Firm mum on perceived wind farm plans
By Carl Clutchey, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Chronicle-Journal A large Toronto-based energy company with wind and solar projects in operation across the country says details about a potential wind farm project just west of Thunder Bay are not yet being made public, and may be released at a later date. “Capstone is committed to best practices in public consultation when it comes to new projects, so broader community notice and engagement would take place if a potential project was moving forward, including notification in the local media,” Capstone Infrastructure spokeswoman Megan Hunter said in an email. According to an excerpt from a Capstone document that appeared on social media, the company is exploring areas 40 kilometres west of Thunder Bay and 20 km west of Kakabeka Falls. Potential sites...
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Mohawk Council of Kahnawake rejects One Canadian Economy Act, undermines sovereignty
By Lucas-Matthew Marsh, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Iori:wase The Mohawk Council of Kahnawake has rejected the proposed One Canadian Economy Act in an open letter addressed to Prime Minister Mark Carney published on Monday. Presented by the Liberal Party last week as a way to revive Canada’s stagnating economy, the act has drawn criticism from First Nations across the country for undermining their sovereignty. MCK accused the federal government of capitalizing off the threat of U.S. tariffs and economic instability as a pretence to fast-tracking development projects on Indigenous lands without due process or consent. “Canada is shirking and shifting its responsibilities so soon after the departure of King Charles,” MCK Grand Chief Cody Diabo said. According to MCK, the Prime Minister’s Office gave just seven days’ notice to a...
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Continued failure to consult on uranium exploration a harmful mistake: Mi’kmaw Chiefs
By Lyndsay Armstrong Nova Scotia’s continued failure to consult with First Nations on uranium exploration is a mistake that will further erode the province’s relationship with Mi’kmaq communities, says the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaw Chiefs and a lawyer from Sipekne’katik First Nation. Pictou Landing First Nation Chief Tamara Young said the Mi’kmaq people were neither consulted nor notified when Nova Scotia introduced then passed a bill that opens the province up to potential uranium mining and fracking. “The lack of consultation is unacceptable and goes against the UNDRIP (United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples),” Young said in a statement to The Canadian Press on Wednesday. The assembly has said they will continue to oppose both uranium exploration and hydraulic fracturing until their environmental concerns have been...
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Jay Treaty Border Alliance wants 50 per cent blood quantum requirement removed
MCK Grand Chief attended diplomatic mission to Washington with Jay Treaty Border Alliance By Lucas-Matthew Marsh, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Iori:wase Mohawk Council of Kahnawake Grand Chief Cody Diabo has returned from a two-day diplomatic visit to Washington, D.C. last week, as part of the Jay Treaty Border Alliance (JTBA) delegation. Diabo said the delegation met with a bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers, including congressional representatives, members of the House and Senate Judiciary Committees, and the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security, to advocate for changes to the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). The JTBA is calling for the removal of a clause in the INA that requires individuals to prove at least 50 percent “American Indian blood” in order to exercise cross-border rights under the Jay Treaty. Diabo...
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Six Nations and Brantford-Brant Paramedics team up to grant golf wish
By Celeste Percy-Beauregard, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Hamilton Spectator A tee time with loved ones and a peanut butter chocolate parfait. After nearly half a year in palliative care at Brantford General Hospital, it’s what James Thomson — Jim to his friends — was longing for. It happened, thanks to two local paramedic services. Andrew Wood started a palliative “wish” program as part of the Brant-Brantford community paramedicine team. His mission is to help Brantford and Brant County residents in their last weeks or months of life to fulfil an experience they wouldn’t be able to easily accomplish on their own. In just over a year, he has facilitated four in-person experiences and many more virtual ones. Thomson — a retired Toronto Sun journalist — golfed “every single day...
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Legal experts gear up to challenge Bill 5 as First Nations pledge to ‘close Ontario’s economy’
By Anushka Yadav, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Pointer Rallies for endangered species. Protests led by First Nations. A filibuster from the NDP. More than 4,000 amendments tabled by the Liberals. Two committee hearings with Indigenous leaders, legal experts, labour representatives, and more. Despite all of it, Bill 5 passed. On June 5, as Ontarians across the province struggled to breathe through smoke-filled air from wildfires raging across the country, Bill 5, dubbed the Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act, received royal assent. Legal experts, Indigenous leaders and environmental groups are vowing to turn the Bill against the politicians who steamrolled it through the legislature with little regard for all the laws and policies it violates at all three levels of government. For Ontario Nature’s conservation policy and campaigns...
