Mounties not at fault in death of mass stabber on Manitoba First Nation: report
By Brittany Hobson Manitoba’s police watchdog has found RCMP officers were not at fault in the death of a man who stabbed eight people on a First Nation then rammed into a police cruiser. The Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba says the police car was parked on a highway south of Hollow Water First Nation in September, when the man intentionally drove into it at more than 180 kilometres per hour. RCMP had heard that the man wanted to die at the hands of police. Mounties identified the attacker as 26-year-old Tyrone Simard, who was from the community of about 1,000 residents northeast of Winnipeg. They said Simard killed his 18-year-old sister and injured seven others at two separate homes on the First Nation before fleeing. The watchdog agency says...
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University of Winnipeg program helping fill Indigenous language teacher shortage
By Steven Sukkau, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Winnipeg Sun The University of Winnipeg is currently running Manitoba’s first degree-level immersion program for second-language learners of Anishinaabemowin, aiming to rebuild fluency, strengthen community connections and expand the number of qualified immersion teachers across the province. The Anishinaabemowin (Ojibwe/Saulteaux) Language Immersion Program welcomed its first cohort of 17 students this winter. Participants will study the language year-round for approximately 15 hours per week, combining accredited university courses with mentor-apprentice learning, immersion field schools and community-based gatherings. University officials say the program is designed not only to produce fluent speakers, but also to help address a growing demand for Indigenous language teachers in Manitoba schools. Elder Harry Bone told students that language is central to sovereignty and identity, noting that a language carries...
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Idlout says she felt she was ‘betraying’ her constituents by staying with NDP
By Nick Murray Nunavut MP Lori Idlout said Wednesday feedback from constituents calling on her to join the Liberal government ultimately convinced her to cross the floor. In her first interview as a Liberal MP, Idlout told The Canadian Press staying with the NDP felt like she was “betraying” Nunavummiut. “It started to, every day, to feel like I was betraying the wrong people, that I was betraying my constituents,” she said. “And with leaving the NDP, I feel like I’m betraying them too, but at least I keep my focus on making sure that my constituents always come first.” Idlout was introduced as the Liberal party’s newest MP on Wednesday. She received a roaring ovation from her new Liberal colleagues, who chanted her name as she walked into their...
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Canada will ‘do its part’ to help IEA release of oil reserves: Hodgson
By Craig Lord Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson said Wednesday Canada will “do its part” to lower the cost of oil globally as a bloc of nations looks to tame the surge in energy prices triggered by the war in the Middle East. The International Energy Agency — an intergovernmental organization representing dozens of countries, including Canada — announced Wednesday it has agreed to release 400 million barrels of oil from member nations’ stockpiles. Hodgson said Wednesday Canada will support those efforts but didn’t said what form that would take. “Canada will do its part to contribute to the world’s (oil) supply. That will bring prices down for Canadians. That will keep prices affordable for Canadians,” he told reporters on his way out of the Liberal caucus meeting. Canada is...
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King Charles ‘expressed his concern’ over Alberta separatism in meeting: grand chief
By Jack Farrell and Lisa Johnson The grand chief of the Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations says King Charles “expressed his concern” after hearing about Alberta’s separatist push in a face-to-face meeting with Indigenous leaders on Wednesday. Grand Chief Joey Pete, who was part of a delegation of Treaty 6 chiefs who went to Buckingham Palace, said in a news release that the King was “very interested” in what the Indigenous leaders had to say. “We made him aware of the separatism issue in Alberta and the threat to treaty it represents,” the chief said. “He expressed his concern and committed to learning more.” The meeting took place in response to invitations Indigenous leaders had sent to the King to attend an event this summer marking the 150th anniversary...
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Stanley Park’s stagnant Lost Lagoon closer to being reconnected to ocean
By Nono Shen Lost Lagoon at the entrance to Vancouver’s famed Stanley Park has become a swamp of green algae and stagnant water but the city’s board of parks is moving forward with a plan to reconnect the lagoon to the ocean after more than a century of being marooned. Board members endorsed exploratory work in a motion on Tuesday to reconnect the lagoon to Coal Harbour and Second Beach to improve its ecological health and restore it as a tidal ecosystem. Instead of a growing bloom of algae and worsening water quality — a result, the board says, of a century of infilling — a lagoon reconnected to the sea could see bird-rich mud flats at low tide, and marsh-like conditions at high tide. Chad Townsend, senior planner of...
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Carney travelling to Yellowknife, Norway for defence-focused northern trip
By David Baxter and Dylan Robertson Prime Minister Mark Carney is again heading overseas, this time to Norway to observe NATO Cold Response exercises as Canada deepens ties with Nordic countries. He will stop first in Yellowknife on Thursday. “In this time of global uncertainty, it’s really important that we strengthen the co-operation with Canada, with Norway and with the Nordic countries together,” Norwegian Ambassador to Canada Hanne Ulrichsen said in an interview Wednesday. She said Norway invited Carney to visit and has convened heads of government from Iceland, Denmark, Sweden and Finland to Oslo so that Carney can advance efforts to strengthen trade and energy ties with the so-called Nordic Five. But first, Carney will travel to Bardufoss, Norway on Friday to watch the military exercises, and senior government...
