Pacific Rim National Park Reserve reminds public to be mindful of wolves on the landscape
By Nora O’Malley, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Ha-Shilth-Sa Long Beach, B.C. – Recent reports of a pack of sea wolves in the Pacific Rim corridor acting habituated towards humans has prompted Parks Canada to issue a public reminder about how to stay safe and respect these animals. Francis Bruhwiler is a specialist in human-wildlife co-existence in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve (PRNPR). He says the pack is likely the same two or three coastal wolves acting “very indifferent” when they see people. “If you want to break that down, it’s a loss of the natural human fear we would like them to have,” said Bruhwiler. “That behaviour is concerning because of that loss of that wariness towards humans. It seems like it’s faded a little bit.” “Habituated wolves have been...
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City acting as transport hub as First Nations flee wildfires
By Clint Fleury, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, TBnewswatch.com THUNDER BAY – The City of Thunder Bay has set itself up as a transportation hub for evacuees affected by forest fires. Across Northwestern Ontario, particularly north of Red Lake and north of the Sioux Lookout area, are “still experiencing quite a bit of control problems with some of the wildfires,” said Dave Tarini, deputy fire chief for Thunder Bay Fire Rescue. The Red Lake 12 fire is 6 to 7 km from Sandy Lake First Nation and is producing heavy smoke, reducing visibility. Saturday afternoon, an evacuation order was issued for all residents of Sandy Lake. Evacuees were transported by Canadian Forces Hercules aircraft to Thunder Bay. “These are extraordinary circumstances, and we are doing everything possible to support the safe...
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Ottawa’s plan for climate change adaptation is falling short, report says
By Nick Murray Ottawa’s efforts to prepare the country for the impacts of climate change have stumbled out of the gate, Canada’s environment commissioner said Tuesday. In a new report, Jerry DeMarco concluded the National Adaptation Strategy was not effectively designed, did not prioritize Canada’s climate change risks and only established one of three components since its release in 2023. Canada has committed $1.6 billion so far to implement the strategy, which is meant as a road map for adaptation measures for climate impacts. Environment and Climate Change Canada has estimated that every dollar spent on proactive adaptation measures can save taxpayers between $13 and $15 in the long term. Canada was relatively late to the game when it released its strategy in 2023. Japan, France and the United Kingdom...
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Ottawa too slow to process First Nations status applications: AG report
Backlog of nearly 12,000 applications for status By Alessia Passafiume Canada’s auditor general says Indigenous Services Canada has failed to process applications for registration under the Indian Act within the required six-month timeline — leaving many First Nations people unable to access on-reserve housing, financial aid for post-secondary education and health benefits. In an audit released Tuesday, Karen Hogan found that more than eight in 10 applications processed by the department exceeded the six-month service standard. Some of those were priority applications for older people or those with health issues. Examining a sample of 140,000 applications submitted between April 2019 and March 2024, Hogan concluded it took the department nearly 16 months on average to make a decision on an individual application, and nearly three years to process...
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Audit General finds F-35 costs soar amid project delays, pilot shortages
By Kyle Duggan The cost of Canada’s incoming fleet of advanced stealth fighters has exploded by nearly 50 per cent in just a few years, auditor general Karen Hogan said Tuesday in a new report. The fighter jet audit is one of eight tabled in the House of Commons by Hogan and environment commissioner Jerry DeMarco which flagged problematic procurement contracts, a backlog in applications for First Nations status and a lag in reducing federal office space. An investigation by the auditor general of Canada finds costs associated with the F-35 advanced fighter jet program are running $8.7 billion higher than the original estimates. And it warns the program is being plagued by delays and crucial shortfalls — including a lack of qualified pilots. The report lands in the middle...
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First Nations leaders provide national response to King’s Speech
By Jeremy Appel, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Alberta Native News (ANNews) – First Nations leaders from across Canada gathered in Ottawa to provide a unified response to the May 27 Speech from the Throne delivered by King Charles III, with a statement from some of the leaders highlighting the “profound gap between ceremonial gestures and the reality of unfulfilled Treaty obligations.” Prime Minister Mark Carney asked the King to deliver this year’s Speech from the Throne, normally delivered by the governor general as the King’s representative in Canada, as a symbol of Canada’s independence from the United States. A small group of First Nations leaders were invited to the Senate for the King’s speech as dignitaries, including Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs (AMC) Grand Chief Kyra Wilson. In a joint news...
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Ottawa too slow to process First Nations status applications: AG report
OTTAWA -CP— Canada’s auditor general says Indigenous Services Canada has not been processing applications for registration under the Indian Act within the required six-month timeline. The failure means many First Nations people are unable to access on-reserve housing, financial aid for post-secondary education and health benefits.Karen Hogan reports in an audit released today that more than eight out of 10 applications processed by the department between 2019 and 2024 exceeded that six-month window. Some of those were priority applications for people who are older or have health issues. Hogan says there is a backlog of about 12,000 applications, including nearly 1,500 applications that went unprocessed for more than two years. Hogan also says Indigenous Services couldn’t show that most officials making final decisions on applications had the proper training and...
