‘Missing in action’: Area leaders call for more border water enforcement
By Matt Prokopchuk, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, TBnewswatch.com FORT FRANCES — Municipal, tourism and First Nations stakeholders continue to press federal officials on what they say is a lack of enforcement on waters that straddle the Canada-U.S. border — in particular over a lack of oversight of American anglers. A letter was sent to numerous federal and provincial ministries in July by a coalition of interests, including the municipalities of Kenora, Fort Frances, and Sioux Narrows-Nestor Falls, along with Nature and Outdoor Tourism Ontario and Destination Northern Ontario, and the Anishinaabeg of Kabapikotawangag Resource Council — a not-for-profit that provides advocacy, advisory and technical services to five First Nations in Treaty 3 territory. Fort Frances mayor Andrew Hallikas told Newswatch in an interview there are numerous longstanding concerns from the...
Register
Nuu-chah-nulth artists work with Clayoquot Biosphere Trust
By Nora O’Malley, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Ha-Shilth-Sa Vancouver Island, BC – Nuu-chah-nulth artists Dennis Hetu and Ivy Martin teamed up with the Clayoquot Biosphere Trust (CBT) on the west coast of Vancouver Island to bring traditional teachings to new welcome signage peppered throughout the region. Installed near the Tofino-Ucluelet Junction, Hetu’s latest carving titled Eclipse of the Hunter’s Moon – a project he worked on with his students from the Toquaht Carving School – can be viewed from the multi-use path. Carved using traditional and modern tools with store-bought Abalone shell inlays, Eclipse of the Hunter’s Moon portrays two wolves hunting during a lunar eclipse. At night, Hetu’s red cedar carving illuminates with a touch of glow-in-the-dark epoxy resin behind the moon. “A lot of my carvings have to...
Register
Chetwynd broadcaster with some Indigenous content has licence renewed after CRTC ‘admin error’ delay
By Ed Hitchins, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Energeticcity.ca CHETWYND, B.C. — The nation’s broadcasting licence bureau has given a Chetwynd-based transmitter a new lease of life after renewing its licence this month. The Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) issued a full renewal to the Chetwynd Communications Society (CCS) to expire in 2030, according to an announcement on August 18th. The CCS operates both radio station Peace FM and television station Chet-TV, according to technical director Ray Semenoff. The licence includes programming featuring the First Nations Cree language, with some interviews with Elders from local Indigenous communities such as Saulteau First Nations (SFN) and West Moberly First Nations (WMFN). Local programming will occur daily from 6 a.m. until 12 a.m. Local programming on the radio has existed since the mid-1990s,...
Register
Peace Métis branches support president suspended by B.C. organization
By Ed Hitchins, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Energeticcity.ca FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — Regional Métis organizations from the Peace are supporting the provincial Nation’s suspended president. Walter Mineault was suspended last week by the Métis Nation British Columbia (MNBC) for alleged “behaviour [that was] inconsistent with the organization’s policies” following public complaints. In separate press releases, both the Fort St. John Métis Society and Chetwynd’s Moccasin Flats Métis Society say the decision was made without input nor details to Métis citizens. “Despite a recent meeting with MNBC leadership, no meaningful clarity was provided to our society nor our citizens,” reads part of the statement by the Fort St. John Métis Society. “This failure to provide information has caused frustration and eroded confidence in the decision-making process.” Additionally, the Moccassin Flats...
Register
Brantford Police asking for public’s help in identifying man involved in shooting
BRANTFORD, ONT-Brantford police are seeking the public’s help in locating a man they believe responsible for a shooting outside a city nightclub June 4, 2025. City police responded to reports of a shooting at a Colborne Street nightclub, near Clarence Street, just after midnight June 4. As a result police said one man was rushed to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Brantford Police released photos of an individual they believe may have been involved in the shooting and are hoping someone may be able to identify the man Police said the investigation is active . Any witnesses, who have not already been interviewed, are asked to contact Det. Const. Katie Esposto at 519-756-7050 ext. 2827. Information can also be provided anonymously to Brant – Brantford Crime Stoppers by calling 519-750-8477 or...
Register
Chiefs capture yet another Major Series Lacrosse title
By Sam Laskaris Writer The Six Nations Chiefs have earned provincial bragging rights for a third straight year. But make no mistake about it. That is not the three-peat the Chiefs have been coveting all season long. The Six Nations club defeated the visiting Peterborough Lakers 12-7 on Monday at the Iroquois Lacrosse Arena (ILA). With that victory the Chiefs won their best-of-seven Major Series Lacrosse (MSL) final series 4-1. More importantly, however, the Six Nations squad advances to the national Mann Cup series. The Chiefs are the two-time defending national Senior A champs and are keen to capture a third consecutive Canadian crown. They’ll commence their quest for a Mann Cup three-peat on Sept. 5. The Six Nations team will be heading west next week hoping to accomplish its...
