B.C. First Nation builds small island, fisheries officials check for habitat damage
By Wolfgang Depner A British Columbia First Nation has built up a small artificial island in the tidal shallows of Coles Bay off Vancouver Island, triggering an investigation by fisheries officials into whether it involved habitat destruction and if authorization should have been required. Two yellow excavators could be seen at work last week in the bay, heaping up stones and gravel on top of an existing rock outcrop, in a project the Department of Fisheries and Ocean said was linked to a “clam garden.” Nearby resident Richard Smith said he watched dump trucks carry loads of rock to the shore, where the excavators hauled it into the bay, also building a temporary land bridge during the construction process. He said the rock outcrop was previously visible at low tide,...
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New Zealand Parliament suspends 3 Māori Party lawmakers for haka protest
By Charlotte Graham-Mclay WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand legislators voted Thursday to enact record suspensions from Parliament for three lawmakers who performed a Māori haka to protest a proposed law. Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke received a seven-day ban and the leaders of her political party, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Rawiri Waititi, were barred for 21 days. Three days had been the longest ban for a lawmaker from New Zealand’s Parliament before. The lawmakers from Te Pāti Māori, the Māori Party, performed the haka, a chanting dance of challenge, in November to oppose a widely unpopular bill, now defeated, that they said would reverse Indigenous rights. The protest drew global headlines and provoked months of fraught debate among lawmakers about what the consequences for the lawmakers’ actions should be and the place...
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Inuvik Works to receive $300K in next four years
By Aastha Sethi, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Cabin Radio Inuvik Works is set to receive $75,000 annually over the next four years through a contribution from a national non-profit. The Canadian Women’s Foundation has allocated the cash through its Northern Women and Girls grant. Inuvik Works, designed to help residents re-enter the workforce, had been inactive for some time before councillors voted last November to revive it. Part of that project involved restarting the Next to New thrift store. Earlier this year, the town secured $28,375 from the Northwest Territories’ Department of Education, Culture and Employment for the program’s launch. Patricia Davison, interim manager of the program, said the GNWT has since provided additional backing of just over $20,000 through its Waste Reduction and Recovery Program. While the contribution agreement...
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Fraser apologizes, says comments on Indigenous consultation eroded trust
By Alessia Passafiume Justice Minister Sean Fraser apologized Wednesday for comments he made about the government’s duty to consult with Indigenous leaders on major projects. Fraser said Tuesday that the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples requires consultation but does not amount to “a blanket veto power” over projects. Similar language asserting UNDRIP does not convey a veto is used in federal government documents about the declaration. Speaking to reporters Wednesday, Fraser said Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak called him Tuesday night to express her frustration with his comments, and he apologized. “Despite innocent intentions, I think my comments actually caused hurt and potentially eroded a very precarious trust that has been built up over many years to respect the rights of Indigenous people...
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Canmore resident hoping to launch Indigenous Centres of Excellence across Canada
By Sam Laskaris, Local Journalism Initiative, Rocky Mountain Outlook CANMORE – Tim Carwell has been spearheading his social enterprise called DreamsTree Community Investments for several years. And Carwell, a Canmore resident and member of Beaver First Nation in Alberta, is now looking to expand upon his venture by creating Indigenous Centres of Excellence across the country. Carwell created his social enterprise three years ago, in honour of his late mother Janette, who was part of the Sixties Scoop. The scoop saw the widespread removal of Indigenous children, taken from their families and communities and adopted by non-Indigenous families. Carwell’s mother died in 2024. Carwell, 56, created Dreams Tree Community Investments through The CommAlert Group and is the CEO of the company that provides emergency communication services. “My mom had been...
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Environment Canada says Canadian wildfire smoke now floating in parts of U.S.
By Fakiha Baig Swaths of smoke from wildfires torching buildings and forcing thousands of people from their homes in Western Canada have travelled as far as Newfoundland and Labrador in the east and Texas in the south. Those in the north and heavily populated southern areas of Manitoba and Saskatchewan are feeling it the worst because that’s where a majority of Canada’s wildfires are burning, said Natalie Hasell of Environment Canada in an interview Wednesday. “Right in the vicinity of the fires, the air quality is going to be particularly bad,” Hasell said. “It’s really important for people to…pay attention to how you’re feeling and how other people around you are feeling.” Hasell said wildfires in Ontario and Quebec may also be the cause of smoky air in Michigan and...
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Mixed narrative found in review of Cariboo Chilcotin School District
By Andie Mollins, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Williams Lake Tribune An external review of School District 27’s (SD 27) climate and culture has revealed a mixed narrative around school safety measures within the Cariboo Chilcotin school district. The review, ordered by the Ministry of Education and Child Care (MECC) and conducted by Safer Schools Together (SST), explored the day-to-day experience in schools across SD 27 in response to questions of safety and inclusivity. “It’s a big move forward moment for us,” said Cheryl Lenardon, superintendent of SD 27, following the publication of an executive summary on the report in May. The 171-page report is currently being analyzed and redacted for privacy by ministry staff. Over 2,575 community members took part in the review which began by holding meetings with...
