Deninu K’ue First Nation finds remains of five children near Fort Resolution
By Eric Bowling, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, NWT News/North Editor’s note: This story contains references to residential schools that some readers may find disturbing. Deninu K’ue First Nation (DKFN) says its archeological team has located seven unmarked graves, five of which belong to children, at Mission Island as part of an investigation into deaths of children at St. Joseph’s Residential School. “While growing up I heard stories of children who were mistreated at the school — children who got sick and died because of malnutrition or abuse,” Chief Louis Balsillie said on Aug. 7. “We know that during the 1940s, eight children died at the school — seven of them were girls. Statistically, that cannot happen without a cause. What happened to these girls? “Now we are finding children buried...
Register
JD Vance went kayaking for his birthday. Secret Service had the river level raised
By Julie Carr Smyth COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Vice President JD Vance’s security detail had an Ohio river’s water level raised last weekend to accommodate a kayaking trip he and his family took to celebrate his 41st birthday. The U.S. Secret Service said it requested the increased waterflow for the Little Miami River, first reported by The Guardian, to ensure motorized watercraft and emergency personnel “could operate safely” while protecting the Republican vice president, whose home is in Cincinnati. But critics immediately blasted the action as a sign of the vice president’s entitlement, particularly given the Trump administration’s focus on slashing government spending. Richard W. Painter, who served as chief White House ethics lawyer under President George W. Bush, said on X that “it’s outrageous for the Army corps of...
Register
‘Not meant to be’: Manitoba Museum reflects as Bay charter heads elsewhere
By Tara Deschamps The Manitoba Museum might have one of the largest collections of Hudson’s Bay artifacts, but its CEO isn’t bitter the defunct retailer’s crown jewel isn’t destined for her institution. There will soon be a new home for the 355-year-old royal charter that birthed the Bay, giving it extraordinary control over a vast swath of unceded lands — and enormous influence over settlers’ early relations with Indigenous Peoples. It will wind up at the Canadian Museum of History, pending court approval of a plan to let the Weston family buy the charter and donate it to the Gatineau, Que., organization. “I’m glad that it has ended up at a museum. I think that’s important,” said Dorota Blumczynska, CEO of the Manitoba Museum in Winnipeg. “But I’m not going...
Register
‘I’m getting scared about this’: Iqaluit councillor says he was robbed, threatened
By Jeff Pelletier, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunatsiaq News Iqaluit RCMP say they will investigate after a city councillor claimed he was robbed and repeatedly threatened. Coun. Simon Nattaq raised a number of concerns at Tuesday’s city council meeting in response to detachment commander Sgt. Vlatko Nikolovski’s presentation of the RCMP’s May and June statistics. “All my guns were stolen, all my rifles have been taken,” Nattaq said, speaking in Inuktitut. “Someone has been threatening, saying that they want to burn my house down, and I’m getting scared about this.” He added: “I know one person who has been threatening me.” Nattaq didn’t say when the incidents happened. He said he wants police to interview him about it. He raised other concerns, including dangerous drivers, as well as the smell...
Register
Manitoba extends wildfire state of emergency as 14,000 remain out of homes
The Manitoba government says its provincewide state of emergency is being extended as 14,000 remain out of their homes due to intense wildfires. Officials last month declared the state of emergency, its second since May, and it was set to expire Friday. The extension keeps it in place for two more weeks. The province says the fire season is its worst in 30 years, and more than 15,500 square kilometres have burned. Roughly 4,000 residents of Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation, also called Nelson House, were ordered out last weekend, as two fires threatened to cut off road access and muddied air quality. Chief Angela Levasseur says on social media that Indigenous Services Canada has given the OK for the Cree Nation to shelter 800 residents at hotels in Niagara Falls, Ont....
Register
Fire Chiefs say Its time to move forward on national agency to fight forest fires
By Émilie Bergeron The Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs says it’s time for Ottawa to stop studying the idea of a national forest fire co-ordination agency and take action. The organization’s president wants the federal government to take inspiration from the U.S. Fire Administration to establish a similar office in Canada. The U.S. office is part of Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, but Ken McMullen says a Canadian version could be simpler and less costly. He said the proposed fire administration office, which could be staffed by one or two people, would ensure that personnel and equipment are appropriately dispersed across the country in the event of wildfires. It would also allow security and fire services to have a seat at the table when relevant policies are being discussed....
Register
‘Exceptional circumstances’: Court hearing set for family of serial killer victim
By Brittany Hobson Family of a First Nations woman who died at the hands of a Winnipeg serial killer will have the chance to give victim impact statements in court one year after his conviction. The Manitoba Court of King’s Bench has agreed to a Crown request for a special hearing for victim and community impact statements to be submitted about 30-year-old Ashlee Shingoose. The hearing is set for Aug. 15. “The court has agreed that holding a hearing to receive and validate the victim and community impact statements relating to a now identified victim in a concluded first-degree murder case is both appropriate and necessary in these exceptional circumstances,” the court says in a Thursday statement. Shingoose, originally from St. Theresa Point Anisininew Nation in northern Manitoba, was one...
