Downed power line in northern Manitoba repaired, electricity being restored
Manitoba Hydro said Thursday it is restoring power to residents of a northern First Nation after a downed power line forced residents out. Completion of the challenging repairs came a day after the chief of Pimicikamak Cree Nation urged Prime Minister Mark Carney to send in the military to deal with the crisis caused by the outage. The community has been without power since late Sunday when a line crossing the Nelson River snapped. Manitoba Hydro said in a statement it would gradually restore power to customers in stages Thursday to avoid overloading the system and potentially damaging equipment. Electric furnaces and other equipment can draw very heavy current as they initially come online in cold weather, the utility said in a statement. “Manitoba Hydro staff are working closely with...
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Flood of the century: a look back at the historic southern Alberta flood of ‘95
By Nathan Reiter, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Lethbridge Herald It’s been three decades since southern Alberta faced the fury of the Oldman River in June 1995, but anyone who lived through it remembers the experience in vivid detail. The flood was caused by heavy rain in the area. The city of Lethbridge saw 55 mm of rain with some areas west of the city seeing nearly 300mm in a short time period. David Carpenter, who was the mayor of Lethbridge in 1995, knows all too well the power of the river. Growing up, Carpenter’s father was the chief of police. During the flood of 1964, constable Calvin Byam was swept away by the flood waters. “Dad was really, really upset about that.” Carpenter explained in an interview with the Herald...
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Three earthquakes rattle Alaska-Yukon border area within minutes just before Jan. 1
Earthquakes Canada says it registered three earthquakes in the same region near the Yukon-Alaska border within minutes of each other, little more than an hour before the stroke of midnight Dec. 31. It says the first earthquake struck with a magnitude of 5.7 in Alaska about 140 kilometres west of Haines Junction, Yukon, just before 10:47 p.m. PST. Earthquakes Canada says the earthquake could be felt in Whitehorse, but did not receive any reports of damage, and none were expected. It says an aftershock with a magnitude of 5.0 struck at around 10:51 p.m. about 142 kilometres west of Haines Junction, followed by an earthquake of 5.3 magnitude about 143 kilometres west of Haines Junction just before 10:55 p.m. Earthquakes Canada says the third and final earthquake could also be...
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Nova Scotia Mi’kmaq and Government of Canada sign co-management arrangement for National Parks
By Adam McNamara – Local Journalism Initiative Reporter – Strait Area Reporter, The Advocate Cape Breton Highlands – The signing of an historic co-management arrangement between the Mi’kmaq of Nova Scotia and the Government of Canada was made on Dec. 10, regarding the future partnership in how National Parks are established and upheld. The Toqi’maliaptmu’k Arrangement, which in the Mi’kmaw language means: we will look after it together, expresses a new way for the Mi’kmaq and Parks Canada to move forward in partnership and honour Mi’kmaw ancestors. The announcement was made by Chief Sidney Peters, of Glooscap First Nation and Chief Leroy Denny, of Eskasoni First Nation, both who are co-chairs of Maw-lukutijik Saqmaq – The Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaw Chiefs, along with the Julie Dabrusin, the provincial Minister...
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Gov. Gen. Mary Simon’s new year’s message to Canadians
By Canadian Press Staff Gov. Gen. Mary Simon says she witnessed extraordinary solidarity across the country in the last year in response to wildfires, economic challenges and in advancing Indigenous reconciliation. In a recorded message to Canadians, released by Rideau Hall, Simon says the nation is courageous, inclusive and committed to building peace. She also thanked Canadians for their support when she was hospitalized with a respiratory illness in the fall. Simon was unable to take part in national Remembrance Day ceremonies in Ottawa this year because of her illness. She also missed events for the state visit of the Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia. Simon says the new year promises opportunities to strengthen the bonds that unite Canadians. This report by The Canadian Press was first...
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NO:IA / Happy New Year!
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Gayenawahsra Next Step program expands capacity with seven more units
The Gayenawahsra Next Step program has nearly doubled its capacity to provide violence-free transitional housing to single parents in Six Nations. Thanks to a $4.2 million investment from Canada’s Indigenous Shelter and Transitional Housing Initiative (ISHTI), seven additional units are being added to Ganohkwasra Family Assault Support Services’ existing transitional housing complex at 36 Sunrise Court. The eight-unit facility was first built in 1994, to provide safe living spaces for clients of the organization’s shelter and community counselling program, to help them escape intimate partner violence. To mark the occasion, Ganohkwasra held a grand opening on Nov. 27, to showcase two of the units that are within days of completion. Attendees could take guided tours of accessible and walk-up, one-bedroom units, complete with full kitchens and in-suite laundry. “I’ve been...
