Saskatchewan auditor finds public safety agency lacks planning to fight wildfires
By Jeremy Simes A report from Saskatchewan’s auditor says the province’s public safety agency needs to do a better job at preparing for the wildfire season. Tara Clemett’s report, released Tuesday, says the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency doesn’t plan for the right amount of resources it needs each year to fight wildfires. It says the agency also isn’t properly budgeting before the season begins. “Having that money up front allows you to make sure that you probably have the resources in place,” Clemett told a news conference. “By basing budgets on robust resource plans … the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency can make sure it has the necessary resources to manage and mitigate the risks associated with wildfires.” Planning could also save the agency money on contracts, she added. Her report...
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‘Whatever it takes:’ Indigenous group seeks help repatriating items from Switzerland
By Brittany Hobson Sacred pipes, intricately beaded regalia and firearms believed to be associated with the period of the Battle of the Little Bighorn are some of the thousands of Indigenous artifacts a group of First Nations leaders and advocates are trying to repatriate from Switzerland. The items have been housed at a privately owned museum near Zurich, which closed its doors late last year after the collector decided he wanted to retire. A delegation travelled to the country to visit the museum before it closed, and is now urging federal, First Nations and tribal governments in Canada and the United States to intervene and help bring these artifacts back to North America. “We’ve got to do whatever it takes to reconnect our ancestral, sacred bundles back into our communities,”...
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Métis Nation British Columbia announces by-election dates to replace president
By Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Energeticcity.ca SURREY, B.C. — Métis Nation British Columbia (MNBC) has finalized the date of its byelection to replace its president. An announcement by MNBC on Tuesday, June 23rd, said “an important by-election” will be held between Saturday, August 8th, and Saturday, August 22nd, with membership allowed to vote either online or via mail. Candidacy nominations opened on June 23rd, with the last day to submit names for the ballot on Monday, July 13th. According to the statement, MNBC will unveil the full list of candidates on Saturday, July 18th. The by-election notice is to replace Walter Mineault, who was removed as MNBC president earlier this year after an independent investigation regarding multiple allegations of misconduct. Mineault had been suspended in the summer of 2024, and...
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Ottawa to peg first national interest projects in territories: sources
By Nick Murray Ottawa is expected to announce Wednesday that it will begin the process of designating two key Arctic infrastructure projects as being in the national interest, say government sources. The projects are the first Ottawa has signalled it will elevate to become projects of national interest under the Building Canada Act, which allows the government to fast-track approvals and allow them to skirt some environmental laws. Three federal and territorial government sources, who were not authorized to speak about the announcement before it’s public, provided details to The Canadian Press. They said the Grays Bay road and port project in Nunavut and the Mackenzie Valley highway project in the Northwest Territories are to be announced at a news conference in Yellowknife. The Grays Bay road and port project...
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First Nation opens affordable housing in Kenora
By Mike Stimpson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, SNnewswatch.com KENORA — A 24-unit affordable housing development on Eighth Street has had its official grand opening. The Kekekoziibii Development Corporation (KDC), owned by Shoal Lake 40 First Nation, constructed the units for Indigenous people and held the grand opening Tuesday morning in Kenora. A news release describes the housing project as “a significant investment in affordable housing, Indigenous-led economic development and community well-being.” The building includes 13 studio suites and 11 one-bedroom apartments, along with shared amenities, a program room and on-site supports designed to foster housing stability and opportunity. Federal funding for the project was announced in July 2024. Through a partnership with Niiwin Wendaanimok (Four Winds), 15 of the units will provide housing for people participating in education and employment...
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‘He stood for something’ Victor Thunderchild High School celebrates 22 graduates
By Michael Oleksyn, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Prince Albert Daily Herald The Class of 2026 at Victor Thunderchild High School was the largest class in school history. The grad class held their graduation at King George School on Tuesday. With a class of 22 graduates, the former Won Ska Cultural School has grown significantly since changing their name. Miley Eninew was named the recipient of the prestigious Victor Thunderchild Legacy Scholarship. Eninew said that coming to Thunderchild changed her. “When I first came here, I was a very mad kid,” Eninew said. “I was like a bad kid, actually. But they were super open. They didn’t rush me to do anything I didn’t want to do.” Eninew completed Grade 9 at Carlton before transferring to Victor Thunderchild for Grade 10...
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Northern airlines propose provincial subsidy to lower flight costs
By Maya Ekman, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, NWOnewswatch.com FORT FRANCES — Tickets start at $450 for a flight between Thunder Bay and Fort Frances but that price could one day lower. The town and North Star Air celebrated the launch of the new flight path on Thursday and meanwhile the airline’s vice president, Tom Meilleur, is working on making air travel in the north more affordable. North Star Air, Bearskin Air, Air Creebec and Wasaya Airways have joined together in a proposal titled the Northern Ontario Airfare Affordability Program (NOAAP), and Meilleur said that while it is in early stages, they have seen some support. “Affordability is one of the biggest problems that we have here in the North, and there is no getting around it without some kind of...
