News

By: Matt Prokopchuk, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Source: TBnewswatch.com

IGNACE — Students from several Northwestern Ontario communities got to try their hand at, and learn more about, a range of skills tied to the nuclear industry.

The Township of Ignace, alongside several other organizations, held the inaugural Ignace Nuclear Youth Symposium, which brought about 100 high school students from Ignace, Dryden and Pickle Lake together for the three-day expo.

“We’re trying to make sure that they are thinking big because, although you may not know what you want to do when you’re in Grade 11, Grade 12, that’s very common,” said Adriano Augellone, an electrical engineer-in-training at Stantec. The consulting firm was one of the main sponsors and exhibitors at the symposium.

“I didn’t know what I wanted to do, and so we’re just trying to help them understand and know that they don’t have to have all the answers, but there’s nothing too big that you can do.”

“You can dream big, you can have faith, and you can build on skills that you don’t think you have.”

The symposium was designed to expose youth to a wide slate of career opportunities in the nuclear field’s orbit, said Jake Pastore, Ignace’s communications and outreach lead. The Township of Ignace and Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation are the chosen host communities for a proposed deep geological repository that, if approved, would store Canada’s high-level nuclear waste.

The three-day event was held at the Ignace Recreation Centre, primarily in a pair of multi-purpose spaces in the building. The students took part in different workshops, exposing them to hands-on experiences in areas like environmental sampling and monitoring to architecture and the trades — like carpentry. There were also presentations on topics like radiation and how the DGR’s barrier system would work.

Vince Ponka, the Indigenous and communications manager with the Nuclear Waste Management Organization, said it was also important to stress the myriad of potential careers, should the DGR be built, that don’t involve the sciences.

“I’ll be taking part in a workshop really talking about those roles and, again, really zeroing in that we’re not just looking for those science roles,” he said on Wednesday, which was the event’s second day.

“People like me that work in communications are going to be important going forward … we’re going to need accountants and environmental monitors and planners and project managers and all the rest.”

The facility could employ anywhere from 400 to 600 people, Ponka added.

Pastore said the goal is to run the youth symposium again in roughly three years with a different cohort of high school students, and possibly expanding it to also include those attending post-secondary institutions. He said they will also look into doubling the number of attendees and expand it to include invitations to other regional communities, including Thunder Bay.

“I think this is a great inaugural event; we’ve got a great attendance, great sponsors,” he said.

“Next time, I think we’re probably going to look at universities and colleges, their involvement, and how do we make it (include) police, emergency services, fire services, all of those are all ideas that have come forward and that we want to take advantage of next time.”

Augellone, with Stantec, said he wanted the students to take away a sense of believing in themselves.

“Even though something seems hard, you can persevere and you can get better at it, and it becomes easier and maybe it’s something you’re passionate about,” he said.

“So, not to set any boundaries.”

By: Clint Fleury, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Source: TBnewswatch.com

THUNDER BAY – Changes in provincial legislation have prompted the City of Thunder Bay to get 32 properties designated as heritage sites by 2027.

“We currently have properties that are on our heritage registry — as we call it, listed properties — so they are protected from demolition, but the rest of their heritage designation isn’t completed yet,” Christina Wakefield, city archivist and chief heritage resource officer, told Newswatch.

When Premier Doug Ford’s More Homes Built Faster Act was passed in 2022, the bill amended the Ontario Heritage Act. The act gives the municipality two years to get properties on its registry fully designated as heritage sites, or they must be removed. The city won’t be able to get those properties on the registry again until 2032.

“Before, we were able to give them protection, but we didn’t have to go through all of the formalities, and that actually allowed us to give protection to more properties. But, with this new change in legislation, we have to put more rules on things, unfortunately. So we’re designating these properties just so that we can keep them protected as we move forward,” Wakefield said.

The city has hired a consulting firm, Egis, to help review the properties, beginning with six well-known historical buildings across the city. Those buildings are the Court House Hotel, Prospector Steak House, McIntyre House, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Doctor’s Cottage, and Bishop’s Residence.

Egis will provide the city with detailed documentation about those sites by Dec. 31, and the administration will present a report to council for approval in the new year, according to Wakefield.

Once those properties are designated, Wakefield and her team will begin the process to designate the 26 other sites on their list.

Some of these sites include the Ukrainian Catholic Cemetery, the Prince Arthur Waterfront Hotel & Suites, Hillcrest High School, St. Patrick’s High School, and the Paterson Building.

Wakefield said members of the public can put their property on the heritage list by contacting the city’s heritage advisory committee, which will begin an extensive evaluation process.

