Latest news with #KitikmeotInuitAssociation
Cision Canada
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Cision Canada
Canada Post to celebrate Indigenous leaders with fourth stamp set Français
Julia Haogak Ogina, Sophie McDougall and Bruce Starlight devoted their lives to revitalizing Inuit, Métis and First Nations culture and languages OTTAWA, ON, June 5, 2025 /CNW/ - Canada Post will soon issue its fourth set of stamps in a multi-year series honouring the lives and legacies of Indigenous leaders across Canada. Julia Haogak Ogina, Sophie McDougall and Bruce Starlight will each be featured on a stamp for their dedication to preserving the culture and languages of their Inuit, Métis and First Nations communities. Launched in 2022, the stamp series highlights the achievements of Indigenous leaders who have made a significant impact on their community and country. All three stamps will be released a day ahead of National Indigenous Peoples Day, June 21. Julia Haogak Ogina Julia Haogak Ogina (b. 1962) is known for her tireless efforts to protect and promote Inuit culture and traditions. She worked as a translator and research assistant on the book, The Northern Copper Inuit: A History (1996) with anthropologist Richard G. Condon, which documented the rapid pace of socio-economic change in Ulukhaktok, Northwest Territories (her birthplace). An accomplished drum dance teacher and leader, in 2017 Ogina helped publish Huqqullaarutit Unipkaangit (Stories Told through Drum Dance Songs). In nearly two decades with the Kitikmeot Inuit Association, she has contributed to the creation of a regional language framework and programs promoting oral learning and knowledge transfer. Ogina was recognized for her work with an Outstanding Achievement in Language Revitalization award from the Inuit Uqausinginnik Taiguusiliuqtiit in 2017, and the Meritorious Service Medal in 2020. Sophie McDougall Sophie McDougall (1928-2023) was a passionate Michif Language Keeper who shared extensive knowledge of her Métis culture and language with generations of students and community members over her long life. Born in St. Louis, Saskatchewan, McDougall was a descendant of the area's original settlers. As a Métis woman, she experienced discrimination in teachers' college but faced it with courage and determination. She spent many years as a devoted schoolteacher. An Elder with the Prince Albert Métis Women's Association in Saskatchewan for 20 years, McDougall translated books and other materials into Michif, the traditional language of the Métis. In her late 80s she appeared in the YouTube series, Métis Women Stories and later contributed to the creation of the Learn Michif French app. In 2023, she received the Order of Gabriel Dumont Gold Medal in recognition of her lifetime of service to the Métis of Canada. Bruce Starlight Bruce Starlight (b. 1947) is an Elder and Knowledge Keeper who has spent more than five decades working to save his language and culture from extinction. Born on the Tsúut'ínà Nation near Calgary, Alberta, he served as a language commissioner for his community and was among the founders of the Tsúut'ínà Gunáhà Násʔághà, an institute dedicated to the preservation and revitalization of his mother tongue. A skilled teacher and speaker, Starlight has developed extensive materials for Tsúut'ínà instruction, including dictionaries and recordings. He recently collaborated on a collection of traditional narratives and historical accounts in Tsúut'ínà and a Tsúut'ínà-to-English glossary. Still active as a cultural mentor, adviser and ambassador to this day, Starlight received an honorary doctorate from Mount Royal University in 2023. The new stamps and collectibles will be available at and select postal outlets across Canada starting June 20.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Here's a look at some major projects Canada's leaders hope to fast-track
Out of the first ministers' meeting in Saskatoon, expectations were high that Prime Minister Mark Carney would release a list of nation-building projects that his government would prioritize. He didn't. However, Carney and Canada's premiers gave examples that could qualify for federal support and potentially be expedited for completion. The Carney government intends to introduce legislation aimed to help identify and fast-track projects deemed in the national interest. The Liberals campaigned on making final decisions on projects within a two-year timeline, rather than the five years previously used. Here's a look at some projects that could be sped up. Wind West and Atlantic interties You've likely heard of Energy East, the planned but never built bitumen pipeline from Alberta to New Brunswick. Nova Scotia's Wind West aims to send renewable electricity from the East Coast westward. With the help of offshore wind turbines, Premier Tim Houston is pitching a project that he says could generate enough electricity to power 27 per cent of the country's needs. "I support the prime minister's vision in making Canada an energy superpower," Houston said in a video posted to social media. "Wind West could fuel battery plants, AI data centres, industries of the future. And it would transform our economy." Houston told CBC's Power and Politics that he's looking to the federal government to support "an investment in transmission" to connect Atlantic Canada's grids to the rest of the country. "We'd be looking for the federal government to support us on a pathway. [That] could be a national energy corridor with those transmission lines," Houston told host David Cochrane. "And these are mostly cables for our wind