Shelter in Place in Ohsweken lifted
OHSWEKEN- Six Nations Police Service, along with the Haldimand Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), has lifted a shelter-in-place advisory in the area of Fourth Line and Chiefswood Rd. in Ohsweken, Six Nations early Monday (Nov. 17th) morning, saying there was no threat to public safety. The shelter-in-place advisory was issued on Monday, November 17, 2025, at around 4:00 a.m. in response to an active incident involving an armed individual. Police said as part of their initial response, members of the public in the affected area were urged to follow shelter-in-place precautions. “We recognize the significant emotional impact that receiving a shelter-in-place can cause and appreciate the public’s patience as officers worked to investigate and resolve the situation,” the statement read. “We thank members of the public for their...
Register
One down…one to go?
Six Nations Elected Council took the unusual move to take back control of their own public meeting last week. After calling a public meeting on their annual audit, their first under the current Elected Chief and the first since former Elected Chief the late Bill Montour was in office, they found themselves facing an usual circumstance. In the past, SNEC public meetings have always been pretty straight forward. The council members all sit at a long table at the front of the room, read any statement and open the floor to questions. Members of the public walk up to microphones or have it brought to them and ask their question. Last week’s audit session didn’t follow that norm…at least not right away. First the auditors weren’t on hand to introduce...
Register
Today in History
Nov 16 In 1885, Metis leader Louis Riel was hanged in Regina for his involvement in the Northwest Rebellions. Riel’s lawyer proposed to defend him on grounds of insanity, but Riel repudiated this and he was found guilty of treason. The execution was postponed several times and pleas for clemency came from many parts of the world. Nov 17 In 2021, this year’s Governor General’s Literary Award for fiction was given to an Inuk writer and academic from Edmonton. Norma Dunning received the $25,000 prize for her book of short stories, “Tainna: The Unseen Ones.’’ The book centres on the experiences of modern-day Inuit living outside their home territories. In 2023, the Canadian government announced the launch of a new $10-million program aimed at providing grants to small businesses involved...
Register
Pope returns 62 artifacts to Indigenous peoples from Canada as part of reckoning with colonial past
By Nicole Winfield VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Vatican on Saturday returned 62 artifacts from its vast ethnographic collection to Indigenous peoples from Canada, as part of the Catholic Church’s reckoning with its role in helping suppress Indigenous culture in the Americas. Pope Leo XIV gave the artifacts, including an iconic Inuit kayak, and supporting documentation to the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, which said it would return the items to Indigenous communities “as soon as possible.” A joint statement from the Vatican and Canadian church described the pieces as a “gift” and a “concrete sign of dialogue, respect and fraternity.” The artifacts are expected to land in Montreal on Dec. 6 and be taken first to the Canadian Museum of History in Ottawa, which will arrange for them to...
Register
There’s work to be done before Ring of Fire gets a spot on Major Projects list: Hajdu
By Mike Stimpson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Thunder Bay Source THUNDER BAY — There’s work to be done before a project in the Ring of Fire could be added to the federal Major Projects Office’s list, Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu said Friday. Hajdu, MP for Thunder Bay-Superior North, was speaking a day after the government announced projects to be considered for streamlined approval processes. None of them are in Northwestern Ontario. “I think my role is to make sure that there are northern Ontario projects that are on the list,” Hajdu told Newswatch. “Ultimately, I think everybody is interested in seeing the Ring of Fire move forward,” she said, referring to mineral-rich lands where Australia-headquartered Wyloo wants to tap its Eagle’s Nest deposit. “I think the Ring of Fire has...
Register
Six Nations Ironmen hitting midway point in northern league
By Sam Laskaris Writer The Six Nations Ironmen are on the verge of hitting the midway mark of their inaugural season in the Northern Premier Hockey League. The brass of the Senior A men’s club is relatively pleased with how things have been transpiring thus far. The Ironmen will play the 10th match of their 20-game regular season schedule this Saturday, on the road versus the host Stratford Irish. The match will be held at the William Allman Memorial Arena. The opening faceoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. “If we could pull it off Saturday, we’ll be back to .500,” said Darrell Anderson, who is the Ironmen owner and general manager. The Six Nations club is currently sporting a 4-5 record. “A couple of games could have gone either way,”...
Register
Littlechild delivers opening address at Hockey Canada summit
By Sam Laskaris Writer Dr. Wilton Littlechild has what he believes would be some sage advice for Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. Littlechild, a former MP who also served as the Grand Chief of the Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations, delivered the opening address at Hockey Canada’s Beyond The Boards summit in Toronto on Nov. 13. Littlechild, a member of Ermineskin Cree Nation in Alberta, also served as the commissioner of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. Before arriving to the summit, Littlechild said earlier that morning he was exercising and listening to the national news. “I heard Prime Minister was going to be announcing four new national interest projects,” he said, as he received laughter when he added he would get briefly political since he was wearing...