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Manitoba premier uses AI to make homemade Ojibwa translator
By Maggie Macintosh, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Winnipeg Free Press The tabs open on Premier Wab Kinew’s laptop will all but certainly surprise the average Manitoban. Google Gemini, Claude by Anthropic and other artificial-intelligence powered assistants can be found coding on his behalf, even when his computer appears to be asleep. Following a year-end interview with the Free Press, Kinew revealed he had been multitasking — with the help of large language models — the whole time. “I’m building an automatic translator for the Ojibwa language,” he said in his office Thursday during an interview that culminated with an impromptu monologue about AI. Upon completion, Kinew’s homemade software will be able to translate written paragraphs into Anishinaabemowin. The NDP leader said he’s doing his part to digitize the endangered dialect,...
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Six Nations Police & MTO inspectors check commercial trucks safety
Six Nations Police, with the aid of the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario, (MTO) conducted a community wide commercial vehicle safety inspection last Wednesday (Dec., 17) pulling over transport trucks at various points int the community for inspection. Six Nations Police Chief Darren Montour said the inspections, held periodically, came after complaints from community members about large trucks driving through the community. He said the inspection involved pulling over commercial vehicles at various spots in the community and escorting them to inspection areas. One of those areas was the parking lot of the community’s Gathering Place on Chiefswood Road. MTO inspectors, among other areas, checked tires, brake pads, lines, fluid levels (for hydraulic), air pressure gauges. They also check for proper documentation. A report on the inspections was not available at...
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Grand Erie District School Board report shows improved credits
Grand Erie’s Annual Education Service Agreement Report to Six Nations Elected Council did not include EQAO scores, but highlighted improved credit accumulation. The Grand Erie District School Board outlined student progress, staffing supports, and upcoming education priorities for Six Nations students during a detailed presentation to the Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) was part of the annual reporting requirements under the Education Service Agreement with Indigenous Services Canada. “If you haven’t paid attention to [EQAO score release], across the province, it has been a very, you know, heavy topic for us. Across the province, we need to be aware we’re not reaching provincial average in many districts, so we’re unpacking a lot of that,” Superintendent of Education Julie White said. White and System Leader for Indigenous Education Stacey Hill delivered...
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Wisconsin archaeologists identify 16 ancient canoes in a prehistoric lake ‘parking lot’
By Todd Richmond MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Archaeologists have identified more than a dozen ancient canoes that Indigenous people apparently left behind in a sort of prehistoric parking lot along a Wisconsin lakeshore. The Wisconsin Historical Society announced Wednesday that archaeologists have mapped the location of 16 canoes submerged in the lake bed of Lake Mendota in Madison. Tamara Thomsen, the state’s maritime archaeologist, said that the site lies near a network of what were once indigenous trails, suggesting ancient people left the canoes there for anyone to use as they traveled, much like a modern-day e-bike rack. “It’s a parking spot that’s been used for millennia, over and over,” Thomsen said. Lake Mendota is a sprawling, 15-square-mile (38.8-square-kilometer) body of water on Madison’s west side. The state Capitol building...
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No:ia: All I want for 2026 is a …
In just 24 hours it will be 2026. Around the world people will be celebrating the new year marking it with hope and smiles. And others will wonder just what will it bring and look to a healthy and happy year that will bring with it hard truths. With a new Prime Minister gun-ho to turn Canada into a clean energy superpower, pushing the country to not only launch new trade routes, but wants to see energy on the fast track is pushing resource and infrastructure development and he plans to push it in his economic corridor across the country. His proposed pipeline, that is apparently in the “national interest’ will without a doubt become only the first of a number of proposals he will maintain is in the “national...
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Today in History
Dec 28 In 1992, Pudlo Pudlat, one of Canada’s best-known Inuit artists, died in Cape Dorset, Baffin Island, at the age of 76. Dec 29 In 1890, the last battle in the American-Indian wars took place at Wounded Knee Creek, S.D. About 350 half-starved Sioux gathered on the Pine Ridge Reservation for a Ghost Dance, a religious ceremony in which the Indians believed their dead would rise again and lead them to good hunting grounds. When the Sioux refused to hand over their weapons to the 7th Cavalry, the troops opened fire. About 150 Indians, half of them women and children, and 25 soldiers, died in the battle. In 2021, Rideau Hall released the names of the 135 newest additions to the Order of Canada. Among the list of recipients...
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UNDER THE NORTHERN SKY: A holiday All About Love
By Xavier Kataquapit www.underthenorthernsky.com Christmas is just around the corner and everyone is getting into the spirit of the holidays with music, decorations, department store shopping and stocking up on food for big family feasts. Decorations are happening everywhere and this year, we had an early supply of cold and snow, so we in the north, will definitely have a picture post card Christmas filled with mounds of white, frost and crystalline snow. This is also a bittersweet time for myself and many other people. We lost people during the holidays and there are tragic memories or commemorations that are inextricably tied to this time of year. We also have to deal with rampant consumerism where we are constantly badgered, bothered or encouraged to buy, spend and consume as much...
