Tataskweyak Cree Nation releases research alleging hydro operations harming Churchill River
By Steven Sukkau, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Winnipeg Sun Tataskweyak Cree Nation says independent scientific research confirms decades of environmental damage to the lower Churchill River caused by Manitoba Hydro operations, particularly impacts to lake sturgeon populations. At a news conference Tuesday at the offices of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, the First Nation released findings from multi-year studies conducted by biologists and hydrologists examining the effects of the Churchill River Diversion. The research concludes Manitoba Hydro has the technical capacity to operate the diversion in a way that better aligns with natural river flows and protects fish habitat, while still generating electricity, community leaders said. Chief Doreen Spence told reporters the diversion, which has operated since the mid-1970s, holds back up to 90 per cent of the water that...
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Feds commit funding to Indigenous-led study of rattlesnakes
By Sonal Gupta, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Canada’s National Observer For a long time, killing rattlesnakes was just a part of life in British Columbia’s South Okanagan. Jenna Bower, member of Okanagan Syilx Nation and Osoyoos Indian Band, said that her great-grandfather, now 93 years old, remembers that one of his first jobs was being paid to kill rattlesnakes when the area was first being cleared to make way for vineyards. As new orchards and farms took over native grasslands, the rattlesnakes had to vacate their habitats. “Everyone saw them as a big problem,” Bower said. By 2004, the western rattlesnake was listed as a threatened species. Since then, an Indigenous-led research program has been working to change the relationship between snakes and humans. The Nk’Mip Desert Cultural Centre, run...
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Coastal First Nations hit back after pundits and politicians challenge its legitimacy in pipeline debate
By Sonal Gupta, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Canada’s National Observer Disagreements over a proposal to build a pipeline to the BC coast has ignited a debate over who has the right to speak on behalf of First Nations. After Prime Minister Mark Carney signed a memorandum of understanding with Alberta to advance a new bitumen pipeline to the Pacific coast, he met with Coastal First Nations (CFN) leaders in January. BC Conservative leadership candidate Yuri Fulmer jumped in on X(formerly Twitter) to label CFN “just an advocacy group,” like a brand name. Fulmer claimed it is funded by foreign anti-energy groups and said if he becomes premier he will ban any foreign-funded organizations that attempt to influence BC politics. The Coastal First Nations are an alliance of eight First Nationsand...
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Neqotkuk First Nation wants Indigenous-led policing agency after fatal RCMP shooting
The chief of Neqotkuk First Nation wants provincial and federal support to establish an Indigenous-led policing agency on the reserve, following the death of a community member who was shot by an RCMP officer. Chief Ross Perley says the community is feeling anxious, sad and angry following Bronson Paul’s death. Paul died on Jan. 18 after RCMP officers responded to what police called a domestic dispute at a residence on the First Nation in northwestern New Brunswick, near the province’s border with Maine. Perley says the RCMP failed to follow a protocol that calls for them to request assistance from the First Nation’s council, outreach team or tribal security, who are skilled at de-escalating such situations. The chief says he closed the RCMP detachment in the community following the shooting...
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Public comments piling up at agency
By Carl Clutchey, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Chronicle-Journal Opponents to a proposed underground storage site for spent nuclear fuel rods near Ignace believe their message is coming through, given the response so far to the proponent’s initial project description. The public has until Wednesday to comment on the Nuclear Waste Management Organization’s lengthy document submitted to the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada. The We the Nuclear Free North citizen’s group has contended that the transportation of the fuel rods should be part of the proponent’s submission, given earlier concerns about potential road crashes expressed by rural municipalities and First Nations, including those near Thunder Bay. “The majority of comments to date, which now number over 150, have highlighted the need for transportation to be included in a full assessment...
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‘Health-care systems are not built for us’: LGBTQ+ people struggle to get good care
By Nicole Ireland A new report says LGBTQ+ people in Canada aren’t getting access to the health care they need — including mental-health treatment —compared to the general population. The Pink Paper on Health, released by Pink Triangle Press on Thursday, says mental health and gender-affirming services were the most prevalent concerns identified by LGBTQ+ people in a national survey. Almost 40 per cent of LGBTQ+ participants reported having a mental health disorder, including anxiety and depression, compared to 20 per cent of heterosexual, cisgender participants. Report co-author Nadia Bouhamdani said many Canadians are struggling with their mental health right now but she didn’t expect to see such a dramatic spike among the LGBTQ+ population. On top of a shortage of mental-health care providers overall, the report said, many aren’t...
