Carney stands by Plains of Abraham speech that rankled Quebec’s political class
By Michel Saba and Émilie Bergeron Prime Minister Mark Carney on Monday stood by his comments about the Battle of the Plains of Abraham, remarks that had drawn a swift rebuke from Quebec’s political class and demands for an apology. The controversy erupted on Thursday when Carney said the 1759 battle in Quebec City — during which the British defeated the French, who would ultimately lose control of New France — symbolized the beginning of a partnership between two peoples. Carney said the battle became a symbol of collaboration rather than domination — despite the fact the defeat led to significant attempts by the English to assimilate francophones. In response, Parti Québécois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon said the comments reflected Ottawa’s “long tradition of colonialism.” On Monday, Carney did not...
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Water damage, electrical issues force more residents from Manitoba FirstNation
By Brittany Hobson More residents are being asked to leave a northern Manitoba First Nation dealing with a water crisis brought on by a power outage, as crews continue to fix damaged houses and buildings. Pimicikamak Cree Nation Chief David Monias says contractors have identified 73 more homes needing extensive repairs and that roughly 200 people are joining about 4,400 who have already been displaced. He says the additional homes are uninhabitable due to electrical issues and drywall and insulation damage from flooding and frozen pipes. Roughly 1,300 homes in the community of 7,000 people were damaged after a days-long power outage in December led to the failure of critical infrastructure. The military was brought in for about two weeks to assess infrastructure and help community leaders with a repair...
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Community calls for transparency after social media allegations; Brokenhead Ojibway Nation responds
By Steven Sukkau, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Winnipeg Sun Members of the Brokenhead Ojibway Nation community are calling for more transparency around a housing project after allegations circulated on social media raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest and the use of Jordan’s Principle funding. The issue surfaced publicly following a post by Jackie Chapman on the First Nations Financial Accountability and Transparency Movement Facebook page, which alleged that a director connected to Jordan’s Principle was involved in the construction of a large home for a family member who is also a fellow employee. The post claimed the home was an eight-bedroom, multi-level structure measuring 56 by 24 feet, with a reported cost of approximately $400,000. It further alleged that the project was connected to Jordan’s Principle funding and called...
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Prairie Mountain Health Strategy Aims to Create Culturally Safe Care for Indigenous Patients
By Steven Sukkau, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Winnipeg Sun Prairie Mountain Health (PMH) has launched a new Indigenous Health Strategy aimed at strengthening partnerships with Indigenous Peoples across the region. PMH says the plan sets a clear direction to address racism and discrimination within the health-care system. PMH’s service area includes 14 First Nation communities, three Métis Federations, and 15 Northern Affairs (Métis) communities. Central to the strategy is the work of the region’s Indigenous Health Team, which helps connect Indigenous individuals and communities with health-care providers to promote health equity. The Indigenous Health program includes designated roles such as Community Liaisons and Indigenous Patient Advocates, who support individuals and families navigating the health-care system. One of those advocates is Karen Spence, who has served as Indigenous Health Patient Advocate...
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Carney defends Canada’s Afghanistan record but does not ask Trump for apology
By Kyle Duggan Prime Minister Mark Carney on Monday defended the Canadian military’s contributions to the war in Afghanistan — but stopped short of asking U.S. President Donald Trump to apologize for belittling Canada’s role. Carney said everyone should recognize the “extraordinary contributions” made by the Canadian Armed Forces in that conflict. He said Canada sent 40,000 troops to Afghanistan, where they served on the front lines. He noted 158 Canadian soldiers and one diplomat lost their lives during that conflict and that 30 Canadian soldiers were awarded the U.S. Bronze Star Medal for valour. “It’s an extraordinary contribution for liberty, for freedom, for human rights, defending the United States, defending Canadian values. Everyone should recognize that,” Carney told an Ottawa news conference on Monday. “All Canadians are in their...
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Canada sending naval patrol vessel to Greenland for opening of new consulate: Anand
By Dylan Robertson Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said Canada’s “principled pragmatism” in foreign policy will be on full display next week in Greenland when she opens Canada’s new consulate in the Danish territory with Inuit representatives attending and a navy vessel in the background. “We will continue to be principled and we will be pragmatic at the same time,” Anand told The Canadian Press during a Monday interview in her ministerial office, where her desk was covered by a circular map of the Arctic. The opening of the new consulate in Greenland’s capital Nuuk was originally planned for last November but was postponed due to bad weather. Since then, U.S. President Donald Trump has escalated his threats to acquire the Danish territory. The White House refused to rule out...
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MacKinnon says minority Parliament can work if Conservatives ‘get out of the way’
By Jim Bronskill and David Baxter Government House leader Steven MacKinnon said Monday he believes the minority Parliament can function and pass bills — if Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre agrees to “get out of the way.” When asked if the governing Liberals are considering a spring election, MacKinnon said Canadians voted for the current government’s plan last April and the priority is to implement it. “There is no way that plan should not receive the approval of this Parliament. There is a majority in that room for that plan,” MacKinnon told a press conference in Ottawa on Monday. “Mr. Poilievre has to get out of the way and allow his MPs to vote on an ambitious, crime-fighting agenda.” Ontario Conservative MP Costas Menegakis brushed off MacKinnon’s call. “Get out of...
