New river barriers prevented severe flood damage from a glacial outburst in Alaska, officials say
By Cedar Attanasio And Gene Johnson New sandbag-style barriers installed along a river in Alaska’s capital city held back record levels of flooding and prevented widespread damage after an ice dam at the nearby Mendenhall Glacier released a massive amount of rainwater and snowmelt downstream, officials said Wednesday. Water pooled on several streets and in some yards in Juneau after the Mendenhall River crested earlier in the day, and high water was expected to persist for hours. But many residents in the flood zone evacuated ahead of peak water levels, and there were no damage reports similar to the last two years, when flooding was rampant and some homes washed away. The barriers “really have protected our community,” Juneau City Manager Katie Koester told a news conference. “If it weren’t...
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West Nipissing will ask province to halt glyphosate spraying
By David Briggs, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, BayToday.ca The province has plans to spray glyphosate-based herbicides over sections of the Nipissing Forest next week, but West Nipissing council is calling for a halt to the plan. During its regular meeting on Tuesday, August 13, council unanimously passed a resolution to ask Minister Mike Harris Jr. of the Ministry of Natural Resources “To reconsider the start of this initiative until further research is completed.” Glyphosate is a primary ingredient in Roundup, a herbicide developed by Monsanto’s. It kills underbrush within the forest to make room for more profitable tree crops, such as pine. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry explained the herbicide will “control competing vegetation.” Aerial spraying is “part of our ongoing efforts to regenerate and protect Ontario’s forests.”...
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Wildfire raging near Port Alberni, B.C., shows vigorous, ‘unusual’ behaviour
By Brenna Owen A raging wildfire that has forced evacuations on south-central Vancouver Island has been burning at some of most severe levels of fire behaviour, a display that is “unusual” for the region, the British Columbia Wildfire Service said. An update posted by the service said the blaze, located about 12 kilometres south of Port Alberni, has been burning at rank four and five on a six-point scale. “This is a highly vigorous surface fire with torching or passive crown fire and some active crown fire,” the service said in an update on Wednesday. “This is unusual fire behaviour for wildfires on Vancouver Island.” The Mount Underwood fire was discovered Monday afternoon and has since grown to more than 20 square kilometres. Photographer and videographer Colby Rex O’Neill, who...
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Preliminary search of Winnipeg landfill for victim of serial killer underway: Kinew
By Brittany Hobson The Manitoba government has begun its “test phase” search of a Winnipeg landfill for the remains of a victim of a convicted serial killer. Premier Wab Kinew said Wednesday the preliminary search of the city-run Brady Road landfill for the remains of Ashlee Shingoose started this week. “We began the pilot test phase … this is basically the excavation and taking a look at the material to try and figure out what is the actual process of the search going to look like,” he said. A small team has also been conducting ground-penetrating radar tests to narrow down a search area, said Kinew. He said a proper search of the landfill could happen later this year. Shingoose was one of four First Nations women killed by Jeremy...
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Families whose ancestors gave up Indigenous status sue for rights return
By Darryl Greer A proposed class-action lawsuit filed in Federal Court says the Canadian government wrongfully denies people status under the country’s Indian Act if their ancestors “voluntarily” gave up Indigenous status under laws that predate Confederation. Plaintiffs Charles Wesley, Christopher Wesley, Sharon Nicholas and Nicole Nicholas filed a statement of claim in Vancouver this month seeking damages from the federal government for “being deprived of the benefits” of status under the act. The claim says they all have “at least one direct ancestor” who was “enfranchised” under Canadian law, where they gave up their status and received the rights and privileges of Canadian citizenship. The lawsuit details the history of enfranchisement in Canadian law dating back to the 1850s. The statement of claim notes the findings of the Report...
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Parks Canada will share stewardship with Indigenous nations
By Sonal Gupta, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Canada’s National Observer In a move that could revolutionize how national parks are managed, Parks Canada is partnering with Indigenous people to share authority over decisions in dozens of locations. Under its 2025‑26 Departmental Plan, the agency aims to have at least 27 natural heritage places and 15 cultural heritage sites managed in partnership with First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities by March 2026. The department says it is well on its way to meeting its goal, building on the 23 national parks and nine historic sites where Indigenous peoples were already part of formal co‑management at the end of the last fiscal year. “[It’s] built upon decades of working with Indigenous partners … thinking about values like trust and respect and reciprocity...
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Vancouver Whitecaps enter new era with introduction of German star Thomas Muller
The Vancouver Whitecaps are set to unveil their newest acquisition today with the introduction of German soccer star Thomas Muller. The Major League Soccer club signed the 35-year-old attacking midfielder last week, bringing him to Vancouver for the rest of the 2025 season. The deal also includes a Designated Player option for the 2026 campaign. Muller landed at Vancouver International Airport yesterday and was greeted by Indigenous leaders and a large crowd of cheering fans, many of whom he signed autographs for and took photos with. He joins the Whitecaps following 17 years with Bayern Munich, where he scored 250 goals for the German Bundesliga side across all competitions, helping the team to 13 league championships and 33 total titles. Muller won the 2014 World Cup with Germany, scoring five...
