More Nova Scotians add their names to petition calling for return of uranium ban
By Devin Stevens More than 10,000 people have now signed a petition asking the Nova Scotia government to reinstate a ban on uranium mining in the province. The opposition Liberals and NDP were planning to table more than 2,000 new signatures as politicians returned to the legislature. This is on top of more than 8,000 signatures already on record. Premier Tim Houston’s government repealed the decades long ban in March 2025, but no new mining operation has started up in the meantime. Houston has said the element is mined safely in other places and that the province needs to develop its natural resources to improve its economy. Petition organizers say the new signatures were collected by community members, grassroots organizations and local businesses. Dr. Catherine Cervin, with the Canadian Association...
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Child abuse, poverty, and overcrowded housing are increasing suicide risk in Nunavut: watchdog
By William Koblensky Varela, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunavut News This article contains potentially upsetting information. There were 12 suicides by Nunavummiut under 19-years-old in 2025-26, according to Jane Bates, the Representative for Children and Youth Nunavut. In each of those events, something more could have been done, she suggested. “It was clear from a preliminary review that there were many junctures, many opportunities in which young people may have reached out, or opportunities in which departments could have intervened,” Bates said. An intervention may have not stopped those suicides, Bates cautioned, but an attempt could have been made. Reviewing those suicides is currently on hold because the traumatic stories overwhelmed staff at the Representative for Children and Youth Nunavut. “You can’t look at suicide with one factor. It’s a...
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Quebec premier says tariff countermeasures will add $1.5B to the province’s economy
By Patrice Bergeron The Quebec government has announced a series of measures to promote buying locally in response to the escalating trade war between Canada and the United States. Premier Christine Fréchette says the measures will inject about $1.5 billion into the Quebec economy in the next four months. Fréchette’s cabinet met as she took a break from the provincial election campaign to return to her role as premier and address the latest in the trade war. The ministers adopted an order-in-council requiring the government to take steps to favour local businesses when it comes to awarding contracts, such as reserving public bids for companies with a place of business in Quebec and Canada. Those measures could also including requiring that goods be produced and processed in the province, and...
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The Latest: Canada strikes back with tariffs on about $20 billion worth of US goods
Canada struck back at U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday with tariffs on about $20 billion worth of U.S. goods, in response to the latest round of tariffs on Canada. The outcome could resonate far beyond Canada, showing other governments whether a smaller U.S. ally can withstand Trump’s economic pressure. Republican candidates were summoned to Dallas for Trump’s two-day convention to rally supporters for this year’s elections. Republicans have never held a midterm convention before, although Democrats did in the 1970s and 1980s. Americans’ satisfaction with the quality of K-12 education in the country has hit a low point. Just 32% of American adults say they are “completely” or “somewhat” satisfied with the U.S. school system, according to a new poll. That’s an 11-point drop over the past two years...
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Foundry Fort St. John takes part in Montréal conference at Observatory of Indigenous Public Administrations
By Energeticcity Local Journalism Initiative Reporter FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — Foundry Fort St. John was represented at a recent conference in Montréal at the Observatory of Indigenous Public Administrations. Community development and project lead for Foundry, Asuncion Sta. Maria presented alongside co-authors Dr. Tareq Hardan and Dr. Giuseppe Amatulli on Aug. 27 at the conference hosted by École nationale d’administration publique (ENAP). Themes of the presentation focused on youth mental health, connection, culture, and community in the development of Foundry Fort St. John and engagement with the community and regional First Nations. Northeast B.C. has seen youth-related tragedies in 2026. The deaths of Lexi Waldie Siemens and another youth occurred within days of one another during the Christmas break, prompting discussions from public officials and health organizations about going...
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First Nation demands stop to construction of gas plant
By John Chilibeck, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Daily Gleaner New Brunswick’s biggest First Nation wants the provincial government to stop the construction of a controversial gas plant in southeastern New Brunswick, arguing no preparation work should happen until it reaches an accommodation agreement with the builder. Elsipogtog First Nation posted on its Facebook page last week a statement from the chief and council about the Holt government’s decision to give the Tantramar gas plant conditional approval. They are concerned about the plant disturbing critical moose habitat, a migratory corridor for wildlife and a “documented family trapline and camping area.” But the First Nation is unlikely to get its way, based on the provincial government’s response. The Mi’kmaq community near Miramichi is about 100 kilometres north of Centre Village, a...
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Only known woolly dog pelt returns to B.C. after more than 160 years
By Nono Shen When Coast Salish artist Atheana Picha ran a gloved hand through the thick white pelt of an extinct woolly dog that has returned to British Columbia for the first time in more than 160 years, her thoughts turned to how her ancestors might have used the fur. Perhaps they would have made a blanket or maybe a headband. “And I thought, oh, it’s so amazing because this delicate material could make such beautiful blankets with the right hands,” said Picha. “As a weaver, that really resonated with me.” The pelt belonged to Mutton, a canine companion of American naturalist George Gibbs, and had been in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., since Mutton died in 1859. It’s now on display at the Museum of Anthropology at the...
