Indigenous Issues Prominent in Brantford–Brant South–Six Nations Federal Race
By Joshua Santos Writer Indigenous issues, including access to clean drinking water, internet infrastructure, housing, health care, and justice, are central in the Brantford–Brant South–Six Nations riding as the federal election approaches on April 28. The newly revamped riding includes the City of Brantford, parts of Brant County, Six Nations. the most populous First Nations reserve in Canada, and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. The new electoral district was created after redistribution from the former Brantford–Brant riding, which was split into two: Brantford–Brant South–Six Nations and Flamborough–Glanbrook–Brant North. Elections Canada has confirmed seven candidates in the riding. Conservative MP Larry Brock, who was elected in 2021 with 40.3 per cent of the vote, is seeking re-election. A Turtle Island News scheduled interview with Brock’s campaign, was cancelled and...
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Easter bunny makes it to Six Nations’ 56th annual Easter Egg hunt
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Even politicians need training
Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) appears to be jumping feet first into labour issues. The current council, who seems to have an aversion to political issues, is now encroaching on its human resources department’s territory. At a number of meetings since the new council was elected, the Elected Chief has met privately in her office with staff complaining of a variety of issues involving their working conditions breaching what has always been and continues to be, a no-go zone for any politician at any level. Staffing issues has always been the domain of human resources. Since the Elected Chief appears to be suffering from a job description let’s be brief. Staff complaints are sent to directors who send them to the Senior Administrative Officer (SAO) who meets with the Human...
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Today in History
April 20 In 2022, Chief Byron Bitternose of the George Gordon First Nation in Saskatchewan said a months-long search with ground-penetrating radar near the George Gordon Indian Residential School site detected 14 possible graves. The George Gordon residential school was run by the Anglican Church between 1888 to 1996 and has been described as one of the worst residential schools in Canada. In 2023, the Shishalh Nation on British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast said ground-penetrating radar identified what are believed to be 40 unmarked graves of children on or near the site of the former St. Augustine’s Residential School. April 21 In 2022, a national Inuit organization endorsed a plan that aims to change Crown-Inuit relations. The Inuit Nunangat policy acknowledges the distinct geopolitical region in the North and creates a...
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By Joshua Santos, Writer BRANTFORD, ONT-Three Brantford men are facing drug trafficking and weapons charges after police seized suspected fentanyl, crack cocaine, brass knuckles, and other illegal items during a traffic stop. Brantford Police Service (BPS) officers conducted the stop on a vehicle travelling along Brock Street on April 9, according to a BPS news release. Three men were in the vehicle, including a driver who police said was driving with a suspended licence and wanted on a warrant. During the traffic stop BPS said a bag containing a white powdered substance was seen, in plain view, prompting a search of the vehicle and its occupants. As a result police seized approximately 22.7 grams of suspected fentanyl, about 10 grams of suspected crack cocaine, nearly 24 tablets of dilaudid, brass knuckles...
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Hydro One Upgrades Electrical Infrastructure in Six Nations
By Joshua Santos, Writer Hydro One has begun installing new network equipment on distribution poles in Six Nations as the first step toward replacing electricity meters later this year. According to a Six Nations’ social media post, the upgrades are intended to support the growing energy needs of the community and will be carried out without cost to Six Nations Elected Council or customers. “Hydro One will replace meters in the Six Nations later this year,” said Tiziana Baccega Rosa, senior media relations advisor. “As part of this replacement, the first step is to install new network equipment on some of our distribution poles in the community. Traffic controls are used to safely install the network equipment however road closures are not expected.” Installation work began on April 5 and...
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Six Nations elite athlete Bev Beaver passes away
By Sam Laskaris Writer Six Nations member Beverly Beaver, a local multi-sport athlete holding numerous sports awards, has passed away. Beaver died this past Saturday. She was 77. Beaver excelled at fastball, hockey and bowling. At only fourteen years of age she also became a key member of the Ontario Senior All-Star team She would go on, with her remarkable athletic ability, hard work, and team leadership to be honoured with more than twenty awards, including multiple Tom Longboat awards for the most outstanding native athlete. Her accomplishments include winning a regional (southern Ontario) Tom Longboat Award in 1967 as well as a national Tom Longboat Award in 1980. The awards are named after legendary Six Nations runner Tom Longboat. Regional and national awards are presented to the top Indigenous...