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James Smith Cree First Nation opens doors to evacuees
JAMES SMITH CREE NATION — The James Smith Cree Nation has opened its community to evacuees fleeing the northern fires. In a statement on the James Smith Cree Nation’s Office of the Chief social media account, it said, “Two busloads of evacuees from the northern wildfires have arrived in our community. Many had to leave their homes with little to no notice—some with only the clothes on their backs. Over the next few days, we will ensure their needs are met and that they experience the warmth, care and hospitality that James Smith Cree Nation is known for.” James Smith Cree Nation is asking for donations to help the evacuees. Items that are most needed include: Towels Brushes/hair accessories Socks Underwear Diapers Diaper cream Blankets Feminine hygiene products Laundry soap...
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California’s Yurok Tribe gets back ancestral lands that were taken over 120 years ago
By Dorany Pineda, Terry Chea And Godofredo Vasquez ON THE KLAMATH RIVER, Calif. (AP) — As a youngster, Barry McCovey Jr. would sneak through metal gates and hide from security guards just to catch a steelhead trout in Blue Creek amid northwestern California redwoods. Since time immemorial, his ancestors from the Yurok Tribe had fished, hunted and gathered in this watershed flanked by coastal forests. But for more than 100 years, these lands were owned and managed by timber companies, severing the tribe’s access to its homelands. When McCovey started working as a fisheries technician, the company would let him go there to do his job. “Snorkeling Blue Creek … I felt the significance of that place to myself and to our people, and I knew then that we had...
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Infrastructure Bank CEO says it’s ready to play a role in national-interest projects
By Lauren Krugel The chief executive of the Canada Infrastructure Bank says the Crown corporation is looking forward to playing a role in Ottawa’s ambitions to push ahead major projects deemed in the national interest. “I think we’re on the precipice of a really important time for our country,” said Ehren Cory. “We’re just one tool in the tool kit of that. We are far from the only part of the solution, but we’re looking forward to playing our part in meeting the challenge that we face as a country.” U.S. President Donald Trump’s on-again-off-again tariffs have forced Canada to rethink its relationship with its biggest trading partner and seek out ways to get resources and other goods to global markets. Key themes in this spring’s federal election campaign were...
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Veterinary services come to Ginoogaming
By Mike Stimpson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Thunder Bay Source GINOOGAMING – Veterinary professionals came to this Treaty 9 community where “the need is great” for animal wellness services. For four days ending June 1, members of Ginoogaming First Nation and nearby Long Lake #58 First Nation could bring their dog or cat in for rabies vaccination, spay/neuter surgeries, parasite control and other services for animal well-being. The four-day clinic was a collaboration of Matawa First Nations Management with the Northern Reach Network and the Global Alliance for Animals and People. A veterinary clinic in Barrie provided veterinary professionals. Matawa is the Thunder Bay-based management company for Ginoogaming, Long Lake #58 and seven other Treaty 9 First Nations. Like the 2024 animal clinic for Ginoogaming and Long Lake #58, this...
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Forest fire near Deer Lake now simply huge
By Mike Stimpson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Thunder Bay Source DEER LAKE – The forest fire west of Wabaseemoong is no longer the largest in Northwestern Ontario now that a blaze farther north has grown to more than 65,000 hectares. The Red Lake 12 fire that caused the evacuation of Deer Lake First Nation last week was blanketing 65,186 hectares as of Wednesday afternoon, according to the Ministry of Natural Resources. That’s more than 3.5 times the size estimated on Monday. Smoke from fires to the west hurt the ministry’s ability “to monitor the growth of Red Lake 12 consistently throughout the operational window,” MNR fire information officer Allison Lake told Newswatch in an email. “After several days of reduced visibility, conditions improved, allowing for high-level infrared scanning of wildland...
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Infrastructure Bank CEO says it’s ready to play a role in national-interest projects
By Lauren Krugel The chief executive of the Canada Infrastructure Bank says the Crown corporation is looking forward to playing a role in Ottawa’s ambitions to push ahead major projects deemed in the national interest. “I think we’re on the precipice of a really important time for our country,” said Ehren Cory. “We’re just one tool in the tool kit of that. We are far from the only part of the solution, but we’re looking forward to playing our part in meeting the challenge that we face as a country.” U.S. President Donald Trump’s on-again-off-again tariffs have forced Canada to rethink its relationship with its biggest trading partner and seek out ways to get resources and other goods to global markets. Key themes in this spring’s federal election campaign were...
