Prominent Nunavut woman shares story of domestic abuse
By William Koblensky Varela, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunavut News Close to 30 people marched through downtown Iqaluit to call for an end to violence against women on Dec. 6, reaching Nunatta Sunakkutaangit Museum, where a TV personality revealed her experience with domestic abuse for the first time. Leading the procession was Qulliit Nunavut Status of Women Council President Amber Aglukark, Premier of Nunavut John Main, Nunavut RCMP Commanding Officer Kent Pike, and Government of Nunavut Minister responsible for the Status of Women Gwen Healey Akearok. At the museum, Ooleepeeka (Rebecca) Veevee spoke about what she had survived. Veevee is well known as The Laughing Chef, host of the Inuit Broadcasting Company’s TV show ‘Niqitsiat,’ where she made variations of country food like caribou pizza, goose soup, char casserole, seal...
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MP Idlout calls for investigation into grocery chain’s price increases
By William Koblensky Varela, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunavut News Nunavut MP Lori Idlout has renewed her call for an expedited review of the federal Nutrition North grocery subsidy program, asking the minister of Northern and Arctic Affairs to specifically investigate Northmart price increases. An external review of Nutrition North began in 2024 and is due for a formal report in 2026, while the program itself is overseen by Northern and Arctic Affairs. Idlout’s letter calls for the review to get fast-tracked, the filing of interim reports with immediate action items, and an investigation into the price differences among retailers, like The North West Company’s Northmart chain. “People are saying The North West Company increased food prices when food vouchers were issued through ICFI (Inuit Child First Initiative), then kept...
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17-year-old is third person charged in relation to Carry the Kettle murders in February
By Nicole Taylor, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The World-Spectator Murder charges have been laid against a third individual—a 17-year-old male—in relation to the February murders of two men and two women on Carry the Kettle Nakoda Nation. On December 10 police officers with Saskatchewan RCMP’s Major Crimes Unit and Indian Head RCMP Detachment executed a search warrant at a residence on Carry the Kettle Nakoda Nation with the assistance of officers from File Hills First Nations Police Service. RCMP officers arrested a 17-year-old male youth at the residence. The youth can not be identified as per the Youth Criminal Justice Act. The youth has been charged with four counts of first-degree murder in relation to the deaths of Tracey Hotomani, Sheldon Quewezance, Shauna Fay and Terry Jack. The youth is...
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Young people will speak up in court after leaders stayed silent about Ontario development bill
By Sonal Gupta, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Canada’s National Observer Ramon Kataquapit says it was the silence from his First Nation leaders after Ontario introduced legislation to fast-track land development, that ultimately rallied other young people in his community to take charge of their future. From Attawapiskat First Nation, Kataquapit, 23, said others in Treaty 9 also felt frustrated and excluded from decisions impacting them after the province introduced Bill 5. And “that caused a lot of the youth all at the same time almost to spark into action,” he said. This week, Kataquapit is taking their fight into court. In a motion filed Monday, he and Michel Koostachin, who is also a member of Attawapiskat First Nation, seek to intervene in an existing lawsuit launched by nine First Nations...
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Métis Nation of Ontario say academic gathering is an attempt to erase their history
By Alessia Passafiume Members of the Métis Nation of Ontario say an upcoming academic summit in the province amounts to an attack on their history because it questions the legitimacy of their connection to Métis heritage and territorial claims. But the First Nations organizers of the summit say they are using the event to safeguard their territories from what they call an infringement on their rights. The event, set for Saturday and Sunday in Sault Ste. Marie, is being hosted by Robinson Huron Waawiindamaagewin, an organization created by the 21 First Nations signatories to the Robinson Huron Treaty. The sold-out event — the “(Un) Making of Métis Claims in Ontario Forum” — is set to hear from academics who researched claims made by the Métis Nation of Ontario and who...
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Hunter’s Mountain Mi’kmaw camp burns to ground in suspicious fire
By Rosemary Godin, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Cape Breton Post The two main buildings at the Hunter’s Mountain cultural revitalization camp in Cape Breton burned down early Saturday morning. The camp has been the site of a Mi’Kmaw logging protest in Nova Scotia since early September. There are no reports of any injuries, and it is believed no one was staying in any of the buildings overnight at the time of the fire. Presently, RCMP are seeking information about what they have called suspicious fires at the camp. According to the police report, on Dec. 13 at approximately 1:20 a.m., officers, fire services, and EHS responded to a report of a structure fire in the 1000 block of the Cabot Trail. When first responders arrived on scene, an unoccupied structure...
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Eby plans $150 million in loan guarantees for Cowichan land owners
By Wolfgang Depner British Columbia Premier David Eby said his government plans to offer private owners of land in the Cowichan Aboriginal title area more than $150 million in loan guarantees, amid fears about the impact of the landmark ruling on their financing. He said the fund could include $100 million in guaranteed financing for Montrose Properties, the biggest private owner in the Aboriginal title area, and a further $54 million for smaller owners. Eby also said the final cost could be higher. “There’s a significant amount of additional commercial activity (in the area), and we don’t have a total number about that,” he said in an interview Friday. “It could be significantly larger than that.” But Eby, who mentioned the possible financing guarantees in a speech Wednesday, without providing...
