Forestry audit scheduled for B.C. licence for land covering spotted owl habitat
British Columbia’s independent forestry watchdog says it will conduct an audit of a logging licence for more than 1,000 square kilometres of land that encompasses critical habitat for the endangered northern spotted owl. The Forest Practices Board says in a release that the licence, jointly held by the Skatin, Samahquam and Xa’xtsa First Nations as well as Lizzie Bay Logging, covers an area about 50 kilometres southeast of Pemberton, B.C. The board says the audit will begin on Aug. 25, and parties affected by the findings will have a chance to respond before the watchdog makes official recommendations to the province. The partnership acquired the licence in 2008 and currently manages an allowable annual cut of about 45,000 cubic metres on the land on the lower Lillooet River between the...
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Forestry audit scheduled for B.C. licence for land covering spotted owl habitat
British Columbia’s independent forestry watchdog says it will conduct an audit of a logging licence for more than 1,000 square kilometres of land that encompasses critical habitat for the endangered northern spotted owl. The Forest Practices Board says in a release that the licence, jointly held by the Skatin, Samahquam and Xa’xtsa First Nations as well as Lizzie Bay Logging, covers an area about 50 kilometres southeast of Pemberton, B.C. The board says the audit will begin on Aug. 25, and parties affected by the findings will have a chance to respond before the watchdog makes official recommendations to the province. The partnership acquired the licence in 2008 and currently manages an allowable annual cut of about 45,000 cubic metres on the land on the lower Lillooet River between the...
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Nishnawbe Aski Nation deputy grand chief cleared of misconduct
By Matt Prokopchuk, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, TBnewswatch.com THUNDER BAY — An independent investigation has cleared a Nishnawbe Aski Nation deputy grand chief of misconduct, his lawyer says. NAN chiefs-in-assembly met in closed session on Aug. 13 during the Keewaywin Conference in Moose Cree First Nation where they were presented with the final report by an independent investigator who was probing publicly unspecified allegations of misconduct against Deputy Grand Chief Bobby Narcisse, said Douglas Judson, a partner at Judson Howie LLP, in a statement to Newswatch. “The session was brief,” Judson said. “You may infer from that, and the outcome, that participants felt the matter had been satisfactorily resolved and wanted to move on.” All restrictions that were in place on Narcisse and his performing of his official duties were...
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The last dance? Organizers of North America’s largest powwow say 2026 will be the event’s final year
By Susan Montoya Bryan ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — For decades, tens of thousands of people have descended upon Albuquerque for what is billed as North America’s largest powwow, a celebration showcasing Indigenous dancers, musicians and artisans from around the world. Organizers announced Saturday that 2026 will be the last time the cultural event is held, saying via email and social media that it will end after 43 years without providing details on the decision. “There comes a time,” Gathering of Nations Ltd. said in a statement. The official poster for the 2026 event features the words “The Last Dance.” Organizers did not immediately respond to phone and email messages seeking comment. The New Mexico fairgrounds have hosted the powwow since 2017, but it’s unclear whether the venue would be available...
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Tsleil-Waututh paddler shares Indigenous war canoe culture
By Abby Luciano, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, North Shore News Canoes are deeply embedded in səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh Nation) history and culture, and one member is helping share that story in a museum exhibit. Mekwalya (Zoe George)’s exhibit táywilh | snəxʷəɬ is currently on display at the Vancouver Maritime Museum, featuring canoe and paddles, history and interviews she conducted with family members highlighting the importance of war canoeing. “I thought, what better way to do research than to share about canoeing and canoe culture, just because it is a really big part of my community’s life and a lot of other First Nations communities on the Lower Mainland,” George said, who also has Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) ties. George’s work is supported by the Clear Seas Indigenous Internship Program, which provides Indigenous post-secondary...
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Mexico, Guatemala and Belize to create tri-national nature reserve to protect Mayan jungle
By Sonia Pérez D. And Megan Janetsky GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — The leaders of Mexico, Guatemala and Belize announced on Friday that they were creating a tri-national nature reserve to protect the Mayan rain forest following a meeting during which they also discussed expanding a Mexican train line criticized for slicing through jungle habitat. The nature reserve would stretch across jungled areas of southern Mexico and northern parts of the two Central American nations, encompassing more than 14 million acres (5.7 million hectares). Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum called the move “historic” and said it would create the second biggest nature reserve in Latin America, behind the Amazon rain forest. “This is one of Earth’s lungs, a living space for thousands of species with an invaluable cultural legacy that we should...