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AFN, Jay Treaty Border Alliance issue U.S. travel advisory
By Lucas-Matthew Marsh, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Iori:wase The Assembly of First Nations (AFN) and the Jay Treaty Border Alliance (JTBA) are warning border crossers to exercise caution when travelling to the United States, following reports that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is targeting Indigenous peoples. Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK) Grand Chief Cody Diabo told Iorì:wase that Kahnawa’kehró:non should assess their own risk tolerance when deciding whether to travel to the United States. “It’s how the individual feels and their comfortability level,” Diabo said. These concerns entered the public’s consciousness last week after the AFN confirmed that it had received credible reports of ICE questioning and in some instances detaining Indigenous peoples traveling in the United States. In response, the AFN released a statement calling on ICE to...
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First Nation shooting in northern Quebec leaves two men dead
MISTISSINI FIRST NATION-Quebec provincial police say two men in their 30s were killed in a double murder Wednesday evening that has shaken a First Nation community in northern Quebec. The deaths appear to be linked to organized crime, Sgt. Hugues Beaulieu said Thursday. “It seems to be an isolated event, possibly within the context of organized crime, a kind of settling of scores in the drug trafficking world,” Beaulieu said. The two men were found inside a bullet-ridden vehicle following multiple reports of gunshots on a street in Mistissini, a Cree community located along the shore of Lake Mistassini, 600 kilometres northwest of Quebec City. The Eeyou Eenou Police Force investigated the shooting on Riverside Street. The victims, both local residents, were transported to a local medical facility where they...
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Gambier OCP shift: Trust committee to embed First Nations policy directives
By Jordan Copp, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Coast Reporter The Gambier Island Local Trust Committee voted to draft amendments that embed Squamish Nation–driven directives into the Official Community Plan (OCP), moving reconciliation from principle to policy. Planner Melanie Zupanek said the project now requires “a much more focused work program” so the LTC can complete tangible components before the fall 2026 election cycle. She framed the first step as bringing forward OCP language that “is grounded in the reality of these issues.” Staff outlined a narrowed work plan focused on implementing Squamish Nation recommendations A1, A2, A4 and A5 — including updated acknowledgements, explicit reconciliation commitments, and recognition of how historic settlement patterns and protected‑area designations have affected Indigenous cultural use — followed by advisory planning commission review and limited...
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Brantford Police Warning Public of Extortion Scam
BRANTFORD,ONT-The Brantford Police Service (BPS) is warning the public of an extortion scam that threatens harm through text messages. BPS said they have received reports of victims that were targeted through threatening text messages of harm that were directed at them or their family. BPS said the messages could also contain images, or videos of masked individuals wearing tactical-style gear that was intended to intimidate victims into sending money. BPS said the threats are designed to create fear and pressure victims into making immediate payments. What to Do If You Receive These Messages The Brantford Police Service reminds the public: Do not engage with the sender. Do not send money or provide any personal information. Hang up / stop communication immediately. Call police right away to report the incident Additional...
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First Nation shooting in northern Quebec leaves two men dead
Quebec provincial police say two men in their 30s were killed in a double murder Wednesday evening that has shaken a First Nation community in northern Quebec. The deaths appear to be linked to organized crime, Sgt. Hugues Beaulieu said Thursday. “It seems to be an isolated event, possibly within the context of organized crime, a kind of settling of scores in the drug trafficking world,” Beaulieu said. The two men were found inside a bullet-ridden vehicle following multiple reports of gunshots on a street in Mistissini, a Cree community located along the shore of Lake Mistassini, 600 kilometres northwest of Quebec City. The Eeyou Eenou Police Force investigated the shooting on Riverside Street. The victims, both local residents, were transported to a local medical facility where they were pronounced...
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Power line announcement ‘absolutely huge’ mayor says
By Matt Prokopchuk, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, TBnewswatch.com LONGLAC — Count Greenstone’s mayor among those who say they’re excited about slated power line upgrades. James McPherson said an announcement by the Ontario government that formally designated the long-planned Greenstone transmission line a “priority project,” and tapped Hydro One to develop and build it, is “absolutely huge for all of us.” He said it will especially benefit the seven First Nations that have partnered together with the opportunity to invest in a 50 per cent stake in the project, as well as Greenstone itself. “The biggest thing is opportunity for more industrial expansion. And for all of us who live along that line, that when the power goes out, it may not be four or 12 hours (to get it restored),”...
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Legal setbacks against a dam in the Amazon raise questions about Brazil’s reliance on hydropower
By Gabriela Sá Pessoa SAO PAULO (AP) — The Belo Monte hydropower plant in the Brazilian Amazon, one of the world’s largest, was designed to channel water from the Xingu River in a way that would avoid the need for large reservoirs, which could flood surrounding areas. After years of legal battles, authorities approved the project, located in the southwestern part of the state of Para, on one condition: it would not threaten ecosystems and communities of Indigenous people along stretches of the river. A decade after operations began in 2016, Brazilian courts have found that Belo Monte failed to meet that requirement and that its environmental and social impacts were far greater than forecast. “They were just confirming what we already knew,” said Ana Laíde Barbosa, a member of...
