New wrongful conviction review body could see hundreds of applications
By Anja Karadeglija -CP-A new independent commission tasked by the federal government with reviewing miscarriages of justice could discover that more people than expected are serving prison sentences for crimes they didn’t commit. Other countries that launched similar commissions have found that “the degree of wrongful convictions certainly was much more significant than they knew,” said Sen. Kim Pate, a prominent advocate for the wrongfully convicted. “I suspect we will see much the same.” Former justice minister David Lametti introduced the legislation to set up the Miscarriage of Justice Review Commission. His successor, Justice Minister Arif Virani, is now in the process of implementing that legislation. The commission won’t be able to overturn a conviction but will have the power to order a new trial or appeal. Lametti said we...
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B.C.’s smallest First Nation has big plans for a ‘stewardship’ economy
By Rochelle Baker, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Canada’s National Observer The West Coast’s smallest First Nation is taking great strides toward the creation of an innovative stewardship economy that puts sustainability and conservation first. The Kwiakah First Nation, led by munmuntle, Chief Steven Dick, consists of 19 members mostly based on Vancouver Island. The community is launching a “return home” by transforming a former open-net salmon farm into a floating, solar-powered scientific hub anchored in their traditional territory along B.C.’s wild central coast. The Kwiakah Centre of Excellence will be the base for a dedicated research station, an experimental kelp farm, the nation’s regenerative forestry operations and its territorial Indigenous guardian, or Forest Keepers, program, said Frank Voelker, the nation’s band manager and economic development officer. The centre marks the...
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B.C. human rights commissioner wants study of police in schools after board’s firing
By Marcy Nicholson -CP-When the British Columbia government fired the Greater Victoria school board last week, it effectively made police liaison programs mandatory in schools while failing to provide a factual basis for the decision, the B.C. Human Rights commissioner said in a letter. Kasari Govender said in the letter to Education Minister Lisa Beare and Public Safety Minister Gary Begg that failure to fund research into the matter is contrary to the government’s human rights obligations “and undermines its stated values to combat racism.” The letter dated Monday came after Beare fired the entire elected board of School District No. 61 last Thursday over its refusal to allow police in schools except in emergencies. Neither Beare nor Begg were immediately available for comment. “The decision to fire SD61 board...
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Federal, Manitoba governments commit nearly $80 million for northern railway,
-CP-The federal and Manitoba governments are putting more than $79 million into a railway and a port in the province’s north. The money is to be used to finish work on the Hudson Bay Railway and to continue redevelopment of the Port of Churchill. The federal government committed $43 million to completing the restoration of the rail line, while the province has allocated $36.4 million to go toward restoring and replacing old infrastructure at the port. The rail line was shut down in 2017 by its then-owners, U.S.-based OmniTrax, after flooding washed out large sections of the tracks. Arctic Gateway Group, a consortium of northern and First Nation communities, took over ownership of the railway and the port in 2018 and relaunched service. Premier Wab Kinew says the project is...
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B.C. human rights commissioner wants study of police in schools after board’s firing
By Marcy Nicholson -CP-When the British Columbia government fired the Greater Victoria school board last week, it effectively made police liaison programs mandatory in schools while failing to provide a factual basis for the decision, the B.C. Human Rights commissioner said. Kasari Govender said in the letter to Education Minister Lisa Beare and Public Safety Minister Gary Begg that failure to fund research into the matter is contrary to the government’s human rights obligations “and undermines its stated values to combat racism.” The letter dated Monday came after Beare fired the entire elected board of School District No. 61 last Thursday over its refusal to allow police in schools except in emergencies. “The decision to fire SD61 board members — and effectively make (School Police Liaison Officer) programs mandatory across...
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Four found dead in home on First Nation in southern Saskatchewan
-CP-Four people have been found dead in a home on a First Nation in southern Saskatchewan, RCMP said Tuesday. Officers with the File Hills Police Service found the bodies after they were called in the morning to the home on the Carry the Kettle Nakoda Nation, east of Regina. An initial investigation determined the deaths to be suspicious, Mounties said, but they didn’t provide details about a possible suspect. Four hours later, RCMP said they received reports about a man pointing a gun at people on Zagime Anishinabek, formerly known as the Sakimay First Nation, roughly 95 kilometres away. They identified that suspect as Keagan Panipekeesick, 29, who is described as having blue eyes, brown hair and a tattoo of tears on his upper right arm. RCMP say it’s not...
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From Norfolk to Newmarket: Officials warn of exposures across Ontario as measles outbreak spreads
By J.P. Antonacci, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Hamilton Spectator A measles outbreak in Norfolk County has hit 21 confirmed cases, with the latest patients possibly exposing people as far away as Newmarket. Grand Erie Public Health said Monday the new cases are in adults whose infections are “linked to a previous exposure.” The pair are recovering at home while health officials are busy “following up with known contacts who may have been exposed to the measles virus through these individuals,” health unit spokesperson Shawn Falcao said in a media release. The health unit said exposure to the highly contagious airborne virus was possible at the family practice office at the Roulston’s Pharmacy on Donly Drive in Simcoe on the evening of Jan. 28, and the Shopper’s Drug Mart on...
