Nations react to US strikes on Iran with many calling for diplomacy
By Associated Press Several close U.S. allies urged a return to the negotiating table in the wake of American strikes on Iran that fueled fears of a wider conflict, while noting the threat posed by Tehran’s nuclear program. Some countries and groups in the region, including those that support Iran, condemned the move while also urging de-escalation. U.S. President Donald Trump had said Thursday that he would decide within two weeks whether to get involved in Israel’s war with Tehran. In the end, it took just days. Washington hit three Iranian nuclear sites early Sunday. It remained unclear how much damage had been inflicted, and Iran said it reserved the right to “resist with full force.” Some have questioned whether a weakened Iran would capitulate or remain defiant and begin...
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Here’s how Iran could retaliate after US strikes on its nuclear program
By Joseph Krauss And Jon Gambrell Iran has spent decades building multi-tiered military capabilities at home and across the region that were at least partly aimed at deterring the United States from attacking it. By entering Israel’s war, the U.S. may have removed the last rationale for holding them in reserve. That could mean a wave of attacks on U.S. forces in the Middle East, an attempt to close a key bottleneck for global oil supplies or a dash to develop a nuclear weapon with what remains of Iran’s disputed program after American strikes on three key sites. A decision to retaliate against the U.S. and its regional allies would give Iran a far larger target bank and one that is much closer than Israel, allowing it to potentially use...
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Sask Rivers responses to TRC Calls to Action continues growth
By Michael Oleksyn, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Prince Albert Daily Herald The Saskatchewan Rivers School Division highlighted efforts they’ve made to address some of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s (TRC) Calls to Action in an update presented at Monday’s regular board meeting. Superintendent Jennifer Hingley provided the update. Hingley shared highlights of the division’s response including growing land-based learning opportunities and ongoing work in anti-racist/anti-bias education with both leadership and school staff. The division has been tracking efforts to respond to those calls since 2017. Director of Education Neil Finch agreed with Hingley’s assessment during the report that the depth and breadth of actions taken make it more difficult to update on a yearly basis. “There are lots of different pieces that we’re doing,” Finch said. “We just talked about...
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Carney says Middle East ‘highly volatile’ after U.S. strikes Iran, calls for calm
By Craig Lord Prime Minister Mark Carney called for de-escalation on Sunday after the United States carried out strikes against three Iranian nuclear sites earlier in the day. Carney issued a social media post shortly before 8 a.m. Eastern saying the U.S. military action was “designed to alleviate” threats posed by Iran, but the situation in the Middle East remains “highly volatile.” “Stability in the region is a priority,” Carney said on the social media platform X. “Canada calls on parties to return immediately to the negotiating table and reach a diplomatic solution to end this crisis.” The military intervention brings the United States into Israel’s efforts to scuttle Iran’s nuclear program and broadens fears of an escalating conflict. Much of the global reaction to the U.S. strikes Sunday echoed...
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‘Heat dome’ over Ontario and Quebec causing wild weather across much of Canada
By David Friend Blame the heat dome hanging over Ontario and Quebec for some of the strange weather hitting other parts of the country. Environment Canada meteorologist Julien Pellerin says scorching temperatures over the eastern part of the continent are causing below-normal temperatures in other regions, which have led to warnings of wet snow and heavy rain in the West. “If you have a heat dome on a sector, you can expect colder air in another sector, so that’s what the Prairies are currently experiencing,” Pellerin said on Sunday. “It’s coming from the United States, a high-pressure system that doesn’t move quickly … so it brings intense heat and moist air over southern Ontario and southern Quebec and it’ll settle there for the next three days.” The dangerous temperature levels...
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Is Brant County’s first speed camera changing driver behaviour?
By Celeste Percy-Beauregard, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Hamilton Spectator In just four months, the first photo-radar camera in Brant County netted approximately $170,000 in tickets — but more importantly, it seems to be getting through to drivers. The county installed it westbound on Silver Street in Paris, in front of North Ward Elementary School — a stretch that got up to 4,659 monthly incidents of speeding, the municipality previously said. When the speed board went up in September (collecting data but no tickets), more than half of the 20,196 passing vehicles were recorded speeding, according to a report the administration and operations committee saw this week. By the time the photo radar went live on Feb. 3, only 39 per cent of recorded vehicles were speeding. The number dipped...
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‘Here We Stand’: River journey protests controversial bills
By Sonal Gupta, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Canada’s National Observer A 20-year-old university student from Attawapiskat First Nation in northern Ontario is putting his summer on hold — to take a 400-kilometre boat journey in protest against new provincial and federal bills he says threaten his people’s land, culture and way of life. Jeronimo Kataquapit is leading a grassroots movement called “Here We Stand,” a direct response to Ontario’s recently passed Bill 5 and the proposed federal Bill C-5 — pieces of legislation that, according to Indigenous leaders, accelerate mining and development in the Ring of Fire region without proper Indigenous consultation. Kataquapit’s journey, which began Monday from Attawapiskat, is a physical reassertion of Indigenous presence and inherent rights in a territory he argues is wrongly portrayed as uninhabited. “One...
