Grey whale washes ashore near Tofino, B.C. Cause of death unknown
A grey whale among a population that is listed as a special concern in Canada has washed ashore on a Vancouver Island beach. Parks Canada says the whale was spotted floating offshore on May 6, then it landed the next day on Long Beach in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve near Tofino. The federal agency is warning visitors to the popular beach not to touch the whale and to keep dogs on leash. The Fisheries Department says in a statement its marine mammal response team is working with Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation and Parks Canada to secure the animal and perform a necropsy. It says the cause of death won’t be confirmed until after the necropsy reports are complete, which usually takes two to three months. The department says the whale...
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Pacific gray whale washes up on Long Beach, DFO to conduct full necropsy
By Nora O’Malley, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Ha-Shilth-Sa Long Beach, B.C. – Tla-o-qui-aht Tribal Parks Guardian Gisele Maria Martin spotted the whale floating out in rough seas in front of the Esowista Peninsula on Monday and by Wednesday the magnificent creature had found its final resting place just south of Lovekin Rock on Long Beach in the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. “The first thing we did was ceremony. We did a chant for the whale,” said Martin. Then the Guardians secured a rope around the tail of the deceased juvenile gray whale to save him from the rising tide and with the help of Parks Canada, they drew lines in the sand to create a perimeter around the body. “When I first arrived, people were quite close and poking...
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Willowbank honours Canada’s missing and murdered Indigenous women
By Julia Sacco, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Lake Report Residents and visitors gathered at Willowbank on Monday to reflect on stories of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people (MMIWG2S+). The School of Restoration Arts hosted a red dress exhibit and unveiled what organizers say is Canada’s first MMIWG2S+ teardrop cairn during a two-day event held May 4 and 5. The retreat was organized in partnership with Kakekalanicks, De dwa da dehs nye Aboriginal Health Centre, Willowbank and the Love Garden, and aimed to provide space for community gathering, remembrance and cultural truth-telling. The exhibition, titled “If Only These Dresses Could Tell Their Story,” features 13 red dresses and/or installations contributed by Indigenous peoples from Niagara and western New York. Curated by Michele-Elise Burnett, the exhibition made...
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Rural Manitoba school board latest to cut educational assistants funded by Jordan’s Principle
By Maggie Macintosh, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Winnipeg Free Press A Manitoba school division in which four in 10 students self-identify as Indigenous is cutting 40 educational assistants in response to sweeping changes to Jordan’s Principle. “We wouldn’t have had those positions in place had we not needed them,” said Gary Wowchuk, chairman of the board of trustees in the Swan Valley School Division. “The impact is going to be felt by students that need those extra resources and by the staff who have to pick up some of the slack there.” The Swan River-based board recently learned $2.2 million in federal funding to support First Nations children during the current academic year wouldn’t be renewed for 2025-26. Superintendent Rob Tomlinson told the Free Press the administration hand-delivered letters to...
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Smith says sovereignty referendum provides ‘outlet’ to avoid creation of new party
By Lisa Johnson Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is fighting criticism she’s being selfish and dangerous by risking a separation referendum in part to avert the emergence of a political rival. Smith says she doesn’t support separating her province from Canada, but says Albertans have genuine grievances with the federal government, and she wants concessions from Liberal Prime Minister Mark Carney. On Thursday in question period in the legislature, Opposition NDP Leader Christina Gray said Smith’s own words show she is jeopardizing national unity to bolster her own power. “Why is the premier dividing the country and our province just to avoid dividing her party?” The day before, Smith was asked on CTV News Channel if it wasn’t easier to quell separatism by taking it off the table. Smith responded, “If...
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B.C. Appeals Court finds agency’s decision to remove kids ‘tainted by stereotype’
The B.C. Court of Appeal says an Indigenous mother who had her four kids temporarily removed from her care by a child welfare agency was discriminated against because the agency’s view of the woman was “tainted by stereotype.” The Appeals Court ruled Thursday that a $150,000 human-rights award should be restored after the B.C. Supreme Court overturned a decision of the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal in January. The ruling says the Vancouver Aboriginal Child and Family Services Society removed the woman’s four children in 2016, and they were returned to her care three years later. The mother, identified only as R.R. in the ruling, filed a complaint with the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal, claiming the decision to remove her kids was based on “protected characteristics” in the province’s human-rights code...
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M’Chigeeng plans ground search for Juanita Migwans
By Jacqueline St. Pierre, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Manitoulin Expositor M’CHIGEENG—On the morning of Saturday, May 10, as spring breathes its thawed sweetness across the Island, a circle of people will gather at the M’Chigeeng fire hall. They will gather with quiet purpose, lacing boots and hearts alike, for a ground search in honour of Juanita “Winnie” Migwans — a woman loved deeply, whose absence has left an ache that winds through families and communities like the Manitou River itself. The search begins at 10 am, open to all who carry a wish to help. Volunteers from across Mnidoo Mnising — Central Manitoulin, NEMI, Sheguiandah, South Baymouth — are stepping forward. Juanita’s aunt MaryDale Ashcroft and her team are driving up from Lion’s Head, six strong. Wiki Surveillance, a...
