NDP leadership candidates pitch their rebuilding plans to voters in final debate
By David Baxter and Nono Shen The NDP leadership candidates began the final official debate with a general acknowledgment they agree on policies, but have different visions for how to achieve their most existential goal — rebuilding the party. At the close of the debate, each candidate was asked if they are running to rebuild the party or become the prime minister. Four of the five candidates said they are running to rebuild the party, while Ontario organic farmer Tony McQuail was the lone candidate who said he is eyeing the Prime Minister’s Office. During opening remarks in the Vancouver-area debate, Alberta MP Heather McPherson said the party needs someone who knows how to turn NDP policies and values into electoral wins. She said she has a track record of...
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Today in History for Feb. 20:
In 1725, the earliest recorded scalps were taken in New Hampshire, when white bounty hunters killed 10 sleeping natives. In 2019, the Trudeau government voted down an Opposition motion for a public inquiry into the SNC-Lavalin scandal. Former justice minister Jody Wilson-Raybould — who was at the heart of the firestorm — abstained from voting, explaining it was not appropriate since the matter involved her personally. Some Opposition members demanded that Prime Minister Trudeau and the current Justice Minister David Lametti also abstain but they registered votes against the motion, which was defeated 160 to 134....
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Indigenous Services minister announces new federal funding to fight TB in Inuit communities
By Dominique Gené, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunatsiaq News The federal government will spend $27 million over five years to try to eliminate tuberculosis in Inuit communities, as Nunavik ended last year with a record number of active cases. Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty made the announcement Thursday afternoon during Kativik Regional Government’s quarterly meeting in Kuujjuaq. “This disease disproportionately impacts Inuit communities in Nunavik and across Inuit Nunangat and this must change,” said Gull-Masty, who is also the member of Parliament for the sprawling Quebec riding that includes Nunavik. Nunavik reported 117 cases in 2025, making that the highest number since the regional health board started keeping records. As of Feb. 19, 15 active cases have been reported with outbreaks in eight communities. The health board does not identify...
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Feds warn First Nations people to carry passport when crossing U.S. border
By Catherine Morrison The federal government has updated its travel advice for the United States, urging First Nations people to carry a passport in addition to a status card when crossing the border. Before this week, the government website said First Nations people could “freely” enter the United States for the purposes of employment, study, retirement, investing or immigration. As of Thursday, the website has been updated with new guidelines. The website now says First Nations people “may” be able to cross the Canada-U.S. border by land or water with their Secure Certificate of Indian Status, also known as a secure status card. The website says acceptance of all status cards is “entirely at the discretion of U.S. officials.” Status cards and secure status cards aren’t accepted travel documents for...
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Feds put up $50 million for Inuit-led university as part of funding package
By Nick Murray The federal government will provide $50 million to help develop Canada’s first Inuit-led university, Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty said Thursday. Gull-Masty announced the funding at an event in her home riding in the Nunavik community of Kujjuaq, Que., as part of a broader $228 million funding package for Inuit communities. As first reported by CBC News, the package includes $115 million to renew funding for the Inuit Child First Initiative for one year. The Inuit Child First Initiative provides access to health and social services otherwise unavailable in Inuit communities. Its funding was going to expire at the end of March. Advocates last year called on the government to continue funding the program, saying the loss would undermine health outcomes for Inuit families. Ottawa is also...
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Brantford Police: Dakota has been safely located
Dakota located safe UPDATE-BRANTFORD, ONT-Brantford Police have located “Dakota”. Police said Friday Feb., 20, 2026 that Dakota has been safely located and thank the public for their information and concern. Feb., 19,2026 -Brantford Police Service (BPS) are asking for the public’s help in locating missing 27-year-old Dakota reported missing February 11, 2026 . He is described as male, with a slim build, and short, dark brown hair. He was last seen at a residence located on Dundas Street near North Park Street in Brantford, on January 31, 2026. He was wearing a black jumpsuit and white Nike shoes.According to the BPS he may have travelled to the St. Catherines area. The BPS said in a statement Feb., 19, 2026, they would like to verify Dakota’s well-being and are seeking...
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Change needed in how police oversight body communicates: Grand Chief
By Matt Prokopchuk, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, NWOnewswatch.com WAPEKEKA — “They should have been there.” Nishnawbe Aski Nation Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler didn’t hesitate when asked how the province’s Special Investigations Unit should have first released its findings on the police’s killing of Tyresse Roundsky in Wapekeka. “Simple as that,” Fiddler continued. “Once they had the report, they should have made arrangements to go up to the community and sit with the family and the leadership and go through the whole report right there.” “In their home, in their office, in their community — not through social media.” Fiddler recently sent a letter to SIU director Joseph Martino and Ontario Attorney General Doug Downey about how the province’s police watchdog communicated its findings that an OPP officer would face no...
