Canada Post set to reduce frequency of letter mail delivery: minister
By Alessia Passafiume Public Works and Procurement Minister Joël Lightbound said Thursday Canada Post will reduce the frequency of door-to-door letter mail delivery to shore up its finances and save itself from an “existential crisis.” The minister also announced the federal government will accept all of the recommendations in the Industrial Inquiry Commission’s report on Canada Post, which also called for the introduction of more community mailboxes. “Canada Post is a national institution, older than our country itself, that has been serving Canadians for more than 150 years. For generations, postal workers have connected communities in every corner of the country, providing an essential lifeline to hundreds of northern, Indigenous and rural communities,” Lightbound said. “At the same time, Canada Post is now facing an existential crisis,” he added. “Repeated...
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Danger deepens bond between K9 and handler
By Connor McDowell, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Brandon Sun “Break!” says Const. Adam Philpott, commanding his bulletproof-vest clad Belgian Malinois dog to sprint in a field outside of Brandon. The officer of Brandon Police Service shouts again, and his dog stops halfway, fixated ahead on a ball. When the K9 unit dog Zeus is commanded to retrieve the toy and bring it back, he jumps up and pushes his paws on Philpott’s chest. It looks typical of a man and man’s best friend. But most dogs don’t wear bulletproof vests, and most dog owners don’t have on their mind the reason why that vest is needed. The relationship between a K9 handler and their animal is just different from normal dogs, Philpott said in a recent interview. There are many...
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Port Hope to host ‘Canindian’ celebration of truth and reconciliation
By Natalie Hamilton, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, KawarthaNOW Métis actor, musician, philanthropist, and activist Tom Jackson will be participating in a special event in Port Hope to recognize Canada’s National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day on Tuesday (September 30). Currently living in Port Hope, Jackson is the featured guest at “Canindian: A Celebration of Truth and a Celebration of Reconciliation” at the Capitol Theatre at 20 Queen Street in downtown Port Hope. He will be joined by esteemed local Indigenous leaders for an evening of song, storytelling, and performances that explore the heart of Indigenous heritage. The evening was initiated by Municipality of Port Hope Mayor Olena Hankivsky as a way to recognize National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. “By welcoming Tom, along with learning and...
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‘I did it for the victims’: Robert Pickton’s killer tells court during guilty plea
An inmate who has pleaded guilty to murdering Robert Pickton in prison last year says he did it for the serial killer’s victims. Martin Charest admitted today to fatally assaulting Pickton with a broken broom handle at the Port-Cartier federal penitentiary in May 2024. Charest pleaded guilty to first-degree murder during a court appearance in Sept-Îles, Que., northeast of Quebec City. Pickton was convicted in 2007 of six counts of second-degree murder, but confessed to killing a total of 49 women whom he lured to his pig farm near Vancouver. A statement of facts read out in court detailed how Charest locked himself into a room with Pickton and assaulted him twice while guards were unable to enter. Charest told the judge he murdered Pickton after the serial killer had...
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Hudson’s Bay gets court permission to auction off its ‘retail era’ art, artifacts
By Tara Deschamps Canadians hoping to get their hands on treasures from Hudson’s Bay won’t have to wait much longer for the chance. An Ontario court approved a November auction of 4,400 items belonging to the fallen retailer on Thursday. The trove Judge Peter Osborne is allowing to be sold includes more than 1,700 pieces of art and about 2,700 artifacts. Though the company has yet to reveal exactly what will be up for grabs, a lawyer for the firm says the items are from Hudson’s Bay’s “retail era,” rather than its fur trading days. A full list of items and photographs of each lot will be made available ahead of the auctions on Heffel Gallery Ltd.’s website, Bay lawyers said. Heffel will split the sale between a series of...
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Hudson’s Bay to return to court to get process for auction of art, artifacts approved
By Tara Deschamps Hudson’s Bay is scheduled to be back in court today where it will try to clear the final hurdle before it can sell off its art and artifacts. The retailer is expected to ask judge Peter Osborne to approve an auction process for its 4,400 pieces. The trove includes more than 1,700 pieces of art and about 2,700 artifacts, though the company has yet to reveal exactly what will be up for grabs. The sale it wants Osborne to approve would be hosted by Heffel Gallery and split between an online auction beginning Nov. 12 and an in-person one held around Nov. 19. The sale will not include the royal charter that allowed for the creation of the company in 1670. Hudson’s Bay wants to sell that...
