Hudson’s Bay hearing to get charter auction approved adjourned over new bid
By Tara Deschamps Another unsolicited bid for the royal charter that established the Hudson’s Bay Co. has emerged, adding a new complication to plans to auction off the historic document. The company was due to ask the Ontario Superior Court on Monday to allow for the sale of the 1670 charter next month. However, when the hearing got underway, Bay lawyer Ashley Taylor instead asked for an adjournment because of an offer the retailer received from an unidentified party Sunday around 11 p.m. “There is some question about where it came from and how it was possible to bring it forward,” Taylor said before adding the retailer needs more time to “take a breath, think about next steps.” Judge Peter Osborne approved the adjournment because “it’s frankly too important not...
Register
Gov. Gen. Mary Simon says major projects push can coexist with reconciliation
By Alessia Passafiume Reconciliation has not returned to the back burner as Canada pushes forward to develop major projects, Gov. Gen. Mary Simon said in an interview just ahead of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Simon told The Canadian Press she sees a firm commitment to ensure Indigenous Peoples are involved as the major projects process evolves. “We need an economy for Indigenous Peoples as well,” Simon said. “You can’t thrive — and survive — without an economic base.” The major projects legislation that passed in June received widespread condemnation from Indigenous leaders who feared it wouldn’t respect their rights to free, prior and informed consent. The bill allows the federal government to sidestep existing laws and select projects to fast track for development with cabinet approval. No...
Register
New Major Projects Office absorbing existing team already doing much of the same work
By Nick Murray The federal government’s new Calgary-based major projects office to help fast track major infrastructure proposals will absorb a similar division created in Ottawa just over one year ago to do almost the same thing. The Clean Growth Office launched in July 2024, as a division within the Privy Council Office. It was allocated $9 million in funding over three years, and was mandated to implement a cabinet directive to speed up the government’s decision-making on clean growth projects, referring to proposals for projects that reduce environmental impacts and help mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. In August, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced the creation of the Major Projects Office “to streamline federal approval processes to get major projects built faster.” Neither Carney nor his office mentioned the existence of...
Register
‘No trust’: Neskonlith members seek answers as tensions climb amid firings, lawsuit
By Aaron Hemens, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, IndigiNews Members of Neskonlith Indian Band are becoming increasingly frustrated with their leaders, after a councillor was removed from office over alleged election fraud and two staff people were fired. Lawyers for Neskonlith’s chief and council say the band removed an unidentified councillor “alleged to have engaged in election fraud” during the community’s last elections in 2023. The tensions are about more than an election, however — as a series of controversies have fuelled mistrust between the First Nation’s voters and those they elected to office nearly three years ago. The dismissals and allegations have sparked a lawsuit, transparency concerns, and a formal complaint to Canada over alleged financial mismanagement. Tensions within the 697-member Secwépemc community erupted during an emergency community meeting in...
Register
Saskatchewan apologizes to former students who faced abuse at boarding school
By Jeremy Simes Regina-The Saskatchewan government officially said sorry Monday to survivors and families for its role in the historical abuse and trauma that occurred at a boarding school for Métis and First Nations children. Premier Scott Moe made the apology while also announcing the province has agreed to pay $40 million to former students of the Île-à-la-Crosse Boarding School and their families. “On behalf of the Province of Saskatchewan, I apologize to you,” Moe told a gathering that included survivors in the village, northwest of Saskatoon. “Residential, day or industrial schools are a shameful mark on Canada’s history, with harmful intergenerational impacts on Indigenous and Métis people. “Simply put, these schools were a mistake, and they shouldn’t have existed.” The school operated from the 1820s until it burned...
Register
Ottawa orders post-mortem appeal for Manitoba man in killing of restaurant worker
By Brittany Hobson The federal government has ordered an appeal into the conviction of a First Nations man — 14 years after his death — in the killing of a restaurant worker in Winnipeg. Federal Justice Minister Sean Fraser announced Monday that a review of the conviction of Russell Woodhouse found reasonable grounds to conclude there was likely a miscarriage of justice in his case. Woodhouse died in 2011. “My decision does not decide guilt or innocence, as that will rest with the courts, but it ensures new information can be considered and that Mr. Woodhouse’s family has another chance to appeal his conviction,” Fraser said in a release. “Our responsibility is to make sure Canadians can trust their justice system, and that means, in rare cases, taking action to...
Register
Young Artists Honoured for National Day for Truth and Reconciliation Artwork
By Steven Sukkau, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Winnipeg Sun Young artists from across the Interlake-Eastern region are being recognized for their creative contributions ahead of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30. The Interlake-Eastern Regional Health Authority (IERHA) invited students from grades 5 to 12 to submit original artwork reflecting the meaning of the day, which honours residential school Survivors and the children who never returned home. Staff and community partners reviewed 49 submissions before selecting three winning entries. The winners include Kiana, 16, from Fisher Branch; Baby Harmony, 15, from Dauphin River First Nation; and Ellia, 13, from Oakbank. Their designs are available for free download by IERHA staff and the public to use as desktop backgrounds, cell phone screensavers, and virtual meeting visuals. Kiana’s artwork...
