Lawsuit launched over oil sands developments | Kenny urges stance against separatism | BCN

Added: 2026-05-14

[00:00:00]Hi, I'm Janette Rocher. This is Bridge City News. Here are some of the top stories we've been following today. The MKISU First Nation suing the Alberta and federal governments claiming industrial development in northeastern Alberta infringes on treaty rights. Plus, former Alberta Premier Jason Kenny says the clock is ticking and it's time for federal MPs to take a stand on Alberta separatism. And the Canadian coffee and doughnut market is going to get a little more crowded. Duncan is coming north again.

[00:00:34]>> Your nation, your province, your southern Alberta.

[00:00:41]From the heart of Lethbridge, it's Bridge City News with Janette Rocher.

[00:00:47]Thanks so much for joining us. A first nation in northeastern Alberta is suing the Alberta and federal governments alleging oil sands and industrial development has infringed on treaty rights and harmed the local environment and communities. The Kisu Cree First Nation is located on the Peace Atabaska Delta, one of the world's largest inland freshwater deltas in Treaty 8 territory.

[00:01:10]Our nation is downstream from one of the largest industrial developments in the world and our people and our people are living with the consequences. We have seen impacts to wildlife, the lands and waters that our people depend on for our ability to safely and meaningfully practice our traditional way of life.

[00:01:33]Our community has experienced alarming health impacts including elevated cancer rates.

[00:01:41]Those concerns of our people those concerns our people have raised for years.

[00:01:48]This lawsuit is is not about one single project.

[00:01:53]It is the cumulative impacts of decades decades of industrial approvals and the failure of Alberta and Canada to properly assess and manage those impacts. Our treaty rights must be meaningful in practice and not just words on paper.

[00:02:12]>> Tukaru says the Mckisu cre is seeking declarations from the court that Alberta and Canada have breached treaty 8 and infringed on their treaty rights. They also want enforceable mechanisms and thresholds to manage the impacts of industrial development. The statement of claim was filed in the Alberta Court of Kings bench. On Monday, Bridge City News will air a special report on indigenous land rights. We'll look into court rulings in British Columbia and deals between First Nations and Ottawa that call into question property rights that Canadians have taken for granted for decades. That special report on indigenous land rights airs this Victoria Day Monday at 5:00 PM on Bridge City News.

[00:02:57]The head of the World Health Organization says there's still no sign that the hand virus outbreak on a cruise ship could be the start of a larger outbreak. The newest case is in a Spanish passenger evacuated from the cruise ship on Sunday. That brings the total number of confirmed infections to 11.

[00:03:16]All 11 cases are among passengers or crew on the ship. Nine of the 11 have been confirmed as and this virus and the other two are probable.

[00:03:29]Those numbers have changed little over the past week thanks to the efforts of multiple governments and partners. There have been no deaths since 2nd of May when first informed of the cluster of cases.

[00:03:47]All suspected and confirmed cases have been isolated and managed under strict medical supervision minimizing any risk of further transmission.

[00:03:58]At the moment there is no sign that we are seeing the start of a larger outbreak.

[00:04:06]But of course the situation could change and given the long incubation period of the virus, it's possible we might see more cases in the coming weeks.

[00:04:17]>> The passenger in Spain confirmed with handus is being quarantined in a military hospital. 13 other Spanish nationals evacuated from the ship are also staying there but have tested negative uh negative rather for the virus. Members of the BC Nurses Union have voted overwhelmingly in favor of strike action in their labor dispute with the province. 98.2% of those who voted approved the use of strike action, but the union president says they're not about to walk out just yet.

[00:04:50]>> Taking job action is not what we want to do. We we are willing to go back to the table. We have signaled that to the employer. They have also signaled that they're willing to come back to the table. This is the final last chance, however, but the next move belongs to the employer and to government. It will depend if they show up in a way that respects us at the bargaining table and gets us to an agreement that we can take to our members to ratify.

[00:05:19]>> Gear says with the World Cup around the corner, the union does not want to be on the picket lines with the whole world watching.

[00:05:28]Former Alberta Premier Jason Kenny is continuing to speak out against separatism. Kenny and Calgary Liberal MP Corey Hogan told a pro-Canada event Monday evening that it's time for federal MPs to take a stand and fight against those who want to tear Canada apart. Both men say the proposed plebite is only five months away and political leaders need to let the public know why separatism is a bad idea.

