APTN National News: May 25, 2026

Added: 2026-05-26

[00:00:08]Tan Wheatley.

[00:00:14]Welcome to APN National News. Since declaring an hepatitis A outbreak in April 2025, Manitoba has seen an increasing number of cases among unhoused people in Winnipeg.

[00:00:27]As of May 6th, the province says there have been 658 cases of HEP A. 143 of those have turned up in Winnipeg. 142 people have been hospitalized. Four people have died. Hepatitis A is an acute liver infection spread through contaminated water, food, and close human contact. A free vaccine is available. Priority goes to children 6 months and older from the Island Lake area, Puis, War Lake, Blood Vein, and Ebanflow First Nations, and anyone traveling or working in these communities. Staff and volunteers of non-healthcare community organizations helping people experiencing homelessness are also included. So are inmates of correctional facilities.

[00:01:11]Several First Nations gathered on an access road east of Lake St. Martin in central Manitoba protesting a rock barrier. The communities say the rocks were put there by the province without consultation. With the details is CTV's Harrison Shin.

[00:01:27]>> The Inter Lake Reserves Tribal Council members did not mince their words. On Friday, First Nation communities near Lake St. Martin bulldozed a provincial road blockade.

[00:01:36]>> Obviously, they're infringing on our treaty rights. We have every right to hunt here. Uh we've hunted here for many, many years. There are people here that are with us that have actually come hunting here.

[00:01:45]>> The 19 12 km long Lake St. Martin Access Road is on the east side of the lake.

[00:01:49]According to the province's 2019 environmental assessment report, the road offers allseason access to a flood mitigation diversion.

[00:01:56]>> I'm not sure when they blocked it. We had just found out uh about a week ago.

[00:02:01]And uh yeah, so we were actually surprised that they had blocked it.

[00:02:07]>> And with that surprise, First Nations leadership is asking why they weren't consulted as the area is within their traditional territory. We want to continue uh you know trying to get to a good faith dialogue and most importantly uh you know we don't want to be restricted on our lands and and access to these lands for the the livelihoods that we practice culturally.

[00:02:26]>> Chief Latra says the community will travel past the blockade to take a look at the diversion and pick some medicines. For Derek Gold he still feels his voice isn't heard. Our grassroots people are the the last ones or maybe not even thought of to be to be uh you know uh called upon in a meeting or con consulted.

[00:02:50]>> Harrison Shin, CTV News near Lake St. Martin, Manitoba.

[00:02:55]>> A crucial fall referendum in Alberta will determine if the province moves ahead with an official vote on whether to separate from Canada. The move has drawn criticism from both sides of the debate. CTV's Jeremy Sharon with more.

[00:03:10]>> It's a full referendum vote Alberta's premier hopes could put an end to a decadesl long debate.

[00:03:16]>> We do need to get this issue resolved so that we can uh come to a conclusion and we can move on from it.

[00:03:21]>> But that isn't exactly how everyone sees it.

[00:03:23]>> Seems like uh Daniel Smith's trying to make this happen one way or another.

[00:03:27]Daniel Smith will not stand up and say just stop it because she's all part of this whole cabal.

[00:03:33]>> The premier insists she's simply respecting democracy, allowing Albertans to decide what happens next.

[00:03:40]>> I respect the grievances that there are in Alberta, but I certainly hope that Canada can overcome them and show that we are the place they want to be.

[00:03:46]>> It's upsetting because I would like Canada to stay together.

[00:03:50]>> Smith says that's what she wants too, for Canada to stay together. In speaking with CTV's question period host Vashi Capello, the premier made this commitment.

[00:03:59]>> If the remain side does win, do you promise as long as you're premier, you will not hold a separation referendum?

[00:04:05]>> Yes, I do. I will take uh I will listen to the the will of the people. Um and that's why I'm going to be advocating on that side, but you know, it goes the other way as well, that if uh Albertans vote the other way, then we'll have to begin the the legal process to get to a binding referendum. The question being asked this fall is whether Albertans want a separate official referendum on separation that could trigger another binding vote to leave the country.

[00:04:30]>> It has to be a very simple clear question.

[00:04:33]>> But even if a majority vote to leave, the path to do so is unclear and would start by triggering something called the Clarity Act.

[00:04:41]>> There's no question of separating under the Canadian Constitution. you have to have uh the majority of provinces and the parliament agreeing to your separation. So, how would that ever happen?

[00:04:51]>> It would require the Supreme Court's involvement and a negotiated agreement between all provinces and the federal government. And piling on to the complexity, legal experts also suggest a court decision earlier this month to throw out a pro-separation petition for its lack of consultation with First Nations indicates that would play a crucial role in any secession. Jeremy Cheryl, CTV News, Ottawa.