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Carney skips question period on Parliament’s first day back, meets with Premier Ford
By Alessia Passafiume After a globe-hopping mission to secure new trade deals and foreign investment, Prime Minister Mark Carney was back in Ottawa Monday as Parliament resumed — but not for very long. Carney visited an Ottawa grocery store Monday morning where he announced a 25 per cent hike to the GST credit to help lower-income consumers deal with the high cost of groceries, before leaving town to meet with Ontario Premier Doug Ford in Toronto. Their meeting followed Carney’s trip to China earlier this month, where the prime minister announced the federal government would allow some Chinese-made electric vehicles to enter the Canadian market following a nearly two-year trade dispute. Ford, whose province has been hit hard by U.S. tariffs on autos from the United States, reacted angrily to...
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Canada sending patrol vessel to Greenland for opening of new consulate: Anand
By Dylan Robertson Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said Canada’s “principled pragmatism” in foreign policy will be on full display next week in Greenland when she opens Canada’s new consulate in the Danish territory with Inuit representatives attending and a coast guard vessel in the background. “We will continue to be principled and we will be pragmatic at the same time,” Anand told The Canadian Press during a Monday interview in her ministerial office, where her desk was covered by a circular map of the Arctic. The opening of the new consulate in Greenland’s capital Nuuk was originally planned for last November but was postponed due to bad weather. Since then, U.S. President Donald Trump has escalated his threats to acquire the Danish territory. The White House refused to rule...
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B.C. issues environmental assessment certificate for Eskay Creek mine
The British Columbia government has issued an environmental assessment certificate to Eskay Creek Mining Ltd., to restart gold and silver mining at the site of the former Eskay Creek mine in Tahltan territory. The province says in a news release that its Environmental Assessment Office carried out a “collaborative assessment process” with the Tahltan Central Government, in what it says is the first of its kind to be guided by a consent agreement. The release says B.C.’s mining and environment ministers made the decision to issue the certificate after reviewing the office’s report and recommendations, as well as a risk assessment from the northwestern First Nation. It says the ministers also applied 38 legally binding conditions on the project, including ones that were co-developed with the nation to mitigate risks...
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Why two skulls unearthed in B.C. could be harbingers for future archeological woes
By Wolfgang Depner Last June, landscapers working on a site in Kamloops, B.C., came upon a troubling discovery — two human skulls and jawbones. Police and the coroner were informed, but after an inspection that swiftly determined the remains ancient, the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation was called in and the day after the find issued a press release, declaring the property owned by Park Place Seniors Living to be a sacred site. “The site is protected under the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the BC Heritage Conservation Act. Any alteration or disturbance to the sacred site is illegal and punishable under provincial law,” the statement said, adding that the nation had put the property in a residential area of North Kamloops under “24-hour security.”...
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Air Inuit sets new cap on all routes for beneficiaries
By Dominique Gené, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunatsiaq News Air Inuit is introducing a $700 fare cap on all travel routes for Nunavik beneficiaries under the Ilaujuq program. The program is a partnership between Makivvik and Air Inuit. Beneficiaries currently receive four tickets each year for 70 per cent off round-trip Air Inuit flights or certain cargo shipments such as snowmobiles and ATVs, according to Air Inuit’s website. The discount can cover up to $900 per trip, with flights between Montreal and Kuujjuaq capped at $700. Starting Feb. 1, the $700 cap will apply to all routes. The four tickets for 70 per cent off round-trip flights will still apply. “The change means a standardized $700 cap under the program which means more savings for beneficiaries,” said Tim Duboyce, media...
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Air Inuit sets new cap on all routes for beneficiaries
By Dominique Gené, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunatsiaq News Air Inuit is introducing a $700 fare cap on all travel routes for Nunavik beneficiaries under the Ilaujuq program. The program is a partnership between Makivvik and Air Inuit. Beneficiaries currently receive four tickets each year for 70 per cent off round-trip Air Inuit flights or certain cargo shipments such as snowmobiles and ATVs, according to Air Inuit’s website. The discount can cover up to $900 per trip, with flights between Montreal and Kuujjuaq capped at $700. Starting Feb. 1, the $700 cap will apply to all routes. The four tickets for 70 per cent off round-trip flights will still apply. “The change means a standardized $700 cap under the program which means more savings for beneficiaries,” said Tim Duboyce, media...