A property must meet at least two of nine specific criteria under the Ontario Heritage Act. The criteria determine whether the property is of cultural heritage value or interest. Design value or physical value, historical value or associative value and contextual value are considered.

Once a property is designated as a heritage site, Wakefield said, the owner may have to get a heritage permit along with a building permit if they wish to construct or renovate the property.

“The heritage permit just is evaluating materials that you’re using, making sure that you’re maintaining all of the heritage features that were listed in the bylaw, and just keeping up the any additions or renovations that would maintain the same look and feel of the house architecturally and fit into what the expectations are around the maintenance of that property,” she said.

By: Matt Prokopchuk, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Source: TBnewswatch.com

DRYDEN — There is nearly half a million dollars on the table to help Dryden negotiate compensation for its proximity to a proposed radioactive waste burial site.

At its Nov. 10 meeting, council formally approved receiving up to $462,208 from the Nuclear Waste Management Organization to offset city costs as the two sides continue discussions on an impact benefit agreement for Dryden. Those talks are happening because Dryden is considered a “significant neighbouring community” to the chosen site for the deep geological repository (DGR) near Revell Lake, Mayor Jack Harrison told Newswatch.

Harrison said the city’s position, when negotiating with the NWMO, has been that the expected workforce boom — should the project be approved — will put more demand on Dryden’s infrastructure. However, since the project isn’t within municipal boundaries, there will be no direct revenue increases via Dryden’s property tax base.

“There’s always (an) impact when you bring in a population base working outside of our city, utilizing all our facilities, roads, infrastructure, and which are supported by our taxpayers,” Harrison told Newswatch. “We’ve been in discussions about trying to (figure out) how do we compensate the community for that amount of activity being outside of our borders.”

The six figures from the NWMO goes toward covering the costs of legal and administrative costs the city has incurred this year, while negotiating a broader agreement with the nuclear waste organization to deal with that issue, Harrison said. A report to council also said it is also to cover costs for consultants, preparing for the DGR’s licensing process and “impact mitigation pertaining to the project — including all expenses and mandatory employment-related costs relating to municipal employees and elected officials.”

“Dryden’s acceptance of this funding does not constitute the municipality’s community support for the … project, nor support for the selection of the Township of Ignace as a DGR host community,” the report added — a point that was echoed at the Nov. 10 council meeting.

The NWMO is the government-mandated and industry-funded not-for-profit tasked with managing Canada’s used nuclear fuel. The deep geological repository will be for high-level nuclear waste, which is the most dangerous. The chosen site near Revell Lake, backed by the Township of Ignace and Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation, still has to pass years of regulatory approvals, including the First Nation’s own parallel process, before construction could begin.

Dryden CAO Roger Nesbitt told council the municipality has long been in talks with the waste management organization over a longer-term agreement.

“It’s been three long years that we’ve been at that,” he said. “We do incur substantial annual costs through those activities, and we’ve approached the NWMO to reimburse us for those costs, and they’ve agreed to do so.”

The money hadn’t been considered when preparing the 2025 municipal budget, Nesbitt said at city hall, but was subsequently added to the municipality’s third-quarter update to its year-end financial forecast. When asked by Coun. Catherine Kiewning whether that could potentially contribute to a 2025 surplus, Nesbitt said it could.

Harrison told Newswatch the two sides continue to negotiate and he expects that larger deal to be in place relatively soon.

“We’re working towards next year having more of a long-term agreement in place,” he said. “That’s our expectation at council.”

The Thunder Bay Police Service (TBPS) and community members gathered Sunday night for the annual Tree of Hope Lighting Ceremony at TBPS headquarters. This solemn and symbolic event honours Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQ+ people.

Now in its seventh year, the Tree of Hope began in Thunder Bay in 2019, inspired by the vision and determination of recently retired Constable Sharlene Bourdeau. Recognizing the need to bring awareness to the national crisis of violence against Indigenous women and girls, Bourdeau worked with community partners to light the first Tree of Hope outside Thunder Bay Police Service headquarters.

“This gathering is deeply meaningful to our Service and to our community,” said Chief Darcy Fleury. “It’s a time to reflect, to remember, and to reaffirm our commitment to awareness and action in response to the tragedy of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQ+ people. The Tree of Hope stands as a reminder of that responsibility and as part of our journey toward Truth and Reconciliation.”

Each light on the Tree represents a life—one of the more than 1,200 to 5,000 Indigenous women and girls who are missing or have been murdered in Canada.

