Photo Gallery: Ashes pave road to recovery after B.C. wildfires
The wildfire season in B.C. has burned far less area than usual, just 1,350 square kilometres, only about a quarter of the 20-year average. But it has been one of the most devastating seasons on record for property destruction, with more than 500 homes or other structures destroyed or damaged. Now that wildfire activity has died down as summer weather gives way to fall, residents are faced with the prospect of rebuilding and recovering from the devastation of losing the roof over their heads. About 150 structures were lost to the Bald Range fire, including 110 in Faulder and Meadow Valley, and 40 in the nearby Okanagan lakeside community of Summerland. On the northern shores of Okanagan Lake, the Bradley Complex of fires near Vernon brought ruin right to the...
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Carney pledges $82 million for ocean monitoring initiative at UN
By Kelly Geraldine Malone Prime Minister Mark Carney pledged $82 million over five years to bolster ocean monitoring as he continued his support for international collaboration at the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday. “Canada is an ocean nation,” Carney said. Carney’s emerging role as a key global champion of alliances and multilateralism has made him a frequent target of U.S. President Donald Trump. Earlier Wednesday, the president claimed on social media that Canada is “destroying itself” by allowing millions of people into the country “essentially unchecked and unvetted.” Trump provided no evidence for these claims but called it a “Liberal takeover that will end very badly.” Carney and Trump did not meet when they both attended the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly this week. It was...
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Brantford Police Warning About Phone Upgrade Scam
BRANTFORD, ONT- The Brantford Police Service (BPS) issued a warning, Sept., 23, 2026, to residents over a scam involving fraudsters posing as cellphone providers. The BPS said victims are being offered a phone upgrade and later provided with false return instructions, shipping labels, or QR codes. The new device is then redirected to the fraudster, while the victim remains responsible for the phone and related costs. Protect Yourself Do not order or return a device based on instructions from an unsolicited caller, text, or email. Verify all offers and return instructions directly with your provider. Review your account for unauthorized orders or changes. If you provided personal information, monitor your financial accounts and credit activity. Report Fraud Emergency: Call 9-1-1 Non-Emergency: Brantford Police Service, 519-756-0113 Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre: 1-888-495-8501 Anyone...
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Plans for annual Truth and Reconciliation Walk in Peace River proceeding
By Emily Plihal, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, South Peace News Peace River Aboriginal Interagency Committee is welcoming the public to participate in a National Day for Truth and Reconciliation Walk and Run starting at Riverfront Park on Sept. 27. One of the event organizers, Judy Ducharme, says the registration and package pick-up will begin at 11:30 a.m., with the event commencing at 1 p.m. “This event is important for several reasons; however, supporting the NDTR’s mandate is priority,” says Ducharme. “This day is a step forward in the path to truth and reconciliation. Hosting the event provides opportunity to raise funds to support additional events held locally.” According to the Government of Canada website, The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation was established in response to Call to Action 80...
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Haudenosaunne Confederacy warns SNEC to “cease and desist”
Haudenosaunne Confederacy warns SNEC to “cease and desist” any support of Birkett Lane development By Lynda Powless Editor Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) were warned during a presentation of their audit last Tuesday (Sept 15) to “cease and desist “ development plans along Birkett Lane in Brantford. Holding a notice sent to the City of Brantford, Six Nations Band Administration, and the SPA2 Landowners Group developing the Birkett land area called for them to “cease and desist all activities, site preparations and development operations related to the lands at Birkett Lane. He told the meeting the Haudenosaunne Confederacy Chiefs Council (HCCC) had declared a formal moratorium on all development across the entire Haldimand Tract on April 20, 2021. He said that moratorium “remains in full effect today.” He said any...
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Six Nations Community audit meeting crowd questions audit, housing and more
By Lynda Powless Editor Six Nations own source funding and a huge Canadian Human Rights Tribunal Agreement reforming First Nations Child and Family services is helping keep the band out of the black. Six Nations Elected Chief Sherri-Lyn Hill said the band received $182 million in government funding from a Canadian Human Rights (CHR) ruling affecting all First Nations in Canada. In March, of 2026, the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal approved a landmark $8.5 billion Ontario Final Agreement to reform First Nations child and family services. It was part of a massive multi-year move to deal with discrimination in the on-reserve child welfare system. Elected Chief Hill told about 40 people and an online audience that despite the community suffering from “catastrophic flooding in Ohsweken that came to a great...