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First Nations, province reach historic tax deals
By John Chilibeck, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Daily Gleaner First Nations in New Brunswick and the Holt Liberal government are set to announce deals on sharing sales taxes, what one chief calls a milestone in the otherwise strained relations between the sides. The deals will restore tax-sharing agreements that were renewed for more than three decades before the previous Higgs Progressive Conservative government called them unfair and scrapped them in 2023. Brunswick News confirmed the upcoming announcement with several chiefs and the premier, who hinted at the subject to a reporter in Ottawa. “Coming to this agreement is extremely important to our communities,” said Chief Patricia Bernard, the Wolastoqey leader of Madawaska First Nation in northwestern New Brunswick, in an interview with Brunswick News on Wednesday. “It’s all about...
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Cleansing with Sage as a Walk of Life with Thalia Aspeslet
By Laura Mushumanski, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Alberta Native News Let’s begin with striking a match against a box of Redbird matches and watch as a flame ignites, and then as the flame is placed gently next to a rolled-up ball of dried horse sage, watch closely as the medicines start to interact with each other and become one. Now as the smoke is slowly making its way up to Creator, cleanse your hands in this carefully and thoughtfully harvested sage that brought you teachings of connectivity, and walking in a good way. Bring the sweet smelling smoke to the top of your head while saying out loud: ‘think good thoughts,’ next to your eyes: ‘see good things,’ your mouth: ‘speak good things,’ ears: ‘hear good things,’ your heart: ‘follow...
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Federal inmate expected to plead guilty today to killing serial killer Robert Pickton
An inmate accused of killing notorious serial killer Robert Pickton in a prison attack last year is expected to plead guilty today. Martin Charest was charged with first-degree murder in July, more than a year after Pickton died following a May 2024 assault at the Port-Cartier federal penitentiary. Charest’s lawyer confirms her client will plead guilty to the charge at a court appearance in Sept-Îles, northeast of Quebec City. Pickton was convicted in 2007 of six counts of second-degree murder, but confessed to killing a total of 49 women whom he lured to his pig farm near Vancouver. An investigation summary released this summer showed Pickton was assaulted by a fellow inmate as medication was being distributed at the prison on May 19, 2024. The report says Pickton died in...
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Orange Shirt Day 2025 – Advertiser’s Special
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Premier says he can’t do anything about Labrador gynecologist under investigation
By Justin Brake, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Independent Newfoundland and Labrador’s premier says his hands are tied amid outrage from women in Labrador over an obstetrician-gynecologist’s return to practice while under active investigation following complaints from at least 20 women. On Sept. 10 The Independent reported that Dr. Adolf Hamann had returned to practice at the Labrador Health Centre in Happy Valley-Goose Bay despite ongoing investigations in the wake of complaints from current and former patients. “Certainly the government doesn’t make decisions or have authority over physicians,” the premier said in response to a question from The Independent during a Sept. 16 visit to Labrador. Instead, Hogan added, “I would encourage you to speak to the college about any, I guess I would call it, HR issues.” The premier’s...
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Confronting residential schools denialism is an ethical and shared Canadian responsibility
By Sean Carleton In May 2021, when the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc Nation announced preliminary results of their search for unmarked burials of children at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School (IRS), Canada was forced to reckon with a truth that Survivors had always carried: children were taken, and many never came home. This difficult truth was already established years earlier, in 2015, by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) of Canada’s final report, which confirmed more than 3,200 deaths of children as a result of the IRS system, including 51 at Kamloops. The Kamloops announcement shook many Canadians and revealed that more children likely died at residential schools in Canada than the TRC reported. This was something the commission anticipated would happen with new research, and additional deaths have now...
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Walking toward healing
By Charlie Teller, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Advocate POTLOTEK: If the ancient proverb is true that all great journeys begin with a single step, then Potlotek is very much on the right path – literally. Every Tuesday morning, the small First Nation community on Cape Breton Island hosts a Women’s Walk along the trails adjacent to the Potlotek Health Centre. Beyond the obvious physical benefits, the walk’s purpose is to bring people together, fostering a sense of community in a place where isolation and loneliness are more common than many might expect. “It’s just a group where we all can get together and just enjoy each other’s company,” local resident Mirabel Nicholas said. “But if there is an issue, we get to talk about it.” And there are issues....
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Kwilmu’kw Maw-klusuaqn: Seeking consensus, protecting Mi’kmaw Rights
By Drake Lowthers, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Advocate In the heart of Nova Scotia, an organization stands at the center of one of the most important conversations in Canadian history – the protection, recognition, and implementation of Mi’kmaw Rights. Its name is Kwilmu’kw Maw-klusuaqn (KMK), which translates to “we are seeking consensus.” True to its name, KMK has become a bridge between the Mi’kmaw Nation and federal and provincial governments, while working to ensure that future generations of Mi’kmaq can live in harmony with their lands, waters, and traditions. Crystal Dorey, KMK’s director of communication, advised the seeds of the organization were planted in the 1990s, when Mi’kmaw leadership grew determined to take control of their own path forward. “Despite wins in the courtroom, Mi’kmaw leadership decided that the...