“When I began this project, it was a small, grassroots effort,” said retired Constable Sharlene Bourdeau. “Since then, I’ve watched it grow and be embraced by communities across Ontario. Each new partnership spreads the light further—and with it, the belief that change is possible and that justice can prevail.”

Remarks were shared by Fort William First Nation Chief Michelle Solomon; Ontario Native Women’s Association CEO Cora McGuire-Cyrette; President of the Métis Nation of Ontario Thunder Bay Regional Council Wendy Houston; and City of Thunder Bay Mayor Ken Boshcoff. The ceremony included prayers by Elder Celina Reitberger, traditional songs and drumming introduced by Elder Rita Fenton, and the lighting of the Tree of Hope by Elder Linda Barkman.

By: Sandi Krasowski, Local Journalism Initiative ReporterSource: The Chronicle-Journal

The City of Thunder Bay is looking for public feedback on four conceptual development proposals currently under consideration for City-owned properties.

The properties are being evaluated as possible surplus that can be used to support new multi-unit housing and mixed-use opportunities.

People are invited to learn more about the initiative and are welcome to attend either of two in-person public engagement open houses on Wednesday. The afternoon session will take place in the lobby at city hall from 2-4 p.m. and at the Oliver Road Recreation Centre from 6-8 p.m.

Deanna Walker, the City’s manager of Realty Services, explained that renderings, background information, and an online survey open to all residents can be found online at www.thunderbay.ca/getinvolved. Residents are encouraged to review the conceptual proposals and complete the online survey by Friday.

She said the four sites represent an opportunity to create much-needed new homes in areas that are already serviced, connected, and desirable.

“These conceptual proposals are from private developers, are not City-subsidized projects, and are designed to help address Thunder Bay’s housing shortage,” Walker said. “By engaging in this process, residents have a chance to learn about what’s being considered and share feedback that will help inform next steps.”

She added that the City had received a strong response through a recent call for proposals seeking projects that aligned with community goals for growth, sustainability, and creating complete, connected neighbourhoods.

By: Carl Clutchey, Local Journalism Initiative ReporterSource: The Chronicle-Journal

A bi-annual forum that focuses on how small and rural Northern communities can best respond to floods, wildfires and other natural disasters will convene its next conference in Thunder Bay.

Northwest Response Forum chair Sharon Bak said a number of factors led organizers to choose the region’s main city as its venue, including the potential to expand the event, which was created in 2009.

This year’s event was held in Dryden in April at that city’s modern regional training and cultural centre.

“We love Dryden, but logistically, it makes more sense to have it in Thunder Bay,” Bak said on Wednesday.

Since the forum attracts experts and speakers from across the U.S. and Canada, it will likely be easier for them to book commercial flights if their destination is the Lakehead’s international airport, Bak said.

About 200 delegates have attended previous forums.

“We want to grow this event,” Bak said.

The next forum is set for April of 2027. Bak said details about the exact location and dates are still being finalized.

“We have just started the process of getting some quotes,” she said.

The Northwest forum was established so that area municipal and Indigneous community reps didn’t have to travel to major centres like Toronto to attend similar conferences.

As well, Bak said, ideas discussed at the Northwest Response Forum are developed with Northwestern Ontario communities in mind. Many of those lack the resources that southern Ontario communities either have, or have access to, Bak said.

By Sonal Gupta, Local Journalism Initiative reporter, Canada’s National Observer

For First Nations in Ontario, a multi-billion dollar child welfare agreement could be a lifeline for their communities, allowing them to run their own child welfare programs and raise their children closer to home and culture. But months after the signing, communities are still waiting for the funding to flow. 

“The Chiefs in our region have been clear: our children cannot wait,” said Abram Benedict, Ontario regional chief for the Chiefs of Ontario in a press release. “We have a strong mandate from the Ontario Chiefs-in-Assembly to pursue this agreement and any attempts to delay its implementation will be considered unacceptable interference in our communities’ inherent jurisdiction.”

The Ontario deal stalled out because of opposition from the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society — one of the original complainants in a landmark human rights case that found Canada discriminated against First Nations children. The case kickstarted negotiations for compensation.

Now, the society has challenged the Ontario agreement at the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal and no money will be released until it rules.

Cindy Blackstock, the society’s executive director, said she is not opposed to the deal struck by the Chiefs of Ontario. Her concern is the nine-year funding window creates uncertainty about what happens after that. Additionally, federal funding is approved yearly, enabling Ottawa to reduce or cut support at its discretion. “The discrimination has to stop for multiple generations. So how do you do that in an agreement that has a fixed term and no enforcement after that?” she said. 