Register
B.C. police complaint commissioner’s office gearing up for systemic investigations
By Darryl Greer British Columbia’s police complaint commissioner says his office is gearing up to conduct systemic investigations in an expanded mandate that would go beyond individual cases of police misconduct in hopes of reducing complaints and improving public confidence in law enforcement. The Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner released its latest annual report this week, outlining how the oversight body dealt with more files in the last fiscal year than at any time since 2020. The office handles complaints about police misconduct for 15 jurisdictions in B.C., most of them municipal, including Vancouver, Surrey, New Westminster, Delta, Abbotsford and four municipal departments on Vancouver Island. Commissioner Prabhu Rajan said in an interview Tuesday that the increase in files was due, in part, to the Surrey Police Service replacing...
Register
‘It’s finally time to upgrade:’ Bearspaw First Nation to build travel centre in Eden Valley
By Leah Pelletier, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Rocky Mountain Outlook EDEN VALLEY — Bearspaw First Nation has been given the go ahead to build a new travel centre including a gas bar, convenience store and retail space at the entrance of the Eden Valley reserve. The development, decades in the making, received the green light from the MD of Foothills on Nov. 5, after a zoning change from agriculture to community commercial was approved for the five-acre plot of land adjacent to Highway 541, west of Longview. “It’s going to be a tremendous opportunity for the Eden Valley reserve,” said Rob Shotclose, CEO of Bearspaw First Nation. “It’s finally time to upgrade that community’s commercial centre, retail centre and also move it out from across the river right up to...
Register
Six Nations Police investigating armed robbery in the village
OHSWEKEN, ONT. – Six Nations Police (SNP) are investigating an armed robbery at an Ohsweken business Friday Nov., 14 that saw a masked man make off with cash. SNP said at about 6:35 p.m. on Nov. 14, a man wearing a camouflage hoodie, a dark-coloured toque and a balaclava, with a flashlight on top of his head, came into the store on Chiefswood Road brandishing a firearm. The armed individual took about $1,000 in cash and fled the area prior to police arrival. No injuries were reported in relation to the incident. Community members were asked to avoid the area while officers investigated, with assistance from the Ontario Provincial Police’s (OPP’s) K9 Unit and the Emergency Response Team (ERT). Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact Six Nations...
Register
Haida documentary links basketball to sovereignty and identity
By Aaron Walker , Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Windspeaker.com A new feature documentary from Haida filmmaker Patrick Shannon is drawing a direct line between a village basketball team and the Haida Nation’s long fight over title of its lands and waters. Saints and Warriors follows the Skidegate Saints through the 2023-24 basketball season as the team tries to defend its dominance at the All Native Basketball Tournament while key players are also leading political and legal efforts to secure acknowledgement of Haida title of Haida Gwaii off mainland British Columbia. The 98-minute film, produced by InnoNative and Grand Scheme, is rolling out in select theatres across Canada starting this Friday, Nov. 21. It will be available to rent or buy starting Nov. 28. “Saints and Warriors is a story about...
Register
Plan to boost northern port features in Manitoba government’s throne speech
By Steve Lambert The Manitoba government is scheduled to outline its plans for the coming year in its annual throne speech this afternoon. Premier Wab Kinew has said the speech will include plans to create a Crown-Indigenous corporation that will help ensure Indigenous involvement in the planned expansion of the Port of Churchill. Manitoba has been pushing the federal government to help pay for improvements at the port and the railway that serves the northern town as a way to ship more goods through Hudson Bay to Europe. Prime Minister Mark Carney met with Kinew on Sunday and said there remains a lot of work to do on the project. The NDP government is also expected to reintroduce a bill on the notwithstanding clause that failed to pass in the...
Register
Toronto City Hall raises Palestinian flag, joining other cities across Canada
By Cassidy McMackon The mood was celebratory on the rooftop of Toronto City Hall on Monday morning, as dozens gathered in the brisk weather to watch the Palestinian flag fly over the building for the first time. The International Centre of Justice for Palestinians, which petitioned for the move, said ahead of the flag-raising that it would mark a “symbolic show of solidarity” for Palestinians in Canada on the 37th anniversary of the Palestinian Declaration of Independence. On the rooftop, supporters joined chants of “free free Palestine” and lined up to have their photo taken with the flag before it was raised. Below in Nathan Phillips Square, several dozen supporters also gathered to see the flag go up, while some pro-Israeli protesters also stood in protest. “It’s fantastic,” said ICJP...
