BC’s interior old-growth forests hiding billions in economic benefits, report says
By Sonal Gupta, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Canada’s National Observer Protecting old-growth forests in the BC interior could generate more than $43 billion over the next century — far more than logging the land, a report says. Research by environmental consultancy ESSA Technologies determined that if all the old-growth forest in regions around the Okanagan and Prince George were fully protected, the carbon storage alone would keep 28 million tonnes of carbon emissions out of the atmosphere over the next 100 years. That’s roughly what would be generated by burning 63 million barrels of oil, and would be worth $43 billion — $33 billion for Prince George and $10 billion for the Okanagan. Even limited protection of only the most at-risk forests would yield $11 billion in benefits. “The value...
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Poilievre promises tougher ethics rules, takes aim at Carney’s assets
By Kyle Duggan Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is promising to tighten financial transparency rules for elected officials — and is using that promise to take aim at Liberal Leader Mark Carney. Poilievre told a press conference in Ottawa on Sunday that if his party forms government, he’ll ban what he calls “shadow lobbying.” “We will eliminate the lobbying loophole and require anyone who is acting as an adviser to government officials to declare themselves and register as a lobbyist, whenever they are advising on matters that touch upon their financial interests or that of their company,” Poilievre said. He said this rule would have forced Carney to register as a lobbyist when he advised former prime minister Justin Trudeau through the Liberal party. The Conservative leader also said he would...
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NWMO puts out call for suppliers in region
By Mike Stimpson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Thunder Bay Source IGNACE – Having chosen a site for keeping used nuclear fuel underground, the Nuclear Waste Management Organization is now reaching out to local and Indigenous businesses and suppliers in Northwestern Ontario about contracts relating to the project. The deep geological repository, or DGR, that the industry funded organization wants to build west of Ignace means potentially hundreds of jobs and many other economic opportunities as well, a news release said. “It’s really exciting,” NWMO spokesperson Vince Ponka said Friday. “We are looking for northern businesses, Northwestern Ontario businesses, to connect with us and register, just so we’re aware of the businesses that are out here, the suppliers that are out here.” Ponka said the DGR “is such a major, huge...
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UCCM Police shares ‘Lighting the Fire Within’ to other police forces
By Jacqueline St. Pierre, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Manitoulin Expositor M’CHIGEENG — After five years of early intervention work aimed at preventing intimate partner violence (IPV) in Anishnaabe communities across Manitoulin Island, the UCCM Anishnaabe Police Service is calling on the federal and provincial governments to permanently fund its Lighting the Fire Within program. Originally launched in 2018 with a $1 million investment from Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE), the program was built to address the roots of IPV through trauma-informed, culturally grounded, community-first approaches. But with the original funding expired, UCCM Police say the work can’t stop now. “The Lighting the Fire Within programming helped within our communities and it’s unfortunate that the funding has stopped,” said UCCM Police Chief James Killeen. “We want to keep a...
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Kitselas First Nation in northwestern B.C. votes in favour of self-governance
Members of the Kitselas First Nation in British Columbia’s Skeena Valley region have voted to become self-governing. The nation says in a news release that more than 96 per cent of its enrolled voters took part in the ratification on Thursday. It says 85 per cent of voters ticked Yes for the treaty, while 81 per cent voted Yes for its constitution. The nation says the vote means it will no longer be “controlled by Canada’s Indian Act” and will work for the next three years to implement the treaty. It says under the treaty, enrolled citizens will be able to vote in elections, receive treaty benefits, exercise their rights and run for elected office. Christine Boyle, B.C.’s minister of Indigenous relations and reconciliation, congratulated the nation on Friday,...
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Valemount says businesses facing shutdown amid B.C. government ‘inaction’
By Peter Shokeir, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Jasper Fitzhugh The Village of Valemount is accusing the British Columbia government of “inaction” for failing to provide financial relief for businesses impacted by the 2024 Jasper wildfire. Valemount Mayor Owen Torgerson described his experience lobbying his provincial government as “frustrating” and emphasized how dire the economic situation was for his community. “We’ve seen closures, whether that’s temporary or permanent,” Torgerson said. “We’ve seen curtailment of hours. We’re hearing of layoffs, so it’s a mix [of situations]. The business community, regardless of what sector you’re in, has been impacted immensely.” Last summer, the Jasper wildfire forced thousands to evacuate to Valemount and closed regional highways. To mitigate the indirect impacts of the wildfire on local businesses, the Village is now seeking $1.5 million...
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Last all-Indigenous fire unit featured in Knowledge Network documentary
By Luke Faulks, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Matt Nelson knew he wanted to fight fires since he was in Grade 7. His teacher, now-Lil’wat Nation’s Chief Dean Nelson, was a firefighter before moving to teach at the Xet̓ólacw Community School in Mount Currie. “He planted that seed,” Nelson remembers. Now, Nelson features in Wildfire, a five-part documentary series from Knowledge Network set to premiere on April 29. The series’ final episode interviews him for his work as part of the last remaining all-Indigenous fire crew in B.C.—the Salish Fire Unit, based in Lil’wat First Nation. In 1988, The BC Wildfire Services (BCWS) started to partner with Indigenous communities around the province to build up local fire-fighting capacity and create employment opportunities. The Salish Unit in Mount Currie, founded in 1989,...
