Kahkewistahaw First Nation undertaking major development projects
By Ryan Kiedrowski, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The World-Spectator With projects such as Lakeside at Round Lake, Kahkewistahâw Landing in Saskatoon, and Mâmawi Landing in Yorkton, there are big economic development plans underway by Kahkewistahâw First Nation, and a lot on the plate for the Kahkewistahâw Economic Management Corporation. “We truly are planning for seven generations ahead,” said Kahkewistahâw Chief Evan Taypotat. “The leadership team that I sit with, the counsellors that I’m blessed to work with every day, we understand and we respect Treaty and what it’s supposed to give to our people, but at the end of the day, Treaty gives the bare minimum, and that’s what it was designed to do,” Chief Taypotat explained. “We’re not going to sit over here on Kahkewistahâw, feel sorry for ourselves...
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Two First Nations working on roads to Ring of Fire do not support new mining law
By Liam Casey Two First Nations that signed deals with the provincial government to improve access to the Ring of Fire are speaking out against a new Ontario law that seeks to ease mineral extraction in the northern region. Aroland First Nation Chief Sonny Gagnon said his community objects to the law known as Bill 5, which seeks to speed up development in the face of pressure from the United States. The legislation passed last week and allows Ontario to suspend provincial and municipal laws by creating so-called special economic zones for certain projects it chooses, such as new mines. “We do not stand with Ontario in support of Bill 5,” Gagnon said in a statement. “We do stand in support of the other First Nations in Ontario who are...
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In the shadow of a Tkarón:to expressway, Secwépemc artist honours flora on forest floors
By Dionne Phillips, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, IndigiNews As Tania Willard constructed a depiction of a forest floor under an expressway in downtown Tkarón:to (Toronto), she reflected on both the threats to ecosystems and their importance to her people. “Because the fact is, we’re all in urgent times when it comes to the natural world,” the Secwépemc artist told IndigiNews. Her new artwork Declaration of the Understory opened to the public on May 23, as part of the Bentway — a non-profit organization that utilizes public spaces to re-imagine the opportunities of urban spaces — summer exhibition, Sun/Shade. The exhibition featuring multiple artists, designers and researchers will be open until Oct. 5 and is free of charge. Each artwork explores the relation between the sun and shade, underscoring the importance...
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Judge upholds obstruction conviction for B.C. Mountie in Dale Culver case
By Brenna Owen A provincial court judge has ruled that the guilty verdict stands for an RCMP officer convicted of obstruction of justice in the case of an Indigenous man who died in police custody in 2017, clearing the way for sentencing. A statement from the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association says Judge Adrian Brooks dismissed the attempt by RCMP Const. Arthur Dalman to have the proceedings stayed, rejecting Dalman’s claim that his Charter rights were breached. The B.C. Prosecution Service has confirmed the ruling, which communications counsel Damienne Darby says was released on May 29. Dalman was found guilty last July of obstruction of justice for ordering witnesses to delete video footage taken at the time Dale Culver was arrested in Prince George. The civil liberties association says officers...
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Manitoba residents fleeing scorching wildfires take refuge in Niagara Falls, Ont.
By Sharif Hassan Until two weeks ago, Tyrone Caribou and his five children lived together in a house on a remote First Nation reserve in northern Manitoba. Then the scorching wildfires tearing through the Prairies blanketed the region in thick smoke and split his family across two provinces. Caribou and his 15-year-old daughter, Rosa Caribou, were part of a cohort of evacuees brought to Niagara Falls, Ont., while his other children are staying in Thompson, Man., — three with a relative and one, his 19-year-old daughter, with her boyfriend, he said. “We’re displaced all over. We got out as soon as we could,” Caribou said this week, standing outside the downtown hotel where he and his daughter settled three days ago. Wildfires also forced the family from their home in...
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Annuity payments life-changing, Fort William chief says
By Mike Stimpson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Thunder Bay Source FORT WILLIAM FIRST NATION – As a large First Nation, Fort William will receive about 17 per cent of whatever it and the 11 other Robinson Superior Treaty nations receive in compensation for historical underpayment in treaty annuities, Chief Michele Solomon says. That comes out to at least $640 million, maybe more. The amount going to Fort William First Nation could rise because the total the 12 Robinson Superior First Nations receive could be more than the $3.6 billion offered by the Crown in January, depending on what an Ontario Superior Court judge decides after hearings this month in Thunder Bay. Solomon says the settlement money means a lot to her First Nation of about 2,800 people. “I mean, youth...
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Ottawa sending support from armed forces amid northern Ontario wildfire evacuations
By Rianna Lim The federal government has deployed members of the Canadian Armed Forces to help evacuate a northwestern Ontario First Nation as wildfires rapidly spread in the region, Prime Minister Mark Carney said Sunday. Carney said in a social media post that Ottawa has accepted Ontario’s urgent request for assistance in and around Sandy Lake First Nation, and the military will help with emergency airlift evacuations. “We’re prepared to mobilize every resource needed to keep Canadians safe,” Carney wrote. The military deployment was also discussed at a meeting of the Incident Response Group Carney convened on Sunday to address the already highly active wildfire season, according to a readout of the meeting provided by the Prime Minister’s Office. As of Sunday, the Ontario government said the Red Lake 12...
