was packed for the screening of documentary ‘Nirilaurta: Let Us Eat’ on Sept. 15, with some audience members standing in the aisles. Malaya Qaunirq Chapman’s first documentary highlights food insecurity in Taloyoak as well as the traditional hunting and fishing that Inuit have relied on for centuries. She wants Inuit to know they don’t have to quietly tolerate the status quo. “We’ve been made to just accept the high cost of living, the high price of groceries as soon as you get to the grocery store,” Qaunirq Chapman said. “We don’t need to just be silent and take it anymore. We can stand up and voice our concerns about it. We demand to be...
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Residential school legacy reaches generations of Cold Lake First Nations family
By Chantel Downes, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Lakeland This Week “I did not go to the residential school, but the residential school came into my life through my mom, through my brothers, and through my sisters,” Martial said. As Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation approach on Sept. 30, the Cold Lake First Nations member and employee shared how residential schools affected her family across generations, and how they are working to ensure that pain is not passed on. Martial holds a bachelor’s degrees in Dene and education, as well as a master’s degree in Indigenous studies and language. She now works with the Cold Lake First Nations’ language and culture program. Her mother was a residential school survivor, while two older brothers and two...
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Cold Lake backs CLFN gathering space planned near Casino Dene
By Chantel Downes, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Lakeland This Week City of Cold Lake council discussed a request from Cold Lake First Nations (CLFN) during a Sept. 14 special council meeting. Council authorized the City to provide a letter of support for CLFN’s grant application for a community gathering space planned between Hotel Dene and Casino Dene along Highway 28. The facility is expected to accommodate about 400 seated guests or more than 600 standing guests. It could host conferences, cultural gatherings, community celebrations, corporate functions, meetings and entertainment while also helping nearby hotels handle accommodation overflow, according to the City. Although CLFN initially requested support for an application to the Community Facility Enhancement Program (CFEP), CAO Kevin Nagoya told council the proposed funding source had changed shortly before the...
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Massive Morrisseau masterpiece returns to public view after 40 years
By Clint Fleury, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, TBnewswatch.com THUNDER BAY – The 22-foot-long and 9-foot-4-inch-tall rare Norval Morrisseau painting, called Morrisseau Masterwork, now welcomes guests as soon as they walk through the front door of the Thunder Bay Art Gallery. The painting has not been seen in 40 years, and those who got a chance to look at it before it was put into storage have only seen it lying on the floor, Meaghan Eley, gallery collection manager, told Newswatch on Friday. It’s on loan to the gallery for the rest of the year. “It was last seen in 1986. It was painted in 1985, shown briefly shortly after that, and then it’s been in storage since then,” ,” she explained. “It’s one of the largest, if not the largest,...
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