[00:05:18]The government of the Northwest Territories and the Northwest Territories Fire Chiefs Association are launching a new wildland urban interface program aimed at improving wildfire protection.

[00:05:30]>> Thank you.

[00:05:31]>> Territorial officials say the program will include new training guidelines and annual reviews aimed at improving wildfire response. Community fire departments will be trained in a variety of areas, including deploying sprinkler systems to reduce structure damage and operating fire trucks in communities under threat of wildfire. Officials say the goal is to build stronger local response capacity, improve safety, and reduce the territo's reliance on private contractors and outside firefighting resources during major wildfire events.

[00:06:02]The move comes after the historic 2023 wildfire season exposed major gaps in how the territorial government responds to wildfires.

[00:06:18]We didn't have a common system for training and development of our people in wooi capa capacity.

[00:06:26]We have uh we didn't have the processes in place to support the communities in doing so.

[00:06:32]We had no clear standards for mobilizing resources to assist other communities.

[00:06:37]We saw communities struggle with uncertainty on cost because there were no clear reimbursement guidelines.

[00:06:45]That is what this program addresses.

[00:06:48]>> And we take you to Nunabuk in northern Quebec right after the break. Chesqua.

[00:07:01]Come on in. Beat the gu. A nonprofit organization is trying to change the experiences endured by Inuit youth living in the remote regions of Nunovuk and northern Quebec where youth suicide rates remain among the highest in the country. As host producer Kim Sullivan reports, by coming together as a community, they are building a stronger and brighter future.

[00:07:22]>> On the program, ice fishing. Step one, find water thick enough to stand on.

[00:07:30]Step two, drill a hole.

[00:07:41]Step three, take a break to play in the snow.

[00:07:47]>> Step four, drop a hook in the hole and make it dance in the water.

[00:07:53]This is what's on the schedule for the youth involved in Halmat.

[00:07:56]>> Sometimes we have goals and objectives to which we have to combine process and framework and that's what Halmat does.

[00:08:03]>> Felix Apollo is the founder of All Arctic, an Inuit nonprofit.

[00:08:08]>> Their feet are very hairy. E >> Halemat is their inaugural youth leadership program in Nunovic, Northern Quebec. doing some process and framework in the goal and objective of catching some fish.

[00:08:24]>> It means as dawn is happening in intitu and aims to empower Inuit youth. Felix came up with the idea 10 days after the passing of his father. I looked at his childhood and all the different stuff that he had to um recover from and then I looked at my my hometown and I figured that there was so many more kids that needed programs to uh you know just get involved, be engaged, do fun stuff, good stuff, uh constructive, positive stuff over the summer. What began as a summer program in Pavnuk has since expanded to include all school breaks and is now offered in two other communities including here in Salowit.

[00:09:09]>> They learn about college opportunities.

[00:09:11]They learn about entrepreneurship, uh, employment. Youth aged 13 to 18 get to listen to guest speakers, learn about civic engagement, and enjoy a variety of activities such as podcasting, >> sports, >> sports, >> uh games.

[00:09:30]>> My favorite thing to do is go hunting and bead and sew. Our favorite part is hanging out >> hanging out with with each other.

[00:09:44]>> They cook together >> in the summer. We serve about uh between 6,000 and 8,000 meals um in the place with the highest level of food insecurity in the country. So >> on the menu tonight is Matak Beluga.

[00:10:00]>> I baked it in the oven for about 20 minutes. I put some seasonings. I cut the matak first and that's literally the best way to have it.

[00:10:10]>> And as if he did not have enough on his plate organizing it all, Felix offers the youth free haircuts.

[00:10:17]>> Last summer, I did 45 haircuts in one day. I wasn't supposed to, but Patrick went on the community radio and said, "Free haircuts at the family house."

[00:10:27]>> Joey Pablut is taking advantage of one of those hair trims. Like most here, his favorite halmat activity is going hunting. There are many barriers to living in a remote area surrounded by a vast expanse of land. For some, these activities are their only chance to go hunt. Yesterday, they forged for muscles and now they fish. Each >> a black one, each female >> and hunt parmagan. And what they hunt, they harvest together. There was 50 of us on the water and as they were finishing to harvest the beluga, a a 400y old Greenland shark showed up and they harvested that shark.

[00:11:10]>> It feels good connecting with nature.

[00:11:13]There's a lot of activities to do. I just don't want to stay home all day.

[00:11:17]>> For Arctic Char, the technique is easy enough.

[00:11:20]>> Every three or 4 seconds just doing this.

[00:11:24]But the work put into an outing like this isn't.

[00:11:28]>> In organizing a trip like this, we got to figure out the whole food for the amount of people that we are. We got to figure out the amount of skidos that we need, the amount of sleds that we need.