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Six Nations teen leads London hockey team to Ontario title
By Sam Laskaris Writer Thanks in large part to a Six Nations member, a minor hockey boys’ team from London captured a provincial championship on Sunday. Tyee Garlow played a pivotal role for the London Jr. Knights, who won the gold medal at the Ontario Hockey Federation (OHF) Under-15 AA tournament. Garlow had four points, two goals and two assists, in the championship final as his squad downed the Sudbury-based Nickel City Cubs 4-3 in overtime. Garlow earned an assist on the OT goal. The Jr. Knights hosted the five-team provincial tournament at the Western Fair Sports Centre. Moments after the Jr. Knights were crowned Ontario champs, Garlow reflected on the team’s season. “It feels good,” he said. “We battled hard and it was a great year. There was a...
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Martin completes sophomore season with Toronto Rock
By Sam Laskaris Writer Justin Martin would prefer to be participating in the National Lacrosse League (NLL) playoffs which begin this Friday. Instead, the Six Nations member and his Toronto Rock teammates had their 2025 campaign come to an end this past Saturday. The Rock did manage to edge the host Rochester Knighthawks 11-10 in its regular season finale. But despite that victory, the Rock compiled a 6-12 record. The squad ended up in 13th place in the 14-team NLL. The top eight finishers will be moving on to participate in the playoffs. Martin and his teammates were involved in numerous close outings. The Rock lost a half a dozen matches by just one goal. “If we won half of those, we’d be in the playoffs,” Martin said. Martin said...
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Federal party leaders trade jabs as election heads into final days
The clock is ticking before Canadians head to the polls to cast their ballot in the April 28 election, and attacks from federal party leaders are heating up. Both the Liberals and Conservatives are critiquing each other’s platforms, with Liberal Leader Mark Carney saying the Tory platform relies on “phantom math,” while Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is charging the Liberal platform was authored for former prime minister Justin Trudeau. Polls suggest the Liberals are ahead of the Conservatives, with the majority of respondents to a Leger survey saying they think Carney will win. NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, meanwhile, is seeing support for his party dwindle, with the Green Party falling below them. Poilievre is set to spend time in Hamilton today before heading to a rally in Nova Scotia, while...
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Nunavut, Manitoba governments declare commitment to advance Kivalliq Hydro-Fibre Link
By Darrell Greer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Kivalliq News The governments of Nunavut (GN) and Manitoba signed a joint statement on April 16 declaring their commitment to advance the Kivalliq Hydro-Fibre Link, a vital energy and communications corridor connecting the two regions. The strategic initiative aims to drive economic development, support reconciliation, combat climate change and strengthen Canada’s Arctic security. The Inuit-led, Inuit-driven project, estimated to cost $1.6 billion, is one of four nation-building infrastructure projects declared a priority by the GN and Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. Nunavut Premier P.J. Akeeagok said the Kivalliq Hydro-Fibre Link (KHFL) will deliver clean energy to Kivalliq communities while unlocking the economic potential in the region, addressing Canada’s vulnerabilities in the Arctic and advancing national sovereignty and security goals. “This partnership with Manitoba is a...
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Politicians spar in Manitoba legislature over government therapy contract
By Steve Lambert Tempers flared at the Manitoba legislature Tuesday as the Opposition Progressive Conservatives questioned the NDP government about a contract for mental health therapy, suggesting it may have been for the benefit of Finance Minister Adrien Sala. Tory Greg Nesbitt tabled a document that shows the Finance department recently signed a contract for $10,205 with a counselling services provider in Winnipeg. The provider advertises services including stress management, grief counselling and conflict resolution. The contract was one of more than 40 signed by the department for a variety of services so far this year and, without any supporting evidence, Nesbitt suggested it was to provide services for Sala. “Why can’t this minister pay for his own self-reflection?” Nesbitt asked in question period as some New Democrats shouted at...
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Taking the helm – New Cree Grand Chief Norman Wapachee aims to keep the river flowing
By Patrick Quinn, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Nation The inauguration of Norman A. Wapachee as Cree Grand Chief in Ouje-Bougoumou March 31 reflected the energy and pride of the Cree Nation. Swiftly organized after the surprise resignation of Mandy Gull-Masty four days earlier, there was genuine warmth in the speeches, elegant decor and delicious feast. Ancestral heirlooms decorated the room and guests were adorned in traditional attire and regalia. Kevin-Joseph Mianscum shared that he prepared catering for 100 in just two days, with help from Kecia Metabie-Bosum and Capissisit Lodge. Rumours about the circumstances behind Gull-Masty’s sudden “transition” to Liberal candidate in the federal election April 28 lent an air of intrigue to the event. This chatter enlivened a charter flight from Montreal with Cree government members and Gull-Masty’s...
