Earthquake felt on southern Vancouver Island is latest B.C. tremor
Residents across southern Vancouver Island reported feeling a 3.8 magnitude earthquake that struck off the southern coast, the latest in a string of tremors in British Columbia this week. Earthquakes Canada says it happened around 10 p.m. on Thursday. It was lightly felt in Victoria, Sidney and across southern Vancouver Island. The agency says nearly 300 people reported feeling the quake, but no one said any damage had occurred. It follows three other earthquakes earlier this week in northeastern B.C. Those tremors up to 4.4 magnitude struck the Fort St. John area and did not result in any damage. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 14, 2025...
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Singh says NDP expects snap election call if Carney wins Liberal leadership
By David Baxter NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says he doesn’t think he’ll have to chose between voting on tariff relief or bringing down the government because he expects a snap election call if Mark Carney wins the Liberal leadership. Singh says that if the government was serious about introducing a relief package for workers who might lose their jobs due to U.S. tariffs, it would have recalled Parliament by now. At a news conference in Vancouver yesterday, Carney would not rule out calling a snap election if he becomes Liberal leader. Jennifer Howard, the NDP’s national campaign director, sent a memo to candidates and staff earlier this week saying they should be prepared for an election call as soon as March 10, one day after the Liberal leadership vote. The...
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Oscar-nominated documentary exposes horrifying truths about Indigenous residential schools in Canada
By Lindsey Bahr The discovery of hundreds of unmarked graves at an Indian residential school in Canada in 2021 was just the catalyst for “Sugarcane.” Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily Kassie, the filmmakers behind the Oscar-nominated documentary, spent years investigating the truth behind just one of the institutions. “Sugarcane,” now streaming on Hulu, paints a horrifying picture of the systemic abuses inflicted by the state-funded school and exposes for the first time a pattern of infanticide and babies born to Indigenous girls and fathered by priests. In the year since it debuted at the Sundance Film Festival, “Sugarcane” has screened at the White House, for Canadian Parliament and for over a dozen indigenous communities in North America, sparking a grassroots movement and reckoning to find the truth about the other...
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Ottawa provides $1.5M for sports initiatives across Nunavik and Nunavut
By Cedric Gallant, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunatsiaq News The federal government has announced $1.5 million to fund nine sports-related initiatives in Nunavut and Nunavik. The money is part of $24.2 million distributed between 119 Indigenous-led projects across the country, the Department of Canadian Heritage announced Feb. 7 in a news release. It comes from the department’s Sport for Social Development in Indigenous Communities program. The Government of Nunavut will receive more than $800,000 for its Nunavut Youth Ambassador Program, which sends volunteers to the Canada and Arctic Winter Games. Approximately $157,000 is earmarked for the City of Iqaluit for the Qaumaniq Summer Day Camp, which engages youths in Inuit cultural traditions, environmental stewardship and creative expression. Recreation and Parks Association Nunavut is set to receive $115,000 for its youth...
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RCMP confirm woman’s death not cause by exposure or injuries
By Dave Baxter, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Winnipeg Sun An autopsy has confirmed a woman who died after being found outside of a home last month in frigid temperatures did not die from exposure or from any physical injuries, and police continue to investigate to determine the cause of the woman’s death. According to Manitoba RCMP, on Jan. 31, their Gypsumville detachment got a call about a woman they were told was outside of a home and in medical distress in the Pinaymootang First Nation, a community located more than 200 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg, in the Interlake. Temperatures that evening had dipped to around -26C and felt like –29C with the windchill. When police arrived, EMS workers were providing medical assistance to the 50-year-old woman, and she was taken...
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Man from uncontacted Indigenous tribe emerges in Amazon, and villagers demonstrate a lighter
By Fabiano Maisonnave BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) — In a rare encounter, a young man from an isolated Indigenous tribe approached a riverine community in Brazil’s Amazon, the country’s Indigenous affairs agency and local witnesses said Thursday. The encounter occurred around 7 p.m. Wednesday in Bela Rosa, a community along the Purus River in the southwestern Amazon. Barefoot and wearing a small loincloth, the young man appeared calm and in good health as he waved two wooden sticks, a villager told The Associated Press. The villager spoke on condition of anonymity, saying the Indigenous bureau Funai told locals not to discuss the incident. The villager said locals believed the man was asking for fire. Smartphone video of the encounter showed one resident trying unsuccessfully to show the man how to use...