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Wagmatcook votes status quo on name
By Rosemary Godin, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Cape Breton Post Wagmatcook First Nation has concluded a 10-day community voting process to decide whether to adopt the traditional Mi’kmaq spelling of the community name, Waqmɨtkuk. The vote followed an in-depth community engagement initiative aimed at ensuring that every member—both on and off-reserve— had the opportunity to participate in this important cultural conversation. The final vote count was: 72 in favor of adopting the traditional spelling: Waqmɨtkuk and 117 in favor of keeping the current spelling of Wagmatcook. The community of just over 600 people is the oldest permanent settlement of the Mi’kmaq Nation in Nova Scotia and nestles between the shores of the Bras d’Or Lakes on one side and the Cape Breton highlands on the other. Tourists drive through the...
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Ottawa, Indigenous capital group sign first-of-its-kind 10-year agreement
By Alessia Passafiume Ottawa and the National Aboriginal Capital Corporation Association have signed a first-of-its-kind, $514 million agreement to help boost entrepreneurship. Indigenous Services Canada says it’s the first time it has approved a 10-year agreement under an economic development program meant to advance economic reconciliation. The Aboriginal Entrepreneurship Program works to increase the number of “viable Indigenous-owned businesses” by helping with access to capital and business opportunities, Indigenous Services Canada says. NACCA will receive $514 million over 10 years — money allocated through the 2024 budget. NACCA CEO Shannin Metatawabin says the agreement signed Monday will generate economic activity worth more than double Ottawa’s investment. He says the funding helps businesses to succeed and he hopes to see more such investments in the future. This report by The Canadian...
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Controversial Line 5 tunnel project gets boost
By Jacqueline St. Pierre, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Manitoulin Expositor LAKE HURON—The US Army Corps of Engineers announced last month that it will accelerate the federal review of Enbridge’s controversial Line 5 tunnel project under newly activated emergency permitting procedures—sparking fresh concern among Great Lakes advocates about what could be lost in the rush. The fast-tracking falls under emergency rules established during President Donald Trump’s last tenure, when he issued an executive order declaring a “national energy emergency.” That order cleared the bureaucratic path for oil and gas projects to speed through approvals that would normally take years. Army Corps officials emphasized Wednesday that while the process will be faster, it will not bypass environmental scrutiny entirely. “We’re not eliminating steps,” said Shane McCoy, regulatory branch chief with the...
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Bodycam footage relinquished in fatal officer-involved shooting in northern Quebec
The Nunavik Police Service in Quebec’s Far North says officers involved in a fatal shooting on Tuesday night were wearing body cameras. Quebec’s police oversight agency announced Wednesday it was investigating the shooting in Kangiqsualujjuaq, and the police service confirmed bodycam video had been shared with the agency. The police watchdog — Bureau des enquêtes indépendantes — says members of the Nunavik Police Service had planned to arrest someone who was inside a tent in the Inuit village on the eastern shore of Ungava Bay. In a statement released late Wednesday, the police force said officers had a warrant for the man, but they said he resisted when they tried to arrest him. The police force says officers used pepper spray on the man, who they say emerged from the...
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Trump’s tariffs have launched global trade wars. Here’s a timeline of how we got here
By Wyatte Grantham-Philips NEW YORK (AP) —Long-threatened tariffs from U.S. President Donald Trump have plunged the country into trade wars abroad — all while on-again, off-again new levies continue to escalate uncertainty. Trump is no stranger to tariffs. He launched a trade war during his first term, taking particular aim at China by putting taxes on most of its goods. Beijing responded with its own retaliatory tariffs on a range of U.S. products. Meanwhile, Trump also used the threat of more tariffs to force Canada and Mexico to renegotiate a North American trade pact, called the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, in 2020. When President Joe Biden took office, he preserved most of the tariffs Trump previously enacted against China, in addition to imposing some new restrictions. But his administration claimed to take...
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Manitoba government tightens fire, travel rules as dry conditions continue
By Steve Lambert The Manitoba government is hoping to curb the risk of more wildfires by tightening restrictions in some areas. The new rules expand on restrictions already in effect in many parts of southeast Manitoba, part of the Interlake region and Spruce Woods Provincial Park. Starting Friday, no fires will be allowed between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. in those areas, and fires at night must be burned in approved campfire pits. All motorized backcountry travel, including all-terrain vehicles, is banned in the affected areas except for people who need to access a remote cottage and have a travel permit. The province says there is a high risk of fire danger due to a lack of rain and rising temperatures. Recent fires caused damage in communities including Peguis First...
