Study points to Dryden mill’s pollution
By Mike Stimpson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter GRASSY NARROWS – New research suggests there’s no end in sight to his First Nation’s mercury-poisoning woes, and that comes as no surprise to Chief Rudy Turtle. “We’ve always had some suspicion that there was still something being dumped into the Wabigoon River that’s causing problems, because our band members would drive by the river and see these suds and the discoloration of the river,” the Grassy Narrows chief said in an interview Friday. “There’s always been suspicion that something else was going on,” he continued. “So we’re not surprised, but at the same time we’re very disappointed.” A team led by Western University biologist Brian Branfireun looked into whether effluent from Dryden’s pulp and paper mill is elevating mercury levels in the...
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Work interrupted again at Parks Canada site
Parks Canada has hit another snag in Nipigon. Finn Way General Contractor Inc. have once again had to halt construction of Parks Canada’s new Lake Superior National Marine Conservation Area Administration and Visitor Centre in Nipigon. Site Supervisor and Parks Canada spokesperson, Lisa Nyman, confirmed that work has been paused at the construction site but could not confirm the exact cause at this time. Construction was previously brought to a stop on May 8 when a non-human bone and additional objects – including Coke bottles and kitchenware all dating back to the mid-to-late 20th century – were discovered during excavation of the construction site. At the time, Nyman told Dougall Media reporters Parks Canada is following the guidance of terrestrial archeology professionals and recommendations from the Red Rock Indian Band...
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UN experts warn Canada lacks proper oversight, safeguards for people behind bars
The Canadian Press A panel of United Nations experts say Canada is failing to ensure equitable justice, citing trial delays and problems with initiatives meant to lower the rate of Indigenous people behind bars. The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention also says there needs to be a cap on how long Ottawa can detain foreigners without charge. And it notes the Canada Border Services Agency lacks any official oversight body, despite border guards interacting with some of the most vulnerable people in Canada. Ottawa can detain foreigners without charge when it can’t identify them, or when immigration officers suspect they won’t show up to hearings that determine whether they can stay in Canada. The panel visited four provinces just as Ottawa announced plans to use federal prisons for...
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IRC launches ‘first of its kind’ Inuvialuit research network
By Aastha Sethi Local Journalism Initiative Reporter The Inuvialuit Regional Corporation is launching a community research network in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region. In a news release, the IRC said the network would provide the six Inuvialuit communities – Aklavik, Inuvik, Sachs Harbour, Paulatuk, Tuktoyaktuk and Ulukhaktok – with one community research administrator each. That administrator will act as a point of contact for “research matters in their home communities and support the implementation of IRC’s climate change, energy, marine, Inuvialuit Knowledge, sociocultural and environmental research programs,” the IRC stated, adding a manager will oversee the program. Administrators will be responsible for providing opportunities for residents develop skills through the likes of mentorship, job shadowing, courses and workshops. The IRC said its network will be “the first of its kind”...
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Forcing northerners to travel for CT scans ‘unacceptable,’ Quebec leader charges
By Cedric Gallant Local Journalism Initiative 24/05/2024 14:22 An opposition party motion calling for a CT scanner to be installed in Nunavik has received unanimous support Tuesday in Quebec’s National Assembly. Acadia MNA André Morin, the Liberal spokesperson for relations with First Nations and Inuit, called on the CAQ government to offer medical imaging services in the region by installing CT scans “as soon as possible.” “Would the CAQ government tolerate that citizens of Laval or Trois-Rivières need to travel 1,500 kilometres to obtain a medical diagnosis?” Morin said later that day in a news release, calling it “unacceptable” that northern residents have to do that. “It is the responsibility of the state to offer the same services to all citizens on the whole of its territory, even more so...
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Situation ‘critical’ in Nunavik: Commission demands changes in youth protection
By Cedric Gallant Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Nunavik’s youth in child protection services have limited access to nutritious food and experience overcrowding and other socio-economic conditions associated with child neglect, according to a report released last week. “The situation remains critical for children in Nunavik,” said the Report on the Implementation of the Recommendations of the Report on Youth Protection Services in Nunavik, released May 17 by Quebec’s Human Rights and Youth Commission. The report points to the need to focus on the “root causes” behind what it calls a “widespread violation” of Nunavik children’s rights. According to the report, 1,119 out of the region’s total youth population of 5,594 are under the care of youth protection services. That equates to 20 per cent of Nunavik’s youth, in contrast to...
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West Moberly First Nations to receive funding for geothermal project
By Ed Hitchins Local Journalism Initiative 24/05/2024 14:36 West Moberly First Nations (WMFN) will receive $299,404 toward a new geothermal project. The funds come from the BC Indigenous Clean Energy Initiative (BCICEI), a partnership between the federal and provincial governments and the Vancouver-based non-profit New Relationship Trust. West Moberly is among 35 First Nations provincewide to receive $9.8 billion in funding toward various renewable energy projects. The clean energy projects vary in size, ranging from air-source heat pumps to conducting a feasibility study for a 40-megawatt wind project. In WMFN’s case, the funds will go toward the project design and engineering for a geothermal facility that will provide heat to a commercial-scale greenhouse. This is not West Moberly’s first alternative energy project. In 2021, the First Nation announced the launch...