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Investigation finds no police misconduct in collapse of New Brunswick murder trials
An investigation of an error by the Fredericton Police Force that forced the Crown to withdraw from two murder trials sheds very little light on why the cases fell apart in the first place. The man who led the independent review, Ontario lawyer Ian D. Scott, said in his report that the “insurmountable evidentiary issue” that brought both prosecutions to an end cannot be disclosed. “As painful as it is for the families and the larger community, I cannot provide the kind of explanation I would like to clear the air,” Scott wrote. “I am bound by the same rules as the investigators and prosecutors involved in this case.” Citing the Canada Evidence Act, Scott said he could not disclose information regarding national security, communications between police and Crown lawyers,...
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Eby plans $150 million in loan guarantees for Cowichan land owners
By Wolfgang Depner British Columbia Premier David Eby says his government plans to offer private owners of land in the Cowichan Aboriginal title area more than $150 million in loan guarantees, amid fears about the impact of the landmark ruling on their financing. He says the fund could include $100 million in guaranteed financing for Montrose Properties, the biggest private owner in the Aboriginal title area, and a further $54 million for smaller owners. Eby says the final amount could be significantly larger because current plans do not yet account for significant “additional commercial activity” in the area. Montrose, which owns about 120 hectares of the 300-hectare title area in Richmond, B.C., says in legal documents that a previous lender denied it $35 million in financing because of concerns about...
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Legislature’s 14-week break ‘appalling,” MPP says
By Mike Stimpson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Thunder Bay Source THUNDER BAY — Ontario’s legislative assembly is taking a 14-week break after having already taken a 19-week summer break and sitting only 51 days this year. And the MPP for Thunder Bay-Superior North doesn’t like it one bit. “It’s appalling, really,” Lise Vaugeois, a New Democrat, said of the Progressive Conservative government’s long hiatus. “Here’s a game that’s being played: They have very short sessions in which they ram through huge bills,” she continued. “And the other piece is that they are mired in scandal, and the legislative session is when they can best be held to account.” Legislators returned to Queen’s Park in late October after a nearly five-month break and concluded their fall sitting on Thursday. Government MPPs...
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Northern region holiday gathering brings good tidings for unity, health and lots of seafood in 2026
By Nora O’Malley, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Ha-Shilth-Sa Campbell River, BC – The annual Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council (NTC) Urban Community Holiday Gatherings tour wrapped with merriment and fruit čamas at a packed Thunderbird Hall in Campbell River on Dec 11. Looking forward to a new year and a fresh start, the unifying wish for many of the guests at the Thunderbird Hall was just that – to be more united in 2026. “I always think about all our nations and the troubles that we are having in-fighting,” said Tla-o-qui-aht elder Barney Williams, who moved to the northern region seven years ago to be closer to a major hospital. “I really hope we can go back to the way it was years ago. Everything was respected. There was no contest. We...
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Some Native Americans draw shocked response over contract to design immigration detention centers
By Heather Hollingsworth, Joshua Goodman And John Hanna MAYETTA, Kan. (AP) — The Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, whose ancestors were uprooted by the U.S. from the Great Lakes region in the 1830s, are facing outrage from fellow Native Americans over plans to profit from another forced removal: President Donald Trump’s mass deportation campaign. A newly established tribal business entity quietly signed a nearly $30 million federal contract in October to come up with an early design for immigrant detention centers across the U.S. Amid the backlash, the tribe says it’s trying to get out of it. Tribal leaders and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security haven’t responded to detailed questions about why the firm was selected for such a big contract without having to compete for the work as federal...
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Treaty Chiefs Warn of “Severe Impacts” as Alberta Passes Water Legislation
By Jeremy Appel, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Alberta Native News Alberta’s UCP government has passed legislation without any input from First Nations that poses severe risks to Alberta’s watersheds, according to a group of Treaty 6, 7 and 8 chiefs. Bill 7, the Water Amendment Act, 2025, which was introduced in the Legislative Assembly by Environment and Protected Areas Minister Rebecca Schulz, received royal assent on December 12. The legislation updates the Water Act to enable “low-risk” transfers between water basins, empower the minister to determine a transfer’s risk level, and merge the Peace-Slave and Athabasca Water Basins into one, reducing the province’s number of watersheds to six. Previously, these transfers were decided on a case-by-case basis and required special legislation to proceed. Minister Schulz said at an Oct. 30...
