Tentative settlement in N.S. First Nation class action over non-consensual MRI scans
A tentative settlement has been reached in a class action lawsuit alleging members of a Nova Scotia First Nation underwent MRI scans without their consent. The law firm representing the class confirmed Thursday that the proposed settlement with the defendants — two Halifax doctors — is subject to approval from the Nova Scotia Supreme Court. None of the allegations in the lawsuit have been tested in court. The original lawsuit, filed in 2020 and certified in 2024, alleged radiologists Robert Miller and Sharon Clarke took magnetic resonance imaging scans of about 60 members of the Pictou Landing First Nation without their knowledge or consent. A statement of claim filed in Nova Scotia Supreme Court says band members agreed to undergo the scans as part of a research project in 2017...
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Indigenous groups given just two months to consult on pipeline project designation
By Alessia Passafiume Indigenous communities along the route for the newly announced West Coast oil pipeline were given just two months for consultations on whether the pipeline should be designated a project of national interest — and that was still more than the government had planned. At first, the consultations were to take place over one month. They were extended to two months after Indigenous leaders raised concerns about the tight timeline. A summary of those consultations posted online by the federal government says Indigenous groups decried a lack of information about the project, which they said prevented them from fully assessing its impact. Prime Minister Mark Carney promised his major projects agenda would not interfere with Canada’s obligations under the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples....
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Driver released after collision that killed 2 First Nations elders in Delta, B.C.
Delta police say the driver involved in a collision that killed two Tsawwassen First Nation elders and injured two others has been released from hospital, as investigators assess whether the driver’s medical emergency played a role in the crash. Police say in a news release Thursday that while there is no information to suggest the collision was intentional, they are investigating whether a medical emergency experienced by the driver just before the collision on Wednesday morning may have been a contributing factor. The collision happened shortly before 10:30 a.m. at the Tsawwassen Mills mall near the Tsawwassen First Nation, in an area scheduled to host the unveiling of four traditional carvings known as house posts. The Nation hosted a community walk in recognition of the National Day for Truth and...
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Land purchase of residential school student cemetery site will ‘preserve this memory’
By Connor McDowell, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Brandon Sun More than 900 people came out to the former Brandon Residential School property on Wednesday as Premier Wab Kinew announced the purchase of Turtle Crossing Campground — the site of a cemetery for students who attended the school. Explaining the decision to purchase the campground in partnership with the City of Brandon, Kinew said it was an opportunity to cement a piece of history. “The story of this land down the hill here is a story about how memory can be lost,” he told the crowd. “We have to preserve this memory so it can never be denied.” The campground property was purchased for $1.55 million, with the City of Brandon paying $400,000 and the province covering the balance. Sioux Valley...
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Modular home factory begins production in Arviat
With a ribbon-cutting ceremony, the modular home factory officially opened Tuesday. The $75-million, 64,500-square-foot facility started production at 60 per cent capacity Sept. 23, said operations director Jason Gibbons in an interview. Within 18 months, the factory will achieve peak capacity, producing up to 40 single- and multi-family houses a year. The factory employs 15 staff, including 14 Inuit, said Caroline Nault, CEO of Sakku Innovative Building Solutions, a joint venture between Sakku Investments, the business arm of the Kivalliq Inuit Association, and Quebec-based modular manufacturer R.G. Solution, which operates the Inuit-owned facility. Of those workers, 10 work on the factory floor in non-administrative roles. “There is only one non-Inuit employee, and it’s me,” Nault said in an interview. By early 2028 the workforce will swell to 40 full-time staff,...
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Treaty Nations seek relief from costly disputes as watchdog Bill C-10 reaches Senate
By Aaron Walker, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Windspeaker.com For the Nisga’a Nation, holding Canada to its treaty promises can mean spending time and money that could otherwise support programs and services for its citizens. Modern treaty leaders say an independent federal watchdog could help change that. Bill C-10, the proposed Commissioner for Modern Treaty Implementation Act, passed third reading in the House of Commons Sept. 21 and received first reading in the Senate Sept. 28. The bill is awaiting second reading in the Senate. It requires Senate approval and Royal Assent before a commissioner’s office can be established. In a Sept. 23 release from the Land Claims Agreements Coalition (LCAC), Nisga’a Nation President and LCAC co-chair Eva Clayton said “The Commissioner will bring much needed oversight to the implementation of...
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Case of Mi’kmaq fishermen accused of trying to steal lobster causes stir
By John Chilibeck, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Daily Gleaner Many legal experts and Indigenous activists are anxiously waiting for a decision in a Campbellton courtroom on Oct. 30. That’s the date Provincial Court Judge Martin Goguen delivers a verdict for three Mi’kmaq fishermen accused of trying to poach lobsters at the New Mills wharf in northern New Brunswick. The case has caused a stir, one that a former national First Nation chief says is the latest in a series of raids by “Carney’s I.C.E. agents,” comparing the actions of Prime Minister Mark Carney and federal enforcement officials with the controversial tactics of President Donald Trump and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The boat captain, Chris Labillois of Eel River Bar, is charged with fishing lobster using traps without valid...
