Arrests and seizure of prohibited weapons after Brant County OPP stop vehicle
BRANT, ON -Two people have been arrested and several items seized included prohibited weapons after Brant County, Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) stopped a pickup truck on Colborne Street West,May 17th, 2024. OPP conducted a traffic stop on a U-Haul pickup truck on Colborne Street West between Airport Road and McGregor Avenue at about 1:42 a.m. Friday, May 17th and arrested for driving while under suspension when his driver’s license was found to have been suspended as a result of unpaid fines. OPP also found a female passenger in the vehicle who had an “active warrant from Almaguin Highlands OPP.” During a search of the vehicle OPP found what they called “items of interest” that included identity documents, prohibited weapons, a suspected opioid substance and drug paraphernalia. The driver, Jason Lowe,...
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Winnipeg trial hears admitted serial killer searched web for serial killer definition
The Canadian Press 21/05/2024 12:57 The trial of man who has admitted to killing four women has heard he searched the internet to look up the definition of what it means to be a serial killer. A Winnipeg police analyst says other online searches found on Jeremy Skibicki’s laptop were about DNA and destroying fingerprints. Riley Johansson testified that he traced months of online searches on Skibicki’s computer. Skibicki is charged first-degree murder in the deaths of four Indigenous women in 2022. He has admitted to the killings but his lawyers say he is not criminally responsible due to mental illness. Crown prosecutors say the killings were racially motivated and Skibicki preyed on the women at homeless shelters. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 21, 2024....
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Serial killer Robert Pickton hospitalized after Quebec prison assault
The Canadian Press 21/05/2024 12:12 Correctional Service Canada has confirmed that B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton was the inmate injured in a major assault Sunday at a Quebec prison. Quebec provincial police said Tuesday that 74-year-old Pickton was taken to hospital with injuries that were considered life-threatening. Police spokesman Hugues Beaulieu added that a 51-year-old suspect was in custody. Pickton was convicted of six counts of second-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison in 2007, with the maximum parole ineligibility period of 25 years, after being charged with the murders of 26 women. The remains or DNA of 33 women, many who were taken from the Downtown Eastside, were found on Pickton’s pig farm in Port Coquitlam, and he once bragged to an undercover police officer that he killed...
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Cooler, wetter weather aids B.C. wildfire fight in northeast
The Canadian Press The BC Wildfire Service says cooler, wetter conditions are allowing crews to make progress in their firefight in the province’s northeast where thousands of evacuees remain out of their homes for a second week. The service says the more seasonable weather is expected to persist until Wednesday. But it’s warning that despite the favourable conditions, much of the province remains “unseasonably dry” due to the ongoing drought. It says that means fire fuels remain “very susceptible to ignition” and wildfires can spread rapidly. The service says that most spring fires are typically caused by human activity and is asking people to do their best to minimize this. The BC Wildfire Service dashboard shows there are 119 active wildfires across the province, 23 of which are known or...
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Five NWT artists set to attend ‘huge’ market in New Mexico
By Tom Taylor Local Journalism Initiative This August, a group of five Indigenous artists from the NWT will head to Santa Fe, New Mexico to sell their work at one of the most esteemed markets of its kind. The group will be in the American southwest from August 16 to 18 for the Santa Fe Indian Market (SFIM), which will be returning to the city for the 102nd time. “I’m very honoured and feel privileged to be able to attend the Santa Fe Indian Market,” said Fort Simpson Dene and Métis artist Shawna McLeod, who will be visiting Santa Fe for the first time. “It was on my bucket list to go as a spectator, so you can imagine that I never thought I would be attending as a vendor. “It’s...
