Women, visible minorities gaining ground in venture capital, private equity: study
By Tara Deschamps Diversity is increasing across Canada’s venture capital and private equity landscape, a new survey suggests. Research published Wednesday by the Business Development Bank of Canada found that 88 per cent of general partners (GPs) the organization surveyed had at least one woman on their investment committees last year. That was up from 63 per cent in 2021. Seventy-six per cent of GP respondents reported at least one person from a visible minority group on their investment committees, up from 55 per cent in 2021. GPs manage venture capital and private equity funds and thus, oversee teams that make major investment decisions shaping a startup’s trajectory and the broader Canadian economy. BDC surveyed 68 GPs and more than 550 portfolio companies over the winter for its report. The...
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A look at previous failed pipeline projects in Canada
By Lauren Krugel Alberta’s push for a new oil pipeline has been dredging up the ghosts of projects past. Here is a look at what happened with three ill-fated projects: KEYSTONE XL First proposed in 2008, TransCanada Corp.’s Keystone XL extension would have expanded an existing pipeline delivering crude to refineries in the U.S. Midwest and provided a direct route to the world’s biggest refining complex on the Texas coast. Canada’s energy regulator approved the plan in 2010. South of the border was another matter as activists made the project a proxy for the broader battle against climate change. The saga was marked by pipeline reroutes, lawsuits, political showdowns and high-profile protests that saw the likes of actors Margot Kidder and Daryl Hannah arrested outside the White House. Former president...
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Thomas King’s revelation he is not Indigenous sends ripples through culture sector
By Nicole Thompson Thomas King’s revelation that he has no Indigenous identity is sending ripples through Canada’s cultural sector, while raising questions about what responsibility a person has when they claim a heritage they say they cannot prove. The 82-year-old author of “The Inconvenient Indian” revealed on Monday that he is not part Cherokee on his father’s side, as he said he believed from childhood based on information from his mother. Also Monday, the Edmonton Opera announced it would no longer stage an adaptation of his 2020 novel “Indians on Vacation,” following conversations with Indigenous community members from Treaty 6 territory. Communications director Jelena Bojić said those conversations were not in response to any single article or revelation, but began several weeks ago when community members raised concerns about the...
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Court dismisses lawsuit accusing Manitoba Métis leader of wrongdoing
By Alessia Passafiume The Manitoba Métis Federation is celebrating an Ontario Superior Court decision that found its president did not breach his fiduciary duties while serving as finance minister for the Métis National Council. In a decision on the lawsuit released Tuesday, Justice Loretta P. Merritt wrote that a series of transactions made under the leadership of former MNC president Clément Chartier and MMF president David Chartrand did not breach their fiduciary duties. Merritt concluded they acted “honestly and with a view to the best interests of the MNC and the Métis Nation.” “It’s clear that the plaintiffs were not straight with the court, and the court saw through it. The MMF remains focused on self-government implementation, the delivery of programs and services to our citizens, and defence of our...
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Door-to-door pickups, students restricted to grounds amid search for bear in B.C.
Students were allowed back to school today in Bella Coola, B.C., where a bear attacked a group of students and teachers last week, but the kids couldn’t leave the grounds and the bus was doing door-to-door service. The search continues for a mother grizzly bear with two cubs thought to be involved in the attack on a group of about 20 people from the school last Thursday that badly injured four. A statement from Acwsalcta School, an independent school run by Nuxalk First Nation in Bella Coola, says it’s taking “additional steps and precautions” to ensure safety for all the students as it welcomes their return. It says students should not be walking from 4 Mile, the area near the bear attack, and that students would be allowed to “play...
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Premier Eby tells Carney it’s unacceptable B.C. has been cut out of pipeline talks
By Wolfgang Depner For a project he says “doesn’t actually exist,” there was a lot British Columbia Premier David Eby had to say about a potential pipeline from Alberta to B.C.’s northern coast, in a phone call with Prime Minister Mark Carney on Monday. There should be a ban on public spending on the project, he said. Or a cap. Or, if it goes ahead with taxpayer money, then B.C. should also get a “$50-billion federally funded project.” Eby also said he told Carney “how unacceptable” it was for Alberta and Saskatchewan to talk with the federal government about the proposal without input from his province. “This is not something that would happen to Quebec,” Eby said Monday at an unrelated news conference in Victoria. “This is not something that...
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Court clears Manitoba Métis president of wrongdoing in case launched by national body
By Alessia Passafiume The Manitoba Métis Federation is celebrating an Ontario Superior Court decision that found its president did not breach his fiduciary duties while serving as finance minister for the Métis National Council. In a decision released Tuesday, Justice Loretta P. Merritt wrote that a series of transactions made under the leadership of former MNC president Clément Chartier and MMF president David Chartrand did not breach their fiduciary duties. Merritt concluded that they acted “honestly and with a view to the best interests of the MNC and the Métis Nation.” The case, brought by the Métis National Council, alleged Chartrand, Chartier and former executive director Wenda Watteyne conspired to intentionally harm the MNC through the use of “secret, unauthorized and self-serving transactions” between 2019 and 2021. The MNC alleged...
