Quebec court grants injunction to stop illegal dumping in Kanesatake
The Canadian Press St-Jérôme, Que (CP)-Quebec court has granted a temporary injunction against several residents of the Mohawk community of Kanesatake to stop the illegal dumping of contaminated soil on waterfront properties. Quebec Superior Court Justice Benoît Emery issued the 10-day injunction Monday from a courtroom in St-Jérôme, Que., following a request from the provincial environment department. Government lawyers will return to court on Oct. 18 to seek an extension of the order. The decision comes after the Quebec government carried out a soil-sampling operation in Kanesatake in late August, which it claims revealed that contaminated soil had been dumped on several properties along the shores of the Lake of Two Mountains. That investigation followed months of media coverage and public pressure from community members, who say illegal dumping has...
Register
Sinixt expansion ‘risks opening a Pandora’s box of transborder claims,’ says Okanagan chief
By Aaron Hemens, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter IndigiNews Leaders from the syilx Okanagan Nation are raising concerns about the “ever-expanding transborder claims” of a related tribe in the “U.S.” that has begun asserting land rights north of the border. An email obtained by IndigiNews last week from the province’s tourism ministry confirmed the Sinixt Confederacy has extended what it considers its area of consultation to include the Big White Ski Resort near “Kelowna.” The resort 80 kilometres north of the border sits on the ancestral territory of the syilx Okanagan Nation. For years, responsibility for the area has fallen under the Westbank First Nation’s (WFN) jurisdiction. “What is happening at Big White, and in the eastern part of our territory, goes far beyond anything prescribed by the courts to date,...
Register
Manitoba government apologizes as part of $530M child welfare lawsuit settlement
MANITOBA-CP-The Manitoba government has apologized in the legislature for clawing back federal benefit payments to kids in the child welfare system. The apology is part of a settlement of a class-action lawsuit, approved by a judge last month, that will see the province pay out $530 million. The agreement will compensate roughly 30,000 children who spent time in child welfare, some of whom have since become adults, for money the province took between 2005 and 2019. The province clawed back a monthly federal benefit called the Children’s Special Allowance. It goes to agencies that care for children and mirrors the monthly Canada Child Benefit cheques given to parents raising children across the country. Families Minister Nahanni Fontaine says the province is sorry for having withheld the money. “This was not...
Register
The Yukon’s remote fresh waters are producing NHL-caliber talent in Dylan Cozens and Gavin McKenna
WHITEHORSE, Yukon (AP) — Buffalo Sabres center Dylan Cozens had just finished a grueling summer off-ice session when he and trainer Ben McPherson drove out into the Yukon wilderness to go fishing. “I know the spot,” McPherson recalled Cozens saying. And within 10 minutes of casting his line, Cozens hooked a big one. “He probably had that thing on the line for 40 minutes, and remember, he just had a workout prior to that, deadlifts and hinges. And he’s doing the same thing with the fish,” McPherson said. “He was exhausted by the end of it, a 40-something-pound lake trout. … It was like the biggest fish I’ve ever seen.” The moment two summers ago has stayed with McPherson because it exemplified the determination Cozens puts into each task —...
Register
Saskatchewan has a new Treaty Commissioner
By NC Raine, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Eagle Feather News Dr Kathy Walker has begun her role as one of the most important arbiters in the province for truth and reconciliation − Treaty Commissioner. “I’m really looking forward to helping move forward and support dialogue on Treaties” she said. It’s fitting her official first day took place on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation often referred to as Orange Shirt Day. “When you think about the purpose of dialogue, it’s to increase understanding and to commit to action,” said Walker. “So that’s what I hope to do – create dialogue that will lead to more understanding, action, and implementation of the Treaties.” From the Okanese First Nation, she is the sixth person appointed to lead the Office of the Treaty...
Register
From Treaty 6 to the Big Smoke Madison Noon is living her dream
Local Journalism Initiative Whether it’s jingle-dress dancing at a local powwow or performing at the Toronto Raptors home games Madison Noon loves dancing and her hard work is paying off. “I think I’ve been on this path since I was young,” she said. “Ever since I taught myself to dance at two or three years old. I just always loved dance.” The 22-year-old, from Thunderchild First Nation, was selected as one of the dancers for the NBA’s Toronto Raptors upcoming season. It was no easy feat. Noon described the audition process as one of the most grueling she’s ever experienced. After almost seven hours competing against 400 other dancers, followed by a lengthy interview, she earned a spot on the roster and fulfilled one of her goals. Four years before...
Register
B.C. Conservative leader reveals plans to address toxic drug crisis ahead of debate
B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad has laid out his solutions for the toxic drug crisis in the province, which include cutting wait times for voluntary treatment, a virtual program to connect people with addiction specialists and building “regional recovery communities” that would allow for 12-month live-in treatment. He says his party plans to hold overdose prevention sites accountable to make sure they are “meeting the highest standards” and if not, his government would not hesitate to shut them down. Rustad says if a Conservative government were elected after Oct. 19, he would ensure there are “no financial barriers to detox and treatment.” He didn’t say how long the plan would take or what the cost would be, saying his party would be laying out its full platform “within the coming...