Register
‘We need to do some catching up’: Sport minister says consistent funding for facilities is key
By Matt Prokopchuk, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, TBnewswatch.com KENORA – Ontario’s Minister of Sport says a relatively new pot of provincial money is paying dividends when it comes to fixing up community arenas and other sports and recreation facilities. Neil Lumsden was in Wauzhushk Onigum, next to Kenora, in late July to help announce over $9 million from the province’s community sport and recreation infrastructure fund to build a new arena and recreation complex in the First Nation. While that was the big-ticket item, provincial officials also highlighted several other projects in Northwestern Ontario that received money from the same fund. “We need to do some catching up in Ontario and the premier saw it that way and that’s how the fund was created and why,” Lumsden said. “It’s great...
Register
Voice of the River play effort has ambitious goals
By M.T. Fernandes, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Dundalk Herald Stories from people who live along the Grand River, including First Nations and others who later settled the area, lie behind a unique project. Those behind the project say it’s a response to the call for reconciliation, as well as an effort at a kind of tourism that doesn’t exploit but respects the local. Last Thursday’s Voice of the River play (see related story) chose to use “two row” story-telling. Peter Smith, executive and creative director of the Canadian Centre for Rural Creativity conceived and developed the play. He has done community plays before – but not plays as long as a river! The present effort has taken several years of travel up and down the length of the Grand. This...
Register
Hearing begins on Alberta separation referendum question
By Jack Farrell A special court proceeding on a proposed Alberta separation referendum question is underway in Edmonton. Alberta’s chief electoral officer, Gordon McClure, referred the proposed question to the courts last week, asking a judge to determine whether it violates the Constitution, including treaty rights. The question asks Albertans: “Do you agree that the Province of Alberta shall become a sovereign country and cease to be a province in Canada?” Premier Danielle Smith and Justice Minister Mickey Amery have criticized the referral to the courts, saying the question should be approved and only face judicial scrutiny if it receives a majority vote. McClure’s office says it can’t comment further because the matter is before the courts. Multiple groups, including the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation in northern Alberta, say they’re...
Register
Ohio river’s level raised to accommodate Vice President JD Vance’s birthday kayaking trip
By Julie Carr Smyth COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Vice President JD Vance’s security detail had an Ohio river’s water level raised last week to accommodate a kayaking trip he and his family took to celebrate his 41st birthday. The U.S. Secret Service said it requested the increased waterflow for the Little Miami River, first reported by The Guardian, to ensure motorized watercraft and emergency personnel “could operate safely” while protecting the Republican vice president, whose home is in Cincinnati. But critics immediately blasted the action as a sign of the vice president’s entitlement, particularly given the administration Trump administration’s focus on slashing government spending. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said its Louisville District temporarily increased outflows from the Caesar Creek Lake in southwest Ohio into the Little Miami “to...
Register
Eskasoni organizes to battle street drugs
By Rosemary Godin, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Cape Breton Post Chief Leroy Denny and the band council in Eskasoni say illegal drugs in the community have reached a crisis level and they will create a special committee to address the problem. “We are committed to protecting our home and our people,” Denny said in a letter he released on Facebook last weekend. Denny and council acted swiftly following the most recent drug overdose in Eskasoni that tested positive for fentanyl. “As your chief and council, we are writing to you today with a heavy heart,” Denny said, “but also with unwavering resolve, regarding a critical issue that is impacting the very fabric of our beloved Eskasoni: the escalating drug crisis. We recognize the challenges that our community is facing, and...
Register
Sentencing delayed for woman who stabbed Prince George shelter worker
By Bob Mackin, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Prince George Citizen A Provincial Court judge postponed sentencing of a woman after she pleaded guilty July 29 to assault with a weapon and breaching a probation order by having a knife. Shenoa Rose Thomas, 22, was arrested after stabbing a man at the front desk of the Mark’s Place Shelter before 5 p.m. on New Year’s Day. Thomas, who was also charged with assault causing bodily harm, remains in custody. Court heard that Thomas had been asked by the man working at the front desk, a refugee from Nigeria, to leave because she had broken the rules by smoking in her room. Thomas left, but returned a few hours later with a knife that she concealed. She proceeded to stab the man...
