Chiefs of Ontario, NAN demand withdrawal of Bill C-39
The Chiefs of Ontario, Nishnawbe Aski Nation and several regional Indigenous leaders want Ottawa to withdraw its major projects bill, saying faster approvals could leave communities without enough time to examine what development would mean for their lands and waters.
COO and NAN are being joined by the Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador and the British Columbia Assembly of First Nations in rejecting Bill C-39, the Building Canada Strong Act, as outlined in an Oct. 8 joint statement.
“This government is writing legislation about our lands and our future without us at the table,” NAN Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler said.
Introduced Sept. 21, the bill would set a one-year deadline for certain federal project decisions once proponents provide the required information and studies. It would also let Ottawa designate regions of national interest, giving certain projects in those areas access to a streamlined approval framework.
The federal government says the legislation would reduce duplication, speed up reviews and give investors more certainty. Ottawa also says it would continue to meet its duty to consult, treaty obligations and commitments under the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (UNDRIP).
The First Nations organizations say communities need time to study potential impacts, hear from their citizens and obtain technical and legal advice. They argue federal deadlines must allow that work to happen.
Their concerns also extend to environmental safeguards and designating entire regions for development. They say a regional designation cannot be treated as consent from every First Nation whose territory could be affected.
The bill would shift responsibility for some assessments to federal energy and nuclear regulators. It also proposes changes to laws governing fisheries, species at risk and navigable waters, alongside transportation and labour provisions.
MPs voted 296 to 26 on Oct. 8 to send the bill to a legislative committee after second reading. It has not become law. The Senate also authorized a study of the bill’s subject matter before receiving it from the Commons.
The organizations criticized the pace of parliamentary review. They said they support jobs and sustainable development but warned that proceeding without meaningful First Nations involvement could lead to conflict and litigation rather than the certainty Ottawa is seeking.
Copyright 2026, Kenora Miner & News. All rights reserved.
Pam Fedack, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Kenora Miner & News.
Death toll in B.C. Truth and Reconciliation Day crash rises to three
Police in Delta, B.C., say a third woman has died as a result of a truck crashing into pedestrians outside a mall on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
The death of 64-year-old Gwenyth Brigit Dwyn of South Delta, B.C., comes after two Tsawwassen First Nation elders were killed at the scene of the crash outside the Tsawwassen Mills mall on Sept. 30.
Delta police say a fourth person who was injured has been released from hospital.
Police say the possibility the driver of the pickup experienced a medical event remains under investigation, and officers have no evidence the collision was targeted or ideologically motivated.
The crash happened around when the Tsawwassen First Nation was hosting a community walk in recognition of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, and people had been invited to meet at the mall's entrance for the unveiling of four traditional carvings.
Delta police say if the evidence establishes criminality, potential charges will be forwarded to prosecutors for assessment.
"We understand that the community has questions and wants answers about what occurred," Delta police Staff Sgt. Mike Whiteley says in a statement.
"Our responsibility is to ensure those answers are based on a complete and objective examination of the evidence. Investigators are working through a significant amount of information, and it is important that we not reach conclusions before that work is complete.”
Statements shared by the nation on social media say that wilapiya, also known as Barb Joe, and Virginia Splockton died at the scene.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 14, 2026.
Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
July and August drug deaths in B.C. fall to lowest levels since 2019
Toxic drug deaths in British Columbia in July and August have fallen to their lowest levels in those months since before the pandemic.
Data from the BC Coroners Service shows that 113 people died in July, and 126 people in August, with those figures down 50 per cent and 40 per cent from their respective peaks.
Deaths from January to August reached 1,015, down 41 per cent from the same period in 2023 when deaths peaked across the province, and down 18 per cent from last year.
The data shows there were 3.6 unregulated drug deaths per day in July and 4.1 in August, hitting their lowest levels since 2019.
It shows the Fraser and Vancouver Coastal health authorities each suffered 68 deaths in July and August combined, the highest number in B.C.
Toxic drug deaths in B.C. have been in steep decline since peaking at 2,591 in 2023, mirroring a phenomenon being experienced across much of North America.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 14, 2026.
Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.