Ontario ‘unleashes’ climate catastrophe as scientists warn Paris Agreement ‘no longer attainable’
By Anushka Yadav, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Pointer Brampton resident David Laing was jolted awake at 2 a.m. on November 10, 2024, by an eerie roar tearing through his neighbourhood. “As I’m lying there awake, thinking, I’ve never heard wind so strong before, my phone goes off and it’s a tornado warning saying, you need to seek immediate shelter,” Laing recalls. “This is Brampton? In November? This is not natural. This is not normal.” Laing has been environmentally conscious for most of his life, but that night marked a turning point. A creeping fear set in — not just about one storm, but about the broader trajectory of Ontario and the planet. That fear is absent from the Progressive Conservative (PC) government’s latest budget, Bill 24 , ironically titled...
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New books share stories of Kahkewistahâw elders
By Ryan Kiedrowski, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The World-Spectator The latest volumes sharing the history and lived experiences of elders on Kahkewistahâw First Nation were launched during a special gathering on June 20. One of many celebrations during Kahkewistahâw’s annual pow wow weekend, community members gathered at the Elder’s Centre for the launch and to obtain copies of their own. “A lot of times, people judge us because they don’t know what happened a long time ago,” said Wendy Alexson during the launch. “So I hope after reading the stories, you’ll know what they went through.” Alexson was featured in Okêhtê Ayima Chief Kahkewistahâw’s Elders Volume Four, and she described what it was like to see her truth in print for the first time. “I have my story in one,...
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Doig River First Nation unveils high-speed connectivity in community
By Ed Hitchins, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Energeticcity.ca ROSE PRAIRIE, B.C. — Members of a large northeast B.C. First Nation community will soon have access to high-speed internet connectivity. Doig River First Nation (DRFN) IT manager Thomas Whitton shared the details with Energeticcity.ca about the full upgrade, which is partially up and will be fully operational by the end of summer thanks to a solar power project. Whitton said upgrading the entire community was “a meaningful step forward,” and one of his first goals when he became IT manager for DRFN back in 2022. “What we had in place previously was a wireless network that the band provided to the community,” said Whitton. “We saw anywhere from five megabits per second up [and] capped out at maybe 35 megabits per...
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Protests, rallies, continue over plans to store nuclear waste in northern Ontari
By Matt Prokopchuk, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, TBnewswatch.com THUNDER BAY — Representatives from a number of area First Nations joined other like-minded groups in their continued opposition to plans to store spent nuclear fuel in Northwestern Ontario. The latest rally against the proposed deep geological repository took place in Thunder Bay’s Waverley Park late Friday afternoon under sunny skies, after most of a day’s worth of rain and stormy weather cleared out. It was organized in partnership between Grassy Narrows First Nation (Asubpeeschoseewagong) and Fort William First Nation. “One voice alone is not enough to put a stop to nuclear waste coming through our communities and nuclear waste entering our waterways, but it’s our collective effort (that) can certainly make an impact,” Fort William Chief Michele Solomon said in her...
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Northern Manitoba city declares state of local emergency due to wildfire
Wildfires that had receded in northern Manitoba have begun to roar back, forcing a wave of new evacuations and a major hub for people living in the north to declare a state of emergency. The province reported 81 active fires on Monday with 16 of those threatening communities, leaving some residents to leave their homes immediately, flee a second time or prepare to leave on a moment’s notice. Fire is threatening the northern city of Thompson and its 13,000 residents, resulting in officials declaring a local state of emergency effective until Aug. 6. The city said in a Facebook post that it’s a precautionary move to ensure leadership is prepared for changing conditions. “It gives the city the ability to take action, if necessary, to protect residents and property,” the...
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First Nation’s fight for clean water stalls amid federal-provincial tensions
By Sonal Gupta, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Canada’s National Observer A remote northern Ontario First Nation’s daily struggle for safe drinking water is stuck in the middle of a political fight between the federal and provincial governments. Every morning, families of the Pikangikum First Nation wake up to a water crisis that has become routine. Most homes have no running water. Families start the day not with a shower, but with a trek to the lake — hauling buckets, breaking through ice in the winter and rationing bottled water when it’s available. Even the band office relies on a decaying septic tank and water tank with no plumbing. “Daily life is a very, very long day simply because people don’t have a direct water source,” said Carolina Budiman, senior health...
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Scientists map recovery for endangered orcas off British Columbia’s coast
By Brenna Owen A new report from a group of more than 30 experts says a population of endangered killer whales off the coast of British Columbia and Washington state is showing no sign of recovery under the current conditions. There is an “urgent need for more robust actions” to save the southern resident killer whales from extinction, says the report released by the David Suzuki Foundation and Raincoast Conservation Foundation on Monday. Despite measures adopted by Canada and the United States since 2019, the report says the whales face a “high probability of extinction” if conditions don’t change. Lance Barrett-Lennard, cetacean scientist with the Raincoast foundation, says there is “no convincing reason” to believe the whales, which are genetically distinct from other orcas, will recover without stronger measures. A...