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Finalized and updated joint-use agreement not coming to Whitehorse council until fall 2026
By Becky Zimmer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Yukon News Whitehorse city council approved another year waiting on an up-to-date joint-use agreement. City staff were unable to bring a finalized document to be approved by council before the end of this year, and have successfully asked council to extend the deadline to December 2026. The Joint-use Agreement is the framework for how different public facilities and selected school buildings are used by the community. According to the Administrative Report presented to council during the Nov. 17 standing committees meeting, the document “ensures fair, equitable allocation of space based on community benefits, prioritizing youth activities.” Keri Rutherford, Recreations manager for the City of Whitehorse spoke to this during the committee meeting saying the Yukon government entering caretaker mode during the territorial elections...
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Investments in Métis Nation–Saskatchewan drive economic growth amid self-government talks
By Aaron Walker, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Windspeaker.com A new socio-economic impact assessment shows Métis Nation–Saskatchewan (MN–S) has turned federal investments into significantly wider economic activity over the past seven years, generating hundreds of millions of dollars provincewide and supporting thousands of jobs. The independent report, MN–S invests in Métis citizens, provincial economy benefits two-fold, was released Nov. 22 by national accounting firm MNP and presented at the Métis Nation-Saskatchewan Legislative Assembly in Saskatoon last month. The report marks the first socio-economic impact assessment of the Nation since 2017. It concludes that investments into Métis citizens are “contributing to real economic growth and social outcomes that benefit everyone in Saskatchewan” while addressing long-standing gaps in health, housing, and education. MN–S chief operating officer Matthew Vermette said the analysis reinforces years...
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Cause of deadly trailer fire remains mystery
By Carl Clutchey, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Chronicle-Journal Provincial investigators say the probe into last weekend’s fatal trailer fire at Fort William First Nation continues, but a suspected cause of the blaze has yet to be released. “At this time, there is no update to share,” an Ontario Fire Marshal spokesman said on Friday. “The investigation remains ongoing,” he added. Fort William First Nation held three days of mourning after two young men were found dead inside the burnt-out trailer in the early morning of Dec.6. Thunder Bay Fire Rescue said the structure on Squaw Bay Road was fully engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived around 3 a.m. When reached on Friday, the Fire Marshal’s office offered some general advice. “While we are not able to comment on the...
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Two senior care initiatives receive $5,000 grants from Greater Peterborough Health Services Foundation
By Natalie Hamilton, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, KawarthaNOW Two initiatives aimed at promoting improved well-being for Peterborough seniors — one through nutritional support and another in the realm of mental health care — have each received financial boosts. On Thursday (December 11), the Greater Peterborough Health Services Foundation (GPHSF) announced the recipients of its second annual senior care micro grant program, made available to support senior care projects and healthy aging initiatives within the Peterborough area. Curve Lake First Nation’s Home and Community Care and Mental Health Project and One City Peterborough’s Nutritional Support for At-Risk Seniors Project have each received $5,000. “Our hope for each senior care grant is to provide a positive impact on the quality of life for as many seniors as possible,” GPHSF executive director Vince...
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‘We’re not afraid’: Life goes on for Indigenous Colombians despite volcano eruption risk
By Astrid Suárez PURACE, Colombia (AP) — Oliverio Quira often goes to check on his cattle on a plot of land he owns less than a mile from the Purace volcano in southwestern Colombia. There he sits and watches the billowing ash column rising from the crater. Despite a recent alert indicating that an eruption is likely in the coming days or weeks due to increased seismic activity at the volcano and the emission of ash columns reaching up to 900 meters (nearly 3,000 feet), he is not afraid. “I’ve lived on the volcano, I grew up there … so I have no reason to fear it. I’ll keep going there, alert or not. I have to look after my animals,” Quira, 65, told The Associated Press. He is a...
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Canadian English supporters urge Carney to abandon federal shift to British spelling
By Jim Bronskill Promoters of Canadian English say the federal government is sending the wrong message to the world with its recent use of British spelling in official documents. In a letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney, five linguistics experts and an editors association representative say the simplest way to keep national elbows up is to get Canadian style down on the page. The Dec. 11 letter, shared with The Canadian Press, notes the use of British spelling — such as utilisation, globalisation, catalyse (instead of utilization, globalization and catalyze) — in documents, including the 2025 federal budget. Canadian spelling is used widely and fairly consistently in Canada — in book and magazine publishing, in newspapers and other media, and in the federal and provincial governments and their legislatures, the...
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How does the rental office handle drug claims against tenants?
By Claire McFarlane, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Cabin Radio The Northwest Territories’ rental office plays an important role in Scan legislation currently being drafted by the territorial government. In the N.W.T., the rental office acts as a court handling disputes between landlords and tenants. Rental officers have powers like issuing eviction orders to tenants or withholding rent if landlords don’t address maintenance issues. If the territory’s Scan legislation becomes law, the GNWT will create a new unit of Scan officers. They won’t be police officers but they’ll be tasked with investigating complaints about things like drug-related activity at homes in small communities. The Scan officers will have the power to either bring applications to the rental office if they think someone should be evicted, or help landlords do the same...
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