Education minister remembered as husband, dad… and huge Jets fan
By Maggie Macintosh, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter The Winnipeg Jets customized a memorial jersey for Nello Altomare with a number that nods to the hockey superfan’s final role as Manitoba’s 35th minister of education. Roughly 1,000 mourners who packed into Transcona Country Club for a public funeral Wednesday learned the career educator died shortly after the Jets’ 6-1 victory against the Vancouver Canucks on Jan. 14. The game marked his family’s final group viewing of their favourite team — an activity that typically involved the father of two adult children standing and yelling at the TV in their Transcona home. Altomare, who was in blood-cancer remission, spent his last 4 1/2 years living with complications from chemotherapy. He was 61. In a eulogy, Jason Drysdale described his longtime teacher friend...
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Truck, bike thief to be jailed for more than seven months
By Bob Mackin, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter A 29-year-old man with a lengthy criminal record who pleaded guilty to possessing a stolen truck and bicycle was sentenced to more than seven months in jail and a year on probation. In Prince George Provincial Court on Wednesday, Jan. 22, Judge Martin Nadon sentenced Kyler Gregory Thomas Stevens to 815 days on nine counts. Stevens, however, qualified for credit for time served, so his net sentence amounts to 237 days. Crown prosecutor Kristina King called it “significantly mitigating” that Stevens also pleaded guilty to wilfully resisting or obstructing a peace officer and five counts of breaching a release order. “Wrapping up a significant number of files and saving significant court resources,” King told the court. “But that’s the only mitigating feature that...
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Three bison harvested in Indigenous-led Banff National Park ceremonial hunt
The first ceremonial bison hunt in Banff National Park has been completed under an Indigenous-led pilot project. Parks Canada and the Indigenous Advisory Circle say three animals were harvested in a free-range hunt last year. It was the first bison hunt on the land that now makes up Banff since before the park was established nearly 145 years ago. Parks Canada reintroduced bison to a remote area of the national park in 2017 more than a century after they were hunted to near-extinction. Indigenous communities and Parks Canada developed the hunting approach together after the herd grew from 16 to more than 130 animals within seven years. Officials from Blackfoot, Tsuut’ina, Stoney Nakoda and Métis communities in southern Alberta say in a news release that the hunt was meaningful. “Historically...
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Unhoused people displaced following fire at Labrador Inn
By Derek Montague, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Approximately two dozen unhoused people displaced by a fire at the Labrador Inn in Happy Valley-Goose Bay have received emergency shelter at the Salvation Army, which local MHA Perry Trimper said has provided accommodations at their church. “Everybody’s safe and comfortable,” said Trimper, adding he expects the situation to be resolved within a matter of days. An interior fire at the Labrador Inn Wednesday morning forced emergency crews to evacuate the hotel and homeless shelter. At 10:35 a.m. Happy Valley-Goose Bay firefighters responded to a call at the Inn and arrived within four minutes. According to Fire Chief Brad Butler, the fire damaged a couple of bathrooms and the hotel’s kitchen area but not the residential area. “Nobody was injured; it was a...
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‘No room for fossil fuel expansion’: Grand Chief Steward Phillip clears the air on pipelines
By Matteo Cimellaro, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Long-time climate advocate and First Nation leader Stewart Phillip is walking back controversial remarks he made on Tuesday. Canada’s climate advocacy world gasped in unison after Phillip appeared to suggest building out pipeline infrastructure at a news conference. Phillip, who is the Grand Chief of the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs, was a strong critic of pipelines like Enbridge’s Northern Gateway pipeline and the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion when those projects were under consideration in the early- to mid-2010s. On Tuesday, he said those years were a “different time.” With the uncertainty of the U.S. President Donald Trump, Canada has “no choice” but to reconsider fossil fuel development, Phillip told reporters. “If we don’t build that kind of infrastructure, Trump will,” Phillip...
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Families sue TikTok in France over teen suicides they say are linked to harmful content
By Tom Nouvian CASSIS, France (AP) — In the moment when her world shattered three years ago, Stephanie Mistre found her 15-year-old daughter, Marie, lifeless in the bedroom where she died by suicide. “I went from light to darkness in a fraction of a second,” Mistre said, describing the day in September 2021 that marked the start of her fight against TikTok, the Chinese-owned video app she blames for pushing her daughter toward despair. ___ EDITOR’S NOTE — This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988. There is also an online chat at 988lifeline.org. Helplines outside the U.S. can be found at www.iasp.info/suicidalthoughts. ___ Delving into her daughter’s...
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B.C. First Nation leader apologizes, walks back on Northern Gateway pipeline support
By Chuck Chiang -CP-The president of the Union of BC Indian Chiefs apologized Wednesday and walked back comments he made earlier this week suggesting he supported reviving the Northern Gateway pipeline project. “I do not support resuscitating dead projects such as the failed Northern Gateway pipeline, which would have been an absolute disaster for our lands and waters,” Grand Chief Stewart Phillip said in a statement released by the union. “I sincerely apologize for any confusion on this point.” Phillip said he viewed his participation in protest movements and legal challenges against the pipeline plan that was scrapped in 2016 as “an absolute honour and privilege,” and he wanted to commend the thousands of others who also opposed it. The union said in the statement that the answer to the...
