KPMG finds businesses wary of project delays without proper Indigenous consultation
By Lauren Krugel A survey from KPMG in Canada suggests virtually all business leaders are keen on Ottawa’s push for new nation-building infrastructure, but a hefty majority is leery of legal setbacks if Indigenous consultation falls short. The advisory firm says three in 10 respondents gave an all-of-the-above answer when asked what categories of projects they want to see prioritized, giving equal billing to energy, artificial intelligence, transportation and ports. A quarter said their priority was energy, followed by 22 per cent for AI, 18 per cent for transportation and five per cent for ports. Projects that respondents highlighted included two focused on West Coast liquefied natural gas exports, two on renewable power and one on critical minerals. The survey of 501 business owners and executives was conducted between Sept....
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Archaeological site in Alaska that casts light on early Yup’ik life ravaged by ex-Typhoon Halong
By Becky Bohrer JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — A fragment of a mask that was preserved for hundreds of years in permafrost sat in the muck of a low tide in the western Alaska community of Quinhagak. Wooden spoons, toys, a fishing lure and other artifacts were strewn, in some cases for miles, along the beach. The Yup’ik community near the edge of the Bering Sea was spared the widespread devastation wrought by the remnants of Typhoon Halong on its neighbors further west earlier this month. But it suffered a different kind of blow: The lashing winds and storm surge devoured dozens of feet of shoreline, disrupting a culturally significant archaeological site and washing away possibly thousands of unearthed artifacts. About 1,000 pieces, including wooden masks and tools, were recovered in...
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Arviat fashion designer reaches top 15 in international contest
By Darrell Greer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Kivalliq News Arviat’s own fashion icon, Natalie Owlijoot, continues to advance past the rounds of an online style icon contest that could see her become the Style Icon, appear in Flaunt Magazine and win $20,000. Owlijoot advanced past the first round of the contest to reach the top 20 and, last week, her star shone even brighter as she advanced beyond the second round to reach the top 15 contestants in the online voting contest. She is now vying to pass the third round and reach the top 10 in the contest. People have been able to log in and vote for their favourite contestant every day. Owlijoot said on the contest website that she’s passionate about style because it’s self-expression — turning...
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Ring of Fire road construction could start next year with $40M new deal
By Matt Prokopchuk, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, TBnewswatch.com WEBEQUIE — Webequie First Nation and the province have signed a new multi-million dollar deal that both sides say will pave the way for a long-planned road into the Ring of Fire area. At a press conference at Queen’s Park on Wednesday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Webequie Chief Cornelius Wabasse were among those on hand to sign a community partnership agreement for the Webequie Community Access Road. That could see nearly $40 million go to the community as it moves ahead with a project the government called a “critical link” in a project central to its economic strategy for the province. The proposed road would run just over 100 kilometres from the Webequie airport east to the McFaulds Lake area —...
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Eby says powering megaprojects is in B.C.’s interest. Energy experts aren’t so sure
By Shannon Waters, The Narwhal B.C. Premier David Eby and Energy Minister Adrian Dix are proposing big changes to energy policy to allow the province to cash in one of its most valuable assets: electricity. “We need to leverage the benefits that we have here in order to realize the prosperity that we want,” Eby said on Oct. 21 as he unveiled a suite of changes to provincial laws and regulations. “We need to ensure that we’re accessing that clean, reliable, affordable power — the kind of power that will give us an edge in the global economy.” According to Eby, the best use for that power is electrifying emission-intensive industries, like mining and liquefied natural gas (LNG) production, and ports to ship those goods overseas. Offering interested companies quick...
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Judge says Greenpeace must pay $345 million in pipeline lawsuit, cutting jury amount nearly in half
By Jack Dura BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A North Dakota judge has ordered Greenpeace to pay damages of $345 million, reducing an earlier jury award after it found the environmental group and related entities were liable for defamation and other claims brought by a pipeline company in connection with protests of an oil pipeline nearly a decade ago. The award is roughly half the $667 million that a jury previously had awarded to the company, Dallas-based Energy Transfer and subsidiary Dakota Access. State District Judge James Gion granted and denied Greenpeace requests to rule in its favor on various claims before recalculating the damages. Energy Transfer said it intends to appeal the verdict “as we firmly believe that the original jury findings and damages awards for conspiracy and defamation are...
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First Nation files lawsuit demanding Aboriginal title over lands in western Quebec
An Algonquin First Nation has filed a title claim in Quebec Superior Court over large swaths of territory across the west of the province, and is also seeking $5 billion from governments and Crown corporations. Jean-Guy Whiteduck, chief of the Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg First Nation, says the Algonquin people must have a say in the way water, wildlife and forestry are managed in their traditional territory. Meaningful reconciliation can’t exist until that happens, he said in a recent interview. “Billions of dollars have been taken out of our lands with limited return to our community,” said Whiteduck, whose First Nation is located on the shores of the Gatineau River, near Maniwaki, Que. The Aboriginal title claim covers eight areas, including islands in the Ottawa River; Gatineau park and adjoining lands...