Register
Report suggests decrease in condom use among Canadian youth, lack of safe-sex education
Canadian Press A new report that looks at the sex lives of Canadian youth suggests more needs to be done to encourage safe sex, including reversing a decrease in condom use. In a survey conducted by Angus Reid for the charity LetsStopAIDS, 24 per cent of participants said they use condoms “all the time.” That’s compared to 53 per cent who said they always used condoms in 2020. One in five said they’d never used a condom. LetsStopAIDS released Tuesday the results of its annual national survey of more than 1,100 Canadians aged 18 to 24. Six per cent of survey respondents said they were diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection or HIV in the previous six months – up two per cent from 2023. And seven in 10 sexually...
Register
Paintings at art exhibit created by residential school survivors
By Odette Auger Local Journalism Initiative Reporter A recent exhibit of colourful paintings was held in the British Columbia city of Port Alberni. The exhibit, held at the Alberni Valley Museum on Sept. 28, featured paintings created by children forced to attend the Alberni Indian Residential School (AIRS) in the 1950s and ‘60s. The show was an opportunity to learn from survivors’ experiences, and the connection between art, healing and storytelling. When Port Alberni artist and teacher Robert Aller passed away in 2008, his family donated a collection of paintings to the University of Victoria. Aller had volunteered art classes, pushing chairs to the edges of the room and inviting children to sit on the floor with him. He taught children how to paint, not what to paint. Dr. Andrea...
Register
Kent Monkman, Gisèle Gordon among finalists for Governor General’s Literary Awards
The Canadian Press Artists Kent Monkman and Gisèle Gordon say a Governor General’s Literary Award nod for their latest collaboration suggests their gleeful recentring of Indigeneity is entering the mainstream. “The Memoirs of Miss Chief Eagle Testickle: Vol. 1: A True and Exact Accounting of the History of Turtle Island,” is among dozens of finalists for the prestigious book awards announced Tuesday morning. “We’ve been making art to challenge the dominant narrative,” Monkman said in an interview. In Monkman and Gordon’s work, Miss Chief pokes fun at the gravitas and inevitability with which white settlers treat the colonial project by reminding the writers of history that Indigenous people were here all along, not as observers or victims but as participants. “So this recognition is rewarding because it means we’ve managed...
Register
Quebec court grants injunction to stop illegal dumping in Kanesatake
The Canadian Press A Quebec court has granted a temporary injunction against several residents of the Mohawk community of Kanesatake to stop the illegal dumping of contaminated soil on waterfront properties. Quebec Superior Court Justice Benoît Emery issued the 10-day injunction Monday from a courtroom in St-Jérôme, Que., following a request from the provincial environment department. Government lawyers will return to court on Oct. 18 to seek an extension of the order. The decision comes after the Quebec government carried out a soil-sampling operation in Kanesatake in late August, which it claims revealed that contaminated soil had been dumped on several properties along the shores of the Lake of Two Mountains. That investigation followed months of media coverage and public pressure from community members, who say illegal dumping has been...
Register
First Nations education centre celebrates growth on 25th anniversary
By Maggie Macintosh, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Another First Nation has joined the ranks of Manitoba’s Indigenous-run school board as the education hub in charge of it marks 25 years of operations. The Manitoba First Nations Education Resource Centre celebrated its anniversary and ongoing efforts to revitalize Indigenous languages and cultures at a conference in Winnipeg last week. Members of Kinonjeoshtegon First Nation — the 12th First Nation to enter into a partnership with the centre to deliver education — were among the hundreds in attendance. Principal Adeline Travers said the change has resulted in more funding per student, a fully-stocked computer lab, and new desks and maintenance equipment. “We’re a small school so every penny counts,” said the leader of a kindergarten-to-Grade 10 school located on the west shore...
Register
Defendant pleads no contest in shooting of Native activist at protest of Spanish conquistador statue
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A New Mexico man pleaded no contest Monday to reduced charges of aggravated battery and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in the shooting of a Native American activist during demonstrations about abandoned plans to reinstall a statue of a Spanish conquistador. Ryan David Martinez skuttled his scheduled trial this week at the outset of jury selection on previous charges including attempted murder. Under terms of the plea arrangement, he accepted a combined 9 1/2-year sentence but ultimately would serve four years in prison with two years’ parole if he complies with terms including restitution. Prosecutors agreed to dismiss a possible hate-crime sentence enhancement. Restitution will be determined later by state probation and parole authorities. Martinez was arrested in September 2023 after chaos erupted and...
