Court decision recognizes UNDRIP as law, but leads province to look at revising legislation
By Nora O’Malley, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Ha-Shilth-Sa First Nations in B.C. may be entitled to raise their UNDRIP rights if they are not adequately consulted on natural resource projects within their territory, following a precedent-setting B.C. Court of Appeal decision released on Dec. 5. Ehattesaht Chief Counsellor Simon John says the court decision “provides important legal recognition of UNDRIP as a tool to help ensure that First Nations’ interests are respected and their role in decision making is realized.” “We know our lands, our waters here at home and want to be respected in how the Crown approaches us and want decisions to be made with us,” said Chief John in a media release. “We want investment, we want jobs and to grow our community, but mining here was...
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Handle with care: Moving centuries-old Hudson’s Bay charter a delicate operation
By Tara Deschamps In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the royal charter that created Canada’s oldest company was loaded onto a private plane in Toronto. Protected by a durable case that was not too hot, not too cold and sheltered from bright light, the 350-year-old document that birthed the Hudson’s Bay Co. made its way to Winnipeg aboard the aircraft. It was accompanied by a member of the retailer’s staff and a conservator specializing in paper documents — and its own armed security team, who never took their eyes off the artifact. When they landed, the charter was escorted to the Manitoba Museum, where more gloved conservators pored over every millimetre of the five-page vellum artifact and its wax seal, making detailed notes about the condition on arrival and...
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‘Systemic racism’: N.S. attorney general criticized by Mi’kmaw chiefs for cannabis crackdown
By Rosemary Godin, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Cape Breton Post Action taken by the attorney general of Nova Scotia last week against cannabis dispensaries is being called “systemic racism” by at least one of the 13 chiefs of Mi’kmaw First Nations in Nova Scotia. Meanwhile, the chief of Membertou First Nation – which is in the process of community consultation to create its own regulations and practices – says a non-collaborative approach to the issue “has never, nor will ever, be appropriate or acceptable.” On Dec. 4, Justice Minister and Attorney General Scott Armstrong directed police across the province to crack down on illegal dispensaries and prioritize cannabis law enforcement. Sipekne’katik (Indian Brook) Chief Michelle Glasgow and her council responded to Armstrong saying they are appalled by the direct threat...
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Membertou leads way to zero emission lobster fishing
By Rosemary Godin, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Cape Breton Post A groundbreaking initiative in the lobster fishing industry led by Membertou First Nation was announced in Halifax on Thursday as one of Canada’s Ocean Supercluster’s (OSC) five new ocean innovation projects valued at $34.5 million. The new Membertou project is a $4.4 million Membertou Electric Lobster Boat Commercial Demonstration Project known as Lektrike’l Walipotl and could create zero-emission commercial fishing in Canada. By integrating advanced electric propulsion systems and battery technology, the project hopes to transform the maritime industry’s approach to sustainability. Through a thorough operational trial, the project will demonstrate the reliability, efficiency, and economic viability of electric boats compared to traditional diesel-powered vessels. The Membertou project is in partnership with Allswater Marine, Oceans North, and Blue Grid, all...
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One person facing murder charge after infant death in northern Ontario
A 26-year-old is facing murder charges after a police investigation into the death of an infant in northern Ontario back in May. Ontario Provincial Police say Sioux Lookout detachment officers responded to a call on Sturgeon River Road about an unresponsive five-month-old child on May 9. Police say they conducted a thorough investigation with the Office of the Chief Coroner and Ontario Forensic Pathology Service. They say a 26-year-old from Sandy Lake First Nation has been arrested and charged with second-degree murder and fail to provide the necessaries of life. Police say the accused remains in custody and is scheduled to appear in the Ontario Court of Justice in Dryden on Thursday. They say Nishnawbe Aski Police Service and other OPP units were also involved in the investigation. This report...
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Infrastructure gap in Nunavut poses national security risk: CSIS
By William Koblensky Varela, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunavut News The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) has repeatedly warned the federal government about national security risks from poor infrastructure in Nunavut, according to the territory’s top CSIS official. The chief liaison for CSIS in Nunavut only gave a first name — Christian — when addressing the Nunavut Association of Municipalities’ annual general meeting at the Aqsarniit Hotel in Iqaluit on Nov. 11. CSIS has been ringing the alarm about poor infrastructure in Nunavut, Christian said. “The data that we collect from you in terms of what’s going on in Nunavut, this feeds our intelligence assessments, and our intelligence assessments go to policymakers in Ottawa. And for the last two years, we’ve been making a point to say the infrastructure gap...
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Membertou Chief Terry Paul to be inducted into Canadian Business Hall of Fame
By Rosemary Godin, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Cape Breton Post Chief Terry Paul of Membertou First Nation in Cape Breton is among the inductees announced by the 2026 Canadian Business Hall of Fame. He has held the elected position of chief since 1984 and has led the community from hard times to becoming one of the most efficient and economically flourishing Indigenous communities in Canada. Membertou council, staff and community congratulated their chief and CEO of the past 41 years with words of praise and gratitude. “Chief Terry’s dedicated service and thoughtful business approach has progressed Membertou’s growth. He’s led the way in advocacy for the Mi’kmaq and building strong nation-to-nation partnerships,” they said in a public post on social media. A ceremony will take place on May 28, 2026...
