First Nations decry denialism on anniversary of suspected graves found at B.C. site
By Brieanna Charlebois Almost five years ago, the monument in front of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School was surrounded by flowers, cards, soft toys and other mementoes, echoing grief that had swept across Canada. On May 27, 2021, the Tkemlúps te Secwepemc First Nation had announced that ground-penetrating radar had found more the 200 suspected children’s’ graves on the grounds of the school. Now, a lone bouquet lays in front of the memorial, amid ongoing soul-searching, and what some First Nations leaders say is a wave of denialism about Indigenous suffering in residential schools. Robert Phillips, the political executive with the First Nations Summit, said he remembers the announcement vividly, calling it a “shocking discovery” for First Nations, Canadians and for people around the world. “From that, people wanted...
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Nunavik’s new police chief sworn in
By Dominique Gené, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunatsiaq News Jean-François (Jeff) Bernier is officially the chief of Nunavik Police Service. Bernier served as interim chief since Nov. 17, 2025. The permanent appointment allows Bernier to come up with and act on long-term plans for the police agency that serves the region’s 14 communities. He was sworn into the role virtually on March 17 by Quebec minister of public security Ian Lafrenière, who also made the trip to Kuujjuaq to do it in person during Monday’s Kativik Regional Government meeting. “It’s a complete honour for me to be serving the people of Nunavik,” Bernier said. “I’m going to be, God willing, five, six, seven, eight years, who knows? And I do want to make a difference for the good of the...
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Indigenous Explainers: The Tipi and the architectural history of First Nations peoples
By Energeticcity.caLocal Journalism Initiative Reporter FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — Against the backdrop of post-secondary education, one Indigenous knowledge keeper showcased a piece of Indigenous architectural history. Known to settler communities as Teepees, the Tipi is known as a historic shelter of First Nations ancestors, according to the Canadian Encyclopedia. In fact, its English name is directly borrowed from the Indigenous languages Dakota and Lakota. Its cone-like shape was constructed from simple wooden poles, with the inside of the structure covered with bison skins. Traditionally, each pole represented themes such as obedience, respect and humility, according to Nathan Scott. Scott, an Indigenous knowledge keeper, took part in an annual tipi raising at Northern Lights College’s [NLC] Fort St. John campus on Thursday, May 21st, with another scheduled to take place...
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Majority of MPs vote down Conservative motion calling for private property protection
By Sarah Ritchie A majority of the House of Commons voted against a non-binding motion on Monday that called on the federal government to protect private property from First Nations land claims — a political issue the Crown-Indigenous Relations minister has said is rife with partisan rhetoric. The motion stems from a 2025 B.C. Supreme Court ruling that confirmed the Cowichan Tribes hold Aboriginal title over about 300 hectares of land in Richmond, B.C. The ruling led to questions about how Aboriginal title and private property rights can coexist. B.C. and the Cowichan Tribes have both said they do not want to invalidate any privately held fee simple titles on the lands covered by the court decision. The federal and provincial governments opposed the Cowichan Tribes’ claim. There are now...
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Stoney Nakoda First Nations applaud court ruling to shut down Alberta separation petition
By Leah Pelletier, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Rocky Mountain Outlook ÎYARHE NAKODA — Stoney Nakoda First Nations’ leaders are applauding the court’s decision to shut down an Alberta separation petition, ruling in favour of First Nations. Bearspaw, Chiniki and Goodstoney First Nations chiefs said in a joint statement released on Thursday (May 14), that the ruling made by Justice Shaina Leonard at the Alberta Court of King’s Bench on May 13 is a “clear and decisive victory” for First Nations’ Treaty rights. “Yesterday’s court decision confirms that provincial processes cannot ignore or override our Treaty rights,” said the Nations’ chiefs in the statement released by the Treaty 7 First Nations Chiefs’ Association, which also includes Tsuut’ina First Nation and the Blackfoot Confederacy. “We commend the court for recognizing that meaningful...
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As Alberta battles with separation, Saskatchewan’s Moe affirms party wants to stay
By Dayne Patterson Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe says while separatist agitation bubbles away in Alberta – and even in his own province — his party stands with Confederation. “We support a strong and growing province of Saskatchewan with the united nation of Canada,” Moe told reporters Monday. “(But) again, those frustrations shouldn’t be discounted.” Moe made the comments on the first day of the western premiers meeting. He and six other premiers from Western Canada and the three territories have gathered at an upscale lodge near the Rocky Mountains west of Calgary for the meeting, which ends Tuesday. The annual get-together usually revolves around shared concerns and projects. This year’s event began on a tetchy note Monday when B.C. Premier David Eby publicly wondered why they should work on getting...
