B.C. First Nation files Charter challenge over RCMP refusal to enforce bylaws
By Ashley Joannou -CP-Inaction by the RCMP has emboldened criminals to enter and stay on First Nation reserve lands without the fear of consequences, worsening a drug crisis and violence, the Heiltsuk Tribal Council says. The small First Nation on British Columbia’s Central Coast says it is taking the attorney general of Canada to court, arguing its Charter rights have been violated because police refuse to enforce its bylaws, including those around trespassing that would allow officers to remove people engaged in dangerous activities. Elected Chief Marilyn Slett told a news conference Tuesday that her community in Bella Bella, B.C., is experiencing a crisis due to drugs and drug trafficking and that harms from overdoses and sexual violence are made worse because of the Mounties refusal to enforce Heiltsuk law....
Register
Human trafficking is ‘calculated’ says event organizer
By Clint Fleury, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, TBnewswatch.com THUNDER BAY – Human trafficking is a much more complex issue than one might think. It’s often described as an abduction where an individual grabs a person, more often a female, off the street and holds them captive. Although there are cases where this scenario happens, the co-chair of the Thunder Bay Coalition to End Human Trafficking, Cindy Paypompee, said this is only one scenario of how bad actors claim their victim. To educate the public about human trafficking, the Thunder Bay Coalition to End Human Trafficking held an awareness event at Intercity Shopping Centre. “It’s not an abduction. Some people might think it’s an abduction, but it’s not. It’s calculated,” said Paypompee. “The other thing is like sometimes people mistake smuggling...
Register
Laronde to receive Governor General’s award for lifetime achievement
By Sam Laskaris Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Windspeaker.com Sandra Laronde, a member of Temagami First Nation in northern Ontario, is the 2025 recipient of the Lifetime Artistic Achievement in Dance honour from the Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards. Laronde is a director, producer, choreographer and author, and the executive and artistic director of Red Sky Performance, a company she founded in 2000. Laronde says she’s grateful for this latest accolade that acknowledges a lifetime of work, but there’s still quite a bit more she still wants to accomplish in her career. “I don’t know why they give that to people so young,” Laronde jokingly said of the award. She said she has no plans to slow down. “My energy level is good,” she said. Laronde’s now focused on one of...
Register
Dauphin-area school division revives ‘outdated’ royal anthem tradition; rainbow, treaty flags banned
By Maggie Macintosh, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Dauphin-area schools are once again being asked to play the royal anthem daily to align themselves with a dusty and controversial government regulation that has not been enforced in 30 years. Ward 4 trustee Jarri Thompson said she was “deeply disappointed” by what was decided during the latest board meeting in the Mountain View School Division. ”God Save the King will be making its return to our schools,” Thompson wrote in a post on social media. “Let me be clear: My kids won’t be standing. If that’s a problem, so be it.” During a 75-minute meeting filled with heated debate, the board of trustees discussed the God Save the King protocol and a new policy that bans the flying of rainbow and treaty...
Register
B.C. First Nation files Charter challenge over RCMP refusal to enforce bylaws
-CP-A small First Nation on British Columbia’s Central Coast is taking the attorney general of Canada to court, arguing its Charter rights have been violated because the RCMP refuses to enforce its bylaws. The Heiltsuk Tribal Council says in its lawsuit that the police are “emboldening drug dealers” and other wrongdoers to enter and stay on reserve lands by refusing to enforce its bylaws banning people engaged in dangerous activities. Elected Chief Marilyn Slett says her community in Bella Bella, B.C., is experiencing a crisis due to drugs and drug trafficking and that harms from overdoses and sexual violence are made worse because of the police refusal to enforce Heiltsuk law. Slett says if a non-Indigenous municipality, landowner or business asks for enforcement of a property law, the RCMP takes...
Register
LFES takes on Blood Tribe fire dispatch service
By Alexandra Noad, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Lethbridge Herald Transitioning Blood Tribe Emergency Services fire dispatch to Lethbridge Fire and Emergency Services will better serve Blood Tribe members, says the tribe’s fire chief. In announcing the change, Chief Travis Coleman said it will be a major step forward in enhancing the ability to respond quickly and effectively for the community. “The advancement leads for faster response times, clear communication and better coordination, ultimately improving the safety of our people and our land.” Before now, the Blood Tribe Fire Department relied on cell phones, which resulted in emergencies occasionally being missed. Coleman said having radio dispatchers will help not only streamline the process of calls, but also allow the Blood Tribe to connect with mutual aid partners. “Now we can actually...
Register
Dancing, honours highlight Peace Powwow
People gathered from both sides of the Canada-U.S. border to celebrate Indigenous culture, food and dance at the 25th annual International Peace Powwow. Powwows are traditional celebrations of Indigenous culture, with the International Peace Powwow being a competition of many different types of Indigenous dancing. The powwow also held honour dances for significant members of the Indigenous community on Saturday afternoon. Family members and friends were able to join the honour dance recipients to show their support as they made their way around the dance floor to the beat of an honour song. The first recipient of an honour dance was Leroy Wolf Collar, a former chief from the Siksika Nation, who is also the author of the book First Nations Self Government: 17 Roadblocks to Self Determination and One...