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Revive and promote the seal hunt, federal report recommends
By Matteo Cimellaro Local Journalism Initiative When Paul McCartney campaigned against the seal hunt in 2006, it was unclear how reliant the Inuit and some coastal community economies were on the trade. “We are concerned about the economics for the people, but we think there are other ways to do it,” McCartney said at the time. Three years later, the European Union banned all seal products. The market for seal products was decimated, and with it came the rise of poverty and suicide within Inuit communities despite exemptions for their products, Steven Lonsdale of the Qikiqtani Inuit Association told the Senate Committee on Fisheries and Oceans late last year. Now, a new report from that committee acknowledges the harm done by the ban and recommends Ottawa must do more to...
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Tribes say their future is at stake as they push for Congress to consider Colorado River settlement
The Associated Press Within the heart of the Navajo Nation and in the shadow of the sandstone arch that is the namesake of the tribal capitol, a simple greeting and big smiles were shared over and over again Friday as tribal officials gathered: “Yá‘át’ééh abíní!” It was a good morning indeed for Navajo President Buu Nygren as he signed legislation in Window Rock, Arizona, outlining a proposed water rights settlement that will ensure supplies from the Colorado River and other sources for three Native American tribes — as well as more security for drought-stricken Arizona. The signature came a day after the tribal council voted unanimously in favor of the measure. It also was approved this week by the San Juan Southern Paiute and Hopi tribes. Now, the three tribes...
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Batchewana implementing four-day work week for staff
By The Canadian Press/Kyle Darbyson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Batchewana First Nation (BFN) is adopting a four-day work week with the hope of creating a “healthier work environment” for its employees. After a successful trial run that began last May and ended in October, BFN officials announced on Thursday that they will use this modified Monday to Thursday work schedule “for the foreseeable future” to allow staff to work “smarter rather than longer.” Thursday’s news release announcing this change also clarified that BFN employees will not receive a reduction in pay as a result of the modified schedule. “Our staff are hardworking, dedicated individuals who often are responsible for much larger workloads than their counterparts in other organizations,” BFN Chief Mark McCoy said in Thursday’s release. “The intent of the four-day...
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Ottawa puts up more money to transform historic Bay building into Indigenous hub
By Canadian Press The federal government is putting up another $31 million for the transformation of a former Hudson’s Bay Company flagship store in Winnipeg. The project, announced two years ago, is to see the six-storey, 60,000-square-metre downtown building turned into an Indigenous hub of housing, social services, government offices and cultural space. Hudson’s Bay Company transferred the historic building in 2022 to the Southern Chiefs’ Organization, which represents 34 First Nation groups in southern Manitoba. Ottawa earlier put up $65 million in a combination of forgivable and low-interest loans, while the Manitoba government offered $35 million in support. The project has been running over its original $130-million budget, and the new federal money is earmarked for repairs and upgrades. The store opened in 1926 and closed in 2020, and...
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Search for truth goes on, regardless of killer Pickton’s fate, say victims’ advocates
The Canadian Press Staff 24/05/2024 04:00 Advocates for alleged victims of B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton say they remain focused on getting justice for the women, as Pickton lies in a Quebec hospital in a coma after being attacked in prison. Angela Marie MacDougall, executive director of Vancouver-based Battered Women’s Support Services, reflected on the weekend assault that left Pickton with what police called life-threatening injuries, saying “There’s something to be said about jailhouse justice.” But regardless of his fate, she said the fight on behalf of the women Pickton was accused of killing continues. She said that includes a legal application opposing an RCMP bid to destroy about 14,000 pieces of evidence collected in the Pickton investigation. There are also multiple ongoing lawsuits by family members of victims against...
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Îyârhe Nakoda Nation members to have day in court in Mînî Thnî
By Jessica Lee Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Provincial court is in session in Mînî Thnî. Twice a month, council chambers at the Stoney Tribal Administration building will host virtual provincial court proceedings that would have otherwise required Îyârhe Nakoda First Nation members to travel to Cochrane. “We reached out to Cochrane RCMP inspector Dave Brunner and together we worked hand-in-hand to develop – along with Crown prosecutor Vince Pingatore – a virtual court to benefit Îyârhe Nakoda Nation members, who, for whatever reason, needed to be in provincial court and who may not have the transportation resources to get to court,” said Reg Fountain, Nakoda Emergency Services director. The first session was held in April and proceedings will occur on the first and third Tuesdays of each month, where necessary....