energy." New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt said her province could become a hub that connects electricity from Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia to the rest of Canada and the United States. Through new transmission connections known as interties, Holt said Atlantic provinces could sell their power across North America. Grays Bay port and road This project has been described as a "subway line" that could offer Nunavut easier access to its resource-rich areas and offer western provinces a direct link to the Northwest Passage. A subsidiary of the region's Kitikmeot Inuit Association is proposing to build a deepwater port on Nunavut's mainland in the Coronation Gulf. To access that port, a 230-kilometre all-weather road would need to be constructed across tundra, muskeg and waterways without interfering with the sensitive permafrost. The thick layer of frozen soil is prone to melt when disturbed through road construction. A potential road would connect to Jericho Station, home to a defunct diamond mine, before continuing to a 600-kilometre winter road to Yellowknife. An all-season road could also eventually replace that ice road, which is closed most of the year. The Grays Bay port could handle large cargo ships capable of loading and transporting materials from future critical mineral mines, both in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. Local hunters and others, though, have raised concerns about the massive project's impact on the endangered Dolphin and Union caribou herd. Port of Churchill Another potential hub for critical minerals and fossil fuel exports could be through the expansion of the Port of Churchill. The existing port, via the Arctic Gateway railway system, promotes itself as the shortest link from the Prairies to the Atlantic Ocean. It offers access to the Arctic, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and South America. In August 2024, the port announced it had shipped its first critical mineral shipment — zinc concentrate — to Belgium. Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew stated in a letter to Carney that the province is seeking investments in icebreakers to expand the shipping season through Hudson Bay and for new "energy generation and transmission to power the project." Northwest coast bitumen pipeline At the closing news conference in Saskatoon, Carney said he was open to the idea of a second pipeline from the oilsands to Canada's West Coast, something that Alberta Premier Danielle Smith wants. "There is an ability to build that energy infrastructure, that oil pipeline," Carney said. "I agree with [Smith]. And so the opportunity is there, the market is there in Asia." Canada has only one pipeline to tidewater that doesn't go to or through the U.S. — through B.C.'s Lower Mainland to Burnaby. It's unclear what route a northwest coast pipeline would take, as no company is pitching one yet. But Enbridge's planned, but never built, Northern Gateway would have gone through northern B.C., destined for the Port of Kitimat. The Trans Mountain Expansion to Burnaby was completed in 2024, and from conception to delivery, the government-owned pipeline faced fierce opposition due to its $34-billion cost and concerns over its environmental impact. Canada purchased the project from American pipeline firm Kinder Morgan in 2018 when it was unclear it would be completed otherwise. A new northern pipeline is already meeting resistance from B.C.'s premier, who said he doesn't support lifting the tanker ban along the north coast. The province's deputy premier Niki Sharma said Monday that B.C. has "differences of opinion" on a pipeline through the north of the province. Giant carbon capture pipeline Canada's largest oilsands companies are proposing to build what could be one of the world's largest carbon capture and storage networks. The 400-kilometre Pathways Alliance pipeline project would transport captured carbon dioxide from the oilsands in the Fort McMurray region and other sites to Cold Lake, Alta., for storage. "The project proceeding is contingent upon obtaining sufficient fiscal and policy support and regulatory approval," according to its website. The pipeline project is expected to cost $16.5 billion and is supposed to be operational by 2030. Six companies are collaborating on the project: Suncor Energy Inc., Canadian Natural Resources Ltd., Cenovus Energy Inc., Imperial Oil Ltd., MEG Energy Corp. and ConocoPhillips Canada. Pathways has stated that the project could help its member companies achieve a 32 per cent reduction from 2019 emissions levels by 2030 and is the centrepiece of the industry's pledge to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. Ring of Fire The Ring of Fire in northwestern Ontario has been a topic of discussion and controversy for years. Ontario Premier Doug Ford views the crescent-shaped mineral deposit as a treasure trove for the province's electric vehicle supply chain. But Ford also sees potential for the Ring of Fire to meet global demand for materials used in computer chips and high-tech military weapons. There are no all-season roads, railways or energy infrastructure connecting the isolated area that is mostly muskeg, swamps and rivers. The province and mining developers also face pushback from some First Nations and environmentalists. Members of Ojibway and Cree communities in the area worry its development represents a threat to their traditional way of life. The Ring of Fire's location in the James Bay Lowlands places it in the Hudson Bay Lowlands. Together they form one of the world's largest wetlands. It's a massive carbon store and habitat for migratory birds.