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Manslaughter plea leads to more jail time in courthouse stabbing case
By Bob Mackin, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Prince George Citizen A judge sentenced a 25-year-old woman June 9 in Prince George Provincial Court to another year-and-a-half in jail after pleading guilty to manslaughter. Danika Rose Payou, 25, was originally charged with second-degree murder after stabbing Cassie Larocque twice at the Sunrise Valley Mobile Home Park after midnight on Feb. 14, 2023. “The injuries were severe and catastrophic, and almost immediately fatal,” Crown prosecutor Robert Climie told Judge Martin Nadon. Payou and Larocque had been at a man’s residence with another woman where they ate dinner and socialized for several hours. Court heard that Payou and Larocque had been consuming methamphetamine before the incident at 12:21 a.m. The man they were visiting found Larocque lying on the floor, bleeding from stab...
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CRTC says its wholesale internet rules balance need for competition and investment
By Sammy Hudes Canada’s telecommunications regulator has once again determined the country’s largest internet companies should be able to provide service to customers using fibre networks built by their rivals — as long as they are doing so outside their core regions. It marks the CRTC’s final decision on the contentious matter — which has pitted Telus Corp. against BCE Inc. and Rogers Communications Inc., along with many smaller providers — after a lengthy process filled with several interim rulings and reconsiderations. Bell has argued against the policy, saying it discourages the major providers from investing in their own infrastructure, while some independent carriers have raised concerns that it could make it more difficult for them to compete against larger players. Meanwhile, Telus has defended it as a way to...
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Want to plant trees to offset fossil fuels? You’d need all of North and Central America, study finds
By Melina Walling Planting trees has plenty of benefits, but this popular carbon-removal method alone can’t possibly counteract the planet-warming emissions caused by the world’s largest fossil-fuel companies. To do that, trees would have to cover the entire land mass of North and Central America, according to a study out Thursday. Many respected climate scientists and institutions say removing carbon emissions — not just reducing them — is essential to tackling climate change. And trees remove carbon simply by “breathing.” But crunching the numbers, researchers found that the trees’ collective ability to remove carbon through photosynthesis can’t stand up to the potential emissions from the fossil fuel reserves of the 200 largest oil, gas and coal fuel companies — there’s not enough available land on Earth to feasibly accomplish that....
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California is to examine its Amazon oil ties following pleas from Indigenous leaders from Ecuador
By Steven Grattan And Godofredo Vasquez RICHMOND, California (AP) — An oil tanker sat docked at Chevron’s sprawling refinery in Richmond on Thursday — a visible link between California’s appetite for Amazon crude and the remote rainforest territories where it’s extracted. Just offshore, bundled in puffy jackets against the Bay wind, Indigenous leaders from Ecuador’s Amazon paddled kayaks through choppy waters, calling attention to the oil expansion threatening their lands. Their visit to California helped prompt the state Senate to introduce a landmark resolution urging officials to examine the state’s role in importing crude from the Amazon. The move comes as Ecuador’s government prepares to auction off 14 new oil blocks — covering more than 2 million hectares of rainforest, much of it Indigenous territory — in a 2026 bidding...
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Federal power to sidestep Indian Act removed from major projects bill
By Alessia Passafiume The federal government’s major projects legislation was amended by opposition parties on Wednesday to withdraw the power the bill gave cabinet to sidestep the Indian Act, following weeks of criticism from First Nations leaders. But Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Nepinak Woodhouse said Thursday the “limited changes” made to the bill don’t go far enough. She still wants the government to give members of Parliament more time to study the legislation. The Liberal government’s controversial legislation, which would allow cabinet to quickly grant federal approvals for big industrial projects like mines, ports and pipelines, was introduced on June 6, and sailed through the committee study in about eight hours on Tuesday and Wednesday. Amendments to the bill made in committee include removing the Indian Act...
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First Nations leaders in Alberta call on feds to scrap Bill C-5
By Jeremy Appel, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Alberta Native News Treaty 6 and 8 First Nations leadership have joined fellow First Nations leaders across Canada to call on the federal government to scrap its proposed One Canadian Economy Act, also known as Bill C-5. The legislation, which was introduced in the House of Commons on June 6, has two components—reducing barriers to inter-provincial trade and enabling the government to fast-track infrastructure projects, including mines, ports and pipelines, that it deems to be in the “national interest.” The latter part of the bill, which would reduce the average time for a project’s completion from five to two years, has raised red flags for First Nations leaders, who fear it will undermine Treaty rights, as well as the right to “free, prior...
