First Nations-owned Vancouver Island wood chip plant set to close in March
A wood chip plant on Vancouver Island that’s majority-owned by a First Nation in British Columbia and was acquired with help from provincial funding, says it is closing, the latest setback for the province’s forestry sector. Atli Resources chief executive Jonathan Lok says in a statement that the Atli Chip LP facility in Beaver Cove will close in March due to “ongoing structural changes affecting British Columbia’s coastal forest sector.” The statement says a major factor was last month’s announcement of the closure of Domtar’s pulp mill in Crofton, B.C., which Atli says effectively eliminated the demand for wood chips produced at Beaver Cove. Atli, which is co-owned by the ‘Namgis First Nation, says it and its partners on the Beaver Cove plant including Domtar are looking at alternative uses...
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Anishnawbe Business Professional Association: Act has ‘southern-centric bias’
By Sandi Krasowski, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Chronicle-Journal The Anishnawbe Business Professional Association (ABPA) is forewarning that the newly enacted Buy Ontario Act, 2025 (Bill 72), systematically excludes First Nations businesses and threatens to widen the economic gap in Northern Ontario. Jason Rasevych, ABPA president, said the association has submitted a strategic review in a letter to Stephen Crawford, Ontario minister of public and business service delivery and procurement. In the letter, ABPA argues that while the act aims to prioritize Ontario businesses, its definitions favour southern, urban, and non-Indigenous entities. Rasevych told The Chronicle-Journal that the legislation ignores the reality of the Northern economy and the constitutionally distinct status of First Nations by setting rigid thresholds for employee counts and permanent headquarters. He called the Buy Ontario Act,...
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François Legault has resigned as premier of Quebec, leaving behind a strained legacy with MCK
By Lucas-Matthew Marsh, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Iori:wase Legault is gone – whether the legacy he leaves behind with Kahnawake and First Nations across Quebec will linger on remains to be seen. The Premier’s sudden resignation did not catch Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK) Grand Chief Cody Diabo by surprise, telling Iorì:wase he saw the parallels between him and former prime minister Justin Trudeau. “They were really losing a lot of support with the different decisions he was making,” Diabo added. Francois Legault made the announcement at a press conference in Quebec City last Wednesday, telling reporters it was for the “good of Quebec” and his “party”. “I can see that many Quebecers currently want change and, among other things, a change in [Premier],” Legault said. Public support for Legault...
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First Nations chiefs call out Ottawa over pipeline deal that doesn’t mention water
By Alessia Passafiume Some First Nations chiefs are demanding answers from Ottawa after the federal government signed a pipeline agreement with Alberta that failed to make any mention of fresh water. The memorandum of understanding — which opens a door to building a pipeline to transport bitumen from Alberta to the B.C. coast — does not touch on the high level of water consumption required to pull bitumen out of the oilsands. It also doesn’t mention the threat to fresh water sources posed by the tailings ponds oilsands operations leave behind. In 2021, the federal government launched the Crown-Indigenous Working Group to develop options alongside affected First Nations and Métis communities to manage and remediate the heavily polluted tailings ponds. The Privy Council Office did not respond directly when asked...
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First Nations to own equity in new Atlantic transmission line
By Sam Laskaris, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Windspeaker.com An agreement enabling First Nations to have an ownership stake in an Atlantic Canada clean energy project was announced on Jan. 21. At a news conference held at Millbrook First Nation in Nova Scotia, officials from the Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) gave details about the $54 million in equity loans provided to strengthen First Nations’ ownership of the Wasoqonatl intertie, a new 345-kilovolt transmission linerunning 160 kilometres and connecting Onslow, Nova Scotia to Salisbury, New Brunswick. This initiative is expected to be completed in 2028. The Wasoqonatl intertie will boost interprovincial electricity trade and further grid resilience and energy. The CIB will provide a $36 million loan to the Wskijinu’k Mtmo’taqnuow Agency Limited (WMA), made up of 13 Mi’gmaq First Nations in...
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Hateful graffiti found on Port Alberni’s Orange Bridge for second time in a week
By Nora O’Malley, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Ha-Shilth-Sa Port Alberni, BC – Port Alberni RCMP are investigating after the ‘Every Child Matters’ barrier at the Orange Bridge was vandalized for the second time in a week. Three swastikas were found spray-painted on the pillars of the bridge and the ‘Every Child Matters’ slogan was defaced with a racist slur on Jan. 21 between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m. Just one week prior, on Jan. 14, the slogan was defaced with the same racist slur. The lettering of the ‘Every Child Matters’ slogan was also vandalized in September 2022 – only a day after it was originally painted in partnership with the Ministry of Transportation and Transit and Tseshaht First Nation. Tseshaht Chief Councillor Wahmeesh, Ken Watts, said there is “no...
