Eby plans $150 million in loan guarantees for Cowichan land owners
By Wolfgang Depner British Columbia Premier David Eby says his government plans to offer private owners of land in the Cowichan Aboriginal title area more than $150 million in loan guarantees, amid fears about the impact of the landmark ruling on their financing. He says the fund could include $100 million in guaranteed financing for Montrose Properties, the biggest private owner in the Aboriginal title area, and a further $54 million for smaller owners. Eby says the final amount could be significantly larger because current plans do not yet account for significant “additional commercial activity” in the area. Montrose, which owns about 120 hectares of the 300-hectare title area in Richmond, B.C., says in legal documents that a previous lender denied it $35 million in financing because of concerns about...
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Legislature’s 14-week break ‘appalling,” MPP says
By Mike Stimpson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Thunder Bay Source THUNDER BAY — Ontario’s legislative assembly is taking a 14-week break after having already taken a 19-week summer break and sitting only 51 days this year. And the MPP for Thunder Bay-Superior North doesn’t like it one bit. “It’s appalling, really,” Lise Vaugeois, a New Democrat, said of the Progressive Conservative government’s long hiatus. “Here’s a game that’s being played: They have very short sessions in which they ram through huge bills,” she continued. “And the other piece is that they are mired in scandal, and the legislative session is when they can best be held to account.” Legislators returned to Queen’s Park in late October after a nearly five-month break and concluded their fall sitting on Thursday. Government MPPs...
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Northern region holiday gathering brings good tidings for unity, health and lots of seafood in 2026
By Nora O’Malley, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Ha-Shilth-Sa Campbell River, BC – The annual Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council (NTC) Urban Community Holiday Gatherings tour wrapped with merriment and fruit čamas at a packed Thunderbird Hall in Campbell River on Dec 11. Looking forward to a new year and a fresh start, the unifying wish for many of the guests at the Thunderbird Hall was just that – to be more united in 2026. “I always think about all our nations and the troubles that we are having in-fighting,” said Tla-o-qui-aht elder Barney Williams, who moved to the northern region seven years ago to be closer to a major hospital. “I really hope we can go back to the way it was years ago. Everything was respected. There was no contest. We...
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Some Native Americans draw shocked response over contract to design immigration detention centers
By Heather Hollingsworth, Joshua Goodman And John Hanna MAYETTA, Kan. (AP) — The Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, whose ancestors were uprooted by the U.S. from the Great Lakes region in the 1830s, are facing outrage from fellow Native Americans over plans to profit from another forced removal: President Donald Trump’s mass deportation campaign. A newly established tribal business entity quietly signed a nearly $30 million federal contract in October to come up with an early design for immigrant detention centers across the U.S. Amid the backlash, the tribe says it’s trying to get out of it. Tribal leaders and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security haven’t responded to detailed questions about why the firm was selected for such a big contract without having to compete for the work as federal...
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Treaty Chiefs Warn of “Severe Impacts” as Alberta Passes Water Legislation
By Jeremy Appel, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Alberta Native News Alberta’s UCP government has passed legislation without any input from First Nations that poses severe risks to Alberta’s watersheds, according to a group of Treaty 6, 7 and 8 chiefs. Bill 7, the Water Amendment Act, 2025, which was introduced in the Legislative Assembly by Environment and Protected Areas Minister Rebecca Schulz, received royal assent on December 12. The legislation updates the Water Act to enable “low-risk” transfers between water basins, empower the minister to determine a transfer’s risk level, and merge the Peace-Slave and Athabasca Water Basins into one, reducing the province’s number of watersheds to six. Previously, these transfers were decided on a case-by-case basis and required special legislation to proceed. Minister Schulz said at an Oct. 30...
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Finalized and updated joint-use agreement not coming to Whitehorse council until fall 2026
By Becky Zimmer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Yukon News Whitehorse city council approved another year waiting on an up-to-date joint-use agreement. City staff were unable to bring a finalized document to be approved by council before the end of this year, and have successfully asked council to extend the deadline to December 2026. The Joint-use Agreement is the framework for how different public facilities and selected school buildings are used by the community. According to the Administrative Report presented to council during the Nov. 17 standing committees meeting, the document “ensures fair, equitable allocation of space based on community benefits, prioritizing youth activities.” Keri Rutherford, Recreations manager for the City of Whitehorse spoke to this during the committee meeting saying the Yukon government entering caretaker mode during the territorial elections...
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Investments in Métis Nation–Saskatchewan drive economic growth amid self-government talks
By Aaron Walker, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Windspeaker.com A new socio-economic impact assessment shows Métis Nation–Saskatchewan (MN–S) has turned federal investments into significantly wider economic activity over the past seven years, generating hundreds of millions of dollars provincewide and supporting thousands of jobs. The independent report, MN–S invests in Métis citizens, provincial economy benefits two-fold, was released Nov. 22 by national accounting firm MNP and presented at the Métis Nation-Saskatchewan Legislative Assembly in Saskatoon last month. The report marks the first socio-economic impact assessment of the Nation since 2017. It concludes that investments into Métis citizens are “contributing to real economic growth and social outcomes that benefit everyone in Saskatchewan” while addressing long-standing gaps in health, housing, and education. MN–S chief operating officer Matthew Vermette said the analysis reinforces years...