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B.C. First Nation builds small island, fisheries officials check for habitat damage
By Wolfgang Depner A British Columbia First Nation has built up a small artificial island in the tidal shallows of Coles Bay off Vancouver Island, triggering an investigation by fisheries officials into whether it involved habitat destruction and if authorization should have been required. Two yellow excavators could be seen at work last week in the bay, heaping up stones and gravel on top of an existing rock outcrop, in a project the Department of Fisheries and Ocean said was linked to a “clam garden.” Nearby resident Richard Smith said he watched dump trucks carry loads of rock to the shore, where the excavators hauled it into the bay, also building a temporary land bridge during the construction process. He said the rock outcrop was previously visible at low tide,...
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Ottawa’s wildfire aid to First Nations delayed and inadequate, NDP leaders say
By Sonal Gupta, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Canada’s National Observer As wildfires rage across Manitoba and Saskatchewan, displacing over 26,000 people — many from northern and First Nations communities — leaders say Ottawa’s response has been both delayed and inadequate. The discussion reached a peak as NDP MP for Winnipeg Centre, Leah Gazan led an emergency debate on Tuesday in the House of Commons. Gazan accused the federal government of failing to protect Indigenous evacuees and violating their Charter and treaty rights. “The federal government is obligated to uphold the dignity and well-being of First Nations that are affected by these wildfires,” she said. Gazan said First Nations leaders had told her evacuees — including children, Elders, and those with medical needs — were housed in crowded and poorly equipped...
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Ontario expected to pass controversial mining law; Ford warns against blockades
By Liam Casey and Allison Jones Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s government is expected to pass a controversial mining law that gives it the power to suspend provincial and municipal laws for chosen projects in areas it deems to have economic importance. If Bill 5 ends up being challenged and found unconstitutional in court, Ford wouldn’t say if he would use the notwithstanding clause to save it, but says that he would “cross that bridge” when he comes to it. The proposed legislation has sparked an angry backlash from First Nations who say the bill tramples their rights and ignores their concerns and they have warned they may blockade roads and railways in protest. But Ford said Wednesday that wouldn’t be “very wise.” “You can’t break the law,” Ford said. “Simple...
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Chantel Moore’s mother talks about change in policing, 5 years after of her daughter’s shooting death
By Nora O’Malley Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Tofino, B.C. – Chantel Moore’s daughter Gracie is 11 this year. “She’s growing. She often talks about her mom and how she misses her,” said Gracie’s grandmother Martha Martin on June 4, 2025, the fifth anniversary of her daughter’s fatal shooting by Edmundson City Police Force Officer Jeremy Son during a wellness check. “She was six when her mom passed,” said Martin. “She struggled with it for a really long time. She would always ask, ‘When are the angels going to be done with my mom? Can they just send her back now?’” “There are times when she gets really quiet and it’s in those moments I know that she is missing her mom, and rightfully so,” she adds. “It’s really tough. I’m...
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Environment Canada says Canadian wildfire smoke now floating in parts of U.S.
By Fakiha Baig Swaths of smoke from wildfires torching buildings and forcing thousands of people from their homes in Western Canada have travelled as far as Newfoundland and Labrador in the east and Texas in the south. Those in the north and heavily populated southern areas of Manitoba and Saskatchewan are feeling it the worst because that’s where a majority of Canada’s wildfires are burning, said Natalie Hasell of Environment Canada in an interview Wednesday. “Right in the vicinity of the fires, the air quality is going to be particularly bad,” Hasell said. “It’s really important for people to…pay attention to how you’re feeling and how other people around you are feeling.” Hasell said wildfires in Ontario and Quebec may also be the cause of smoky air in Michigan and...
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Fraser apologizes, says comments on Indigenous consultation eroded trust
By Alessia Passafiume Justice Minister Sean Fraser apologized Wednesday for comments he made about the government’s duty to consult with Indigenous leaders on major projects. Fraser said Tuesday that the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples requires consultation but does not amount to “a blanket veto power” over projects. Similar language asserting UNDRIP does not convey a veto is used in federal government documents about the declaration. Speaking to reporters Wednesday, Fraser said Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak called him Tuesday night to express her frustration with his comments, and he apologized. “Despite innocent intentions, I think my comments actually caused hurt and potentially eroded a very precarious trust that has been built up over many years to respect the rights of Indigenous people...
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Brantford Police investigate overnight shooting
BRANTFORD, ONT- Brantford Police Service (BPS) are investigating a shooting outside a city nightclub that had one man taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries in the early hours of Wednesday, June 4, 2025. Brantford Police were dispatched to a nightclub at Colborne Street near Clarence Street at about 12:10 a.m., Wednesday, June 4, 2025, after receiving a report of a shooting outside a nightclub. BPS said a male victim was transported to hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries and the investigation is “active and ongoing.” BPS said it is believed to be an isolated incident. No arrests have been made at this time and officers will remain in the area to investigate the incident. Police do not believe there to be any impact to public safety as a result of...
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