Doig River among investors in First Nations Bank of Canada’s $9m equity raise
By Ed Hitchins, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Energeticcity.ca SASKATOON, SK. — Indigenous groups from Treaty 8 were among five parties to invest in the First Nations Bank of Canada (FNBC). According to a release on August 5th, Doig River First Nation (DRFN) and its economic arm, Úújǫ Developments, joined groups from Alberta, Saskatchewan and the Yukon in the investment, which was announced on Tuesday, August 5th. The total investment from the parties totals $9 million, and the release says the money “will support the bank’s continued loan book expansion, particularly in response to rising demand in its core commercial lending business, as well as new programs.” Headquartered in Saskatchewan, the FNBC is the first independent financial institution to be controlled by Indigenous shareholders and began in 1996. President and chief...
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Blaze near Cathedral Grove, but B.C. fire service says ancient forest not at risk
By Nono Shen Vancouver Island photographer Colby Rex O’Neill has had restless nights as a wildfire burns less than a kilometre from his home. That’s a worry, but he also fears the Wesley Ridge fire could reach what he called a “national treasure” — Cathedral Grove, a temperate rainforest with trees that are about 800 years old, located in a park on central Vancouver Island. Rex O’Neill said he was closely watching the fire burning east of MacMillan Provincial Park, which contains what he described as “one of the most beautiful forests in the world.” “I feel like, if it ever really was being threatened, that we would need to do something as a country to protect it. That forest is a very special place,” he said. Madison Dahl, a...
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Grizzly Bear Art Show calls on local artists to channel creativity for conservation
By Luke Faulks, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Pique Newsmagazine Artists from across the Sea to Sky region are invited to submit their creative interpretations of one of British Columbia’s most iconic and threatened species: the grizzly bear. The Coast to Cascades Grizzly Bear Initiative and Pemberton Arts Council are set to host a Grizzly Bear Art Show on Oct. 17 at the Pemberton & District Community Centre. The juried exhibition aims to raise awareness of the cultural, ecological and emotional significance of grizzly bears through visual art. “For thousands of years in the Sea to Sky area of southwest B.C., grizzly bears [have been] prominently connected to First Nations Culture & History and are an important species significantly contributing to the health and vitality of ecosystems,” said organizers on social...
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19-year-old driver killed in crash outside Caledonia
By J.P. Antonacci, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Hamilton Spectator A driver was killed in a single-vehicle collision along the banks of the Grand River northwest of Caledonia just before 12:30 a.m. on Tuesday. The motorist, identified by police as a 19-year-old from Wilsonville in neighbouring Norfolk County, died at the scene. The crash happened on Highway 54 between Onondaga Townline Road and Harrison Road, said OPP Sgt. Ed Sanchuk. Investigators have determined that the car left the roadway, hit a guardrail and rolled over, ending up in a ditch. That stretch of highway follows the river between Caledonia and Brantford. The fatal crash happened on the border of Six Nations of the Grand River First Nation. Investigators closed the road and were expected to be on the scene until...
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Funding from First Nations Bank to assist construction of Indigenous-led development in B.C. town
By Sam Laskaris, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Windspeaker.com Construction will soon commence on a new development in Function Junction, a neighbourhood in Whistler, a popular tourist town in British Columbia. The Indigenous-led development, which will be called Tseqwtsúqum̓, is made possible with funding from the First Nations Bank of Canada (FNBC) to the Lil’wat Business Group. The Lil’wat Business Group is the economic arm of Lil’wat Nation. The dollar amount is not being publicly released for the project, which was announced on July 28. FNBC’s CEO Bill Lomax said, however, it is the largest deal yet under its $100 million Indigenous Land Development Program partnership with the Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB). The partnership provides below-market rates to Indigenous communities looking to build critical infrastructure. “We’ve been working on accessing funding...
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Judge considers whether Florida’s ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ detention center violates environmental law
By David Fischer And Mike Schneider MIAMI (AP) — A federal judge on Wednesday was hearing arguments over whether to stop construction of an immigration detention center built in the middle of the Florida Everglades and dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz” because it didn’t follow environmental laws. Until the laws are followed, environmental groups and the Miccosukee Tribe said U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams should issue a preliminary injunction to halt operations and further construction. The suit claims the project threatens environmentally sensitive wetlands that are home to protected plants and animals and would reverse billions of dollars’ worth of environmental restoration. The lawsuit in Miami against federal and state authorities is one of two legal challenges to the South Florida detention center which was built more than a month ago by...
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4 people die in crash of medical transport plane on Navajo Nation in northern Arizona
By Jacques Billeaud And Lisa Baumann A small medical transport plane crashed and caught fire Tuesday on the Navajo Nation in northern Arizona, killing four people, the tribe said in a statement. A Beechcraft King Air 300 from the CSI Aviation company left Albuquerque, New Mexico, with two pilots and two health care providers, according to the Federal Aviation Administration and CSI Aviation. It crashed in the early afternoon near the airport in Chinle, about 300 miles (483 kilometers) northeast of Phoenix. “They were trying to land there and unfortunately something went wrong,” district Police Commander Emmett Yazzie said. The crew was planning pick up a patient who needed critical care from the federal Indian Health Service hospital in Chinle, said Sharen Sandoval, director of the Navajo Department of Emergency...