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Comparing the Candidates – Gull-Masty’s Liberal candidacy shakes up northern Quebec’s electoral riding
By Patrick Quinn, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Nation With trade war tensions dominating narratives regarding the upcoming federal election on April 28, some are concerned that Indigenous issues are being overlooked. However, the Assembly of First Nations has listed Abitibi–Baie-James–Nunavik–Eeyou as one riding where Indigenous voters could swing results. The vast territory covering over half of Quebec’s land mass has approximately 65,500 voters, of which 40% are Indigenous. Since NDP MP Romeo Saganash’s tenure ended in 2019, Bloc Québécois MP Sylvie Bérubé has held the seat. Only a third of the riding’s eligible voters cast ballots in the last election. With this spring’s snap election, the shortest campaign allowable under Canadian law, Bérubé had a head start as the other parties scrambled to name candidates. Before becoming the first...
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Federal party leaders trade jabs as election heads into final days
The clock is ticking before Canadians head to the polls to cast their ballot in the April 28 election, and attacks from federal party leaders are heating up. Both the Liberals and Conservatives are critiquing each other’s platforms, with Liberal Leader Mark Carney saying the Tory platform relies on “phantom math,” while Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is charging the Liberal platform was authored for former prime minister Justin Trudeau. Polls suggest the Liberals are ahead of the Conservatives, with the majority of respondents to a Leger survey saying they think Carney will win. NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, meanwhile, is seeing support for his party dwindle, with the Green Party falling below them. Poilievre is set to spend time in Hamilton today before heading to a rally in Nova Scotia, while...
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Team Kivalliq out to nab Indigenous Junior Hockey Championship
By Darrell Greer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Kivalliq News The final selections have been made for the Team Kivalliq squad that will compete at the inaugural U20 National Indigenous Junior Hockey Championships from June 9-13 at the CanLan Sports York University in Toronto. Three rinks will be used for the event, plus the facility’s two simulator rooms. The event will be an annual competition that brings together Indigenous junior hockey athletes from across the country to compete for the national title. The championships are open to male and female division players aged 16-20 and are an opportunity for players to showcase their skills, and for the Indigenous hockey community to come together and celebrate their achievements. All team members and staff must be of Indigenous ancestry (First Nation, Metis, and...
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Advance voter turnout much higher than in 2021
By Mike Stimpson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Thunder Bay Source THUNDER BAY — Nationwide and locally, this federal election is on track to have the highest voter turnout in more than 35 years. Elections Canada disclosed Tuesday that an estimated 7.3 million people voted at advance polls April 18-21 across the country. That’s about 25 per cent more than the 5.8 million who voted in advance in the 2021 general election. In Thunder Bay-Superior North, 15,244 of the riding’s roughly 68,000 eligible voters cast advance ballots, returning officer Dale Mason said. Numbers from advance polls in neighbouring Thunder Bay-Rainy River and Kenora-Kiiwetinoong were not yet available. Mason said the local and national numbers suggest that, when the election-day polls close next Monday night, voter turnout will be at a greater...
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Energy efficient school in Coquitlam, B.C., gets clean energy designation
The Coast Salish Elementary school in Coquitlam, B.C., has been designated a Clean Energy Champion by BC Hydro for its energy efficiency. The school is equipped with solar panels, a hybrid heat pump, LED lighting and uses technology to track its energy production and consumption. It’s the first “green” school in the Coquitlam School District and is projected to save about 740 tonnes of carbon emissions over 15 years. Frank Pearse, the school’s principal, says energy education is embedded in the student learning experience. BC Hydro CEO Chris O’Riley says using energy efficiently is the cleanest way to meet growing demand and the utility has been a leader in helping customers reduce their energy bills. BC Hydro says in a statement the schools commitment to energy conservation and sustainability has...
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The pope was a friend, and they talked sports: TRC commissioner remembers Francis
By Fakiha Baig Wilton Littlechild remembers closing his eyes before Pope Francis lead his first mass at the Vatican more than a decade ago. He wanted to clearly hear every word. As the pope’s voice grew louder, Littlechild, a residential school survivor and former commissioner for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, says he became still and thought: “I was listening to one of our elders.” Littlechild says it was the first time he saw the head of the Catholic Church as an ally of Indigenous people. “(Francis) was telling some of us traumatized as adults to seek to love … that’s how our elders talk to us. We grew up not knowing love. That stuck with me all the way until today,” Littlechild, 81, said following the pope’s...
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