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Territorial premiers send message in Washington that the Arctic is not for sale
By Kelly Geraldine Malone Territorial premiers said it is a critical time for the Arctic amid U.S. President Donald Trump’s increasing rhetoric of American expansion and actions to disrupt global trade. But they are very clear: the Arctic is not for sale. “The people of the north are the ones asserting Canada’s sovereignty,” said Northwest Territories Premier R.J. Simpson in Washington Thursday. Simpson, along with Yukon Premier Ranj Paillai and Nunavut Premier P.K. Akeeagok, were scheduled to meet with representatives from Greenland, which Trump has also made noise about trying to acquire. The president complained about Canada later Thursday as he signed an order to implement “reciprocal tariffs” — raising U.S. duties to match the tax rates that other countries charge on imports — his latest move disrupting the global...
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Marten Fall First Nation acquires Cav-Tal Foods
By Clint Fleury, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, TBnewswatch.com THUNDER BAY – Marten Falls First Nation has further expanded its role in the food supply chain in Northern Ontario. During the Neegani-Iishawin conference at the Valhalla Inn this week, Chief Bruce Achneepineskum announced that Marten Falls First Nation has finalized its acquisition of Cav-Tal Foods Ltd. “It’s been a few months in the works, the announcement, we acquired the business in October of last year, but we had to finalize all the purchase agreements legally. We were waiting for an opportune time to make an announcement,” said Achneepineskum. Last year, Marten Falls First Nation invested in Bay Meats, purchasing a 51 per cent ownership. However, with the acquisition of Cav-Tal Foods Ltd., the First Nation now holds majority ownership in both...
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Officer who shot man carrying BB gun on Calgary train used reasonable force: ASIRT
-CP-Alberta’s police watchdog says an officer was justified in shooting a man who boarded a light-rail-transit train in Calgary with a weapon that turned out to be a BB gun. Police were called in July 2021 after a report a homeless man got on the C-Train and sat down with a handgun on his lap before falling asleep. In a report released Thursday, the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team, or ASIRT, said the man woke up hours later and walked along the train platform with the gun in his hand. The watchdog said the man ignored officers’ demands to drop the gun and was shot in the head and chest, sustaining serious but non-life-threatening injuries. ASIRT said the weapon was later found to be a BB gun, as the man...
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Changes to Inuit child funding program putting families at risk: health care workers
By Nick Murray -CP-Health-care workers in Nunavut say changes to a federal funding program for Inuit children are forcing some pregnant to make a tough choice: have a safe birth or ensure the kids they already have are properly cared for. The Inuit Child First Initiative (ICFI) was launched in 2019 to ensure Inuit kids have access to health and social services without having to leave their communities. Funding for the program, which has mirrored Jordan’s principle and helps backstop a wide range of programs and services, is set to sunset on March 31 unless Ottawa can get approvals through Parliament to extend it by a year — or come up with a longer-term solution. Under Jordan’s Principle, First Nations families are to apply for and receive funding as its...
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White House blocks AP reporter from Trump-Modi news conference because of Gulf of Mexico fight
-AP-The White House blocked an Associated Press journalist from covering a news conference with two major world leaders Thursday, upping the stakes in a disagreement between the news agency and the Trump administration over AP’s style decision to stick with the name “Gulf of Mexico” for the body of water that the president rechristened the “Gulf of America.” An AP reporter was prevented from entering a news conference where President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi answered questions, effectively shutting out thousands of global news outlets that rely on the news organization. Julie Pace, the AP’s senior vice president and executive editor, called it a “deeply troubling escalation” and “a plain violation of the First Amendment” to the U.S. Constitution. “We urge the Trump administration in the...
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Senators say Canada’s flag is a symbol of national pride, growth
By Catherine Morrison -CP-A group of Canadian senators is sharing views on the country’s flag, with some calling it a symbol of pride and togetherness, and others saying it represents Canada’s growth. The report released this week is the result of an “inquiry” on the meaning of the Canadian flag launched by Sen. Andrew Cardozo a year ago. Canada is marking the 60th anniversary of the national flag, adopted in 1965 with its iconic red Maple Leaf under Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson. Cardozo says it’s important that Canadians are proud of the flag. “I think the convoy folks appropriated the flag two years ago for their negative message about our system,” Cardozo said. “This year with the threat to our nationhood from the south, we need to take it...
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Territorial premiers send message in Washington that the Arctic is not for sale
By Kelly Geraldine Malone -CP-Territorial premiers said it is a critical time for the Arctic amid U.S. President Donald Trump’s increasing rhetoric of American expansion and actions to disrupt global trade. But they are very clear: the Arctic is not for sale. “The people of the north are the ones asserting Canada’s sovereignty,” said Northwest Territories Premier R.J. Simpson in Washington Wednesday. Simpson, along with Yukon Premier Ranj Paillai and Nunavut Premier P.K. Akeeagok, were scheduled to also meet Thursday with representatives from Greenland, which Trump has also made noise about trying to acquire. Opportunities for Arctic collaboration between Canada and the United States was the focus of a talk with the three premiers at the Wilson Center Thursday morning in the United States capital where Canadian leaders continue their...