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‘Why did you not warn us’: Frustration for B.C. land owners at Cowichan case meeting
By Nono Shen Residents of Richmond, B.C., asked why they weren’t told sooner about potential risks to their property rights at a tense meeting with officials over the impact of the landmark Cowichan Tribes Aboriginal title ruling. Tensions and frustrations ran high at the public information meeting at the Sheraton Vancouver Airport Hotel on Tuesday night, with affected homeowners peppering Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie with questions. “Why did you not warn us earlier?” homeowner Kal Matt asked Brodie at the meeting, overflowing with hundreds of residents. “Why don’t you tell us sooner?” The meeting came after the British Columbia government tried to impress on the public that the case could be crucial to the fate of private land ownership in the province, with officials staging a technical briefing for journalists,...
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Isuarsivik marks milestone in Nunavik’s journey of recovery
By Dominique Gené, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunatsiaq News A mural honouring six pioneering individuals for their work in recovery in Nunavik is painted on the wall facing the parking lot at the Isuarsivik Regional Recovery Centre in Kuujjuaq. The centre is celebrating 30 years of serving communities in the region. Among the pioneers is Roda Grey. In 2007, she returned to Kuujjuaq to train as a substance use counsellor at Isuarsivik. She previously worked at the national level with organizations like Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami in Ottawa, during which time she said she felt “detached” from her community. “I wanted to be a counsellor because I wanted to find out what happened to us in Nunavik,” she said in an interview. “I wanted to be part of the solution when...
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Ontario signs deal with Webequie First Nation to speed Ring of Fire road construction
By Liam Casey A northern Ontario First Nation has signed a partnership deal with the province designed to speed up construction of a road to the mineral-rich Ring of Fire. The province will give Webequie First Nation nearly $40 million to build a community centre with an arena, rebuild its airport terminal that recently burned down and buy materials and equipment to begin early work on a road to the proposed Ring of Fire mining site. Webequie First Nation Chief Cornelius Wabasse says the deal will also provide his community with badly needed mental health resources and support. Wabasse says the Webequie Supply Road is a pathway to economic opportunity for his isolated community, which can only be reached by air or via a winter road that is increasingly shrinking...
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‘Earth’s living systems still want to heal’: Scientists urge climate action as coral reefs reach ‘tipping points’
By Anushka Yadav, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Pointer Waterloo native Neha Acharya-Patel was just 15 when her father took her deep underwater for the first time at a dive park in Gulliver’s Lake, near Hamilton. “It was disgusting and it was so cold…someone had just thrown toilets and refrigerators into it,” Neha tells The Pointer, laughing at the memory. “It was horrible. And then I didn’t dive again.” That changed in 2013, when she moved to British Columbia to pursue an undergraduate degree in marine biology. There, she trained in scientific diving and fell in love with the deep, cold waters of the Pacific Northwest. “There was no going back,” she says. Neha had found her calling and would go on to log more than a thousand scientific dives...
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New research reveals that almost half of Canadians believe in the paranormal — ghosts and all
By Tony Silva, and Emily Huddart What would you say if you were told that paranormal activity exists? Well, nearly half of Canadians would agree. What is the paranormal, exactly? It refers to phenomena that science cannot explain and are not part of a major religion in a particular society. In contrast, religious phenomena are part of an established doctrine. For example, in Canada, psychic abilities and Bigfoot or Sasquatch are considered paranormal, while angels and demons are associated with religion. In the summer of 2025, we launched a survey of Canadian attitudes regarding paranormal beliefs in which participation was confidential. And for the first time in decades, we have nationally representative data on paranormal beliefs and encounters in Canada. Although news outlets regularly publish stories about paranormal beliefs on...
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National Inuit women’s organization appears to oust president, two staff on Truth and Reconciliaiton Day
By William Koblensky Varela, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunavut News National Inuit women’s organization Pauktuutit allegedly fired its CEO and president, Nikki Komaksiutiksak, along with two staff at the end of September, according to a letter seen by Nunavut News. The letter from Amautiit Nunavut Inuit Women’s Association states that one employee was let go on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, while Komaksiutiksak and another employee were removed the day before. Just one week after the purported separation, Pauktuutit named a new chair of its board, Looee Mike, as well as a new vice-chair and a new treasurer on Oct. 8. “Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada is undergoing an internal transition process. Out of respect for people’s privacy, we will not comment on individual HR matter,” said Catherine...
