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Toronto Sun
5 days ago
- Politics
- Toronto Sun
New Arctic ambassador will play 'key role' in defending sovereignty: Anand
Published Jul 24, 2025 • 4 minute read Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand, front left to right, Northern and Arctic Affairs Minister and minister responsible for the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency Rebecca Chartrand, Finance Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne and Minister of Indigenous Services Mandy Gull-Masty arrive for a meeting of the Inuit-Crown Partnership Committee, in Inuvik, N.W.T., on Thursday, July 24, 2025. Photo by Darryl Dyck / THE CANADIAN PRESS OTTAWA — Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand says Canada's new Arctic ambassador will play a key role in preserving sovereignty in the region as the military closely watches the movements of a Chinese icebreaker. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Iqaluit resident Virginia Mearns will be Canada's senior Arctic official on the world stage, following a career with local Inuit governments. 'Canada's Arctic ambassador is going to advance Canada's polar interests in multilateral forums,' Anand told The Canadian Press in an interview from Inuvik, N.W.T. She said Mearns will 'engage with counterparts in both Arctic and non-Arctic states' and 'serve as a representative in our diplomatic core.' Anand said Canada will follow through on its $35-million Arctic foreign policy and its commitment to open new consulates in both Alaska and Greenland, despite the government's announcement of cuts to the foreign service to fund a boost in military spending. She said she plans to visit Greenland to open the consulate 'in due course.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Anand said both consulates will be 'very useful' as they are integrated into the Arctic policy. 'This is a full-court press in terms of ensuring that we are doing whatever it takes to defend Canadian sovereignty,' she said of the Arctic policy. Read More Mearns' appointment coincided with a major meeting Thursday between Prime Minister Mark Carney and Inuit leaders to discuss his government's controversial major-projects legislation. Anand said she attended the meeting in the Northwest Territories because the Inuit-Crown Partnership Committee touches on many themes that apply to both Canada's foreign and domestic agendas. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. But her visit also comes as the Canadian military closely observes Chinese icebreaker Xue Long 2 as it gathers information north of Alaska. Anand said that in her former role as defence minister, she was 'very concerned about the potential for threats in Arctic waters' and had the Canadian Armed Forces intensify its efforts 'to detect, deter and defend against instances such as Chinese vessels near Canada's Arctic waters.' She said the military 'is actively monitoring the dual-purpose Chinese research vessel,' which she said was not 'in Canadian territorial waters' as of Thursday afternoon. 'The Canadian Armed Forces will continue to actively monitor the vessel, and ensure that Canadian sovereignty is protected at every turn,' she added. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 2nd Lt. Cammeron Radford, public affairs officer for the Canadian Forces Joint Operations Command, told The Canadian Press in an email the vessel can be live-tracked on numerous websites. 'The Canadian Joint Operations Command is actively monitoring the vessel Xue Long 2 with a CP-140 Aurora aircraft, based out of Alaska,' he wrote Thursday afternoon. 'Competitors are exploring Arctic waters and the sea floor, probing our infrastructure, and collecting intelligence using dual-purpose research vessels and surveillance platforms. The CAF will continue to actively monitor the Xue Long 2 so long as it continues to operate near Canadian territorial waters.' RECOMMENDED VIDEO Canada's Arctic foreign policy document, released last December, noted that Beijing sends research vessels into the Arctic, though it described some of China's forays as 'dual-use,' with both research and military applications. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Mearns declined to give an interview when The Canadian Press called her Thursday but she said she would be open to speaking at a later date. Her appointment comes after U.S. President Donald Trump repeatedly called for Canada to become a U.S. state and floated the idea of annexing Greenland. Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, which represents the interests of Inuit in Canada, has voiced concerns about another wave of militarization of their territories like the one during the Cold War. Those decades of militarization in the Arctic led to forced relocations of Inuit communities, the loss of property and disruptions to traditional ways of life. ITK has said that Inuit want to help defend Canada against foreign threats but in a way that respects local realities. The group has been in touch with Inuit counterparts in Greenland and Alaska about recent events. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Natan Obed, president of ITK, said he's 'very pleased' with the government's decision to name Mearns as Canada's new Arctic ambassador. Obed said Mearns' name was among those floated to take on the role, though a 'full-scale co-developed process' with the government was interrupted by the federal election. Obed said Mearns will be an 'incredible contributor in diplomacy at this point in time for Canada.' 