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B.C. human rights commissioner wants study of police in schools after board’s firing
By Marcy Nicholson -CP-British Columbia’s human rights commissioner says the provincial government has effectively made police liaison programs mandatory in schools with its firing of the Greater Victoria school board, while failing to provide a factual basis for the decision. Kasari Govender says in a letter to Education Minister Lisa Beare and Public Safety Minister Gary Begg that failure to fund research into the matter is contrary to the government’s human rights obligations “and undermines its stated values to combat racism.” The letter dated Monday comes after Beare fired the entire elected board of School District No. 61 last Thursday over its refusal to allow police in schools except in emergencies. The commissioner says there are “significant gaps” in evidence supporting school police liaison officers and there is not enough...
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A running list of Ontario election promises in campaign for snap Feb. 27 vote
-CP-A running list of election promises announced by the Ontario Progressive Conservatives, NDP, Liberals and Greens in the province’s snap election campaign. The vote is set for Feb. 27. Progressive Conservatives Feb. 4 on transit: upload the Ottawa LRT and integrate its operations under provincial transit agency Metrolinx, taking costs off the city’s books to the tune of about $4 billion over a few decades. Feb. 3 on tariffs: Spend $10 billion toward support for employers through a six-month deferral of provincially administered taxes on Ontario businesses and $3 billion toward payroll tax and premium relief, $600 million in a fund aimed at attracting investments, and $300 million to expand an Ontario manufacturing tax credit. Jan. 31 on infrastructure: Spend $15 billion over three years to speed up capital projects...
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Federally-funded homes now occupied in Nahanni Butte, on site in Lutsel K’e
By Tom Taylor, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, NWT News/North In January of 2024, the federal government announced plans to invest nearly $19 million for new homes in Indigenous communities around the NWT. A little over a year later, many of those sorely-needed homes have been installed and occupied. Nahanni Butte, a community of less than 100 people, was promised seven houses through the federal investment, which was part of the third phase of the Rapid Housing Initiative (RHI). Six of those homes are already occupied, and the last, which was damaged during installation, should be be complete soon. “Out of the seven approved, all seven units were brought in community around February [of 2024],” said Nahanni Butte Dene Band manager Soham Srimani. “During installation, one of the units got damaged,...
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Haldimand County OPP charge 3 with cocaine possession
HALDIMAND COUNTY, ON – Haldimand County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) have charged three people after police observed a suspicious vehicle parked on Talbot Street in Cayuga. Haldimand County OPP said they spotted a suspicious vehicle parked at a business on Talbot Street in Cayuga Jan. 31, 2025 at about 2:45 a.m. and after speaking with the occupants all three were taken into custody. As a result of the investigation, Kyle Decourcey, 20, and Courtney Hiebert, 28, both from Manvers Township were charged with: Possession of a Schedule I Substance – Cocaine A third person, Dakota Markie, 21, from Hamilton was charged with: Possession of a Prohibited Device or Ammunition All three accused are scheduled to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in Cayuga on March 18, 2025....
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Judge should have shut door to expropriation in title claim: firms
By John Chilibeck, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Daily Gleaner The Wolastoqey Nation’s title claim for more than half of New Brunswick was in court again, this time because three timber firms are upset about a lower court ruling that did not explicitly state their big swaths of land won’t be taken from them someday. J.D. Irving, H.J. Crabbe and Sons, and Acadian Timber each presented separate motions on Friday before the Court of Appeal of New Brunswick, asking it to revisit a decision by Justice Kathryn Gregory of the Court of King’s Bench last November. They didn’t like her ruling because, although the judge agreed that the industrial defendants and everyday private property owners must be removed from the Wolastoqey lawsuit, their land is still part of the title...
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Yukon premier says northerners are feeling anxious about incoming tariffs
-CP-Yukon Premier Ranj Pillai says northerners are feeling anxious about looming U.S. tariffs. Pillai says the cost of groceries in Yukon is already high, as it imports dairy products, fruits and vegetables directly from the U.S. He says the tariffs may also affect infrastructure projects in places like Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation, a remote fly-in community in the territory’s north that is relying on American equipment to build new homes this year. U.S. President Donald Trump has said 25 per cent tariffs against Canadian goods are to go into effect on Tuesday. Pillai says northern premiers believe the tariffs should be a wake-up call for Canada to be less reliant on the United States and diversify who it does business with. Pillai says his government is also considering halting its...