Register
In the news today: Carney unveils energy agreement with Germany
Carney unveils energy agreement with Germany Canada is signing a critical minerals partnership with Germany that encourages the joint public financing of natural resources projects. Prime Minister Mark Carney says for too long, key Canadian minerals such as nickel and cobalt have gone underdeveloped while China and Russia dominate the global critical minerals market. Carney says the two countries also aim to closely co-operate in energy, including on liquefied natural gas and hydrogen energy. Carney is currently on a five-day trip through Europe and will meet with German business leaders later on today. When the prime minister met with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz this morning, the two world leaders also discussed the war in Ukraine. Here’s what else we’re watching… Canada narrows sub suppliers to two options Government officials say...
Register
After Trump and Congress spending cuts, public media stations wait on money for emergency alerts
By Gabriela Aoun Angueira Warning: This may be an actual emergency — as far as emergencies about emergencies go, at least. The recently defunded nonprofit corporation that distributed federal money to public media stations across the United States is warning of another casualty when it shuts down next month: the resilience of the nation’s emergency alert systems. In 2022, Congress authorized $136 million for the Next Generation Warning System grant program, meant to help stations in rural, tribal and otherwise underserved communities repair and improve the warning systems that tell people about evacuation orders, Amber alerts, tornado warnings, and more. But CPB, which manages the grant money, is shutting down on Sept. 30 after Congress and President Donald Trump defunded it in July. That could leave unspent millions in grant...
Register
Alberta seeking public input in establishing nuclear power industry
By Lauren Krugel Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she expects the private sector to lead the way on potentially bringing nuclear power to the province, but her government would set up a Crown corporation if needed. “Because we have a power market where generation is privatized, we would anticipate that the private sector would pay for it,” Smith said Monday as she announced a new panel to gather public feedback on the possibility of building reactors in Alberta. “At the moment, we haven’t seen a need for us to establish a Crown corporation like they do in every other jurisdiction in Canada. We’re prepared to do that if we have to, if we cannot get enough baseload … But we want to see the private market work.” The panel is...
Register
First Nations ‘making history’ to buy B.C. port terminal that moves critical minerals
By Nono Shen Two First Nations have formed a joint partnership with a transport company to purchase the Port of Stewart bulk terminal on the Portland Canal that separates British Columbia and Alaska. The Nisga’a and Tahltan nations and Arrow Transportation Systems said Monday in a joint statement that the deal to buy Stewart Bulk Terminals Ltd., which owns and operates the facility in Stewart, B.C., is expected to close in the coming months. The three equal partners said the deepsea terminal’s primary purpose is transporting critical minerals such as copper concentrate to market from sources including Newmont’s Brucejack and Red Chris mines in Nisga’a and Tahltan territories. Andrew Robinson, chief executive officer of the Nisga’a Lisims Government, said in an interview that the terminal was in an “excellent position”...
Register
Woman being sued for calling four others ‘pretendians’ says she’s protecting identity
By Alessia Passafiume A First Nations woman is being sued for calling four women “pretendians,” with the plaintiffs seeking more than $500,000 in damages and retractions to the heavily publicized comments made about them. Michelle Christine Cameron, also known as Crystal Semaganis, who heads the Ghost Warrior Society, says she conducts research to safeguard community spaces designated for Indigenous Peoples and says those pretending to be Indigenous pose a real harm to communities and nations. In the lawsuit filed in July to the Supreme Court of Yukon, Amanda Buffalo, Krista Reid, Amaris Manderschied and their mother Louise Darroch, say Semaganis conducted research into their backgrounds and concluded they are of Ukrainian heritage, not Indigenous, and then engaged in a “relentless” social media campaign against them. Court documents say she is...
Register
Details of canoe building program shared at Chiefs of Ontario wellness conference
By Sam Laskaris, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Windspeaker.com Sylvia Plain is a firm believer in mixing things up a bit. Besides being a veteran policy analyst, who has worked for First Nations throughout Ontario, Plain has another gig she’s proud of. Since 2014, the member of Aamjiwnaang First Nation, has owned and operated the Great Lakes Canoe Journey Education Program where youth build birch bark canoes and are taught the technology that goes with it. Plain provided details of her program at the three-day First Nations Community Wellness Conference that concluded Aug. 21. The conference, organized by the Chiefs of Ontario, was held in Toronto. Plain was one of the panelists at a conference workshop titled “The Land is Better with us On It: Environmental Caretaking, Youth Empowerment, and Traditional...
Register
Alberta seeking public input in establishing nuclear power industry
By Lauren Krugel Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she expects the private sector to lead the way on potentially bringing nuclear power to the province, but her government would set up a Crown corporation if needed. “Because we have a power market where generation is privatized, we would anticipate that the private sector would pay for it,” Smith said Monday as she announced a new panel to gather public feedback on the possibility of building reactors in Alberta. “At the moment, we haven’t seen a need for us to establish a Crown corporation like they do in every other jurisdiction in Canada. We’re prepared to do that if we have to, if we cannot get enough baseload … But we want to see the private market work.” The panel is...
