The department called on an external firm, Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton, "to examine the situation and validate the alleged facts." Its report is expected to be made public in coming weeks.

The department said it "will not hesitate to take all necessary measures in response to the findings of the report to remedy any deficiencies or problems identified."

A SDTC spokesperson said the foundation is continuing its activities in the meantime.

"SDTC is fully cooperating with the fact-finding exercise undertaken by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada in response to allegations made by a small group of former employees," said Janemary Banigan. "We eagerly await the findings, so that we can put this matter behind us and focus on serving Canadian entrepreneurs."

She said SDTC hired external counsel to look into the allegations and they "found no evidence to substantiate any of the allegations made."

The foundation has provided $1.6 billion in funding to more than 500 businesses since its inception in 2001.

Whistleblower complaints

A group of former and current SDTC employees has filed a formal complaint about the agency's management with the federal government.

The group initially took its allegations to the Office of the Auditor General last year but was told to direct its complaint to the Privy Council Office before ending up at Champagne's department. A spokesperson for the Office of the Auditor General said that while it is not conducting an audit, it continues to follow the matter.

Sources said Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton examined several elements of SDTC's operations, such as its management of internal policies and expenditure approval process.

External investigators analyzed contribution agreements with more than a dozen companies that received $100 million from SDTC from 2017 to 2022.

One of the issues raised by the whistleblowers was SDTC's decision to offer a 5 per cent boost in funding to all previous funding recipients at the end of the 2020 and 2021 fiscal years. The additional payments — which SDTC said were necessary to help firms deal with the COVID-19 pandemic — cost the organization nearly $40 million.

"The government granted SDTC additional financial flexibility during the pandemic to support the Canadian small businesses in our portfolio through an uncertain time," said Banigan.

Minister praised SDTC's 'crucial' work

In a video message last year, Champagne praised SDTC's "substantive contribution" to Canada's economic development.

"As the country's leading source of funding for small and medium-sized clean technology companies, you truly play a crucial role in ensuring a low-carbon future," he said.

SDTC has been led since 2015 by CEO Leah Lawrence, an expert in the clean technology field. She is an engineer by training and has a master's degree in economics from the University of Calgary.

Annette Verschuren, a well-known figure in the Canadian business world, has been SDTC's board chair since 2019. She joined several businesspeople on a 2017 visit by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to Washington, D.C., where the Canadian delegation met with then-U.S. president Donald Trump.

The Winnipeg Police Service believes the bodies of presumed homicide victims Morgan Harris and Marcedes Myran lie within the landfill. The police revealed this in December , setting off discussions about a potential search among all three levels of government, Indigenous leaders and the families of the missing women.

Stefanson initially announced in July the province would not help fund that search, citing health and safety concerns for workers and low prospects of success. The PC leader has since repeated her opposition dozens of times, but only over the past week made this position a central aspect of her messaging.

'Disgusting'

Chief Kyra Wilson of Long Plain First Nation, the home community of both Myran and Harris, described the new PC strategy as extremely hurtful to the families dealing with the loss of their loved ones.

"I think that it's just a complete lack of compassion and disregard for everyone that's impacted by this," she said in an interview.

"The fact that Heather Stefanson and the PCs are using a family's pain to motivate their campaign messaging, I think that is disgusting. I think that it's sick."

Cambria Harris, the daughter of Morgan Harris, accused Stefanson in a Facebook post of launching "a smear campaign" against her family's desire for the landfill search.

"Thank you Heather Stefanson for continuing to show us Manitobans that you do not in fact stand for the Indigenous community," Harris said in the post.

Chief Kyra Wilson of Long Plain First Nation, the home community for both Marcedes Myran and Morgan Harris, says the new PC strategy shows a 'lack of compassion.' (Submitted by Kyra Wilson)

Nahanni Fontaine, the NDP incumbent candidate for St. John's, said it's unfortunate the PC party chose to campaign on its opposition to the landfill search.

"I think it is entirely disrespectful to politicize and make this an election issue and I would submit most Manitobans would agree with us," said Fontaine. "It's one of many dog whistles that we're seeing in this election."

Kevin Klein, the PC candidate for Kirkfield Park, said Sunday it's fair to describe opposition to a landfill search is a central part of his party's campaign but insisted "other parties" are raising the landfill search for political gain.

"Maybe they see it as a wedge issue. Maybe it will help them. Maybe that's why they're talking," said Klein, whose own mother was murdered in Oshawa, Ont., in 1991.

"I think it's something that has been made political by others and they're bringing it back to the forefront and they want to keep talking about this because this is their agenda.

"Our premier has not wavered. Our premier has stuck to the facts and her decision."

Manitoba NDP Leader Wab Kinew, Liberal Leader Dougald Lamont and Progressive Conservative Leader Heather Stefanson debated on Sept. 21 at CBC Manitoba in Winnipeg. Stefanson used her first question to ask Kinew about the NDP's support for a landfill search. 

Paul Thomas, professor emeritus of political studies at the University of Manitoba, said it's almost impossible to politically finesse a stance on the landfill search because the ethical and emotional content is so high. 

He said Stefanson and the Progressive Conservative Party may genuinely consider a landfill search with a low prospect of success is not fiscally responsible and also may have polling to suggest a segment of the voting public agrees.