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New consortium plans to invest, add jobs at northern Manitoba mining complex
Vale Base Metals has signed a deal to partner with three companies in a consortium that will invest up to $280 million in its Thompson Mine Complex in Manitoba. The new owners aim to double production in five years and add to the operation’s current workforce of 700. “We want to ramp up production and we want to get back to what peak periods of production were in the past,” Shastri Ramnath, CEO of the new consortium, called Exiro Nickel Company, said Thursday. “There is currently 20 years in the life-of-mine plan that … we believe we can mine profitably. And that’s going to be our goal. And the way we’re going to do that, the way we’re going to lower unit costs, is to ramp up production.” Under the...
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MCK raises concerns over consultation, oversight in Quebec’s Bill 5
By Lucas-Matthew Marsh, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Iori:wase The Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK) is warning that First Nations could be sidelined as Quebec attempts to follow in the footsteps of the federal government with its own Bill 5. Last Friday, MCK Grand Chief Cody Diabo said he brought forward several concerns about the bill in a recent meeting with Finance Minister Eric Girard and Minister Responsible for Relations with First Nations and Inuit Ian Lafrenière. “Our views on it don’t meet what Quebec’s views are on it,” Diabo said. Tabled in December, Bill 5 would allow the provincial government to override certain regulations related to infrastructure projects in the “national interest.” According to Peter Graefe, a political science professor at McMaster University, the proposed bill follows similar legislation passed...
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Feds put up $50 million for Inuit-led university as part of funding package
By Nick Murray The federal government is expected today to announce $50 million to help develop Canada’s first Inuit-led university. Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty will be in Nunavik in Quebec this afternoon, where she’s also expected to announce another $178 million in federal funding for tuberculosis elimination, Nutrition North and programs for children and families. As first reported by CBC News, most of the money is going to the Inuit Child First Initiative. That program provides access to health and social services otherwise unavailable in Inuit communities and funding was set to expire at the end of March. Advocates last year called on the government to continue funding the program, saying the loss would undermine health outcomes for Inuit families. Earlier this month, the Hamlet of Arviat in Nunavut...
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Iqaluit’s hydro project and the limits of Carney’s fast track
By Arty Sarkisian, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunatsiaq News It’s been more than six months since Prime Minister Mark Carney’s plan to fast-track infrastructure projects of national importance became law, but the conveyor belt hasn’t really started moving yet. Parliament passed Bill C-5 — the One Canadian Economy Act — in June 2025. It created the Major Projects Office to speed up the permitting of projects the federal government deems important to Canada’s national interest. With a list of 13 projects from around the country, including a hydroelectric plant for Iqaluit, referred to this office, Nunatsiaq News looked at what fast-tracking might mean for Nunavut. As of now, the Major Projects Office has not accepted any projects. Cabinet will have final say on which of the 13 projects end up...
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ECE to improve staff training to avoid another SFA backlog
By Claire McFarlane, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Cabin Radio The Northwest Territories government says it will offer more training to staff who administer Student Financial Assistance after students faced months-long delays receiving payments. While the territory won’t change how the program is administered, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment said it will work to ensure additional resources can be employed during high-demand periods, spokesperson Agata Gutkowska said. Education minister Caitlin Cleveland said in October the department had added five positions to help handle an increase in SFA applications. The program offers grants and loans to post-secondary students to help pay for things like tuition, books and travel. In August, the GNWT said it was experiencing “an exceptionally high volume of applications and emails” due to a nearly 20 per...
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Prophet River First Nation chief named vice-chair of alliance supporting sustainable energy projects
By Ed Hitchins, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Energeticcity.ca PROPHET RIVER, B.C. — The chief of a northeast B.C. First Nation has been named to a leadership position within an energy organization committed to the growth of Indigenous communities within the sector. Prophet River First Nation (PRFN) Chief Valerie Askoty has been named the vice-chair of the First Nations Natural Gas Alliance (FNNGA). The organization is an alliance of Indigenous nations committed to supporting sustainable and responsible development of both natural gas and liquified natural gas (LNG) development, according to its website. Askoty, who has been PRFN chief since 2021, spoke to Energeticcity.ca about her appointment, which came at the suggestion of outgoing Haisla Nation Chief Crystal Smith. She was appointed alongside Nisg̱a’a Lisims Government president Eva Clayton, who will act...
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As B.C. stokes its economic engine, Eby says reconciliation law is in the way
By Shannon Waters The B.C. government has big plans to tackle the $13.3-billion deficit racked up in recent years. The key to getting the province back in the black, according to Finance Minister Brenda Bailey, is stoking B.C.’s economic engine. The fuel? More money from the natural resource sector, especially mining and natural gas. The new budget banks on significant increases in revenues from minerals and metals as the province courts critical minerals projects. Meanwhile, natural gas revenues are also expected to boom as liquefied natural gas (LNG) export projects get off the ground. “Six major LNG projects are complete, underway or reaching final investment decisions this year,” Bailey said in her budget speech. “We’re doing all this in partnership with First Nations, moving projects forward with confidence and clarity.”...
