• Manitoba judge strikes claims against North West Company in proposed class action over grocery subsidy money

  Source: Territories - Northern Affairs (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut)
  Date: 2026-10-24 11:00:00.0
  Tags: [National, Indigenous, Affordability, Justice]

  A Manitoba Court of King's Bench judgment handed down by former Chief Justice Glenn Joyal struck all claims in a proposed class-action lawsuit against the North West Company regarding the federal Nutrition North Canada program. Plaintiffs Nellie Kusugak, Malaya Qaunirq Chapman, Isabelle Chapadeau, and Chief Darryl Wastesicoot had alleged breach of contract, unjust enrichment, and breaches of the Competition Act and provincial consumer protection laws, claiming the retailer kept millions in subsidy money meant to lower northern grocery prices. The court ruled the claims were certain to fail because third-party consumers have no right to sue under the federal funding agreement between the retailer and the government, and the unjust enrichment and consumer protection arguments lacked legal viability.

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• New Tiny Home Development Will Expand Housing Opportunities For Métis Citizens in Northern Saskatchewan

  Source: Saskatchewan - Government News
  Date: 2026-09-23 22:00:00.0
  Tags: [Saskatchewan, Housing, Affordability, Social Services, Indigenous, Infrastructure]

  The governments of Canada and Saskatchewan, alongside the Métis Nation-Saskatchewan (MN-S), are investing a total of $3.26 million to construct 12 new energy-efficient tiny homes in Buffalo Narrows, La Loche, and Cumberland House. The project includes $1.5 million in joint federal-provincial funding through the Rental Development Program and the National Housing Strategy - Saskatchewan Priorities Initiative, complemented by a $1.58 million contribution from MN-S. Led by Métis Nation-Saskatchewan, the development will provide affordable rental housing for single low-income Métis citizens and Elders, with construction slated for completion by spring 2027.

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• Nunavut is paying foster parents more. Advocates say it still isn't enough

  Source: Territories - Northern Affairs (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut)
  Date: 2026-09-11 12:00:00.0
  Tags: [National, Social Services, Indigenous, Affordability]

  Nunavut’s Department of Family Services has increased daily foster care rates by 45 per cent, raising payments from $58 to $84.10 per day in communities such as Iqaluit, Arviat, and Rankin Inlet, with corresponding percentage increases in other settlements. The rate adjustment, which is the first of its kind in six years, applies retroactively as of April 1, 2026, to address rising living costs and increased demands on the territory's 218 foster homes. However, child and youth advocate Jane Bates and former foster parents report that structural program deficiencies, administrative communication gaps, and severe payment delays persist within the department.

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