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Kahnawake legal challenge against Ontario comes up snake eyes
By Marcus Bankuti Local Journalism Initiative 17/05/2024 14:21 An attempt by the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK) to topple Ontario’s multibillion-dollar online gaming scheme was rejected by an Ontario Superior Court judge Monday. The ruling by justice Lisa Brownstone forces Kahnawake to choose between capitulating to Ontario’s demand for hefty levies – a violation of Kahnawake’s jurisdiction over gaming, the MCK has argued – or to be left out of Canada’s biggest betting market altogether. “As far as having to pay a provincial government some type of fee, it’s out of the question,” said MCK chief Cody Diabo, who is tasked with the gaming file. “It really puts us into a difficult situation for us to be operating. It’s unfortunate because the Kahnawake Gaming Commission is renowned globally, but we...
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Trial of admitted serial killer wraps up second week in Winnipeg
The Canadian Press 17/05/2024 13:48 The murder trial of an admitted serial killer has wrapped up its second week of evidence. Two former acquaintances of Jeremy Skibicki were expected to testify Friday about their interactions with the killer. Crown prosecutors told court that one witness had an unexpected health issue, while the other didn’t show up. Skibicki is facing four counts of first-degree murder for the slayings of four Indigenous women in Winnipeg in 2022. His lawyers have said he carried out the killings but is not criminally responsible due to a mental illness. Prosecutors are arguing the killings were racially motivated and Skibicki preyed on the women at homeless shelters. The trial has heard Skibicki assaulted his victims, strangled or drowned them and disposed of their bodies in garbage...
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Canadiens goaltender Carey Price to receive honorary doctorate from UNBC
The Canadian Press Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price will receive an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of Northern British Columbia on May 31 at the school’s convocation ceremony. The university highlighted Price’s NHL achievements, inspiration of Indigenous youth and philanthropy in Northern B.C. and Canada in its announcement Wednesday. Price, who grew up in Anahim Lake, B.C., backstopped Canada to Olympic gold in 2014 and led the Canadiens to the Stanley Cup final in 2021. In 2015, he won the Hart Memorial Trophy as NHL MVP and the Northern Star Award as Canada’s top athlete. The 36-year-old is under contract with the Canadiens through the 2025-26 season, but hasn’t played an NHL game since April 29, 2022, due to a debilitating knee injury. Before the NHL, Price...
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“It all starts with a dream”: Nunavut’s AIP winners
By Kira Wronska Dorward Local Journalism Initiative Reporter The real winner in this year’s Arctic Inspiration Prize is the developing fabric of Nunavut’s infrastructure. Four projects, two of which were exclusively based in territory and at opposite ends of the traditional gender work spectrum, resulted in a total of $1,246,000 in prize money from Canada’s largest competition that will directly benefit Nunavummiut in a variety of ways, particularly food sovereignty and labour training. Nunavut News spoke with the exclusively Nunavut-based projects- Learning, Harvesting, Earning, which won $425,000 in the AIP Category Finalists level, and Investing in the Futures of Inuit Women, an initiative associated with the One Plane Away non-profit organization that received around $98,000 in the youth category- about their plan for the winnings. “The ceremony was unbelievable,” said...
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Court to hear from former acquaintances of admitted Winnipeg serial killer
The Canadian Press 17/05/2024 04:00 Two former acquaintances of an admitted serial killer are expected to testify today in the murder trial of Jeremy Skibicki. One of those is set to provide details about the behaviour of the man charged with killing four Indigenous women. Skibicki is facing four counts of first-degree murder for the slayings in 2022. His lawyers have said he carried out the killings but is not criminally responsible due to mental illness. Crown prosecutors say the killings were racially motivated and Skibicki preyed on the women at homeless shelters. Skibicki’s ex-wife has testified that he was violent and controlling during their marriage. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 17, 2024. ...