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Sentencing hearing set for late August for First Nations healer found guilty of assaulting client
By Keith Lacey, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Penticton Herald A First Nations healer found guilty of assaulting one of his clients during native healing sessions almost three years ago will have his sentencing hearing at the Penticton courthouse on Aug. 29. Donald Wayne Ashley, who is in his mid-50s, was originally charged with six counts of sexual assault on allegations that he inappropriately touched six complainants during different native healing sessions over a four-day period in the middle of October 2022. Following a highly-emotional, one-month trial last fall, a jury found Ashley guilty of one count of common assault, but not guilty of three counts of sexual assault. The jury rendered their decision at 1 a.m. following two full days of deliberations. Ashley, who spent much of his life in...
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Indoor farming helps community members bring healthy food to northern Manitoba
By Ruchira Nandasiri and Miyoung Suh Healthy food is hard to come by in northern Manitoba. Food shipped from the south is prohibitively expensive and is often stale, and the climate and soil in the region don’t support much traditional outdoor farming. This issue disproportionately impacts northern Indigenous communities, many of which have moved away from traditional food practices, creating a supply problem with far-reaching health consequences. The 10-year First Nations Food, Nutrition and Environment Study, funded by Health Canada and published in 2018, found that one in four First Nations people in Manitoba is affected by diabetes. Those living in Manitoba’s vast but sparsely populated portion of the Boreal Shield Ecozone experience poorer health outcomes compared to their southern neighbours. A lack of employment opportunities, combined with limited food...
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Opponents rally as Ford government barrels ahead with Bill 5
By Ethan Braund, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Woolwich Observer After an atypically quick process, the Ford government last week passed Bill 5, leaving a large group of opponents scrambling to carry on the fight Bill 5, the Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act, was passed on June 4, pushed through just before the legislature adjourned for a 137-day summer break. The bill includes sweeping changes to the province’s endangered species and environmental protection laws. It also creates “special economic zones” that can override provincial and municipal laws for certain projects the province wants to fast-track, the likes of Northern Ontario’s Ring of Fire. Premier Doug Ford said in a press conference June 5 that he was simply trying to speed up the process to bolster the economy in the...
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$30B in new investments needed to meet Canada’s critical mineral demand: report
By Jordan Omstead A newly released report estimates Canada will need at least $30 billion in new capital investments by 2040 if it wants to meet domestic demand for the critical minerals key to a green economy transition. But the Canadian Climate Institute’s report says cutting back on environmental safeguards and Indigenous consultation to speed up those projects is likely to backfire. The report released Thursday says those cutbacks can lead to delays later on, due to community opposition or litigation. The think tank’s latest report comes as the federal government, along with Ontario and British Columbia, face major pushback from First Nations and environmental groups to legislation intended to speed up mining project approvals. The report says Canadian governments should support Indigenous participation and reduce environmental risks as part...
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Using AI to protect caribou migration in a changing Arctic
By Sonal Gupta, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Canada’s National Observer A machine learning tool is offering new hope for one of Canada’s most vulnerable caribou migrations. Researchers are turning to artificial intelligence to predict when and where the Dolphin and Union caribou will cross the sea ice between Victoria Island and the mainland of Nunavut — a migration that takes place each spring and fall but has become more dangerous as climate change thins the ice and shipping traffic climbs. Caribou can drown if they try to cross ice that is unstable, and the risk increases when icebreakers and other vessels move through the area — and the ships are arriving in greater numbers than ever before. The tool called IceNet can help protect caribou by warning when migration conditions...
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Trigon gives green light to LPG export facility in Prince Rupert, B.C.
Trigon Pacific Terminals is giving a green light to a new $750-million liquefied petroleum gas export facility in Prince Rupert, B.C. Trigon chief executive Rob Booker says the company now needs the federal government to expedite the shovel-ready project that he says is in the national interest. Subject to all necessary legal and regulatory approvals, Trigon says the facility is expected to start exports in late 2029. It will have annual capacity of 2.5 million tonnes per year. The company says the final investment decision comes with support from the Lax Kw’alaams and Metlakatla First Nations. Trigon already operates a multi-commodity bulk export terminal at the Port of Prince Rupert. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 11, 2025. ...
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‘Harper’s dreams coming true’: MPs slam Carney’s fast-tracking plan
By Natasha Bulowski, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Canada’s National Observer Prime Minister Mark Carney’s new bill to fast-track major projects will have to rely on Conservative votes to pass, with all other parties expressing major reservations. The legislation would allow the federal government to conditionally approve projects it deems “in the national interest” before an environmental or impact assessment or other regulatory processes take place. Both the NDP and Greens have spoken out against it, while Patrick Bonin, Bloc Québécois environment and climate change critic, called Carney’s plan to fast-track major projects “highly problematic” at a French-language press conference on Monday. The federal government is seeking to give itself “superpowers” to accelerate projects and weaken environmental protections, Bonin said. Some of the factors used to evaluate whether a project is...