Register
Another earthquake for B.C., less than four days after cities rattled
-CP-An earthquake has struck off the British Columbia coast, less than four days after major population centres were shaken by a similar-sized tremor. But Earthquakes Canada says the latest quake wasn’t felt by anyone and it occurred in the Pacific, 182 kilometres west of Port Alice in northwest Vancouver Island. It says the quake with a preliminary magnitude of 5 took place at 9:37 p.m. Monday at a depth of 10 kilometres. Earthquakes Canada says there’s no risk of a tsunami and there have been no reports of damage from the quake, which Emergency Info BC initially said had a magnitude of 5.2. On Friday, a 4.7-magnitude earthquake hit the southwest coast near Sechelt. Tremors were felt on the Sunshine Coast, Metro Vancouver and Vancouver Island. Though several smaller aftershocks...
Register
Ontario PCs pledge $500-million for critical minerals processing but spending questions loom
By Darius Snieckus, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Ontario’s Progressive Conservatives have pledged to set up a $500-million critical mineral processing fund to invest in “strategically located” facilities to develop the province’s vast resources of lithium, graphite, zinc, cobalt and other key minerals and metals. The fund, a central economic plank in the party’s re-election platform released on Monday, is the biggest government pledge so far to build a network of refining facilities mining experts say are needed to ensure Canada reaps the benefits of producing minerals and metals important for the global energy transition. The fund would target regions home to numerous deposits of the 34 metals and minerals identified in the federal government’s critical minerals strategy as key to the defense, energy and automotive sectors, including the Ring of...
Register
Icy stairs and snow bank signs: campaigning in Ontario’s winter election
By Allison Jones and Liam Casey -CP-Falling down stairs, pushing stuck cars out of snow banks and cancelling events are just some of the challenges candidates have faced on the winter campaign trail, but Sol Mamakwa may have them all beat. This is Ontario’s first winter election campaign since 1981 and the incumbent NDP candidate for Kiiwetinoong in northwestern Ontario has rented a plane with skis so he can try to visit some of the 24 fly-in First Nation communities in his riding that spans nearly 300,000 square kilometres. “(It’s) not too bad, but it’s frickin’ cold right now,” he said recently during a break from campaigning in Pickle Lake. “Last week has been minus 40.” He was trying to visit two to three fly-in communities a day with his...
Register
Alberta truck driver on probation after plea bargain
By Bob Mackin, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter A man charged with sexual assault and sexual interference instead pleaded guilty to common assault Feb. 24 and will spend the next two years on probation. BC Supreme Court Justice Marguerite Church gave Darryl Martin Perry a suspended sentence with conditions, after he maintained his not guilty pleas to the two charges. Court heard that Perry was accused of committing offences between Sept. 24, 2017 and Sept. 17, 2021 in Prince George. The 51-year-old was arrested 3 1/2 years ago after a victim told RCMP that Perry had frequently been drunk and violent towards her. Prosecutor Anne Baines read from the victim’s statement to police, that said Perry yelled and screamed, used an open hand and sometimes a lightly closed fist in attempts...
Register
Nunavut health minister again warns of shortfall in Non-Insured Health Benefits funding
By Jeff Pelletier, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunatsiaq News The Government of Nunavut is still struggling to reach a deal with the federal government to fund a health services program covering medical boarding homes and dental care for Inuit, says Health Minister John Main. Speaking in the Nunavut legislative assembly Feb. 20, Main told MLAs his department has found itself in a “difficult situation” with Indigenous Services Canada for a funding agreement for the Non-Insured Health Benefits program. The comments came up when Rankin Inlet North-Chesterfield Inlet MLA Alexander Sammurtok pressed Main about the possibility of building a medical boarding home for patients travelling through Rankin Inlet — something he’s asked the GN about many times in the past. For the boarding home, Main said his department is still working...
Register
Canadian North tentatively sold to Winnipeg firm for $205 million
By Jeff Pelletier, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter A Winnipeg firm that owns several northern airlines has announced it plans to buy Canadian North, the airline that serves the Arctic. Exchange Income Corp. said it made a deal to buy Bradley Air Services Ltd., which operates as Canadian North, for $205 million from the two Inuit organizations that own the airline. It announced the plan in a news release issued Monday afternoon. Nunavik-based Makivvik, one of Canadian North’s two co-owners, announced in its own news release that it is selling its share of the airline. Inuvialuit Regional Corp., which co-owns the airline, announced in a social media post it was doing the same. “Having a strong parent company with roots in northern aviation is critical to our success,” said Shelly De...
