With little digging going on, minister looks to restore mining
By John Chilibeck, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Daily Gleaner John Herron has been shopping around a colourful map to anyone who will look. Produced by the Geological Survey Branch of New Brunswick’s Department of Natural Resources and Energy Development, it shows the seven main areas of the eastern province where critical minerals and valuable metals are found. Circled on the map are the gold deposits in the northwest and southwest, manganese in the Woodstock area, indium in Mount Pleasant, potash near Sussex, tungsten north of Fredericton, and lead, copper, zinc and silver near Bathurst. And those are just the highlights. The Liberal cabinet minister boasts this relatively small province has 21 of the 34 minerals Ottawa deems critical, even if most of them remain untouched and out of production....
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Nova Scotia, Ottawa announce four designated areas for offshore wind projects
By Keith Doucette Four areas off Nova Scotia’s coast have been designated for offshore wind development, as the province looks to become a key player in supplying Canada’s future energy needs. The announcement Tuesday followed public consultations on five offshore areas that had been proposed by the provincial and federal governments in March. French Bank, Middle Bank and Sable Island Bank, all located south of Nova Scotia’s Eastern Shore, and Sydney Bight, northeast of Cape Breton, have been chosen, comprising a total area of 12,549 square kilometres. Kim Doane, executive director of energy resource development with Nova Scotia’s Energy Department, said the fifth area under study — Western/Emerald Bank — was dropped for now because of its fish conservation zones and use by the military. She said the area also...
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Katy Perry, Justin Trudeau dine together in Montreal restaurant Le Violon
-CP-Justin Trudeau and pop star Katy Perry have sent tongues wagging after the two dropped by a Montreal restaurant for a meal this week. A communications consultant for Le Violon confirmed Tuesday that the former prime minister and “Teenage Dream” singer spent about two hours at the fine-dining spot Monday evening, after photos of the meetup published by a gossip site sparked online speculation of a budding romance. Samantha Jin said the pair kept to themselves and that neither the staff nor other patrons approached them for a photo. “We kind of got the vibe that they were a little more chill,” she said. Jin added that there was no indication of romance in the air, noting: “No visual signs of PDA or anything.” A report about the dinner first...
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Tofino’s new parking lot for Ahousaht members draws ire for being too far from the dock
By Nora O’Malley, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Ha-Shilth-Sa Tofino, BC – Elder Qaamina Hunter used to visit Tofino two or three times a week, but those visits have spanned out, he says, due to parking woes. Hunter lives in the offshore Ahousaht First Nations community of Maaqtusiis on Flores Island, located 30-minutes by boat from Tofino’s First Street Dock. “It’s no fun now going through Tofino,” said Hunter. “I wish we didn’t have to get divided by mamałn̓i (white person) choices. Some are talking about pulling membership out of Co-op and just going straight to Port Alberni or Nanaimo. We’ve had a little bit of a heartache in our life.” Like many offshore residents from Ahousaht, Hesquiaht and the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations, Hunter says he leaves his truck anywhere in...
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Out-of-control wildfire near Lytton, B.C., triggers evacuation alerts
By Chuck Chiang An out-of-control wildfire in the British Columbia Interior has triggered evacuation alerts for a number of properties near Lytton. The Thompson-Nicola Regional District says at least five properties in the Spencer Road South area have been given the warning to prepare for evacuation on short notice. The Lytton First Nation has also issued a similar alert for an area west and south of Lytton due to the nearby Cantilever Bar wildfire which has grown to 1.5 square kilometres. The BC Wildfire Service says the fire was discovered Monday and is suspected to be human-caused. The service says there are about 60 active wildfires across the province, with out-of-control blazes reported in the Fraser Canyon, the Rockies near Jasper National Park and the northeastern corner of B.C. A...
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‘A great day for us’: arena and recreation complex gets $9M funding boost
By Matt Prokopchuk, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, TBnewswatch.com WAUZHUSHK ONIGUM — Community leaders are celebrating a significant funding boost from the province that will pave the way for a new arena and recreation complex. On Monday, Kenora-Rainy River MPP Greg Rickford and Ontario’s Minister of Sport Neil Lumsden were in Wauzhushk Onigum, just outside of Kenora, to announce over $9 million for the 60,000 square-foot facility. Wauzhushk Onigum Chief Chris Skead told Newswatch in an interview that site preparation work will start this year, with construction slated to begin in spring 2026. Skead said the community has been without an indoor rink for decades, and the new facility will fill a gap in what services the First Nation can offer. “I felt that we had quite a loss,” he said....
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Advocates question fairness as federal government backs away from pharmacare program
By Sarah Ritchie Reproductive health advocates say the federal government’s failure to commit to funding pharmacare in all provinces and territories is leaving people with a lot of uncertainty, and could create inequality across the country. “It’s really disappointing, honestly,” said Liz Thompson, advocacy lead for Cover Contraception. “It seems like they don’t really know what they’re going to do.” The first phase of the Pharmacare Act, which was passed last fall by the Liberals and the NDP, calls for the federal government to fund the cost of contraceptives and diabetes medications for patients. It also calls on the government to study the best way to create a universal pharmacare program to cover all medications. The Trudeau government signed deals with B.C., P.E.I., Yukon and Manitoba to cover the cost...