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Health of women with diabetes may deteriorate after menopause: study
By Jean-Benoit Legault Women with Type 1 diabetes appear to be at greater risk of physical and psychosocial health problems after menopause and require an updated treatment plan, according to a new study. Published in September by Diabetes Research and Clinical Practices, the research found that post-menopausal women had a higher risk of retinopathy, cardiovascular disease, neuropathy, falls, and moderate-to-severe depressive symptoms. They were also less likely to have been prescribed antihypertensive and lipid-lowering medications. Jane Yardley of the Montreal Clinical Research Institute was one of the co-authors of the study. “What we found (ultimately) was that there were several things that were worse for women after menopause than before menopause,” Yardley said. The research was based on a review of the medical records of 211 women aged 40 to...
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Land purchase will ‘preserve this memory’
By Connor McDowell, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Brandon Sun More than 900 people came out to the former Brandon Residential School property on Wednesday as Premier Wab Kinew announced the purchase of Turtle Crossing Campground — the site of a cemetery for students who attended the school. Explaining the decision to purchase the campground in partnership with the City of Brandon, Kinew said it was an opportunity to cement a piece of history. “The story of this land down the hill here is a story about how memory can be lost,” he told the crowd. “We have to preserve this memory so it can never be denied.” The campground property was purchased for $1.55 million, with the City of Brandon paying $400,000 and the province covering the balance. Sioux Valley...
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Indigenous communities given just two months to consult on West Coast Pipeline
By Alessia Passafiume Indigenous communities along the newly-announced West Coast Oil Pipeline route were given just two months for consultations, and that was still more than the government initially planned. The consultations were to only take place over one month but was extended to two after Indigenous leaders raised concerns about the tight timeline. A summary of those consultations says Indigenous groups decried the lack of information about the project which prevented them from fully assessing its impact. Prime Minister Mark Carney promised his major projects agenda would not interfere with the Canada’s obligations under the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. That declaration outlines the need for free, prior and informed consent before decisions are made that can adversely affect the rights and lands of Indigenous...
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A timeline for Pacific Link, the ‘national interest’ Alberta-B.C. pipeline plan
A new million-barrel-per-day oilsands pipeline to the West Coast is the first to be deemed a project of national interest — a key step if the proposal is to advance. Prime Minister Mark Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announced the designation in the oilsands hub of Fort McMurray, Alta., on Thursday. Smith has been pushing for the new pipeline because it would enable Alberta producers to access lucrative Asian markets and spur production growth in the oilsands. Here is a timeline detailing how an idea Smith first floated more than a year ago has moved closer to reality. — June 11, 2025: Smith touts the notion of a new West Coast bitumen pipeline in a speech at the Global Energy Show in Calgary. She says the end point that...
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Tentative settlement in N.S. First Nation class action over non-consensual MRI scans
A tentative settlement has been reached in a class action lawsuit alleging members of a Nova Scotia First Nation underwent MRI scans without their consent. The law firm representing the class says the proposed settlement with the defendants — two Halifax doctors — is subject to approval from the Nova Scotia Supreme Court. The original lawsuit, filed in 2020, alleges the doctors took MRI scans of 60 members of the Pictou Landing First Nation without their knowledge or consent. A statement of claim filed in Nova Scotia Supreme Court says band members agreed to undergo Magnetic Resonance Imaging scans as part of a research project in 2017 but were subjected to additional “secret” scans of their livers for a separate study. A partner with the law firm says the proposed...
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Fifteen school trustee contenders face voters at North Delta’s heated all-candidates forum
By Radha Agarwal, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Delta Optimist Fifteen of the 18 candidates running for a seat on the school board faced off in North Delta on Monday night, bringing everything from sharp debates on classroom safety to a brief moment of theatre-room chaos during an all-candidates meeting. Voters heading to the polls on Oct. 17 will choose seven school trustees for a four-year term. Monday’s forum at North Delta Secondary School was the first of two organized jointly by the Delta Teachers Association, the Delta District Parent Advisory Council (DPAC), and CUPE Local 1091. The hopefuls fielded questions on transparency, violence in schools, truth and reconciliation, and student and staff support. The crowd filled half the auditorium, which included candidates’ introductions, three main questions for all candidates, a...