[00:05:55]We may be just 150 days away from a huge rupture in our lives together in our economy, in our political community, uh in our society uh because of a movement that has always been until now at the very fringes of Alberta politics. I think federalists need to uh start kicking into gear here. I think we've allowed um the separatists to almost completely dominate the debate and the process for the past year. A lot of federalists just a lot of people just find this whole thing unpleasant. And everybody knows someone they're related to or at work who is on the other side, which is one of the which is one of the reasons this is just so dang regrettable. PE, you know, we are Canadians. We we we're polite. We don't like having uncomfortable political arguments. And what could be more emotional than tearing the country apart? So, I think a lot of people have just been downplaying, ignoring it, and I'm sorry. Uh, I for one do not think that the people trying to destroy our country and wreck Alberta's economy should be getting a pass on this.

[00:07:07]>> I think the federal government is rightly seeing what happens here first.

[00:07:11]I I think one of the things that it's easy to forget is we don't actually even technically have a referendum question right now. We're still waiting to see what the provincial government decides to do if uh the uh signatures are validated that the separatists have put forward. So, we're in a very strange situation. You never want a shadow box.

[00:07:26]You never want to be arguing against something that's not real. But unfortunately, it's starting to feel pretty real. It's coming down the street very fast. We have 5 months to a referendum. It's time for all Canadians to stand up and talk about how much they love this country.

[00:07:39]Kenny will be debating Alberta separatism with constitutional lawyer Keith Wilson on May the 25th in Calgary.

[00:07:46]The event put on by the Aristotle Foundation for Public Policy is sold out. Lethbridge police have charged a 20-year-old man for impersonating a police officer following a traffic stop on Mayor McGrath uh Mayor McGrath Drive South. Last Saturday, police pulled over a Black Ford Explorer that was decked out with a push bar, light bar, red and blue lights, siren speaker, and a police interceptor sticker on the rear of the SUV. The roof also had antennas like those on law enforcement vehicles. While purchasing a decommissioned police vehicle is legal, all decals, light bars, and specialized equipment must be removed before the vehicle can be used on public roads.

[00:08:33]>> Impersonating police officer in Alberta, including driving a car that looks like a police car, is a criminal offense under section 130 of the criminal code.

[00:08:42]Driving a vehicle or resembles a police car can be illegal if it's equipped, marked, or used in a way that makes others reasonably believe you're a police officer. It's very dangerous. Um if he continued on, like if he tried to pull people over or uh as you could tell in Nova Scotia, the tragedy there um the person impersonated a Mounty and 22 people were lost, right? So it could go it's very dangerous. When we do decommission a vehicle, we take it to our fleet services and all that equipment is removed. Um, including lights, decals, the push bumper, siren, all the equipment inside is removed. Um, I can't speak to other agencies what they do, but I know for a fact that ours does get removed.

[00:09:24]>> Police say the driver had previously been pulled over, ticketed, and directed to remove the equipment, was subsequently arrested, and criminally charged. 20-year-old Will Nicholas Wadd of Leth Bridges charged with uh with personating a police officer. He is scheduled to appear in court on July 8th. There are some ongoing construction projects affecting traffic in our city right now on Mayor McGrath Drive. Crews are replacing traffic light poles at the 9th Avenue South intersection by the Nika Yuko Japanese Garden and Henderson Lake. Some lane closures in both directions are in effect, but traffic will be kept moving even as lights are out for the time being. The work is expected to wrap up by Wednesday. On the north side of town, crews have begun electrical work by a stretch of scenic drive between 26th Avenue North and Upland's Boulevard. Lanes have been narrowed, but both directions are maintained as crews will be working alongside the road. Motorists are asked to please drive carefully as work on installing electrical infrastructure will last through until June the 1st.

[00:10:33]The towns of Taber and Coldale have been competing for the most cookie sales.

[00:10:39]That is in the friendly Tim Horton Smile Cookie Campaign competition. Taber sold more than 7,700 cookies, beating Cold Aale by a difference of only 136 cookies. Although there was some warmhearted rivalry, the real winner is family and community support services, which receive the funds to support individuals and families through programs focused on mental health, family support, community connections, and overall well-being.