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Revenue sharing agreement with airline nets First Nation over $1M
By Matt Prokopchuk, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, TBnewswatch.com WEBEQUIE — The chief of Webequie First Nation says a recent royalty payment from one of its business partners will be budgeted to improve the bottom line of the community’s various departments, like education and economic development. Officials and staff with North Star Air were in Webequie, a remote First Nation located about 540 kilometres north of Thunder Bay, on Friday to publicly present the most recent dividend of a revenue sharing agreement between the airline and the First Nation, totalling just over $1.026 million. “We have a partnership with North Star Air, and that is our preferred airline for travel in and out of our community,” Webequie Chief Cornelius Wabasse told Newswatch. He said the public presentation to the community —...
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What Were You Wearing? Exhibit Confronts Victim Blaming
By Steven Sukkau, Initiative de journalisme local, Winnipeg Sun The first thing you notice is that the mannequins aren’t sexy. One wears a faded hoodie. Another is dressed in nursing scrubs, another in pajamas. A pair of sweats so average they could have been bought at Walmart for $19.99. These are the outfits people were wearing when they were sexually assaulted. The “What Were You Wearing?” exhibit organized by Genesis House is as blunt as its name, a quiet rebuttal to one of the oldest and ugliest myths in human history: that sexual assault can be explained by a victim’s clothing. “No one is asking for it,” says Ang Braun, Executive Director at Genesis House. “That’s the reality. And sometimes people need to see it to believe it.” The exhibit...
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Mohawk Council of Kahnawake considering road tolls in response to federal cuts
By Morgan Lowrie The Mohawk Council of Kahnawake says it will probably impose tolls on the roads crossing its territory in response to looming federal budget cuts. Grand Chief Cody Diabo told reporters the tolls could help offset the impact of cuts by Indigenous Services Canada on the Mohawk community south of Montreal. He says his council is looking at implementing tolls on major highways where he says approximately 120,000 vehicles pass through daily. Federal ministers have been asked to carve out savings of 7.5 per cent next spring, with cuts expected to rise to 15 per cent in 2028-29. Diabo says the news of the cuts comes in the wake of Indigenous opposition to Bill C-5, which gives Ottawa the power to fast-track projects it considers to be in...
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Portion of Highway 54 remains closed as OPP investigate fatal crash
HALDIMAND COUNTY, ON – Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) are continuing to investigate after a single vehicle fatal crash closed Haldimand Highway 54 between Onondaga Townline Road and Harrison Road near Caledonia. Emergency services including Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Haldimand County Detachment, Haldimand County Fire Department and Haldimand County EMS responded to a collision at Haldimand Highway 54 Tuesday, August 5, 2025, at approximately 12:26 a.m.. OPP said a motor vehicle left the roadway and stuck a guard rail and rolled over before coming to rest in the ditch. A lone occupant, a 19-year-old from Wilsonville sustained serious life-threatening injuries and was pronounced deceased on scene. West Region OPP Traffic Incident Management Enforcement Team is assisting with the investigation and is asking anyone who was travelling on Haldimand Highway 54 between...
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Conditions cool after B.C. wildfires double in a week with 67,000 lighting strikes
The number of wildfires burning in British Columbia has more than doubled in the past week after a stretch of hot, dry weather and thunderstorms that produced more than 67,000 lightning strikes. There are more than 130 active fires in B.C., up from about 60 a week ago, though the BC Wildfire Service says cooler temperatures, scattered showers and a decrease in thunderstorm activity would help firefighting efforts this week. There is one so-called wildfire of note, the Wesley Ridge blaze discovered last Thursday near Cathedral Grove, a renowned old-growth forest east of Port Alberni. The out-of-control blaze spans just over five square kilometres, with the latest update from the wildfire service saying helicopters equipped with night-vision technology worked overnight to dump water on hot spots. The service says crews...
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Tla-o-qui-aht flag raised in front of Tofino’s municipal hall for Tla-o-qui-aht Days
By Nora O’Malley, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Ha-Shilth-Sa Tofino, BC – Tla-o-qui-aht Days festivities kicked off on Monday, Aug. 4 with a mid-morning parade through the streets of downtown Tofino and flag raising ceremony in front of the municipal building. Tla-o-qui-aht Tribal Parks led the group to the Village Green while Tourism Tofino cruised at the back of the community parade with both their old-school 1966 VW van and their new electric VW ID. Buzz. After a traditional Welcome Song was performed, Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation (TFN) Chief Councillor Elmer Frank thanked the crowd on behalf of the Ha’wiih (Hereditary Chiefs) for coming out to celebrate Tla-o-qui-aht Days. “It brings our people together and it brings our community together,” said Frank. Tofino sits on unceded traditional territory (Ha-Hoothlee) of the Tla-o-qui-aht....