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Red Dress Day: Honouring the lives and legacies of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women
By Drake Lowthers, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Advocate Red Dress Day, observed annually on May 5, serves as a poignant reminder of the ongoing crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and Two-Spirit people (MMIWG2S) across Canada. The day serves as a solemn reminder, reflecting both the shared grief and the resilience of Indigenous communities, including right here at home, in eastern Nova Scotia. The movement was initiated in 2010 with the REDress Project, created by Métis artist Jaime Black. Black’s installation of empty red dresses in public spaces aimed to symbolize the absence of Indigenous women and girls who have been lost to violence. The striking red dresses serve as a visual representation of the lives stolen by colonial and systemic violence. According to the National Inquiry...
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Jaime Battiste: A historic voice for Indigenous Peoples in Canada’s Parliament
By Drake Lowthers, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Advocate When Jaime Battiste stood in the House of Commons for the first time, history was made. In 2019, the then Liberal MP for Sydney–Victoria became the first Mi’kmaq person, and the first Indigenous person, ever elected to Canada’s Parliament. Now serving Cape Breton-Canso-Antigonish his inaugural victory was more than a political milestone – it was a moment of profound recognition for the Mi’kmaq people, who have lived on these lands for thousands of years, and for Indigenous communities across the country who continue to push for visibility, justice, and self-determination. Battiste’s journey to Ottawa was shaped long before his name appeared on a ballot. The son of celebrated Indigenous scholar Marie Battiste and the late Sákéj Henderson, a renowned Mi’kmaq legal...
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Treaty 8 FN grand chief appointed to federal advisory council
By Jeremy Appel, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Alberta Native News (ANNews) – The federal government has appointed Treaty 8 First Nations of Alberta Grand Chief Trevor Mercredi to sit on the Indigenous Advisory Committee (IAC) of the Major Projects Office. An outspoken critic of Bill C-5, which created an office to advance projects deemed to be in Canada’s national interest, Mercredi is one of 11 First Nations, Inuit and Métis leaders announced as committee appointees on Sept. 10. According to a Treaty 8 First Nations of Alberta news release published a week after his appointment, Mercredi intends to advocate for “advancing the protection of Treaty rights, the autonomy of Treaty First Nations, the highest standards of environmental stewardship, and equitable economic benefits for our Peoples.” The release emphasizes that “not...
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Brantford Police arrest Ohsweken man after people unlawfully confined in a motel room
BRANTFORD, ONT-A 39-year-old man from Ohsweken is facing charges after Brantford Police Service (BPS) officers arrested a man for unlawfully confining multiple people in a local motel. Brantford police were dispatched a motel at Colborne Street and Clara Crescent at about 8:30 a.m., Saturday, September 20, 2025, after receiving a report of a man holding multiple people against their will within a motel room. BPS arrived at the scene and took a man into custody and seized a machete found in the motel room. No physical injuries were reported. BPS found seven other people in the motel room, two were arrested on outstanding warrants: a 27-year-old man from Etobicoke and a 31-year-old female from Jackson’s Point. As a result of the incident, a 39-year-old man from Ohsweken stands charged with...
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Age-Friendly Communities Grant is there to help
By Grant McDaniel, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Advocate NOVA SCOTIA: If you are part of a non-for-profit group wanting to help older Nova Scotians stay active, healthy and engaged, the Age-Friendly Communities Grant from the province of Nova Scotia is something to think about. “Seniors are vital members of their communities and important citizens of our province. They contribute so much as volunteers, leaders, mentors, caregivers and more,” said Barbara Adams, Minister of Seniors and Long-Term Care. “By supporting projects to create age-friendly communities, this program is helping older Nova Scotians age well and live healthy, active lives.” Non-for-profit societies and cooperatives are welcome to apply, and the same can be said for registered charities (and registered associations based in Nova Scotia), local governments, universities, and non-profit post-secondary institutions...
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Students delve into the history of residential schools
By Pratik Bhattarai, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Eastern Graphic Indigenous and non-Indigenous students from Mount Stewart Consolidated school are learning about First Nation, Inuit and Métis peoples’ history through an essay contest. Grade 6, 7 and 8 students are writing about the history of Indigenous peoples, especially regarding the residential schools where Indigenous kids were sent, forcefully separating them from their families in order to assimilate them into Euro-Canadian culture. Many of them never returned to their families. Some students have a direct relationship to survivors. Emma Peters, a Grade 7 student from Scotchfort, said she understands reconciliation as a way of fixing the wrongdoing. She said her grandfather was a residential school survivor and it is important to raise awareness about what happened to the kids in those...
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