Fibre building blocks a first for this First Nation
A processing plant is up and running in the community of Elk Point, a town about 200 kilometres northeast of Edmonton. Asinikahtamwak is an Indigenous-owned hemp block company that makes environmentally sustainable building blocks made of cement, water and fibre-based materials like hemp. The bricks have mold and fire resistant properties and weigh about half of a traditional cinder block.
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Winnipeg Free Press
6 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
In the news today: Carney to meet Trump this morning at G7 in Alberta
Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed… Carney to meet Trump this morning at G7 in Alberta Prime Minister Mark Carney will meet this morning with U.S. President Donald Trump at the G7 summit in Alberta. It's Trump's first visit to Canada since he started repeatedly saying the country should become an American state, leading Canadians to boo the American anthem at hockey games. Trump stormed out of the last G7 summit that Canada hosted, in 2018, and many will be watching this morning's meeting, scheduled for 9 a.m. local time in Kananaskis, Alta. The meeting comes weeks into regular calls and text messages between Carney and Trump as they try to resolve an economic spat caused by Trump's various tariffs. Carney is also leading discussions today on safety issues and artificial intelligence, while meeting with leaders from places including Japan, France and Italy. Here's what else we're watching… Protesters gather as G7 gets underway in Alberta As world leaders gather at the G7 summit in Kananaskis, Alta., Lesley Boyer has a message. The Calgary grandmother is angry that U.S. President Donald Trump keeps talking about Canada becoming his country's 51st state. Sitting in a wheelchair at Calgary City Hall on Sunday, Boyer held up a sign with an expletive aimed at Trump. Boyer was among several hundred people — including labour, youth, Indigenous, political and environmental activists — protesting before most of the G7 leaders had touched down in the city. Trump arrived late Sunday at the Calgary airport before taking a helicopter to the summit site at Kananaskis in the Rocky Mountains. He was to meet with Prime Minister Mark Carney on Monday morning before the official summit was to begin. Roots CEO sees opportunity in buy Canadian era Rifling through the Roots Corp. product archives on a recent Thursday morning, CEO Meghan Roach is surrounded by the kind of heritage 'most consumer brands would die to have.' In every direction she turns are racks of leather jackets spanning the company's 52 years. Some are replicas of custom pieces gifted to Toronto Raptors players for their 2019 championship win, the cast of Saturday Night Live for its fiftieth anniversary or the Jamaican bobsled team that inspired the 'Cool Runnings' film. Others are even more rare: a forest green jacket stitched with a floral and friendship bracelet motif for pop star Taylor Swift, and one adorned with snazzy sunglasses and piano key pockets that marked Elton John's retirement from touring, the lining of which features 56 years of albums. What they have in common is an origin story that began with the building Roach is standing in — the Roots leather factory in north Toronto. The Canadian operation is a rarity these days, after clothing manufacturing largely migrated overseas in the sixties, when brands wanted to reduce costs and offload repetitive and sometimes time-consuming tasks. N.L. pitches in to end fish-sauce plant stench A coastal Newfoundland town besieged for decades by the fetid stench wafting from an abandoned fish-sauce factory has finally received good news. Steve Ryan, the mayor of St. Mary's, N.L., said he nearly broke down in tears when officials with the Newfoundland and Labrador government told him the province would foot the bill to clean up the festering site. The promise brings residents close to the end of a decades-long ordeal that has kept them indoors on beautiful days, lest the smell get in their hair and clothes. The decaying Atlantic Seafood Sauce Company Ltd. building sits on the shoreline of the town of about 300 people, just steps away from the ocean. It first opened in 1990, bringing about two dozen much-needed jobs to the area, Ryan said. But the owner abandoned it about a decade later, after extended legal battles about food safety complaints. More than 100 oozing vats of fermenting fish remain in the crumbling building. Liquids from the 11,500-litre tanks once ran into the harbour through a broken drain pipe, but the federal fisheries department demanded the run-off system be sealed with concrete, Ryan said. Now the fluids pool in the plant, creating a putrid stew roughly 30 centimetres deep, Ryan said. Drones an everyday challenge in Quebec jails On any given day, drones buzz in the skies above Quebec's detention centres looking to drop tobacco, drugs or cellphones to the inmates below. Statistics from Quebec's public security minister show staff reported 274 drones flying over provincial centres between January and March — or just over three per day. That doesn't include the 10 federally-managed prisons in the province. Corrections spokespeople and a drone expert say the problem is growing, dangerous and hard to stop, despite millions of dollars invested by provincial and federal governments. Stéphane Blackburn, the managing director for Quebec's correctional services, described the threat of airborne contraband as 'something we face every day.' The provincial figures show 195 of the 247 drones were seen dropping packages. Most of them — 69 per cent — were reported as seized. The province also seized 896 cellphones. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 16, 2025.