Register
Gitxsan hereditary Chief alleges B.C. pipeline approved without proper consultation
A hereditary Chief with the Gitxsan Nation has filed a legal challenge against the British Columbia government’s decision to allow a liquefied natural gas pipeline project to proceed through its “untouched” territory without proper consultation. The B.C. Environment Ministry announced in June that the Prince Rupert Gas Transmission natural gas pipeline project has been “substantially started,” meaning the environmental assessment certificate approving its construction issued in 2014 remains valid. The 900 kilometre pipeline is to supply the Ksi Lisims liquefied natural gas facility off the B.C. coast, but that project is still undergoing the environmental assessment process. Gitxsan hereditary Chief Charles Wright filed a petition in B.C. Supreme Court last week, claiming the decision determining the pipeline project to be “substantially started” was unreasonable because it failed to consult about...
Register
Ottawa orders post-mortem appeal for Manitoba man in killing of restaurant worker
By Brittany Hobson The federal government has ordered an appeal into the conviction of a First Nations man — 14 years after his death — in the killing of a restaurant worker in Winnipeg. Federal Justice Minister Sean Fraser announced Monday that a review of the conviction of Russell Woodhouse found reasonable grounds to conclude there was likely a miscarriage of justice in his case. Woodhouse died in 2011. “My decision does not decide guilt or innocence, as that will rest with the courts, but it ensures new information can be considered and that Mr. Woodhouse’s family has another chance to appeal his conviction,” Fraser said in a release. “Our responsibility is to make sure Canadians can trust their justice system, and that means, in rare cases, taking action to...
Register
Ottawa orders post-mortem appeal for Manitoba man in killing of restaurant worker
By Brittany Hobson The federal government has ordered an appeal into the conviction of a First Nations man — 14 years after his death — in the killing of a restaurant worker in Winnipeg. Federal Justice Minister Sean Fraser announced Monday that a review of the conviction of Russell Woodhouse found reasonable grounds to conclude there was likely a miscarriage of justice in his case. Woodhouse died in 2011. “My decision does not decide guilt or innocence, as that will rest with the courts, but it ensures new information can be considered and that Mr. Woodhouse’s family has another chance to appeal his conviction,” Fraser said in a release. “Our responsibility is to make sure Canadians can trust their justice system, and that means, in rare cases, taking action to...
Register
B.C. First Nations want meeting with Carney about salmon, need for open-net farm ban
By Ashley Joannou First Nations in British Columbia are calling for a meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney to discuss protecting and reviving wild salmon. Bob Chamberlin, chair of the First Nations Wild Salmon Alliance, which includes more than 120 First Nations, said the federal government should create a First Nation-led plan to protect the wild fish, similar to the joint land use plan for governing the Great Bear Rainforest. “We call on Prime Minister Carney to come and meet with us in British Columbia, where we can discuss the rehabilitation and rebuilding of wild salmon of British Columbia as a nation building project,” he said at a news conference on Monday. “One that is not extractive in nature, one that works to accommodate Aboriginal rights, reconciliation, benefits the environment...
Register
Separatists gain ground in new poll
By Alexandra Noad, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Lethbridge Herald According to a survey by Cardinal Research on 2,626 randomly selected voters shows the separatist Republican Party of Alberta (RPA) in third place behind the UCP and NPD respectively. The Cardinal Research website says the RPA is cutting into the UCP vote share in rural Alberta while leapfrogging over both the Liberal Party of Alberta and the newly renamed Alberta Progressive Conservative party. Cameron Davies, leader of the RPA, says this is the first time the party has been included in a survey, and its numbers are a sign of optimism. “What it shows is our message is resonating with Albertans, we’re getting out there, we’re doing the work…we’re talking to Albertans about the issues that matter to them.” How those...
Register
Legal challenges claim B.C. natural gas pipeline hasn’t been ‘substantially started’
By Darryl Greer Two legal challenges filed in British Columbia claim a liquefied natural gas pipeline hasn’t been “substantially started,” contrary to a decision made by the provincial government back in June. Petitions filed in B.C. Supreme Court last week allege the Prince Rupert Gas Transmission natural gas pipeline project has been given the green-light by the B.C. Environment Ministry to go ahead without requiring a new environmental assessment certificate, which was first granted in 2014. One of the petitions was filed by hereditary Chief Charles Wright with the Gitxsan Nation, who claims the decision to allow the pipeline project to proceed through its “untouched” territory was made without proper consultation. The ministry announced in June that pipeline project has been “substantially started,” meaning the environmental assessment certificate approving its...