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Cause of deadly trailer fire remains mystery
By Carl Clutchey, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Chronicle-Journal Provincial investigators say the probe into last weekend’s fatal trailer fire at Fort William First Nation continues, but a suspected cause of the blaze has yet to be released. “At this time, there is no update to share,” an Ontario Fire Marshal spokesman said on Friday. “The investigation remains ongoing,” he added. Fort William First Nation held three days of mourning after two young men were found dead inside the burnt-out trailer in the early morning of Dec.6. Thunder Bay Fire Rescue said the structure on Squaw Bay Road was fully engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived around 3 a.m. When reached on Friday, the Fire Marshal’s office offered some general advice. “While we are not able to comment on the...
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Two senior care initiatives receive $5,000 grants from Greater Peterborough Health Services Foundation
By Natalie Hamilton, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, KawarthaNOW Two initiatives aimed at promoting improved well-being for Peterborough seniors — one through nutritional support and another in the realm of mental health care — have each received financial boosts. On Thursday (December 11), the Greater Peterborough Health Services Foundation (GPHSF) announced the recipients of its second annual senior care micro grant program, made available to support senior care projects and healthy aging initiatives within the Peterborough area. Curve Lake First Nation’s Home and Community Care and Mental Health Project and One City Peterborough’s Nutritional Support for At-Risk Seniors Project have each received $5,000. “Our hope for each senior care grant is to provide a positive impact on the quality of life for as many seniors as possible,” GPHSF executive director Vince...
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‘We’re not afraid’: Life goes on for Indigenous Colombians despite volcano eruption risk
By Astrid Suárez PURACE, Colombia (AP) — Oliverio Quira often goes to check on his cattle on a plot of land he owns less than a mile from the Purace volcano in southwestern Colombia. There he sits and watches the billowing ash column rising from the crater. Despite a recent alert indicating that an eruption is likely in the coming days or weeks due to increased seismic activity at the volcano and the emission of ash columns reaching up to 900 meters (nearly 3,000 feet), he is not afraid. “I’ve lived on the volcano, I grew up there … so I have no reason to fear it. I’ll keep going there, alert or not. I have to look after my animals,” Quira, 65, told The Associated Press. He is a...
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Canadian English supporters urge Carney to abandon federal shift to British spelling
By Jim Bronskill Promoters of Canadian English say the federal government is sending the wrong message to the world with its recent use of British spelling in official documents. In a letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney, five linguistics experts and an editors association representative say the simplest way to keep national elbows up is to get Canadian style down on the page. The Dec. 11 letter, shared with The Canadian Press, notes the use of British spelling — such as utilisation, globalisation, catalyse (instead of utilization, globalization and catalyze) — in documents, including the 2025 federal budget. Canadian spelling is used widely and fairly consistently in Canada — in book and magazine publishing, in newspapers and other media, and in the federal and provincial governments and their legislatures, the...
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How does the rental office handle drug claims against tenants?
By Claire McFarlane, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Cabin Radio The Northwest Territories’ rental office plays an important role in Scan legislation currently being drafted by the territorial government. In the N.W.T., the rental office acts as a court handling disputes between landlords and tenants. Rental officers have powers like issuing eviction orders to tenants or withholding rent if landlords don’t address maintenance issues. If the territory’s Scan legislation becomes law, the GNWT will create a new unit of Scan officers. They won’t be police officers but they’ll be tasked with investigating complaints about things like drug-related activity at homes in small communities. The Scan officers will have the power to either bring applications to the rental office if they think someone should be evicted, or help landlords do the same...
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Kanesatake Health Center speaks out on Bill 2
By Marcus Bankuti, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Eastern Door The head of the Kanesatake Health Center (KHC) has joined the chorus of opposition to the Quebec law overhauling the province’s healthcare system, citing fears it could harm the health centre’s capacity to serve the community effectively. Among other changes, the legislation that was known as Bill 2, which passed on October 25 but did not immediately implement the new regime, ties compensation of doctors to performance targets in hopes of relieving the overburdened provincial healthcare system by pressuring medical professionals to take on a bigger load – or, in other words, to work faster. Doctors across Quebec have been united in opposition to the changes, with many even reportedly considering a move outside the province to flee its effects....
