Evacuations complete in Manitoba town, crews are fighting to keep blaze at bay
Additional firefighting crews are expected to arrive in a northwestern Manitoba town that was forced to evacuate over the weekend because of encroaching wildfires. Firefighters have so far been able to keep the out-of-control blaze away from Lynn Lake, a gold-mining community located approximately 1,000 kilometres from Winnipeg, but the town says on social media that the fire is about four kilometres from its main power line. The town says swampy terrain is expected to slow the spread of the fire in that direction. It says the blaze has grown to span 70 square kilometres since Saturday, when the fire was measured at 50 square kilometres. Emergency crews in town have also been helping with nearby evacuations on the Marcel Colomb First Nation, about 25 kilometres east of Lynn Lake....
Register
Inuit leaders meet with Carney, ministers this week amid tension between groups
By Nick Murray Inuit leaders are set to meet with Prime Minister Mark Carney and six federal ministers Tuesday in Kuujjuaq, Que., at the latest Inuit-to-Crown partnership committee meeting. But some Arctic observers say there is discernible tension between the two sides heading into the meeting — a first since the forum was launched in 2017. “I would think that the federal government going to the meeting on Tuesday would have their backs up a little bit,” said former MP Peter Ittinuar, who in 1979 was the first Inuk elected to the House of Commons. Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, the organization representing Canada’s Inuit, hosted an Arctic sovereignty forum earlier this month in Ottawa. It culminated with a call for the federal government to be a better partner and ITK’s rejection...
Register
Carney, Inuit leaders meet in Kuujjuaq today for Inuit-to-Crown partnership committee
By Nick Murray Prime Minister Mark Carney will be in Nunavik today to meet with Inuit leaders along with half a dozen of his cabinet ministers, including those who handle the energy, public safety and defence files. The Inuit-to-Crown partnership committee brings together federal cabinet ministers and Inuit three times a year, with the prime minister attending one of those meetings. This meeting is happening in Kuujjuaq, Que. and a number of issues are on the agenda, including Arctic sovereignty, security and defence, housing and food security, the proposed Inuit university, and Inuit health and wellness. Some Arctic observers say this is the first forum since it was launched in 2017 to see some tension between Inuit and federal leaders. Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, the organization representing Canada’s Inuit, hosted an...
Register
Can Bill C-37 deliver real authority to First Nations over water?
By Aaron Walker, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Windspeaker.com As First Nations leaders challenge one of Canada’s largest proposed artificial intelligence data centres over its potential impact on fresh water, many say Ottawa’s newly introduced clean water legislation leaves a fundamental question unanswered: Who ultimately decides what happens to waters in First Nations territory? The federal government says Bill C-37, the proposed First Nations Clean Water Act, would recognize First Nations’ jurisdiction over water on First Nation lands while establishing enforceable drinking water standards, a First Nations-led water commission, and a long-term funding framework backed by a $4.6-billion investment. The bill replaces Bill C-61, which died on the Order Paper when Parliament was prorogued ahead of last year’s federal election. Several First Nations leaders, however, say the legislation will ultimately be...
Register
Maple Leafs select First Nations player first over-all in NHL draft
By Sam Laskaris, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Windspeaker.com While speaking about one of the best days of his life—being chosen first over-all in the National Hockey League (NHL) draft June 26—Gavin McKenna, a citizen of the Trʼondëk Hwëchʼin First Nation in Yukon, took time to discuss the achievement’s possible impact on Indigenous youth. “I think it will show them that anything is possible,” McKenna said in his first press conference after being drafted by the Maple Leafs. “I want to make those young kids believe in themselves and I want to be a good role model for all of them.” McKenna becomes just the second Indigenous player to be the top pick in the NHL draft, held annually since 1963. Dale McCourt, a member of Kitigan Zibi Anishnabeg First Nation...
Register
National Chief condemns Niagara Falls council meeting remarks
Calls for Compassion and Closing the Infrastructure Gap Unceded Algonquin Territory, Ottawa) – National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak spoke out today (June 29,2026) in response to reported remarks made during a recent Niagara Falls council meeting in which speakers indicated First Nations evacuees negatively affect tourism because they’re seen as “homeless” people and they are “too much at one time” for the city. “I am deeply disappointed by these remarks from Mayor Jim Diodati and other speakers in the council meeting,” said National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak. “The First Nations citizens in Niagara Falls are evacuees from Kashechewan First Nation who have been forced from their homes for six months now. They deserve care and compassion. This evacuation is already traumatizing, and many now feel unwelcome in the city...
Register
Alberta separatists gain partial court win, referendum petition to be verified
By Jack Farrell A group pushing for a separation referendum in Alberta has won a partial victory in court. An Alberta Court of Appeal judge ruled on Monday that the signatures on their referendum petition can be counted and verified. Justice Alice Woolley, in a written decision, said not verifying the signatures now could create more problems later on should things change with larger issues that have yet to be decided in court. “People who signed the petition may move or die. They may change addresses or phone numbers. Trust and confidence in the security and integrity of the collected sheets will begin to erode (if they’re not verified now),” Woolley wrote. Woolley’s decision is the latest development in a long-running court fight over a referendum petition launched by a...