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Carney skips question period on Parliament’s first day back, meets with Premier Ford
By Alessia Passafiume After a globe-hopping mission to secure new trade deals and foreign investment, Prime Minister Mark Carney was back in Ottawa Monday as Parliament resumed — but not for very long. Carney visited an Ottawa grocery store Monday morning where he announced a 25 per cent hike to the GST credit to help lower-income consumers deal with the high cost of groceries, before leaving town to meet with Ontario Premier Doug Ford in Toronto. Their meeting followed Carney’s trip to China earlier this month, where the prime minister announced the federal government would allow some Chinese-made electric vehicles to enter the Canadian market following a nearly two-year trade dispute. Ford, whose province has been hit hard by U.S. tariffs on autos from the United States, reacted angrily to...
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Carney pitches GST rebate boost as major plank of Liberal affordability agenda
By Kyle Duggan and Craig Lord Prime Minister Mark Carney kicked off the winter session of Parliament on Monday by unveiling a new plank in the Liberals’ affordability agenda. Making the announcement from an Ottawa grocery store, the prime minister unveiled plans for the “Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit” — a 25 per cent hike to the GST credit over the next five years to help lower-income consumers deal with the high cost of groceries. If the measure is passed, the federal government says it will also issue a one-time payment in the spring worth 50 per cent of the credit. “Canada’s new government is acting today to provide a boost to those Canadian families who most need one, while creating a bridge to longer-term food security and affordability,” Carney...
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MacKinnon says minority Parliament can work if Conservatives ‘get out of the way’
By Jim Bronskill and David Baxter Government House leader Steven MacKinnon said Monday he believes the minority Parliament can function and pass bills — if Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre agrees to “get out of the way.” When asked if the governing Liberals are considering a spring election, MacKinnon said Canadians voted for the current government’s plan last April and the priority is to implement it. “There is no way that plan should not receive the approval of this Parliament. There is a majority in that room for that plan,” MacKinnon told a press conference in Ottawa on Monday. “Mr. Poilievre has to get out of the way and allow his MPs to vote on an ambitious, crime-fighting agenda.” Ontario Conservative MP Costas Menegakis brushed off MacKinnon’s call. “Get out of...
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Premier touts further progress on Consensus Document with FirstNations
By Ed Hitchins, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Energeticcity.ca PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. — B.C. Premier David Eby said further progress had been made on a 2023 agreement between northeast B.C. First Nations in a speech at the B.C. Natural Resources Forum. The 2023 Consensus Document, signed by the province and four Treaty 8 First Nations – Doig River First Nation (DRFN), Fort Nelson First Nation (FNFN), Halfway River First Nation (HRFN) and Saulteau First Nations (SFN) – outlined a plan for land and resource planning, according to a government press release. This included a shared management of wildlife, land-use and protective measures, natural resource landscape planning and restoration initiatives, a fund to help heal the land, a revenue-sharing approach to support Treaty 8 Nation communities and education about Treaty 8 through...
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Landfill search for remains of slain woman shows promising signs, premier says
By Steve Lambert Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew says there are some encouraging signs in a landfill search for the remains of Ashlee Shingoose, one of four First Nations women slain by a serial killer. Kinew says the search at Brady Road landfill in Winnipeg has uncovered material from date ranges and trucking routes that appear to line up with Shingoose’s disappearance. Excavation started last month, and Kinew says while there are no guarantees of success, developments so far are positive. Jeremy Skibicki was convicted in 2024 of killing Shingoose and three other women two years earlier, and given a life sentence for first-degree murder. The remains of Rebecca Contois were discovered in a garbage bin and at the Brady Road landfill in 2022. The remains of Morgan Harris and Marcedes...
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Carney stands by Plains of Abraham speech that rankled Quebec’s political class
Prime Minister Mark Carney is standing by his comments about the Battle of the Plains of Abraham that drew a swift rebuke from Quebec’s political class. The controversy erupted last week when Carney said the 1759 battle in Quebec City — during which the British defeated the French — symbolized the beginning of a partnership between two peoples. Carney said the battle became a symbol of collaboration rather than domination — comments that Parti Québécois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon said reflected Ottawa’s “long tradition of colonialism.” Speaking today in Ottawa, Carney said the resilience of francophones created the Canada that we know today, where French, English and Indigenous peoples are considered the nation’s founders. After the defeat on the Plains of Abraham the French ultimately lost control of New France...
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Military mission complete in Manitoba First Nation dealing with frozen water damage
The federal government says a military mission to help a northern Manitoba First Nation in the aftermath of a water crisis brought on by a power outage is complete. A joint statement from the defence minister, the minister of Indigenous Services Canada and the minister of emergency management says all Armed Forces members deployed to Pimicikamak Cree Nation are to leave by the end of Friday. More than 1,300 homes in Pimicikamak, about 520 kilometres north of Winnipeg, were damaged after a days-long power outage last month led to the failure of critical infrastructure. Pipes burst, crawl spaces were filled with icy water and sewage was backed up, forcing at least 4,000 people out of the community. After repeated calls from the chief, the military deployed on Jan. 9 a...
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