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‘It’s all words’: First Nation says feds haven’t fulfilled $8B water settlement
By Maya Ekman, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, NWOnewswatch.com NESKANTAGA – Five years after an $8 billion clean water settlement the First Nation with the longest standing drinking water advisory in the country says they haven’t seen a cent. “For Neskantaga, it’s very troubling; things are not moving. Words, it’s all words, and we want action where we can have clean drinking water,” said Gary Quisess, chief of Neskantaga First Nation, now in their 31st year without safe water. “We’ve lost life in these 31 years. I don’t know how many lives we’ve lost over a water treatment plant.” Last week, the federal government put forth the First Nations Clean Water Act along with the “largest funding commitment ever made for First Nations,” to target long-term drinking water advisories. Quisess says...
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Byelection announced for July 21 in northern Manitoba riding
A byelection has been scheduled for next month in northern Manitoba to fill the seat of a legislature member who died earlier this year. Premier Wab Kinew says a byelection in The Pas-Kameesak will take place July 21. Amanda Lathlin, who represented the riding, died in March at 49 after taking a leave of absence due to health issues. Lathlin was a former band councillor for Opaskwayak Cree Nation and became the first First Nations woman elected to the legislature in 2015. Lathlin’s father, Oscar Lathlin, was an NDP cabinet minister who served in the government of former premier Gary Doer. Kinew’s NDP occupies 33 of the legislature’s 57 seats, along with 20 Progressive Conservatives, one Liberal, two Independents and one vacant seat. This report by The Canadian Press was...
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Michigan Senate candidate accuses Trump of keeping Canada-US bridge closed to help donor
By Joey Cappelletti WASHINGTON (AP) — The delayed opening of a bridge connecting Michigan and Canada is spilling into one of the country’s most closely watched Senate races, as Democratic candidate Mallory McMorrow launches the first major effort to turn the controversy into a political liability for President Donald Trump and Republicans. McMorrow’s new ad, shared first with The Associated Press, accuses Trump of blocking the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge and suggests he is doing so to benefit a major political donor, building on an anti-corruption message she has sought to make central to her campaign. The bridge, which spans the Detroit River and connects the Motor City with Windsor, Ontario, was slated for a ribbon-cutting ceremony on June 12. It was abruptly postponed after officials said...
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First Nation leaders call on Alberta Premier’s executive director to resign
By Jeremy Appel, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Alberta Native News First Nations leaders are calling on Premier Danielle Smith to apologize and fire her office’s executive director after he made online remarks blaming chiefs for their people’s suffering. Bruce McAllister, a former MLA and TV broadcaster, was responding to the Assembly of Treaty Chiefs (AOTC) unanimously passing a resolution on June 16 asking the RCMP and auditor general to investigate the premier for treason. “We call for this investigation on the basis of the intentional violation of the Treaties; of calling a referendum in the face of severe risks to Canada’s sovereignty and the Treaty Relationship, and of failing to take action on the violation of privacy rights of millions of people,” reads an AOTC statement. Criminal Code section 46(2)...
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Brantford Police Seek Help Locating Missing Indigenous Girl
By Alex Murray Writer BRANTFORD, ONT-Brantford Police Service (BPS) is seeking the public’s help in locating a missing 16-year-old named Illyana. BPS said she was last seen on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, at about 3:30 p.m. in the area of Chatham Street and Clarence Street, a few blocks northeast of Victoria Park in downtown Brantford. Illyana is described as an Indigenous female about 5’5” tall. She has black curly hair, no tattoos, and was last seen wearing a brown hoodie, brown pants, and slippers. She was also carrying a blue grocery bag. BPS is looking to verify Illyana’s well-being and are seeking assistance from anyone who may have information regarding her location. Anyone with information about Illyana’s whereabouts is asked to please contact BPS at 519-756-7050 and reference incident #...
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Several First Nations sign deal with Ottawa to own part of a nuclear reactor
Chief Ted Williams of Rama First Nation was on hand for the announcement (Supplied Photo) By Liam Casey Several Ontario First Nations are set to become owners of a new nuclear reactor after striking a commercial partnership with the federal and provincial governments. Ottawa and Ontario are providing loan guarantees of $700 million to the seven Williams Treaties First Nations east of Toronto that will turn into equity for one of the four small modular reactors that are being built at the Darlington New Nuclear Project in Bowmanville, Ont., by Ontario Power Generation. Ontario Energy and Mines Minister Stephen Lecce said this is the first equity partnership with First Nations in a nuclear reactor in Canada. He said the investment will result in a minority stake for the First Nations...
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The Pas clinic to honour trailblazing northern leader
By Steven Sukkau, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Winnipeg Sun A future primary care clinic in The Pas will be named in honour of Amanda Lathlin, the first First Nations woman elected to Manitoba’s legislature and a longtime advocate for improved health care in northern Manitoba. According to Northern Health Region, the clinic will serve the tri-community area and improve access to essential health services by making it easier for patients to connect with primary care providers. Health officials say the facility will also provide a modern space designed to support health-care staff and enhance patient care, while creating opportunities to expand preventative services and improve community health outcomes across the region. Premier Wab Kinew and Health, Seniors and Long-Term Care Minister Uzoma Asagwara announced the naming this week, saying the...