Register
Former Vancouver mayor Larry Campbell to oversee provincial efforts on DTES
By Wolfgang Depner Former senator and past Vancouver mayor Larry Campbell has been appointed as British Columbia’s new point-person to improve quality of life for those living in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. Campbell, who served as mayor between 2002 and 2005, then in the Senate until 2023, said in a statement that he will use his experience and relationships to improve housing and care for unhoused people, especially women, Indigenous people and those with complex mental health and addictions. Campbell replaces Michael Bryant, whose contract was cancelled in May 2025 after questions arose over lack of transparency about his appointment and the cost of the contract. Crime, poverty and addiction plague the Vancouver neighbourhood, but housing minister Christine Boyle said her government is determined to deliver better outcomes for the community....
Register
B.C. First Nations want meeting with Carney about salmon, need for open-net farm ban
By Ashley Joannou First Nations in British Columbia are calling for a meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney to discuss protecting and reviving wild salmon. Bob Chamberlin, chair of the First Nations Wild Salmon Alliance, which includes more than 120 First Nations, said the federal government should create a First Nation-led plan to protect the wild fish, similar to the joint land use plan for governing the Great Bear Rainforest. “We call on Prime Minister Carney to come and meet with us in British Columbia, where we can discuss the rehabilitation and rebuilding of wild salmon of British Columbia as a nation building project,” he said at a news conference on Monday. “One that is not extractive in nature, one that works to accommodate Aboriginal rights, reconciliation, benefits the environment...
Register
Cities, housing groups want B.C. to launch permanent housing roundtable
By Nono Shen Standing in a boardroom at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, Shawn Bouchard, vice-president of Quadra Homes in Abbotsford, B.C., said he initially planned to kick off his speech by burning a $20 bill before putting it a glass of water. But staff told him it might set off the fire alarm, Bouchard said. “That’s what happens. When you have a bad policy. You just burn money,” said Bouchard during a news conference Monday. He was among several groups calling for the British Columbia government to set up a permanent roundtable of experts to lead housing policy as the province’s push to build more homes creates confusion and delays within communities. The groups, which includes the BC Real Estate Association, the Aboriginal Housing Management Association, Canadian Mortgage Brokers and...
Register
New cultural arts centre in Kahnawake breeds hope for next generation
By Miriam Lafontaine Kahsennenhawe Sky-Deer is proud to be able to speak the same language her ancestors spoke. In the 1980s, Sky-Deer enrolled in one of the first schools in the Mohawk community of Kahnawake that immersed children in the Kanien’kéha language. “It was everything,” said Sky-Deer, in an interview. “It gave me a foundation of being proud of who I was.” At the time, many in the First Nation on the South Shore of Montreal were still attending church-run Indian Day Schools, where the language wasn’t taught, she said. Her former school still operates today, and the churches are no longer running schools in Kahnawake. The former grand chief of the community says she is optimistic about her community’s next generation, especially now that a new cultural arts centre...
Register
5th annual Truth and Reconciliation Day marked by events in Ottawa, Toronto
By Alessia Passafiume Today is the fifth National Day for Truth and Reconciliation — a day where Canadians reflect on the legacy of residential schools and remember the survivors and those who never made it home. The residential school era refers to a period between 1857 and 1996 where 150,000 Indigenous children were forced to attend church-run, government-funded schools where they were barred from speaking their languages in institutions often rife with abuse located far away from their families and communities. An estimated 6,000 children died while attending the schools, although experts say the actual number could be much higher. Sept. 30, known as Orange Shirt Day or the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, is meant to honour survivors and those who never came home. In Ottawa, Prime Minister...
Register
B.C. First Nations want meeting with Carney about salmon, need for open-net farm ban
By Ashley Joannou First Nations in British Columbia are calling for a meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney to discuss protecting and reviving wild salmon. Bob Chamberlin, chair of the First Nations Wild Salmon Alliance, which includes more than 120 First Nations, says the federal government should create a First Nation-led plan to protect the wild fish, similar to the joint land use plan for governing the Great Bear Rainforest. Chamberlin says he’s nervous the federal government might not follow through on its promise to ban open-net salmon farms by 2029, after initially rolling back plans for the ban to be in place by 2025. He says working with First Nations to protect salmon would allow the government to implement recommendations from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission for the need...
Register
Gov. Gen. Mary Simon says major projects push can coexist with reconciliation
By Alessia Passafiume Reconciliation has not returned to the back burner as Canada pushes forward to develop major projects, Gov. Gen. Mary Simon said in an interview just ahead of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Simon told The Canadian Press she sees a firm commitment to ensure Indigenous Peoples are involved as the major projects process evolves. “We need an economy for Indigenous Peoples as well,” Simon said. “You can’t thrive — and survive — without an economic base.” The major projects legislation that passed in June received widespread condemnation from Indigenous leaders who feared it wouldn’t respect their rights to free, prior and informed consent. The bill allows the federal government to sidestep existing laws and select projects to fast track for development with cabinet approval. No...
Register