'And she's an Inuk from Nunavut so also will bring that Inuit perspective to any room that she's in, whether here in Canada or abroad,' Obed said. Anand said Ottawa is very aware of its legacy in the region and wants to build better partnerships. 'The work that the government of Canada is doing now is absolutely essential to ensuring that Canadian sovereignty, and the defence of our Arctic, is fulfilled at the highest level. And that work specifically includes the partnership with Indigenous peoples,' she said. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'The relationship with Indigenous peoples is not only important but also absolutely necessary. And I have learned that they are dedicated, kind and willing partners with whom we will continue to collaborate.' The government's Arctic policy calls for tighter security co-ordination to counteract the closer ties between Beijing and Moscow, and for collaboration on scientific research in the region. The policy document says the North American Arctic is 'no longer free from tension' because of the rise in geopolitical instability following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which has 'shaken the foundations of international co-operation in the Arctic.' Ottawa appointed Mary Simon, now governor general, as its first ambassador for circumpolar affairs in 1994. She held the post for a decade. Jack Anawak then held the role until 2006, at which point the Harper government discontinued the post. — With files from Alessia Passafiume and Aaron Sousa in Inuvik. Sports Toronto & GTA Canada Toronto & GTA World
CBC
21-07-2025
- General
- CBC
Pop-up booths are making it easier to apply for Indian status cards in southwestern Ontario
A First Nations organization is hosting pop-up booths at events around southwestern Ontario to make it easier and more accessible for Indigenous peoples to apply for new and updated status cards. The Southern First Nations Secretariat (SFNS), which is based in Bothwell, Ont., helps people fill out their status card application, take their identification photo and send it for processing – sometimes at school campuses, public parks and pow wows. "A lot of people think that it's a very complicated process, but it's not. It takes less than 10 minutes to fill out the application," said trusted source coordinator Ravynne Noah-Rich. SFNS primarily helps people apply for Secured Certificate of Indian Status (SCIS), sometimes called a "white card," which is an official piece of documentation that proves a person is registered under the Indian Act. It's issued by Indigenous Services Canada. The organization has also recently been approved to help people register under the Indian Act through their booths, though they do not have the authority to determine who is qualified. Noah-Rich is the only trusted source coordinator in southwestern Ontario, meaning that she and SFNS have been designated reliable and able to assess people's identity information by Indigenous Services Canada. "I think it's easier to see somebody who actually lives around here, is more local, knows the program and is not a government person," she said. "It's more personable and we get to talk face to face." Owning a SCIS card is not only proof of status, Noah-Rich said, but can also be used to cross the border or receive certain benefits and tax exemptions. Western University grad student Rebecca Crane took advantage of the opportunity and got her first SCIS card on campus Friday. "I think it's important to have some type of recognition for who I am, and this was a great opportunity to come do that," said Crane. The SCIS card is an upgraded version of the Certificate of Indian Status laminated card, Noah-Rich said, but is thicker like a driver's license and has more security features. However, many people are hesitant to get it, she said. "A lot of people have the misconception that this is another form of government tracking and all this stuff because the reserves sometimes don't offer it," Noah-Rich said, adding that she was also skeptical when the card first came out. "It's not. It's the exact same authority of Indigenous Services Canada, it's just an updated version." Some other misconceptions that people have about the card include that they will lose their rights or that their laminated cards will be taken away, Noah-Rich said, but she is trying to ensure that people know those rumours are not true. SFNS sets up clinics all across southwestern Ontario including Windsor, Sarnia, Cambridge and even Toronto, typically one to two times a week. So far, clinics typically draw between 10 to 50 people, Noah-Rich said, from young people who have never had the card to elders looking to renew. "It's definitely helpful to meet people where they're at, and as an Indigenous person, it's always easier to do things in-person where you can connect with somebody," said Caroline Miller, who was renewing her SCIS card at Western University. "It makes the process easier." There are more clinics happening this summer including at Nokee Kwe on July 23, Fanshawe College on July 31, Atlohsa on August 8, and the Chippewas of the Thames First Nation's annual pow wow on August 16 and 17.
CBC
17-07-2025
- Politics
- CBC
'Room for improvement' in First Nations summit, says minister
Following two days of meetings, some First Nations chiefs expressed disappointment and mistrust in the federal government over its major projects bill. Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty joins Power & Politics to discuss those concerns.