[00:11:38]We got to figure out the gas. It's a whole logistical operation just for us to be out here together and enjoy the the beautiful land that Nunovic has to offer. What is offered is a shared purpose >> to keep our culture uh keep on going and just they need to learn those skills too to survive and be able to eat the best food.

[00:12:05]>> And according to Felix to learn about being part of something greater than just their life as a teenager, a community. I hope they learn that it's really important to stick together and to just be grateful to be alive.

[00:12:24]>> It's fitting then that the moto for Halmat is Inuit youth building a bright future.

[00:12:31]Kim Sullivan, APN National News, Salowit, Northern Quebec.

[00:12:36]What a great story. The traditional practice of hide tanning was and still is essential to northerner survival and it's continuing to bring people together in those teachings. Our reporter Charlotte Moore Jacobs brings us that story. Machine girls.

[00:12:53]Patience, strength, and community.

[00:12:55]That's what you'll find here at Williday Yellow Knife River. As youth elders and families gather for the annual hide tanning camp, Yellow Knight Den Elder Beatatric Sangre quickly steps in to lend her expertise, showing APN areas on the moose hide still in need of more scraping. Just enough so that the light shines through.

[00:13:17]With over two dozen participants registered with their hides, it's a lot of work in just 10 days. But every stage matters.

[00:13:25]stretching, scraping, softening by hand, preparing, and finally smoking the hide.

[00:13:30]And traditional knowledge holders are guiding participants every step of the way. Some hides are fresh. Others arrive stiff and dried, needing to be carefully rehydrated before work can begin again.

[00:13:43]>> You want to lean in? You can lean in like I am.

[00:13:47]>> The camp reflects generations of collaboration.

[00:13:50]It brings a lot of memories back from when I was growing up. This is how it was. And everybody is they're helping one another right down to kindergarten. It's like they want to they want to hands on. They're trying it themsel and they lit them. Nobody say don't touch it. It's like everybody's helping.

[00:14:12]>> That same spirit continues here. This animal gave up a life for us to use their their height and the bones for tools. So for me it's like you touch the height, touch the bones, you know, be grateful for that. It's like if I had to share that with, you know, like the younger people younger than me, I would tell them that >> caribou greens and I'm putting them in >> camp organizers Dina Wo, an indigenous not for profofit host a variety of events promoting indigenous connection to land-based practices disrupted by colonization.

[00:14:56]uh preserving the knowledge and making sure that everyone or that future generations will know how to tan hides, just being on the land together, building relationships.

[00:15:09]People just drop by and they'll be like, "Oh, I heard there's a hide camp. Do you guys want this beaver? Do you guys want these porcupines?" And so Danielle Rasmus says the camp also holds space for important conversations about environmental change. I noticed this year people were talking about the muskrats and just checking in with each other about like who's seen how many and the water levels.

[00:15:37]Uh we we do have we've had so many conversations about the fires and the smoke and sangri says she's happy to see teachings rooted in respect continue. Once finished, the hides will become moccasins, mittens, vests, and earrings.

[00:15:56]>> You got to use it. That's this is why you tan it for. It's not to to hang on a wall and look at it. No, you don't do that. It's you got to use it.

[00:16:04]>> Similar camps are being held across the NWT this spring. And for many here, the hides are only part of what's being softened, stretched, and carried forward. Charlotte Mart Jacobs, APN National News. Will a day >> another great story. We now want to give you the results to last week's web poll questions. Our first question was, are you for or against having cannabis stores in your community? 52% were against it and 48% were for having cannabis stores in their community. Our second question was, "What will Mary Simon's legacy be as Governor General?"

[00:16:43]61% said spreading indigenous culture wherever she traveled in the world. 36% said being a bilingual person who spoke intatut and 3% said other. Our final question was do police forces need to put more emphasis on the number of indigenous men and boys who go missing or are murdered. 55% responded with yes and 15% responded no. Thanks to everyone who took the time to vote. Check back on our website to see this week's new web poll questions at anews.ca.

[00:17:17]And we check in with the NITV crew in Australia right after the break. Chesqua to welcome back. Starting on the east coast, Frederickton 13, Charlotte Town 15.

[00:17:36]Over to Happy Valley, Goose Bay 13 and Na 5.

[00:17:42]Senate 10, Quebec City 12, North Bay 12, Sue Staint Marie 18, up to Big Trout Lake 17, Sul Lookout 21, Churchill is two, Pucket Wagan 17, Gimley 22, Dolphin 13, over to Regina and 20, Saskatoon 19, Stony Rapids 23, and Lange 20. Moving west, Grand Prairie 12, Fortan 9, Edmonton 17, Calgary 18, Cam Loop 16, Vancouver 13, Fort Nelson 10, Smithers 5, up to Old Crow 1, Rock River minus one, Watti 2, Wrigley and Norman Wells 6, Taktoyaktuckus 3, and Kovville Lake 2.

