Wikwemikong Tribal Police Service turns to innovation to make community safer
By Jacqueline St.Pierre, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Manitoulin Expositor Gain automated licence plate readers WIIKWEMKOONG—For some people, the words “automated licence plate reader” might conjure an image of an increasingly watched world. Cameras quietly recording who comes and goes, storing information about ordinary people simply going about their day. For Sgt. Mike Force of the Wikwemikong Tribal Police Service (WTPS), the reality has a less ominous intent. The force’s new automated licence plate reader (ALPR) is not designed to monitor the community indiscriminately, he explained. It is a public safety tool; one that allows officers to identify vehicles associated with specific police alerts while respecting the privacy of people who are simply driving through the community. “We are utilizing a technological advancement in ALPR that assists us in identifying...
Register
The B.C. Conservative caucus is down to 30. Here’s how it lost 14 members
By Canadian Press Staff The B.C. Conservatives came within three ridings of victory in the 2024 provincial election, winning 44 seats. But since then, the party’s caucus has been thinned to 30, amid differences over its ideology, and questions about its direction under both former leader John Rustad and new leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay. Here are the 14 legislators who have exited the party, and why. DALLAS BRODIE, JORDAN KEALY AND TARA ARMSTRONG Brodie (Vancouver-Quilchena) is thrown out of the caucus by Rustad on March 7, 2025, over remarks that Rustad says mocked residential school survivors. Armstrong (Kelowna-Lake Country-Coldstream) and Kealy (Peace River North) follow later that day, in sympathy with Brodie. Armstrong briefly joins Brodie as a member of the new OneBC party before they split. Because OneBC lacks official...
Register
Cardinal Marc Ouellet wins lawsuit against woman who accused him of sexual misconduct
By Morgan Lowrie Quebec Cardinal Marc Ouellet has won his civil defamation suit against a woman who accused him of sexual misconduct. Superior Court Justice Martin Castonguay ruled that Paméla Groleau’s accusations against the cardinal are unfounded and ordered her to pay him $100,000. Groleau had accused Ouellet of touching her without consent on three occasions between 2008 and 2010, while she was training or working as a lay pastoral agent for the church. Castonguay noted in his judgment that Groleau changed her story several times, including eventually saying that she only considered one of the alleged interactions to be a sexual assault. The judge noted that the damage to Ouellet was compounded by the fact that Groleau named him in a class-action lawsuit against the Quebec archdiocese that overwhelmingly...
Register
Community comes together to raise 40-foot-tall tipi
By Connor Luczka, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Stratford Times On a typical summer morning Aug. 18, community members and friends gathered on the grounds behind the Stratford-Perth Museum, bringing bags of equipment and rope, carved wooden poles about 44 feet long and a heavy canvas. With an area about 30 feet in diameter carved into the brush set out, the men and women went about their work: raising a tipi. “We had this tipi up at Gowanstown,” explained Christin Dennis, one of the organizers for the endeavour. “The tipi came to being by the Sixties Scoop (Healing) Foundation. I’m also a Sixties Scoop survivor, and I wanted to create a venue for people to come to learn about Indigenous culture and Indigenous ceremonies and traditions, and that’s how the tipi...
Register
‘Epic fighter’: Tributes for B.C. Indigenous leader and MLA Joan Phillip, dead at 74
By The Canadian Press British Columbia legislator and Indigenous leader Joan Phillip has died, with Premier David Eby honouring her as an “epic fighter.” The Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs said in a statement on Friday that the NDP MLA died peacefully Friday afternoon, surrounded by her family, including “the love of her life,” husband Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, their children and grandchildren. “Joan was a fearless warrior and inspirational leader, and we will miss her dearly,” the union said. She was 74. Phillip had been battling an illness for months, and the union’s post asked for donations to the B.C. Cancer Society in lieu of flowers. The organization said in a previous post on Thursday that Phillip was in hospital “courageously fighting kidney infection and septic shock.” Philip...
Register
Community comes together to raise 40-foot-tall tipi
By Connor Luczka, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Stratford Times On a typical summer morning Aug. 18, community members and friends gathered on the grounds behind the Stratford-Perth Museum, bringing bags of equipment and rope, carved wooden poles about 44 feet long and a heavy canvas. With an area about 30 feet in diameter carved into the brush set out, the men and women went about their work: raising a tipi. “We had this tipi up at Gowanstown,” explained Christin Dennis, one of the organizers for the endeavour. “The tipi came to being by the Sixties Scoop (Healing) Foundation. I’m also a Sixties Scoop survivor, and I wanted to create a venue for people to come to learn about Indigenous culture and Indigenous ceremonies and traditions, and that’s how the tipi...
Register
Court sides with Guardians Network in $6.2-million civil suit
By Claire McFarlane, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Cabin Radio A Manitoba judge has ordered a former employee of the First Nations National Guardians Network to repay more than $6.2 million to the organization, funds which it says were misappropriated. In March, the non-profit launched a civil lawsuit against Melanie Desjarlais, the organization’s former director of finance, claiming she used funds earmarked for Indigenous Guardians programs for personal transactions, including flights, tickets to hockey games and purchases on Tiktok, PayPal and Apple. The First Nations National Guardians Network, or NGN, administered funds from the federal Department of Environment and Climate Change that paid for Indigenous Guardians programs across Canada, including in the Northwest Territories’ Sahtu region. In a statement of claim filed by NGN, the organization accused Desjarlais of falsifying at...