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Province announces $20 million to support those affected by wildfires
By Michael Oleksyn, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Prince Albert Daily Herald At a press conference in Prince Albert on Monday the Government of Saskatchewan announced a commitment of $20 million to support communities and individuals affected by this year’s devastating wildfires. Through the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA), a dedicated Recovery Task Team (RTT) has been established to lead the province’s wildfire recovery efforts. “Assisting recovery efforts for communities impacted by this year’s wildfires remains a top priority for our government. The SPSA’s recovery task team has been meeting with communities that were devastated by the wildfires in order to determine priorities with the recovery effort,” Corrections, Policing and Public Safety Minister Tim McLeod said. “Those discussions have revolved around the initial phase of supporting communities through the development of...
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Reversal on online voting for Kanesatake Elections
By Marcus Bankuti, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Eastern Door The officer tasked with managing the Mohawk Council of Kanesatake (MCK) election has decided to cancel plans to offer voters an online voting option, citing changes in the landscape and the need to shore up faith in the election. “I’ve changed my position, and I think it’s the right decision,” said Graeme Drew, the chief electoral officer, who has been a strong advocate for the inclusion of an online voting option. The Custom Electoral Code that outlines the rules of Kanesatake elections makes no mention of online voting in its text, nor any alternative forms of casting a ballot. Only mail-in ballots and in-person ballots are referred to in the code. However, Drew had expressed his belief that because the...
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Ontario ‘unleashes’ climate catastrophe as scientists warn Paris Agreement ‘no longer attainable’ Slugline: LJI-ON-ontario-climate-paris-goals
By Anushka Yadav, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Pointer Brampton resident David Laing was jolted awake at 2 a.m. on November 10, 2024, by an eerie roar tearing through his neighbourhood. “As I’m lying there awake, thinking, I’ve never heard wind so strong before, my phone goes off and it’s a tornado warning saying, you need to seek immediate shelter,” Laing recalls. “This is Brampton? In November? This is not natural. This is not normal.” Laing has been environmentally conscious for most of his life, but that night marked a turning point. A creeping fear set in — not just about one storm, but about the broader trajectory of Ontario and the planet. That fear is absent from the Progressive Conservative (PC) government’s latest budget, Bill 24 , ironically titled...
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Seven homes destroyed by fire on Manitoba First Nation, community’s leadership says
A wildfire in northern Manitoba has destroyed seven homes in a day the chief and council of the local First Nation are calling “horrendous.” Officials of Tataskweyak Cree Nation say in a Facebook post that a fire that ignited northwest of the community on Friday was fanned by strong winds, and that approximately 175 residents have been evacuated east to Gillam, Man. Tataskweyak was evacuated earlier in the fire season and had lifted the order in mid-June, but then had to push back the date when people could return due to problems with its water system. It’s not the only Manitoba community facing another evacuation — 600 residents of Lynn Lake have also been ordered out of their community for the second time this year due to wildfires after town...
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Wildfire burning near Lytton, B.C, grows to 245 hectares
The only blaze of note identified by the BC Wildfire Service continued to grow Sunday. The Izman Creek wildfire near Lytton was burning 245 hectares as of Sunday, and the danger remains, as this latest blaze comes just over four years after a wildfire destroyed much of Lytton. Lytton is located in the Thompson-Nicola Regional District, which has an evacuation alert in effect for some properties under its jurisdiction due to the Izman Creek wildfire. The regional district also lifted an evacuation alert Friday that had been in effect for properties threatened by the Mount Scatchard wildfire, west of the town of Chase, B.C. An evacuation order from the Neskonlith Indian Band for about 40 properties was downgraded to an alert last week for the Mount Scatchard blaze. There were...
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Treaty 8 association to create ‘Our Story, Our Wall’ mural on wall targeted by racist graffiti
By Ed Hitchins, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Energeticcity.ca FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — The association representing First Nations communities in northeast B.C. is finalizing plans to create a mural on a wall that was targeted by racist vandalism. The Treaty 8 Tribal Association posted to Facebook on June 30th announcing the artwork, entitled ‘Our Mural, Our Story,’ will be painted on its office’s south wall. The wall was the target of swastikas and bigoted messages in February, with mayor Lilia Hansen and provincial Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation Christine Boyle offering messages denouncing hate and racism. Treaty 8 executive director Marlene Roy told Energeticcity.ca at the time that “people stay silent” in the face of hatred because racism is “so accepted.” However, Roy said on July 3rd community organizations...
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Indigenous explainers: What is a smudging ceremony?
By Ed Hitchins, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Energeticcity.ca FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — It is a typical mid-week summer evening in Fort St. John’s downtown core as a group of women file into the Fort St. John Friendship Society to learn and embrace healing in an Indigenous way.. Energeticcity.ca is attending the event as part of a series of articles to celebrate First Nations’ communities, look at traditional practices and appreciate Indigenous culture and history. Smudging is a ceremonial tradition of burning medicinal plants in an effort to cleanse oneself of negative energies in an effort to bring those participating closer to the creator. The workshop was held at the Friendship Society on Thursday, June 26th with 16 participants, and was hosted by Brandi Kennedy of the Friendship Centre and...