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Ironmen defeat Blitz twice to extend winning streak to three games
By Sam Laskaris Writer The Six Nations Ironmen will be entering 2026 on a bit of a roll. That’s because the Ironmen, who are competing in their inaugural season of the Northern Premier Hockey League (NPHL), find themselves heading into the new year on a three-game winning streak. Recent successes for the local senior men’s squad include a pair of victories against the Orangeville Blitz. For starters, the Ironmen travelled to Orangeville on Dec. 19 and thumped the host Blitz 9-3 in a match held at the Alder Street Recreation Centre. The Ironmen then doubled the visiting Blitz 8-4 in a contest staged Dec. 21 at the Six Nations Sports and Cultural Memorial Centre. The Six Nations squad is now sporting a record of 8-7. Perhaps more importantly, however, with...
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SPORTS BRIEFS: Tournaments to dominate coming months
By Sam Laskaris Writer Ironmen players and head coach receive all-star recognition The Six Nations Ironmen will be well represented at an all-star game this season. Six players and a coach from the local senior men’s squad will participate in the Northern Premier Hockey League (NPHL) Metropolitan Conference all-star match in Alvinston. The contest, which is scheduled for Jan. 10, will be held at the Brooke–Alvinston–Inwood Community Centre Complex. The game will feature players from the conference’s North Division squaring off against their South Division counterparts. A skills competition will also be included in the all-star festivities. The Ironmen players that will be suiting up for the North Division are forwards Theo Hill, Brenden Anderson, Steven LaForme and Mitch Green, defenceman Isaac Sooklal and goaltender Tim Porter. Also, Ironmen head...
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First Nation hockey player averages more than two points per game in Junior A circuit
By Sam Laskaris, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Windspeaker.com Nolan Newton is turning heads with his play this season. Newton, a member of Saugeen First Nation in Ontario, is averaging more than two points per game with the Greater Sudbury Cubs. The Cubs are the two-time defending champions in the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League (NOJHL), a Junior A circuit. Cubs’ head coach Darryl Moxam has high praise for his star centre, who will turn 20 on Jan. 27. “Right now, I’m not sure you’d find anybody in the country playing any better on both sides of the puck,” Moxam said. “He’s still finding ways to contribute offensively at a very high pace and he’s not given up anything on the defensive side of the puck to get that done.” Newton...
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Internal government records flag gaps in federal dam oversight
By Sonal Gupta, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Canada’s National Observer Hydroelectric dams on public lands are at growing risk of failure because the department responsible for them has no engineers, inadequate funding and no safety rules, an internal document warns. The document, obtained by Canada’s National Observer through an Access to Information and Privacy request, calls the state of affairs “unsustainable” at the Ministry for Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC), and cautions the federal government could face legal liability if any dams fail. The federal government is responsible for water power development on Crown lands under the Dominion Water Power Act, passed in 1919. The department operates four hydroelectric sites under the act: Rideau Falls at the mouth of Ottawa’s Rideau River; Kananaskis Falls and Horseshoe Falls, two...
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Indigenous explainers: What are land acknowledgements?
By Ed Hitchins, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Energeticcity.ca FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — Land acknowledgements have proven controversial – with some supportive and some critical – in the year 2025. Otherwise known as territorial statements, the acknowledgments are statements usually quoted before a public event, recognizing the Indigenous people who lived – and in most cases, still do – on the land prior to colonization. For example, the District of Taylor just completed its work on a land acknowledgment, recognizing the traditional territory of Treaty 8 whilst at the same time stating “the deep connection to the land and water, where everyone’s rights are respected, and opportunities are available for all to thrive.” The acknowledgement, read before meetings and events in the district, was constructed after extensive consultation with First...
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Northern lights inspire recovery in Telegraph Cove, B.C., year after devastating fire
By Nono Shen Mary Borrowman says she’ll never forget the moment she and her husband, Jim, watched the northern lights shimmer across the sky on the morning of Jan. 1, 2025, from their home in Telegraph Cove, B.C. “When we looked out our window, and we looked over the water, everywhere you could see in the sky were the most beautiful dancing red and green, and purple northern lights that we have ever seen,” said Borrowman. A day earlier, a massive New Year’s Eve fire in the quaint tourist resort on northeastern Vancouver Island had destroyed the Whale Interpretive Centre that she and her husband founded, the local pub and restaurant and the office of the Prince of Whales whale-watching firm. “I said to Jim, if that’s not a sign...
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