Hamilton Spectator
3 days ago
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Carney points to Grays Bay as key nation-building project
After meeting with Canada's premiers in Saskatoon Monday afternoon, Prime Minister Mark Carney name-dropped Nunavut's Grays Bay road and port as a major project of national significance he wants to see get approved quickly. The comment came in response to a reporter asking why a joint news release from the prime minister and premiers did not list any specific projects. 'I can give you, if I may, lots of examples of those projects, which range from Grays Bay port and road,' Carney said, before naming several other projects across Canada. 'There is a long list of projects that bring the country together, diversify our markets, make us more resilient, create good jobs and growth, have very good prospects of Indigenous partnerships, and beyond.' Nunavut Premier P.J. Akeeagok welcomed seeing Grays Bay on the list, as the project is one of four he and Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. president Jeremy Tunraluk are advocating for. The other projects are the Kivalliq Hydro-Fibre Link, Qikiqtarjuaq deepsea port, and a hydroelectric project in Iqaluit. 'I was reflecting back to all the leaders that had and continue to push this major project forward,' Akeeagok told reporters Monday, making reference to Tunraluk and Kitikmeot Inuit Association acting president James Eetoolook. 'It was a great day for Nunavut to be recognized as an opportunity for these big nation-building [projects] to happen in the Arctic.' Brendan Bell, CEO of project proponent West Kitikmeot Resources Corp., also welcomed Carney's comments though, he said, he's not surprised. 'It's certainly a validation for all of the work that's gone on here,' Bell said in an interview. 'There's just no daylight between the leaders in Nunavut on this project, and that makes it a fairly safe and easy project for the prime minister to advocate for and to promote.' Grays Bay road and port would consist of a 230-kilometre all-season road and deepsea port that would link the mineral-rich lands of western Nunavut to the rest of Canada. The estimated cost sits at nearly $1 billion. Bell said in October that he's aiming for the federal government to cover 75 per cent of the cost, with the Government of Nunavut funding the rest. Carney and the premiers released a statement after Monday's meeting, agreeing to collaborate on speeding up the approvals of projects of 'national interest.' Among the criteria for the projects is that they must strengthen Canada's resilience and security, support economic growth, have a high likelihood to be achieved, be a high priority for Indigenous communities, and offer potential for clean growth. Another key requirement is consultation with Indigenous Peoples. In Nunavut, projects must go through the Nunavut Impact Review Board before they are approved. Nunavut Premier P.J. Akeeagok, right, speaks in Saskatoon Monday. Also pictured are Yukon Premier Ranj Pillai, left, and Newfoundland Premier John Hogan. (Photo courtesy of Premier P.J. Akeeagok/X) Akeeagok said his priority projects include 'certainty' they will be approved. 'All the projects that we put in [were] really from the lens of making sure that these are being led by Inuit, for Inuit, that really will have a huge benefit not only for the territory, but for the country,' he said. There was a tone of unity from the premiers Monday. Ontario Premier Doug Ford said it was the 'best meeting' he had in 10 years, and colourfully described Carney as 'Santa Claus.' 'He's coming and his sled was full of all sorts of stuff. Now, he's taking off back to the North Pole, he's going to sort it out and then he's going to call us,' Ford said. Akeeagok said he 'couldn't agree more' with what Ford said. '[Monday] was about having really good discussions around identifying some of these key projects,' he said. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. 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. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