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‘Like a homecoming’: 50 years and counting for Webequie’s annual summer festival
By Matt Prokopchuk, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, TBnewswatch.com WEBEQUIE — Bringing multiple generations together continues to be at the heart of a longstanding annual summer celebration in Webequie. The remote First Nation, located about 540 kilometres north of Thunder Bay, holds its Neebin Odaminowin summer festival every year during the last week of July. This year, they celebrated its 50th anniversary. “It’s always good to have a summer festival, people come out and enjoy themselves,” said Coun. Eric Shewaybick, who is also one of the festival coordinators. “It’s almost like a homecoming event.” This year’s week-long celebrations were held from July 28 to August 2. Coun. Harry Wabasse has seen every one of them. He said the concept started with treaty annuity payments came in (the First Nation’s Treaty Day...
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Ontario makes program aimed at keeping seniors out of hospital permanent
By Allison Jones Ontario’s long-term care minister has announced that the province is making a paramedic program that helps keep patients out of hospital permanent. Natalia Kusendova-Bashta says the Community Paramedicine for Long-Term Care program has served more than 81,000 people since launching as a pilot project in 2020 and expanding across the province in 2022. The program sees community paramedics treat seniors who are waiting for long-term care in their homes for non-emergency issues such as help with chronic disease management. The government says community paramedics typically provide care within hours or days, which helps prevent emergency incidents and eases pressures on hospitals. Ontario is putting $89 million toward the program, which includes expanding services offered in First Nations communities. The Ontario Association of Paramedic Chiefs says the pilot...
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Junos introduce Latin music category in effort to recognize more Canadian-made sounds
By David Friend The Juno Awards are adding a dash of Latin flavour to next year’s festivities. Organizers at Canada’s biggest music awards show say they plan to introduce Latin music recording of the year at the 2026 edition. The new category will recognize Canadian musicians across all Latin American languages and genres who’ve released music in the eligible year. It’s the latest move by the Junos to diversify how it recognizes Canadian creators and the evolving national music scene. Last year, the Junos added a South Asian music category, while in 2022 it split the Indigenous category in two to honour both contemporary and traditional Indigenous artists. The 2026 Junos are set to take place in Hamilton with the main show broadcast from Hamilton Arena, formerly FirstOntario Centre, which...
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Parts of northern Ontario remain under air quality statement amid wildfire smoke
A stretch of northern Ontario remains under a special air quality statement amid smoke from wildfires burning in parts of the country. The special statement for southern parts of the province, including the Toronto area, lifted this morning as conditions there improved. Environment Canada says smoke from forest fires can cause reduced air quality and visibility that can fluctuate throughout the day. It says northern parts of the province, including Pikangikum and Sandy Lake First Nations, are under air quality statements or warnings due to the smoke. The weather agency says reduced air quality can cause mild eye, nose and throat irritation. More serious but less common symptoms include chest pains and a severe cough. Environment Canada is advising people to limit their time outdoors and consider postponing sports or...
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‘You are enough and you’re worthy to belong in these spaces’
By Aastha Sethi, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Cabin Radio A woman born and raised in Hay River believes she may be the first Inuk psychiatrist in Canada. Dr. Elycia Monaghan, who recently graduated from the Northern Ontario School of Medicine University in Thunder Bay, said she isn’t certain of that title but could find no evidence of another Inuk psychiatrist in the country, despite extensive searching. “I feel so fortunate to be able to hopefully be a role model to other Inuit youth,” she told Cabin Radio. “I remember what it was like growing up as an Inuk kid in Hay River. Sometimes, I wished to see more Inuit and Indigenous people in positions of power and making differences – to have doctors that looked like me and who had...
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Krill fishery in Antarctica shut down after record catch triggers unprecedented early closure
By Joshua Goodman MIAMI (AP) — Officials have shut down early the remote krill fishery near Antarctica after trawling for the tiny crustacean — a vital food source for whales that also helps fight climate change — exceeded the seasonal catch limit for the first time. The unprecedented early closure of the fishery follows a report by The Associated Press last week detailing a record surge in the krill catch after a longstanding conservation framework was allowed to lapse with no plan in place to handle growing pressures in the world’s southernmost fishery. The Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, or CCAMLR, the international organization that manages the fishery, declined to comment but confirmed the closure earlier this month of the 2024-25 season, which should have extended...
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Thousands to flee First Nation in northern Manitoba over wildfire threat
Thousands of people have fled from a First Nation in northern Manitoba Monday as wildfires burned closer and closer to the community. The Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation, also called Nelson House, issued a full evacuation order Sunday in response to the blazes, as flames threatened to cut off road access and muddied air quality. It was upgraded one day later to a mandatory evacuation. The community’s roughly 4,000 residents were to register with the Cree Nation before busing to the Thompson Airport, about 75 kilometres away, to fly to Winnipeg. On social media, Nisichawayasihk Chief Angela Levasseur said crews are working around the clock to make sure everyone gets out safely. “We are also doing everything in our power to make sure every possible measure is taken to suppress the wildfires...
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