The Key First Nation’s bison herd happy and healthy
By Bastien MacLean, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Kamsack Times For The Key First Nation, their bison herd is about food security, culture and economic development. The herd numbers close to 180, with an average of 30 new calves each year. The herd has grown from its original 60 in the winter of 2022. Twenty of the herd were acquired from the Old Man On His Back conservation area in southern Saskatchewan. Another 20 were acquired from near Swift Current and the rest from Elk Island. Former Chief Clinton Key, who was instrumental in bringing the buffalo to The Key, estimates that roughly 15 buffalo could be harvested each year without hurting the herd as a whole. In May the Nation harvested four buffalo and gave out more than 1,500 pounds...
Register
Canadian culture, French are fundamental rights — not trade irritants, Carney says
By Anja Karadeglija The French language and Quebec and Canadian culture might be trade irritants for the Americans but in Canada they are fundamental rights, Prime Minister Mark Carney said Monday. Trade talks with the United States broke down Friday, which meant new 50 per cent tariffs on a host of Canadian products took effect Saturday just after midnight. Carney said among the reasons for the suspension of trade negotiations were demands from the U.S. that would have affected Canada’s ability to protect its culture, including the French language. Carney said the U.S. put pressure on Canada to adjust its position on discoverability rules, which if implemented would affect what options Canadians see when they use streaming services. He said French-language labels were also on the list of American irritants....
Register
Kanesatake starts post-majority support services
By Hadassah Alencar, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Eastern Door Kanesatake joined many other First Nations last week after launching post-majority support services, which are designed to help support youth who have aged out of foster care services. Since August 14, Indigenous youth in foster care aged 16-25 are eligible for these services at the Kanesatake Health Center (KHC), said Anik Girouard, coordinator of the program. This service helps youth become independent adults by providing mentorship, referrals, and funds to cover a variety of needs. “The goal is to help them less and less and make sure that they need us less and less throughout all those years, so that at 26 they can fly away and be able to pay for everything, to be an adult,” said Girouard, who...
Register
Meet Eric Van Stone, the archaeologist who stopped digging and started carving
By Breanne Massey, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Wren Each spring, as white-tailed deer, mule deer, moose and elk leave behind the antlers they’ve outgrown, artisan Eric Van Stone follows. Reading game trails the way others read maps, he follows the migration routes and searches the forest floor for naturally shed antlers — raw materials that will later be transformed into handcrafted knives, jewelry and other pieces that carry a story from wilderness to workshop. Syilx and Secwépemc artisan Van Stone focuses on tracking local migration routes of wildlife to pick up any antlers being shed and follow in their footsteps for inspiration. “Sometimes I walk all day, and don’t find anything,” Van Stone says with a chuckle. “Certain spots are better. Sometimes in the winter, you’re in deep snow,...
Register
Gov. Gen. Arbour set to mark 9/11 anniversary in Gander, NL
By The Canadian Press staff Gov. Gen. Louise Arbour is set to be in Gander, N.L., on Sept. 11 to mark the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Rideau Hall says the Governor General will also meet with a variety of provincial officials and Indigenous leaders during a five-day visit which will begin Sept. 8. As the 9/11 terror attacks were unfolding across the U.S., dozens of flights were diverted to the Gander airport. Some 7,000 stranded passengers were welcomed by the local residents, who helped provide food, shelter and essentials. The heartwarming story inspired the hit Broadway musical “Come From Away.” This year’s anniversary is being marked as Canada-U.S. relations are deteriorating and both countries are threatening to up the ante in a trade war that dates back to...
Register
Canada will return to negotiating table when America has ‘the right attitude’: Carney
Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks about Canada’s response to new U.S. tariffs during a news conference on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Saturday, Aug. 22, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Patrick Doyle By Nick Murray Canada will go back to the negotiating table on a trade deal once the United States changes its attitude, Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Monday. Carney held a news conference in Lévis, Que., where he announced an $11 billion contract to build six new icebreakers for the Canadian Coast Guard, emphasizing they would be built with Canadian steel. The event comes three days after Carney suspended trade talks with the United States, after accusing the U.S. of trying to introduce last-minute measures which could have restricted Canada’s ability to do deals with other countries and protect...
Register
Kahnawake opposes Canada-Quebec deal
By Marcus Bankuti, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Eastern Door The Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK) has sent a letter objecting to a draft agreement between Canada and Quebec that would ease impact assessments and introduce a “one project, one review” approach. That means if Quebec were to review a project, Canada would no longer do its own review, and vice versa. At a time when the Building Canada Act is seen by First Nations as weakening an already dubious consultation process, the agreement is cause for concern, according to MCK grand chief Cody Diabo. “Our view is that currently in Quebec the consultation practices are abysmal, even worse than in other places,” said Diabo. “To try and expedite things is just not the right way to go.” The MCK...
