Manitoba could make history by electing first First Nations premier to lead province
By Brittany Hobson THE CANADIAN PRESS WINNIPEG-A First Nations premier would head a province for the first time in Canadian history if the New Democrats win the Oct. 3 Manitoba election, and the significance is not lost on party leader Wab Kinew. “My dad was not allowed to vote when he was a young man, and I have a shot at potentially leading the province,” he said in an interview with The Canadian Press last month. “That’s a big change that speaks to progress in our country and in our province within one generation.” Kinew was born in Ontario and lived on the Onigaming First Nation as a young boy. His late father was a residential school survivor who endured horrific abuse and passed on to Kinew the importance of...
Log In Register
Six Nations Elected Council nominations are in with two vying for elected chief
By Lynda Powless Editor SIX NATIONS OF THE GRAND RIVER- Its official…Six Nations is in election mode! Nominations for Six Nations coming November band council elections are in and there are two people seeking the top spot on the elected council, former Elected Chief Steve Williams and current councillor Sherri-Lyn Hill. Saturday’s (Sept., 23, 2023) nominations at the Six Nations community hall resulted in 14 people running for 12 councillor seats including six members of the current council and there are some surprising names surfacing. Running for councillor positions are: Cynthia Jamieson, Steve Williams was also nominated as a councillor, Hazel Johnson, Audrey Powless-Bomberry, Alaina Marie VanEvery, Melba Iris Thomas, Amos George Key, Kerry Dean Bomberry, Rheva Helen Miller, Gregory Hal Frazer, Carole Lesley Greene, Jennifer Lynn Murdock, Dean Earl...
Log In Register
Haldimand OPP charge four in thefts from vehicles in Caledonia
CALEDONIA, ON – Haldimand County OPP have charged two Hamilton teenagers and two youths after reports of thefts from vehicles in Caledonia. Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Haldimand Detachment responded to a call September 21, 2023, at approximately 4:30 a.m., after a citizens reported seeing an individual attempting to enter a vehicle on Jamieson Drive in Caledonia. Responding officers located the suspect vehicle, but it fled the scene. A short time later, police received a report of a collision on Caledonia Avenue involving the suspect vehicle. Officers on patrol located and arrested five individuals, four of which were charged. Dylan Raposo, 18, of Hamilton and Zamil Ali, 18, of Hamilton, are both charged under the Criminal Code with Possession of Property Obtained by Crime (under $5000) and Obstruct Peace Officer. Both...
Log In Register
Police injured in ‘moments of chaos’: Coquitlam, B.C. mayor
COQUITLAM, B.C- Police officers have been injured amid what the mayor of Coquitlam, B.C., says were moments of chaos in his city’s downtown core. Richard Stewart couldn’t share details of the officers’ injuries, but said he had been briefed on the situation along with Premier David Eby and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth. “This kind of stuff is extremely troubling,” Stewart said. Eby said there had been a critical incident involving RCMP in the Metro Vancouver suburb. “And as soon as we can share more information, we will, but (the) public is not at further risk at this time,” Eby told reporters at a question-and-answer session after he spoke to an annual convention of local politicians. Coquitlam Mounties announced shortly after 11 a.m. Friday that an area several blocks long in a...
Log In Register
Brantford Police arrest four youth after assault involving multiple youths
BRANTFORD, ONT- Brantford Police Service (BPS) have arrested four youths and are continuing to investigate an overnight assault involving multiple youth in the Brantwood Park Road area that saw two youth suffer non-life-threatening injuries after being stabbed. Police received a 911 call reporting the dispute at about 8:30 pm Thursday, September 21, 2023. The caller told police multiple youth were involved in a dispute which escalated, resulting in two youth sustaining non-life-threatening injuries from a stabbing. The victims were transported to hospital for treatment of the injuries. This investigation is active and ongoing with four youths arrested at this time.The Brantford Police Service said it has been working in collaboration with representatives from both the Grand Erie District School Board and the Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board to...
Log In Register
Millions added to B.C. funding for rural, volunteer and First Nations firefighters
VANCOUVER- The British Columbia government is providing more money to rural, First Nations and volunteer fire departments across the province. A statement from the Office of the Premier says the money will be used to help local fire departments upgrade equipment and training. The statement says $1.4 million will go to the Union of British Columbia Municipalities for community firefighting training and the purchase of new or replacement fire hoses, first-aid kits or other equipment. The Fire Chiefs’ Association of B.C. will receive $1.75 million to provide fire training for rural and First Nations fire departments, while another $1.6 million will go toward an education campaign targeting youths, seniors and those most at risk of fire-related injuries. The province says the funding builds on the $6.3 million provided to more...