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Wet weather proves no damper on West Mo Days 2025
By Ed Hitchins, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Energeticcity.ca MOBERLY LAKE, B.C. — Despite some wet conditions which hampered its beginning, West Moberly First Nations’ (WMFN) annual Indigenous culture event went off without delay this weekend. West Mo Days celebrated its 37th annual event, showcasing different aspects of Indigenous culture during the last weekend of July. After months of preparation, WMFN events coordinator Daniel Desjarlais told Energeticcity.ca he was exhausted after all the work to put on the event. “I’m tired but ready to go,” said Desjarlais. “It’s not as good [a crowd] as we might normally have, but there’s actually still quite a few people here. I threw up as [many] tents as I could to fight the rain and laid tarps everywhere.” To the north of the West Mo...
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Lil’wat development in Whistler secures funding through First Nations Bank of Canada
By Luke Faulks, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Pique Newsmagazine On July 28, the First Nations Bank of Canada (FNBC) announced it will provide financing for Lil’wat’s Tseqwtsúqum̓ development in Whistler’s Function Junction, marking the single largest investment made to date under its Indigenous Land Development Program. FNBC did not disclose the precise figure going towards the Nation’s development. The funding package, delivered in partnership with the Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB), will support Lil’wat Business Group’s (LBG) mixed-use, Indigenous-led, 5.3-acre development, which promises new commercial space and workforce housing at the entrance to Whistler’s industrial core. “We are proud to support the Lil’wat Business Group and the Tseqwtsúqum̓ project, which will not only contribute to the economic resilience of the Lil’wat Nation but also create a lasting impact on the broader...
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Fort Nelson First Nation contestant secures third runner up and cultural knowledge award in Miss Indigenous Canada bid
By Ed Hitchins, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Energeticcity.ca BRANTFORD, ONT. — She came close, but a member of Fort Nelson First Nation (FNFN) ultimately fell short in her bid to be crowned Miss Indigenous Canada (MIC). Taylor Behn-Tsakoza was among 19 contestants vying for the crown, ultimately finishing third runner up in the competition on July 26th in Ontario hosted by the Six Nations of the Grand River reserve. The crown went to Gena Boubard of Manitoba’s Sagkeeng First Nation. According to a press release from the event, each of the top five contestants received cash prizes. Behn-Tsakoza however took home the competition’s cultural knowledge award, later posting to social media acknowledging she was “so proud” being able to take part in the event. “I want to extend the biggest,...
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Beauval surrounded by fires but Mayor feels more confident
By Michael Oleksyn, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Prince Albert Daily Herald The Northern Village of Beauval is surrounded by the Muskeg Fire and other fires but Mayor Rick Laliberte said the community feels safe in spite of the challenging situation. Laliberte said the Muskeg Fire has made its way all around the community, but it’s the area east of the community that’s the biggest concern. “It’s slowly been creeping towards us from what originally was the Dore Fire and then it moved right to La Plonge,” Laliberte explained. “That whole fire front is coming towards Beauval and the La Plonge reserve at English River.” He said the Trail Fire that is affecting Jans Bay, Cole Bay and Canoe Lake is also a concern. “They’ve got it well contained from burning...
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Krill catch in Antarctica soars to record following collapse of conservation deal
By Joshua Goodman MIAMI (AP) — Trawling near Antarctica for krill — a crustacean central to the diet of whales and a critical buffer to global warming — has surged to a record and is fast approaching a never before reached seasonal catch limit that would trigger the unprecedented early closure of the remote fishery, The Associated Press has learned. The fishing boom follows the failure last year of the U.S., Russia, China and two dozen other governments to approve a new management plan that would have mandated spreading out the area in which krill can be caught and creating a California-sized reserve along the environmentally sensitive Antarctic Peninsula. In the first seven months of the 2024-25 season, krill fishing in Antarctica reached 518,568 tons, about 84% of the 620,000-ton...
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Sioux Lookout airport partners with anti-human trafficking initiative
By Matt Prokopchuk, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, TBnewswatch.com SIOUX LOOKOUT — Employees at the municipal airport in Sioux Lookout are scheduled to receive training on how to spot human trafficking. The airport has partnered with #NotInMyCity, an organization founded and led by Canadian country musician Paul Brandt, that aims to combat human trafficking and sexual exploitation. The partnership with the Sioux Lookout Municipal Airport “will include staff involvement in learning and training courses to identify the signs of human trafficking, and awareness campaigns throughout the organization,” according to a media release from the airport. Doug Lawrance, Sioux Lookout’s mayor, said it’s an important initiative, given how busy the local airport is, and the vast expanse of northern communities it serves which overwhelmingly rely on air travel for access. “The airport...
