‘There’s going to be an accident,’ airport official warns of seaplane traffic on Lake Couchiching
By Danielle Pitman, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, OrilliaMatters.com Recent float plane activity on Lake Couchiching is causing waves for those who live in the area, with a local airport official say it’s only a matter of time before there’s an accident. Among the worries floating around are questions about why the Lake Country Airways seaplane base is now using the lake and Cape Resort as its base of operations and how it was approved. “We have lived peacefully on this lake for 23 years,” says Belinda Robichaud. Her home is in Cumberland Beach, directly across from the location where Lake Country Airways operates at The Cape Resort on Rama Road. “Our main concern is the fact that virtually no one had heard that this base was even being considered, let...
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Food Banks Canada says employment insurance doesn’t serve modern workforce
Canada’s employment insurance system no longer serves the broader workforce as more people take up gig work or part-time jobs, says a new report from Food Banks Canada. In its latest poverty report card released Monday, the organization said the labour market has shifted toward part-time, temporary and contract work, while EI only caters to a shrinking workforce that has stable, full-time work with a single employer. Food Banks Canada chief executive Kirstin Beardsley said in a media statement the outdated EI system is one of the greatest threats to Canada’s resiliency as unemployment remains elevated and households struggle to keep up with the high cost of living. The report suggests EI eligibility is at the heart of the issue. EI requires claimants to accumulate a set number of insurable...
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Food tax cut, bad behaviour: What happened in Manitoba’s spring legislature sitting
By Ian Bickis The Manitoba legislature wrapped on Monday its spring sitting, which had the government pass a tax cut on some food items and saw accusations of racist comments and other unruly behaviour. The three-month stretch had some late nights, as the Opposition Progressive Conservatives pushed for deeper tax cuts than the NDP government offered in its budget bill. Tax cut The most prominent cut eliminates the provincial sales tax on prepared meals, including rotisserie chicken, as well as snacks and soft drinks at grocery and convenience stores, starting July 1. While most groceries are already tax-free, the province said the cut would save an average family of four roughly $100 a year to help with the cost of living. “That’s a huge step forward in lowering the burden...
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Father testifies at inquest into jail death
By Carrie Ivardi, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, NWOnewswatch.com Content warning: This article addresses suicide and mental health. If you or someone you know is in immediate danger or in need of urgent support, call 911. The CMHA also provides crisis response services across the region, including a 24/7 helpline at 807-346-8282 or toll free at 1-866-888-8988. THUNDER BAY — When he was feeling down, Kevin Mamakwa told his dad, physical exercise helped him to feel better. Jonathon Mamakwa took the stand on Monday as the first witness at the inquest into the death of his son, Kevin. Presiding Coroner Dr. Michael Wilson explained that the role of the five jury members is not to assign blame, but look into the circumstances of Kevin’s death. The Kingfisher Lake First Nation man...
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Saskatchewan wildfires force out 1,200 people; evacuation order ends near Shellbrook
By Jeremy Simes A wildfire evacuation order has been lifted in northern Saskatchewan but about 1,200 people elsewhere in the province remain out of their homes. Bryan Chartrand with the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency says the Cayford fire, northeast of Saskatoon near the Manitoba boundary, is burning vigorously. The agency says the fire has forced out about 1,200 residents from two First Nations communities due to concerns involving smoke and road access. A blaze near the Rural Municipality of Shellbrook, also northeast of Saskatoon, had forced out 130 residents but the evacuation order was rescinded Monday afternoon. Chartrand says the Lobstick fire saw minimal growth over the weekend and rain is expected later this week in the area. He says a chicken coop, shed and trailer were scorched in the...
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Catholic board updated on Inspiring Success journey
By Michael Oleksyn, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Prince Albert Daily Herald Trustees discussed the connection between Catholic education and Indigenous spirituality during the Prince Albert Catholic School Division board of education’s regular meeting on May 25. The Inspiring Success Journey explored Truth and Reconciliation with the Catholic faith. Superintendent Wade Mourot discussed what has been done in the division to connect the two subjects. “When we take a moment and reflect on the work that we do within our goals for inspiring success, clearly it’s part of our mandate and our mission,” Education Director Lorel Trumier said. “To see how we do it in so many different ways, I think it proves to be a very important element of the work that we do in our school division.” The division’s...
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Wasauksing opens safe home supporting survivors of domestic violence, offering services for men and women
By Shania Tabobondung, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Parry Sound North Star Wasauksing First Nation marked a significant milestone May 21 with the opening of a safe home aimed at supporting survivors of domestic violence. Located on Wasauksing First Nation, the safe home focuses on serving Indigenous people in the region and First Nations along the Highway 69 corridor. The facility will be among the first in the region to provide services for men fleeing intimate partner violence, in addition to women and families. Male and female staff are on site to provide immediate crisis response and emotional support. The shelter offers co-ed psycho-educational programming on domestic violence, self-care, grief and loss, and can also arrange individual or group counselling through Wasauksing social programming and local partners. This initiative has been...