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Court clears Manitoba Métis president of wrongdoing in case launched by national body
By Alessia Passafiume The Manitoba Métis Federation is celebrating an Ontario Superior Court decision that found its president did not breach his fiduciary duties while serving as finance minister for the Métis National Council. In a decision released Tuesday, Justice Loretta P. Merritt wrote that a series of transactions made under the leadership of former MNC president Clément Chartier and MMF president David Chartrand did not breach their fiduciary duties. Merritt concluded they acted “honestly and with a view to the best interests of the MNC and the Métis Nation.” “It’s clear that the plaintiffs were not straight with the court, and the court saw through it. The MMF remains focused on self-government implementation, the delivery of programs and services to our citizens, and defence of our identity as the...
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Buy Ontario Act draws mixed reactions
By Sandi Krasowski, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Chronicle-Journal An indigenous political advocacy organization says the provincial government’s Buy Ontario Act fails to recognize and capitalize on the economic potential of First Nations procurement strategies. Anishinabek Nation criticizes the new act’s “narrow emphasis” on procurement policies. The Ontario government’s Buy Ontario Act is aimed at protect the province’s workers and businesses by prioritizing Ontario goods and services in public procurement. Anishinabek Nation Grand Council Chief Linda Debassige says First Nations represent a multi-billion-dollar economic opportunity that Ontario has ignored. “Indigenous-owned businesses and suppliers possess the capacity to contribute significantly to Ontario’s infrastructure, manufacturing, forestry and resource sectors,” Debassige said. “By not actively integrating First Nation procurement into its broader economic and infrastructure plans, the province of Ontario is missing out...
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First Nations’ economic arm partners with Alberta energy and construction companies
By Ed Hitchins, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Energeticcity.ca MOBERLY LAKE, B.C. — The corporate arm of a northeast B.C. First Nation has beefed up its portfolio throughout November. West Moberly Corporate Alliance (WMCA), the economic arm of Moberly Lake’s West Moberly First Nations (WMFN), has announced partnerships with two new groups. Both new partners have a base in Alberta: The Crossing Group is in Nisku, and Nakoda Energy is based out of Grande Prairie. The first partnership with The Crossing Group was announced via WMCA’s LinkedIn page in early November. Based out of Nisku, Alberta, the company specializes in trenchless construction, with a presence throughout Western Canada and in the United States in both California and Texas. A statement from WMCA says the company’s “expertise in completing complex and technically...
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ROPE Squad seeking assistance in locating wanted federal offender
GUELPH, ONT. – The Repeat Offender Parole Enforcement (R.O.P.E.) Squad is asking for the public’s help in locating a federal offender who is wanted on a Canada Wide Warrant, after she breached her statutory release. Heather Bell, 56, is Indigenous, female, six feet (183 cm) tall and 212 lbs (96 kgs), with black hair and hazel eyes. She also has several tattoos, including: “Believe” on the left side of her neck A design on the front of her upper torso A face and quote on the back of her upper torso A rose and “Joey” on her right breast The letter “B” with a crown on top on her right hand A backwards dollar sign on her left hand “Respect…” on her right arm “Kyle” with a birthdate on her...
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Celebrated ‘Inconvenient Indian’ author Thomas King says he’s not Indigenous
Celebrated author Thomas King says that despite believing so nearly all his life, he is not Indigenous. The writer of books including 2003’s “The Truth About Stories: A Native Narrative” and 2012’s “The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North America,” says he is reeling from recent news that he has no Cherokee ancestry. In an essay titled “A most inconvenient Indian” for the Globe and Mail, the Guelph, Ont.-based King says he learned of rumours several years ago that questioned his heritage. The California-born King says he made a concerted effort this year to find their origin, which brought him to a U.S. organization called Tribal Alliance Against Frauds. That group investigated his past with help from a University of British Columbia scholar, and found no...
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Ontario First Nation prepared to block highway to stop mining near drinking water source
By Jon Thompson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Ricochet A northwestern Ontario First Nation that’s struggling through a decade-long social crisis has directed its leaders to blockade the highway if the province grants mineral extraction permits near its water source. Onigaming First Nation Chief Jeff Copenace says elders have instructed him to notify a partnership between First Mining Gold and New Gold that they do not consent to ore extraction or its transportation through the territory. Under pressure to respond to demands to meet by November 21, and facing three funerals over the past two weeks, Copenace issued Ontario’s Ministry of Mines the following statement: “If this permit is approved without our consultation and without our free, prior, informed consent, our Elders in Onigaming have asked Onigaming leadership to consider a...