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More Overdose Prevention Sites Likely Coming to Hospitals Across BC
By Michelle Gamage, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Tyee B.C. is setting things in motion to build more overdose prevention sites at hospitals, adding to the nine sites that are already open at hospitals like Surrey Memorial and St. Paul’s, according to the Health Ministry. Overdose prevention sites allow patients to legally use unregulated drugs while supervised by health-care professionals who can step in if there’s a medical emergency such as an overdose. These sites help build trust and relationships, which can be used to connect people with other services, like housing and treatment, the ministry said last Thursday. The announcement says the province has “given direction” to the health authorities on the “consultation and approval requirements for creating new overdose prevention services at hospital sites.” A group of doctors...
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“Wearing the Badge Alone”: New Report Reveals Mental Health Crisis Among First Nations Police Officers
By Jacqueline St. Pierre, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Manitoulin Expositor They are protectors. They are peacekeepers. But above all, they are relatives—carrying the weight of community and crisis on their backs, often with no backup and nowhere to turn. A new report released this week lays bare a grim reality that’s long simmered under the surface of First Nations policing in Ontario. Officers working under the Ontario First NationsPolicing Agreement (OFNPA) are struggling—not from a lack of heart, but from the unrelenting strain of working alone, underfunded, and unsupported in the very communities they serve. Seventy-four percent of officers surveyed say they’ve experienced mental health issues while on the job. Over a quarter reported their mental health as “poor or very poor” in the past six months. The...
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Indigenous leaders express alarm as Ontario’s Bill 5 becomes law
By Jacqueline St. Pierre, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Manitoulin Expositor ONTARIO—Despite vocal opposition from Indigenous Nations, environmental organizations, and the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA), the Ford government is pushing ahead with Bill 5—the “Protecting Ontario by Enabling Economic Growth Act, 2025.” The bill, which amends multiple environmental and land-use statutes, including those that attempt to overturn nation to nation treaty with First Nations in Ontario, has passed committee and is now on its way to third reading in the Ontario Legislature. The legislation has been widely criticized for weakening key environmental safeguards, limiting public input, and undermining Indigenous rights to consultation and consent. Among its most controversial provisions are amendments to the Endangered Species Act, the Planning Act, which opens up threats to any and all lands, private...
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Wildfire looming over Squamish, B.C., reached within 40 metres of homes
By Darryl Greer An out-of-control wildfire threatening neighbourhoods in Squamish, B.C., reached within 40 metres of some homes overnight as debris from burning trees fell near properties, the fire chief said Wednesday. Aaron Foote, chief of Squamish Fire Rescue, told reporters that debris has been rolling down steep hillsides as local firefighters battle the blaze that’s looming over the community, next to the Sea to Sky Highway. “Currently (the structures are) not at risk. We do have a good area of humidity,” he said. “We’ve been applying sprinkler systems throughout the past few days, and currently, they are not at risk.” The Dryden Creek blaze was five hectares on Tuesday when the District of Squamish declared a local state of emergency and it has grown to more than 20 hectares,...
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School supports during evacuations
By Pearl Lorentzen, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Lakeside Leader Students from Red Earth Creek, Loon River First Nation, Peerless Trout First Nation, and Chipewyan Lake have been evacuated because of wildfires. As of June 5, Swan Hills students had returned after an evacuation. Their school divisions are supporting them in different ways. Red Earth Red Earth Creek was evacuated to Peace River and is part of the Peace River School Division (PRSD). On May 29, PRSD sent a letter to Red Earth Creek school families. “Knowing how incredibly stressful and disruptive these times can be, we want to extend a small measure of normalcy,” says the letter, “and support the continued learning of your children, by opening the doors of our Peace River schools to your families. This is entirely...
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Major projects will be slowed by court challenges if rights are violated: B.C. chief
By Alessia Passafiume The regional chief for British Columbia said Wednesday that governments should not speed up major projects at the expense of First Nations rights — and warned that projects will be slowed down by court challenges if First Nations are not consulted from the start. “We’re asking the government to follow your own laws,” Terry Teegee said, citing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples that the federal government adopted. The government of Prime Minister Mark Carney introduced major economic legislation last week. The bill has two parts — one to break down federal barriers to internal trade and the other to fast-track major projects. It sets out five criteria to determine whether a project is in the “national interest.” Those criteria include the project’s...
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Government rejects Bloc’s call to split internal trade, major projects legislation
By Sarah Ritchie The Liberal government is rejecting a call from the Bloc Québécois to split its marquee legislation in two and allow part of it to speed through the House of Commons this summer. The bill — known as Bill C-5, or the free trade and labour mobility in Canada act —was introduced last Friday. It has two parts. The first portion addresses internal trade barriers the Liberals have promised to tackle by July 1. The second part proposes to make sweeping changes to speed up approvals of major projects. The Bloc argued the internal trade portion of the legislation could be passed relatively quickly with broad support from the House of Commons, but called for a separate study of the changes to major project reviews. “The bill as...
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