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First-year student honoured to be chosen for Reconciliation in Action Award
By Michael Oleksyn, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Prince Albert Daily Herald Graduates at the Prince Albert Campus of Saskatchewan Polytechnic crossed the stage at the Art Hauser Centre on Thursday. The convocation ceremony took place in two parts with a morning and afternoon session. Jade Littlechief, a first-year student in Resource and Environmental Law program, received the Reconciliation in Action Award. Littlechief, who is originally from White Bear First Nations in the southeast, said he was shocked to be recognized as a first-year student. “I was very surprised, but also it was a very big boost, and with how I feel about education and all that I’m very honoured to be selected for it,” he said. “I know that the best way I could explain is (to say) I wasn’t...
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First Nation posts hot protest on Instagram
By Mike Stimpson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Thunder Bay Source BIG TROUT LAKE – The chief and council of Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug First Nation want Premier Doug Ford’s government to know they offer no support in his Ring of Fire plans. So they sent that message by Instagram. A short video on the social media platform shows council member Samuel Mckay and others in the remote Treaty 9 community burning documents. The many binders contain an environmental assessment, according to the post, delivered by the province through “drive-by consultation.” The video says the Ford government “air-dropped” the documents about work in the Ring of Fire. Mckay explained in an interview with Dougall Media on Thursday that the papers were delivered at the community airport by provincial representatives. “We do not accept...
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Mike Pemberton wins Yukon Liberal leadership race, will be next premier
By Ashley Joannou and Isabel Ruitenbeek Mike Pemberton has been named the new leader of the Yukon Liberal Party and will be the territory’s 11th premier. A local businessman and longtime party insider, Pemberton won the leadership race by 13 votes over former Kwanlin Dun First Nation Chief Doris Bill. Pemberton told supporters gathered Thursday night at the party’s convention in Whitehorse that they have an opportunity to build on eight years of strong leadership and First Nations partnerships. “(It’s) an opportunity to grow together, to grow our party, to show our strong track record of economic growth, our commitment to public safety, affordability and the well-being of all communities, big and small,” he said. No date has been set for when Pemberton will be sworn in as premier but...
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Parliament set to rise today, with MPs to vote on controversial major projects bill
Prime Minister Mark Carney’s major projects and internal trade bill will be voted on today before the House of Commons rises until September. A closure motion the government passed to limit debate says the House won’t adjourn today until debate wraps up on Bill C-5 and it clears the chamber. The Liberal government’s controversial legislation, which would let cabinet quickly grant federal approvals for big industrial projects like mines, ports and pipelines, sailed through committee in the early hours of Thursday with support from the Conservatives. Indigenous and environmental groups and some opposition MPs and senators have criticized the government for rushing a bill through Parliament that gives cabinet such sweeping powers. The legislation was amended Thursday to withdraw the power it gave cabinet to sidestep the Indian Act after...
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Federal power to sidestep Indian Act removed from major projects bill
By Alessia Passafiume After weeks of criticism from First Nations leaders, the federal government has amended its major projects bill to withdraw the power it gave cabinet to sidestep the Indian Act. The Liberal government’s controversial legislation, which would allow cabinet to quickly grant federal approvals for big industrial projects like mines, ports and pipelines, sailed through committee in the early hours of Thursday. Amendments to the bill made in committee include the removal of the Indian Act from a list of laws the government can sidestep when determining whether a project should move forward. The change comes after First Nations leaders warned the bill could violate their constitutionally protected rights. First Nations leaders also said Ottawa could face legal challenges, and its fast-tracked projects could be slowed down, if...
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CAPP survey shows oilpatch spends billions on Indigenous-affiliated businesses
By Lauren Krugel A survey commissioned by the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers shows oil and gas companies spent more than $14 billion procuring goods and services from Indigenous-affiliated businesses between 2021 and 2023. Data science firm iTOTEM Analytics collected numbers from 12 members of the industry advocacy group that together represent half of Alberta’s oil and natural gas production. The report says during the three-year period, almost 18 per cent of the industry’s supply chain spending was directed to Indigenous-affiliated vendors, which iTOTEM defines as businesses with some degree of First Nations, Métis or Inuit ownership. In Alberta, where the bulk of those funds were spent, the CAPP members did business with 585 Indigenous-affiliated enterprises across 110 municipalities and 45 Indigenous communities. Most of the spending was on construction...
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Six Nations assessing flood damage
SIX NATIONS OF THE GRAND RIVER-Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) says it will be assessing support following severe flooding which occurred on Wednesday,June 18. The territory and surrounding area experienced multiple heavy downpours, closing roads and delaying traffic. “Closed Road” signage blocked several parts of the territory the next day, The assessment includes “checking the status of SNGR buildings and gathering information from community members who have been affected by the flooding,” as stated in a press release issued on June 19. It acknowledged that many homes and community buildings have experienced flooding, and for some, wastewater backups affecting property. Residents at Iroquois Lodge and Jay Silverheels have been evacuated to other family homes and long-term facilities in Norfolk Delhi. The numbers of residents taken to a new location has...
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