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First Nation under lockdown after shooting resulting in ‘multiple fatalities’: chief
A First Nation in northern Quebec is under lockdown after a deadly shooting. Chief Michael Petawabano of the Cree Nation of Mistissini has issued a statement urging members of the community to stay in their homes and lock their doors as police investigate a shooting that has caused “multiple fatalities.” He says travel in and out of the community is restricted and all public buildings and facilities are closed. Petawabano says the lockdown will remain in place until law enforcement confirms it is safe to resume normal activities. The chief says the community is grieving for the lives lost and the families affected by the shooting. Officials first announced the lockdown late Thursday night, saying there was an active shooter at large. Mistissini is a community located along the shore...
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Smudging on skates: Indigenous roller derby team slams onto the big screen
By Dionne Phillips, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, IndigiNews A documentary about a multinational all-Indigenous roller derby team is skating into theatres across the country this week. Rising Through the Fray, by Kanien’kehá:ka (Mohawk) filmmaker Courtney Montour, chronicles the journey of Team Indigenous Rising. The team, formerly known simply as Team Indigenous, describes itself as “borderless” because it’s rooted in cultural identity, not local geography — its skaters come together from dozens of nations despite colonial boundaries dividing them. Montour, from the community of Kahnawà:ke, spent several years filming Team Indigenous Rising for her latest project. In an interview with IndigiNews, she says she’d been following roller derby throughout her life. But when she heard an all-Indigenous team would attend the Roller Derby World Cup in the United Kingdom, she knew...
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First Nation under lockdown after shooting resulting in ‘multiple fatalities’: chief
A First Nation in northern Quebec is under lockdown after a deadly shooting. Chief Michael Petawabano of the Cree Nation of Mistissini has issued a statement urging members of the community to stay in their homes and lock their doors as police investigate a shooting that has caused “multiple fatalities.” He says travel in and out of the community is restricted and all public buildings and facilities are closed. Petawabano says the lockdown will remain in place until law enforcement confirms it is safe to resume normal activities. The chief says the community is grieving for the lives lost and the families affected by the shooting. Mistissini is a community located along the shore of Lake Mistassini. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 29, 2026. ....
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Ontario education minister places seventh school board under provincial control
By Allison Jones Ontario’s education minister placed a seventh school board under supervision Wednesday in order to prevent dozens of teachers from being laid off, he says, and he is planning to soon take control of another board over financial concerns. Paul Calandra announced that he has put Peel District School Board under supervision and is giving the York Catholic District School Board two weeks to make a case for avoiding the same fate. The board in Peel Region, west of Toronto, was about to lay off 60 teachers, Calandra said. That would have affected about 1,400 students. “Mid-way through the year, they were planning on laying off teachers and moving around classrooms and impacting students,” he said in an interview. “You can just imagine what that does in schools,...
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Nearly $23M expansion slated for local wastewater system
By Matt Prokopchuk, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, TBnewswatch.com SIOUX LOOKOUT — Several years’ worth of work is scheduled to start this spring on Sioux Lookout’s wastewater system. That’s according to Mayor Doug Lawrance, who told Newswatch increasing the capacity of the existing water treatment plant is needed to accommodate the municipality’s growth. “Our population has just grown steadily over the decades and continues to grow,” he said. “And the town expands and, as a result, the infrastructure needs to expand as well.” In a media release, the municipality says the province has committed more than $16.6 million for the work (the municipality is responsible for over $6.1 million on top of that), which will include upgrading existing infrastructure, improving mechanical and other systems and bettering “effluent and solids management.” “Together,...
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Family of Alex Pretti retains lawyers who helped prosecute the George Floyd case
By Michael Biesecker The parents of Alex Pretti have retained a former federal prosecutor who helped Minnesota’s attorney general convict the police officer who kneeled on George Floyd’s neck of murder. Pretti, an intensive care nurse at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center, was shot multiple times on Saturday as he was filming Border Patrol officers conducting an immigration enforcement operation. Steve Schleicher, a partner at the Minneapolis firm Maslon, is an experienced litigator who served as a special prosecutor for Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison in the 2021 trial of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. Prior to entering private practice, Schleicher served as a state prosecutor and worked for 13 years in the office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota, handling cases ranging from murder to organized...
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You’ll soon see copper recycling points around Yellowknife
By Aastha Sethi, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Cabin Radio The North Slave Métis Alliance and the City of Yellowknife have signed a memorandum of understanding to launch a new copper recycling program. The agreement – signed on Wednesday at the AME Roundup conference in Vancouver – will enable the collection, processing and recycling of waste copper from governments, businesses and residents. According to a news release, the goal is to divert copper from the landfill and recover a material increasingly in demand for clean energy technologies, electric vehicles and modern infrastructure. Beginning in spring 2026, residents and businesses will be able to drop off copper at existing recycling depots as well as at the city’s solid waste facility. The project was transferred to NSMA as part of a closure agreement...
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