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Councillor told to declare conflict
Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) is moving to update its Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) signing authorities following recent changes within the administration and finance departments. SNEC passed a resolution to remove signing authority for Terry Farmer, identified in the resolution as an executive assistant, effective immediately during the September 21 General Finance meeting. The resolution states that signing authorities on Council’s RBC business must be updated following recent senior staff changes. Councillor Alaina VanEvery moved the resolution, which was seconded by Councillor Audrey Powless-Bomberry. During discussion, Councillor VanEvery requested a correction to Farmer’s name in the resolution. Before the item was considered, Councillor Hazel Johnson was told to declare a conflict of interest. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Debra Jonathan explained Councillor Hazel Johnson’s conflict related to the proposed change in...
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A Rainbow of Colours hits Moment for Life annual Colour Run
Photo Essay by Jim C Powless...
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Editorial: Secrets are never a good idea!
Shhh…it’s a secret! Six Nations Elected Council had a $182 million windfall! Well, sort of. A huge settlement that came from a Canadian Human Rights (CHR) ruling that affected all Ontario First Nations. What it all translates into is an $8.5 billion nine-year agreement signed by the Chiefs of Ontario, Nishawbe-Aski Nation and Canada and is aimed at overhauling First Nations Child and Family Services. It was part of a massive multi-year move to deal with discrimination in the on-reserve child welfare system. Fortunately, the dollars are outside of the band’s normal funding channels and are specific in their spending. Especially since the Elected Chief told the community in the same breath SNEC has already spent $72 million of the windfall. What she didn’t say was on what? Not really...
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Today in History
Sept 20 In 2020, the Toronto International Film Festival named the winner of this year’s People’s Choice award. The honour went to “Nomadland,’’ a recession-era road trip drama starring Frances McDormand that tells the story of a woman travelling the American West alone in her van. Filmmaker Michelle Latimer had a double win for her documentary “Inconvenient Indian.” The adaptation of Thomas King’s non-fiction book picked up the People’s Choice Documentary Award, as well an Amplify Voices Award. Latimer said she planned to divide the $10,000 cash prize between five emerging Indigenous artists. Sept 22 In 1877, Chief Crowfoot signed an important treaty with the government of Canada. Crowfoot, feeling threatened by the deluge of unruly American traders in the area, put his mark on “Treaty Number Seven” which gave...
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AFN invites premiers, Carney to ceremony ahead of October meeting
By Alessia Passafiume The Assembly of First Nations has invited premiers and Prime Minister Mark Carney to a daylong ceremony ahead of their October meeting. The premiers, Carney and First Nations representatives are set to meet in Ottawa on Oct. 26 — the first such gathering in decades — just as tensions are rising over the federal and provincial governments’ major projects agenda. National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak said First Nations leaders want to bring their own cultural practices to that meeting and she hopes all premiers accept the invitation. “We’re taught as First Nations people that ceremony and prayers change things,” Woodhouse Nepinak told The Canadian Press. “One of the most important things for our people is to remember that we’re not just here as humans, but there’s Creator...
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Six Nations Chiefs capture fourth straight national Mann Cup championship
By Sam Laskaris Writer While the Six Nations Chiefs were celebrating their latest Mann Cup victory last Tuesday a debate had already began whether this was the best club assembled in franchise history. The Senior A lacrosse club, which was founded in 1993, captured its 10th Mann Cup title, including a program record of four in a row, with a convincing 10-2 triumph last Tuesday against the visiting Coquitlam Adanacs from British Columbia. With that victory the Chiefs swept their best-of-seven series versus the Adanacs in the minimum four matches. The Six Nations squad hosted all of the games in the national final at the Iroquois Lacrosse Arena. “You chase this every single summer,” Chiefs’ assistant captain Brendan Bomberry said of the Canadian championship. “And it never gets old. You’re...
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Haudenosaunee clubs to compete at Pan-American tournament in Oshawa
By Sam Laskaris Writer Though the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles are less than two years away, it has yet to be determined whether the Haudenosaunee Nationals lacrosse clubs will be allowed to take part. Officials from the Haudenosaunee program are still waiting to hear if representatives from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) will determine that its teams are indeed eligible for Olympic participation. As things stand now, the IOC does not recognize the Haudenosaunee Confederacy as being able to take part. That’s because the IOC believes that only those athletes who are from a country that has its own national Olympic federation should be able to compete at Olympic Games. Though team members have their own Haudenosaunee passports that they travel with, those on the squads live in...