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‘Horrific impacts’: as B.C. prepares to fast-track projects, a mining watchdog warns past mistakes could be repeated
By Matt Simmons, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Narwhal Environmental assessments exist for a reason. That’s what Nikki Skuce, director of BC Mining Law Reform Network, said in response to British Columbia’s current push to eliminate or streamline regulatory processes for proposed developments, which she fears could erode public safety and environmental protection around major mining projects. Last month, following a flurry of announcements about fast-tracking renewable energy projects and other infrastructure, the province enacted the controversial Bill 15, which gives the B.C. government sweeping powers to expedite proposed resource development. It has been widely condemned by many First Nations leaders. “What problem are they trying to solve by pushing this through?” Skuce said in an interview. “Because, in fact, they’re eroding trust with First Nations communities and other communities...
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No consultations; protests loom: First Nation leaders
By Pam Wright, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Chatham Voice A single meeting is not consultation. That’s what Walpole Island First Nation Chief Leela Thomas has to say regarding York1’s claim the company consulted with the band about the Dresden landfill project. “A short meeting is not consultation,” Thomas told The Voice in a recent interview. “Consultation means we know everything that the project entails. This hasn’t happened and there’s been no attempt to reconcile our concerns.” The chief’s comments were made public just prior to the Ontario government’s approval of Bill 5 on June 4. As part of the Unleashing the Economy to Protect Ontario Act 2025, the bill removes the environmental assessment designation for the York1 project, thereby fast tracking the controversial development located near the heart of Dresden....
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Manitoba government urges tourists not to visit as 21,000 people flee wildfires
By Steve Lambert Manitoba urged tourists Monday to hit pause on visiting the province for now as it fights to find shelter for a growing legion of wildfire evacuees that has now reached 21,000. It was one of multiple provinces battling marauding forest fires that have spawned sweeping, soaring tendrils of gauzy wood smoke across the country and beyond. “This is one of the largest evacuations in our province’s history,” said Lisa Naylor, the Manitoba minister in charge of emergency management. “The government anticipates there may be a need for more hotel rooms as the wildfire season continues. For that reason, we are urging Manitobans and Canadians to reconsider non-essential travel and event plans within Manitoba.” Naylor acknowledged it’s a difficult situation. “We absolutely know how important tourism is to...
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N.S. Mi’kmaq band drops case arguing federal rules don’t apply to its lobster fishery
A Mi’kmaq band has quietly discontinued its legal case alleging Ottawa was violating its right to fish for lobster, after hopes were raised of a historic deal. Last December, the lawyer for Sipekne’katik First Nation told Nova Scotia Supreme Court Justice John Keith that discussions with Ottawa to settle the matter were of historic importance and “moving to a conclusion.” Keith gave the parties until June 16 to finish the mediation, but said at that point the case would carry on before the courts. However, a letter to the courts sent June 6 by Sipekne’katik’s lawyer Nathan Sutherland dropped the case without any further explanation, and without any kind of deal announced. Band members had argued their “moderate livelihood” fishery outside of the regular season is permitted by a 1999...
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Attorneys get more time to argue over contested copper mine on land sacred to Apaches
By Susan Montoya Bryan A U.S. district judge in Arizona has opened the door for the next round of legal wrangling as environmentalists and some Native Americas seek to stop the federal government from transferring land in Arizona for a massive copper mining project. Judge Dominic Lanza in a ruling issued Monday denied motions that sought to halt the transfer pending the outcome of the case. However, he did preclude the U.S. Forest Service from proceeding with the land exchange until 60 days after the agency issues a required environmental review. Lanza said that would give the parties more time to analyze the environmental report and file amended complaints. He said granting a preliminary injunction now would be premature since the review will differ in some ways from the one...
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Five things to know about Canada’s plan to meet the NATO defence spending target
By Sarah Ritchie Prime Minister Mark Carney is promising that Canada will quickly boost its defence spending to hit the NATO member target of two per cent of national GDP this year. Canada has long promised to meet the target but has never had a detailed plan to get there. The announcement comes as NATO allies prepare for talks on raising the spending target to five per cent at the annual summit this month. Here’s what you need to know about the announcement. What is the NATO spending target? All NATO allies, Canada included, committed to spending the equivalent of two per cent of their GDP on defence in 2006. In 2014, NATO leaders agreed formally that countries that were not meeting the target must move toward it within a...
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Aroland, Bearskin Lake call out Ford government over Bill 5
By Mike Stimpson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Thunder Bay Source AROLAND – Aroland First Nation’s chief would like to make it clear that he and his council do not support Bill 5 – and that they’re not in league with Premier Doug Ford’s government on Ring of Fire mining, either. A news release issued Monday says the First Nation north of Geraldton “objects to Bill 5, the disrespect shown by the process toward it, and the threats to First Nations, the environment, democracy and basic human rights that its contents contain.” On the same day, Bearskin Lake First Nation issued a statement calling for Bill 5’s repeal and the resignation of Indigenous Affairs Minister Greg Rickford. Bill 5, the Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act, authorizes the province to...
