Chiefs of Ontario, Nishnawbe Aski Nation, and Canada sign an Ontario Final Agreement to reform child and family services
Today, the Chiefs of Ontario, Nishnawbe Aski Nation and Canada signed a landmark $8.5 billion agreement to reform the First Nations Child and Family Services Program in Ontario.
This new agreement affirms the right of First Nations in Ontario to make decisions regarding their children. It provides secure, flexible funding to support First Nations as well as funding that recognizes and accounts for the increased costs of services in remote communities. The Ontario Final Agreement is an Ontario-specific version of the national agreement on the First Nations Child and Family Services Program that was reached with the Assembly of First Nations, Chiefs of Ontario, and Nishnawbe Aski Nation in July 2024.
The agreement includes funding for capital, post-majority support services, First Nation representative services, and prevention, all of which support the objective of keeping First Nations children and youth in the care of their loved ones. Also included in the agreement is $258 million for First Nations to purchase, build, and renovate housing to prevent First Nations children from being taken into care and to support reunification efforts between children and their families.
As a next step, the Chiefs of Ontario, Nishnawbe Aski Nation, and Canada will file a joint motion with the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal to seek its approval of the agreement and the end of its oversight over the First Nations Child and Family Services Program in Ontario.
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The Government of Canada highlights progress on breast cancer screening research and implementation in Canada
Breast cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women. One in eight women in Canada is expected to be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. Raising awareness of breast cancer screening, which aims to detect cancer at an earlier, more treatable stage, is a priority for the Government of Canada.
The Government of Canada is committed to supporting the health of women by addressing knowledge gaps in breast cancer screening and prevention. The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), in collaboration with federal, provincial and territorial experts and stakeholders, hosted the event Closing the Gap: Action for Equity in Breast Cancer Screening. This event discussed improving accessibility and inclusivity in breast cancer screening, especially for underserved populations. Participants shared lessons learned and best practices that will be compiled into a resource guide that will be shared broadly across all jurisdictions to help improve equitable implementation of breast cancer screening in Canada.
PHAC is working closely with Statistics Canada to conduct analyses of national cancer trends, including examining differences in breast cancer rates based on where people live, their age and ethnicity. This will support informed and data driven breast cancer screening policy.
The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and partners have developed a multi-disciplinary roadmap that identifies research gaps for breast cancer screening and provides recommendations to guide future research activities in Canada. The roadmap summarizes what was heard from partners alongside key research areas and strategies to support breast cancer research in Canada.
The Government of Canada is also working directly with our partners, like the Canadian Partnership for Tomorrow’s Health and the Canadian Cancer Society, to generate better data to inform breast cancer screening practices and raise awareness of its importance in Canada.
Together, these initiatives support collaborative and scientific research, data collection, and public health guidance for breast cancer screening in Canada.
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The Government of Canada takes a further step to address homelessness in Manitoba
Winnipeg, Manitoba, February 26, 2025 — The Government of Canada announced today that an agreement to support people living without homes, including those in encampments, has been signed with Manitoba, as part of the Unsheltered Homelessness and Encampments Initiative (UHEI). Funding will support the implementation of a Community Encampment Response Plan and will immediately provide additional support to people living without homes. Manitoba’s plan is tailored to the specific needs of Winnipeg.
Through this agreement, over two years, the federal government will provide $7.5 million in funding, a contribution that is matched by the province. This is on top of what the federal government is investing in Manitoba through Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy, a total of $231 million over nine years from 2019-2028.
This funding will aim to address homelessness and encampments, primarily in Winnipeg, by establishing a 20 to 30 bed supportive housing facility, prioritizing individuals experiencing unsheltered homelessness. Additionally, funding will help expand winter services at nine drop-in spaces, providing essential resources like shelter, meals, laundry facilities, and connections to housing services. Flexible funding will help organizations cover non-recurring expenses, such as rent arrears and temporary lodging, to support individuals transitioning out of encampments.
Housing provides stability and security and serves as the foundation for overall well-being. Everyone has a right to safe housing, regardless of their circumstances. Every Canadian deserves a safe and affordable place to live.