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Exceptionally early heat wave shatters records and brings deaths in Europe
By Jill Lawless LONDON (AP) — Temperature records have toppled as a spring heatwave continued to scorch parts of Western Europe on Tuesday, triggering government warnings about risks to life. Several drownings were reported in Britain and France as people tried to cool down. London recorded a rare “tropical night,” defined as one in which the temperature does not fall below 20 Celsius (68 Fahrenheit), and Britain’s Met Office weather service said the temperature in southern England could reach 35 C (95 F) on Tuesday. Monday was the U.K.’s hottest May day on record, with the temperature hitting 34.8 C (94.6 F) at Kew Gardens in London, smashing the previous record of 32.8 C (91.4 F) set in 1922 and 1944. Records also fell in France, where temperatures reached 36...
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Report shows uneven progress for women in Canadian sport leadership
By Donna Spencer A new report on women in Canadian sport leadership roles presents a mixed bag of progress, stalling and backtracking. The number of women on the boards of national sports organizations, which are unpaid positions, has jumped. The number of women who are paid chief executive officers has plummeted. Canadian Women and Sport released its 2025-26 “Women in Sport Leadership Snapshot” report Tuesday, saying women now hold a record 45 per cent of board seats and 48 per cent of board chair positions in national sport organizations. “It really shows that the sports system is capable of change,” CWS chief executive officer Allison Sandmeyer-Graves said. “This is a lot of individual organizations choosing to put the effort in to get that result.” Women make up 48 per cent...
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Majority of MPs vote down Conservative motion calling for private property protection
By Sarah Ritchie A majority of the House of Commons voted against a non-binding motion calling on the federal government to take action to protect private property from First Nations land claims. The Conservatives introduced and voted for the motion, while the Liberals, NDP and Bloc Québécois all voted against it. The issue stems from a 2025 B.C. Supreme Court ruling that confirmed the Cowichan Tribes hold Aboriginal title over about 300 hectares of land in Richmond, B.C. The ruling led to questions about how Aboriginal title and private property rights can coexist. B.C. and the Cowichan Tribes have both said they do not want to invalidate any privately held fee simple titles on the lands covered by the court decision. The federal Conservatives wanted to create a special committee...
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First Nation achieves perfect success rate in 1st local road tests
By Maya Ekman, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, NWOnewswatch.com SANDY LAKE – There are 68 new G2-licensed drivers who completed their testing in a remote First Nation thanks to a successful new initiative. Between May 12 and 14, four DriveTest examiners ran testing out of the radio station in Sandy Lake First Nation, 225 kilometres north of Red Lake. In order for to make testing possible in the fly-in community, the First Nation had to order speed limit and other traffic signs and have them posted around the community, said Una Gott, Sandy Lake’s emergency first response team coordinator, who spent four years working to bring testing to the community. “The cost alone just to fly out and do the test is a lot, it’s like $1,000 sometimes just for a...
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‘It really made me proud’: Youth bring Indigenous rights, concerns to United Nations forum
By Marissa Lentz-McGrath, Local Journalism Initiative, TimminsToday.com ATTAWAPISKAT – Earlier this month, four young advocates from Treaty 9 brought their concerns about the Ring of Fire and Indigenous rights to the United Nations in New York. Jeronimo Kataquapit from Attawapiskat First Nation and Ryan Fleming, a member of Attawapiskat First Nation living in Toronto, were among the youth delegates who spoke forum during the two-week event focused on Indigenous issues worldwide. For Kataquapit, the trip was part of his ongoing advocacy with Here We Stand, a youth-led grassroots movement he started in 2025 to raise awareness about development in the Ring of Fire and its effects on Treaty rights and the environment. Kataquapit explained that, unlike many official delegations, their group was not formally chosen or fully funded to attend...
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Ottawa launches national aerial firefighting fleet for 2026 wildfire season
By Craig Lord A helicopter works on the Dryden Creek Wildfire just north of Squamish, B.C. on Wednesday, June 11, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/ Tijana Martin The federal government has set up Canada’s first-ever reserve of firefighting aircraft to help provinces and territories respond to the 2026 wildfire season. The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, or CIFFC, has leased 10 aircraft and two unspecified support assets for 150 days starting this month, thanks to a $317-million spending allocation in the federal budget. The government said in a news release Monday that the Pan-Canadian Aerial Asset Program will boost national firefighting surge capacity by increasing provincial and territorial access to aircraft during periods of intense wildfire activity. Provincial and territorial wildfire agencies will be able to request the use of four...
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New Stepping Stones CEO highlights support for sexual assault, gender-based violence survivors
By Chantel Downes, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Lakeland This Week Kim Reed, the society’s new chief executive officer, brings two decades of human services experience in the Lakeland region, including work as a school counsellor and with Children and Family Services. Reed describes herself as a “Mom of three who has lived in the Lakeland region growing up, career and raising children.” She has worked throughout the Lakeland region for the entirety of her career in Human Services. Reed said she was drawn to Stepping Stones because of the opportunity to support people. She decided to take the “opportunity to be an advocate for women fleeing intimate partner violence, women and children fleeing domestic violence or women and children in crisis.” Helpline is a first step Stepping Stones offers emergency...