Calgary Herald
16 hours ago
- Calgary Herald
Kennedy-Glans: First Nations are mired in 'soft communism.' This leader has the fix
Article content Stephen Buffalo is a very constructive guy. He's a man who seeks solutions, and he's open to Prime Minister Mark Carney's ambitious nation-building campaign. He also wants Carney and all Canadians to understand, though: Indigenous consent to these projects has a price tag. Article content 'Give us a chance to make our own wealth,' says Stephen, long-time advocate for First Nations' economic development and member of the Samson Cree Nation from Maskwacis, Alta. Article content Article content Article content 'To be part of the mainstream and part of the economy and at the end of the day, everyone benefits: the proponent benefits, the government benefits, and we benefit, you know, First Nations that are participating.' Article content Article content The 'new' Liberal government has pledged — in the recently tabled 'One Canadian Economy Act' — to speed up approvals for major energy and infrastructure projects that strengthen Canada's autonomy, resilience and security, have undeniable national benefits, are likely to be successfully executed, drive Canada's clean grown potential and reflect priorities of Indigenous leaders. Article content Carney assured that fast-tracking major projects won't shortcut meaningful consultation with Indigenous peoples whose Charter or treaty rights may be affected. A Major Projects Office, created to assist project proponents through the assessment and consultation process, will lean on an Indigenous advisory council for advice. Article content Article content And in an effort to reinforce Indigenous voice in governance, Carney's cabinet includes three Indigenous ministers: Rebecca Chartrand, as minister of northern and Arctic affairs; Mandy Gull-Masty, as minister of Indigenous services; and Buckley Belanger, as secretary of state for rural development. Article content Article content I ask Stephen: Do Carney's announcements signal real change in the federal government's paternalistic relationship with Indigenous communities? After watching the undermining of Jody Wilson-Raybould's leadership by the previous Liberal administration, I'm wary. Article content This isn't the first time I've sat down with Stephen for a no-holds-barred conversation about how Indigenous leaders perceive what's going on in the world. As CEO of the Indian Resource Council, Stephen speaks on behalf of 130 First Nations across Canada that have oil and gas production on their land, or the potential for production. He also speaks forcefully — as a 53-year-old father who wants to see his kids have the opportunity to thrive in mainstream society.
