Families left uninformed after passing of loved ones
By Eric Plummer, Ha-Shilth-Sa Newspaper, Ha-Shilth-Sa Port Alberni, BC – A mother who recently lost her son in a car accident is calling for systemic changes, after being left in the dark about the deceased’s whereabouts for most of a week. It took five days for Nancy Antoine to get any information from the BC Coroners Service. Her son Nick was killed in a collision by Cameron Lake on Sept. 27. “I had to look for my son and look for his car. Stand by and wait,” she said in correspondence with Ha-Shilth-Sa. “It should not be like this for grieving families.” “The frustration as a parent is waiting for the coroner or the police to get back to us on where he was taken, where his car was taken...
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Indigenous intern program highlighted as ‘success
By Sean Porter, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Sault Star Water First’s Environmental Program internship just graduated it’s first six interns. “It’s a journey for the graduates, lots of technical things to go through, when I see all six of them, they seem like they’ve accomplished something big,” Ryan Osman, head of the environmental program. The program was launched July, 2024, in collaboration with Mamaweswen, The North Shore Tribal Council which represents First Nation communities Atikameksheng Anishinawbek, Batchewana, Garden River, Mississauga, Sagamk Anishnawbek, Serpent River and Thessalon. Garden River First Nation participate, Alexandra Nolan said “One of my favourite things about the internship was being with other people striving for climate change solutions and working together to solve environmental challenges,” in a release. Graduation and ceremony took place at Laurentian Lodge...
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Marineland’s decline raises questions about the future of zoo tourism
By Ann-Kathrin McLea, Carina Ya, Moira A. McDonald and Thomas Worry Thirty beluga whales are at the risk of being euthanized at the now-shuttered Marineland zoo and amusement park in Niagara Falls. Marineland said in a letter to Canada’s Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson it will have to euthanize the whales if it doesn’t receive the necessary financial support to relocate them. The park has come under intense scrutiny recently due to the ongoing struggle to relocate its remaining whales amid financial struggles, a lack of resources and crumbling infrastructure. Canada passed the Ending the Captivity of Whales and Dolphins Act in 2019 that prohibits whales, dolphins and porpoises from being taken into captivity. However, the law does not apply retroactively, meaning whales already held in facilities such as Marineland were...
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Ontario Indigenous advocate says Anglo American turned ‘blind eye’ to De Beers issues
By Lauren Krugel An Indigenous advocate in northern Ontario says his community’s past experience with Anglo American PLC’s diamond-mining subsidiary De Beers does not inspire confidence that a proposed merger between the U.K. company and Vancouver-based Teck Resources Ltd. would benefit First Nations. Charles Hookimaw, former director of lands and resources for the Attawapiskat First Nation, detailed his concerns in a letter earlier this month to federal Industry Minister Mélanie Joly, whose department is reviewing whether the $70-billion transaction would be a net positive for Canada. “I observed first-hand that Anglo American consistently failed to ensure that its subsidiary lived up to its social responsibility and to respect the treaty rights of the Kattawapiskak (Attawapiskat) First Nation,” wrote Hookimaw, who now works as a freelance adviser on Indigenous issues. “Despite...
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City of Richmond to host meeting on ‘consequential’ Cowichan Tribes case
Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie hopes an upcoming meeting will give property owners affected by the Cowichan Tribes case more information, calling the decision “one of the most consequential rulings of any court” in Canadian history. The meeting scheduled for Oct. 28 in the British Columbia community happens almost three months after a B.C. Supreme Court judge ruled that Cowichan Tribes have the right to 7 1/2 square kilometres of land in Richmond, ruling that land titles granted by government were invalid. While the First Nation had not sought to have the titles of privately held properties declared invalid, the court said the Crown’s granting of private property ownership rights unjustifiably infringe on Cowichan Aboriginal title and needs to be resolved through negotiation, litigation or purchase. Otherwise the properties would remain...
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Report points to longer waits, higher fees for Manitoba freedom of information
By Steve Lambert The Manitoba government has been taking longer to respond to freedom of information requests and collecting more money from people filing them, newly released figures show. Government departments and agencies fulfilled more than 1,200 freedom of information requests in the fiscal year that ended in March, said the government’s annual report on its freedom of information law, released last week. A little more than half — 55 per cent — were completed within the normal 45-day period required by law, or after more time under an allowable extension in cases involving a large volume of records or where other governments or people must be consulted. That on-time completion rate was down from 69 per cent the previous year and 70 per cent the year before. People seeking...
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Three Indigenous-led marine refuges established in waters off B.C.’s North Coast
The federal government and two First Nations have jointly announced the establishment of three marine refuges along British Columbia’s North Coast. The Haida Nation and Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson say in a release that two marine refuge areas have been formally established in the waters near the islands of Haida Gwaii. The Gitxaala Nation, south of Prince Rupert, B.C., says in a separate statement that it has also jointly established with the federal government a third marine refuge in the area of nearby Banks Island. All three sites have been established under an initiative meant to increase Indigenous-led marine conservation efforts on the West Coast, while also advancing reconciliation. The Haida Nation says in a statement that it has worked for almost two decades on leading local marine planning efforts,...