Register
Rivermen down Miners for first victory at The Prezzy
Rivermen down the Edmonton Miners 9-6. (Photo by Sam Laskaris) By Sam Laskaris Writer The Six Nations Rivermen got a bit of a confidence booster on Monday. The Rivermen were looking to rebound following a tournament-opening loss on Sunday at the Presidents Cup, the national Senior B tournament. And the Six Nations club accomplished its goal, downing the Edmonton Miners 9-6. All matches at the eight-team tournament, often simply called The Prezzy, are being held at the Iroquois Park Sports Centre in Whitby. The chat around the rink is the Miners are capable of capturing some hardware at this year’s event. The Edmonton club had won the silver medal at The Prezzy in each of the last two years. “I don’t know what everybody else has but we know what...
Register
First Nations partnership to buy B.C. port terminal that moves critical minerals
By Nono Shen Two First Nations have formed a joint partnership with a transport company to purchase the Port of Stewart bulk terminal on the Portland Canal that separates British Columbia and Alaska. The Nisga’a and Tahltan nations and Arrow Transportation Systems said Monday in a joint statement that the deal to buy Stewart Bulk Terminals Ltd., which owns and operates the facility in Stewart, B.C., is expected to close in the coming months. The three equal partners said the deepsea terminal’s primary purpose is transporting critical minerals such as copper concentrate to market from sources including Newmont’s Brucejack and Red Chris mines in Nisga’a and Tahltan territories. Andrew Robinson, chief executive officer of the Nisga’a Lisims Government, said in an interview that the terminal was in an “excellent position”...
Register
Bowhead whale research project hires Iglulik and Clyde River guides
By William Koblensky Varela, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunavut News A Department of Fisheries and Oceans study on the population of bowhead whales is being guided by the Iglulik and Nangmautaq hunters and trappers associations (HTAs) in Clyde River from Aug. 5 to Aug. 20. The HTAs will take scientists on boating trips off the coast of Baffin Island to search for the whales, collect samples and take drone footage, according to the project’s primary biologist, Brent Young. “We’ll rely on local knowledge of our Inuit team members, as well as input from the HTA and local hunters, for locations to search,” Young told Nunavut News. Bowheads are one of the few whales that exclusively live in the Arctic and sub-Arctic waters. They are the longest-living marine mammals in the...
Register
‘Announcements don’t actually put shovels on the ground’
By Chantel Downes, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Lakeland This Week Cyr told council, “I am looking forward to having a discussion really quick on some of the concerns you may have or if you’ve got some insights that you’d like me to carry back to the province of Alberta that I can move those forward for you.” He noted that when he met with the County of St. Paul earlier in the day, “probably 90 per cent of them were about the roads.” Water and wastewater funding dominated the first half of the discussion. Coun. Ryan Bailey, chair of the Cold Lake Regional Utility Services Commission, pressed Cyr on discrepancies in the province’s numbers for grant calculations. Bailey pointed out that Alberta Transportation’s spreadsheets incorrectly showed Frog Lake First Nations...
Register
Vigils held across Canada for Norwegian adventurer found dead
By Marissa Lentz-McGrath, Local Journalism Initiative, TimminsToday.com Communities from Hudson Bay to Norway are mourning the loss of Steffen Skjøttelvik, the 29-year-old Norwegian adventurer whose body was recovered on the banks of the Hayes River in northern Manitoba on Sunday. Across the James Bay and Hudson Bay coasts, as well as in communities like Timmins, Kingston, Kasabonika Lake First Nation, and Weagamow Lake, vigils and remembrance ceremonies have been held to honour the hiker. Jacob Betker, who first met Skjøttelvik at the Timmins airport in 2023 and helped him get his Canadian start, said he is both saddened and humbled by the outpouring. “There was always still the idea of hanging on to hope, because he was so capable,” Betker said. “But I’m glad it’s over, because closure for the...
Register
First Nation leads effort to protect sacred sites
By Marissa Lentz-McGrath, Local Journalism Initiative, TimminsToday.com MATTAGAMI FIRST NATION – Sacred sites across Mattagami First Nation territory are being documented and protected through a new community-led project. The First Nation received a $51,300 Ontario Trillium Foundation grant. Resident Natasha Naveau, who spearheaded the initiative, said the project arose from both inspiration and urgency. Last summer, while canoeing with her sister, she visited a nearby pictographs and found evidence of a campfire disturbingly close to the drawings. “It just seemed a little too suspicious, like someone was trying to maybe vandalize the pictographs,” Naveau told TimminsToday. “That sparked the idea. These sites are part of our territory, Mattagami First Nation and Anishinawbe territory, but they’re not really protected.” The project will involve community-based and archival research into sacred and historically...
Register
Six Nations Police Seek Public’s Help After Safe Stolen
OHSWEKEN, ON- Six Nations Police are seeking the public’s help in locating a stolen safe and identifying the person responsible for the theft. On Thursday, August 21st, 2025, at about 10:18 a.m., the Six Nations Police said a break in enter, after the fact, at a property on Second Line was reported and is believed to have occurred overnight. Police attended the area and said a number of items were stolen including a safe containing money, a John Deere lawnmower, power tools, lumber and televisions. Police are actively conducting an ongoing investigation and are appealing to the public for assistance. Anyone with relevant information is urged to contact the Six Nations Police at 519-445-2811. Should you wish to remain anonymous, you may call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS or leave an...
Register