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T.J. Oshie, US Olympic star in Sochi and Capitals Stanley Cup champion, announces he’s retiring
By Sammi Silber WASHINGTON (AP) — T.J. Oshie, who scored four shootout goals for the U.S. to beat host Russia at the 2014 Sochi Olympics and helped the Washington Capitals win the Stanley Cup in 2018, announced Monday he is retiring after playing 16 NHL seasons. Oshie, who Ojibwe, shared his news in front of hundreds of fans gathered at the fountains at Washington Harbour in Georgetown, seven years to the day of one of the most memorable Cup celebrations in hockey history when he and several teammates jumped into the fountains and took a dip. President of hockey operations Brian MacLellan, general manager Chris Patrick, coach Spencer Carbery and longtime teammates Nicklas Backstrom and John Carlson came out to support Oshie as he called it a career. “My only...
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DC prepares for Trump’s military parade with 18 miles of fencing and 175 magnetometers
By Ashraf Khalil WASHINGTON (AP) — As the nation’s capital cleans up from the culmination of World Pride this past weekend, focus now shifts to a very different massive event — Saturday’s military parade to honor the 250th birthday of the Army and the 79th birthday of President Donald Trump. “We’re preparing for an enormous turnout,” said Matt McCool of the Secret Service’s Washington Field office, who said more than 18 miles of “anti-scale fencing” would be erected and “multiple drones” would be in the air. The entire District of Columbia is normally a no-fly zone for drones. Army officials have estimated around 200,000 attendees for the evening military parade, and McCool said he was prepared for “hundreds of thousands” of people. “We have a ton of magnetometers,” he said....
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There is no time to slow-walk reconciliation, says author of guidebook for next steps
By Shari Narine, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Windspeaker.com As wildfires force First Nations communities to evacuate in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta, the easiest way for allies to step up is to donate to the Canadian Red Cross, says Rose LeMay, author of Ally is a Verb: A Guide to Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples. But allies can do even more. As accommodations in hotels become increasingly strained, LeMay says allies can call for universities and colleges to open up their student housing. And allies can lobby politicians for stronger, faster responses. “I don’t think there’s anything wrong at all with lobbying for effective government services. I’m guessing governments from provincial, territorial to federal governments, are overwhelmed. It seems that they are doing as best as they can,” said LeMay. “Governments...
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Mi’kmaq band drops legal case on N.S. lobster fishery
By Michael Tutton A Mi’kmaq band has dropped a legal case alleging Ottawa was violating its treaty rights in the lobster fishery, after hopes were raised of a historic deal. Last December, the lawyer for Sipekne’katik First Nation told Nova Scotia Supreme Court Justice John Keith that discussions with Ottawa to settle the matter were “moving to a conclusion.” Keith gave the parties until June 16 to finish the mediation, but said at that point the case would carry on before the courts. However, a letter to the courts sent June 6 by Sipekne’katik’s lawyer Nathan Sutherland dropped the case without any further explanation. Neither side has provided an update on the status of negotiations for a new agreement. Chief Michelle Glasgow, the leader of the Indigenous community about 70...
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Kahkewistahaw First Nation undertaking major development projects
By Ryan Kiedrowski, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The World-Spectator With projects such as Lakeside at Round Lake, Kahkewistahâw Landing in Saskatoon, and Mâmawi Landing in Yorkton, there are big economic development plans underway by Kahkewistahâw First Nation, and a lot on the plate for the Kahkewistahâw Economic Management Corporation. “We truly are planning for seven generations ahead,” said Kahkewistahâw Chief Evan Taypotat. “The leadership team that I sit with, the counsellors that I’m blessed to work with every day, we understand and we respect Treaty and what it’s supposed to give to our people, but at the end of the day, Treaty gives the bare minimum, and that’s what it was designed to do,” Chief Taypotat explained. “We’re not going to sit over here on Kahkewistahâw, feel sorry for ourselves...
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Two First Nations working on roads to Ring of Fire do not support new mining law
By Liam Casey Two First Nations that signed deals with the provincial government to improve access to the Ring of Fire are speaking out against a new Ontario law that seeks to ease mineral extraction in the northern region. Aroland First Nation Chief Sonny Gagnon said his community objects to the law known as Bill 5, which seeks to speed up development in the face of pressure from the United States. The legislation passed last week and allows Ontario to suspend provincial and municipal laws by creating so-called special economic zones for certain projects it chooses, such as new mines. “We do not stand with Ontario in support of Bill 5,” Gagnon said in a statement. “We do stand in support of the other First Nations in Ontario who are...
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