Community rallies against gun violence after Toronto boy killed by stray bullet
Dozens of people gathered this morning at Toronto’s Nathan Phillips Square, demanding politicians take gun violence more seriously after an eight-year-old boy was killed by a stray bullet while in bed last weekend. JahVai Roy, who has been described by friends and family as a compassionate and kind child, was killed in his North York bed just after midnight on Saturday. Rally organizers burned sage, said prayers and shared stories to honour the boy’s legacy, one day after a vigil was held outside the apartment building where he died. Attendees signed flags, chanted the boy’s name and held signs pleading for an end to gun violence. Executive director of the Indigenous youth agency that organized the event says the rally’s aim is to keep the boy’s name alive and address...
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New Supportive Housing for Victims of Domestic Violence
By Carol Baldwin, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Wakaw Recorder The Métis Nation–Saskatchewan (MN–S) broke ground on Monday, August 18th, for a new supportive housing unit in Saskatoon that will serve Métis, Indigenous, and non-Indigenous women, children and the 2SLGBTQQIA+ community members who are removing themselves from abusive situations. “There are no borders. There shouldn’t be any borders,” said Glen McCallum, President of Métis Nation-Saskatchewan. “That’s why this place is going to be open for Métis, First Nations, Inuit and non-Indigenous folks that are struggling with domestic violence, and to be able to have a safe place to come to.” Partnering with the governments of Canada and Saskatchewan, funding was secured last year for the construction and operation of a long-term, culturally specific supportive housing unit. The building will provide housing,...
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Catholic Division entering final year of Strategic Plan
By Michael Oleksyn, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Prince Albert Daily Herald The Prince Albert Catholic School Division is entering the final year of their current Strategic Plan. During the board of education’s regular meeting on Monday director of education Lorel Trumier said they will begin discussions this year on the next step. “More information will be set out here probably at the next board meeting in terms of some timelines and some processes that would be used for the strategic planning process,” she said. The strategic plan was initially approved in May 2023. Trumier said that the process for the new strategic plan could begin as soon as the board’s next meeting on Sept. 8. Trumier said that the division looks forward to what the final year of the Strategic...
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Search of Manitoba landfill for women’s remains cost $18M, less than expected: Kinew
By Steve Lambert The Manitoba government says the landfill search that succeeded in finding the remains of two slain First Nations women cost $18 million, with $2 million more expected in the coming weeks to clear the site and move equipment. The total is far below previous estimates, which ran as high as $184 million. Premier Wab Kinew says the search was done in a safe and fiscally responsible manner but, more importantly, it brought Marcedes Myran and Morgan Harris home. Harris, Myran and two other First Nations women were killed in 2022 by Jeremy Skibicki, who was given a life sentence last year on four counts of first-degree murder. The remains of Harris and Myran were found at the Prairie Green landfill, a private operation north of Winnipeg. Search...
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‘It gives you the tools’: First Nations Health Authority releases resources to tackle substance abuse in youth
By Ed Hitchins, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Energeticcity.ca FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — The provincial health body committed to assisting Indigenous communities in navigating substance abuse has released a new toolkit. The First Nations Health Authority (FNHA) recently announced its ‘With Open Arms’ toolkit, offering guidance and tips on “how to have courageous conversations” around topics such as harm reduction and substance abuse, with videos and other resources. The kit was released through consultation with an FNHA-appointed youth advisory committee, with Fort Nelson First Nation (FNFN) members Leaf Turrell and Jessica Campbell listed as members. The 24-year-old Turrell told Energeticcity.ca that planning with the youth advisory committee began in 2022 when the FNHA looked to see what young Indigenous people had to say about substance use and harm reduction. “[They...
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‘Pressing issues’ voiced by city advocates
By Sandi Krasowski, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Chronicle-Journal A City of Thunder Bay delegation comprised of Mayor Ken Boshcoff, and John Collin, city manager with the city’s Intergovernmental Affairs team, Councillors Kasey Etreni and Shelby Ch’ng, and led by Coun. Kristen Oliver, the group’s chairperson, lobbied for local funding and action at the 2025 Association of Municipalities of Ontario’s (AMO) Conference this week in Ottawa. “We did cover a lot of really pressing issues that we have in our community, those being the municipal funding opportunities, homelessness and addictions, the encampment crisis, forensic pathology unit, the marine unit, guns and gangs, funding for the Thunder Bay Expressway, Northwest arterial project and the temporary village,” Oliver said. “We took turns being the lead person when we had our ministry meetings.”...
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Compensation Payments begin for historic $23 billion federal settlement agreement
By Lucas-Matthew Marsh, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Iori:wase The first compensation payments from the $23 billion federal settlement for discrimination in the First Nations Child and Family Services (FNCFS) Program and Jordan’s Principle began last week. The Assembly of First Nations (AFN) National Chief Woodhouse Nepinak announced the latest development during a press conference in Toronto on August 14. “No amount of money can ever make up for the harms done to you or give you back your childhood,” Nepinak said, addressing the plaintiffs. “We hope this will provide some measure of healing to those that are affected.” The settlement, approved in April 2023, is the result of a human rights complaint filed by AFN against the Canadian government for systemically underfunding FNCFS. According to AFN, more than 40,000 claims...
