First Nations Health Authority backs harm reduction on B.C. overdose anniversary
By Brenna Owen Deaths from toxic drugs may have dipped, but now is not the time to pull back on life-saving measures, especially given “misinformation” in the public discourse, the top doctor at British Columbia’s First Nations Health Authority said Monday. Dr. Nel Wieman said Indigenous Peoples continue to be disproportionately represented among the deaths as the province marked the ninth anniversary of the toxic drug crisis being declared a public health emergency on April 14, 2016. Wieman said her team was pushing B.C.’s Health Ministry to help find a tailored approach for Indigenous-specific issues with the goal of preventing more people from dying and closing the gap with the non-Indigenous population. Wieman presented data showing 427 Indigenous people in B.C. died of a toxic drug overdose last year, a...
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First Nations Health Authority backs harm reduction on B.C. overdose anniversary
By Brenna Owen The top doctor at British Columbia’s First Nations Health Authority says deaths from toxic drugs may have dipped, but now is not the time to pull back on life-saving measures, especially given “misinformation” in the public discourse. Dr. Nel Wieman says Indigenous Peoples continue to be disproportionately represented among the deaths as B.C. marks the ninth anniversary of the toxic drug crisis being declared a public health emergency. She says her team is pushing B.C.’s Health Ministry to help find a tailored approach for Indigenous-specific issues to prevent more people from dying and close the gap with the non-Indigenous population. Wieman presented data showing 427 Indigenous people in B.C. died of a toxic drug overdose last year, representing a 6.8 per cent decrease from 2023. However, she...
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Nuu-chah-nulth queer language words celebrated at storytelling event
By Nora O’Malley, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Ha-Shilth-Sa Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, B.C. – Ten years ago, Hesquiaht First Nation and Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ elder Nicki Love McCarthy asked Nuu-chah-nulth knowledge keepers if they knew of any words that described queerness. Through a flurry of texts, emails and Facebook messages, the knowledge keepers were able to bring these words forward, and McCarthy generously shared them during a Sunday, April 13 afternoon presentation in the Sičquuʔuƛ (Sitch – KHOO – ootl) Theatre in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve’s Kwisitis Visitor Centre. Sičquuʔuƛ is the late Barbara Touchie’s Nuu-chah-nulth name and means “a dorsal fin coming around a point of land”. Touchie was dedicated to revitalizing Nuu-chah-nulth language and culture. Parks Canada renamed the theater after her in 2016. “I’m very grateful for the language people. Our...
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8,600 textbooks shredded: How can we avoid this happening again?
By Anasophie Vallee, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Telegram PC MHA Lela Evans is questioning how long NL students were learning inaccurate information about Indigenous peoples. In early February, the Department of Education ordered school administrators to shred 8,600 Grade 7 and 8 French immersion textbooks. According to a CBC News article, the books were initially purchased back in January 2023 for $202,140; it was only recently it was determined the books contained false information about Indigenous peoples and history. The Department told The Telegram that “schools were asked to destroy the books so that they would not remain in circulation and risk perpetuating inaccurate information.” They added that it is common practice for schools to be asked to dispose of delisted resources that are outdated or no longer suitable/approved....
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Tariff response to be focus at Queen’s Park as new session begins after election
By Liam Casey and Allison Jones -CP-Ontario’s response to the escalating trade war with the United States will factor heavily in the first legislative sitting after Premier Doug Ford cruised to victory in the snap February election. Ford will outline his government’s priorities in a throne speech today delivered by the lieutenant-governor. The Progressive Conservative government is expected to table legislation Wednesday to open up interprovincial trade in another effort to combat the effects of U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canadian goods. Ford says he wants to make trade between provinces and territories less onerous. Interprovincial trade is set up with a number of protectionist barriers that Ford says makes trade easier with the United States than the rest of the country and also makes labour mobility difficult. Ford...
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Guilty plea entered in 2022 Sheg slaying
By Jacqueline St. Pierre, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Manitoulin Expositor SHEGUIANDAH FIRST NATION—In the heart of Manitoulin Island’s tranquil landscapes, a storm brewed on June 24, 2022, culminating in a tragedy that underscored the Island’s escalating struggle with external criminal elements. Hanif Glave-Duncan, a then 20-year-old from Hamilton at the time of the incident, pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the shooting death of 32-year-old Cheyenne Roy at a residence on Wiigush Miikan in Sheguiandah First Nation. Mr. Glave-Duncan, also known locally as Jordan Doe and Jordan Duncan, had embedded himself in the Island’s drug subculture. Residing with his then-partner Payton Atawish, he operated a drug trade from her home. On that fateful night, Mr. Roy, armed with bear mace, intended to confront and rob Mr. Glave-Duncan of drugs and...