Register
Ontario First Nation asks for halt to Ring of Fire mining development
By Allison Jones An Ontario First Nation that has worked toward road access to the mineral-rich Ring of Fire on its traditional territory is now asking the courts to prevent the provincial and federal governments from mineral development in the region. Marten Falls First Nation, located about 400 kilometres northeast of Thunder Bay, has filed a statement of claim asking for interim and permanent injunctions preventing Ontario and Canada from funding or participating in mining-related activities in the Ring of Fire. The claim centres on a series of massive projects between the 1930s and 1950s that the First Nation says diverted river systems on their territory using dams and artificial channels to benefit residents and industry in the southern part of the province and harmed their way of life. The...
Register
Hiring continues for Waasigan Transmission line project
By Carl Clutchey, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Chronicle-Journal Job opportunities continue to pop up at the ongoing Waasigan Transmission line construction project. The project’s contractor, Edmonton-based Valard, is currently recruiting a material yard groundsperson. The deadline for applications is Aug. 15, a project bulletin says. The required work is to start in Rosslyn and “transition” to Sapawey. Applicants must have a G2 driver’s licence. The Waasigan project is a partnership between Hydro One and nine area Indigenous communities, including Fort William First Nation (FWFN). An earlier FWFN bulletin said that during parts of July “there will be a push to increase the number of workers on site through a bulk hiring event.” More than 300 people have so far been hired to build the Waasigan power line between Shuniah...
Register
Carney calls on Métis groups to help change Canada’s ‘economic trajectory’
By Alessia Passafiume Prime Minister Mark Carney called on Métis leaders Thursday to help transform the economy in response to an increasingly unsteady trade relationship with the United States under President Donald Trump. “We have the opportunity to work together on transformative projects that can help change the economic trajectory of our country to the benefit of all,” Carney said to Métis leaders from Ontario, Alberta, Saskatchewan and the N.W.T. who gathered in Ottawa for the meeting. “As we build a new Canada, we’re going to build it in partnership with Indigenous Peoples, and that’s why we’re here today.” The meeting was called to discuss the Carney government’s major projects legislation, which allows cabinet to quickly grant federal approvals for big industrial projects it deems to be in the national...
Register
Special court hearing in Winnipeg set for family of serial killer victim
By Brittany Hobson Family of a First Nations woman who died at the hands of a Winnipeg serial killer will have the chance to give victim impact statements in court a year after his conviction. Manitoba Court of King’s Bench says it has agreed to a special hearing on Aug. 15, so victim and community impact statements can be submitted about Ashlee Shingoose. Shingoose was one of four First Nations women killed by Jeremy Skibicki in 2022. He was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison but, at the time of his trial, Shingoose had yet to be identified and was referred to in court only as Buffalo Woman. Police announced earlier this year that new information after the trial led them to identify the unknown victim...
Register
NB Power seeks to fast-track controversial multimillion-dollar gas plant
By John Chilibeck, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Daily Gleaner NB Power has asked New Brunswick’s regulator to waive a key requirement before building a controversial new multimillion-dollar gas-diesel plant. The leader of the small opposition Green party, which is against any new fossil fuel plants, is slamming the move, arguing that the New Brunswick Energy and Utilities Board should not give up its important oversight role. Normally, any of the public utility’s capital projects that cost $50 million or more are subject to a rigorous review by the independent board. It is responsible for making sure ratepayers are getting good value from NB Power, which has a virtual monopoly on selling electricity in the province. NB Power wants to build the gas plant quickly because of rapidly increasing demand...
Register
Why National Defence’s Indigenous procurement goal remains out of reach
By Sonal Gupta, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Canada’s National Observer The Department of National Defence is far behind its Indigenous procurement target — a result industry insiders say has little to do with a lack of Indigenous suppliers and more with systemic barriers ingrained within the procurement system itself. The department manages billions of dollars in contracts, but reported Indigenous procurement at just 2.5 per cent for the 2023-24 fiscal year, falling far short of the government’s five per cent target due to complex certification requirements, lengthy security clearances and demanding bid processes, Indigenous leaders and procurement experts said. “Indigenous businesses are ready, willing, and able to supply defence projects — which are often located on or near their territories,” said Shannin Metatawabin, CEO of National Aboriginal Capital Corporations Association...
Register
MCK signs trade deal with the Tsuut’ina Nation
By Lucas-Matthew Marsh, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Iori:wase In the presence of an international delegation, the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK) signed an historic free trade agreement with the Tsuut’ina Nation in Alberta. The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) outlined a five-year bilateral pact that reinforces the inherent rights of both nations to trade freely with one another regardless of any trade restrictions imposed by Canada or the U.S. MCK Grand Chief Cody Diabo says the agreement represents an important first step in reviving the pre-colonial trade networks that existed among First Nations across Turtle Island. “European records will probably say the contrary because that’s the way they like to keep us dependent on them,” Diabo said. MCK Chief Paul Rice signed the MOU on behalf of MCK on July 26,...
Register