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In a changing northern landscape, Inuit bear guards keep people safe in the wilderness
By Frey Blake-Pijogge, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, IndigiNews After retiring from his career as a federal conservation officer, Derrick Pottle — an Inuk Elder from Tikigâksuagusik (Rigolet) — devoted himself to guiding people on the land, carving, hunting, and training bear guards. The seasoned instructor and guide founded BearSafe Planning in 2005, which trains and certifies students to perform the role of guarding for the bear species found in the region and beyond — including polar bears, grizzly bears, and black bears. Pottle’s three-day course is advertised as offering “safety, protection, confidence in bear country.” Bear guards work to monitor for bears and prevent encounters with humans out on the land. “The whole objective of the course,” he told IndigiNews, is firstly “people’s safety” around bears. But that aim “is...
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Indigenous groups given just two months to consult pipeline project designation
By Alessia Passafiume Indigenous communities along the expected route for the newly announced West Coast oil pipeline were given just two months for consultations about whether the pipeline should be designated a project of national interest — and that was still more than the government first planned. The consultations at first were to take place over one month but were extended to two months after Indigenous leaders raised concerns about the tight timeline. A summary of those consultations posted online by the federal government says Indigenous groups decried the lack of information about the project, which they said prevented them from fully assessing its impact. Prime Minister Mark Carney promised his major projects agenda would not interfere with Canada’s obligations under the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous...
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Alberta highlights Indigenous roots of restorative justice as $720,000 grant deadline approaches
By George Lee, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Macleod Gazette Restorative justice funding in Alberta leverages practices that are deeply rooted in the Indigenous communities of Turtle Island and their teachings, a cabinet minister emphasized on Canada’s National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. “National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is an important day to recognize our history and the work that continues toward reconciliation,” Justice Minister Mickey Amery said on Wednesday, Sept. 30. “That work carries into our justice system, where we continue to support Indigenous approaches to justice and restorative practices that communities have relied on for generations.” Contacted by The Macleod Gazette about the Alberta Restorative Justice Grant, Amery added: “I cannot talk about restorative justice without identifying and highlighting the important role Indigenous communities have played in...
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‘We’re still here’; Nunavut Inuit organization president gives rousing speech on National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
By William Koblensky Varela, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunavut News Close to 200 people crowded into the Royal Canadian Legion Cadet Hall in Iqaluit on Sept. 30 for the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation commemoration. The event usually includes a march through town, but it was moved indoors this year due to inclement weather. A moment of silence was held for the victims and survivors of residential schools before a parlak, or candy toss, was held for Elders and children. Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. President Gloria Uluqsi delivered a rousing speech that elicited several rounds of applause. “Our language is still here. Our culture is still here. Our knowledge is still here. We are still here,” she said. “Today, I want to thank the Inuit who survived. I want to...
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Carney gives Alberta pipeline special interest designation, to be called Pacific Link
By Fakiha Baig A pipeline to haul Alberta oil to tankers on the B.C. coast took a big step forward Thursday. Prime Minster Mark Carney, with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith at his side, announced the line – to be known as Pacific Link — is the first project to receive national interest designation under the Building Canada Act. The designation doesn’t mean the line is a done deal, but it streamlines and simplifies rules, timelines and oversight to help make it a reality. The goal is to get consultations, environmental safeguards, financing and Indigenous partnerships completed by Sept. 1, 2027, to clear the way for construction to begin and ensure startup by 2032-33. “This is an important day for Alberta and for Canada,” Carney announced in the oilsands hub of...
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‘Rock the Indigenous Vote’ campaign being run against Kenora council candidates
By Pam Fedack, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Kenora Miner & News Ahead of the upcoming municipal election, a local resident’s objections to past remarks made by a city council candidate have led her to register as a third-party advertiser. Tania Cameron says she plans to buy radio ads and signs opposing Karla Treadway, Tyler Johnson and Chris McCaffrey, who are running as an impromptu bloc under the banner “A New Vision for Kenora.” Her concerns centre on remarks she attributes to Treadway in podcast discussions about residential schools and reconciliation. She also opposes Johnson and McCaffrey because they are sharing their campaign banner with Treadway, though she acknowledged she has not reviewed their individual platforms. The three candidates say they share a goal of revitalizing Kenora’s downtown area. However, each...
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Condolences for two First Nations elders killed in Delta, B.C., crash
First Nations, politicians and community leaders are expressing their condolences after a collision that killed two elders outside a shopping centre near the Tsawwassen First Nation on Wednesday. Delta police say the driver may have had a medical emergency before the crash in which four pedestrians were struck outside the Tsawwassen Mills mall while taking part in a walk to mark the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. The Indian Residential School Survivors Society says in a post on social media that the loss of the two “beloved” elders is devastating, while the Huu-ay-aht First Nations on Vancouver Island says it feels the tragedy deeply as an elder who died was a grandparent of one of its citizens. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith began her news conference today about the proposed...
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