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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 has warned Prime Minister Mark Carney against “abusing” his majority government powers to pass the new major projects bill, which she said could trample on First Nations’ rights. “Yesterday we heard federal representatives describe Bill C-39 as the most consequential legislation in decades,” Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak said on Parliament Hill on Tuesday. “If this is the case, the Assembly of First Nations expects the legislation to be matched by an equally consequential level of parliamentary consideration and public review.” The Building Canada Strong Act, introduced in the House of Commons by the Liberals on the first sitting day of the fall sitting, shifts the responsibility for reviewing many big projects, such as pipelines and power transmission lines, from...
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Ottawa opens up 15% Trans Mountain equity stake to Indigenous groups on pipeline path
By Brett Bundale The Canadian government has offered Indigenous groups a collective 15 per cent ownership stake in the Trans Mountain pipeline, advancing a long-promised plan to give First Nations equity in the federally owned infrastructure connecting Alberta crude to a Vancouver-area export terminal. In a letter to a First Nation along the pipeline’s path seen by The Canadian Press on Tuesday, a Department of Finance official said the equity investment would be equally distributed among participating groups “through a low-cost government-provided loan.” The Trans Mountain equity offer follows consultations and discussions with 129 First Nations, said John Fragos, spokesperson for Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne. Ottawa is now gauging interest among the Indigenous nations before determining the finer details, including the size of individual stakes and the terms for buying...
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Historic repatriation: Tsawwassen’s ancestral artifact returns home after a century in Quebec’s museum
By Radha Agarwal, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Delta Optimist A delegation from Tsawwassen successfully brought back their sacred belonging, “Sqəmáθiá” home after a journey to Gatineau, Quebec, where it was held for over a century. “More than 100 years after being removed from our territory and housed at the Canadian Museum of History, the ancestral stone figure known as Sqəmáθiá has returned to Tsawwassen lands through repatriation,” said the Tsawwassen First Nation (TFN). The nation celebrated Sqəmáθiá’s homecoming with a huge gathering at its longhouse on Sept. 11. The event included heart-warming speeches, songs of resilience, cultural protocols, and a cedar cleansing ceremony. “Her return is the result of generations of determination, vision, and care. It reflects the ongoing work of those who protected our rights and remained committed to...
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Two candidates so far in the running for mayor
By Kody Ferron, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Yellowknifer The race for the top job in Yellowknife is up to two as of Thursday. Cochrane, who’s currently serving as a city councillor, was the first one to announce his candidacy and said he thinks he’s the right person for the job. “I believe Yellowknife deserves a city that gets the fundamentals right, spends responsibility and plans for the long term, and I think I’m the person who can do that,” he said. Cochrane is a born-and-raised Yellowknifer, a member of the 2SLGBTQ+ community, and its Metis. He said his background gives him a unique ability to understand and address Yellowknife’s needs, if elected mayor. He’s also been deputy mayor and chair of the city’s heritage committee. “I’m incredibly in touch, not...
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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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Who are the party leaders as British Columbia goes to the polls?
By Ashley Joannou British Columbians are going to the polls about two years ahead of schedule, after NDP Leader David Eby called an early election to be held on Oct. 24. Here’s a look at the party leaders in a political landscape that is very different from the one that emerged after the last election in October 2024. DAVID EBY, B.C. NDP Eby’s New Democrats clung onto their majority in 2024 by their fingertips, their one-seat margin in the legislature confirmed by Garry Begg’s 22-vote win in Surrey-Guildford after a recount. Eby would nickname Begg “Landslide,” but the joke belied the seriousness of the situation for Eby, whose majority would be tested by differences within his own party about the fate of its Indigenous legislation, the Declaration on the Rights...
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B.C. opposition forces unite as Eby calls Oct. 24 snap election, citing Trump threat
By Wolfgang Depner British Columbia’s political scene is undergoing breakneck restructuring ahead of an Oct. 24 snap election that NDP Leader David Eby called on Tuesday, framing it as necessary to respond to the threat posed by U.S. President Donald Trump and his trade war. Eby, who called it an “existential moment” for the province, had gone to Government House to ask Lt.-Gov. Wendy Cocchia to dissolve the legislature while expecting to face opponents splintered into two main factions — the official Opposition B.C. Conservatives and CentreBC, with eight legislators. But less than two hours after Eby emerged, his opponents had forged a deal to unite, with seven legislators from CentreBC rejoining the Conservative caucus. It had also been unclear at the start of the day exactly who was the...
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