CBC
17-07-2025
- Health
- CBC
Federal judge deems Ottawa's refusal of Jordan's Principle funds to renovate mouldy home 'unreasonable'
Social Sharing A federal court has overturned and granted a judicial review of Indigenous Services of Canada's (ISC) decision to deny an Oneida Nation of the Thames woman funding to renovate her mould-contaminated home, which she says has caused her grandchildren's asthma symptoms to worsen. In her written decision, Justice Ann Marie McDonald said ISC took an "unreasonably narrow approach" in its refusal for funding Joanne Powless requested through Jordan's Principle as the primary caregiver for her granddaughters, aged eight and 10. The program is designed to ensure First Nations kids get the medical care and social services supports they need in a timely manner, with the provinces and Ottawa later sorting out jurisdictional battles over who is responsible for the bill. Powless, who lives on the territory west of London, Ont., has spent three years asking the agency to cover renovation costs of almost $200,000 to remove mould and fix deteriorating ceilings and walls in her home, along with temporary relocation, food and personal hygiene items. Despite documentation from the children's pediatrician, and contractors explaining the scale of the mould and how its affecting their health, Ottawa rejected Powless's application twice. It explained that mould remediation services are outside the scope of Jordan's Principle criteria because they're also not available to the general Canadian public. "It was unreasonable for ISC to deny the request by narrowly framing it as a housing remediation request, rather than assessing it through a substantive equality lens and the health and best interests of the children, as Jordan's Principle requires," McDonald wrote in her July 10 decision. "The request was grounded in serious health concerns, and the evidence shows that no viable alternatives were available. ISC relied on the $200,000 cost as a reason for denial, but this reliance was misplaced." McDonald said there is no evidence that Jordan's Principle has monetary limits or that the quoted cost was inflated or unreasonable, and ordered ISC to reconsider its decision which she said "reflects an inconsistent application" of the program. ISC uses substantive equality to assess whether requests should be funded, which requires the responses to be tailored to unique causes of a specific group's historical disadvantage, geographical and cultural needs and circumstances, its website states. Changed needed to how Jordan's Principle is applied Powless's lawyer David Taylor said McDonald's decision indicates minimal progress and he hopes ISC will make a quick decision ruling in his client's favour this time. "This is obviously a very concerning situation. This house has been compromised by mould for more than three years," he said. "Hopefully [ISC's] decision will be an approval based on the federal court found were very serious circumstances these kids are facing." Powless previously told CBC News that her granddaughters frequently get sick, with multiple visits to the emergency room and have missed school as a result. "It's very frustrating and I feel bad as a grandma that I have to keep living here with these two little girls. I wish I could just pick up and leave and take them to a healthy place but I got nowhere else to take them," she said in May. Housing shortages and overcrowding have been ongoing issues on Oneida Nation of the Thames for many years. It's also had a boil-water advisory in effect since 2019 that became long-term in September 2020. Taylor said this case speaks to a growing pattern of "similarly narrow perspectives" in denials of Jordan's Principle funding, especially in recent months. "There's a real need for Indigenous Services Canada to be taking a serious look at its current approach to Jordan's principle and that's in particular because we're dealing with First Nations kids who by definition are in vulnerable circumstances," he said. "We should not be waiting for more judicial decisions to have to continue highlighting this, it's something that should be addressed directly and promptly." The family, meanwhile, is waiting for ISC's redetermination with the hopes of getting the money so the renovation work can be finished before winter, said Taylor.
Calgary Herald
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Calgary Herald
AFN national chief says fast-tracked projects bill should come with plan for infrastructure for reserves
Other ministers expected to attend are Natural Resources and Energy Minister Tim Hodgson as well as Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty, who is expected to address the issue of consultations. Members of the Liberals' Indigenous caucus are also expected to be on hand. Chiefs are also able to submit written questions. Woodhouse Nepinak acknowledged the agenda was still evolving and some feel the upcoming meeting is 'rushed,' but offered credit to Carney for agreeing with her ask to meet with chiefs, saying such a gathering ought to happen more often, given the last time she said one was staged was around 2012. The national chief said she has heard a diversity of views about the Liberals' plan to fast-track major infrastructure projects. While some chiefs have expressed concerns, she said others have expressed support. There have also been chiefs so consumed with dealing with other issues in their communities they do not yet have a position. 'We're going to give (Carney) the benefit of the doubt that he produces tomorrow,' Woodhouse Nepinak said. 'I think that he has to also listen to First Nations leadership, more listening, rather than talking about how they want to proceed forward.' The national chief and other First Nations leaders underlined how they saw Thursday's meeting as only the beginning of talks and should not be considered an act of consultation, something Carney confirmed at an unrelated news conference about tariffs in Hamilton, Ont. He said the new law was ' enabling legislation' that allows discussions to take place about what constitutes a project to be 'nation building' and the process that would follow to ensure rights-holders like First Nations would be consulted and be able to participate. Under the law, the federal cabinet would decide which projects would be added to a list that would allow the approvals process to be fast tracked through a yet-to-be-developed major-projects office. Carney has said the goal is to give selected projects the green light within two years, down from the current five. 'If this is a success, I think it's getting a solid commitment from the prime minister of discussions of how free, prior and informed consent will be implemented.' He said the problem lies in the fact there could be projects pitched 'that are going to be very controversial.' 'It's those projects that I think the vast majority of chiefs are worried about.' Teegee named as an example Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's desire to see a pipeline built from Alberta to B.C.'s northern coast, a route that has received widespread pushback from some First Nations in the area in the past. 'We've been down that road, and it's a very difficult situation.' Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our politics newsletter, First Reading, here.