Register
Northwest B.C. ERs begin to emerge from crisis as physician shortage eases
By Radha Agarwal, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Patients in Northwest B.C. are experiencing a refreshing shift as emergency room (ER) doors remain open in local hospitals. Although by February 2025, Northern Health (NH) hospitals are still facing a 20.17 per cent vacancy gap in their baseline healthcare positions, the staffing situation has shown incremental improvement. The ERs in Prince Rupert, Masset, and Kitimat experienced a high rate of interruptions in the first half of 2024, but showed a significant drop in closures from August 2024 to Jan. 31, 2025. From August 2024 to Jan. 31, 2025, the ERs in Prince Rupert, Masset and Kitimat reported a notable reduction in closures compared to the previous six-month period. In Masset (northern Haida Gwaii), the ER faced around 33 closures between Feb....
Register
Fort Nelson First Nation to receive $1.2 million via Indigenous Natural Resource Partnerships Program
By Ed Hitchins, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Energeticcity.ca FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — Fort Nelson First Nation’s Tu Deh-Kah (TDK) Geothermal project got a big $1.2 million hand from the federal government. While announcing the launch of the $5 billion Indigenous Loan Guarantee Corporation on February 21st, federal minister of natural resources Jonathan Wilkinson said Fort Nelson First Nation (FNFN) would receive $1.2 million via the government’s Indigenous Natural Resources Partnerships (INRP) Program. According to a press release, TDK is one of seven First Nations-led forestry and energy projects in B.C. to receive a combined $6.2 million through the INRP. FNFN will use the money to advance the TDK project, according to project coordinator and media specialist Andrea Warren. It will go toward gas well testing, environmental studies, engineering, permitting,...
Register
‘People stay silent’: Treaty 8 executive director reacts to vandalism
By Ed Hitchins, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Energeticcity.ca FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — A stark reminder of division between the non-Indigenous and Indigenous communities was prevalent in Fort St. John over Family Day weekend. The Treaty 8 Association’s offices in the downtown core were vandalized with swastikas, a Nazi symbol, and profanity on Sunday, February 16th. In the ensuing days, reaction to the images has been swift. City Mayor Lilia Hansen stated Fort St. John has “no place for hate,” and provincial minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation Christine Boyle said such displays “take us backwards” in the movement toward reconciliation. In addition, the RCMP is investigating the act as a hate crime. However, for the Indigenous community, it’s another reminder of the deep racism even in 2025 still existing...
Register
First Nations must not be forgotten amid Trump threats, outgoing Chief Picard says
By Maura Forrest -CP-Indigenous people risk being pushed aside as Canada looks to defend itself against a possible trade war with the United States, says an outgoing regional chief of the Assembly of First Nations. Ghislain Picard, who has represented the First Nations of Quebec and Labrador since 1992, is concerned by Quebec Premier François Legault’s recent promise to accelerate energy and construction projects to bolster the province’s economy in the face of U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff threats. “It seems like the government of Quebec is trying to stage a response that has not a single consideration for First Nations peoples and their role,” he said in a recent interview. “But we shouldn’t forget the fact that we have to sit down with First Nations and get their approval.”...
Register
Doig River First Nation discusses Land Use plan with Chamber of Commerce
By Ed Hitchins, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Energeticcity.ca FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — Further discussion surrounding Doig River First Nation’s Land Use plans were the topic of lunch last week. The First Nation hosted a luncheon at the Northern Grand Hotel in Fort St. John, with an assist from the city’s Chamber of Commerce. The presentation about DRFN’s land use plan and K’ih tsaa?dze Tribal Park were the focus of the meeting following the public World Cafe event in January. DRFN Chief Trevor Makadahay said the key to the land plan’s success was finding a balance between industry and DRFN’s overall goals for land development. “Misinformation can get out there,” said Makadahay. “We want to work with our neighbours. So we can do this together, for our children and yours.”...
Register
Homelessness rising in the region: study
By Marissa Lentz-McGrath, Local Journalism Initiative, TimminsToday.com TIMMINS – A new survey reveals a rise in homelessness across multiple communities along Highway 11’s northern corridor. The Point-in-Time (PiT) count findings were presented to the Cochrane District Services Board (CDSB) on Feb. 20. The count is one way for the agency to measure and understand homelessness in the region. On Oct. 10, 2024, 390 people experiencing homelessness were documented. The 2021 PiT count — the first time the district participated — there were 312 people experiencing homelessness. KayLee Morissette, who was contracted as the project manager, talked about the findings and the implications for policy and community action. According to Morissette, the PiT count is not just about numbers — it provides insight into the real experiences of people facing homelessness....
Register
Editorial Roundup: United States
Excerpts from recent editorials in the United States and abroad: Feb. 20 The Washington Post says Musk’s mass firings are backfiring President Donald Trump and Elon Musk have been rapidly firing federal workers with little consideration for which ones are critical to government functioning. So now, the Energy Department is scrambling to rehirepeople abruptly let go from the National Nuclear Security Administration. The Federal Aviation Administration is struggling to explain why 400 stafferswere let go mere days after one of the deadliest airplane crashes in U.S. history. And the Agriculture Department is attempting to bring back peoplefired despite being part of the effort to stop avian flu, which has decimated chicken farms and sent egg prices soaring. Americans widely agree that their government is burdened by “waste, fraud and abuse.”...
Register