Register
Agreement with Treaty 6 Nations sought by Kahnawake
By Marcus Bankuti, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Eastern Door Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK) grand chief Cody Diabo travelled to the Enoch Cree Nation in Alberta this week, part of an effort to forge closer relations with Treaty 6 First Nations. The MCK has made it a priority to build formal partnerships with First Nations around the country, in part because of a changing political climate internationally and domestically. “As I’ve stated before, it’s time we start working together,” Diabo said. Separatism movements in both Alberta and Quebec have gained momentum of late, while Canada has responded to the economic uncertainty unleashed by US president Donald Trump by looking to expedite major projects, which has raised concerns about steamrolling consultations. The voyage to Treaty 6 territory builds on meetings...
Register
Haudenosaunee Confederacy Chiefs Council says “secret” agreement belittles Haudenosaunee lands and treaty value
By Lynda Powless Editor SIX NATIONS OF THE GRAND RIVER-The Haudenosaunee Confederacy Chiefs Council (HCCC) says a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Brantford and Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) over the “Brantford Boundary Lands” attempts to reduce the HCCC’s relationship to its unsurrendered lands. The HCCC statement, issued late Friday, says it did not authorize the agreement, is not a party to it and has not seen it. Instead, the HCCC said the agreement attempts to reduce the Haudenosaunee lands at Brantford to little more than an “interest, economic benefit, or a seat at a table, but forgets the acres are unsurrendered Haudenosaunee lands. The HCCC was responding to SNEC’s signing an MOU with Brantford over lands known as the boundary lands. The HCCC said “ Our relationship to these...
Register
US and Canada fall deeper into a trade war with new tariffs as talks collapse and blame is spread
By Paul Wiseman And Rob Gillies WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States and Canada, historic allies along an undefended border, fell deeper into a trade war Saturday marked by angry recriminations and new tariffs that are expected to raise prices for products in both countries. Each side blamed the other for the collapse of negotiations in Washington late Friday, leading the U.S. to impose 50% tariffs on $20 billion worth of Canadian goods and Canada setting Sept. 8 as the start of its retaliatory penalties. President Donald Trump’s import taxes will hit about 5% of what Canada ships to the United States every year, ranging from hockey sticks to tongue depressors. Prime Minister Carney said Ottawa would respond with targeted tariff protection for industries exposed to the new U.S. duties,...
Register
Emergency Support Services steps up for Okanagan wildfire evacuees
By Jeff McDonald, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Peachland Post Leaving their homes under an evacuation order is a painful reality for many people in the Okanagan this summer. Peachland evacuees were able to return home last week but remained under evacuation alert. It’s one thing to ask people to leave in a hurry, but it’s another to give them somewhere to eat and sleep and try to find some semblance of normalcy in their lives. That’s where Emergency Support Services (ESS) comes in. ESS is a not-for-profit organization funded by the provincial government to provide short-term support, including food, shelter and clothing, to people whose lives have been turned upside down by emergencies such as this summer’s spate ofwildfires. The Regional District of Central Okanagan runs the Central Okanagan Regional...
Register
‘Huge safety issue’ prompts feds’ review of controversial aerodrome
By Danielle Pitman, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, OrilliaMatters.com A contentious water aerodrome on Lake Couchiching is facing more scrutiny. Last month, on behalf of numerous residents worried an accident will happen, Ramara Mayor Basil Clarke wrote to several authorities, including Transport Canada, requesting a safety review of Lake Country Airways’ operations. In his response, the Minister of Transport, Steven MacKinnon, confirmed that the water aerodrome known as The Cape Resort Seaplane base (CLA2) – where the business known as Lake Country Airways operates – underwent two safety reviews. After Lake Country Airways’ location change was approved in June a Civil Aviation Safety Inspector conducted a safety review of operations, “along with another nearby water aerodrome operator,” said MacKinnon. Focus was placed on “safety protocols, traffic density and management, circuit patterns...
Register
Crowds pour into Rama powwow despite heavy rains
By Danielle Pitman, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, OrilliaMatters.com Standing near the fire, listening to the resonant sounds of drums and voices singing on Sunday’s rainy afternoon on the second day of Rama’s popular powwow, James Simcoe felt grateful. The John Snake Memorial Multi-Purpose Community Grounds, he said, were full on Saturday. He estimates there were nearly 5,000 people gathered to enjoy the festivities at Rama First Nation on the first day of the two-day event. Even as rains continued Sunday, the crowds poured into Rama. As one of the powwow’s lead organizers, Simcoe has been part of the event for over four decades. This is one of the first times rain has plagued the event. “This is actually one of the first times this has ever happened to us,” said...
Register
Nunavut Teachers’ Association president hopes made-in-Nunavut curriculum expansion is a success
By William Koblensky Varela, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunavut News This coming school year will mark the first time Grade 2 students will be taught a made-in-Nunavut curriculum, and Nunavut Teachers’ Association president Justin Matchett said he hopes it’s a success. Matchett said he has received feedback from teachers about training for the curriculum, but didn’t say what that feedback was. “We have heard various things about the training provided on the new curriculum to date, and we want to ensure that the Department of Education is learning and improving on their responsibilities as part of this curriculum rollout,” Matchett said. The first-ever made-in-Nunavut curriculum was taught in kindergarten and Grade 1 classrooms in 2025-2026, and is introducing another grade level every year until a full implementation from kindergarten to...