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Tlu-piich Games cancelled due to wildfire smoke
By Nora O’Malley, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Ha-Shilth-Sa Port Alberni, BC – The 2025 Tlu-piich Games were shut down halfway through the 3×3 basketball tournament at EJ Dunn Elementary School due to the encroaching smoke from the Mount Underwood wildfire. Les Doiron, Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council (NTC) vice-president, delivered the bad news to a gymnasium packed with hungry ballers at around 12:30 p.m., Aug. 13. “We’ve never seen smoke like this in the valley before. It’s dangerous, right. Ditidaht, they’ve got no power. It’s for the safety of all of our people,” said Doiron. “Can we just finish our game?” one of the young players asked. Doiron was kind but firm, re-iterating that it’s to keep people safe, plus out-of-town nations will have more time to make their way home. Ditidaht...
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Judge’s decision on future of Alberta separation question review expected today
By Jack Farrell A judge is expected to decide today whether a special court review of a proposed Alberta referendum question on separation should go ahead. Alberta’s chief electoral officer, Gordon McClure, referred the question to court last month for a judge to determine whether it violates the Constitution, including treaty rights. The group that submitted the question applied to have the referral quashed, and Court of King’s Bench Justice Colin Feasby heard arguments last week. The Alberta Prosperity Project wants to ask: “Do you agree that the Province of Alberta shall become a sovereign country and cease to be a province in Canada?” A lawyer for the group says judicial scrutiny is premature, since there’s no guarantee enough signatures would be gathered to put the question on a ballot....
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‘One battle after another’ for farmland in Cowichan title ruling: ex-councillor
By Nono Shen Former Richmond, B.C., city councillor Harold Steves’ family has been farming in the area since 1877, lending their name to the community of Steveston. The 88-year-old former politician only retired from council three years ago, and few can match his knowledge of the controversies surrounding Richmond’s farmland — the creation of the province’s agricultural land reserve, influxes of foreign-money investors, a spate of mega-mansion construction and now the Cowichan Nation’s Aboriginal title claim. “It’s just one battle after another for 50 years,” laughed Steves, who still runs the family farm in Steveston, raising belted Galloway beef cattle. He said he was surprised by the ruling last week that confirmed the Cowichan claim over a swath of land on the shores of the Fraser River, encompassing holdings by...
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Consumer racial profiling a neglected human rights issue, report says
By Ashley Joannou Heiltsuk Tribal Council Chief Marilyn Slett says no one in her community is immune to the small acts of racial profiling that can embed themselves in everyday life for an Indigenous person in Canada. “It’s my parents going to a restaurant, and it’s not a busy time in that restaurant, and they’re refusing to serve them,” she said. “(It’s) myself going grocery shopping in a neighbouring community and having a store employee literally follow me around in the grocery store. These things happen to our community members, our Indigenous people, on a daily basis and it’s to some degree being normalized.” The behaviour, known as consumer racial profiling, is a neglected human rights issue in Canada that requires proper study, according to a new report written by...
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Grand Chief says NAN wasn’t notified about provincial consultation session
By Matt Prokopchuk, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, TBnewswatch.com MOOSE CREE FIRST NATION — The Grand Chief of Nishnawbe Aski Nation says the territorial organization’s leadership wasn’t invited to a recent consultation session by provincial officials. Alvin Fiddler told the 2025 Keewaywin Conference on Tuesday afternoon that the NAN executive “did not receive even the courtesy of a notice,” about a session organized by the Ford government on Aug. 8 in Thunder Bay. Northern Ontario Business obtained a July 14 memo sent by JP Cadeau, the deputy minister of economic development, job creation and trade, to Indigenous communities that outlined what feedback the government was looking for in an ongoing series of closed-door consultations. However, exactly who has been invited isn’t clear. “What is happening right now is that Ontario is...
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First Nations call for co-governance in coastal economic development
By Jordan Copp, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Coast Reporter A new report outlines a transformative vision for the future of the Island Coastal Economic Trust (ICET), calling for First Nations to be equal partners in regional economic governance across Vancouver Island and the coastal mainland, including the Sunshine Coast. Commissioned by the B.C. government and ICET, the First Nations Strategic Recommendations Report by Sanala Planning is the result of a year-long Indigenous-led engagement process with 53 First Nations. The report proposes a co-governance model that would permanently finance and restructure ICET to include First Nations in decision-making roles. “This is a historic opportunity for First Nations and local governments to come together to create meaningful, lasting impacts across the region and begin to build an economy of wellbeing,” said Jessie...