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‘We made it through the night’: New Secwépemc children’s book teaches about grief and loss
By Dionne Phillips, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, IndigiNews A new children’s book by author Stanley (T’ult) Daniels of Tsq̓éscen̓ First Nation provides a cultural context around grief. Tscwinúcw-k: The Stars of the Secwépemc opens with a young boy named Malakai playing with his Kyé7e. She passes away soon after, and the book then follows the journey of Malakai as he deals with the loss — using his cultural teachings to remember his Kyé7e, who now lives in the Sky World with the other ancestors. Through stories, Malakai’s mother (Setse7), helps him understand the teaching of Tscwinúcw-k — meaning “we survived the night” — which serves as a reminder that ancestors continue to be there, guiding the people with love. “So what Tscwinúcw-k is, is kind of like an artistic expression,...
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Sault-Algoma candidates address challenges of new riding
By Margaret Kirk, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Sault Star As Canadians prepare for the upcoming federal election, a significant change in electoral geography is reshaping how citizens in Northern Ontario are represented in Ottawa. According to the final report of the Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for Ontario in 2023, the Algoma–Manitoulin–Kapuskasing riding was erased, with surrounding districts absorbing the characteristically rural population. The change in riding boundaries happened because Northern Ontario grew by 2.8 per cent from 2011-2021, while the rest of Ontario grew by 11.2 per cent in the same period. The Sault Ste. Marie riding became Sault Ste. Marie–Algoma and now spans north to include Hornepayne, White River, Dubreuilville and Wawa. East of Sault Ste. Marie. It includes Missanabie Cree, Michipicoten, Batchewana, Garden River, Batchewana, Serpent River and...
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A Two-Spirit Journey is the ‘book to change the narrative’ in 2025
By Shari Narine, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter CBC’s competition Canada Reads recently celebrated a memoir published almost a decade ago. “I am grateful that they picked the book,” said Ma-Nee Chacaby, Ojibwe-Cree author of A Two-Spirit Journey. “I didn’t ever think it was ever going to go anywhere. I just wanted other First Nations to start writing their stories. That was my main thing. Maybe if I write, they’ll follow.” A Two-Spirit Journey was published in 2016 by the University of Manitoba Press. Chacaby, who is visually impaired, told her story to non-Indigenous close friend and professional writer Mary Louisa Plummer over Skype during the course of several months in 2013. Plummer typed it and then read the first draft to Chacaby, who rounded it out with additional material....
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Blueberry River Restoration Society’s chief executive officer talks organization’ ambitions
By Ed Hitchins, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Energeticcity.ca FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — Blueberry River Restoration Society is open for collaborative work, and is asking for proposals for impactful restoration projects. Angela D’Amato van den Hout is the CEO of Blueberry River Restoration Society (BRRS), and spoke of the organization’s mandate in an interview with Energeticcity.ca. According to its website, the society was born out of a 2021 Supreme Court decision, which ruled the province violated Blueberry River First Nations’ (BRFN) members’ Treaty 8 rights by failing to account for the impacts of cumulative development, including on fishing, hunting and cultural practices. A government-BRFN partnership was formed, and BRRS was founded in 2023 with a focus on providing funding for ecological restoration projects within BRFN territory. The website reads its...
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New rental building helps bring Squamish Nation members back home
By Abby Luciano, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, North Shore News A new rental building on Xwemelch’stn (Capilano Reserve) is giving Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) members who have lived away from the area the opportunity to return home. Nation members celebrated the grand opening of the Chenkw Em̓út building Tuesday. The three-storey, 95-unit building is for Squamish Nation members with priority to Elders, youth and families based on a multi-generational housing approach. “[It’s] a really exciting day for the community being able to celebrate this amazing housing project that’s been in the works for the last six years,” said Sarah Silva, a member of the board of directors for Hiy̓ám̓ Housing, a non-profit organization the Nation launched to address housing needs for members. Chenkw Em̓út, meaning “I am home,” is a...
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Carney follows Poilievre in pledging to speed up resource projects
By Anja Karadeglija Liberal Leader Mark Carney took his promise of making Canada an “energy superpower” to the heart of Canada’s oil industry Wednesday, becoming the second party leader in three days to promise to speed up the review process to greenlight major national energy projects. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre made a one-project, one-review promise at a campaign stop in northwest British Columbia on Monday. Both parties are trying to convince Canadians they can ditch Canada’s reputation as a place where big projects take far too long to get built. With punishing U.S. tariffs under President Donald Trump still dominating much of the election conversation, both the Liberals and Conservatives are wooing Canadians with pitches to reduce Canada’s trade reliance on the U.S. by, among other things, building new pipelines...