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B.C. names facilitator to help Okanagan Falls become municipality, name to be decided
British Columbia’s government has appointed a facilitator to help create the province’s first new municipality in 15 years, after residents of Okanagan Falls in the southern Interior voted to incorporate five months ago. The Ministry of Housing and Municipal Affairs says in a statement that the facilitator will help finalize the “letters patent” which serves as the founding document of an incorporated municipality. Details that need to be worked out include the name of the community, with Chief Clarence Louie of the Osoyoos Indian Band saying in the ministry statement that the process should comply with the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act. Other issues to be addressed in the letters patent include the new municipality’s boundaries, the size of council, and incorporation date. The ministry says it...
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Free Indigenous music festivals ready to rock Vancouver Island
By Nora O’Malley, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Ha-Shilth-Sa Vancouver Island, BC – For the second year running, 2 Rivers Remix Society (2RMX) and VirtualFeast.ca are bringing a free Indigenous music, art and culture festival to three communities on Vancouver Island. Dubbed ‘Movable Feast’, the Island tour launches on Saturday, Aug. 23 in the Toquaht Nation community of Macoah in western Barkley Sound, followed by Ahousaht on Tuesday, Aug. 26, and ending in ‘Yalis (Alert Bay) on Saturday, Aug. 30. Attendees can expect to see live contemporary music performances alongside traditional songs and dances, with food and market vendors at each Movable Feast event. Each Movable Feast opens at noon with a welcoming ceremony from the local nations and elders, as well as a special opening ceremony by Mexika-Tenochka artists Ana...
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Billionaire David Thomson interested in buying Hudson’s Bay charter, donating it
By Tara Deschamps Two of Canada’s richest families appear poised for a battle over one of the country’s most famed documents. A holding company owned by David Thomson, the billionaire chairman of Thomson Reuters, announced in new court filings Thursday that it wants to buy the royal charter that formed the Hudson’s Bay retailer. Thomson is willing to spend at least $15 million on the historic document he wants to donate to the Archives of Manitoba. Thomson’s filing could become a hurdle for the department store, which is due to ask a court on Sept. 9 for permission to sell the charter for $12.5 million to Wittington Investments Ltd. The holding company belonging to the Weston family, which is best known for its grocery conglomerate Loblaw Cos. Ltd., wants to...
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B.C.’s only fire of note no longer out of control, but road and power cuts drag on
By Chuck Chiang The Mount Underwood wildfire on Vancouver Island is no longer burning out of control, but the power outages and road closures that it triggered are dragging on. John Jack, chairman of the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District, said there was a tough lesson in that for anywhere facing wildfire risks. “I think it’s important for every community to understand that this can happen anywhere, that emergency situations can cut off access or power for extended periods of time,” said Jack, who is also Chief Councillor for the Huu-ay-aht First Nation. He said every municipal government and community, “every neighborhood and even every household” should have a plan to make it through at least 72 hours without power.” The BC Wildfire Service reclassified the fire near Port Alberni as being...
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Mother of Toronto boy killed by stray bullet urges vigil crowd not to forget her son
By Natasha Baldin The mother of an eight-year-old Toronto boy killed by a stray bullet while he was in bed told a community vigil Thursday that she hopes everyone remembers JahVai Roy’s name. “His love language was loud,” Holly Roy told the crowd gathered outside the family’s North York apartment building. “He wanted to touch me, rub his mommy’s back. It was the little things. And that was our routine, in bed, snuggling,” she said, reflecting on the last happy memories she had with her son and his “energetic spirit.” JahVai’s name echoed around the building Thursday evening as community leaders and advocates promised to never forget him. Toronto police said a stray bullet from a shooting outside entered the family’s residence around 12:30 a.m. last Saturday, killing the boy....
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Timmins man frustrated at lack of support for missing adventurer
By Marissa Lentz-McGrath, Local Journalism Initiative, TimminsToday.com When Jacob Betker first met Steffen Skjøttelvik, it was during a snowstorm at the Timmins airport. The Norwegian adventurer had just landed in Canada with three dogs and a dream to trek from James Bay to Alaska over five years. Skjøttelvik’s plan was to travel by dog team in the winter and live off the land in the summer, staying near remote communities when needed, Betker said. “He was a young, physically capable guy with a sparkle in his eye,” Betker told TimminsToday. “He was very good with his dogs — you could tell right away. He knew how to handle them.” Now, 29-year-old Skjøttelvik is missing somewhere along the Hudson Bay coast. His last known communication was on Aug. 14, when he...