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Indigenous leaders denounce UBC profs’ ‘outdated and regressive’ lawsuit against land acknowledgements
By Aaron Hemens, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, IndigiNews Indigenous leaders are condemning a lawsuit by a group of University of British Columbia (UBC) professors and one graduate student who are against the school making land acknowledgements, along with other diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. One syilx Okanagan chief described the legal demands as “attempts to erase syilx Okanagan presence and rights.” Five UBC faculty members — including three professors at the school’s Okanagan campus, as well as a professor and a graduate student at its “Vancouver” campus — filed the petition in the B.C. Supreme Court on April 7, calling for a judge to ban the province’s largest university from engaging in what they called “political activity.” Those activities, according to the petitioners, include statements that UBC is on unceded...
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US Army to control land on Mexico border as part of base, migrants could be detained, officials say
By Tara Copp And Lolita C. Baldor WASHINGTON (AP) — A long sliver of federal land along the U.S.-Mexico border that President Donald Trump is turning over to the Department of Defense would be controlled by the Army as part of a base, which could allow troops to detain any trespassers, including migrants, U.S. officials told The Associated Press. The transfer of that border zone to military control — and making it part of an Army installation — is an attempt by the Trump administration to get around a federal law that prohibits U.S. troops from being used in domestic law enforcement on American soil. But if the troops are providing security for land that is part of an Army base, they can perform that function. However, at least one...
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Outdoor education facility officially opened in Îyârhe Nakoda FirstNation
By John Watson, Local Journalism Initiative, Rocky Mountain Outlook ÎYÂRHE NAKODA FIRST NATION – A new outdoor education building has been officially opened at Mînî Thnî community school to offer students hands-on learning experiences and a different experience to more standardized desk learning. Since 2022, the Wim and Nancy Pauw Foundation has donated $290,000 to the Stoney Education Authority, and has committed an additional $125,000 annually for the next two years to the facility. “We are still looking at getting an official name for our outdoor land-based building, and basically, it is there for our four schools to utilize so that we can do land – based education and lessons in a totally different setting from the regular traditional classroom,” said Bill Shade, superintendent of Stoney Education Authority. “We wanted...
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From longhouse to powerhouse: Six Nations pursues energy sovereignty
By Sonal Gupta, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Canada’s National Observer A 130-year-old Indigenous longhouse is leading the charge toward energy independence for an Ontario community — and showing how their cultural values can fuel the future. The project, led by the Cayuga Nation of the Six Nations of the Grand River, aims to reduce reliance on energy sources such as propane for heat and power by integrating clean energy solutions with their cultural traditions. The Sour Springs Longhouse, built in 1892, is an important ceremonial site for the Six Nations community in southwestern Ontario. In 2022, the community undertook a three-phase renovation, which includes energy-efficient retrofits, the installation of a 24-kilowatt hybrid solar photovoltaic (PV) system, and the construction of a low-carbon seed storage facility. But first, it was a...
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Judge rules BRFN counsel in ‘conflict of interest’ amid ousted Chief’s judicial review
By Ed Hitchins, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Energeticcity.ca FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — The dismissed Blueberry River First Nations (BRFN) Chief is celebrating a victory in her fight against the council which ousted her. Judy Desjarlais was removed last fall after an independent investigation by BRFN council launched in 2023 said she had failed to “act unilaterally, but did so regardless” pertaining to exemptions granted for Petronas’ industrial work on BRFN’s high-value areas. The high-value areas are zones of particular importance for BRFN’s way of life that require specific management to protect them from new development. The federal judge in Desjarlais’ review protesting her removal, Justice Catherine A. Coughlan, has said the opposing counsel hired by BRFN was in a conflict of interest. BRFN’s counsel had previously worked at another...
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Next generation of scientists and innovators showcase their creativity, curiosity
By Maggie Macintosh, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Winnipeg Free Press Up-and-coming researchers showed off their microplastic extractions and homemade artificial intelligence models at the 2025 Manitoba Schools Science Symposium. Five years after it was abruptly called off due to COVID-19, the annual event inviting Grade 4 to 12 students to put their hypotheses to the test is rebounding. The competition has returned to the University of Manitoba’s Max Bell Centre and its latest edition drew 335 competitors from 35 schools — the strongest turnout since 2018-19. Veteran Ella Strachan was among them. For her final science fair, the Grade 12 student wanted to measure plastic pollution in Lake Winnipeg and determine where it is most likely to accumulate. She had a dozen vials of lake water containing colourful debris on...
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Mushuau Innu sign expanded bylaws to combat drug crisis
By Heidi Atter, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Independent The Mushuau Innu Band Council has signed new an expanded trespassing bylaw and expanded enforcement bylaw, giving expanded powers to community safety officers to search personal effects at the airport, search band-owned homes, and for the band council in Natuashish to ban more people from the community with the goal of disrupting the flow of drugs into the remote First Nation community. The bylaw changes, signed April 7 by the chief and council, came less than two months after mothers and grandmothers in Natuashish held a meeting on the drug situation in the fly-in community in February. At the time, the women proposed a number of ideas, including the now-expanded community safety officer powers and home searches. Chief John Nui said...