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Spending, funding don’t match for Indigenous police services
By Olivier Cadotte, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Eastern Door A report from the Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) outlined what Indigenous communities and their police forces already knew: that spending for the First Nations and Inuit Policing Program (FNIPP) has yet to catch up to the needs of these services despite recent increases in funding. That’s all while these services are still looking for official recognition as being essential in the eyes of the government. “I just wonder when the government’s going to get it and actually make true, meaningful changes, because the auditor general has made numerous reports saying that the FNIPP is failing to do what it’s supposed to do, and that the government fails in different areas to administer those funds,” said chief Kahnawake Peacekeeper Dwayne Zacharie...
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Fact File: Claim Canada ranks 8th in global homeless population is false
By Marissa Birnie A list posted to social media claimed to show a supposed global ranking of countries with the largest homeless population, in which Canada ranked number eight. The list actually shows data from countries that are part of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, plus three non-member countries, and is not a global ranking. As all countries use different methods to record homeless statistics, it is difficult to compare or rank them. THE CLAIM “Canada ranks 8th in the world for highest homeless population,” reads an Instagram post with more than 7,000 likes. The post includes a screenshot from a statistics account World of Statistics on the X platform, formerly Twitter, which ranked Canada at number eight on a list of countries with the highest homeless population....
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Flu season in full effect, three deaths in South zone so far
By Anna Smith, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Medicine Hat News As influenza season comes into full swing over the holidays, Albertans are encouraged to keep themselves safe and get immunized. The latest data available from the province’s respiratory virus dashboard is updated to include information as recent as Dec. 6. In the week of Nov. 30 to Dec. 6, there were 1,527 confirmed influenza cases, 216 hospitalizations, 18 ICU admissions and one death. The dashboard states that the reporting season begins in late August. Thus far, there have been 3,703 cases, 802 hospitalizations, 54 ICU admissions and 21 deaths. A total of 114 cases have been confirmed in the South zone since the beginning of the period, including 58 hospitalizations, 10 ICU admissions and three deaths. While vaccine effectiveness varies...
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Rural and Remote Recruitment Incentive Program Expands
By Carol Baldwin, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Wakaw Recorder Saskatchewan’s Rural and Remote Recruitment Incentive (RRRI) program is expanding to three more towns: Edam, Battleford and Hudson Bay, extending the eligibility to a total of 73 communities. Positions in Wakaw became eligible under the program in April of this year for certain permanent full-time positions. The incentive of up to $50,000 for a three-year return-in-service is offered to new, permanent full-time employees in nine high-priority health occupations in rural and remote communities experiencing or at risk of service disruptions due to staffing challenges. These high-priority positions include Registered Nurses, Registered Psychiatric Nurses, Nurse Practitioners, Combined Lab and X-Ray Technicians, Licensed Practical Nurses, Medical Laboratory Technologists, Medical Radiation Technologists, Continuing Care Assistants, and Medical Laboratory Assistants. “The Rural and Remote Recruitment...
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House of Commons rises for six-week holiday break
By Alessia Passafiume The House of Commons has started its winter break — without the government’s lengthy budget implementation bill becoming law. House leader Steven MacKinnon told reporters outside the House of Commons Thursday the past 11 weeks of the fall sitting have seen “very hard work” by the government to protect jobs and reduce the cost of living. “For the last three months, the Conservatives have adopted and executed a clear political strategy that is self-serving and selfish,” MacKinnon said. “Their partisan strategy is simple: obstruct, obstruct, obstruct … But we did get results for Canadians, and we will continue to do that work when the House returns in the new year.” Just before the House rose, MPs passed two pieces of legislation — C-4 and C-12 — which...
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Racism, misunderstanding block Indigenous access to HIV care in Canada
By Sonal Gupta, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Canada’s National Observer Trevor Stratton recalls the day he wandered out of a pharmacy without paying last summer. The pharmacist chased him down and scolded him — only to later confirm there had been no charge at all. Stratton, who was recovering from a seizure and unclear on his medication coverage, describes the experience as “disrespectful,” but also painfully familiar. A member of the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation, Stratton is an HIV activist diagnosed with the virus in 1990. He serves as a board member for the Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research and as the Indigenous leadership policy manager for Communities, Alliances and Networks. Experiences such as his, he said, are common for Indigenous people who face increased scrutiny in...
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BC First Nation calls on MP to cancel visit after he failed to reach out following grizzly attack
By Sonal Gupta, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Canada’s National Observer The Nuxalk Nation on British Columbia’s central coast is urging their federal representative to cancel a planned visit to Bella Coola, saying he ignored their leadership and instead arranged to meet with a local gun club in the aftermath of a grizzly bear attack that left three children and a teacher severely injured. Ellis Ross, the Conservative MP for the Skeena–Bulkley Valley riding, has not communicated with the First Nation since the Nov. 20 incident. The Nuxalk only learned of Ross’s planned visit when they heard he had scheduled a meeting with the Bella Coola Rod and Gun Club for Dec. 13 — without the Nuxalk leadership. The club promoted the event as a discussion on “the current bear situation...
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