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Carney’s speech to World Economic Forum draws praise, calls for action
By David Baxter Prime Minister Mark Carney’s call at the World Economic Forum for middle powers to band together against economic coercion by “great powers” is winning some cross-partisan support at home, and garnering attention all over the world. The speech — which the Prime Minister’s Office said Carney wrote himself — painted a grim picture of a world where global powers are increasingly using economic dominance for political coercion and where countries like Canada cannot continue to pretend the way things used to be is the way they will ever be again. “In a world of great power rivalry the countries in between have a choice: compete with each other for favour or to combine to create a third path with impact,” he said in a speech that drew...
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Educational space’s name honours late chief and ‘matriarch’
By Matt Prokopchuk, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, TBnewswatch.com THUNDER BAY — A large, modern educational space in the city now bears the name of a late First Nation chief who espoused leadership and guidance. That’s according to Derek Echum, the son of the late Celia Echum, a former and long-serving chief of Ginoogaming. Derek was one of many dignitaries who attended a ceremony at Kiikenomaga Kikenjigewen Employment and Training Services (or KKETS) in Thunder Bay on Wednesday morning to commemorate naming its “innovation room” after Celia. “She was an instrumental leader for the community,” Derek said. “She provided guidance for many members of the community, whether in a family role (or) a leadership role.” “Just providing so much stability.” Ginoogaming’s current chief, Sheri Taylor, told Newswatch she knew Celia and...
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Eby says B.C will play a key role in new global order described by PM Carney
By Wolfgang Depner Premier David Eby says B.C. will play a “key role” in a new international order charted by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in a speech in Davos, Switzerland. Carney said during Monday’s speech at the World Economic Forum that the world order is undergoing a “rupture, not a transition,” and Canada is responding by fast-tracking a trillion dollars of investment in energy, AI, and critical minerals as it diversifies trade relationships. Eby says there’s “no question” that Carney’s speech will have consequences for British Columbia’s trading relationship with the United States, but they are minimal compared to the consequences of surrendering sovereignty to the United States under President Donald Trump. He says he listened to Carney’s speech with “relief and pride.” The premier is attending the BC...
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Siksika Health Services receives Accreditation with Commendation status
By John Watson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Strathmore Times Siksika Health Services has announced they have once again been awarded an Accreditation with Commendation status by Accreditation Canada. This falls under the Qmentum Global accreditation program. Kory Duck Chief, Siksika Health Services quality assurance officer, explained the team has maintained this status since 2007. “Accreditation with Commendation is basically granted to health organizations across Canada that meet or exceed the standards (set by the accreditation process), and they are commended by meeting most of the standards,” she said. “We met about 98 per cent of the standards with our last onsite accreditation survey. The onsite accreditation survey is basically where Accreditation Canada sends out their trained surveyors who are professionals in their specific areas.” Duck Chief explained Siksika Health Services’...
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Feds ignore calls for moratorium, approve commercial herring fishing
By Sonal Gupta, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Canada’s National Observer When Kurt Irwin was growing up near Salt Spring Island on British Columbia’s southern coast, spring meant herring season. He remembers the ocean turning white as the small fish filled the harbours, the sky alive with gulls and salmon chasing them just below the surface. “We haven’t seen that in many years… They [commercial fishing boats] literally fished it out,” said the now 58-year-old Irwin, a councillor for the Penelakut Tribe, located near Chemainus on Vancouver Island. Their members have also been pushing for a five-year moratorium on commercial herring fisheries to allow stocks to recover. For the 2025–26 season, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) approved the harvest of more than 2,000 tons of herring from the Salish Sea for...
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Eby says B.C. will play a key role in new global order described by PM Carney
By Wolfgang Depner Premier David Eby says B.C. will play a “key role” in a new international order charted by Prime Minister Mark Carney in a speech in Davos, Switzerland. Carney told the World Economic Forum on Monday that the world order is undergoing a “rupture, not a transition,” and Canada is responding by fast-tracking a trillion dollars of investment in energy, AI and critical minerals as it diversifies trade relationships. “I listened to the prime minister’s speech with a sense of relief and pride,” Eby said Wednesday. “Relief … because the prime minister is saying what we need to say, and that he is charting a course that we have to chart.” Eby said the “significant rupture” described by Carney requires middle powers like Canada to find like-minded countries....
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4.4 magnitude quake hits near Haida Gwaii, no damage expected
A magnitude 4.4 earthquake has struck off the British Columbia coast, with provincial emergency officials saying no damage or injuries are expected. The quake was recorded off the southern tip of the Haida Gwaii archipelago just before 4 p.m. Earthquakes Canada says no tsunami is expected. Data from the federal agency shows the earthquake hit at a depth of 20 kilometres. Earthquakes Canada says earthquakes between a magnitude of 3.5 and 5.4 are often felt, but rarely cause damage. The quake occurred in the vicinity of the Queen Charlotte plate boundary, an area scientists say has the potential to generate the largest “megathrust” earthquakes and tsunamis. The plate boundary that extends from southern Haida Gwaii to southeast Alaska was the site of Canada’s two largest earthquakes in recent history —...