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Ontario ministry experts raised concerns about at-risk species law changes, emails show
By Leah Borts-Kuperman, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Narwhal As the Doug Ford government prepared to replace the Endangered Species Act with new legislation, the province’s natural resources staff warned of weakened habitat protections, reduced oversight and new gaps in enforcement, according to documents obtained by The Narwhal. In March 2026, the Endangered Species Act was officially replaced with the Species Conservation Act, which removes or limits provincial protection from many threatened plants and animals. Now, 275 pages of records, some publicly available and others only accessed through freedom of information legislation, show provincial bureaucrats worrying about the implications of the changes, as well as municipalities and Indigenous groups voicing dissent — before the government passed the law anyway. The new act allows most projects, whether related to housing, mining...
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MPs set to vote on Conservative motion calling for protection of private property
By Sarah Ritchie Members of Parliament are set to hold a non-binding vote today on a contentious question of private property rights. The Conservatives have introduced a motion calling on Ottawa to protect private property in all future agreements with First Nations. The motion stems from a 2025 B.C. Supreme Court ruling that confirmed the Cowichan Tribes hold Aboriginal title over about 300 hectares of land in Richmond, B.C. The ruling led to questions about how Aboriginal title and private property rights can coexist. B.C. and the Cowichan Tribes have both said they do not want to invalidate any privately held fee simple titles on the lands covered by the court decision. The federal Conservatives want to create a special committee to study the legal, constitutional and political steps that...
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First Nations decry denialism on anniversary of suspected graves found at B.C. site
A First Nations leadership group says attempts to minimize “well-documented atrocities” at residential schools since the announcement that potential graves had been found in Kamloops, B.C., five years ago represent “racism, white supremacy and colonial violence.” The Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs says the Tk’emlups te Secwepemc First Nation took a “courageous step” to share what the union calls “commonly held truth among First Nations” that residential schools were responsible for the deaths of Indigenous children. The First Nation announced on May 27, 2021, that ground-penetrating radar provided confirmation the remains of 215 students had been found on the grounds of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School, although it has since been less categorical describing the find. The initial announcement set off a wave of grief across Canada, but...
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Carney points to Brexit, warns Alberta separation push could be ‘dangerous bluff’
By David Baxter Prime Minister Mark Carney said Monday the Alberta referendum on separation is a “dangerous bluff” if anyone thinks its results could be used as leverage in future negotiations. Carney said he saw those effects first-hand when he was the governor of the Bank of England after the Brexit vote. He warned that people in the United Kingdom are still trying to undo the damage caused by that decision a decade later. “In these separation issues, it is often advanced that, ‘Vote for this and it’s a free option. Vote for this and we will strengthen our hand in a future negotiation.’ That is a very dangerous bluff,” Carney told a news conference in Ottawa on Monday. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said last week her government will pose...
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Experts explain how Indigenous rights are a major hurdle for Alberta secession
By Fakiha Baig Political scientists say Indigenous treaty rights represent a significant legal hurdle for separatists in Alberta, and have brought the debate on secession in Canada into unchartered territory. “This is a new dynamic … It’s creating a lot of uncertainty,” said Andrew McDougall, a lawyer and professor in the University of Toronto’s political science department, in an interview Saturday. “There needs to be consultation with Indigenous peoples, the extent to which is unclear,” said Andre Lecours, a University of Ottawa professor. Premier Danielle Smith announced in a televised address on Thursday that an Oct. 19 referendum question will ask Albertans if they want to remain in Canada or start the process to hold a binding referendum on separation. Smith said she couldn’t directly put separation on the ballot...
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MPs return for Ottawa to begin the final sitting days before summer break
By David Baxter The House of Commons reconvenes today for a final stretch before the summer recess, with a budget bill and Conservative motion set for debate. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says he plans to push for a debate on how the government handles First Nations land claims. Poilievre wants the government to put private property owner rights ahead of all other claims, after the Cowichan Tribes decision in B.C. around Aboriginal title. Legislation to implement the spring economic update, which includes other measures such as police authority to search mail with a warrant, continues to work its way through the House of Commons. International politics will also be in play, as Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand prepares to host her Chinese counterpart later this week — the first visit...
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Great Bear Sea waters move closer to federal protection
By Sonal Gupta, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Canada’s National Observer A stretch of ocean off BC’s central coast, where salmon, herring, whales, sea otters and some of the province’s largest kelp beds share waters with fishing boats and coastal communities, is moving toward federal protection. Six First Nations, Ottawa and the province signed an agreement Friday to establish a new National Marine Conservation Area Reserve in the Great Bear Sea, beside the globally known Great Bear Rainforest. “This is kind of the water offshoot of part of that,” BC Water, Land and Resource Stewardship Minister Randene Neill told Canada’s National Observer. “It protects some of our most biologically diverse and sensitive areas.” Parks Canada officials say the reserve, once implemented, could protect up to 6,700 square kilometres (an area larger...
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