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Buhl Fire under control after recent rains
By Michael Oleksyn, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Prince Albert Daily Herald More moisture over the past week has been a welcome sight for residents of Waskesiu. Parks Canada has lifted the pre-evacuation order and the Buhl Fire is no longer a threat. Waskesiu Community Council chair Jim Kerby Chair said on Friday that the recent rainfall was a welcome sight for northern residents. “A lot has happened in the last week or so, and for a change, all of it is great news for Waskesiu and our neighbouring communities,” Kerby write in an email. “The Buhl wildfire has been very well managed and it poses no threat to the community whatsoever. We have had a lot of rain, and the fire ban and pre-evacuation orders have both been lifted—a grand...
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Hundreds may have been exposed to rabies at bat-infested cabins in Grand Teton National Park
By Sejal Govindarao And Mead Gruver Health officials are working to alert hundreds of people in dozens of states and several countries who may have been exposed to rabies in bat-infested cabins in Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park over the past few months. As of Friday, none of the bats found in some of the eight linked cabins at Jackson Lake Lodge had tested positive for rabies. But the handful of dead bats found and sent to the Wyoming State Veterinary Laboratory in Laramie for testing were probably only a small sample of the likely dozens that colonized the attic above the row of cabins, Wyoming State Health Officer Dr. Alexia Harrist said. Other bats weren’t killed but got shooed out through cabin doors and windows. Meanwhile, the vast majority...
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‘Screaming into silence’: Parents of serial killer victim address special hearing
By Brittany Hobson The father of a First Nations woman who died at the hands of a Winnipeg serial killer told a special court hearing his family was left to “grieve in pieces” for three years before she was identified. The family and community of Ashlee Shingoose presented victim impact statements Friday during the hearing in Manitoba’s Court of King’s Bench. It came one year after Jeremy Skibicki was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life for killing Shingoose and three other First Nations women. Albert Shingoose described travelling from his home community of St. Theresa Point Anisininew Nation in northeastern Manitoba on a mission to comb Winnipeg streets looking for his missing daughter in 2022. “Sometimes my legs and feet could not take even one more step,” he...
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Nipissing First Nation calls on province to halt glyphosate spraying
By David Briggs, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, BayToday.ca Nipissing First Nation (NFN) hosted a rally today outside Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli’s office at 219 Main Street, in North Bay, urging the provincial government to stop spraying glyphosate-based herbicides over Nipissing Forest—which is Nbiising traditional territory. Fedeli was not at his office, and at the time of writing, has not issued a statement regarding the rally. Curtis Avery, Environment Manager for NFN, helped to organize the rally, which at around 10 a.m., had about 50 supporters lining the sidewalk in front of Fedeli’s office. “They’re spraying the herbicide directly over areas where people are using those resources and occupying the land. These are places where we bring our youth and our children to learn and play.” Glyphosate is the main chemical...
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Protect Ontario legislation ‘deeply flawed’: NAN
By Mike Stimpson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Thunder Bay Source THUNDER BAY — The province’s Protect Ontario by Unleashing Our Economy Act and a similar federal bill are both “deeply flawed” and unworthy of support without corrective action, says the political organization for 49 First Nations in northern Ontario. “Ontario’s Bill 5 and Canada’s Bill C-5 are deeply flawed pieces of legislation that have left First Nations out of the decision-making process about what happens in their territories,” a written statement sent by Nishnawbe Aski Nation to Newswatch on Friday said. Bill 5 was the Protect Ontario act’s number as it passed through the required three readings and committee hearings in Queen’s Park. The sprawling legislation’s many parts included allowing the provincial cabinet to create “special economic zones” to fast-track...
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Saint Andrews prepares public consultations for new municipal plan
By Andrew Bates, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Telegraph-Journal The Town of Saint Andrews is preparing to give its proposed municipal plan a public debut next week. For the last year, planners with the Southwest New Brunswick Service Commission and town staff have been working on a new municipal plan. On Aug. 18, the plan is set for a public presentation, as required by provincial legislation, at a special council meeting, followed by a 30-day comment period, according to an online notice. “We’re kind of using it to kick off the more extensive consultation on both the municipal plan and the zoning bylaw that will come with it,” senior planner Xander Gopen told Brunswick News last week. A municipal plan includes policy statements on land use, environmental conservation, transportation, municipal services,...
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Decades after a PM got pied, the threat landscape in Canadian politics has changed
By Catherine Morrison When Prime Minister Jean Chrétien got hit in the face with a pie 25 years ago, the only thing hurt was his pride. A quarter-century later, Canada’s security landscape has changed radically. Threats of violence against politicians have become far more common. What seemed like a harmless prank then looks more like a warning now. “There is this view that you’re a politician, it’s all fair game,” said Catherine McKenna — who was herself the target of multiple threats of violence while she served as a federal minister. “We need people to go into politics and not feel threatened. It’s literally about the health of our democracy because if you want people to go into politics, you can’t expect that they’re going to put up with this...