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Judge reserves decision after three days of Moccasin Flats hearings
By Bob Mackin, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Prince George Citizen A BC Supreme Court judge reserved decision Friday, July 4 in City of Prince George’s third bid to clear a homeless camp out of Moccasin Flats. After not succeeding in 2021 and 2022, the city is seeking an injunction to regain control of the land and refuse anyone the right to camp on the city-owned property if they refuse to apply to or receive an offer from BC Housing for suitable housing with daytime activities. Justice Bruce Elwood heard arguments for much of the previous two days from lawyers for the campers. They said the city has insufficient suitable or accessible housing available for their seven clients and should not have made the court application until it did. The city...
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Archeological dig on Lil’wat territory uncovers ancient histories and reframes research relationships
By Luke Faulks, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Pique Newsmagazine Near the Bailey Bridge, about 10 minutes up the road from Mount Currie, archeologists and Lil’wat Nation community members are reshaping what collaborative research can look like. For nearly two decades, Douglas College anthropology instructor Bill Angelbeck has worked alongside the Nation to investigate ancient village sites, often focusing on winter homes known as s7ístken (pronounced “ishkin”)—underground dwellings or “pit houses” traditionally used during winter. Angelbeck and a team of students and volunteer archeologists have just completed a three-week dig as part of a multi-year project that’s working to use archeology and oral history in tandem to create a unified narrative for the Nation. “We called it ‘interweaving narratives,’” Angelbeck explained to Pique. “I see science as producing narratives just with...
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‘I’m not going anywhere’: provincial Indigenous affairs minister rejects calls to resign
By Matt Prokopchuk, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, TBnewswatch.com TORONTO — Ontario’s Indigenous affairs minister says he has no plans to hand over his cabinet portfolios. “I’m not going anywhere,” Greg Rickford said in an interview with Dougall Media after a community event the Kenora-Rainy River MPP held in Ignace on Thursday. Aside from the Indigenous affairs position, Rickford is also Ontario’s Minister of First Nations Economic Reconciliation, and the one responsible for Ring of Fire economic and community partnerships. “I love working with First Nations leadership, I love helping to build bridges between First Nations communities and municipalities,” Rickford continued. “I think what you’ve seen is First Nations leadership come out and be very supportive of the work our government’s doing and very supportive of the work that I’m doing.”...
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Minister planning to table First Nations water bill despite provincial opposition
By Alessia Passafiume The federal minister of Indigenous services says her government plans to reintroduce legislation to ensure First Nations’ rights to clean drinking water — despite calls from Alberta and Ontario for it to scrap the bill altogether. Two provincial environment ministers sent a letter to their federal counterpart this week calling on Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government to abandon legislation they see as undermining competitiveness and delaying project development. “Prime Minister Mark Carney has made a commitment to do things differently,” Alberta’s Environment Minister Rebecca Schulz and her Ontario counterpart Todd McCarthy wrote in a June 30 letter to federal Environment Minister Julie Dabrusin. “We are hopeful that this new federal government will move away from policies and legislation that undermine competitiveness, delay project development and disproportionately harm...
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Iqaluit songwriter’s entry wins 2025 Qilaut contest
By Arty Sarkisian, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunatsiaq News Iqaluit performer Tooma Laisa has won the 2025 Qilaut Inuktut songwriting contest for her song Attananngittumi. Iqaluit’s Kristy Kanayuk was awarded second place for Iqqaumavit Ivvi Inuusinganit and Leetia Kalluk from Arctic Bay placed third with Nattirasugiaq, the Department of Culture and Heritage announced this week. The contest, in its 10th year, celebrates Nunavut’s Inuktut music scene and aims to promote use of the language, a department news release said. The themes this year were Piruqsatillunga and Inuit Sanasimajangit, which translate as “when I was growing up” and “Inuit creations.” Thirty-one submissions were judged on their originality, creativity, melody and lyrics. The top three winners receive $5,000, $2,500 and $1,500, respectively, and the seven other entries each receive $500. The other...
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Nunavut’s former top cop retires from RCMP, joins GN
By Jeff Pelletier, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunatsiaq News Andrew Blackadar has retired as Nunavut RCMP’s commanding officer to take a new job with the territorial government. Blackadar, 58, says he’s proud of the work the RCMP did to improve relations with communities across the territory during his three-year tenure. He started as head of Nunavut RCMP in July 2022 and his final day was June 4, marking an end to his 35-year policing career. “It was time to retire,” Blackadar said in an interview. Leading the service’s Nunavut division is “probably one of the most challenging positions in the RCMP,” he said, pointing first to the territory’s vastness. Another challenge is addressing its “cultural sensitivities.” Blackadar, who retires with the rank of chief superintendent, said he was proud to...
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