Register
Nominee Glenn Joyal tells MPs he wants to uphold public confidence in Supreme Court
By David Baxter Supreme Court of Canada nominee Glenn Joyal said Monday he wants to uphold public confidence in the country’s top court. Joyal, nominated to the Supreme Court by Prime Minister Mark Carney last week, took questions from MPs and senators during a special meeting in the House of Commons. Joyal, who has been chief justice of the Court of King’s Bench of Manitoba since 2011, said fostering public trust in the judiciary involves demonstrating that judges understand the lived experience of people coming before the courts. Speaking in French, Joyal said he’s worked with people experiencing very difficult personal circumstances during his 28 years on the bench in Manitoba. He said that experience sharpened his judicial skills and gave him a firsthand understanding of the challenges facing individuals...
Register
Inuit leaders, federal ministers meet this week amid tension between groups
By Nick Murray Inuit leaders are set to meet with six federal ministers Tuesday in Kuujjuaq, Que., at the latest Inuit-to-Crown partnership committee meeting. But some Arctic observers say there is discernible tension between the two sides heading into the meeting — a first since the forum was launched in 2017. “I would think that the federal government going to the meeting on Tuesday would have their backs up a little bit,” said former MP Peter Ittinuar, who in 1979 was the first Inuk elected to the House of Commons. Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, the organization representing Canada’s Inuit, hosted an Arctic sovereignty forum earlier this month in Ottawa. It culminated with a call for the federal government to be a better partner and ITK’s rejection of what it called “outdated,...
Register
BC First Nations create their own justice path after decades calling for police accountability
By Aaron Walker, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Windspeaker.com Indigenous people have long called for greater accountability following police-involved deaths, misconduct and concerns that existing oversight systems have failed to deliver justice to them. Governments have responded with inquiries, commissions and reviews. Police agencies have introduced reforms. Yet Indigenous leaders say many of their people continue to find complaints processes intimidating, difficult to navigate and disconnected from their lived realities. Now, rather than waiting for broader systemic change, First Nations in British Columbia are building their own support system. The BC First Nations Justice Council (BCFNJC) officially launched its Police Accountability Unit (PAU) on June 10. Available to Indigenous people across B.C., the unit provides free Indigenous-led legal advice and representation for police complaints, human rights matters, civil litigation and other...
Register
Man, 49, jailed for sex with teenager
By Bob Mackin, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Prince George Citizen A 49-year-old man who admitted to sexual intercourse with a 15-year-old girl was sentenced June 17 to 30 months in jail. In a hearing at BC Supreme Court in Smithers, Nathan Stanley Nicholas was also banned from possessing weapons for 10 years and placed on the national sex offender registry for 20 years. In her oral ruling, Justice Sandra Sukstorf said the Crown asked for a three-year sentence, emphasizing the seriousness of the crime, the age of the victim and her vulnerability and the invasive nature of the sexual assault. The defence proposed a conditional sentence order and probation. On Feb. 11, 2023, after they both consumed alcohol during a gathering at his house. Nicholas and the victim had sexual...
Register
Alberta separatists gain partial court win on referendum petition
By Jack Farrell The group pushing for a separation referendum in Alberta has won a partial victory in court. An Alberta Court of Appeal judge ruled on Monday that the signatures on their referendum petition can be counted and verified. Justice Alice Woolley, in a written decision, said not verifying the signatures now could create more problems later on should things change with larger issues that have yet to be decided in court. “People who signed the petition may move or die. They may change addresses or phone numbers. Trust and confidence in the security and integrity of the collected sheets will begin to erode (if they’re not verified now),” Woolley wrote. Wooley’s decision is the latest step in a long-running court fight over a referendum petition launched by the...
Register
Nominee Glenn Joyal tells MPs he wants to uphold public confidence in Supreme Court
By David Baxter Supreme Court of Canada nominee Glenn Joyal says he wants to uphold public confidence in the country’s top court. Joyal, nominated to the Supreme Court by Prime Minister Mark Carney last week, is taking questions from MPs on a House of Commons committee today. Joyal, who has been chief justice of the Court of King’s Bench of Manitoba since 2011, says fostering public trust in the judiciary involves demonstrating that judges understand the lived experience of people coming before the courts. Joyal says his time in Winnipeg helped him understand the judiciary’s relationship with Indigenous people and calls the experience “extremely humbling.” Justice Minister Sean Fraser, Federal Judicial Affairs Commissioner Marc Giroux and Maureen McTeer, chair of the independent advisory board tasked with reviewing Supreme Court nominations,...