Cision Canada
18 hours ago
- Cision Canada
Taiwan Tourism Administration Deepens North American Outreach with First U.S. Tourism Information Center Opening in Seattle
VANCOUVER, BC, June 15, 2025 /CNW/ -- To strengthen its presence in the global tourism market and tap into the robust outbound travel demand from North America, the Taiwan Tourism Administration (TTA) launched its first Taiwan Tourism Information Center (TTIC) in Vancouver, Canada, on October 2, 2024. Building on this momentum, TTA further expanded its North American network by establishing the United States' first TTIC in Seattle on June 13, 2025, adding a key promotional hub in the Americas. Seizing this opportunity, TTA, in collaboration with multiple airlines and travel agencies, hosted a series of B2B tourism workshops and the opening ceremony of the Seattle TTIC from June 9 to 13, spanning Toronto, Vancouver, and Seattle. Led by Mr. Ben Huang, Director of TTA's International Affairs Division, the delegation showcased Taiwan's latest tourism themes and diverse travel offerings. Through immersive cultural experiences—including vibrant Indigenous dance performances and authentic Taiwanese cuisine—TTA aimed to enhance Taiwan's brand presence in the North American market and bring the spirit of Taiwan directly to local audiences. Outbound travel from the United States and Canada exceeded 127 million trips in 2024, underscoring the region's enormous market potential. According to TTA, visitor arrivals to Taiwan from the U.S. and Canada surpassed 760,000 in 2024, not only recovering to pre-pandemic (2019) levels but also marking a 22.7% increase over 2023. In 2025, nearly 190 direct flights per week connect Taiwan with major cities across North America, reflecting continued market momentum. Among these routes, Seattle has experienced the most significant growth. In addition to EVA Air's steady operations, China Airlines resumed service in 2024, while STARLUX Airlines and Delta Air Lines also launched new routes. Within just one year, weekly flights between Seattle and Taiwan have quadrupled, solidifying Seattle's position as a key gateway to the U.S. Pacific Northwest. This dense flight network is expected to further boost visitor traffic from the Seattle region to Taiwan. Throughout the event series, TTA invited leading North American tour operators, travel media, and key influencers to participate in networking sessions aimed at strengthening product development and expanding distribution partnerships. The events featured a dynamic performance by 'Etolan Style, an acclaimed indigenous Amis tribe operated entity, which also acts as a tribe-owned enterprise from Taitung, alongside iconic symbols of Taiwanese lifestyle and hospitality—such as globally popular bubble tea and Taiwan Beer. To encourage North American partners to promote travel to Taiwan, exciting giveaways included roundtrip flight tickets to Taiwan sponsored by airlines, as well as tour package vouchers provided by travel agencies. TTA emphasized that the United States and Canada combined have become Taiwan's third-largest source of inbound tourists, highlighting the region's strong growth potential. The promotional campaign, paired with the grand opening of the Seattle TTIC, is designed to provide up-to-date travel information and real-time consultation services, while also acting as a key liaison platform for industry collaboration and brand promotion. Through this initiative and the establishment of the Seattle TTIC, TTA aims to strengthen Taiwan's tourism brand presence in North America via integrated digital and on-the-ground marketing, attracting more travelers to explore Taiwan's rich natural landscapes, cultural heritage, and culinary diversity, and ultimately driving the sustainable development of Taiwan's tourism industry. Taiwan Tourism Event Information: Taiwan Tourism Workshop in Toronto Date: Monday, June 9, 2025 Time: 10:00 a.m. - 01:30 p.m. Venue: Four Seasons Toronto (60 Yorkville Ave, Toronto, ON) Taiwan Tourism Workshop in Vancouver Date: Wednesday, June 11, 2025 Time: 10:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. Venue: Paradox Vancouver (1161 W Georgia St, Vancouver, BC) Taiwan Tourism Information Center Grand Opening & Trade Show in Seattle Date: Friday, June 13, 2025 Time: 11:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. Venue: Four Seasons Seattle (99 Union St, Seattle, WA) For related photos and files, please click here. For more information, please contact: Taiwan Tourism Administration, San Francisco Office Director Sylvia S.H. Lee Phone: +1 (415) 989-8677 Email: [email protected] Tourism Division, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York Director Jin Juang Phone: 1-212-867-1632 Email: [email protected] ABOUT TAIWAN TOURISM ADMINISTRATION The Taiwan Tourism Administration is the official government agency of Taiwan (R.O.C.) responsible for domestic and international tourism policy development and execution. The western Canada market is managed by the San Francisco Office of TTA, while the eastern Canada market is managed by the New York branch of TTA. The new marketing slogan introduced in 2024 is "Waves of Wonder." Media Contact: Taiwan Tourism Information Center in Vancouver [email protected] +1 (672) 202-8988 SOURCE Taiwan Tourism Administration