Log In Register
Six Nations man facing Dangerous Driving charge
SIX NATIONS OF THE GRAND RIVER- Six Nations Police have charged at 47-year-old local man with Dangerous Driving after spotting a vehicle speed through a four-way stop. Police said on Thursday, September 21, 2023, at about 1 :00 AM, Six Nations Police officers saw a Sports Utility vehicle travelling in the wrong lane at a high rate of speed on Tuscarora Road that failed to stop for the four-way stop sign at an intersection. Police pulled the vehicle over and the driver was placed under arrest without incident. As a result of the arrest police also learned the driver had an outstanding Arrest Warrant due to failing to appear in court on other matters. As a result, Roger Martin, 47, of Ohsweken was arrsted and charged with: – Dangerous Driving
CP NewsAlert: Critical incident involving RCMP, B.C. Premier David Eby says
CP NewsAlert: COQUITLAM, B.C.- British Columbia Premier David Eby says there’s been a critical incident involving RCMP in the Metro Vancouver suburb of Coquitlam. A witness on the scene says she saw an officer with a bloody leg and a tourniquet above the wound. Coquitlam Mounties announced shortly after 11 a.m. that an area several blocks long in a business and residential area of the city had been closed off due to an ongoing police incident. MORE TO COME…
‘Ajuinnata Ukraine’: Gov. Gen. Mary Simon inspires Zelenskyy with Inuktitut word
OTTAWA-Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy ended his historic wartime address to Canada’s House of Commons with an Inuktitut message of inspiration and reliance that came from the Governor General herself. Zelenskyy met with Gov. Gen. Mary Simon earlier in the day, when she taught him an Inuktitut word she has shared with world leaders, Indigenous communities and Canadian children alike: ajuinnata. He says she told him the word means don’t give up, and stay strong against all odds. Simon is Canada’s first Indigenous person to hold her position, and she has referred to the Inuit concept of ajuinnata countless times since she took on the job in 2021. The Governor General’s office says the word is meaningful to Simon, who heard it from her elders while growing up, and adds that...
Log In Register
Four Points Books presents Indigenous Speaker series
By Julia Archelene Magsombol Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Invermere’s local bookstore, Four Points Books, presents their September Speaker Series, featuring three leaders from the local Indigenous Peoples. “Leading into Truth & Reconciliation Day, we wanted to help our community learn more about the Indigenous Peoples with whom we share the Columbia Valley,” said bookstore owner Grant Hofer. The Speaker Series featured senior Metis representative Debra Fisher on Sept. 14. The next event in the series will be held Sept. 28 at 6:30 p.m and includes representatives from Secwepemc and K’tunaxa nations Everyone is welcome to attend for free and can register in advance online. Fisher, who is the regional director of Metis Nation BC (Region 4) and past president of the Columbia Valley Metis Association (CVMA), discussed the definition of “Truth...
Log In Register
Hawaii economists say Lahaina locals could be priced out of rebuilt town without zoning changes
By Andrew Selsky And Jennifer Sinco Kelleher THE ASSOCIATED PRESS HONOLULU (AP)-Residents who survived the wildfire that leveled the Hawaii town of Lahaina might not be able to afford to live there after it is rebuilt unless officials alter the zoning laws and make other changes, economists warned Friday. “The risk is very real,? Carl Bonham, executive director of the University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization, told a virtual news conference ahead of the group’s release Friday of its quarterly state economic forecast. Soaring housing prices have already forced some Native Hawaiians to leave the islands and move to the U.S. mainland. The wildfire that claimed at least 97 lives and destroyed 2,200 buildings in the West Maui community of Lahaina, 86% of which were residential, amplifies that problem for...
Log In Register
Teme Augama Anishnabai oppose Metis claims
By Darlene Wroe Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Up to 30 members of the Teme-Augama Anishnabai and the Temagami First Nation gathered outside the North Bay office of the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) on September 18. They were there to protest the ministry’s support of a cabin built on N’dakimenan, the territorial land of the Teme-Augama Anishnabai (TAA). The cabin construction is supported by the Metis Nation of Ontario (MNO), and builders of the cabin claim membership in the MNO. The TAA and Temagami First Nation have now issued an eviction notice to the MNO and to the two men who constructed the cabin. TAA Second Chief John Turner related in a telephone interview he is a descendant of the original occupants of the land where the...
Log In Register
New Prince Albert FNUC campus ready for construction pending funding approval
By Jayda Taylor Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Prince Albert’s new First Nations university campus is set for shovels to hit the ground, pending significant funding approval. The First Nations University of Canada (FNUC) has been waiting for a few months to hear back about a $25 million grant from Infrastructure Canada. This would fund almost half of the roughly $55 million build, according to President Jacqueline Ottmann. She said the upgrade would bring the campus’ student capacity up from about 300 students to 450. “That is significant growth for us and the building is also designed to host community events,” she said. “In the facility that we’re in right now, that can’t happen. We just don’t have the space there,” she said. The current FNUC campus in the city is located...
Log In Register
Hire more Inuit and support them: NTI president
By Jeff Pelletier Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Employers have a responsibility under the Nunavut Agreement to hire more Inuit and support them at work, says Aluki Kotierk, president of Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. Kotierk shared her call to action during her lunchtime keynote address Wednesday at the Nunavut Trade Show in Iqaluit. With a theme of resiliency being a major part of this year’s events, Kotierk said the many organizations and businesses that operate in Nunavut must contribute to resilience through sustainable employment. “In the creation of Nunavut, there was an expectation that Inuit would be fully engaged in contributing to a prosperous economy,” she said. Kotierk pointed to articles 23 and 24 of the Nunavut Agreement, which pertain to Inuit employment and assistance to Inuit employees, respectively. She said there...