Blackstock also fears the federal government might leverage the Ontario deal as a national template to impose the Ontario framework across all provinces, despite other First Nations chiefs nationwide having rejected it. 

“That really feels like where they’re going,” she said. 

The deal with Ontario chiefs was reached after First Nations chiefs across Canada rejected a $47.8 billion national child welfare reform offer from the federal government in October 2024. The national rejection prompted Ottawa to decide it would no longer negotiate a national deal. However, an $8.5 billion regional agreement to reform First Nations child and family services in Ontario alone was struck with the Chiefs of Ontario and Nishnawbe Aski Nation who had supported the original agreement terms.

The historic deal, called the Ontario Final Settlement Agreement, promises to hand control of child welfare to Ontario First Nations along with nine years of funding which was set to begin in April, 2015. The money is to be used for culturally based prevention services, youth support up to age 26, housing to keep families together and regional cost adjustments. 

Benedict told Canada’s National Observer the delay continues to trap First Nations children in outdated frameworks that leave communities “unable to respond quickly or effectively.” 

Indigenous children in Canada continue to be taken from their families and placed in foster care at much higher rates than non-Indigenous children — a crisis called the “Millennial Scoop,” with more Indigenous kids in care today than during the worst period of the residential school era. 

The agreement “paves the way for Ontario” to break from that legacy by delivering child welfare reform designed around the unique cultures, traditions and needs of Indigenous families, Benedict said.

Archie Wabasse, chief of Wunnumin Lake, said the child welfare system in his community is broken. Children are often taken from their families and placed far away because local families are not always approved as foster homes. 

The promised funding, he said, would let his community create culturally grounded prevention programs, train local leaders to guide a wellness plan and choose foster carers to keep children close to home. Planned programs will offer early support through parenting and life skills workshops. “It’s almost like restoring the ability and trust to our First Nation to manage our own child welfare program,” Wabasse said. 

Blackstock said the government is pressuring for the agreement to be approved by the Tribunal “as is,” and is tying the release of funds for First Nations children to that approval. This approach she believes compromises Canada’s obligation to end discrimination against First Nations children and uses funding as leverage to gain legal immunity from the tribunal’s oversight. 

A hearing schedule is now being set by the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal, with cross-examinations expected early next year.

The government has not stated when the money promised to First Nations children will actually be delivered without further delays or conditions, Blackstock said.

Blackstock added the government is blocking the release of funds for First Nations children in Ontario by including a clause that makes funding conditional on full tribunal approval. She added that the government could begin releasing some of the money immediately if it chose to do so.

“There’s no order required for Canada to provide Ontario Chiefs with additional funding for their children — none. They could do that tomorrow,” she said.

In an email response to Canada’s National Observer, Eric Head, a spokesperson for Indigenous Services Canada, said First Nations leaders in Ontario have stated that this is the best path forward for them and the motion before the Tribunal affirms this.

“As the OFA [Ontario Final Agreement] is being considered by the Tribunal, it would not be appropriate for Canada to comment on its contents,” he added. 

Chiefs in Ontario remain firm on their decision to support their regional child welfare agreement, saying the deal reflects their sovereignty and right to self‑determination, even as Caring Society raises concerns about consultation and reform.

For Temagami First Nation, cut off from the mainland for much of the year, waiting for essential supplies and services is a constant challenge. Shelly Moore-Frappier, chief of the nation, called the Ontario agreement a long-overdue shift that will give Indigenous communities direct control over child welfare, without wading through government red tape. 

While she acknowledged the advocacy of national groups like the Caring Society, she stressed that Ontario communities must proceed on their own terms because they need the resources immediately and any delays have real impacts. 

She said the agreement would allow their community to direct “prevention dollars” straight to communities rather than channeling them through outside agencies or bureaucratic middlemen. These prevention funds are key to supporting families early and keeping children safely with their parents before crises escalate. 

“Ontario was sufficiently engaged or had the opportunity to be,” Moore-Frappier said. “This is what we want and how we want to move forward.”

Sonal Gupta / Local Journalism Initiative / Canada’s National Observer

Reporter Matt Prokopchuck, Local Journalism Initiative, TBNewswatch.com

The head of an Indigenous-led health care centre in Kenora says new data should help secure additional funding for its work.

Waasegiizhig Nanaandawe’iyewigamig, or WNHAC, is one of the local health care organizations involved in recent work by Toronto-based researcher Octavia Wong that used data from Our Health Counts to document the experiences of First Nations, Métis and Inuit people in several Ontario cities, including Kenora and Thunder Bay.