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Prince Rupert prepares to host northern local governments conference
By Radha Agarwal, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Prince Rupert Northern View Prince Rupert, the North Coast Regional District, and the District of Port Edward are co-hosting the 2025 North Central Local Government Association (NCLGA) convention from May 12 to 15 at the North Coast Hall Meeting and Event Centre. Local government representatives from across northern and central British Columbia, spanning from 100 Mile House to the Yukon and from Haida Gwaii to Alberta, will gather in Prince Rupert for this annual meeting. The event brings together delegates from more than 42 local and First Nations governments to connect, share knowledge, and advocate on issues of common interest. “We are proud to be welcoming delegates from across BC next week for the first time since 2011. Co-hosting the annual NCLGA conference...
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Chiefs back NDP Bill 50 amendments to allow vote in municipal elections
By Alexandra Noad, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Lethbridge Herald The Alberta NDP have amended Bill 50, Municipal Affairs Statutes Amendment Act, 2025, to allow Indigenous citizens living on reserve to vote in local elections. On-reserve Indigenous people are still unable to vote in municipal elections in Alberta. Meanwhile provinces such as British Columbia have extended the right to vote to people living on reserves adjacent or surrounded by a municipality. In a news conference prior to the tabling of the bill, Chief Allan Adam of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation (ACFN), said his reserve is in Fort Chipewyan and once it changed to reserve status, residents were unable to vote on municipal affairs, even though it directly impacted them. “And now, because we changed it into a reserve status, we’re...
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Alberta Chiefs say no to Bill 54
By Alexandra Noad, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Lethbridge Herald Chiefs from all three treaties in Alberta have united their voices in opposition to Alberta Bill 54. After an emergency meeting held on Tuesday to discuss the bill, which would make it easier for a referendum on Alberta sovereignty to take place, chiefs from several different nations spoke their concerns at a press conference. Chief Jake Whiskeyjack, of the Saddle Lake Cree Nation, located on Treaty 6 territory, said the meeting was to unify the voices of the Indigenous people of Treaties 6,7 and 8 to send a clear message to the premier. “We had this emergency meeting because we needed to call upon our fellow Indian people…to make that statement loud and clear for Danielle Smith to hear us that...
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Quebec police watchdog investigating officer-involved fatal shooting in Far North
Quebec’s police watchdog is investigating a fatal shooting involving an officer in the province’s Far North. The watchdog – Bureau des enquêtes indépendantes – says members of the Nunavik Police Service on Tuesday night wanted to arrest someone who was inside a tent in Kangiqsualujjuaq, an Inuit village on the eastern shore of Ungava Bay. Police tried to speak with the person and used pepper spray to get them out of the tent. The watchdog says the person came out of the tent allegedly holding a sharp-edged weapon and moved toward the officers. One officer used a stun gun to subdue the person, while the other officer opened fire. The victim, whose identity has not been released, was declared dead in hospital. Five investigators have been assigned to the investigation....
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Adult salmon makes historic swim in the upper Columbia River
By Rachael Lesosky, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Valley Voice It’s a big win for an Indigenous-led salmon reintroduction initiative: an adult female sockeye salmon was spotted in a creek north of Castlegar, the first recorded return to an Arrow Lakes spawning tributary in over 85 years. Bringing the Salmon Home: The Columbia River Salmon Reintroduction Initiative is a collaboration between the Syilx Okanagan Nation, Secwépemc Nation, and Ktunaxa Nation, in partnership with British Columbia and Canada. After six years of efforts, salmon are finally swimming again in the upper Columbia River. Last summer, the technical team translocated 57 adult sockeye from the Okanagan, releasing them into the Arrow Lakes Reservoir. These special fish are the first adult sockeye to freely swim in the Arrow Lakes since 1938, when salmon were...
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How a Chinese delicacy got caught in the crossfire of Trump’s trade war
By Sally Ho And Manuel Valdes SUQUAMISH, Wash. (AP) — For over two decades, Suquamish tribal member Joshua George has dived into the emerald waters of the Salish Sea looking for an unusually phallic clam that’s coveted thousands of miles away. George is a geoduck diver. Pronounced “gooey-duck,” the world’s largest burrowing clam has been harvested in tidelands by George’s Indigenous ancestors in the Pacific Northwest since before Europeans arrived. In recent years it has also become a delicacy in China, with Washington state sending 90% of its geoducks there, creating a niche yet lucrative American seafood export. But the escalating trade war between the U.S. and China is now crippling an entire industry that hand-harvests geoducks, leaving Washington state divers without work, Seattle exporters without business and Chinese aficionados...
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Alberta separation would send Canada into uncharted territory, say legal experts
By Matthew Scace As separatist discontent bubbles up anew in Alberta, experts say a vote to sever ties with Canada would pitch the country into unexplored territory on everything from money to First Nations and national parks. “You’re in terra incognita. You’re off the map when we get to that stage of the proceedings,” said law professor Eric Adams. “A lot of things are going to be broken on the way out the door.” The discontent elbowed its way back into the headlines last week, with Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberals winning another mandate followed by Premier Danielle Smith’s government introducing a bill that would sharply lower the bar for citizens seeking to trigger provincewide referendums. The bill would change citizen-initiated referendum rules to require a petition signed by 10...
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