Register
Manitoba police officer shot in foot by fellow officer during confrontation with dog
A police officer in Manitoba is recovering from surgery after he was shot in the foot by a fellow officer. The Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba says it’s looking into the shooting. It involved officers with the Manitoba First Nations Police Service on the Brokenhead Ojibway Nation, northeast of Winnipeg. The agency says the officers were executing a warrant at a home Saturday, when they were confronted by a large, aggressive dog. It says an officer tried to shoot the dog, and the second officer was inadvertently hit. The injured officer was transported to Health Sciences Centre Winnipeg, where he underwent an operation to remove a bullet from his foot. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 17, 2025. ...
Register
BC transmission line risks repeating Site C failures: critics
By Rochelle Baker, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Canada’s National Observer The rush to develop BC’s $6-billion North Coast Transmission Line risks charging down the same troubled path of poor oversight and cost over-runs faced by the Site C dam, critics warn, pointing to a new report. At the end of October, BC Hydro provided the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) with its Site C “lessons learned” report, which outlined why the Peace River project costs nearly doubled to $16 billion from the original $8.8 billion figure in 2014. The North Coast Transmission Line (NCTL), which will power natural gas operations, LNG export facilities, mining and the Prince Rupert port expansion, is the next big-ticket item tackled by BC Hydro. It will double electricity flowing from Prince George to Terrace and...
Register
TD Bank settles human rights complaint by B.C. Muslim-Indigenous man
By Brieanna Charlebois A human rights complaint has been settled between the TD Bank and a Muslim-Indigenous man who claimed he was racially profiled while trying to open a bank account at a Surrey, B.C., branch. Sharif Mohammed Bhamji, a member of the Heiltsuk Nation, said he hopes his case serves as example to others who have experienced similar injustices and encourages them to speak out. “It’s not the solution but it’s definitely part of it, and I’m glad to be part of a solution,” he said in an interview. Bhamji and TD executives took part in a traditional Heiltsuk washing ceremony on Sunday in Bella Bella, a healing ritual that the nation’s elected chief said sets the bar for corporate accountability. The monetary values of the settlement have not...
Register
Vote count resumes without electoral officer
By Connor McDowell, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Brandon Sun SIOUX VALLEY DAKOTA NATION — Three ballot boxes that were locked away in the Sioux Valley Dakota Nation government office on Thursday night were opened and counted on Friday afternoon without the presence of the electoral officer who had signed off on the boxes. According to a livestream on the First Nation’s YouTube channel, Jennifer Bone was leading the race for chief on Friday at press time after a tumultuous two days of vote counting. Electoral officer Burke Ratte shut down the First Nation’s ballot count on Thursday amid concerns for his safety and those of his team, he told the Sun on Friday. He said he dealt with multiple threats throughout the day, and that a group of people had...
Register
Calls for justice system reform follow release of man who killed two Indigenous women
By Alessia Passafiume A woman whose cousin was killed says the release last week of a man who killed two women is another outrage from a justice system that victimizes Indigenous women and girls. Shawn Lamb pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the 2012 deaths of two Indigenous women — Carolyn Sinclair and Lorna Blacksmith — and was sentenced to 20 years the following year. Lamb received statutory release earlier this month after serving two-thirds of his sentence. Offenders serving life or indeterminate sentences are not eligible for statutory release. Melissa Robinson’s cousin, Morgan Harris, was killed by someone else in 2022, and Robinson says she would like to see consecutive life sentences in any case where someone is charged with multiple counts of homicide. She says the families of victims...
Register
B.C. wolves use line to pull up crab traps in first possible tool use by species
By Chuck Chiang Researchers have captured video footage of wild wolves in British Columbia pulling crab traps out of the sea by their lines to eat the bait inside, in the first evidence of possible tool use by the animals. A report released Monday in the scientific journal Ecology and Evolution by researchers Kyle Artelle and Paul Paquet says they placed cameras on the beach aimed at Heiltsuk First Nation crab traps to work out what was repeatedly damaging them. The traps, set up near Bella Bella, on B.C.’s central coast, were being used to control the invasive European green crab, and some were in deeper water submerged at all times, leading researchers to believe the damage that started in 2023 was caused by marine mammals. “We were going, ‘Well,...
Register
Eby says B.C. is at a ‘pivot point’ as he promises future based on natural resources
By Wolfgang Depner British Columbia Premier David Eby used his appearance at the convention of British Columbia’s New Democrats to highlight several resource projects, while saying that the federal ban on tankers off B.C.’s northern coast is here to stay. Eby promised Saturday that B.C. will turn its natural resources into the wealth needed to “sustain strong public services for generations to come,” citing several projects his government is pursuing. They include the North Coast Transmission Line set to power mining and LNG projects in northwestern B.C., with Eby calling the line “one of the biggest, most transformational opportunities” in a century. He said the nation-building project, which Prime Minister Mark Carney this week listed for consideration for fast-tracking by Ottawa, will support new industries while “creating 10,000 good jobs...
Register