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‘We are losing a generation’
By Luke Faulks, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Pique Newsmagazine On July 8, the St’át’imc Chiefs Council (SCC) declared a state of local emergency across its 11 communities in response to the toxic drug crisis. “We are losing a generation,” said Chief Justin Kane, chair of the SCC. “Now is the time for us to try to come together and think as one to help tackle the issue at hand.” The decision to declare the emergency came after a rise in both fatal and non-fatal overdoses in the Lillooet area—a region that now reports the second-highest toxic drug death rate in the province at 116 deaths per 100,000 residents. “We made a recommendation to bring [a declaration] to all the chiefs, and all chiefs were automatically in support of it,” Kane...
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Not enough FASD support in Wabasca, says grandmother
By Pearl Lorentzen Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Lakeside Leader A large portion of the discussion around restorative justice at a recent community meeting was connected to not enough Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) supports in Wabasca. Bigstone Restorative Justice (RJ) works with people in the Wabasca area who have been charged with a minor crime, as an alternative to the regular justice system. On August 6, Bigstone Restorative Justice and the Wabasca RCMP held a joint open house at the George D Auger Memorial Hall in Wabasca. “Our goal when we got started was to reduce the number of people in court and reduce the number of people going to jail,” said Raymond Yellowknee, manager of Bigstone Justice and Public Safety, at the meeting. RJ is open to anyone living...
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Manitoba Indigenous groups agree to work together on major infrastructure projects
By Brittany Hobson Two Indigenous groups in Manitoba have agreed to work together on major infrastructure and development projects. It comes as the federal government looks to fast-track projects across the country. The Southern Chiefs’ Organization, which represents 32 Anishinaabe and Dakota First Nations in the province, and the Manitoba Métis Federation have signed a five-year agreement. It outlines their shared commitment to ensure First Nations and Red River Métis voices are included in the approval of any project proposed by the Manitoba government and supported by federal legislation. A new federal law gives Ottawa sweeping powers to speed up permits for what it calls “nation-building projects.” The controversial legislation has faced pushback from Indigenous groups that argue elements of it could be used to undermine their rights. The Southern...
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Environmental concerns could halt construction at Florida’s ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ immigration jail
By David Fischer MIAMI (AP) — Construction of a makeshift immigrant detention center in the Florida Everglades dubbed “ Alligator Alcatraz ” could be halted indefinitely as a federal judge considered Wednesday whether building on sensitive wetlands violated environmental laws. Last week, U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams ordered a 14-day halt on additional construction at the site while witnesses testify. The temporary order doesn’t include any restrictions on law enforcement or immigration enforcement activity. The first phase of “Alligator Alcatraz” opened in July atop a lightly used, single-runway training airport. Less than 1,000 detainees were being held there as of last week, and it’s designed to eventually hold up to 3,000 detainees. President Donald Trump toured the facility last month and suggested it could be a model for future lockups...
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Wildfire raging near Port Alberni, B.C., shows ‘extremely vigorous’ behaviour
By Brenna Owen A raging wildfire that has prompted a state of local emergency and forced evacuations on south-central Vancouver Island has grown to span more than 20 square kilometres as it displays some of the most severe kinds of fire behaviour. The British Columbia Wildfire Service says the blaze, located about 12 kilometres south of Port Alberni, is burning at rank four and five on a six-point scale, meaning “extremely vigorous” flames are consuming trees from trunk to canopy. Videos posted on social media show the Mount Underwood wildfire lighting up a slope and billowing thick plumes of smoke, while helicopters dump water on the flames. The fire discovered on Monday has spurred the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District, City of Port Alberni and Tseshaht First Nation to declare states of...
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Kahnawà:ke police arrest man after crowd descends on house
Kahnawà:ke community defends women after online photos used in sexual acts posted online By Lynda Powless Editor The Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke says it “stands with community safety” after a crowd descended on a local house alleging a man inside was posting photos of himself to Twitter engaged in sexual acts with photos taken from the internet of local women. The crowd of over 50 people stood outside a brick house shouting while Kahnawà:ke Peace Keepers attempted to keep the peace, the crowd moved closer to the house. As they moved closer Peacekeepers could be seen arresting a man and placing him a cruiser. As the police pulled out the crowd yelled at the vehicle and the man. The Kahnawake Peacekeepers said they received a report of a local man shooting...
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Federal cuts to First Nations could hit $4.51 billion by 2028-2029
By Lynda Powless Editor At least one First Nation may be fighting back against federal government plans that could see First Nations hit with up to $4.51 billion in Liberal government funding cuts by 2028-2029. In a move to offset the massive cuts Kahnawake says it may start implementing tolls on major highways. Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke, (MCK) Ohén:ton Í:rate ne Ratitsénhaienhs Cody Diabo sounded the alarm last week. Diabo told media Prime Minister Mark Carney’s coming $4.51 billion in cuts to federal departments has Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) at the top of the list. Diabo called the move “flawed public policy.” In a statement the MCK condemned the federal budget cuts call it “racialized austerity.” MCK says the cuts are coming under the federal Liberals Bill C-5 and its broader...
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