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Steelworkers: Bill 25 and “Rising Tide” Haida Title Lands Agreement, a major step forward
BURNABY, British Columbia, May 16, 2024 — The United Steelworkers union (USW) District 3 is committed to reconciliation with B.C. First Nations and supports Bill 25, Haida Nation Recognition Amendment Act, 2024. The “Rising Tide” Haida Title Lands Agreement is a major step forward. “We acknowledge our role in addressing the legacy of colonialism and we support the B.C. government doing the same,” said USW District 3 Director, Scott Lunny. Specifically, USW Local 1-1937 represents members working within the Haida Nation, primarily in the forest sector. USW District 3 is confident that, through respectful discussion, any changes and policies flowing from this legislation, agreement and nation-to-nation negotiations will not negatively impact those members and their families and, indeed, can result in more certainty and security for Indigenous and non-Indigenous people...
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Professor challenges ideas of land acknowledgements at APL
By Brock Weir Local Journalism Initiative 16/05/2024 It’s time to re-imagine the relationships between Indigenous peoples and non-Indigenous settlers, rather than simply walking towards “reconciliation.” That is the view of Dr. Ruth Green, an Associate Professor in the School of Social Work at York University. In her presentation “It Is More than a Land Acknowledgement”, which was hosted by the Aurora Public Library as part of their Indigenous Teachings program, Dr. Green said she didn’t believe there was “anything to reconcile” and, instead, it’s more important to focus on work to build relationships. “We’re not going back to any previous good relationship,” she said. Near the start of her presentation, Dr. Green asked participants to think about the Town of Aurora’s Land Acknowledgement, a document which can be found etched on...
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Ex-wife of Winnipeg serial killer recounts violence, sex assaults, bizarre behaviour
The Canadian Press A former wife of admitted serial killer Jeremy Skibicki testified Thursday about their violent marriage and how it seemed like he had multiple personalities. The woman said she met Skibicki at Siloam Mission, a Winnipeg homeless shelter, when she was struggling with drug addiction in February 2018. Skibicki was with two other men, she said, and the group invited her back to Skibicki’s home. “He said he really likes this one … referring to me,” said the 44-year-old Métis woman, who asked not to be named publicly. Skibicki, 37, has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder for the 2022 slayings of four Indigenous women: Rebecca Contois, 24; Morgan Harris, 39; Marcedes Myran, 26; and an unidentified woman Indigenous leaders have named Mashkode Bizhiki’ikwe, or Buffalo Woman. Crown...
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After generations of displacement, ‘Vancouver Island’ lands returned to Lyackson, Cowichan FirstNations
Surrounded by sun-dappled trees and the gentle rushing sound of Skutz Falls, a historic agreement to return 312 hectares of land to Lyackson First Nation and Cowichan Tribes was signed last week as part of an Incremental Treaty Agreement. The land parcel is a culturally significant piece in the Cowichan River Valley that the provincial government purchased from Mosaic Forest Management for $8.55 million. “These unceded lands, which feature prominently in our oral history, and hold great meaning for our families, are being returned to Quw’utsun,” said Cowichan Tribes Chief Cindy Daniels (Sulsulxumaat). Pre-colonization, the Leey’qsun Mustimuhw (people of Lyackson First Nation) had a winter village at the mouth of the Quw’utsun Sta’lo’ (Cowichan River), but until now, the only lands the nation had as reserves were at T’a’at’ka7 ,...
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Nunavut fails poverty report card
The Amautiit: Nunavut Inuit Women’s Association (NIWA) has released a damning first annual poverty report card, highlighting “the harsh realities faced by Nunavut’s most vulnerable populations”. NIWA is calling for urgent action needed to address theses systemic problems that perpetuate poverty and inequality in the territory’s communities. NIWA is an organization that advocates for the rights and well-being of Inuit women and families in Nunavut. The findings of this year’s poverty report card make it clear that there is a need for a change in the methods of combating poverty and its future implications. The three major findings from the report are as follows: Child Poverty Rates: Nunavut continues to have “alarmingly high” child poverty rates, with a “significant percentage of our children living in conditions of economic hardship”....