The research looked at rates of diabetes, prescription opioid use and the prevalence of people experiencing discrimination when accessing health care.

“We’re hoping to utilize some of the information that we get from studies like this to help increase the success rate of our proposal to the government to really help fund providing Indigenous health back into Indigenous hands,” WNHAC chief operating officer Melissa Calder said, adding that the province is taking funding proposals for primary health care.

“It’s difficult to study Indigenous populations, because there’s just a lot of things that … people don’t trust.”

Access to more funding would give Indigenous-led health care providers more tools to serve their populations, Calder said.

“It means that we are able to provide traditional medicines along with Western medicines, we are able to bring health back into communities, meet people where they’re at, really put the client first and be client-driven rather than provider-driven,” she said.

“We spend more time with people, build relationships and not just prescribe medication because that’s the easy way to do things,” Calder continued.

“But to really get to know people and know their families, know their histories, and really make sure that we’re, first of all, hiring in as many Indigenous providers as we can to have people feel safe with those who they’re in a room with and trusting their health care with.”

Wong’s research noted that just over 51 per cent of adult Indigenous respondents in Kenora told Our Health Counts they use traditional medicine or practices “to maintain … health and wellbeing.” The combined average among respondents in Kenora, Thunder Bay, Hamilton, London and Toronto was 46.4 per cent.

Wong said her research and the areas it’s targeting has been driven by the communities themselves and what local experts wanted to see probed more thoroughly.

“It was very much community first and those are things that I think other bodies might not be looking at as much,” she said.

“They might just be focusing more on what the government is interested in, but we want to make sure that it’s representative of the community.”

By Sandi Krasowski, Local Journalism Initiative, The Chronicle Journal

A report to Thunder Bay city council about the proposed development of Versorium Energy’s gas-fired power-generating facility at the intersection of Central Avenue and Maureen Street will be delayed until the next meeting.

Jeff Trynchy, Versorium’s manager and stakeholder, and Chris Codd, Versorium’s vice-president of asset development, appeared at the City’s growth standing committee on Sept. 23 to obtain a municipal support resolution as part of the Independent Electricity System Operator’s (IESO) procurement process. They followed up the next day with an open house at the Slovak Legion.

On Oct. 28, activist group Citizens United for a Sustainable Planet (CUSP) was led by organizer Paul Berger in a deputation to the standing growth committee recommending councillors reject the proposal. Another individual opposed the development as well.

“We had lots of discussion at the growth standing committee on Oct. 28 and I was being really optimistic about the turnaround time to get the updated report to council for Nov. 4, and that I would be able to get all of that done,” said Devon McClouskey, the City’s manager of planning service.

“It was impossible, just because of the amount of dialogue, information and questions that the growth standing committee had.”

She said that they have now decided to provide more information about the Independent Electricity System Operator process.

“The applicant (Versorium) also wants to provide some further information about that process and the role of natural gas in Ontario’s electricity system,” she said, adding that they are still able to meet Versorium’s timeline for submission to the province with the adjusted date.

“We felt that that was the best way to move forward.”

Meanwhile, Berger disputes that Versorium would be displacing greenhouse gas emissions from somewhere else, and developing the plant in Thunder Bay wouldn’t make any difference for the climate.

“At the city council meeting, I called out a lie. I said the only reasonable response to their chart of greenhouse gas emissions was to laugh, and I think that was a bit of a shock for some city councillors,” Berger said.

“I think that needs to be looked into seriously. They need to know that this is a gas plant. It’s only a gas plant. It adds to greenhouse gas emissions. The idea that it displaces some other source somewhere else is really fantasy.”

He added that it seemed like city councillors that evening were a bit surprised about the greenhouse gas, the climate implications, and that it goes against the net zero strategy.

“When they asked administration about the net zero strategy, the response was, ‘Well, the net zero strategy says we’re going to need more power in the future, and in that way, this fits with the plan.’ But that’s patently absurd to anybody who thinks that,” he said. “We’ll need more power because we’re going to electrify cars and home heating systems and so on, and to then create that power by burning fossil fuels doesn’t make any sense. So I really hope that (council) is going to listen to citizens and experts in terms of those matters, and they’ll make a decision ultimately,to follow their own plans and their growth strategy that says we need to pay attention to the environment.”

Codd said it was a bit of an awkward process at that council meeting, where he says they couldn’t actually speak because they had previously been deputized at the Sept. 23 meeting.

“It was a bit awkward, where people were opposing the project, saying things that weren’t accurate about our project, and we couldn’t really respond,” Codd said.

He added that the information they provided to council is accurate and they’re happy to speak to it.