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Family learned of SIU’s fatal shooting findings through social media: FirstNations
By Maan Alhmidi Ontario First Nations leaders are expressing “serious concerns” about the release of a police watchdog’s report into the fatal shooting of a man in a northern Ontario courtroom, saying the family and the community were left to find out crucial details through social media. Nishnawbe Aski Nation Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler and Wapekeka First Nation Chief Brennan Sainnawap say a “strongly worded” letter was sent to Special Investigations Unit Director Joseph Martino and Ontario Attorney General Doug Downey about the case and what they call a “broader pattern of systemic failings towards First Nations people.” They say last week’s SIU report into the death of Tyresse Roundsky, who was fatally shot by a provincial police officer inside a makeshift courtroom in Wapekeka First Nation last July, was...
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Growing sense of identity boosts Louis Riel Day turnout
By Renee Lilley, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Portage Graphic Leader Organizers of the annual Louis Riel Day celebrations in Portage la Prairie say a surge in Métis pride and citizenship is driving record-breaking crowds to the community’s festivities. Wes Hannah, chairman of the Portage la Prairie Southwest Métis Local, said Monday’s event at the MNP Building at Island Park was the result of months of planning and a growing sense of identity within the region. Hannah noted that citizenship in the local region has jumped significantly, rising from approximately 2,000 members last year to more than 2,500 today. “I think there’s a new thought out there that Métis are proud of who they are,” Hannah said. “People are noticing the programs that we are providing. They want to go ahead...
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As B.C. stokes its economic engine, Eby says reconciliation law is in the way
By Shannon Waters The B.C. government has big plans to tackle the $13.3-billion deficit racked up in recent years. The key to getting the province back in the black, according to Finance Minister Brenda Bailey, is stoking B.C.’s economic engine. The fuel? More money from the natural resource sector, especially mining and natural gas. The new budget banks on significant increases in revenues from minerals and metals as the province courts critical minerals projects. Meanwhile, natural gas revenues are also expected to boom as liquefied natural gas (LNG) export projects get off the ground. “Six major LNG projects are complete, underway or reaching final investment decisions this year,” Bailey said in her budget speech. “We’re doing all this in partnership with First Nations, moving projects forward with confidence and clarity.”...
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B.C. First Nation says there may never be ‘full consensus’ on potential burial site
The British Columbia First Nation that announced the discovery of 215 potential unmarked graves at a former residential school in 2021, catapulting the issue into public discourse, says there may never be consensus on what to do with the site. A statement from the Tk’emlups te Secwepemc First Nation says possible future outcomes for the Kamloops Indian Residential School property include excavation or preserving its orchard as a sacred site, “a place of memory and healing.” The nation says its investigation is ongoing, with the findings so far pointing to several areas of focus, with “signatures that resemble burials” identified in some, and other areas ruled out as burial sites. Tuesday’s statement says more than 500 children from 38 Indigenous nations living in 119 B.C. communities attended the institution at...
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Hitacu teachers’ conference explores healing from trauma by connecting to language, culture and traditional foods
By Nora O’Malley, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Ha-Shilth-Sa Hitacu, B.C. – Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ Government’s education department held an uplifting professional development day on Feb. 13 at the Cixʷatin Centre in Hitacu. Manager of education services Jennifer Touchie said about 90 West Coasters from Ahousaht, Tla-o-qui-aht, Huu-ay-aht, School District 70 and Pacific Rim Hospice attended the full-day event, which centered around ‘Moving through trauma by connecting to culture, language and traditional foods’. “I was really happy to see SD70 and community participate,” said Touchie. “Maybe this will open up new roads for reconnecting with our children in a different way, and (I was happy) to have teachers be a part of our culture and be a part of our language; that it is open to everybody to learn.” In the morning, Nuu-chah-nulth...
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Court finds former Blueberry River First Nations chief’s ouster ‘procedurally fair and reasonable’
By Ed Hitchins, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Energeticcity.ca BUICK, B.C. — A federal judge has rejected the former Blueberry River First Nations (BRFN) chief request for a judicial review, saying her ouster was “procedurally fair and reasonable.” In the 135-page ruling, Madam Justice Cecily Y. Strickland said Judy Desjarlais’ reasons to challenge her removal lacked merit, saying Desjarlais “bears the onus of establishing the removal decision was unreasonable.” One argument Desjarlais had made was that the ouster was politically motivated, but Strickland said Desjarlais “did not establish the concerns raised by the respondent councillors were aimed at personal or political advantage.” Desjarlais was removed from office by four BRFN Councillors – Troy Wolf, Wayne Yahey, Sherry Dominic and Shelley Gauthier – in September 2024, after an independent investigation said Desjarlais...
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