[00:11:08]>> Over $32,000 was raised this year through the Smile Cookie Campaign and our Cookie Knockout Challenge. And that's going to be really vital to supporting the programs that we're doing throughout the year. This is our second year of the competition between Coldale and Taber. Last year we raised around $24,000 and so this year is over $32,000 which is really incredible. FCSS proincially hasn't received any increases in funding for the last 3 years. FCSS is here to support mental health of community members, parents, and seniors and youth programs. And the funding provided through the Smile Cookie campaign that Tim Hortons hosts every year is really vital. Our motto is people helping people to help themselves. And so FCSS really encourages community spirit and supporting neighbors. The campaign this year really highlighted the community spirit within Cold Ale and Taber.

[00:12:13]>> Family and Community Support Services serves the regions of Lethbridge County, Taber, and the county of Warner. Well, here's a crappy story. Picking up after your dog is dirty business, but in Lethbridge, it's the law. Sadly, not every dog owner obeys that law. So, the city is looking for volunteers to help with the cleanup by joining the doggy doodoo crew. Every Thursday during the month of May, a group of volunteers will visit a dog park in Lebridge to remove dog waste. Ashley Walker, parks community coordinator with the city of Lethbridge says if dog waste is left behind, it can harm surrounding vegetation due to bacteria found in dog feces.

[00:12:57]It's not only common courtesy, um, but it's also the responsibility of pet owners and I think just common sense that if your dogs are are going in, um, to public spaces, dog parks, community parks, that it is definitely their responsibility to clean up after your own pets. On Thursday, May 7th, we started out our campaign with Scenic Drive Dog Run. We cleaned up uh the dog waste. Each dog waste we picked up, we replaced it with a white flag, which creates a really great visual of how common the issue is and the importance of it as well. The flags will remain for up to two weeks to just kind of like I said enhance that visual. And then we will be also visiting Popsin Park off leash dog run, Parkin Bark, and Pinaquim off leash dog run as well. According to Community Animal Services, if dog owners are caught leaving dog waste in public, the minimum fine they could receive is $100.

[00:13:54]Agriculture and Agra food Canada has released its April drought report showing much of the country received normal to above normal precipitation resulting in improved soil moisture, stream flow, and water supplies. Drought conditions generally improve throughout the country with the normally wet British Columbia being one of the noteworthy exceptions. Agroclimate specialist Trevor Hadwin looks at the prairies.

[00:14:23]>> The central and northern prairies have received well above normal precipitation while some regions in the south continue to see slightly below normal.

[00:14:31]There continues to be a small region of severe drought in southwestern Alberta surrounded by a larger area of moderate and abnormally dry conditions that cover much of southern Alberta and southwest Saskatchewan. Large snow events later in April provided some good moisture to southern regions, improving soil moisture. This combined with a cooler than normal spring has resulted in improved drought conditions. At the end of April, 17% of the agricultural land in the prairie region remained in drought or abnormally dry conditions.

[00:15:05]>> As for the rest of the country, central Canada continued to see above normal precipitation in April. That precipitation along with snow melt and near normal uh temperatures has helped improve drought conditions in the Atlantic region. Abnormally dry and moderate drought conditions persist though uh through New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia.

[00:15:28]Agricultural producers throughout the region continue to deal with the impacts of last year's drought.

[00:15:35]>> The gap between a good idea in a lab and a functional tool on your farm just got a $30 million boost. I'm Sean Haney with realaggriculture.com.

[00:15:44]Six of Canada's leading egg tech organizations are launching the ACT Accelerator program. This is a federal initiative designed to fasttrack clean technology over the next two years.

[00:15:55]Instead of a single government intake, groups like Kain and Bioenterprise will manage their own grants to move cuttingedge tech through the final stages of validation. For the Canadian producer, the the most critical piece of this is the focus on smart farm integration. The goal isn't just to invent new tech, but to prove it works in real world world conditions so farmers can trust the ROI before they buy. That's important. From automation to genomics, these grants are targeted at making the sector more climate friendly without sacrificing competitiveness. By leveraging mentors and existing smart farm networks, the accelerator aims to ensure that the next wave of Canadian innovation is ready for the field, not just the showroom. For Bridge City News, I'm Sean Haney with realaggriculture.com.

[00:16:45]>> There's a case to be made for the federal government owning the Trans Mountain pipeline for good. That's according to the president and CEO of Trans Mountain, who says the Alberta to BC pipeline is a sovereign one that operates almost entirely within Canada and is a strategic asset to the country.