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Ontario signs deal with Webequie First Nation to speed Ring of Fire road construction
By Liam Casey A northern Ontario First Nation signed a partnership deal with the province Wednesday designed to speed up construction of a road to the mineral-rich Ring of Fire, with its chief saying it will lead to prosperity for his community. The province will give Webequie First Nation nearly $40 million to build a community centre with an arena, rebuild its airport terminal that recently burned down and buy materials and equipment to begin early work on a road to the proposed Ring of Fire mining site. “It’s an opportunity for us and we’d like to make that opportunity flourish,” Chief Cornelius Wabasse said. The deal will also provide Webequie with what he said is badly needed mental health resources and support. Premier Doug Ford said prosperity and big...
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Judge says $510M in fees for lawyers in treaty case was unreasonable
Judge says lawyer’s professional retainer is not a “lottery ticket” By Alessia Passafiume In a scathing decision, an Ontario court judge has ruled a $510 million legal fee for lawyers who worked on a First Nations treaty rights case was unreasonable — and has ordered the fee scaled back to $23 million. The Robinson Huron Treaty settlement, reached in 2023, sought to remedy unpaid treaty annuities for 21 First Nations. It resulted in a $10 billion settlement, with five per cent of that amount going toward the lawyers who argued the case on behalf of the First Nations. The First Nations said the fact that the $4-per-person annuity had not increased since 1874 breached the treaty, because resource extraction projects operating on their land had been generating...
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Six Nations Elected Council heading to courts over massive land rights case
Six Nations Elected Council massive land rights case heading to court highlight of Haldimand Treaty Day By Carly McHugh Writer It was a day of observation, education and burning questions from the Six Nations community. The Six Nations Lands and Resources department held their inaugural Haldimand Treaty Day event Oct. 25th at the Woodland Cultural Centre. The day’s activities were intended to not only provide updates about the upcoming Haldimand Treaty litigation on Oct. 5, 2026, but also allow the community to share their thoughts about how the federal and provincial governments’ denial of the treaty has affected Six Nations. Lands and Resources director Lonny Bomberry and Phil Monture of Nativelands, Ltd. provided an overview of the case launched in 1995 and centred around the 1784 Haldimand Proclamation. As one...
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Survivors’ Secretariat running out of funds
The Survivors’ Secretariat is running out of funding and urgently looking to Six Nations for help. Laura Arndt, Secretariat lead, gave a delegation to Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) on October 20 to ask about a $1 million in funding she says was offered to the Secretariat by the Six Nations Well-Being Department that has yet to be delivered or approved. Arndt told Council that she had been informed by Crystal Burning that the Secretariat would receive $1 million in unspent Indigenous Services Canada funds and was instructed to submit quarterly invoices for reimbursement. The Secretariat proceeded with programming and operational commitments based on that assurance. However, months later, no funds have been received, leaving the Secretariat in a difficult financial position with less than $120,000 remaining in its accounts,...
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SNEC says no conflict when mother votes on adult child’s recommendation
When is a conflict a conflict became a contentious issue at Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) last week when a Councillor voted on an issue brought to the table by her daughter. The move sparked a discussion on conflict of interest at SNEC’s General Finance meeting October 20. Councillor Dayle Bomberry raised the issue of conflict when Councillor Hazel Johnson voted on an issue involving her daughter, the Chief Operating Officer (COO) Debra Jonathan. Councillor Bomberry asked if Councillor Hazel Johnson should declare a conflict of interest before making any decision on an issue involving her daughter. The issue arose during debate on increasing COO Debra Jonathan‘s ability to sign housing loans up to $350,000 and approve regular expenditure up to $300,000. Debra Jonathan is Councillor Hazel Johnson’s daughter. Councillor...
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Some Six Nations home get retro-fit and solar panels
Six Nations approved a letter of support for Phase Two of the Greener Neighbourhood Pilot Project (GNPP) grant, advancing efforts to upgrade housing units across the community and improve energy efficiency. Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) passed a recommendation from the Environment, Climate Adaptation, Lands and Membership Committee for Six Nations Housing to maintain and upgrade all existing rental stock through improvements to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions at the General Finance meeting on October 20. Andrew Powless, Six Nations Housing Supervisor, explained that Associated Engineering has offered expertise in “design, project management, proposal writing and fundraising” for the project. Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) offered $8.8 million toward the project through the GNPP grant but SNEC missed the deadline. “[NRCan] withdrew their letter of support because we didn’t...
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Indigenous women’s leaders provide advice at Rama conference
By Sam Laskaris Writer Jennifer Constant believes Indigenous women’s leaders have a crucial role to play. Constant, the chief of Mattagami First Nation in northern Ontario, was a panelist at the Forward Summit conference earlier this month. The event was held at Casino Rama Resort, located on Chippewas of Rama First Nation. Constant was one of three panelists on a session titled Inspirational Women’s Series – Indigenous Women at the conference, staged to advance Indigenous prosperity. “Being a leader in the community I think is a little bit different than being in business,” Constant said. “But I think the same principles apply. Each of us are representing our Nation whether we want to or not. So, we have an opportunity to really help elevate in whatever capacity, the social, culture...
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