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N.B. appeals court rules Wolastoqey Nation can’t fight Crown over private forest land
The New Brunswick Court of Appeal has ruled in favour of private logging corporations, in an Aboriginal title claim case launched by the Wolastoqey First Nation in 2021. The Wolastoqey Nation had been seeking a declaration of Aboriginal title on over half of the province, saying the land was unceded and sold by the Crown without their consent. As part of its case, the nation added land owned by logging companies J.D. Irving, H.J. Crabbe and Sons, and Acadian Timber to the title claim. Last year, a New Brunswick court ruled that the corporations did not have legal standing in the Wolastoqey Nation’s claim and removed them as appellants from the case. All three companies filed appeals of that decision. Appeals Court Justice Ernest Drapeau found that the court could...
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Nova Scotia premier defends widely-criticized cannabis crackdown order
Premier Tim Houston is defending his government’s crackdown on cannabis dispensaries, despite widespread and escalating criticism, saying he is concerned about the illegal market. The premier says illegal cannabis is a public health risk and may be tied to organized crime and human trafficking. His government’s order last week to ramp up cannabis enforcement has prompted criticism that his cabinet may be interfering with law enforcement to target First Nations communities. Sipekne’katik First Nation Chief Michelle Glasgow has called the province’s directive appalling, and says the premier, justice minister and minister of L’nu affairs are banned from band lands. A number of critics have raised concerns about the directive including the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaw Chiefs, the former minister of justice and attorney general, several First Nations members, two...
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Town told to protect community space, not commercial growth, at hospital site
By Paige Seburn, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Lake Report A new report prepared for the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake shows that its residents favour uses that serve the community — and reject commercial ones — for the former hospital site at 176 Wellington St. From July to November, the town heard from more than 800 people through an online survey, a workshop, community boards, a community walk, three public information sessions, a meeting with Royal Oak Community School and engagement with Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and Six Nations of the Grand River. On Tuesday, council accepted a report presented by project lead Denise Horne of NPG Planning Solutions Inc. that pulls together those results. Staff plan to return in January with redevelopment options. People most often supported housing...
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Haldimand County investigating threat made to Caledonia high school
HALDIMAND COUNTY – Haldimand Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) are investigating after a threat was made to McKinnon Park Secondary School in Caledonia. OPP received a report of a threat Wednesday December 10, 2025, at about 5:00 p.m., that was made to McKinnon Park Secondary School in Caledonia. An OPP investigation found a large group of youth were connected via an online social media platform group chat where insults were exchanged and one individual linked to the group chat uttered a threat that concerned parents reported to police. The OPP said it is aware and has launched an investigation to “identify the individual responsible for this criminal offence.” Members of the OPP were present at the school today (Thursday Dec., 11, 2025) due to the reported threat. The OPP is also coordinating...
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QIA ‘extremely disappointed’ with Ottawa’s proposal to again award fishing licences to southern Indigenous group
By William Koblensky Varela, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunavut News The Qikiqtani Inuit Association (QIA) says it is “extremely disapointed” with the federal government’s proposal to once again award Greenland halibut and northern shrimp fishing licences to the Nova Scotian First Nations Coalition Limited Partnership. According to the QIA, the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans’ tentative plan to give the fishing licences to the Nova Scotia-based Mi’kmaq First Nations coalition undercuts Nunavut’s economy and the economic well-being of Inuit. “Inuit access to the commercial fishery still significantly trails the access enjoyed by southern jurisdictions — this has tangible impacts on Inuit and Nunavut’s economy and undermines Canadian security in the Arctic,” QIA President Olayuk Akesuk said on Dec. 9. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans said the option to...
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Eby promises business leaders to ‘go to the wall’ to protect private property
By Brieanna Charlebois VANCOUVER, B.C.-British Columbia Premier David Eby reassured business leaders at a BC Chamber of Commerce gathering in Vancouver about two recent First Nations court decisions, saying he would “go to the wall” to protect private property. The B.C. Supreme Court ruled in August that the Cowichan Tribes hold Aboriginal title over about 300 hectares of land on the Fraser River in Richmond, B.C., in a decision that critics fear could undermine private land ownership across the province. B.C. and other defendants are appealing the ruling, with Eby saying his government is gathering evidence to pause the case, noting that the uncertainty it creates is “toxic” to the work with First Nations, businesses and the economy. The B.C. Court of Appeal also approved a challenge by two other...