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After 9/11 in 2001, TIFF dropped its glitz and glamour and put the focus on film
By Kathryn Mannie Zacharias Kunuk watched the Twin Towers fall in the same way many across the world did: huddled in front of a TV set, not quite sure if he could believe his eyes. But unlike others, the acclaimed filmmaker was watching the horror unfold from a hotel lobby in Toronto, awaiting the Canadian premiere of his debut feature “Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner” at the Toronto International Film Festival. “I thought it was a documentary,” Kunuk recalled as he watched the stream of images come in from New York. “We were at a festival … I thought first it was a commercial.” Kunuk had flown about 15 actors and elders from the remote Arctic hamlet of Igloolik, where his Inuktitut-language film was set, to attend the premiere on Sept....
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With no time to spare, Michigan hatches a Great Lakes whitefish rescue plan
By Kelly House/bridge Michigan With time running out to save the Great Lakes’ whitefish from a deadly mussel invasion, Michigan officials have a moonshot plan to pluck fish from Lake Michigan and breed them in captivity. With sustained money, effort and luck, the fish’s offspring could one day help repopulate the lake after humans quell the mussels that have pushed the lake’s wild whitefish to near-collapse. “It’s really about saving those genetic stocks right now,” said Doug Craven, natural resources director for the Little Traverse Bay Band of Odawa Indians. “If we don’t do it this year, there may not be enough wild fish in those stocks” to do it in the future. Armed with $350,000 from the recently passed state budget and nearly $900,000 from the Great Lakes Fishery...
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The Latest: Canada strikes back with tariffs on about $20 billion worth of US goods
Canada struck back at U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday with tariffs on about $20 billion worth of U.S. goods, in response to the latest round of tariffs on Canada. The outcome could resonate far beyond Canada, showing other governments whether a smaller U.S. ally can withstand Trump’s economic pressure. Republicans will descend on Dallas this week for a two-day convention dreamed up by Trump to rally his supporters for this year’s midterm elections. Republicans have never held a midterm convention before, although Democrats did in the 1970s and 1980s. Americans’ satisfaction with the quality of K-12 education in the country has hit a low point. Just 32% of American adults say they are “completely” or “somewhat” satisfied with the U.S. school system, according to a new poll. That’s an...
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Six Nations Police hold Back-To-School Traffic Blitz
OHSWEKEN, SIX NATIONS OF THE GRAND RIVER- – With hundreds of Six Nations students heading back to school this week the Six Nations Police Service (SNPS) says it will be conducting a back-to-school traffic safety blitz throughout the week. Police will be increasing patrols in high-traffic areas and school zones aiming to “promote safe driving and help ensure students, families and school staff can travel safely.” SNPS are reminding motorists to reduce their speed in school zones, obey all posted traffic signs, stop for school buses when required, and remain alert for children and other pedestrians crossing or walking near roadways. SNPS is also reminding drivers to allow for “additional travel time and expect increased vehicle and pedestrian traffic during morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up periods.” For those walking to...
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Critical thinking goes viral with online media literacy program
By Daron Letts, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunatsiaq News Truth could be a money-maker for young people across Nunavut and Nunavik who join the third annual Teen Fact-Checking Network, an online educational initiative by Ottawa-based MediaSmarts. Under the paid program, participants aged 13 to 19 receive training in verifying information that circulates on the internet. “We think this would be a valuable opportunity for Inuit youth to build digital literacy and fact-checking skills while also exploring and challenging misinformation related to Inuit culture, communities and issues,” said MediaSmarts spokesperson Tricia Grant, in an email. Teens stand to earn $150 for analyzing one viral claim bouncing around social media. After that, MediaSmarts pays $100 per fact-check. The nonprofit charitable organization, founded in 1996, introduces youth to critical thinking skills, reverse image...
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Researchers study oil-eating microbes off Hudson Bay coast
By Daron Letts, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunatsiaq News A team of Inuit and southern researchers is using the water off Chesterfield Inlet as a living laboratory as they study naturally occurring microbes that feed on oil residue in the ocean. Run out of the Centre for Observation Science at the University of Manitoba, in Winnipeg, since 2022, the Genice II project blends scientific method with Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit, or traditional Inuit knowledge. It builds on data from previous studies in Winnipeg and at the University of Calgary in 2015 and 2020. The researchers are looking for microbial communities beneath the ice. These samples form baseline data with which subsequent samples may be compared, to identify any population changes, Collins said. Microbes are the foundation of the marine food chain, ultimately...
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Among Friends – Quakers’ social-justice group inspired by visit to Eeyou Istchee
By Patrick Quinn, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Nation A group of five women from the Canadian Friends Service Committee (CFSC), the social justice arm of the Quakers, returned to Ottawa from a memorable visit to Eeyou Istchee full of gratitude for Cree hospitality and inspiration for their work in advancing Indigenous rights. The trip was organized by CFSC general secretary Jennifer Preston, who spent part of her childhood in Waskaganish and has long known Donald Nicholls, the Cree Nation Government’s director of justice and correctional services, through their mutual work at the United Nations. “My team was thrilled to go up to Eeyou Istchee,” said Preston. “Since the 1970s, the Quakers have been doing a lot of work on Indigenous rights and the Crees were always one of our...