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Initiative to grant Rice Lake legal personhood status gaining momentum, says Alderville First Nation chief
By Natalie Hamilton, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, KawarthaNOW Taynar Simpson is hoping his legacy as chief of Alderville First Nation will include a cleaner and protected Rice Lake for many future generations of the Indigenous community. Stating that over-fishing and pollution is savaging the health of the large body of water located in both Northumberland and Peterborough counties, Alderville First Nation’s current chief and others are aiming to make a long-term contribution to the vitality of this vital resource. Simpson is helping spearhead an effort to have Rice Lake granted legal personhood status, which would ultimately protect the lake’s rights now and in the future. Working in collaboration with Alderville community members, other First Nation communities, the International Observatory of Nature’s Rights (which has taken on the case pro bono),...
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Prophet River First Nation collects input on future Fort St. John urban reserve
By Ed Hitchins, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Energeticcity.ca FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — A local First Nation was eagerly looking for input on what the future might look like for its urban reserve. Prophet River First Nation (PRFN) held several community engagement sessions throughout this week, including on Wednesday, October 15th, for the general public at Fort St. John’s Pomeroy Hotel and Conference Centre. The engagement meeting followed similar ones with PRFN members and Elders, which were held during the evening of Tuesday, October 14th and at lunch on Wednesday, respectively. PRFN has partnered with consulting firm McElhanney regarding the land it owns across from Robert Ogilvie Elementary on 86th Street in the city, as well as lands which were added to its reserve south of Fort Nelson. Additions to...
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Four Treaty 8 First Nations take province to court over Crown land sales
By Jeremy Appel, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Alberta Native News Four northwestern Alberta First Nations have launched a legal challenge of the provincial government’s decision to sell more than 15,000 acres of Crown land to Mackenzie County for agricultural development. Collectively known as the Nations of the North Peace, Dene Tha’ First Nation, Beaver First Nation, Tallcree Tribal Government and Little Red River Cree Nation are asking the Court of King’s Bench to reverse the third and final stage of a process that was done without sufficient consultation or consideration of their Treaty rights. The Nations of the North Peace announced their request for judicial review with an Oct. 6 news release. In 2010, then-premier Ed Stelmach began auctioning off 136,000 acres of public land in Peace Country to Mackenzie...
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Federal government returns former military land to BC First Nation
By Sonal Gupta, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Canada’s National Observer The First Nation with the least reserve land per person in British Columbia has reclaimed a swath of ancestral territory on Vancouver Island once fenced off for the federal military. The 80 hectares of land, known traditionally as te’tuxwtun, or Mount Benson, was taken from Snuneymuxw First Nation by the government in the mid-1800s and used by the Department of National Defence. It later became the Nanaimo Indian Hospital from 1946 to 1967 — a site where many Indigenous people suffered under Canada’s forced assimilation policies. “Snuneymuxw never surrendered our land,” Mike Wyse, chief of the nation, told Canada’s National Observer. “We signed a treaty that we had our understanding, but our understanding of the English language wasn’t as clear...
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Treaty 8 Nations challenge Alberta’s Crown land sale in court
By Aaron Walker, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Windspeaker.com Four Treaty 8 Nations in northern Alberta have launched a court challenge against the province, claiming Alberta violated their Treaty rights through its latest Crown land sale that the Nations say continues a long pattern of dispossession. For the Nations of the North Peace, land is not a commodity, but a living relationship passed from one generation to the next, a connection Alberta’s actions continue to threaten, the Nations assert. The Beaver First Nation, Dene Tha’ First Nation, Little Red River Cree Nation, and Tallcree Tribal Government argue that Alberta’s land-sale decision to sell more than 15,000 acres of public land to Mackenzie County near High Level breaches the province’s constitutional duty to consult and accommodate Indigenous peoples. The Nations’ judicial review...
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‘Breathtaking’: Hope Truck fundraiser raises $151,000 for communities
By Ed Hitchins, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Energeticcity.ca MOBERLY LAKE, B.C. — An initiative designed to help communities – both of First Nations and settler communities – in the Peace has revealed final fundraising totals. The Hope Truck fundraiser, which began in March, was a collaboration between West Moberly Industrial Metalwork (WM-IMW) – a division of West Moberly First Nations’ economic arm, West Moberly Corporate Alliance – and Tumbler Ridge-based coal company Conuma Resources. Following a gala on September 27th, the initiative revealed a total of $151,917.44 was raised after expenses. This means the four communities involved – Chetwynd and Tumbler Ridge as well as Saulteau First Nations (SFN) and West Moberly First Nations (WMFN) – will receive a share of $37,979.44 WM-IMW director of marketing and Indigenous relations Marilyn...