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Mount Polley boss says 2014 B.C. mine spill not toxic as firm faces fisheries charges
By Darryl Greer Canadian Press The president of the company involved in the Mount Polley environmental disaster that poured millions of cubic metres of mine tailings into B.C. waterways 10 years ago says the material spilled wasn’t toxic. Imperial Metals Corp. and two other firms were charged last month with 15 alleged Fisheries Act breaches, accused of allowing a “deleterious substance” from the mine’s tailings pond into several bodies of water. But Imperial Metals president Brian Kynoch says the mine tailings were “benign,” and the breach released traces of elements like copper and arsenic that are naturally occurring. Kynoch says no waters were poisoned by the spill, and testing showed that drinking water guidelines were not exceeded and fish numbers bounced back in the years following the spill. He says...
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Poilievre says he’s ‘not aware’ of more than two genders, has other priorities
By Alessia Passafiume -CP-Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said Wednesday he is only aware of two genders — male and female — and that the government should leave questions of gender identity alone. A leading LGBTQ organization, reacting to Poilievre’s comment, said denying the existence of trans and gender-diverse people could contribute to the rise in discrimination and violence targeting them. In an interview with the CP24 news channel, Poilievre was asked about President Donald Trump signing an executive order declaring the U.S. will only recognize two sexes and that they are unchangeable. Poilievre said he is not aware of more than two genders and that if the host had “any other you want me to consider, you’re welcome to tell me right now.” Poilievre was then asked whether he would...
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Northern Ontario First Nations claim billions over Robinson Treaties
By Margaret Kirk, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Next week, the federal and provincial governments are required to offer a long-anticipated settlement for the Robinson Superior Treaty (RST), an amount expected to surpass the historic $10-billion payout recently awarded to Robinson Huron Treaty (RHT) signatories. This marks another major milestone in Canada’s reconciliation efforts, as First Nations along Lake Superior move closer to justice for 150 years of unfulfilled treaty promises. Members of Garden River, Mississauga, Batchewawa and Thessalon First Nations — all which neighbour the Sault Ste. Marie community — have been awarded upwards of $100,000 in settlement money as treaty holders, but not without some controversy of how each First Nation has decided to allocate the funds. Next, neighbours along the Lake Superior shores to the west of the...
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Unhoused people displaced following fire at Labrador Inn
By Derek Montague, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Independent An interior fire at the Labrador Inn in Happy Valley-Goose Bay has left hotel management and the provincial government looking to house around 20 people for at least one night in the dead of winter. At 10:35 a.m. Happy Valley-Goose Bay firefighters responded to a call at the Inn and arrived within four minutes. According to town Fire Chief Brad Butler, the fire damaged a couple of bathrooms and the hotel’s kitchen area but not the residential area. “Nobody was injured; it was a quick knock-down by the fire department,” Butler said. “[The fire] was in behind walls. We had to rip walls and ceiling out,” he said, adding his firefighters “did a good job, and [the fire] didn’t extend too...
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Quebec coroner says man found near U.S. border in 2023 died of drowning, hypothermia
By Morgan Lowrie -CP-A 44-year-old Haitian man found dead in 2023 after he had tried to cross into the United States made a final phone call to his wife before succumbing to hypothermia and drowning in shallow water, a coroner has found. The body of Fritznel Richard was discovered on Jan. 4, 2023, in a ditch containing 45 centimetres of water near the U.S. border in St-Bernard-de-Lacolle, Que., says the report by coroner André-H. Dandavino. Richard had been living in Montreal but wanted to join his wife, who had already crossed to the United States, in the hopes of obtaining a green card. He died trying to cross the border on foot through some fields on Dec. 23, 2022. That night, as heavy snow fell around him, Richard called his...
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The Latest: The Pentagon will send 1,500 troops to secure US-Mexico border, officials say
-AP-Donald Trump is remaking the traditional boundaries of Washington, unleashing unprecedented executive orders and daring anyone to stop him. Here’s the latest: Trump administration has paused US resettlement of ‘Afghan allies,’ citing vetting Republican Rep. Brian Mast of Florida, the new chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and a military veteran, told the AP that the Trump administration had intentionally paused the planned U.S. arrival of more than 1,600 Afghans already cleared for resettlement in the United States. Mast cited “questions about the vetting of these individuals.” The Trump administration in its first days announced it was suspending overall U.S. refugee admissions for at least three months, while it considered whether to resume or end the program. The pause includes the U.S. travel of remaining Afghans who worked alongside...