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How Trump has used the presidency to benefit himself and his allies
By Will Weissert And Michelle L. Price WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump tried to create a near $1.8 billion fund that could be funneled to his supporters as a means of settling a lawsuit he filed against his own government — even arguing that he “gave up a lot of money in allowing” it. After drawing outcry in Congress and the courts, however, the White House is reconsidering the fund. That potentially means the suit — and the possibility that the president could still cash in — might be back on. Trump hasn’t been shy about turning the presidency into a major source of personal benefit, involving everything from merchandising deals to crypto ventures to high-dollar political and official events at his properties. Asked about possible self-dealing by the...
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Paternalistic Indian Act is not the way forward
By Jathinder Sandhu, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Megaphone Magazine The Indian Act of 1876 has been used as an “instrument of oppression” against Indigenous peoples throughout history, according to Bob Joseph, author of 21 Things You May Not Know About The Indian Act. As Canada marks National Indigenous History Month (June) with June 21 designated as National Indigenous Peoples Day, it is important to remember that this legislation is not something in our country’s distant colonial past. It still remains the foundational legal framework for addressing Indigenous Peoples and issues in Canada. Today, despite undergoing many amendments since 1876, the Indian Act still shapes political and socio-economic reality for many generations of Indigenous Peoples. A federal law, it sets the legal framework for the government’s relationship with First Nations people,...
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‘Aukkauti’ play begins Nunavik-wide run in Kuujjuaq
By Dominique Gené, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunatsiaq News A play that retells the tragic story of Aukkauti, one of Nunavik’s most enduring oral histories, is touring communities across the region. Following its premiere at the Puvirnituq Snow Festival in March 2025, the production will begin its regional tour Saturday evening in Kuujjuaq. Organizers and partners launched the tour at a press conference Friday. Produced by Aaqsiiq Inuit Theatre, Aukkauti follows a man of the same name who accidentally shoots his friend’s son, setting off a tragic chain of deaths. “It’s a difficult story. I think what [this play] can bring is a sense of resolution for people, but also a celebration because there are funny bits, there are emotional bits,” said Taqralik Partridge, Aaqsiiq’s newly appointed executive director, in...
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Heart of the Youth Community Pow Wow returns to celebrate culture and inclusion
By Michael Oleksyn, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Prince Albert Daily Herald The Heart of the Youth Community Pow Wow returned to Kinsmen Park to celebrate culture and inclusion on Friday afternoon. Organizing committee member Alex Powalinsky said the Heart of the Youth Community Pow Wow is about giving youth different opportunities. “It allows our dancers and our youth drummers to showcase the work that they’ve been putting in to prepare for powwow season (and) for them to share their gifts with the community,” Powalinsky said. “Then it also provides an opportunity for intercultural sharing and learning as well. “We have people from all different backgrounds and 4,000 youth typically who come to our powwow. It’s really amazing to watch them learn and share with one another and to celebrate our...
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Two men found guilty of second-degree murder in random roadside shooting near Calgary
By Bill Graveland The wife of an Alberta man gunned down in a roadside shooting east of Calgary shared an emotional hug with the prosecutor after a jury found two men guilty of second-degree murder Saturday. Jurors deliberated for 14 hours before concluding Arthur Penner and Elijah Strawberry shot and killed Colin Hough, 45, an employee of Rocky View County, on Aug. 6, 2024 on a rural road. “I love you,” Laurie Hough said to prosecutor Photini Popadatou as they embraced after the verdict. Neither Penner or Strawberry seemed surprised at the court’s decisions, standing with their hands clasped in front of them as the verdicts were read. Both men were also found guilty of two counts of armed robbery including stealing Hough’s vehicle and attempting to take the vehicle...
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First Nations haven’t been consulted on clean drinking water legislation: lawyer
By Alessia Passafiume A lawyer who represented First Nations in a class-action lawsuit against Ottawa says his clients still have not been consulted on promised clean drinking water legislation — even though the lawsuit settlement directed the federal government to work with First Nations to develop the legislation. Michael Rosenberg, who represented some 260 First Nations in the class action settled in 2021, said those communities are being shut out by Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty and have not seen a draft of legislation meant to ensure those same First Nations have access to clean drinking water. “It’s just completely unacceptable to our clients that they’re left in this vacuum where there’s nothing that actually governs water on-reserve, and there hasn’t been for some time,” Rosenberg told The Canadian Press....