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Emergency first responder initiative expanding into more FirstNations
By Matt Prokopchuk, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, NWOnewswatch.com THUNDER BAY — An initiative that trains, pays and provides necessary medical equipment to first responders in First Nations continues to expand. The Emergency First Response Team program is an Indigenous-led partnership between Ontario’s Ornge air ambulance service and individual communities, funded by the province’s health ministry. It provides necessary training and equipment — including specialized vehicles — to first responders in First Nations, replacing a much more limited volunteer-based service. Effectively, it provides the necessary training for community members to stabilize and provide initial care to patients and get them to the local nursing station, then, if necessary, transport them to the airport so Ornge can fly them to larger centres. “When we looked at it, we made an early determination...
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Crown minister and Mi’kmaq chiefs respond to cannabis raids in Nova Scotia
By Rosemary Godin, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Cape Breton Post The Minister of Crown-Indigenous Affairs visited Cape Breton last week and was forced to dip her toe into the smokey waters of the cannabis tensions between Mi’kmaq and the provincial government. “I encourage the province to sit down with First Nations and find a way forward,” she said. “Because in discussions I had with both Membertou and Eskasoni, they were talking about looking to put in regulations and then working with the province to ensure that they’re adhered to.’ She said she suggests that the Mi’kmaq and the province sit down to discuss all the issues and the different ways they can be resolved. “Because in discussions with chiefs across the Atlantic region on this issue, they have ideas on...
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Whale sanctuary stirs fishing debate; Questions over access, environmental impact raised
By Joanne Jordan, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Guysborough-Antigonish Journal WINE HARBOUR – Plans to build a whale sanctuary at the Wine Harbour wharf and bay have drawn mixed reactions, with one long-time lobster fisher saying the project will not affect fishing activity in the area while a regional fisheries association cites serious concerns. Guysborough County Inshore Fisheries Association (GCIFA) executive director Ginny Boudreau told The Journal last week that those concerns include how netting enclosing the sanctuary will be managed and how build-up – including seaweed and mussels – will be prevented from restricting water flow. “How are the nets and the bay going to be kept clean; how are they going to keep the flushing of that bay – of the whale excrement and the feed that they feed...
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Mississaugas of Credit First Nation receive $183.4 million in Rouge River Valley Tract Claim
Mississaugas of Credit First Nation settle claim, receive $183.4 million for Rouge River By Alex Murray Writer The Mississaugas of Credit First Nation (MCFN) recently celebrated the signing of a nine-figure agreement with the provincial and federal governments that settled a 250-year-old land claim. But Chief Margaret Sault says they’re not stopping there. “We currently are negotiating. … We’ll be continuing on with Treaty 22 and Treaty 23,” Sault told Turtle Island News. “Then we do have other claims through our process, we’ve been working on some other things. So, we’re not done with claims yet. Just building that trust, building that relationship.” While, she said there is more work to do on Saturday, March 7, it was enough to celebrate the recent progress. Sault and other members of the...
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ISC Minister Mandy Gull-Masty under fire as First Nations frustrated by inaction
By Alex Murray Mandy Gull-Masty is not doing enough from Ottawa in her role as Minister of Indigenous Services. At least, that’s what Ontario First Nations are saying. Some have become so fed up with her inaction that they have called for her resignation. The Kashechewan First Nation in Northern Ontario recently put out a press release calling for Gull-Masty’s resignation. Despite a state of emergency being declared in that community over two months ago, the ISC Minister has yet to visit the community or its members. The state of emergency was declared for this fly-in community, which is located on the west coast of James Bay, about 650 kilometers due north from Sudbury, because of worries about the quality of the community’s water and its wastewater treatment plant. This...
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Moving at lightning speed on major projects OK if Nations are equipped
By Sam Laskaris, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Windspeaker.com While a prominent Indigenous business leader believes major project development in Canada is progressing at lightning-quick speed, he is doing his best to ease concern that it’s too quick and occurring at the expense of treaty rights. JP Gladu was a featured speaker at the Canadian Council for Indigenous Business (CCIB) Central Business Forum held Feb. 26 in Toronto. He was on a panel titled “Major Projects in Practice: The Future of Indigenous Participation in Major Projects in Canada.” Once the president and CEO of the CCIB, in 2020 Gladu founded Mokwateh, an Indigenous-led consultancy that provides economic development, sustainability and strategic partnership advice. This past fall Gladu was also one of 11 individuals named to the Indigenous Advisory Council that will...