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”Illegal, destructive, dangerous’: UVic president cites complaints about encampment
The Canadian Press 16/05/2024 The president of the University of Victoria says a pro-Palestinian protest encampment on its campus is drawing an increasing number of complaints about harassment and intimidation, but also illegal and “dangerous” activities. Kevin Hall outlined the university’s concerns in a statement on Wednesday, saying they included what he described as rising acts of vandalism, spreading misinformation and the unauthorized use of buildings at after-hours times. Police in Saanich say they arrested a man on Tuesday after he was allegedly threatening people inside an academic centre for Indigenous students. Hall says the man was believed to have set up a tent on campus earlier in the week and he was “showing signs of substance use” that required medical response from campus security and emergency first respondents. Hall’s...
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Ex-wife of Winnipeg serial killer recounts volatile marriage, sexual assaults
By The Canadian Press Staff 16/05/2024 The ex-wife of admitted serial killer Jeremy Skibicki recounted her violent marriage with the man during the second week of his murder trial. The woman told court she met Skibicki at Siloam Mission, a Winnipeg homeless shelter, while she was struggling with drug addiction in February 2018. Skibicki was with two other men, she said, and the group invited her back to Skibicki’s home. “He said he really likes this one … referring to me,” the 44-year-old testified Thursday. Skibicki, 37, faces four counts of first-degree murder for the 2022 slayings of four Indigenous women. He has admitted to killing Rebecca Contois, 24; Morgan Harris, 39; Marcedes Myran, 26; and an unidentified woman Indigenous leaders have named Mashkode Bizhiki’ikwe, or Buffalo Woman. His lawyers...
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‘Canada’s Got Talent’ winner looking to push musical career after taking $1M prize
The Canadian Press Newly crowned “Canada’s Got Talent” champion Rebecca Strong says she is confident the win will bring her more opportunities to expand her career. One day after the Indigenous singer from Prince Albert, Sask., took home the competition’s first $1-million prize, Strong said she expected the victory will help push her ambitions to the next level. “This means a lot of musical growth and a lot of opportunities I’ve been waiting for like recording new music, and travelling and playing more cities, hopefully outside of Canada too,” Strong said Wednesday in a video call. Strong claimed “CGT”‘s first million-dollar season in a two-hour finale broadcast live on Citytv from Niagara Falls., Ont. In her final bid for Canada’s vote, Strong belted out Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep” on...
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Indigenous identity summit commits to advocating against NunatuKavut, Ontario Métis
Indigenous leaders tell Canada and provinces to stop “accommodating Indigenous identity theft” The Canadian Press WINNIPEG, MAN-A two-day summit on Indigenous identity fraud wrapped up Wednesday with a message to Canada: we’re joining forces, and we want action to curb the epidemic. The summit, hosted by the Manitoba Métis Federation and the Chiefs of Ontario, was lauded by First Nations, Inuit and Red River Métis leaders as a historic occasion. The leaders passed two resolutions that specifically target the Métis Nation of Ontario and the NunatuKavut Community Council — organizations they collectively say are co-opting Indigenous identities for personal gain. They unanimously adopted a declaration condemning any person or group that “falsely claims” Indigenous identity for their own gain. The declaration says doing so furthers the marginalization of First...
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Staffer testifies serial killer said he went to homeless shelter to find a victim
By The Canadian Press A staffer at a Winnipeg homeless shelter has testified admitted serial killer Jeremy Skibicki once said he had come in to search for a victim. Ronald Norman told court Wednesday that he had a couple of interactions with Skibicki while working at the Indigenous-led 24-hour warming space, N’Dinawemak – Our Relatives’ Place. One of those conversations started with Skibicki approaching Normand. “He came up to me and told me that he didn’t need to be there, that he had his own place,” Norman told Chief Justice Glenn Joyal. “(Skibicki said) he was just there to stalk his victims. “I hear things in the shelter, everyday (people) going through psychosis and stuff … but that stuck out to me.” Skibicki is on trial in Court of King’s...
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