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Waste from mill worsening mercury contamination in river near Grassy Narrows: study
The Canadian Press Industrial discharge from a paper mill in northern Ontario is exacerbating mercury contamination in a river system near a First Nation that has been plagued with mercury poisoning for decades, a new study suggests. While the wastewater from the Dryden, Ont., mill doesn’t contain mercury, the sulphate and organic matter in it contribute to the elevated production of methylmercury in the Wabigoon River, researchers from Western University said Thursday. The levels of methylmercury — the most toxic form of mercury — in the river’s fish may be twice as high as they would be without the mill discharge, they said. “The mill operations today are making the methylmercury contamination problem worse in the Wabigoon River and delaying the recovery of mercury contamination and fish in that system,”...
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Native American tribes give unanimous approval to proposal securing Colorado River water
The Associated Press The Navajo Nation Council has signed off on a proposed settlement that would ensure water rights for its tribe and two others in the drought-stricken Southwest — a deal that could become the most expensive enacted by Congress. The Navajo Nation has one of the largest single outstanding claims in the Colorado River basin. Delegates acknowledged the gravity of their vote Thursday and stood to applause after casting a unanimous vote. Many noted that the effort to secure water deliveries for tribal communities has spanned generations. Council Speaker Crystalyne Curley and other officials stood outside the chamber in Window Rock, Arizona, under a clear blue sky as the wind whipped. She recalled learning about the fight over water rights in school when she was a girl. Momentous...
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Allan Hawco, Snotty Nose Rez Kids among familiar names behind upcoming CBC lineup
The Canadian Press 23/05/2024 18:19 CBCs upcoming scripted lineup showcases diversity and familiar faces, with Indigenous hip-hop duo Snotty Nose Rez Kids, writer-actor Allan Hawco and comedy collaborators Jennifer Whalen and Meredith MacNeill debuting new series. The public broadcaster announced a fall and winter slate Thursday that includes the half-hour scripted show “Snotty Nose Rez Kids,” bound for early 2025. It tells the “not even true, real life story” of the Haisla Nation artists’ rise to fame with show creators Quinton (Yung Trybez) Nyce and Darren (Young D) Metz putting their story on TV after earning accolades in the music scene. “For us, as native kids trying to pursue something, there weren’t a lot of people who stood behind us. It was two steps forward and 10 steps back, and...
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New bill would let Canadians pass citizenship rights down to children born abroad
By Canadian Press Staff A new government bill tabled in the House of Commons on Thursday would allow Canadians to pass citizenship rights down to their children born outside the country — a move that would add an unknown number of new citizens. In 2009, former Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper’s government changed the law so that Canadian parents who were born abroad could not pass down their citizenship, unless their child was born in Canada. Those who have not had access to citizenship rights as a result of the amendments are known as “Lost Canadians.” The new bill looks to undo that change, which was struck down by a recent court challenge, and extend citizenship by descent beyond the first generation born outside of Canada. The legislation would automatically...
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Sex assault charge stayed against former MP Saganash‘
A sexual assault charge against former Member of Parliament, Romeo Saganash, was stayed earlier this week. The charge against the Cree lawyer, who had represented the Abitibi-Baie-James-Nunavik-Eeyou riding in northern Quebec from 2011 to 2019, was stayed in by a Manitoba court judge Tuesday. Saganash had been arrested June 7, 2023 by Winnipeg police when allegations the former NDP MP sexually touched a woman at a meeting on May 1, 2023 surfaced.The sex assault charge was referred to the provincial justice department’s restorative justice programming last October. On Tuesday, May 23rd, Crown prosecutor Bruce Sychuk asked provincial court Judge Rob Finlayson to stay the charge. He asked the judge to order a one-year peace bond barring contact and communication with the complainant, Carmen Roy. The request came as a result...
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Waste from mill worsening mercury contamination in river near Grassy Narrows: study
The Canadian Press 23/05/2024 14:40 Industrial discharge from a paper mill in northern Ontario is exacerbating mercury contamination in a river system near a First Nation that has been plagued with mercury poisoning for decades, a new study suggests. While the wastewater from the Dryden, Ont., mill doesn’t contain mercury, the sulphate and organic matter in it contribute to the elevated production of methylmercury in the Wabigoon River, researchers from the University of Western Ontario said Thursday. The levels of methylmercury — the most toxic form of mercury — in the river’s fish may be twice as high as they would be without the mill discharge, they said. “The mill operations today are making the methylmercury contamination problem worse in the Wabigoon River and delaying the recovery of mercury contamination...
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Métis National Council president not seeking re-election, citing growing family
The Canadian Press 23/05/2024 13:58 The president of the Métis National Council is not seeking re-election, saying she is instead going to focus on her growing family. Cassidy Caron was elected in 2021 as the youngest person ever to lead the organization, which represents Métis groups in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Ontario. She says she is proud of her work and she is leaving behind a “strong, functioning and ethical organization,” despite recent infighting. The council was most recently thrust into the spotlight over a federal bill that seeks to recognize the self-government of Métis groups in Ontario, Alberta and Saskatchewan. Caron maintained support for member groups’ self-government efforts, but First Nations and Manitoba Métis stand opposed to the bill and its progress in Parliament has stalled. The outgoing...
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