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Gwich’in annual assembly opens with forensic audit discussion
By Aastha Sethi, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Cabin Radio The Gwich’in Annual Assembly kicked off this week in Tsiigehtchic with participants emphasizing a desire to work together, despite ongoing legal disputes within the Gwich’in Tribal Council. Even so, adopting an agenda for the three-day meeting took roughly four and a half hours of Wednesday’s opening session. That included discussion of a forensic audit launched in 2023 over allegations of financial mismanagement, for which a report is now available. Delegates differed in their views regarding whether the report’s findings should be discussed in the open. “There’s members around this table that know what’s in that report, and there’s members around this table that are named in that report,” said Kelly McLeod, president of the Nihtat Gwich’in Council. “To have that information...
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Chiefs close in on defending league crown and earning spot in Mann Cup series
The Six Nations Chiefs have pushed the Peterborough Lakers to the brink of elimination following a 9-4 victory in Game 3 of their MSL championship final series on Thursday. Photo by Darryl Smart. By Sam Laskaris Writer The Six Nations Chiefs are on the verge of winning yet another league title. But Chiefs’ captain Cody Jamieson insists it is a bit premature for members of his squad to be in a celebratory mood. “A lot of work to be done yet,” Jamieson said moments after Six Nations downed the visiting Peterborough Lakers 9-4 at the Iroquois Lacrosse Arena (ILA) on Thursday to take a 3-0 lead in their best-of-seven Major Series Lacrosse (MSL) final series. The Chiefs can wrap up the series on Saturday when Game 4 is held at...
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A small Yukon community cuts diesel use by more than half with solar power
By Sonal Gupta, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Canada’s National Observer For 55 days this summer, the small Yukon community in Beaver Creek ran entirely on solar power. The White River First Nation’s Saa/Se Solar project began operating in April and now supplies more than half of the community’s electricity. The transition is expected to eliminate roughly 340,000 litres of diesel use each year, offsetting more diesel than any other solar facility in Canada. Beaver Creek, home to about 100 people in Yukon’s remote southwest corner near the Alaska border, has historically relied on round-the-clock diesel power with generators that hum day and night. “It used to be that if you didn’t hear the humming, it meant power outage,” said Alexandre Vigneault, the engineer on the project. The 1.9-megawatt solar farm...
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Six Nations Police lay charges after firearm discharged, “projectile” causes minor injuries
OHSWEKEN, ON-An Ancaster man is facing weapons, threats and assault charges after a firearm was discharged in an incident at a Seneca Road warehouse. Six Nations Police (SNP) responded August 19, 2025 to a report that a firearm had been pointed at an individual the day before . SNP said a verbal altercation had occurred on August 18, 2025, at a warehouse on Seneca Road and during the altercation a firearm was discharged and minor injuries occurred as a result of a “projectile”. SNP said they could not comment on the victim’s injuries or what the projectile involved was. As a result, SNP have arrested and charged Andrew Hadaddin, 34, of Ancaster, Ontario with the following offences:- Firearm pointing- Possession for a Dangerous purpose- Assault with a weapon- Firearm: unauthorized...
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NDP leader blasts Bill 5 and government health policies at Toronto wellness conference
By Sam Laskaris Writer Marit Stiles insists the fight is not over. Stiles, the leader of Ontario’s New Democratic Party (NDP), attended the opening day of the First Nations Community Wellness Conference held at the Fairmont Royal York in Toronto. The three-day event, which began Aug. 19, included a lunch session which provided Stiles, and four other NDP politicians, an opportunity to provide some remarks and have a Q and A with conference delegates. The conference was organized by the Chiefs of Ontario. Stiles, who heads up the official opposition party in the province, kicked off the session by blasting the leading Conservative party and the June passing of its Bill 5, officially called the Protect Ontario by Unleashing Our Economy Act, 2025. Stiles said it was a privilege for...
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Grand Erie Public Health reports first flu case of 2025
Grand Erie Public Health says it has already received its first confirmed case of the flu and its two months early. One laboratory-confirmed case of influenza A, or the flu is the firsr reported to public health for the 2025-2026 respiratory season. Last year Haldimand, Norfolk, Brantford and the County of Brant saw 608 laboratory-confirmed flu cases . While flu season in Canada typically begins as early as October and can last until May, the confirmed case is an indication that influenza is circulating in our community. The flu is a serious illness that affects the respiratory system. The infectious period for the flu can last two to five days after the onset of symptoms and up to seven days in young children. It usually begins suddenly and tends to...
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Police watchdog says fire at Wapekeka fly-in court site won’t impact shooting probe
By Matt Prokopchuk, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, TBnewswatch.com WAPEKEKA — The province’s Special Investigations Unit says it doesn’t expect a fire that razed a building in Wapekeka where a man was killed by police last month will impact their investigation into what happened. The youth centre in the remote First Nation, located about 600 kilometres north of Thunder Bay, burned to the ground in a fire which started on Aug. 17, according to Ontario Provincial Police. The centre, which also served as the in-community site for fly-in court, was where 23-year-old Tyresse Roundsky was shot and killed by an OPP officer on July 31 during a court session. The SIU had announced it is investigating the shooting. “The SIU is aware of the tragic fire at the Wapekeka youth centre,...
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