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The governments of Canada and Nova Scotia announce investments in reducing homelessness and an agreement to address unsheltered homelessness
Halifax, Nova Scotia, February 26, 2025 — The federal government is investing over $14 million to support communities in addressing homelessness in Nova Scotia, through Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy and the Unsheltered Homelessness and Encampments Initiative (UHEI).Through Reaching Home, the federal government is supporting Halifax in preventing and reducing homelessness with an investment of more than $8.7 million allocated to the Affordable Housing Association of Nova Scotia (AHANS).
This brings the total allocation for Halifax through the Designated Communities stream of Reaching Home to $52.6 million over nine years from 2019-20 through 2027-28.
As the Designated Community Entity in Halifax, AHANS works closely with stakeholders and community members on the front lines seeking to end homelessness in the region. This much needed funding will be invested in infrastructure and supports that work with some of the most vulnerable in our community to find suitable housing, and end the systemic challenges that contribute to chronic homelessness.
Additionally, the federal government and the Government of Nova Scotia announced that an agreement to support people living without homes has been signed as part of the Unsheltered Homelessness and Encampments Initiative (UHEI). Under this agreement, the Government of Canada will contribute $5.3 million over two years. The Government of Nova Scotia will match this contribution.
Funding will support the implementation of a Community Encampment Response Plan (CERP) that is tailored to the specific needs of Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM), and includes expanding outreach services, expanding and stabilizing shelter capacity, and strengthening collaboration with partners.
Federal funding provided through this agreement is part of a $250-million commitment, outlined in Budget 2024, to address the urgent issue of encampments and unsheltered homelessness across Canada.
Housing provides stability and security and serves as the foundation for overall well-being. Everyone has a right to safe housing, regardless of their circumstances. Every Canadian deserves a safe and affordable place to live.
More agreements with provinces and territories are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
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Government of Canada invests $1.35 million in new airborne sensing lab so local companies can develop cutting-edge technologies
PacifiCan funding will help local businesses to harness data, test new technologies, and bring innovations to global markets by accessing this ‘lab in the sky’ at the University of British Columbia’s Okanagan campus
February 26, 2025 – Kelowna, British Columbia – PacifiCan
British Columbia is home to talented innovators creating technologies needed here in Canada and around the world and driving advancements across industries. To support local businesses and enhance collaboration between industry and academia, the Government of Canada is investing in new technologies to help bring more made-in-B.C. innovations to global markets.
Today, the Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan, Minister of Emergency Preparedness and Minister responsible for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada (PacifiCan), announced $1.35 million in PacifiCan funding for the University of British Columbia’s Okanagan campus (UBCO) to create Western Canada’s first airborne sensing lab. This lab will help B.C. small and medium-sized businesses develop remote sensing technologies for environmental monitoring, security, and hazard detection.
Remote sensing technologies use sensors to collect data about the Earth's surface without direct contact, offering groundbreaking applications in various industries. With this funding, UBCO will equip a small aircraft with infrared, radar, and hyperspectral sensors, enabling the collection and analysis of high-resolution data.
The airborne sensing lab will help local companies test and refine new technologies, accelerate existing projects and gain a competitive edge in the global sensor data market, which is projected to reach $25 billion by 2027. Many of the lab’s key partners are local companies developing artificial intelligence (AI) software that analyzes sensor data, helping to strengthen the Okanagan’s growing digital technology sector.
This project builds on the UBC Survive and Thrive Applied Research (STAR) lab, a PacifiCan-funded initiative that is developing high-impact technologies for the health, sports, and defense sectors. The addition of the airborne sensing lab will allow UBC STAR to expand into new areas, such as agriculture and forestry. This expansion will also help Indigenous communities more sustainably manage land and marine resources by providing access to the lab’s advanced data collection tools.
Today’s investment, made through PacifiCan’s Regional Innovation Ecosystems program, is expected to generate $4.5 million in revenue, $1 million for research and development, and support more than 10 local small and medium-sized businesses. It will also create training opportunities and high-quality jobs, including for women and youth.
Read here for more information.
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