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After taking back land in Colombia, Indigenous prepare their youth to safeguard it
By Steven Grattan CALOTO, Colombia (AP) — Indigenous Nasa children are gently splashed with water using a leafy branch — a ritual meant to protect them and symbolically “open the path” — before setting off with wooden signs they had painted with messages like “We were born to protect the environment” and “Peace, please.” Wearing protective gloves, the children nail their signs to trees lining a dirt road still used at times by armed groups for drug trafficking, as they collect trash from land their families reclaimed from vast industrial sugarcane plantations in Colombia’s conflict-scarred southwest. This is no ordinary schoolyard activity. It’s a quiet act of defiance — and a hands-on lesson in protecting land and culture. Just beyond the reclaimed land of the Indigenous López Adentro reserve, near...
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First Nations Bank reaches funding deal for Whistler development
First Nations Bank of Canada says it has reached a deal to help fund a new Indigenous-led development in Whistler, B.C. The money is going to Lil’wat Business Group to help it build Tseqwtsúqum, a housing and commercial space planned for the Function Junction neighbourhood of the mountain town. Funding is coming through the Indigenous Land Development Program that First Nations Bank is running in partnership with the Canada Infrastructure Bank. The federal agency agreed last year to put up to $100 million to support the program, which provides below-market rate loans to help Indigenous communities realize their development goals. First Nations Bank did not disclose financial terms of the Lil’wat Business Group deal, but says it is its largest yet under its Indigenous Land Development Program. The bank said...
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Sanikiluaq students get a ‘taster’ of what it’s like to do wind turbine work
By Arty Sarkisian, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunatsiaq News When Timiusi Kittosuk walked into a wind turbine blade factory in Gaspé, Que., earlier this month, he could smell a mix of gas and nail polish remover. A few employees in white protective overalls were working with fibreglass, a material made of glass threads and hardened liquid plastic that’s one of the main building components of wind turbine blades. Looking at the scene, Kittosuk felt he had found his vocation. Sanikiluaq students take part in a two-week wind turbine technician course at Collège d’enseignement général et professionnel in Gaspé, Que., earlier this month. (Photo courtesy of Nunavut Nukkiksautiit Corp.) “It made me want to join them to build blades for the wind turbine,” he said in an interview Wednesday. The 27-year-old...
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Possible industry-related earthquake recorded Saturday near Grande Prairie, Alberta
-CP-Some residents of northwestern Alberta may have felt the ground shake after an earthquake was recorded in the region on Saturday night. Earthquakes Canada says the 4.2 magnitude quake struck about 36 kilometres south of the city of Grande Prairie. Earthquakes Canada says the quake was said to be lightly felt in Grande Prairie and the surrounding area and is a possible industry-related event. The Alberta Energy Regulator says in an statement the earthquake was measured at 4.04 magnitude and that the Alberta Geological Survey, which is a branch of the regulator, is reviewing data to determine the cause. No damage was reported, and none is expected. Earthquakes Canada’s magnitude scale says quakes between 3.5 and 5.4 are “often felt, but rarely cause damage.” Approximately 70,000 people live in Grande...
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Grey councillors dig up concerns about archaeological management plan
By Chris Fell, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, CollingwoodToday.ca Members of Grey County council have expressed concerns about the development of an archaeological management plan. At its meeting on July 24, county council received its first glimpse of an extensive project undertaken by county planning staff to create an archaeological management plan. Councillors received a presentation from consultants from TMHC Inc., as well as a staff report about the project. Planning staff explained that the main goal of the process is to establish a clear, concise and consistent framework governing when development projects are required to conduct an archaeological study. While currently there are provincial regulations that require archaeological matters to be taken into consideration during the planning process; the county does not have a formal process in place. “The current...
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Auditor general to study hiring, promotion of public servants with disabilities
By Catherine Morrison The federal auditor general is planning to study the recruitment, retention and promotion of people with disabilities in the federal public service. Documents obtained by The Canadian Press through Access to Information indicate that the audit is expected to be tabled in the spring. Claire Baudry, a spokesperson for the Office of the Auditor General of Canada, said in an email that while auditor general Karen Hogan expects to table the report in Parliament in 2026, the audit is in the planning phase and any comment on its scope or timelines now would be “premature.” Hogan’s office sent a letter to Secretary of the Treasury Board Bill Matthews on March 7 notifying him of the upcoming study. The most recent employment equity report for the public service...
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Most Canadians think the country is making progress on reconciliation: poll
By Alessia Passafiume Most Canadians believe the country is making good progress on reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples, a new poll from Leger suggests. “The extent to which people feel progress on reconciliation is being made or not has an important bearing on how they feel about the country,” said Jack Jedwab, president and CEO of the Association for Canadian Studies, which commissioned the poll. The survey of 1,580 respondents was conducted between June 20 and 22. A margin of error cannot be associated to the survey because online polls are not considered to be truly random samples. Forty-seven of the respondents self-identified as Indigenous. Jedwab said that small number and the lack of regional breakdowns of the numbers means the poll should be interpreted with caution. But the poll still...
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