Log In Register
Destructive West Kelowna blaze that spurred B.C.’s wildfire crisis is under control
By Ashley Joannou THE CANADIAN PRESS WEST KELOWNA, B.C.- The large wildfire that destroyed dozens of homes in West Kelowna, B.C., and was a key front in the province’s most devastating fire season on record is now considered “held” after raging out of control since mid-August. The 139-square-kilometre McDougall Creek fire destroyed or damaged nearly 190 properties and forced the evacuation of thousands of people. The province’s wildfire service said that while holding the fire is an important milestone, there’s still much work ahead and multiple hazards are present in some areas. The classification means officials believe the blaze is not likely to spread past predetermined boundaries under current conditions. “The response to a fire of this scale requires strong teamwork and collaboration across jurisdictions,” an online statement by the BC...
Log In Register
Ontario chiefs’ rally turns up the heat on Metis self government legislation
By Shari Narine Local Journalism Initiative Reporter First Nations chiefs and scholars in Ontario addressed a rally on Parliament Hill Sept. 20 and accused the federal government of “modern day colonialism”. The rally was in response to a bill that recognizes self-government for the Metis Nations of Ontario, Alberta and Saskatchewan. Bill C-53 awaits third and final reading in the House of Commons. “We are the rights holders and it is our territory protected by treaty,” said Chief Wilfred King of the Gull Bay First Nation. At issue is the proposed Act respecting the recognition of certain Metis governments in Alberta, Ontario and Saskatchewan, to give effect to treaties with those governments and to make consequential amendments to other Acts. The bill was tabled June 16 as a government motion...
Log In Register
Manitoba party leaders square off in live, hour long televised debate
Progressive Conservative Leader Heather Stefanson, NDP Leader Wab Kinew, and Liberal Leader Dougald Lamont By Steve Lambert THE CANADIAN PRESS WINNIPEG- Manitoba’s three main party leaders squared off over health care, the cost of living and other issues during a one-hour televised leaders debate Thursday night in advance of the Oct. 3 provincial election. NDP Leader Wab Kinew, whose party is leading in opinion polls, was a frequent target of the other two leaders. Progressive Conservative Leader Heather Stefanson, aiming to lead her party to a third consecutive term, accused Kinew of promising $3 billion in new spending, which she said would require a hike in the provincial sales tax. The former NDP government raised the tax in 2013 and was voted out in the next election. Kinew flatly denied...
Log In Register
B.C. First Nation research finds 158 child deaths at four facilities
MISSION, BRITISH COLUMBIA- An investigation into unmarked graves and missing children by British Columbia’s Sto:lo Nation has revealed at least 158 deaths, most of them at a hospital. But representatives from the Sto:lo Nation Chiefs’ Council and Sto:l? Research and Resource Management Centre said Thursday that their work has only just begun, and is being hampered by lack of access to information from the federal government and religious institutions that were involved in the schools. As part of the nation’s “Taking Care of Our Children” project, researchers provided Sto:lo members and the media with an update Thursday on archival research, field work involving ground-penetrating radar, and genealogical research into historical sites of three residential schools, cemeteries and a First Nation hospital. Researchers with the nation said the documents show most...
Log In Register
Chiefs From Treaties 6, 7 And 8 Territories Oppose Controversial Metis Nation Self Governance Bill
By Jeremy Appel Local Journalism Initiative Reporter As Metis Nation of Alberta (MNA) members announce that Andrea Sandmaier has been elected president in their first election under the Otipemisiwak self-governance framework, First Nations are criticizing how the new MNA governance structure was foisted upon them without consultation. They are joining voices with several Metis groups who have also expressed concerns. Chiefs from Treaties 6, 7 and 8 announced they were joining Ontario First Nations in opposition to Bill C-53, which was tabled by the federal government on June 21. The proposed legislation formalizes the Canadian government’s recognition of “certain” Metis governments in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Ontario as self-governing entities constitutionally on par with First Nations. Assembly of First Nations Interim National Chief Joanne Bernard called the bill a “colonial piece...
Log In Register
Documentary `Soop on Wheels’ re released for National Truth and Reconciliation Day
By Cory Bilyea Local Journalism Initiative Reporter MIDWESTERN ONTARIO-Sandy Greer is upset about what she is calling a “resurgence of racism” in Canada, and she wants to do something about it. The former journalist and filmmaker spent years learning how to be a good Indigenous ally. She decided to re-release her 1998 film, Soop on Wheels, to keep the truth about residential schools out there and to keep fulfilling a promise she made to Everett Soop, the subject of her film. The film is the story of Soop, an Indigenous journalist, cartoonist and humourist. A tale of the “tenacity of the human spirit,” read the film synopsis. “It is a story of hope and healing, relating the life and contributions of Everett Soop (1943-2001).” Soop belonged to the Blackfoot Nation...