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B.C. First Nation leader apologizes, walks back on Northern Gateway pipeline support
By Chuck Chiang -CP-The president of the Union of BC Indian Chiefs is apologizing and walking back comments suggesting he supported reviving the Northern Gateway pipeline project, and now says he doesn’t support “resuscitating dead projects.” In a statement released by the union, Grand Chief Stewart Phillip says the pipeline rejected in 2016 “would have been an absolute disaster” for British Columbia’s land and waters, and his participation in opposition to the project was “an absolute honour and privilege.” The union says in the statement that the answer to the Northern Gateway pipeline from Alberta to the Pacific “is still no,” while Phillips says he wants to “sincerely apologize for any confusion.” Phillip was asked at a news conference on Tuesday about Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s suggestion of reviving the...
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No ‘Team Canada’ without First Nations land rights, BC leaders say
By Rochelle Baker, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Canada’s National Observer First Nations leaders say they must be part of “Team Canada” — and decision makers on resource projects — to combat looming U.S. tariffs as they head into a key annual summit with the B.C. government. Eby’s opening remarks at a press conference for the ninth B.C. Cabinet and First Nations Leaders’ Gathering on Tuesday focused on the province working closely with Indigenous leadership to address challenges, such as housing affordability, the toxic drug crisis, global inflation and the threat of the U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade tariffs. However, chiefs with the First Nations Leadership Council made it clear that making headway on rights and title issues, decision-making around resource projects and aligning B.C. laws with the province’s Declaration on...
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Six Nations Public Works battling watermain breaks
SIX NATIONS OF THE GRAND RIVER- Six Nations Public Works crews were out in force today ( Jan 22, 2025) after frozen water lines burst on Chiefswood Road filling the ditch and running onto nearby yards and roadway. (Photos by Jim C. Powless) Six Nations Public Works is battling the two watermain breaks that require immediate repairs and are causing a loss in water service on Chiefswood Road between 5th and 6th Line and on 5th Line from Chiefswood Road and 1983 5th Line that is expected to continue into this evening. Six Nations Elected Council’s staff said the disruption is also expected to continue tomorrow (Thursday) morning as public works employees work to complete the emergency repairs. In addition the band’s “Truckfill” will be out of service to...
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Brant OPP arrest man in theft of Ninja juicers
(BRANT, ON) – A 34-year-old Brantford man has been arrested and charged after Brant County OPP responded to a theft at a retail store on Grand River Street North St., in Brant County January 14, 2025, at about 10:41 a.m.. OPP said a store manager spotted a male suspect shopping in the store and interacted with him shortly before the man left the store with two stolen items. The suspect had exited through the store’s entrance and fled the scene. The stolen items included: Ninja Slow Juicer valued at $219.99 Ninja Portable Juicer valued at $99.99 Total value (including tax): $361.60 Following an investigation, Brant County OPP charged, shortly after midnight Jan. 16, 2025, a Brantford man. Charged with Theft under $5,000 was Brandon D’Antonio, 34, of Brantford. The accused...
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Brantford Police charge two in trafficking and firearm seizure
BRANTFORD, ONT-Two men are facing firearms and drug charges after the Brantford Police Service (BPS) Drug and Firearm Enforcement Unit launched a drug investigation in Nov., 2024 involving a suspected drug dealer believed involved in trafficking fentanyl and hydromorphone in the city. BPS executed a search warrant at an Albion Street residence in the city Jan., 21, 2025 with the assistance of the BPS Emergency Response Team and the Forensic Identification Unit. As a result BPS said Canadian currency, a digital scale, and a loaded 12-guage sawed off shotgun were located along with the following illicit drugs : Approximately 32.8 grams of suspected fentanyl 68 suspected hydromorphone pills BPS said neither of the two suspects possess a valid firearms license. One of the suspects is bound by a Firearms Prohibited...
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NAPS will grow ‘exponentially’ in coming years: police chief
By Mike Stimpson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Thunder Bay Source THUNDER BAY — Nishnawbe Aski Police Service’s top cop says the force is poised to expand “exponentially over the next five to 10 years” thanks to provincial funding. NAPS is on track to add 80 new uniformed officers to its current 260 this year, Chief Terry Armstrong told Newswatch this week. The 80 new officers would swell the NAPS rolls to about 320 once you subtract 20 or so leaving the service in the course of the year, he said. NAPS is projected to eventually have about 520 officers plus more than 100 civilian employees, he said. Armstrong was the NAPS chief from 2013 to 2018 and then returned from retirement last March after Roland Morrison was suspended as police...
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Construction completed at Kivalliq Long-Term Care Centre in Rankin Inlet
By Darrell Greer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Kivalliq News -CP-A special ceremony was held in Rankin Inlet on Tuesday, Jan. 14, to mark the completion of construction on the Kivalliq Long-Term Care Centre. The $194-million facility, paid for through federal and territorial funds, is a cornerstone of the Katujjiluta mandate priority Aging with Dignity, according to the Government of Nunavut. The state-of-the-art facility is designed to provide specialized care for Elders with complex health needs, including dementia. Featuring 24 beds, it will ensure Elders can receive top-quality care close to home while honouring and celebrating Inuit culture. The building boasts a hair-dressing salon, sewing room, workshop, lift-assisted private washrooms, kitchen, sitting rooms and meeting rooms. The centre will undergo a commissioning phase for the next few months to prepare for...
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