Register
‘Then, now and always’: Carney says it will always be Lake Ontario after Trump order
Lake Oniatari:io, the Haudenosaunee word for Lake Ontario By Kelly Geraldine Malone Prime Minister Mark Carney said Canadians know Lake Ontario will always be known by its original name, after U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order to change it to Lake America. In a post on social media, Carney said “we know that America is changing.” “Their trading relationships, their foreign policies, their national monuments, their hydronyms,” Carney posted. “Canadians also know that naming reality means calling it Lake Ontario — then, now and always.” Tensions between the two countries have escalated since trade negotiations fell apart on Friday. Both countries have accused each other of implementing eleventh-hour changes. Carney has said the agreement became untenable. The federal government unveiled its retaliatory measures, set to go...
Register
Jordin Tootoo and Attima Hadlari being inducted into new Nunavut Sport and Recreation Hall of Fame
By William Koblensky Varela, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunavut News Rankin Inlet’s Jordin Tootoo and Attima Hadlari, who was born on the land between Taloyoak and Kugaaruk, will become the first two inductees into the Nunavut Sport and Recreation Hall of Fame on Oct. 3. A ceremony honouring the two contributors to territorial sports is being held at the Nunavut Sport and Recreation Awards Gala at the Aqsarniit Hotel in Iqaluit. “The hall of fame will provide a lasting opportunity to recognize the athletes, coaches, officials, builders, volunteers, and community leaders who have shaped Nunavut’s sporting history and strengthened recreation throughout the territory,” said Scott Schutz, operations manager at the Nunavut Sport Federation. Jordin Tootoo became the NHL’s first Inuk player in 2003, suiting up for four teams until 2017....
Register
First wind turbine in Nunavut expected to get installed this September
By William Koblensky Varela, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunavut News Nunavut’s first windmill is nearing completion. A wind turbine in Sanikiluaq, Nunavut is scheduled to get installed in September, completing a construction project that began in 2023, according to Clara Phillips, development project manager for Nunavut Nukkiksautiit Corporation. Called the Anuriqjuak Nukkiksautiit Project, wind-powered electricity could start flowing to the community 2027. “We are targeting the end the calendar year for commercial date of operation, but this depends on many factors,” Phillips said. Rock anchors for the wind turbine have already been installed, according to Phillips. The turbine is expected to replace between 50 and 70 per cent of the diesel electricity Sanikiluaq currently relies on. Sanikiluaq’s one-megawatt turbine and battery storage system were put in place with $11.3-million in...
Register
‘Every single child:’ Manitoba making in-person gym mandatory for high-schoolers
By Brittany Hobson The Manitoba government is making it mandatory for students in grades 11 and 12 to take in-person gym class. A pilot program is to start this fall that would see schools implement the change on a voluntary basis. About 25 schools have signed up so far. The compulsory rollout of health curriculum changes for all schools would start in the 2027-28 school year. “The message of this curriculum is that physical activity and healthy living are for everyone, for every single child,” Education Minister Tracy Schmidt said Thursday. “The curriculum helps kids find movement activities that make them happy and healthy,” she said, “whether that be sports and weightlifting, whether that be yoga or walking, or many of the other creative solutions that we know that our...
Register
Treaty 6 at 150: Communities reflect on promises and future
By Nicole Goldsworthy, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, SaskToday.ca, SASKTODAY.ca FORT CARLTON, Sask. — First Nations leaders, government officials, Elders and community members gathered across Treaty 6 Territory this month to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Treaty 6, reflecting on its historic significance and the continuing responsibilities tied to the agreement signed Aug. 23, 1876. Commemorative events at Fort Carlton and cultural celebrations throughout the region highlighted both the history of Treaty 6 and its ongoing relevance to First Nations and non-Indigenous communities. The Prince Albert Grand Council’s (PAGC) 2026 Gathering of Nations, being held Aug. 25-28, features traditional foods, powwow dancing, drumming, hand games, arts and crafts, cultural workshops, youth activities and musical performances. Grand Chief Brian Hardlotte said the anniversary of Treaty 6 is central to this year’s gathering....
Register
‘It’s an Indigenous, Iroquoian word’
Canadian, Native voices rise against Trump’s proposal to rename Lake Ontario as ‘Lake America’ by Amelia Schafer ICT Amid an escalating trade war with Canada, President Donald Trump signed a declaration Thursday to rename Lake Ontario to “Lake America.” Canadian leaders and Indigenous voices spoke out against the idea. The declaration ignores the Indigenous history crucial to the region and Lake Ontario name’s roots in the Haudenosaunee language family. “It’s sufficient to say it’s an Indigenous Iroquoian word,” Scott Stevens Manning, who is Akwesasne Mohawk and associate professor of Native American and Indigenous studies at Syracuse University, told ICT. Sources vary on exactly what sub-language of the larger Haudenosaunee family the word comes from, but agree that the word Ontario is derived from an anglicized version of a word from the Haudenosaunee language family....
