First Nations are mired in 'soft communism.' This leader has the fix
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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.
'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.
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Calgary Herald
14 minutes 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.
Toronto Star
28 minutes ago
- Toronto Star
Israel-Iran conflict looms large as leaders arrive for G7 summit in Alberta
OTTAWA - An escalating conflict between Israel and Iran seems set to dominate this week's G7 leaders' summit in Alberta as members of Canada's Jewish and Iranian communities fear for those caught in the violence. Prime Minister Mark Carney was scheduled to arrive Sunday in Kananaskis, Alta., to host U.S. President Donald Trump and other leaders in his first major summit. Earlier in the day, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the growing conflict in the Middle East will be a 'centrepiece' of the meeting, which will formally kick off on Monday. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW British Prime Minister Keir Starmer met with Prime Minister Mark Carney in Ottawa before leaving for the G7 leaders' summit in Alberta. The visit comes as Canada seeks to reopen trade talks with the U.K. which were paused early in 2024, leaving in place a temporary deal signed after Brexit. (June 15, 2025 / The Canadian Press) 'This provides the opportunity to talk to our co-leaders about the fast-moving situation and to make our strong case together that there must be de-escalation of this conflict in the interests of the region and the world,' he told reporters in Ottawa ahead of a meeting with Carney on Parliament Hill. Carney on Friday called for Israel and Iran to exercise 'maximum restraint' and move toward a diplomatic solution. The two Middle Eastern countries exchanged missile attacks for a third consecutive day on Sunday, with Israel warning that worse is to come. Israel launched the attacks on Iran Friday amid simmering tensions over Tehran's rapidly advancing nuclear program. Hamed Esmaeilion, a Canadian Iranian human rights activist, said it's been 'a very suspenseful 48 hours' for his family and friends living in Iran, including his parents and brother. He said his family members don't live in Tehran, but friends living in the capital city are under severe stress. 'They are desperate and they don't know where to go and they just stay at home and hear the explosions,' he said in an interview. Esmaeilion said Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has 'no respect for human life,' adding he worries about the civilian cost of the conflict. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW 'I know that everybody is hoping that this regime would be gone yesterday, but I think this process should be democratic,' he said. 'And the war doesn't help if it continues and if it endangers the lives of civilians.' Esmaeilion, who lost his wife and daughter in the destruction of Flight PS752 by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in 2020, said Israel's strikes have damaged the prospect of holding Iran's regime accountable for shooting down the passenger plane. Israel has so far killed several senior commanders of the IRGC. 'What I hear from other families of the victims … is that they're not unhappy (about) their demise, but they would have preferred to deal with these criminals in the court of justice rather than on the battlefield,' Esmaeilion said. Iran's health ministry estimated Sunday that 224 people had been killed since Israel's attacks began. Spokesman Hossein Kermanpour said on social media that 1,277 other people were hospitalized. Israel, for its part, said Iran's retaliatory strikes have so far killed 14 people and injured 390 others. Rabbi Dan Moskovitz, a senior rabbi of Temple Sholom in Vancouver, said on Sunday that it's heartbreaking and devastating to see the death toll continue to rise in Israel. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Moskovitz said Iran is targeting densely populated metropolitan areas, including in Tel Aviv and Haifa. 'It would be like shooting a ballistic missile into downtown Toronto and Vancouver, whereas Israel is strategically targeting Iran's nuclear infrastructure and its weapons production and the leadership of their military,' he said. Carney is slated to meet with Trump on Monday morning at the summit in Alberta. Moskovitz said it's critical for both leaders to talk about the conflict in the Middle East. 'I think it's incumbent upon the leaders of the West to stand up for their values and to defend their people against the existential threat that a nuclear Iran poses,' he said. The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs is also calling on world leaders at the G7 summit to 'reaffirm Israel's right to defend itself — and to act decisively against the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran.' The death toll grew Sunday as Israel targeted Iran's Defense Ministry headquarters in Tehran and sites it alleged were associated with Iran's nuclear program, while Iranian missiles evaded Israeli air defences and slammed into buildings deep inside Israel. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW In Israel, at least 10 people were killed in Iranian strikes overnight and into Sunday, according to the Magen David Adom rescue service. The country's main international airport and airspace remained closed for a third day. In a social media post on Sunday, Trump issued a stark warning to Iran against retaliating on U.S. targets in the Middle East while also predicting Israel and Iran would 'soon' make a deal to end their escalating conflict. Meanwhile, Trump has rejected a plan presented by Israel to the U.S. to kill Khamenei, a U.S. official familiar with the matter told the Associated Press. The official was not authorized to comment on the sensitive matter and spoke on the condition of anonymity. — By Maura Forrest in Montreal, with files from the Associated Press and Nono Shen in Vancouver. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 15, 2025. Politics Headlines Newsletter Get the latest news and unmatched insights in your inbox every evening Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. Please enter a valid email address. Sign Up Yes, I'd also like to receive customized content suggestions and promotional messages from the Star. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Politics Headlines Newsletter You're signed up! You'll start getting Politics Headlines in your inbox soon. Want more of the latest from us? 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National Post
an hour ago
- National Post
Carney, Starmer to agree to renew Canada-U.K. trade talks, 'deepen' relationship
The U.K. will seek to restart trade negotiations with Canada, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said, as he strives to strengthen commercial ties around the world to better insulate Britain's economy from the fallout of U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff war. Article content 'The world is changing on trade and the economy,' Starmer told reporters on Saturday on his way to meet Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. 'That means we need to do more securing our base at home and turbo-charging what we are doing on the cost of living and at the same time reducing trade barriers with other countries.' Article content Article content Article content Starmer and Carney agreed to establish a new working group to 'deepen our existing trading relationship,' with a deadline to report back in six months, according to a joint statement by the leaders Sunday. The group will be asked to deal with market access questions, and explore ways to cooperate on critical minerals and artificial intelligence. Article content While the two nations reached a trade continuity deal in the wake of the U.K.'s departure from the European Union, talks for a bespoke deal to cover bilateral trade worth an annual £27.5 billion (CAD$37 billion) stalled last year after a dispute over beef, when neither Starmer nor Carney was yet in office. Article content Both nations are also members of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, known as CPTPP. Carney agreed his government will aim to introduce legislation this year to ratify the U.K.'s accession into that trade deal — a move that would lower tariffs between the countries. Article content Starmer will use the G-7 summit to argue that in a shifting global economy, the U.K. must retain its proud status as a free and open trading nation by strengthening existing alliances while reducing barriers to trade with other countries, his office said. Article content Article content A trade deal with Canada was not listed as a priority for the U.K. government last year, when Trade Minister Douglas Alexander named agreements with the Gulf Cooperation Council, India, Israel, the Republic of Korea, Switzerland, and Turkey as the areas his department was focusing on. But Trump's return to the White House and his ratcheting up of tariffs against countries around the world has forced UK negotiators to recalibrate — seeking exemptions from the U.S. levies while also casting a wider net in their search for new deals. Article content Article content Canada was the 13th biggest destination for U.K. exports in 2024, taking in £16.9 billion ($31.3 billion) of British goods and services, according to U.K. statistics. It was the 17th biggest source of imports into Britain, with goods and services worth £10.6 billion ($19.6 billion) crossing the Atlantic.