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From Scooped Childhood to Couture: D’Arcy Moses on Survival, Fashion, and Rebuilding in a Changing Industry
By Chevi Rabbit, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Alberta Native News For D’Arcy J. Moses, fashion has never simply been about clothing. It became a path back to identity, a form of ceremony, and ultimately a way to rebuild a life shaped by separation, loss, and resilience. Born Dene and impacted by the Sixties Scoop, Moses was taken from his family as an infant and raised by a non-Indigenous family on a farm outside Camrose, Alberta. “I’m a ’60s Scooper,” he says. “I was adopted out as an infant. The church took me away from my mother, and I was raised by non-Native people on a farm in Alberta.” Growing up disconnected from his culture, he found himself drawn to another world – one found in the glossy pages of fashion...
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Beyond the gold rush: Totem poles at the Chilkoot Trail mark route’s long history
By Ashley Joannou Two carved cedar totems now flank either side of the Canadian end of the Chilkoot Trail, a permanent reminder that the route best known as the path to the Yukon gold fields during the 1890s gold rush has a history that stretches back much further. The 53-kilometre Chilkoot Trail runs between Dyea, Alaska, and Bennett, B.C., and was the treacherous route taken by prospectors looking to strike it rich in the Klondike. It’s now used by thousands of hikers each year. Sean McDougall, the acting executive director for the Carcross/Tagish First Nation in the Yukon said talk about installing the poles with Parks Canada has been going on for years. “(We) started talking about rebranding and telling the complete history of the trail, instead of what was...
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Supreme Court nominee Joyal cites access to justice, outreach as key contributions
By Jim Bronskill Supreme Court of Canada nominee Glenn Joyal describes himself as a “candid and constructive spokesperson” for Manitoba’s highest trial court and the judiciary. Prime Minister Mark Carney on Monday tapped Joyal, chief justice of the Court of King’s Bench of Manitoba since 2011, to fill the vacancy on the country’s top court left by the retiring Sheilah Martin. Before becoming a judge, Joyal practised criminal law, constitutional law and civil litigation in Manitoba. The Prime Minister’s Office praised his work on improving access to justice, modernizing court operations and advancing reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples. Joyal, 66, grew up in St. Boniface, Man. He has deep Franco-Manitoban roots on his father’s side, and his mother’s parents were Saskatchewan homesteaders from Poland. In his Supreme Court candidacy submission, Joyal...
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Several First Nations sign deal with Ottawa, Ontario to own part of a nuclear reactor
By Liam Casey Several Ontario First Nations are set to become owners of a new nuclear reactor after striking a commercial partnership with the federal and provincial governments. Ottawa and Ontario are providing loan guarantees of $700 million to the seven Williams Treaties First Nations east of Toronto that will turn into equity for one of the four small modular reactors that are being built at the Darlington New Nuclear Project in Bowmanville, Ont., by Ontario Power Generation. Energy and Mines Minister Stephen Lecce says this is the first equity partnership with First Nations in a nuclear reactor in Canada. He says the investment will result in a minority stake for the First Nations in the facility and will help with economic reconciliation. The Williams Treaties First Nations consist of...
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Canada becoming ‘energy superpower’ as 4 Nunavut projects get federal funding, Idlout says
By Arty Sarkisian, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunatsiaq News Nunavut will get $17.2 million in federal funding for four clean energy projects that will be part of the country’s Arctic sovereignty push, Nunavut MP Lori Idlout says. “It clearly shows that we are on the road to becoming an energy superpower,” the Liberal politician said at a funding announcement on Monday at the Iqaluit power plant. “Inuit and Indigenous peoples are leading the way.” The money, which comes from the federal departments of Natural Resources and Crown–Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs, will help fund wind turbines and solar energy projects. Nunavut Nukkiksautiit Corp., which is owned by the Qikiqtani Inuit Association, will get $4.8 million for feasibility and engineering design studies of solar and wind projects in Sanirajak, Kinngait and...
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As Native American boarding schools project ends, survivors describe feeling honored and restored
By Nancy Marie Spears/the Imprint Hundreds of Indigenous people have testified. They’ve sobbed, cursed and laughed in spite of it all. Many told stories about their time in boarding schools that they’ve kept inside for decades, finally able to begin recovering from childhood trauma. An oral history project led by the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition is wrapping up in Tulsa, Oklahoma on Friday. To date, the nonprofit’s historians have collected video testimony from more than 360 Indigenous survivors in 19 states — stories set to be preserved in the Library of Congress for years to come. Iona Mad Plume, who is Blackfeet and grew up on her tribe’s reservation in Montana, said she “can’t emphasize enough” how healing her experience was. She testified in front of a...
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