Register
Food affordability in First Nations has people flying groceries in
By Maya Ekman, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, NWOnewswatch.com MUSKRAT DAM – “This is just the reality of living up here,” said Muskrat Dam community member, River Kakegamic, after scanning a box of burger patties for $60. “Recently, prices have gone up and it is a sad reality for people up North who rely heavily on our local stores,” she said. “A box of burgers was maybe $20 to $25, but recently it has jumped up to $60 a box.” Last week, Kakegamic travelled to Thunder Bay and brought groceries home with her for an additional $100 to $150 in freight fees on top of personal luggage. She said she brought back pantry food such as rice, pasta and spaghetti sauce. “Stuff that would cost me a lot more here,” she...
Register
First Nation in Manitoba orders residents to leave due to evacuation of nearby town
A First Nation in northern Manitoba is evacuating its residents due to a wildfire that’s threatening a nearby town. Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak, an Indigenous advocacy group, says in a statement that the Marcel Colomb First Nation has ordered the evacuation because it relies on critical infrastructure and resources from Lynn Lake, a town about 25 kilometres to the west whose residents have already left. The statement says Lynn Lake, which began evacuation flights on Saturday, serves as a key supply and service hub for the First Nation and that it would be unsafe for its people to remain. The MKO statement says about 110 people are affected by the order. The wildfire that’s threatening Lynn Lake was late last week and grew quickly, with the Manitoba government’s wildfire information page...
Register
Wildfire forces evacuation of remote village in Northwest Territories
A remote community of the Northwest Territories was ordered late Sunday to evacuate as an out-of-control wildfire continues to burn nearby. The territorial government’s website says the Dehcho fire is roughly seven kilometres west of the Fort Simpson Airport. Wildfire officials say the fire is about 4.2 square kilometres in size. Officials with the Village of Fort Simpson said in a notice that the community’s roughly 1,300 residents should flee to the Multiplex Arena in Yellowknife, about 630 kilometres east of the village. The City of Yellowknife, in a social media post, confirmed the Multiplex’s gym will act as a reception and lodging centre. Fort Simpson officials said residents who wished to evacuate by plane should go to the local recreation centre. The last plane out was scheduled for early...
Register
Some Indigenous people wary of Order of Canada’s “colonial symbolism”: federal study
By Jim Bronskill Indigenous community members have encouraged federal officials to reflect on how the Order of Canada can overcome its “deep colonial symbolism and associations,” says an internal government presentation on efforts to modernize the Canadian honours system. The April presentation, prepared for the Order of Canada Advisory Council, says recent feedback indicates that accepting the honour “could bring feelings of discomfort or shame” to some Indigenous people due to its colonial associations. On the other hand, some said the Order of Canada offers an opportunity to advance reconciliation efforts by recognizing Indigenous strength and resilience. The Privy Council Office’s Impact and Innovation Unit has been working with the Office of the Secretary to the Governor General and the Rideau Hall Foundation to learn more about public awareness of...
Register
Archeologists accuse N.L. government of ‘colonial logic’ in dispute with Innu
A group of archeologists at Memorial University have voiced their support for the Innu Nation, saying the Newfoundland and Labrador government has undermined public trust and harmed Innu people. The comments were made in a letter signed by seven professors from Memorial’s archeology department and shared publicly by the Innu Nation on Thursday. The letter comes after the Innu Nation cancelled a cultural exhibit this week, saying the Newfoundland and Labrador government objected to the show’s timeline of Innu history in Labrador. The Indigenous group says the province subscribes to a “fringe theory” that Innu arrived in Labrador about 300 years ago, after the Europeans — a theory the archeologists opposed. Their letter said the theory rests on flawed assumptions and it accused the provincial government of “colonial logic” in...
Register
Mohawk Council of Kahnawake appeals to United Nations on S-2
By Marcus Bankuti, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Eastern Door The Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK) has sent an open letter to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, casting Parliament’s push to amend the Indian Act’s registration rules as a violation of Canada’s human rights obligations. “Nowhere else in the world does another government dictate who the citizens are of another people, so that’s why we felt it important to send it directly to the United Nations at this point because they need to start holding Canada to task,” said MCK grand chief Cody Diabo. If passed, Bill S-2 could enable thousands of people to regain status that was lost. Changes proposed by the bill include the elimination of the second-generation cut-off, which is when...
Register
Boy, 13, shot multiple times on First Nation in northern Manitoba
Manitoba police say a 13-year-old boy has been taken to hospital after he was shot multiple times on a northern First Nation. RCMP say officers responded to the shooting early this morning behind a building at Nisichawayasihk First Nation, about 850 kilometres north of Winnipeg. They found the boy with multiple gunshot wounds. He was taken to hospital and immediately underwent surgery. RCMP say the boy is in stable condition. They’re asking anyone with information about the shooting to call RCMP or Crime Stoppers. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 26, 2026. ...
Register