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Overnight camping will be allowed in some Penticton parks under new bylaw
By Keith Lacey, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Penticton Herald The City of Penticton is moving forward with a major update to its parks bylaw, bringing it in line with legal precedents that have made a blanket ban on overnight sheltering by unhoused individuals unconstitutional. Since 1974, the City’s bylaw has prohibited any form of overnight camping in all city parks. However, a series of court rulings over the past 15 years have established that such prohibitions violate Section 7 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms when there is insufficient indoor shelter space available. “The legal landscape has changed considerably since these regulations were enacted in the 1970s,” said Julie Czeck, Penticton’s general manager of public safety and partnerships, during a special council meeting Wednesday. “B.C. courts have determined...
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Inuvialuit art display tells history of Inuit-Nordic Greenland
By Eric Bowling, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, NWT News/North Long before John Cabot or Christopher Columbus braved the Atlantic Ocean, Northern civilizations were actively trading and interacting between Greenland and Scandinavia. That’s the driving theme of Paulatuk-born artist Abraham Anghik Ruben’s artworks, more than 100 of which are on display at the Winnipeg Art Gallery (WAG) -Qaumajuq as of May 24 and open for viewing until next spring. Anghik Ruben said his work stems from his fascination with the historic relationship between Greenland Inuit and Norse colonists in the early centuries of the last millennium, roughly between 1000 and 1500 C.E. “This history is about the myths, stories and legends from both cultures,” he said. “I’m working from a theme I call ‘Consequences of Contact.’ There’s very little written from...
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Liberals table bill to speed up approvals for major ‘national interest’ projects
By Kyle Duggan Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government introduced legislation Friday that would grant it new powers to quickly push forward major projects the federal cabinet deems to be in the national interest. Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc tabled a bill in the House of Commons that would give Ottawa the authority to draw up a list of large projects it wants to prioritize and to expedite their federal approval. Carney said it has become too hard to build new projects in Canada and vowed that this legislation will change that. “We’re in an economic crisis,” Carney told a news conference on Parliament Hill on Friday. “We’re still facing intensifying, unjustified tariffs from our largest trading partner and the best way to respond to that is to respond at home,...
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Archaelogical Sites Act to be amended while Deninu Kue raises alarm
By Eric Bowling, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, NWT News/North Officials with the GNWT say they’re working to amend legislation surrounding unmarked graves over a half-century old while Deninu Kue First Nation (DKFN) is objecting to being asked to apply for an archaeological permit. DKFN has been working towards searching the grounds of St. Joseph’s Residential School for the remains of those who did not survive the institution. However, earlier in the year, the GNWT informed the Indigenous government it would need the required permit to proceed, which DKFN says is the GNWT trying to control their investigation. “We will never apply for an archaeology permit; our children are not artifacts,” wrote DKFN in a May 23 press release. “We are calling for an investigation by the coroner’s office, working with...
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I don’t like to be all alone’; Potlotek Dad’s Group keeping men healthy
By Rosemary Godin, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Cape Breton Post POTLOTEK – Potlotek First Nation member Louis Marshall and a few other men may have found a solution to staying healthy and it doesn’t involve stereotypical male pursuits. A study released at the end of May by the Canadian Men’s Health Foundation (CMHF) discloses that more Canadian men than ever are struggling with high levels of stress, and half of them lack the social support systems that would keep them from higher levels of depression or anxiety. According to a recent press release, the organization’s data garnered from a survey taken in April, 2025 of 2,000 men across the country shows a significantly higher level of social isolation among men living alone (73 per cent), younger men aged 19-29 (67...
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‘Uphill battle’: Criminal Code must include definition for femicide, advocates say
By Cassidy McMackon As police in Ontario increasingly investigate killings of women and girls as femicides, advocates say a firm definition of the term must be embedded in the Criminal Code. It’s a change they hope could be on the table soon after Prime Minister Mark Carney proposed cracking down on intimate partner violence in this year’s federal election campaign. Ottawa police, who have been using the term since August 2024, said last week they were investigating the death of a 54-year-old woman as a femicide. They arrested a 57-year-old man and charged him with second-degree murder. Last month, Kingston Police logged its first use of the label in a news release. Police said they determined the death of a 25-year-old woman to be a femicide because it occurred “in...