Register
Value of Indigenous spending on city to be examined
By Sandi Krasowski, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter THUNDER BAY-A new project implemented through a partnership between the Thunder Bay Community Economic Development Commission (CEDC), the Anishnawbe Business Professional Association (ABPA) and the Nishnawbe Aski Development Fund (NADF) aims to evaluate the economic impact of Indigenous business in Thunder Bay. The project involves a comprehensive survey that will be prepared by the Indigenous and Community Engagement (ICE). Jamie Taylor, chief executive officer of the Thunder Bay Community Economic Development Commission, said it’s crucial to engage directly with Indigenous business owners through the exploration of the economic impact of Indigenous spending in Thunder Bay. “Their insights and experiences are invaluable in shaping a future where our community thrives as a regional hub,” she told The Chronicle-Journal. I strongly encourage all Indigenous entrepreneurs...
Register
Grassy Narrows on the cusp of a housing boom
By Mike Stimpson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Thunder Bay Source GRASSY NARROWS – Chief Rudy Turtle disclosed on YouTube recently that his First Nation northeast of Kenora has secured a federal commitment for scores of new housing units in the next few years. A meeting last month with Indigenous Services Canada produced a $24-million pledge to fund 50 new modular homes and a 20-unit apartment complex in the Anishinabe community, Turtle said. The department also committed to funding construction of 10 houses a year for three years, for another 30 homes, he said. A government spokesperson clarified in an email to Newswatch that the 100-dwelling commitment is “a commitment in principle that was made to the Chief in a letter during an in-person meeting on September 5 in ISC offices...
Register
Gas in this Northwest Territories town now costs nearly $5 a litre
The Town of Norman Wells told residents “we are all in this together” on Friday as the price of gas shot up – the latest economic issue the community is facing By Ollie Williams and Aastha Sethi, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Cabin Radio The abandonment of the summer barge season because of low Mackenzie River water levels has driven up costs, while the town said home heating fuel prices were also “skyrocketing.” The future of Imperial Oil’s Norman Wells facility, which is the town’s economic engine, is uncertain after the Sahtu Secretariat, a body representing the region’s Dene and Métis peoples, triggered environmental assessment processes for some of Imperial’s operations last month. Imperial has previously said any regulatory delays could mean the facility closes earlier than planned. In any case, it...
Register
Markham signs 3-year agreement to host Little Native Hockey League Tournament
By Scarlett Liu. is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter As part of its commitment to Truth and Reconciliation, the City of Markham, along with Destination Markham Corporation, has signed a three-year agreement to host the Little Native Hockey League (LNHL) annual tournament through 2027. The 51st tournament, Ontario’s largest youth ice hockey event for First Nations, is set for March 2025, in partnership with the First Nations of the Chippewa Tri-Council. “We are honoured that Markham will host the next three LNHL tournaments,” said Mayor Frank Scarpitti. “After celebrating the 50th anniversary this year, we look forward to welcoming athletes and families from across Ontario and continuing to support the positive impact this tournament has on Indigenous youth.” “With the memories of the 50th anniversary still fresh, we’re excited to host...
Register
Idaho state senator tells Native American candidate ‘go back where you came from’ in forum
KENDRICK, Idaho (AP) — Tensions rose during a bipartisan forum this week after an audience question about discrimination reportedly led an Idaho state senator to angrily tell a Native American candidate to “go back where you came from.” Republican Sen. Dan Foreman left the event early after the outburst and later denied making any racist comments in a Facebook post. He did not respond to a voice message from The Associated Press seeking comment. Trish Carter-Goodheart, a Democratic candidate for the House District 6 seat and member of the Nez Perce Tribe, said the blowup left her shaken and thinking about security needs for future public events. It also forced some tough conversations with her two young children, Avery and Lavender, who were in attendance. “Having conversations about racism with...
Register
Former owner of water buffalo that roamed Iowa suburb for days pleads guilty
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The owner of a water buffalo that ran loose in a Des Moines, Iowa, suburb for days pleaded guilty for having an animal at large. The owner was fined $105 and court costs Thursday, the Des Moines Register reported. The owner was taking the animal to slaughter when it escaped in August. Police spent days searching for it as it roamed Pleasant Hill, a town of 11,000 residents. Fans named the animal PHill after the city. Police at one point shot PHill while trying to capture the animal, but it escaped and continued to roam for several days before being tranquilized with help from zoo and animal rescue workers. The former owner gave custody of PHill and two other water buffaloes — now named Sal...
Register
NDP House leader laments ‘agents of chaos’ in precarious Parliament
The Canadian Press NDP House leader Peter Julian said there’s more work his party wants to get done in the House of Commons before the next election, despite how chaotic the first weeks of the fall sitting have been. But if other parties make that work impossible, it could factor into the NDP’s voting decisions, he said Friday. In just three weeks, two Conservative non-confidence motions have failed to bring down the Liberal government — but the Opposition promises more to come. The New Democrats have said they will decide how to vote on those motions on a case-by-case basis based on what they believe is in the best interests of Canadians. “We think all parliamentarians should be stepping up at this difficult time so that Canadians get the benefit...
Register