[00:18:40]over to Cambridge Bay minus 3 and Baker Lake 2.

[00:18:44]Up to Arctic Bay minus 8 and Iglick minus two.

[00:18:49]To Australia now, hundreds of mob have protested in Sydney over controversial legislation they say will threaten land rights in New South Wales. It comes ahead of renewed talks between the state and Aboriginal land councils. NITV's Phoebe McKiller reports.

[00:19:05]>> Hands up.

[00:19:07]>> Hands up.

[00:19:09]mob demanding to be heard.

[00:19:11]>> What do we want?

[00:19:13]>> What do we want?

[00:19:14]>> Land rights.

[00:19:15]>> What do we want?

[00:19:15]>> Now, >> hundreds of members of Aboriginal land councils furious over proposed amendments to crown land legislation.

[00:19:23]>> 92% of our network have stood together in solidarity and said, "This is garbage. This is no way to conduct business. This is unlawful." And what they're actually doing is making an attack. The proposed changes would change how leases on crown land operate, drawing fierce criticism from both legal and indigenous bodies. The state government put the amendments on pause in March after an initial outcry, pledging to engage in further consultation.

[00:19:50]>> Whilst we're talking about land, we're really talking about human rights here.

[00:19:54]Over the last week, members of the New South Wales network have sent more than a 100 letters to land and property minister Steve Camper's office. They've now marched to Mcquary Street to bring the opposition to Parliament. For First Nations protesters and organizers, this is about more than just the land itself.

[00:20:14]Having a right, having a say, having that self-determination, the self-govern to choose what we want to do with our land and actually have a say, which we do not have. It means, you know, economics, business, there's so much that we can do with our land for our future. A spokesperson for lands and property minister, Steve Camper, says the government will engage with land councils before the bill is debated in Parliament's upper house. The government argues that the changes address rare edge cases and it wants a system that will work for everyone. The New South Wales Aberiginal Land Council is meeting with Minister Camper tomorrow to discuss what this consultation should look like.

[00:20:50]We have a delegation meeting with him.

[00:20:52]We're going to listen to what he has to say. But we want to let him know that we are not here just to listen to him. We want to negotiate. We want free prior and informed consent from our network.

[00:21:06]>> Demands to be listened to, not simply heard. Phoebe Mielra, NITV News.

[00:21:13]Staying in Australia, community-led juvenile justice programs in Western Australia are winning recognition for teaching children hiphop. The rappers behind it say the program provides a therapeutic outlet for inmates.

[00:21:27]>> Like a lot of young people, Anthony loves his music. His life revolves around it, >> listening to beats and producing for others, too.

[00:21:38]speaking to me.

[00:21:39]>> But unlike most people his age, Anthony discovered his passion for making music behind bars.

[00:21:46]>> For me, it was just a good way just reconnect with myself.

[00:21:51]>> We can't show his face, but Anthony says music helped to break the cycle of reaffending.

[00:21:59]>> He took part in a hip-hop 101 course called Banksia Beats inside Banksia Hill. Here producers are conducting a rap session inside Banksia. Click on it again.

[00:22:10]>> Every week they go into Western Australia's detention centers to teach music production and how to write rhymes. But mostly they listen.

[00:22:21]>> Common themes in the music include dealing with addiction, experiences of violence or homelessness, and getting locked up. I think having a career in hip-hop, I saw how powerful um hip-hop culture is and how healing it can be.

[00:22:36]>> Detainees telling their story lies at the heart of Banksia Beats.

[00:22:41]>> And a big part of what we're doing with with young people at the moment is like they they have ownership over something.

[00:22:49]>> Maui rapper and counselor Tahiri Tangawapia or Rush also runs a program for those released back to the community or considered at risk.

[00:22:59]He says that young people are often hiding significant trauma beneath tough exteriors.

[00:23:05]>> I think music is a really good way of breaking through that with them. Like for example, we could make a song in there and they could be telling me everything in the song that they would never tell a counselor.

[00:23:17]>> Anthony hopes that one day soon he can run hiphop sessions as part of the community-based program designed by Rush.

[00:23:25]>> If I do get it up and running, it'll be quite good. I know a lot of boys around my area who's generally keen of doing music and that will be another big step in my music career.

[00:23:38]>> And that's all the time we have for this daytime newscast. I'm Ti Wheatley. Join me again at 6 p.m. Eastern for more news from across the nation. Until then, from all of us at APN to all of you,