Register
Fraser river challenge begins month-long journey
By Kevin Gibson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Rocky Mountain Goat A month-long expedition promoting protection of the Fraser River watershed began its journey through the Robson Valley on August 7th, with swimmers travelling from Tête Jaune to Dunster. The Fraser River Challenge runs until September 5th and combines a 1,400-kilometre swimming relay with a 1,000-kilometre walk and a series of canoe and rafting journeys, with different participants taking part in each of the ventures. The challenge is intended to build public support for permanently protecting 30 per cent of the Fraser watershed by 2030 and will include gatherings and community events as it moves downstream, allowing organizers to speak with residents about the health of the river and the campaign’s conservation goals. The expedition began near the Fraser’s headwaters...
Register
Politicians, Indigenous leaders hope next 150 years of Treaty 6 better than the past
By Jack Farrell Standing in the same place where it was signed, politicians, Crown representatives, Indigenous chiefs and elders marked the 150th anniversary of Treaty 6 on Sunday by saying they hoped the future would be nothing like the past. “This treaty recognized a shared relationship with the land, the waters, and the living things,” Gov. Gen. Louise Arbour told a crowd at Fort Carlton, about 100 kilometres north of Saskatoon. “History, unfortunately, tells a very different story.” The treaty was the sixth of 11 treaties signed in the years after Canada was established through Confederation. It covers most of what’s now central Alberta and Saskatchewan, though the treaty is older than both provinces. Like the treaties signed before and after it, Treaty 6, by all accounts, is an agreement...
Register
First Nations stuck in ‘spiralling cycle’ during wildfires: federal housing advocate
By Alessia Passafiume First Nations are stuck in a “spiralling cycle” during wildfire seasons due to a lack of co-ordinated emergency management supports and a severe housing gap, the federal housing advocate is warning in a report on the 2025 wildfire season. Last year saw the second-worst wildfire season on record, with 165 emergency events impacting 134 First Nations. More than 40,000 people were evacuated by mid-August from at least 83 communities. “The risk of wildfires is not new to First Nations, but the authority and the resourcing First Nations need to manage emergencies and steward their territories with traditional knowledge have been undermined,” Marie-Josee Houle says in her new report, to be released Monday alongside the Assembly of First Nations. “Traditional knowledge should not only be respected but actively...
Register
Haudenosaunee Confederacy Chiefs Council did not approve Brantford and Six Nations Elected Council Boundary Lands agreement
By Lynda Powless Editor The Haudenosaunee Confederacy Chiefs Council (HCCC) says a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Brantford and Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) over the “Brantford Boundary Lands” attempts to reduce the HCCC’s relationship to its unsurrendered lands. The HCCC statement, issued late Friday, says it did not authorize the agreement, is not a party to it and has not seen it. Instead, the HCCC said the agreement attempts to reduce the Haudenosaunee lands at Brantford to little more than an “interest, economic benefit, or a seat at a table, but forgets the acres are unsurrendered Haudenosaunee lands. The HCCC was responding to SNEC’s signing an MOU with Brantford over lands known as the boundary lands. The HCCC said “ Our relationship to these lands does not originate with...
Register
People returning to Kashechewan after 8-month evacuation
By Marissa Lentz-McGrath, Local Journalism Initiative, TimminsToday.com KASHECHEWAN — As hundreds of people return to their James Bay community, leaders are pushing to restart talks about permanently relocating it. Tyson Wesley, executive director of Kashechewan First Nation, said the homecoming has brought a mix of relief, happiness and grief for residents who have spent months living in hotels and other temporary accommodations. “I’m glad this is over because I was getting tired of sending our people home in coffins,” Wesley told TimminsToday. The community of about 2,000 people was evacuated in January after failures in its water and sewage systems contributed to the spread of cryptosporidium, a parasite that can cause gastrointestinal illness. The evacuation lasted about eight months, with about 1,700 residents staying in communities including Timmins, Kapuskasing, Sudbury,...
Register
Six Nations Police seize drugs and weapons in Caledonia search
(OHSWEKEN, ON) – August 20, 2026 – Two men are facing drugs and weapons charges after the Six Nations Police Drug Enforcement Unit launched “Project Flight” seizing suspected cocaine, firearms and more after a search of a Caledonia residence . The drug trafficking investigation was launched at a residence on Santos Drive in Caledonia, Ontario. Six Nations Police said two adult males were taken into custody without incident. As a result of the investigation and subsequent search, police seized: Approximately 47 grams of suspected cocaine Canadian currency A stolen motor vehicle A prohibited weapon Firearm ammunition Cellular phones Drug packaging materials As a result of the investigation, Alex Townsend, 25, of Caledonia, has been charged with: Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking – Cocaine Possession of Proceeds of Crime Under...
Register