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Carney, Poilievre taking their campaigns to the GTA today as campaigns hit half way mark
The Liberals and Conservatives will be campaigning in the Greater Toronto Area today. Liberal Leader Mark Carney is set to make an announcement in Brampton, Ont., in the morning and meet with supporters and volunteers in Hamilton, Ont., in the afternoon. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre will hold a press conference in Milton, Ont., in the morning and a rally in Woolwich, Ont., in the evening. As of 2021, the population of the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area was over seven million, representing almost 20 per cent of Canada’s population. A new Leger poll, which was conducted online and can’t be assigned a margin of error, suggests that 48 per cent of Ontarians will vote Liberal in the election, compared to 39 per cent who will vote Conservative and nine per...
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Ontario partners with First Nations for new Northern Ontario hydro project
By Abdul Matin Sarfraz Local Journalism Initiative Electricity demand continues to rise in Northern Ontario, the provincial government is partnering with two First Nations to explore two new hydroelectric generating stations. If approved, the Nine Mile Rapids and Grand Rapids generating station projects could produce a combined 430 mw of clean energy — enough to power approximately 430,000 homes, said Minister of Energy and Mines Stephen Lecce at a press conference on Wednesday. The projects would contribute to the province’s strategy to boost clean energy capacity while supporting economic growth in the north, he added. “By working together in the face of unjustified attacks from President Trump, Ontario will generate all the affordable electricity we need within our own borders, now and well into the future,” Lecce said, calling the...
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Brantford Police say counterfeit currency continues to circulate in city
BRANTFORD,ONT-The Brantford Police have issued an additional advisory to Brantford businesses and residents after reports continue to be received regarding counterfeit money circulating within Brantford. So far this year Brantford police said they have received 52 reports of counterfeit Canadian bills used at various businesses. Five people have been charged by BPS for using counterfeit bills in 2025. Most of the incidents have involved Canadian bills of $100.00 and $50.00. Similar serial numbers on the $100.00 bills appear to have been circulating across other jurisdictions in Canada. Common serial numbers on the $100.00 bill are, GRJ6710018, GRJ6710019, GRJ6710020, GRJ6710020, GRJ6710021, and GRJ6710022. The counterfeit bills seen in circulation have a holographic window strip on the bill with the word, “Prop Money.” Some of these bills have other obvious signs...
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Four-way battle for Nunavik’s riding in federal election
By Cedric Gallant, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunatsiaq News A four-way race is shaping up in the Abitibi–Baie-James–Nunavik–Eeyou riding in the April 28 federal election. Quebec’s largest riding — and the third-largest in Canada — includes the region of Abitibi, which is predominantly populated by non-Indigenous Québécois; the Cree region of Eeyou-Istchee; and the Inuit region of Nunavik. Incumbent Sylvie Bérubé is running again for the Bloc Québécois. First elected in 2019 and re-elected in 2021, she has committed to spending more time in Nunavik and working directly with Indigenous communities. In her time as MP, Bérubé visited Nunavik twice. During her first trip, in 2022, she visited Aupaluk for a day. Her second visit was a three-day stop in Kuujjuaq in January 2024, where she met with representatives from...
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Poilievre promises to ban bail, parole and house arrest for repeat serious offenders
By Anja Karadeglija Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre insisted Wednesday that his promised three-strikes law wouldn’t run afoul of the Constitution, after several justice experts said some of his crime policies are likely to get struck down by the courts. Poilievre was campaigning in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. where he repeated his promise that a government led by him would make those convicted three times of “serious” offences ineligible for bail, probation, parole or house arrest. Those offenders also would be sentenced to a minimum prison term of 10 years and could get a life sentence. They could not “be released until they have proven that they are no longer a danger to society,” he said. “Under my watch, the only way for repeat offenders to obtain their freedom will be...
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As Canada is threatened, it’s urgent to revisit Indigenous sovereignty and nationhood
By Frank Deer, Professor, Faculty of Education, University of Manitoba Early in his second term as president of the United States, Donald Trump began making explicit threats about Canada becoming the 51st American state. In the midst of his absurd and at times disrespectful rhetoric that’s also included a proposal to acquire Greenland and the Gaza Strip, some have argued Trump’s interest in annexing Canada is an imperialistic impulse. As a Kanienʼkehá꞉ka educator concerned with Indigenous language education, civic education and reconciliation, I believe it’s important to explore how Canadians should think about Indigenous nationhood with Canada’s sovereignty under threat. I also believe a U.S. annexation of Canada would be devastating for Indigenous Peoples. Re-asserting Canadian nationhood amid threats Trump has stated that Canada can be annexed through economic force...
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In the rush for Canada’s critical minerals, Indigenous rights and sovereignty are being ignored
By Jon Thompson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Ricochet A First Nation chief in northwestern Ontario says political rhetoric about running roughshod over Indigenous consultation to fast-track mining and other extraction projects is emboldening an abusive approach to resource engagement. Onigaming Chief Jeff Copenace says his community “fundamentally opposes” a proposed gold mine and warns that the development “will be opposed at any cost necessary including peaceful protest and direct action.” In a March 22 email, Golden Rapture Mining president Richard Rivet sent an email to Onigaming First Nation leaders, informing them that Ontario officials would soon deliver the company’s “enviro-friendly exploration plan” for its Phillips Township Gold Property.Onigaming Chief Jeff Copenace said a number of representatives from the junior mining company had reached out over the month regarding exploration and...
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