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Fire crews from across Saskatchewan aid thankful La Ronge region
By Nicole Goldsworthy, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, SaskToday.ca, SASKTODAY.ca LA RONGE — The La Ronge Regional Fire Department expressed appreciation on social media, thanking local fire departments for travelling north to help fight the wildfires. “It’s been a long week for our firefighters. They’ve been hard at work protecting our communities. We’ve had some hard and long days with ups and downs, and everyone is doing their best,” the La Ronge Regional Fire Department posted. “This fire event is much worse than the 2015 fires. We’ve lost structures both in town and in surrounding communities, which is never what we want. We just want residents to know that we are doing everything we possibly can. We are forever grateful to the departments that came to help defend:” Prince Albert Fire...
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Resident of village threatened by fire posts video of raindrops: ‘It was amazing’
After weeks of being ready to evacuate at a moment’s notice due to a wildfire burning just kilometres away, the owner of JD’s Mini Golf posted a video of rain falling outside her business in Candle Lake, Sask. The video included a note for viewers to have the sound on, so they didn’t miss the soft patter as the drops fell on the resort village Saturday. “Amongst everything that’s going on right now with the wildfire at our doorsteps, you just needed to be able to back away from that and hear the sound of the rain and what it was bringing to us,” Jackie Davis said in a phone interview on Sunday. “It was amazing — long time overdue. It was like, over a month since we’ve had some.”...
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‘Sinners’ puts ‘truth on screen’ for the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians
By Sophie Bates CHOCTAW, Miss. (AP) — It’s a small part in a big movie, but for the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, their scene in “Sinners” is a huge deal. The horror movie blockbuster, starring Michael B. Jordan as a gangster turned vampire slayer, paints a brief but impactful portrait of the tribe using Choctaw actors and cultural experts. For some, it’s the first time they’ve seen the Choctaw way of life accurately portrayed on the big screen. In the scene, a posse of Choctaw, riding on horseback and in an old truck, arrives at a small farmhouse to warn the couple that lives there of coming danger. When the couple refuses their help, a Choctaw man wishes them luck in his native language before riding off. “I’ve not...
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Wildfire ignites northeast of Fort St. John
By Ed Hitchins, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Energeticcity.ca FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — The BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) has reported a wildfire in an area northeast of Fort St. John. According to the BCWS, the fire is located in the Goodlow area, an area northeast of Cecil Lake and southeast of Doig River First Nation. The fire has reached a size of 70 hectares since being reported on Wednesday, June 4th and is currently ‘out of control,’ meaning it will likely spread beyond its perimeter. The news of the fire comes as the BCWS warns the next three days could be “challenging,” with high winds expected to lead to “extreme wildfire behaviour” at the weekend. The wildfire authority has said via its website that resources, including a firefighting crew, helicopters...
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Tories slam NDP for opposing Bill 5
By Mike Stimpson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Thunder Bay Source THUNDER BAY – The Ontario NDP’s opposition to Bill 5 shows how the party doesn’t support mining when it should, Progressive Conservative legislators say. “We are taking real action to support the North. The NDP can either get on board – or get out of the way,” Kevin Holland, the PC representing Thunder Bay-Atikokan, said Thursday in an email to Newswatch. One member of the NDP caucus, Thunder Bay–Superior North MPP Lise Vaugeois, said that’s “nonsense.” “We do support responsible development and always have,” she said. “We’ve got members of our caucus who are multi-generational miners. “We understand the importance of that industry, and we’re in support of reducing the time it takes to get through the permitting process, but...
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‘A long, hot summer’: B.C.’s approval of PRGT pipeline sets stage for conflict, First Nations leader says
By Matt Simmons, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Shannon Waters, The Narwhal UPDATE-The British Columbia government gave a green light to an 800-kilometre natural gas pipeline on Thursday, paving the way for construction to start this summer — and setting the stage for what one First Nations leader warns could be a “long, hot summer” of conflict. The Prince Rupert Gas Transmission (PRGT) pipeline will carry gas from northeast B.C. to the proposed Ksi Lisims gas liquefaction and export facility on the northwest coast near the Alaska border, crossing more than 1,000 waterways, including major salmon-bearing rivers and tributaries. In a press release, the BC Environmental Assessment Office gave the project a “substantially started” designation, locking in its original environmental approval indefinitely. That original approval — for the pipeline to end...
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B.C. gives green light to LNG pipeline, with no need for new environmental assessment
By Brenna Owen The British Columbia government says a decade-old environmental assessment certificate remains valid for the construction of a natural gas pipeline in northern B.C., in a decision opposed by the province’s Green Party and environmental groups. The Environmental Assessment Office says it has determined the Prince Rupert Gas Transmission pipeline has “substantially started,” fulfilling a requirement of the 2014 certificate and allowing the project to proceed without a new assessment. The original approval was for a roughly 900-kilometre pipeline between Hudson’s Hope in northeastern B.C. and Lelu Island near Prince Rupert, the site of a liquefied natural gas processing facility that has since been cancelled. The pipeline was purchased by the Nisga’a Nation and Texas-based Western LNG last year to supply natural gas to the proposed Ksi Lisims...
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