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Canada’s chief justice decries misinformation as top court turns 150
By Marcy Nicholson -CP-Canada’s chief justice says the nation’s top court is expanding public outreach as “misinformation and disinformation” circulate and more people get their information from social media. Chief Justice Richard Wagner is in Victoria with other justices of the Supreme Court of Canada at the start of a cross-country tour to mark the court’s 150th anniversary. Wagner says the Supreme Court of Canada needs to do more now than 25 years ago to inform the public on what the court is doing and the impact of its decisions. The Supreme Court of Canada was established in 1875 and is the country’s final court of appeal. Wagner says that almost every decision of the court has an impact on society that includes topics such as abortion, marriage and medically...
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Who’s running in Haldimand County byelections?
By J.P. Antonacci, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Hamilton Spectator Six weeks after the provincial election, voters in two Haldimand County wards will return to the polls to choose their next municipal councillor. There are byelections scheduled for April 10 in wards 1 and 4. Both seats are vacant following the deaths of former councillors Stewart Patterson in Ward 1, who succumbed to an illness in late November, and Marie Trainer in Ward 4, who died in late October after being in a serious car accident months earlier. The remaining councillors voted to hold byelections rather than appoint new representatives to finish the remainder of the current term. The newly elected councillors will serve until the next municipal election, currently scheduled for October 2026. Three candidates have so far registered...
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‘Bad move’: Leaders disappointed by community learning centre closures
By Tom Taylor, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, NWT News/North On Jan. 23, Aurora College announced plans to close its 19 community learning centres, which are located in communities across the territory. The college attributed the decision to “ongoing issues of low enrolment” and stated that the decision was unanimous among its board of directors. However, leaders in the communities that are losing learning centres are not happy with the plan. Tom Beaulieu, senior administrative officer in Fort Resolution and a former MLA and cabinet minister, called it “a bad move” on behalf of the government, which has historically provided the bulk of the college’s funding — to the tune of $32.9 million in 2024-25. “The communities have so little in as far as work, and the few people that have...
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Aklavik wellness centre having major impact after one year in community
By Tom Taylor, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, NWT News/North Aklavik’s Community Wellness Centre has been open for just over a year, but already the facility is having a major impact on residents. “We hear a lot of good comments from around the community and on social media,” said Aklavik Indian Band (AIB) sub-chief Rita Arey. “We are also getting requests from surrounding communities wanting to know how they can start a program [like this] in their community.” AIB opened the wellness centre in late 2023, with the aim of providing “holistic, culturally-based” health and wellness programming that gives people “hope, a meaning and a purpose,” according to Arey. It is open to everyone in the community of about 630 people. “Aklavik is a unique community because we have Gwich’in, Inuvialiut,...
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What B.C. Premier Eby’s mandate letters mean for Indigenous peoples
By Bhagyashree Chatterjee, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Squamish Chief What do Premier David Eby’s latest mandate letters for ministers mean for Indigenous peoples? These letters, all dated Jan. 16, shape the government’s priorities, and this term, they focus on “reconciliation, economic growth, and community well-being.” The priorities include: “Growing the economy by creating good jobs across British Columbia.” “Reducing costs for families, including helping people access homes they can afford.” “Strengthening health care by expanding access to family doctors and training more health professionals.” “Making our neighbourhoods and communities safer by addressing street disorder and cracking down on organized crime.” “Taking action on climate change to ensure a healthy and prosperous future for B.C.” What this means Supporting Local Growth Minister of State for Local Governments and Rural Communities...
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Manitoba premier says he’s looking for ways to ban U.S. companies from bids
By Steve Lambert MANITOBA-CP-The Manitoba government is looking for ways to prevent companies in the United States from bidding on provincial contracts as another retaliatory measure against tariffs on Canadian goods threatened by U.S. President Donald Trump. Cabinet ministers whose portfolios are linked to the economy have been tasked with reviewing the provincial government’s procurement procedures with an eye to restricting bids from south of the border, Premier Wab Kinew said Monday. “We have no quarrel with the American people. These are our friends. These are our relatives,” Kinew said. “But if their president is trying to take food out of our mouths, is trying to take jobs out of our province, then we have to stand up for ourselves.” Kinew made the remarks at the start of a meeting...
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Two Blueberry River Elders file motion for judicial review in federal court
By Ed Hitchins, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Energeticcity.ca FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — Two Blueberry River First Nation Elders have filed a judicial review after an investigation into a former chief was concluded. Blueberry River First Nation (BRFN) Elders Joe and Clarence Apsassin have filed for a judicial review of the First Nation’s entire council’s actions. Former chief Judy Desjarlais was removed from power in September for an alleged conflict of interest, and a decision regarding her future is currently before federal courts. Clarence Apsassin told Energeticcity.ca that they filed the motion to give band members a greater voice in the decision-making process. Blueberry River’s current governance structure consists of an elected chief and five council members. Each family elects one councillor to represent the family, and those councillors elect...
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