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Canada makes sweeping changes to Jordan’s Principle after CHRT ruling
By Alessia Passafiume -CP-Canada has announced sweeping changes to a program designed to ensure First Nations kids get the care and supports they need, when they need them. That includes barring funding approvals under Jordan’s Principle for home renovations, sporting events, international travel, non-medical supports or school-related requests unless required to ensure equality with kids who are not First Nations. The changes come almost a year after the federal government argued before the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal that requests were being made for a swath of non-urgent things including modelling headshots, gaming consoles, bicycles and a zip line kit. The CHRT said last month it was “quite concerned” about that problem, while noting some seemingly unusual requests could be made for good reason, including a fridge used to keep medication...
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Alberta Energy Regulator names former oil and gas CEO as top executive
By Lauren Krugel Alberta’s energy watchdog has chosen a former oil and gas company CEO as its new boss. The Alberta Energy Regulator says Rob Morgan, who most recently led Strathcona Resources, is to take the helm starting Tuesday. The AER says Morgan is an engineer who has almost 40 years of oil and gas industry experience. The regulator says Premier Danielle Smith’s United Conservative Party government has set a goal of increasing oil and gas production and accessing new markets, and the AER has a key role in that. It says Morgan brings industry experience, skills and knowledge to help the AER “turn the page” as a “responsible and effective regulator.” The AER has been criticized for how it informed the public and local First Nations about the release...
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Charter school proposal moving forwards
By Amanda Jeffery, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Members of local indigenous groups are working toward opening a charter school with the goal of offering students an education that goes beyond academics. Charlene Bearhead, a member of the board for the Roots of Resilience not-for-profit society, says the group is applying to the Minister of Education to be able to open a charter school in Drayton Valley, with a goal of opening in September. The society is hosting an information night on February 13 from 5-7:30 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Express. Bearhead says her 40 years of working in education has made it clear that the system is failing children and staff as human beings. “I’m always a big believer in doing the best you can to try to work...
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Aiming to save lives
By Sandi Krasowski, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Chronicle-Journal When Confederation College cancelled its pre-service firefighter program in 2024, it left instructor Shane Ferguson with more time on his hands to focus on his new fire safety company. “When one door shut, another opened giving me more time to work in the northern communities, doing fire safety and firefighter training, and to develop the Stay Alive Fire Safety company,” he said. Ferguson developed his award-winning game, The Great Escape, more than 20 years ago and it has grown into a vital learning tool for children to learn about fire safety. During the last several months, he has expanded the computer game to an Indigenous app version, changing characters to include the Seven Sacred Animals and voicing by community elders. In...
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Timber firms win right to appeal in massive Aboriginal title case
By John Chilibeck, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Daily Gleaner Three timber firms will have a chance to convince the New Brunswick Court of Appeal that a lower-court decision should be struck in the Wolastoqey Nation’s big, precedent-setting Aboriginal title case. On Friday, Justice Ivan Robichaud, who serves on the higher court, granted J.D. Irving, Limited, Acadian Timber and H.J. Crabbe and Sons leave to appeal. They all appeared for a one-day hearing last month seeking permission from the appeal court, New Brunswick’s highest, to re-examine Justice Kathryn Gregory’s decision on motions they had filed to remove them from the massive lawsuit that includes both public and private property. As is customary in such decisions, Robichaud did not offer any reasons for granting their request. The companies didn’t like Gregory’s...
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Manitoba RCMP say house fire that left one dead appears suspicious
RCMP are investigating a deadly house fire in the Interlake region of Manitoba. Officers and firefighters responded Friday to a blaze at Pinaymootang First Nation, where they found a home fully engulfed in flames. Two days later, the body of one person was found in the rubble. RCMP say the cause of the fire appears suspicious. They are asking anyone with information about the fire to call the Gypsumville detachment or Crime Stoppers. ...
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Quebec Solidaire joins First Nation in fight against nuclear waste site
By Marc Lalonde, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Iori:wase Quebec Solidaire joined the Kebaowek First Nation in the fight against a nuclear-storage facility close to the Ottawa River, urging the Quebec government to publicly oppose the project. Kebaowek First Nation Chief Lance Raymond was joined at the podium by Quebec Solidaire Indigenous Affairs critic Manon Masse and Quebec Solidaire environment critic Alexandre Leduc. Raymond said he was glad to have Quebec Solidaire’s support in fighting the Chalk River Near Surface Nuclear Disposal Facility. “For years, Kebaowek First Nation has spoken out against the inequities of the current process. The activities proposed at Chalk River violate the rights guaranteed to our community under Section 35 of the Constitution. These lands are those of our ancestors, and we refuse to bear, generation after...
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