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Lake Sturgeon Program Connects Students to Great Lakes Conservation
By Kenneth Pastushyn, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Tilbury Times With the guidance of Professor Dr. Trevor Pitcher, a Walpole Island First Nations immersion school will raise juvenile Lake Sturgeon as part of their curriculum in a new fish hatchery. The opening ceremony occurred in mid-April, providing children the chance to learn about marine biology and the importance of safeguarding local waterways. “Students will start the school year with eggs provided and at the end of the year release young fish into the wild,” said Pitcher, director of the University of Windsor’s Freshwater Restoration Ecology Centre (FREC), which is located along the Detroit River in LaSalle. For nearly a decade, children from Walpole Island have been visiting FREC on field trips and have begun asking whether their school could have its...
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Canada’s retaliatory tariffs on American goods are now in effect
By The Canadian Press staff Ottawa’s retaliatory tariffs on American goods took effect just after midnight EDT on Tuesday, responding to the 50 per cent tariffs Washington hit Canada with last month. On Aug. 22, U.S. President Donald Trump launched tariffs on nearly $28 billion of Canadian goods, from hockey sticks and cement to honey, after trade talks broke down between the two nations. Canada’s reciprocal tariffs target the same value of U.S. goods, all drawn from the list of products being tariffed by the United States. That includes dairy products, plywood and sunscreen. The latest tariff war was spurred after negotiations to solve some outstanding trade irritants on both sides of the border fell apart, and each side blamed the other for last-minute demands. “We couldn’t accept what they...
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Here’s what to watch for as Nova Scotia politicians head back to the legislature
By Lyndsay Armstrong Nova Scotia’s legislature resumes Tuesday after a rocky spring sitting and a minister’s resignation over rap music lyrics from 2013. Here’s what to watch for. Fallout from budget cuts Nova Scotia’s 2026-27 deficit budget came with cuts to arts, culture, tourism, Mi’kmaq and African Nova Scotian programming, disability supports and other community programs, which sparked protests in and outside of the legislature earlier this year. The province’s budget forecast a $1.2 billion deficit and included $304 million in cuts to grants, government jobs and operational expenses. Six days after releasing the budget, Premier Tim Houston said his government had made some mistakes. He restored about $54 million in spending for people with disabilities and seniors, and for African Nova Scotian and Indigenous students. Despite the partial reversal,...
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Yukon First Nations investigate orange rivers and wildlife impacts
By Patrick Quinn, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Windspeaker.com Facing devastating climate-fuelled impacts to their rivers and wildlife, Yukon First Nations are increasingly mobilizing to intensify monitoring research. The territory’s water chemistry has been changing over the last 20 years, with drastic shifts in the past few years that have been causing greater alarm. Growing evidence indicates that thawing permafrost is turning rivers and streams to a milky or bright orange colour with an acidic slime that appears to significantly alter the aquatic habitat. “Streams we were monitoring north of Dawson City totally turned on us as we were sampling them,” said Elliott Skierszkan, lead author of a recently published study on the phenomenon. “It’s been a rapid unwinding in the last two or three years that local people have also...
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N.S. authorities investigating after report of fentanyl in cannabis
By Eli Ridder Nova Scotia officials say they are investigating after a report that fentanyl was detected in cannabis on a First Nation community. Membertou First Nation’s health centre says it has issued a drug alert after receiving a report from a community member. The Nova Scotia government said late Saturday its health department and Cape Breton Regional Police have launched an investigation into the alert. The province, in its statement, notes that cannabis can only be purchased legally through Nova Scotia Liquor Corp. outlets. However, the health centre did not say where the cannabis was purchased in its notice posted Saturday afternoon. It did not respond to a request for comment Sunday. The probe comes amid heightened tensions between Nova Scotia’s Progressive Conservative government and Mi’kmaq communities over the...
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Community mourns Joan Phillip, Amshen, who fought for justice and ‘loved very hard’
By Aaron Hemens, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, IndigiNews Fearless. Fierce. Wise. Courageous. Cherished. Those were just a few of the words that colleagues and loved ones used to describe the late Joan Phillip, Amshen, at her funeral service in snpink’tn (Penticton, B.C.) on Wednesday. Before Amshen was laid to rest in the community cemetery in syilx Okanagan homelands, leaders, dignitaries, and people from near and far packed the Outma Sqilx’W Cultural School’s gym — with hundreds more watching a livestream online — to remember the beloved leader. “It was one of the dreams and hopes of our people for years to have our own school in our community to teach our children. Joan helped get this here,” said caxasket Joseph Pierre of the Penticton Indian Band (PIB), who moderated the...
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