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Third person charged in quadruple homicide in Saskatchewan
RCMP have charged a third person with murder in the deaths of four people on a Saskatchewan First Nation. Two men and two women were killed in February on Carry the Kettle Nakoda Nation, east of Regina. Mounties say a 17-year-old boy has been arrested and charged with four counts of first-degree murder. They say the boy has also been charged with one count of attempted murder over an altercation with a fifth person. A 15-year-old boy and an 18-year-old man were arrested in February and were also charged with four counts of first-degree murder. The victims were identified as 34-year-old Tracey Hotomani, 51-year-old Terry Jack, 44-year-old Sheldon Quewezance and 47-year-old Shauna Fay. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 10, 2025. ...
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Climate change is straining Alaska’s Arctic. A new mining road may push the region past the brink
By Annika Hammerschlag AMBLER, Alaska (AP) — Ice blocks drift past Tristen Pattee’s boat as he scans the banks of Northwest Alaska’s Kobuk River for caribou. His great uncle Ernest steadies a rifle on his lap. It’s the last day of September, and by every measure of history and memory, thousands should have crossed by now. But the tundra is empty, save for the mountains looming on the horizon — the Gates of the Arctic National Park. Days after Pattee’s unsuccessful hunt, the Trump administration approved construction of the Ambler Access Road— a 211-mile (340-kilometer) route designed to reach massive copper deposits that would cut through that wilderness, crossing 11 major rivers and thousands of streams where salmon spawn and caribou migrate. The approval, which is facing lawsuits though proponents...
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New book presents legal argument for Indigenous language education rights
By Shari Narine, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Windspeaker.com The new book Living Language Rights: Constitutional Pathways to Indigenous Language Education is more than the author’s vision to return to a time when Indigenous languages flourished in Canada. Lorena Sekwan Fontaine argues that customary laws, Canada’s Constitution, and international laws demand that Indigenous languages claim a prominent space in this country. “I make a legal argument in there that Indigenous people have language rights to education in Canada. Our languages are endangered because the government and the churches created these educational institutions that devalued Indigenous people’s culture and language,” said Fontaine, Cree and Anishinaabe and a member of Sagkeeng First Nation in Manitoba. “Many kids were harmed in there for just speaking their language to the point of being afraid to...
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Why Mark Carney’s pipeline deal with Alberta puts the Canadian federation in jeopardy
By Stewart Prest The recently struck memorandum of understanding (MOU) between Canada and Alberta is a high-stakes strategy that risks deepening already deep divides in Canadian politics. While the MOU touches on a number of issues, at its heart is a shared vision for a new pipeline from Alberta to British Columbia’s protected northern coast. In effect, the deal offers a quid pro quo: Ottawa agrees to relax a range of federal environmental regulations — including a ban on tanker traffic in B.C.’s north — and to support a pipeline in exchange for a commitment from Alberta to eventually increase the price of carbon on industrial emissions in the province to $130 a tonne. It’s a vision negotiated without the involvement of either the B.C. government or the Indigenous Peoples...
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$18-million sale of HBC charter to Thomsons, Westons approved by court
By Tara Deschamps Two of Canada’s wealthiest families have cleared the final hurdle on the road to buying and donating the royal charter that created the Hudson’s Bay Co. Ontario Superior Court Judge Peter Osborne gave the shuttered retailer permission Thursday to sell the 355-year-old document to holding companies belonging to the Thomson and Weston families for $18 million. The families plan to donate the charter immediately and permanently to the Archives of Manitoba, the Manitoba Museum, the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Que., and the Royal Ontario Museum. Each of the organizations has already agreed to accept the charter, which was issued by King Charles II on May 2, 1670 and allowed for the creation of HBC, which was then a fur-trading business. The five-page vellum document was...
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$267 million in compensation payments made in federal settlement
By Lucas-Matthew Marsh, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Iori:wase The Assembly of First Nations (AFN) announced last week that more than $267 million in compensation payments has been made as part of the First Nations Child and Family Services and Jordan’s Principle settlement. AFB National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak called it an “historic milestone” in a joint statement with the court-appointed Claims Administrator Deloitte. “I thank our courageous representative plaintiffs, and all those who have dedicated time and resources to bring us thus far,” Woodhouse Nepinak said. As of 2025, more than 86,000 claims have been filed, including 57,000 from the Removed Child Class and 28,000 from the Removed Child Family Class. According to Louise Mayo, First Nations Child and Family Services Liaison Officer with Kahnawake Shakotiia’takehnhas Community Services, hundreds of...
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Ottawa’s Indigenous advisers weren’t told of pipeline deal with Alberta: chief
By Alessia Passafiume A member of the major projects office’s Indigenous advisory council says he and his colleagues were not told in advance of the agreement the federal government signed with Alberta opening a path to a pipeline to B.C.’s coast. Trevor Mercredi, grand chief of Treaty 8 First Nations in Alberta, says the memorandum of understanding signed last month was “news” to him and his colleagues and Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government didn’t tap the council for advice on how to move forward. He says he is “very concerned” about the deal being announced without the involvement of the First Nations he represents. The major projects office was the product of a bill passed in the summer that looks to speed up approvals for major projects in an effort...
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