Thomas also said it's possible the PCs are acting defensively now that they're trailing the NDP in the polls.

"Their goal has become to hold as much political ground as possible. They might calculate that they have to go all-out negative in the final 10 days and make Wab Kinew and Indigenous issues a lightning rod to generate concern and to motivate their supporters," Thomas said. 

"This is risky. The approach has to be carefully balanced, not hysterical or seen as unfair. Otherwise they might prompt a backlash, especially among women voters in Winnipeg and even more specifically in south Winnipeg."

Chief Wilson suggested Stefanson's repeated focus on the potential cost and safety of a landfill search seems to preclude other ways to move forward.

"We're not saying give us $184 million and we'll call it a day. What we're saying is come to the table, have a conversation with us, bring solutions forward," Wilson said. "That is what she is not doing."

The signs advertise a play group for mothers and children to "join other proud parents of European children as we create an atmosphere in which our kids feel like they belong."

Contact information at the bottom of the posters refers to the group as "White Tri-Cities Parents and Tots." The Tri-Cities refers to the Metro Vancouver municipalities of Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam and Port Moody.

In its statement, Port Coquitlam condemned the signs and the group they advertise "in the strongest terms," adding that the city "promotes an environment without hate."

Report signs to police, cities say

The City of Coquitlam said in a release that the notices are racist because they "explicitly exclude" certain groups based on their race, and they have no place in the city.

"Coquitlam celebrates its rich diversity and we firmly believe that it is through the embrace of different backgrounds, cultures and experiences that we grow stronger as a community," it said.

The statement said the city encourages spaces that are inclusive of all children, no matter their backgrounds.

"Coquitlam encourages initiatives that promote unity, understanding and appreciation of the differences that make our community inclusive," it said, adding that any posters in the city would be removed.

Census data from Statistics Canada in 2021 says Coquitlam has a population of nearly 150,000 and Port Coquitlam has 62,000 residents, both with dozens of ethnicities represented. 

CBC News contacted the group's organizers through the email address provided on the sign, but has yet to receive a response.

On the messaging app Telegram, the group's page has more than 200 subscribers.

Steve September, the executive chair and director of Anti-racism Coalition Vancouver, said a group just for white people would only teach children about exclusion.

"Canada is not a white nation. Canada is a multicultural nation," he said. "This poster you see is excluding everybody except white mothers and their children."

September added that he's encouraged by the swift backlash over the signs on social media and from the cities where they have been found.

Both Port Coquitlam and Coquitlam are asking residents to report other signs to RCMP.

Coquitlam RCMP said they're investigating after receiving reports of "suspicious signs" in both Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam on Sunday. They're asking anyone with information regarding the signs to contact them at 604-945-1550, providing the file number 23-25827.

A large crowd of residents gathered for an event called Stronger than the Storm, which took place on Water Street East, where at least 10 homes were destroyed by Fiona's force. 

Kathleen Baker lost her home to Fiona, and said many of the emotions she felt in the moment have returned over the past week. She said she joined the event to lend support to others going through tough times.

"As this day approached, it started to get very emotional," Baker said. "We didn't expect that kind of damage."

Many people who spoke to CBC News said the wounds caused by the storm still feel fresh, but they also painted a picture of a community coming together to push forward.

"I think the majority of people just can't believe that it's been a year already," Haley Osmond, a member of the organizing committee, said. "It's really great that people wanted to come together and kind of talk about their experiences. There's strength in numbers.

"It's an anniversary that I wish we never had to have. But we do, and we're dealing with it as best we can. And I think we've come a long way," Port aux Basques Town Councillor Gwen Davis added.

Recovery ongoing

It took many residents months to be able to talk about the storm and their experiences, according to Rosalyn Roy, a reporter for Wreckhouse Weekly, a community newspaper that has followed the story for the past year.

Roy's book, Hurricane Fiona: After the Storm, was printed at 2 a.m. local time on Sunday to make sure it was ready for the anniversary. It features photos, interviews and other material that was left out of Roy's original reporting.

Roy said putting the book together was cathartic, serving as a way to help her and others reflect on the past year. However, she knows that many people's wounds will take more time to heal.

Most of her family are staying in High Level, but her daughter is staying with other relatives in Bushe River, Alta.

Godin said they got to High Level shortly after 2 a.m. and are staying at the High Level Sports Complex, which has been set up as an emergency shelter.

She said the trek to High Level was frightening.

"It was raining ashes, it got very dark and the colouring was just unreal," Godin said in a phone interview.

She said having to evacuate wildfires multiple times over the years is unsettling.

Godin knows the routine well after spending almost three years as the Dene 'Tha First Nation's director of emergency services.

It never gets easier, she said.

"Emotionally and mentally, it's very draining on an individual, let alone a family. Because there are some families that have up to 15 people living in one household," she said.

Godin encouraged residents who haven't yet evacuated to take the advice of emergency officials and leave immediately before emergency routes are compromised.

Residents from Chateh who have been ordered to evacuate can seek shelter at the 400 Evacuation Camp, located at the intersection of 98 Street and 98 Avenue in High Level, Alta.

They can also stay at the High Level Sports Complex.