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Closed Six Nations Public Library Celebrates 60th Birthday As Efforts To Reopen Get Underway
By Alex Murray Writer Not even the rain could dampen the spirits of Six Nations Public Library (SNPL) staff. Gathered outside the now closed library manager Feather Maracle and her staff marked the 60th anniversary of the SNPL March 3. The birthday celebration was held on the back parking lot of the Chiefswood Road library rather than inside after Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) abruptly closed the building citing safety reasons February 13, 2026. Despite that surprising development, Maracle went ahead with the celebration attracting community members with complimentary cake while answering questions about the sudden closure. While Maracle shares itheir frustration she’s also focused on SNPL still offering a variety of services to the community while the building is closed. “The library isn’t a building. The library is so...
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Don’t hold your breath!
While the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation may have just resolved another land claim, it can’t help but highlight Six Nations massive outstanding claims that are still, well…outstanding. And no one at Six Nations should think it will be settled anytime soon, The Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation two resolved claims are small in comparison to Six Nations 950,000-acre Haldimand Tract. The Haldimand Tract was granted to the Six Nations in 1784, at a time of infringement on lands stretching from the north all the way to Lake Erie. A piece of land that includes cities like Brantford and Kitchner among others. A piece of land that of which the community today holds less than 5% of the total 950,000 acres. Six Nations land rights offices have been...
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Today in History
March 8 In 2013, the Metis won a landmark case as the Supreme Court of Canada ruled the federal government failed to live up to its constitutional obligations in handing out land to children of the Manitoba Metis in the 1870s. It opened the door for the Metis to negotiate a claim to vast tracts of land in the province, including all of present-day Winnipeg. In 2019, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau shed tears as he apologized for the way Inuit in northern Canada were treated for tuberculosis in the mid-20th century, calling it colonial and misguided. Trudeau delivered an apology to the Inuit on behalf of the federal government — words that prompted many in the room to openly weep. Trudeau acknowledged that many people with TB died after being...
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“Strengthening Pathways for Indigenous Learners”: Mississaugas of the Credit, York University sign new MOU
By Alex Murray Writer It just got a lot easier for Indigenous people from the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation (MCFN) looking to get a post-secondary education. The MCFN recently signed a wide-ranging Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with York University that will help with that. The MOU, which is a formal but usually non-binding document, aims to strengthen ties between the MCFN and York University by “working collaboratively in the spirit of reciprocity,” according to the official press release. The most important aspect of this MOU and the partnership between York and the MCFN is the benefits it will bring for First Nations in the educational system. Eligible MCFN members registered for undergraduate programs at York will receive a tuition waiver as part of the collaboration. “The Mississaugas of...
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Local squads preparing for annual Little NHL tournament
By Sam Laskaris Writer Six Nations will once again be well represented at the province’s largest First Nations youth hockey tournament. About 20 Six Nations squads will be participating in this year’s Little Native Hockey League tournament, which begins on Sunday. The event, which is often simply called the Little NHL, will continue until Mar. 19. The majority of tournament games will be staged at rinks in Markham. But arenas in several other neighbouring communities will also be utilized. A record-breaking total of 271 clubs will participate at this year’s tournament, in various girls’ and boys’ divisions. This year’s number of entrants surpasses the previous high of 270 clubs, set at the 2025 event, also primarily staged in Markham. The Little NHL is traditionally held during Ontario’s March Break, allowing...
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Snipers down Express twice to advance to ALL playoffs
By Sam Laskaris Writer Things didn’t look too promising for the Six Nations Snipers as they were heading into their two latest Arena Lacrosse League (ALL) games. The Snipers, who had won just four of their first 11 regular season contests, could have potentially had their post-season aspirations dashed if they were to suffer back-to-back losses against the Brampton Express. The Brampton club had won nine of its first 11 matches and had already secured a bye in the opening round of the ALL playoffs. Thus, it was a bit of a surprise to see the Snipers knock off the Express twice in less than 48 hours. For starters, Six Nations edged the Express 15-14 in overtime in a game in Brampton on Friday night. The Snipers then thumped Brampton...
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SPORTS BRIEFS: Trades and working to Mann Cup title
By Sam Laskaris, Writer The Six Nations Chiefs are not resting on their laurels. The Chiefs, the three-time defending national Mann Cup champions, would undoubtedly love to capture a fourth straight Canadian title this September. And the brass of the Six Nations club is rather busy trying to improve the club’s already potent roster. The Chiefs, who do not begin their 2026 Major Series Lacrosse (MSL) season until May, completed a pair of off-season deals this past week, acquiring some big-name talent. For starters, Six Nations picked up the playing rights for a huge offensive threat in Andrew Kew from the Oakville Rock. In return the Chiefs gave Oakville their first-round picks in the 2029 and 2030 MSL drafts. The Rock will also receive future financial considerations. Kew, an Oakville...
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