Local Journalism Initiative

Source: Local Journalism Initiative


Rushed passage of Bill C-70: an urgent wake-up call

“In the context of ever-increasing police budgets and weak oversight agencies, the public should be very alarmed about the further erosion of our civil liberties and human rights through the passage of C-70,” warns Meghan McDermott, policy director of the BC Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA). “The rapid enactment of these new laws without any kind […]

Read More


Foreign visitors want to experience Indigenous tourism, but federal supports lacking: internal documents

In 2018, Joe Bailey was running a successful tourism business showing guests the colourful Aurora Borealis. Then, the COVID-19 pandemic locked down the Northwest Territories. The territory was shut off from the rest of the world for two years, which meant no revenue for Bailey’s business, NorthStar Adventures, except government funding. His business received some […]

Read More


Complexity of policing strains balance between costs, service delivery — Kingston Police 2023 annual report

“Policing has become a complex process,” and with resources stretched to meet the community’s needs, “it is a very difficult balance to control costs and provide the services the community expects,” according to Kingston’s Chief of Police. On Thursday, Jun. 20, 2024, Chief Scott Fraser released his first annual report to the Kingston Police Services […]

Read More


Political platform buys unendorsed ‘town hall’ Tiny meeting, speaks for Brunelle

Two events under the “town hall” label were held in Tiny Township in March and June, with an invitation specific to “Councillor Dave Brunelle’s supporters” wanting to be engaged and have input regarding local municipal government issues.  In both meetings the topic was for an “introduction to iMatr”, a Burlington-based internet technology company dedicated to […]

Read More


Inside a former TC Energy exec’s claim he got pro-pipeline messaging ‘stuck on government letterhead’

The call starts as a run-of-the-mill internal corporate presentation.  With a cheerful preamble, Liam Iliffe, a  B.C.-based political staffer turned industry executive, introduces  himself to his colleagues at TC Energy,  a major North American energy company that builds and operates crude  oil and natural gas pipelines and other energy infrastructure. He  summarizes his background working […]

Read More


Port Moody declared Bear Smart Community after 2-decade endeavor

After a more than 20-year effort, Port Moody has been officially declared a Bear Smart Community, one of only 11 cities to have been given the hard-won provincial designation. Mayor Meghan Lahti, Couns. Haven Lurbiecki and Kyla Knowles, MLA Rick Glumac, city staff, wildlife advocates, and B.C. conservation officers gathered in Port Moody’s Pioneer Park […]

Read More


Demo shows use of drones by RCMP in rural, Indigenous communities

A five-year-old has taken off from a residence into a wooded area in Îyârhe (Stoney) Nakoda First Nation. This was the mock scenario Cochrane RCMP painted for a drone demonstration on Friday (June 14) during trials it was conducting in the First Nation earlier this month.  From a meeting room at the Cochrane detachment, a […]

Read More


Helpful motorist refused person’s demands

Suspected scammers appear to be becoming more brazen following a roadside incident this week on Thunder Bay’s outskirts that was looked into by city police.According to a social-media post, a man standing beside a car on Wardrope Avenue demanded a motorist’s personal information after the motorist — believing the man was in distress — stopped […]

Read More


Valemount Council: Flag protocol, Kamloops letter, reservoir levels

Valemount Council had a brief meeting last Tuesday to discuss the Village’s flag-raising protocol, a letter from Kamloops City Council, and rising Kinbasket reservoir levels. Mayor Owen Torgerson called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Council adopted the evening’s agenda, then approved minutes for their May 28th regular meeting and May 14th special meeting. […]

Read More


Napanee Council openly discusses January cyberattack for first time

Six months after it occurred, the Town of Napanee finally revealed some details of what it calls a “targeted cyber attack.” At its regular meeting on Tuesday, Jun. 11, 2024, the Council of the Town of Greater Napanee held a closed session meeting to discuss “Confidential SR-520-2024—Cybersecurity Incident Review.” Council also received the Community and […]

Read More


Controversial ‘energy war room’ shut down: money and mandate to go elsewhere

The Alberta government has dissolved the Canadian Energy Centre, also known as the “energy war room,” and has reintegrated its mandate into the Intergovernmental Relations department. The NDP is now calling for an investigation into this reorganization.  The CEC was created in 2019 by the UCP government to address misinformation about Alberta’s energy industry. It […]

Read More


Migrant workers and modern slavery in Niagara

Early last fall a United Nations Special Rapporteur concluded that Canada’s Temporary Foreign Workers Programme (TFWP) was a “breeding ground for contemporary forms of slavery” as a result of the policies that regulate their immigration status, employment, and housing in Canada.   He was particularly concerned that those who suffered under these policies were disproportionately racialized, […]

Read More