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Candidates discuss their polices relating to healthcare access
By Keith Lacey, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Penticton Herald With more than six million Canadians lacking access to a family doctor, healthcare accessibility has become a pressing issue across the country — including in the federal riding of South Okanagan–West Kootenay. During Wednesday’s only scheduled candidates’ forum, held at the Cleland Theatre in Penticton, the topic of healthcare access was among several key issues discussed during the two-hour Q&A session. “Access to healthcare remains top of mind for millions of Canadians, particularly in rural communities, where emergency room closures have become all too common,” said Michael Magnusson, executive director of the Chamber. “These issues impact not just the health and well-being of individuals, but also the viability of small towns.” Magnusson posed the following question to candidates: “What is your...
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BC’s interior old-growth forests hiding billions in economic benefits, report says
By Sonal Gupta, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Canada’s National Observer Protecting old-growth forests in the BC interior could generate more than $43 billion over the next century — far more than logging the land, a report says. Research by environmental consultancy ESSA Technologies determined that if all the old-growth forest in regions around the Okanagan and Prince George were fully protected, the carbon storage alone would keep 28 million tonnes of carbon emissions out of the atmosphere over the next 100 years. That’s roughly what would be generated by burning 63 million barrels of oil, and would be worth $43 billion — $33 billion for Prince George and $10 billion for the Okanagan. Even limited protection of only the most at-risk forests would yield $11 billion in benefits. “The value...
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Poilievre promises tougher ethics rules, takes aim at Carney’s assets
By Kyle Duggan Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is promising to tighten financial transparency rules for elected officials — and is using that promise to take aim at Liberal Leader Mark Carney. Poilievre told a press conference in Ottawa on Sunday that if his party forms government, he’ll ban what he calls “shadow lobbying.” “We will eliminate the lobbying loophole and require anyone who is acting as an adviser to government officials to declare themselves and register as a lobbyist, whenever they are advising on matters that touch upon their financial interests or that of their company,” Poilievre said. He said this rule would have forced Carney to register as a lobbyist when he advised former prime minister Justin Trudeau through the Liberal party. The Conservative leader also said he would...
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NWMO puts out call for suppliers in region
By Mike Stimpson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Thunder Bay Source IGNACE – Having chosen a site for keeping used nuclear fuel underground, the Nuclear Waste Management Organization is now reaching out to local and Indigenous businesses and suppliers in Northwestern Ontario about contracts relating to the project. The deep geological repository, or DGR, that the industry funded organization wants to build west of Ignace means potentially hundreds of jobs and many other economic opportunities as well, a news release said. “It’s really exciting,” NWMO spokesperson Vince Ponka said Friday. “We are looking for northern businesses, Northwestern Ontario businesses, to connect with us and register, just so we’re aware of the businesses that are out here, the suppliers that are out here.” Ponka said the DGR “is such a major, huge...
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UCCM Police shares ‘Lighting the Fire Within’ to other police forces
By Jacqueline St. Pierre, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Manitoulin Expositor M’CHIGEENG — After five years of early intervention work aimed at preventing intimate partner violence (IPV) in Anishnaabe communities across Manitoulin Island, the UCCM Anishnaabe Police Service is calling on the federal and provincial governments to permanently fund its Lighting the Fire Within program. Originally launched in 2018 with a $1 million investment from Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE), the program was built to address the roots of IPV through trauma-informed, culturally grounded, community-first approaches. But with the original funding expired, UCCM Police say the work can’t stop now. “The Lighting the Fire Within programming helped within our communities and it’s unfortunate that the funding has stopped,” said UCCM Police Chief James Killeen. “We want to keep a...
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Kitselas First Nation in northwestern B.C. votes in favour of self-governance
Members of the Kitselas First Nation in British Columbia’s Skeena Valley region have voted to become self-governing. The nation says in a news release that more than 96 per cent of its enrolled voters took part in the ratification on Thursday. It says 85 per cent of voters ticked Yes for the treaty, while 81 per cent voted Yes for its constitution. The nation says the vote means it will no longer be “controlled by Canada’s Indian Act” and will work for the next three years to implement the treaty. It says under the treaty, enrolled citizens will be able to vote in elections, receive treaty benefits, exercise their rights and run for elected office. Christine Boyle, B.C.’s minister of Indigenous relations and reconciliation, congratulated the nation on Friday,...
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Valemount says businesses facing shutdown amid B.C. government ‘inaction’
By Peter Shokeir, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Jasper Fitzhugh The Village of Valemount is accusing the British Columbia government of “inaction” for failing to provide financial relief for businesses impacted by the 2024 Jasper wildfire. Valemount Mayor Owen Torgerson described his experience lobbying his provincial government as “frustrating” and emphasized how dire the economic situation was for his community. “We’ve seen closures, whether that’s temporary or permanent,” Torgerson said. “We’ve seen curtailment of hours. We’re hearing of layoffs, so it’s a mix [of situations]. The business community, regardless of what sector you’re in, has been impacted immensely.” Last summer, the Jasper wildfire forced thousands to evacuate to Valemount and closed regional highways. To mitigate the indirect impacts of the wildfire on local businesses, the Village is now seeking $1.5 million...
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