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Prince George shoplifter who wanted cleaner clothing gets 27 days in jail
By Bob Mackin, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Prince George Citizen A 32-year-old from Prince George pleaded guilty to theft under $5,000 during an Oct. 8 Provincial Court video hearing from jail in Surrey. Judge David Simpkin sentenced Corey Trent Tom, who is a member of Takla First Nation, to 50 days in jail. Tom received credit for 23 days in pretrial custody, leaving 27 days to serve. He was also ordered to spend the next year on probation under the joint proposal from Crown and defence lawyers. Simpkin heard that Tom, who is in custody at the Surrey Pretrial Centre, was arrested on Aug. 25 in Richmond after stealing $267.95 of clothing and deodorant from the Real Canadian Superstore. An RCMP officer intercepted Tom, who was riding a bicycle, on...
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Ontario Chiefs sound alarm on escalating opioid crisis in First Nations communities
By Jacqueline St. Pierre, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Manitoulin Expositor ONTARIO —The new report from the Chiefs of Ontario (COO) and the Ontario Drug Policy Research Network reads like a ledger of sorrow and resilience. It maps a cruel truth: between 2019 and 2022, the rate of opioid-related deaths among First Nations in Ontario nearly tripled, reaching 12.8 per 10,000 people, compared to 1.4 for non-First Nations. In 2023, First Nations people were ten times more likely to visit hospital because of opioid toxicity. Many more use opioid agonist therapy; many more live under the shadow of systemic trauma. “These statistics shed a light onto one of the most pressing issues of our time,” said Abram Benedict, Chief of the COO. “Far too many people—both First Nations and non-First...
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As Ontario expands front-line powers, critics warn of “care by patchwork”
By Jacqueline St. Pierre, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Manitoulin Expositor ONTARIO —Across Ontario—and nowhere more visibly than in rural and Northern regions like Manitoulin—the face of health care is changing fast. The provincial government is moving to expand the powers of paramedics, pharmacists, psychologists, optometrists, and other allied professionals in what it calls an effort to provide “more connected and convenient care.” But critics say the changes reveal something else: a system under strain, shifting duties downstream as family medicine and hospital care continue to buckle. Under the new proposals, pharmacists could soon prescribe medications for 14 additional ailments, including sore throats, mild headaches, sleep disorders and shingles. Optometrists would gain authority to perform minor surgeries under local anesthetic, use laser therapy for cataracts and glaucoma, and order diagnostic...
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Ontario Provincial Police locate human remains believed connected to Simcoe homicide
NORFOLK COUNTY, ON – The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) have located human remains in a wooded area off Highway 6 in Haldimand County Thursday, Oct., 16, 2025 believed to be connected to a homicide investigation in Simcoe. The human remains were located at about 6:00 p.m., off Highway 6 just west of Caledonia and south of Stirling Street and are believed to be part of the ongoing Simcoe homicide investigation. A postmortem examination to confirm the identity and cause of death is scheduled at the Ontario Forensic Pathology Service (OFPS) on Friday, October 17, 2025. OPP are asking residents and members of the public who may have been in the area of Highway 6 west of Caledonia and south of Stirling Street on Sunday, October 5, 2025, between 10:30 p.m....
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ROPE Squad seeking public’s help in locating federal offender
Wendel McLean TORONTO, ON – The Repeat Offender Parole Enforcement (R.O.P.E.) Squad is requesting the public’s assistance in locating a federal offender wanted on a Canada Wide Warrant as a result of a breach of their Statutory Release. Wendel McLean is described as a mixed race Indigenous/black male, 41 years of age, 5’10” (178cm), 195 lbs (89kg) with black hair and brown eyes. Wendel McLean is serving a 6-year sentence for: Break and Enter Commit Robbery – Use Restricted/Prohibited Firearm x 2 The offender is known to frequent the Greater Toronto Area. Anyone having contact with this offender or information in regards to their whereabouts is asked to contact the Provincial R.O.P.E. Squad at 416-808-5900 or toll free at 1-866-870-7673 (ROPE) or Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or call 9-1-1. ...
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B.C. First Nation on Vancouver Island gets back 80 hectares of land from Ottawa
A British Columbia First Nation is getting some land back in an agreement with the federal government as part of a claim settlement that dates back almost two centuries. Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Rebecca Alty and Snuneymuxw First Nation Chief Mike Wyse say in a joint announcement that the three parcels of land in Nanaimo, B.C., total about 80 hectares and were Defence Department lands. The announcement comes months after an agreement between the two parties to settle a claim over the federal government failing to set aside village land previously promised in an 1854 treaty. The federal government has also agreed to provide $42 million in compensation to the First Nation in the agreement. The nation says its vision for the land involves a mixed-use developments that include housing, commercial...
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Yukon Liberals roll out platform as common election promises emerge between parties
By Ashley Joannou The Yukon Liberals have unveiled their campaign platform, hoping to be re-elected on promises of a $300-million hospital expansion and a dramatic reduction in the wait-list for government housing. Liberal Leader Mike Pemberton is the first to roll out a full campaign platform as the territory nears the halfway point of the election, set for Nov. 3. “These are practical solutions that make a real difference for Yukoners in housing, health care, affordability, arts, recreation, safety, the economy and true partnership,” Pemberton told a news conference in Whitehorse on Thursday. Several key Liberal planks in its platform are similar to promises already made by the New Democrats and Yukon Party during the territorial campaign. Both the Liberals and the Yukon Party are promising an expansion of Whitehorse...
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