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Landmark Indigenous languages office under audit, $10M spent hosting conference
By Brittany Hobson and Alessia Passafiume The federal government has ordered a financial audit into transactions and activities at a landmark Indigenous languages office after receiving anonymous complaints. Canadian Heritage didn’t elaborate on the allegations against the Office of the Commissioner of Indigenous Languages, an arm’s-length office set up five years ago after it was recommended by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. “Canadian Heritage has made the commissioner of Indigenous languages aware that we have received anonymous allegations and has contracted an independent third-party firm to conduct a special examination under the Indigenous Languages Act,” the department said in an email. It said the review can look at whether the office’s “books, records, systems and practices” are complying with standards in the legislation. It didn’t give a timeline on when...
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‘The perfect trap’: Archeologist reflects on decades at Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump
By Bill Graveland Renowned Alberta archeologist Bob Dawe has stood at this spot, near the windy, windswept craggy sandstone cliff of the Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump in southern Alberta, thousands of times during his career. But his mind always goes back to what it was like at the site of what was basically an early abattoir for thousands of years. Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump is about 150 kilometres south of Calgary. The silver ribbon of the Oldman River, an integral water source for the Blackfoot people, is just a couple of kilometres away. The jump was used for thousands of years by Indigenous people to channel bison herds and send the animals stampeding over an 11-metre-high cliff to be killed and harvested. “I don’t know how many times I’ve stood up here...
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Indigenous families call for permanent search team in Thunder Bay
By Jon Thompson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Ricochet Indigenous searchers are calling for the creation of a permanent search and rescue team in Thunder Bay, where the bodies of four missing persons have been found over the past two weeks. Meanwhile, Thunder Bay’s police chief and the region’s First Nations leaders traded barbs on social media, amid criticism of the force’s actions during the search. Nishnawbe Aski Nation Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler and Thunder Bay Police Service chief Darcy Fleury exchanged critical social media posts on Wednesday and Thursday. Fiddler accused the police of instructing searchers not to look in a set of abandoned grain elevators. Searchers found the bodies of 25-year-old Nodin Skunk and 23-year-old Ashlynn Bottle from Mishkeegogamang First Nation in those elevators three days later. Fiddler said...
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Quebec moves ahead with AI cultural databank project
By Frédéric Lacroix-Couture Quebec’s national library is moving ahead with plans to create a database of cultural and government content that could be used to train artificial intelligence systems and improve their understanding of Quebec society, culture and Indigenous languages. Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec, or BAnQ, the province’s national library and archives institution, has launched the experimental phase of its proposed government and cultural databank in French and Indigenous languages after completing a feasibility study earlier this year. The project aims to address concerns that major generative AI systems often struggle to provide reliable information about Quebec society, economy and culture because of the limited amount of Quebec-related data available to them. “All scenarios are a little bit on the table right now,” Valérie D’Amour, who led the...
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Human rights panel accuses Canada of genocide against Indigenous population
By Erika Morris An international panel of human rights experts has accused Canada of committing genocide against its Indigenous population. The Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal reached the preliminary conclusion following a week of hearings in Montreal. The panel says Canada had historically adopted a series of policies that it deemed were crimes against humanity with genocidal intent. The panel says these included the introduction of Canada’s system of residential schools and policies that forced the sterilization of Indigenous women. The Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal judges, from left to right, Seanna Howard, Frances Webber and Valmaine Toki give preliminary conclusions following a week of hearings in Montreal on Friday, May 29, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi Survivors at the hearings held onto each other and wiped away tears as three tribunal members read...
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Appeal campaign launched after N.B. Mountie found not guilty of assaulting former Eskasoni woman
By Rosemary Godin, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Cape Breton Post A picture tells a thousand words. And photos posted by Eskasoni band member Christina Gillis following her call to police in New Brunswick for help with her daughter unleashed a vigorous letter-writing campaign in the wake of the acquittal on May 1 of a Woodstock, N.B., RCMP officer. The New Brunswick Prosecutor’s Office had 30 days after the court decision to appeal the acquittal of an RCMP officer who left an Eskasoni woman’s face battered and bruised. Justice Christa Bourque found Cpl. Andrew Whiteway of the RCMP’s Western Valley Region detachment in Woodstock, N. B. did not use excessive force during arrest when handing down her decision at the beginning of this month. Despite his own court testimony that he...
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Gov. Gen. Simon launches mental health project for North, Indigenous communities
By Sarah Ritchie Outgoing Gov. Gen. Mary Simon has launched a project to fund community-based mental health services in Northern and Indigenous communities. The legacy project will be run with support from the Rideau Hall Foundation. It is called Ajuinnata, an Inuktitut word that means “never give up.” The project will begin in Inuit Nunangat. Simon launched a mental health learning and listening tour in 2024 as one of her priorities in the viceregal office. She said the people she met made it clear the shortage of stable services in the North is an acute problem. “Relying solely on non-Indigenous professionals sent from the South on a temporary basis makes it very difficult to build the trust that effective mental health support requires,” she said at a ceremony honouring her...
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