Register
Kids Help Phone launches new service for Indigenous Mental Health
By Brock Weir, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Auroran The Kids Help Phone is aiming to “End the Silence” on the Indigenous mental health crisis in Canada. The organization kick-started the conversation on August 18 with the launch of their End the Silence Movement, the first-ever recognition day shining a light on the mental health of Indigenous boys and men, an issue that is often shrouded by silence and stigma alike. End the Silence is designed to “confront a long-standing and urgent crisis – joining the ranks of established awareness days like Bell Let’s Talk and Have a Heart Day.” “Indigenous men and boys in Canada face profound mental health challenges and remain significantly underrepresented in both research and programming,” said the Kids Help Phone. “Data from Statistics Canada underscores...
Register
Arctic Talent: Finding beauty in diversity
By Daron Letts, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunatsiaq News Dawny Tanuyak finds beauty in the qualities that make each human face unique. “I just really like to look at people. I like analyzing their features, seeing how different we are,” said the 16-year-old Chesterfield Inlet portrait artist. “It’s hard for me to find someone ugly.” Tanuyak creates portraits of family, friends and neighbours. She works in graphite pencils, oil paint and gouache, a water-based pigment that is more opaque than watercolours. She has sold art commissioned by the local Co-op — a portrait of Sedna in profile, with the Inuit sea goddess’ hair churning like ocean waves in her wake. Her work is beginning to attract attention beyond the hamlet as well. Researchers with the University of Manitoba tapped Tanuyak...
Register
Bruce County, SON hold memorable third annual joint meeting
By Pauline Kerr, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Walkerton Herald Times WALKERTON – The third annual joint meeting between the council of the County of Bruce, and the councils of the Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation (Neyaashiinigmiing) and the Chippewas of Saugeen First Nation who, together, make up Saugeen Ojibway Nation (SON), took place on July 31. At the Aug. 6 county council meeting, CAO Christine MacDonald provided an update on the Saugeen Anishnaabek Reconciliation Pathway and Action Plan, including a brief description of the meeting hosted this year at Nawash, by the community of Neyaashiinigmiing. MacDonald said that in addition to providing an update on the work that’s been done on the Reconciliation Action Plan, “we also watched together the new Land Acknowledgment video and spent some time...
Register
Trump administration starts building border wall project in Arizona over tribe’s objections
By Mikella Schuettler PHOENIX (AP) — The Trump administration has begun work on a project to build a stretch of border wall in southern Arizona along part of a Native American tribe’s reservation, pushing ahead with one of its signature projects despite protests from the tribe. U.S. Customs and Border Protection says the area is a dangerous smuggling route and that building the wall will close a longstanding security gap. But members of the Tohono O’odham Nation, whose membership spans both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border, have accused the administration of trespassing and say the construction will damage land sacred to the tribe. The wall segment is part of a $46 billion dollar effort by the Trump administration to fill the border with 30-foot (9-meter) steel bollard walls, vehicle barriers,...
Register
Elections BC allows petition seeking Indigenous law’s repeal to proceed
By Chuck Chiang Elections BC has granted in-principle approval for a petition to proceed seeking the repeal of British Columbia’s Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act. The petition proponent is Harman Bhangu, transportation critic for the Opposition B.C. Conservatives, who said in a brief statement that the legislation posed a threat to private property rights and was a “disaster.” But even if the petition succeeds by getting the signatures of 10 per cent of voters in all 93 electoral districts across B.C. by Jan. 25, 2027, it is not binding. Instead, success would result in referral to the legislature to decide what to do next. The law, known as DRIPA, is designed to affirm the application of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in...
Register
Elections BC allows petition seeking Indigenous law’s repeal to proceed
By Chuck Chiang Elections BC has granted in-principle approval for a petition to proceed seeking the repeal of British Columbia’s Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act. The petition proponent is Harman Bhangu, transportation critic for the Opposition B.C. Conservatives, who said the legislation posed a threat to private property rights and was a “disaster,” while Opposition Leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay called the legislation “madness.” But even if the petition succeeds by getting the signatures of 10 per cent of voters in all 93 electoral districts across B.C. by Jan. 25, 2027, it is not binding. Instead, success would result in referral to the legislature to decide what to do next. The law, known as DRIPA, is designed to affirm the application of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights...
Register
Trump administration starts building border wall project in Arizona over tribe’s objections
By Mikella Schuettler PHOENIX (AP) — The Trump administration has begun work on a project to build a stretch of border wall in southern Arizona along part of a Native American tribe’s reservation, pushing ahead with one of its signature projects despite protests from the tribe. U.S. Customs and Border Protection says the area is a dangerous smuggling route and that building the wall will close a longstanding security gap. But members of the Tohono O’odham Nation, whose membership spans both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border, have accused the administration of trespassing and say the construction will damage land sacred to the tribe. The wall segment is part of a $46 billion effort by the Trump administration to fill the border with 30-foot (9-meter) steel bollard walls, vehicle barriers, and...
Register