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Police investigate after man, 40, shot dead in parking lot of Kahnawake restaurant
KAHNAWAKE-Police are investigating the killing of a 40-year-old man in the parking lot of a restaurant on Mohawk territory south of Montreal. Kyle Chad Grabowski was shot just after 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday in the parking lot behind Robbie’s Smokehouse in Kahnawake. Grabowski was not a resident of the community. Kahnawake Peacekeepers are investigating the killing with the Quebec provincial police major crimes and other specialized units. In a statement on Wednesday, Peacekeepers said Grabowski was shot multiple times. According to witnesses and video footage, the Indigenous police service said, the victim was leaving the restaurant when he was attacked by two suspects who fled in a red Honda Civic. Authorities say the vehicle was found set on fire a short time later in neighbouring Châteauguay, Que., and a firearm...
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Six Nations Elected Council Post border crossing warning
SIX NATIONS OF THE GRAND RIVER- Six Nations Elected Council has posted a notice from the Jay Treaty Border Alliance advising community members to be vigiliant in crossing into the United States. The notice reminds community members of their Jay Treaty rights in dealing with Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE). The notice reminds community members if they require documentation including a blood quantum letter or other needs to contact Six Nations Grand River Lands and Membership office. ...
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B.C. at a Crossroads: Indigenous Leaders Defend Declaration Act Amid Mining Shift
By John Wirth, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Alberta Native News Indigenous leaders in British Columbia are calling on the provincial government to stand firm on the Declaration Act following a landmark court ruling and a 45% drop in new mining claims. As the province transitions to a new mineral tenure system in 2026, a debate is erupting over whether Indigenous rights are inflaming economic uncertainty – or curing it. The tension follows a major December 2025 Court of Appeal ruling in the Gitxaała case. The court confirmed that the Declaration Act is not just a symbolic collection of goals, but a law that applies to all provincial decision-making – including the controversial Mineral Tenure Act (MTA). For decades, dating back to the province’s colonial beginnings, B.C. has used a “free...
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MN-S ERII rep Digness suspended after ethics review; interim appointed
By Nicole Goldsworthy, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, SaskToday.ca SASKATOON — The Métis Nation–Saskatchewan (MN-S) has suspended Eastern Region 2 representative Brent Digness for an indeterminate period following an ethics review related to recordings made public earlier this month. In a statement released Jan. 20, the MN-S Provincial Métis Council said its ethics committee convened after recordings surfaced during the week of Jan. 12 that raised serious concerns about Digness’s conduct. The council said the content of the recordings demonstrated an abuse of power and included harmful language directed toward Métis citizens, women and members of the broader Saskatchewan community. According to MN-S, Digness has publicly acknowledged his actions. At a special Eastern Region 2 (ERII) council meeting held Jan. 13, Hudson Bay Local 114 President Marilyn Ekert was appointed interim...
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Bigstone taking over Chip Lake rebuild
By Pearl Lorentzen Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Lakeside Leader At the end of May 2025, a wildfire burnt half of the buildings in Chipewyan Lake, north of Wabasca. This small community in the Boreal forest is in the midst of being transferred from an M.D. of Opportunity hamlet to a Bigstone Cree Nation reserve. Throughout the evacuation and the initial stages of the rebuild, the M.D. took the lead and worked closely with Bigstone. However, by the end of January the whole process will be transferred over to Bigstone. The change is because Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) has agreed to rebuild the burnt homes, M.D. CAO Chad Tullis told M.D. council at the January 12, 2026 M.D. council meeting. Therefore, Bigstone needs to be the local government heading the project. The...
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Verbatim: Carney’s speech to the World Economic Forum
Prime Minister Mark Carney delivered a speech at World Economic Forum that is garnering attention around world. Here is the full text of his speech: Thank you very much, Larry. I’m going to start in French, and then I’ll switch back to English. [Translated from French] Thank you, Larry. It is both a pleasure, and a duty, to be with you tonight in this pivotal moment that Canada and the world (is) going through. Today I will talk about a rupture in the world order, the end of a pleasant fiction and beginning of a harsh reality, where the geopolitics of the great powers is not subject to any constraints. But I will say, on the other hand, that other countries, especially middle powers like Canada, are not powerless. They...
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Fact File: Police unaware of any link between human trafficking, N.S. cannabis shops
By Lyndsay Armstrong The Nova Scotia government has said its crackdown on illegal cannabis shops was motivated in part by a desire to rein in human trafficking and ensure cannabis sold in the province is not contaminated with fentanyl. The federal justice minister and local police say they have not received reports of human trafficking linked to contraband cannabis, and police in Nova Scotia say they have no evidence of fentanyl being present in seized cannabis. Here’s a look at the claims. JUSTICE MINISTER TIES ILLICIT WEED SALES TO HUMAN TRAFFICKING The Nova Scotia government in December ordered police to crack down on illegal cannabis, with the premier saying the unregulated drug poses a serious public health risk. When provincial Justice Minister Scott Armstrong issued the directive on Dec. 4,...
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