[00:17:03]The head of the Canada Development Investment Corporation, which oversees the Crown Corporation, says she would love to see the pipeline owned by Canadians. Ottawa bought the Trans Mountain pipeline for $4.5 billion in 2018 after Kinder Morgan Canada walked away from an expansion project amid court challenges and fierce environmental opposition.

[00:17:28]A new report from the Angus Reed Institute says more Canadians say economic growth should be a bigger priority in Canada's energy policy than protecting the environment. The pollster reports 61% of Canadians say economic growth should be the biggest priority in Canada's energy policy. That's a shift in public opinion. Seven years ago, when the same question was asked, 55% of Canadians said that the environment should be the top priority in energy policy. Angus Reed says the online poll was conducted between April 24th and 28th with 2,360 Canadian adults drawn from the Angus Reed forum, the AY's poll respondent pool. Canadian restaurant operator Futtastic says it will bring a popular coffee chain Duncan north of the border again. Dunkin Donuts once had hundreds of Canadian locations but departed in 2018 after Quebec franchises successfully sued the company for not sufficiently promoting the brand.

[00:18:32]Foodtastic CEO Peter Mammoth says this return of Duncan all started with his daughter. because of my daughter. She goes to school in Boston and uh she was telling me, "Hey dad, you should try Duncan. It's really good and bring it to Canada." And uh when I went and visit her, uh I actually started uh testing all their products and I went through the whole gam of products from the hot coffees to the espresso base to the refreshers to the uh cold brews. Um I tried their breakfast sandwiches and I kind of find that um they're a step above uh of what's being offered here in that category in Canada. So, I thought it'd be a good move to uh to bring uh Duncan back. Um, are we going to add Canadian twists to it? Of course, we are. There's a lot of uh different products that might work here that may not work down south uh that we're going to uh work with Inspire to bring up here. Uh but, you know, we kind of find that it's a it's a younger, cooler brand, uh more up to date, especially on the liquid side, uh with their refreshers and their protein uh uh drinks. So, uh, we think there's a big market there, especially with, uh, the 13 to 30 year olds. I think we're gonna really resonate with them.

[00:19:42]>> Mammoth says they plan to open hundreds of Canadian outlets beginning in December of 2026 or January of 2027 with plans to open one new store per week by next spring. Exciting news for doughnut lovers. Look out, Tim Hortons. And now, here's a look at today's markets.

[00:20:03]The TSX was up 151 points on the day to 34,290.

[00:20:08]The Dow was up 56 to 49,760.

[00:20:12]The S&P 500 was down 11 to 7,400. And the Nasdaq was down 185 points to finish at 26,088.

[00:20:21]West Texas Intermediate Oil was up 398 to 10258 US per barrel. Natural gas was down 7 to 283 US. Gold was down $20.94 to 471478 US an ounce and silver was up 48 to8657 US an ounce. Feed wheat is at $8.71 per bushel. Barley is at 708. Canola is at 1703 and corn is at $7.82 per bushel.

[00:20:53]Live cattle June contract was down $1.70 to 24770.

[00:20:58]Feeder cattle were down 250 to 365.90.

[00:21:02]Lean hogs were up 5 to $90.92.

[00:21:06]And the Canadian dollar was even over the past 24 hours at 73 US.

[00:21:17]Recapping one of today's top stories.

[00:21:19]The Alberta and federal governments are being taken to court by a northeastern Alberta First Nation. The Mckisu cre alleging oil sands and industrial development has infringed on its members treaty rights and harmed the local environment and communities. The nation also alleges industrial pollution is sickening its members about a thousand of whom continue to live in the area.

[00:21:42]The Federal Crown Indigenous Relations Department would only say it is reviewing the claim.

[00:21:49]Canada's economy has been described as lower growth. To get the economy to shift into a higher gear, the Carney government put into place Bill C5, the Building Canada Act. Then they created the major projects office. So you might be wondering if there's a new major project ready to be approved. Brian Lily, political columnist for the Toronto Sun, says not so fast. The Carne government still needs to look at legislation for this speed up process to even begin. Stay with us to hear more from Lily, which is next. Also, when you see news happening in your community, be sure to send us an email at info@bridge citynews.ca. You can also visit our website or YouTube channel anytime to check out more of our content as well as our poll questions.