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Norfolk man charged with stunt driving in Brant County
BRANT, ONT. – A man from Norfolk has been charged with stunt driving, following a recent encounter with the Brant County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP). On Nov. 23, at approximately 8:00 p.m., police conducted a traffic stop on Oakland Road, after they observed a vehicle moving at an excessive speed. A Brant County OPP officer conducting speed enforcement in the area confirmed it was travelling 101 km/h in a posted 50 km/h zone. As a result, the 36-year-old driver was charged with drive motor vehicle – perform stunt – excessive speed; speeding – 101 km/h in a 50 km/h zone; and possessing unmarked cigarettes. Per legislation, the man’s licence was also suspended for 30 days and the vehicle was impounded for 14 days. He is scheduled to appear in court...
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Indigenous people reflect on the meaning of their participation in COP30 climate talks
By Melina Walling BELEM, Brazil (AP) — Indigenous people filled the streets, paddled the waterways and protested at the heart of the venue to make their voices heard during the United Nations climate talks that were supposed to give them a voice like never before at the annual conference. As the talks, called COP30, concluded Saturday in Belem, Brazil, Indigenous people reflected on what the conference meant to them and whether they were heard. Brazilian leaders had high hopes that the summit, taking place in the Amazon, would empower the people who inhabit the land and protect the biodiversity of the world’s largest rainforest, which helps stave off climate change as its trees absorb carbon pollution that heats the planet. Many Indigenous people who attended the talks felt strengthened by...
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Sexual abuse and suicide biggest issues for children in Nunavut
By William Koblensky Varela, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunavut News National Child Day, marked on Nov. 20, commemorates Canada’s commitment to the rights of children, and two organizations told Nunavut News what they believe are the biggest issues facing children in the territory. The Representative for Children and Youth’s Office is an advocacy organization that holds the territorial government to account for its treatment of the youngest Nunavummiut. Sexual abuse and suicide are the biggest problems children contend with in Nunavut, according to Jane Bates, the representative for children and youth. “We’ve made no progress over 10 years in addressing the suicide rate for young people,” Bates said. A report on sexual abuse from the Standing Committee on Government Oversight is still pending, Bates said, and a continuing crisis in...
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Norfolk man faces stunt driving charge in Brant County
BRANT, ONT. – A man from Norfolk has been charged with stunt driving, following a recent encounter with the Brant County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP). On Nov. 23, at approximately 8:00 p.m., police conducted a traffic stop on Oakland Road, after they observed a vehicle moving at an excessive speed. A Brant County OPP officer conducting speed enforcement in the area confirmed it was travelling 101 km/h in a posted 50 km/h zone. As a result, the 36-year-old driver was charged with drive motor vehicle – perform stunt – excessive speed; speeding – 101 km/h in a 50 km/h zone; and possessing unmarked cigarettes. Per legislation, the man’s licence was also suspended for 30 days and the vehicle was impounded for 14 days. He is scheduled to appear in court...
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Ottawa appoints new private-sector economic advisory panel for Atlantic Canada
The federal government has appointed a new economic advisory committee for the Atlantic region. Justice Minister Sean Fraser, who is also a Nova Scotia MP, made the announcement Monday, saying the seven members of the Atlantic Economic Panel have experience in growing companies and creating jobs. The minister says the panel will have a mandate to recommend practical steps to create jobs, raise productivity, support businesses and strengthen communities. Fraser, who is also the minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, says the panel will be led by Don Mills, president of Crane Cove Holdings and co-founder of Halifax-based Narrative Research. Other members include J. Scott McCain, chairman of McCain Foods in New Brunswick, Joyce Carter, CEO of the Halifax International Airport Authority and Terry Richardson, chief of the...
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Court approves Hudson’s Bay plan to auction its royal charter; $18M bid expected
By Tara Deschamps The royal charter that created Hudson’s Bay in 1670 is on its way to the auction block. Ontario Superior Court judge Peter Osborne on Friday approved a process that will see the document owned by the defunct retailer sold early next month. The auction will kick off with an $18-million bid from holding companies belonging to two of Canada’s richest families, the Westons and Thomsons. “We are all interested to see what transpires by way of this,” Osborne said, after deciding an auction was the best course of action to ensure a “profound” document “remains here and a part of our history.” The charter, signed by King Charles II more than 350 years ago, not only created HBC but gave the company control over one-third of modern...
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Council asks for more information on proposed battery storage facility
Six Nations of the Grand River is a partner on the project By Jeff Helsdon, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Woodstock Ingersoll Echo TILLSONBURG-Town council is asking for more information before throwing its support behind a battery energy storage system proposed by Skyline Energy. Matt Kennedy of Skyline Energy spoke at the Oct. 14 meeting, outlining the company’s intention to apply to the province’s energy regulator for a battery storage facility as part of an effort to better utilize the grid. At the time, there was no motion of support coming from Tillsonburg council. Kennedy was back before council on Nov. 10, seeking a municipal support resolution as part of the application for the 30-megawatt battery storage system. “Essentially what this means is we’ll use the excess power at night and...
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