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Chiefs down visiting Lakers in opening match of MSL championship series
Warren Hill backstopped the Six Nations Chiefs to victory on Sunday. Photo by Darryl Smart. By Sam Laskaris Writer Thanks in large part to a nine-point performance from Dhane Smith, the Six Nations Chiefs managed to win the series-opening game of their league final on Sunday. The Chiefs downed the Peterborough Lakers 11-6 in the opening match of their best-of-seven Major Series Lacrosse (MSL) championship series. The contest was held at the Chiefs’ home, Iroquois Lacrosse Arena. The series resumes Tuesday night at the Peterborough Memorial Centre. The opening faceoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. Chiefs’ head coach John Tavares had plenty of praise for Smith, whose nine points on Sunday was a season high for him. Smith has been on fire in the post-season. During the Chiefs’ four-game...
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First Nation in B.C. says 41 more graves found by penetrating radar at school site
A First Nation in British Columbia says 41 “additional unmarked graves” have been found as a result of a search with ground-penetrating radar on the site of a former residential school. The shishalh First Nation, on B.C.’s Sunshine Coast, said in a release Friday that a team has been scanning the area around St. Augustine’s Residential School site for the last 18 months, at locations identified through interviews with survivors. It said the discovery brings the number of suspected graves at the site to 81, after initial findings that were announced in 2023. First Nations communities have tended to use careful language when announcing the findings of such searches, ranging from anomalies and areas of interest to possible graves, but the shishalh statement says graves were “identified by archeologists.” It...
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First Nation in B.C. says 41 more graves found by penetrating radar at school site
-CP-The shishalh First Nation says 41 “additional unmarked graves” have been found as a result of a search with ground-penetrating radar on the site of a former residential school. The nation on British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast says a team has been scanning the area around the St. Augustine’s Residential School site for the last 18 months, at locations identified through interviews with survivors. It says the discovery brings the number of suspected graves at the site to 81, after initial findings that were announced in 2023. First Nations communities have tended to use careful language when announcing the findings of such searches, ranging from anomalies and areas of interest to possible graves, but the shishalh statement says graves were “identified by archeologists.” The nation says children from its community as...
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‘Eye for an eye’: Father of serial killer victim addresses special court hearing
By Brittany Hobson The father of a First Nations woman who died at the hands of a Winnipeg serial killer three years ago says he’s still angry and frustrated. A special court hearing for the family and community of Ashlee Shingoose is being held in Manitoba’s Court of King’s Bench. It comes a year after Jeremy Skibicki was convicted of the 2022 killings of Shingoose and three other First Nations women. He was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison, but Shingoose was only identified after his trial. Albert Shingoose told court he wanted to look Skibicki in the eye and address him in person. But the killer isn’t at the hearing and isn’t required to attend. “I would say to him, ‘I want an eye for...
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Officials hope rain clear heavy smoke from wildfire near Port Alberni, B.C.
Officials on Vancouver Island are hoping rain in the forecast can help clear up the air quality muddied by an out-of-control wildfire. The Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District says wildland firefighters have said the rain may improve air quality locally, but that it’s hard to be certain. The west central region is under an air quality statement, along with parts of Vancouver Island’s east coast and the Sunshine coast region on the B.C. mainland. The intense Mount Underwood wildfire has grown to more than 34 square kilometres, with fire behaviour that the BC Wildfire Service says is “unusual” for Vancouver Island. The fire has cut off power and the main road access to Bamfield, B.C., about 200 kilometres northwest of Victoria, and Parks Canada says it is starting to limit visits to...
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‘We can do better’: Indigenous people overrepresented in B.C. police watchdog cases
By Ashley Joannou The head of British Columbia’s police watchdog says Indigenous people remain overrepresented in its investigations of incidents involving officers in which someone is seriously injured or killed. In her first report as chief civilian director of the Independent Investigations Office, Jessica Berglund said about six per cent of B.C.’s population identify as Indigenous, yet 18 per cent of those involved in IIO investigations were Indigenous. Berglund said in an interview on Thursday that she thinks there may be additional cases involving Indigenous people that her office is not aware of because citizens could feel uncomfortable coming forward. In those situations, they rely on local organizations working in communities to help bridge the gap, she said. “We have already had at least one case in the last several...
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‘It will feel amazing’: Indigenous artist speaks as Treaty 8 mural takes shape
By Ed Hitchins, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Energeticcity.ca FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — An Indigenous artist is inching closer to completing the Treaty 8 mural project against the backdrop of a prominent office building in town. Alisa Parenteau (nee Froh) is hard at work on the artwork, which will be completed on the Treaty 8 Tribal Association’s south wall at its offices on 100th Avenue in Fort St. John. Vandals targeted the wall with profanities and swastikas earlier this year, and the mural project was announced last month. Parenteau said the mural, which will depict an Indigenous woman holding the Treaty 8 medal against a landscape, came to her in a dream back in 2021. “It will just feel amazing,” said Parenteau. “I am still in awe that I even...
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