‘The battle isn’t won’: Next 48 hours crucial in Quebec wildfire fight : Bonnardel
By Sidhartha Banerjee THE CANADIAN PRESS MONTREAL- The next 48 hours will be crucial in Quebec’s wildfire fight in northern and western parts of the province, Public Security Minister Francois Bonnardel said Saturday, with authorities hoping the situation remains stable ahead of rain forecast for early next week. Bonnardel told reporters that warmer temperatures and lower humidity levels will precede the moment when precipitation is expected Tuesday in those hard hit regions, noting the hotter, drier conditions could exacerbate the wildfire situation. “We have to hold on for the next 48 hours, the flammability index will increase, the humidity will cease and the temperature will rise: it’s a cocktail that could bring new fires,” Bonnardel said. “The battle isn’t won,” he added. Environment Canada meteorologists are forecasting about 10 to...
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North Dakota tribe buys idle oil pipeline from Enbridge
NEW TOWN, N.D. (AP)- A Native American tribe in North Dakota bought an idle pipeline from the energy company Enbridge to help deliver oil from wells on its reservation to the broader market. The Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation announced the deal Friday but didn’t disclose how much it paid. The tribe said it expects the pipeline, which will connect its oil facilities on its Fort Berthold Reservation to Enbridge’s large pipeline network, will be up and running within a year. “This is a major step in enhancing our ability to get our trust assets of oil and gas out to market,” tribal chair Mark Fox said to the Bismarck Tribune. There are more than 2,600 active oil and gas wells on the reservation that produced an average of 144,190 barrels...
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New name proposed for Sir John A. Macdonald parkway reflects Indigenous heritage
OTTAWA-The National Capital Commission appears to be moving forward with a new name for Ottawa’s Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway suggested by an Indigenous consultation group: Kichi Zibi Mikan. The commission said in a letter published in a Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg newsletter this week that it would recommend the name change to its board of directors on June 22. Kichi Zibi means great river in the Algonquin language, and Mikan is the word for road or path. The proposal dates back two years, when three city councillors wrote a letter urging the federal government to facilitate an Indigenous-led consultation process to rename the parkway, which runs alongside the Ottawa River. The National Capital Commission announced an updated policy for naming and renaming its assets in April 2022 and formed an...
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Nunavut children going to school hungry, senators told
By Jeff Pelletier Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Children in Nunavut are going to school hungry due to the high cost of food, according to a Pond Inlet educator who testified Wednesday before a Canadian Senate committee. Dina Koonoo Arreak, a 28-year-old early childhood program manager at Pirurvik Preschool, was one of five youth representatives selected to speak to the Senate Committee on Indigenous Peoples in a hearing on education barriers in Inuit, First Nations and Metis communities. Brian Francis, a Mi’kmaw senator from Prince Edward Island, directly asked Koonoo Arreak if children show up to school without breakfast. Her answer: yes. “I’ve seen many families that aren’t able to afford food that can last them to another pay,” Koonoo Arreak told senators. “From my work, we sometimes distribute food for...
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‘The battle isn’t won’: Next 48 hours crucial in Quebec wildfire fight : Bonnardel
By Sidhartha Banerjee THE CANADIAN PRESS MONTREAL- The next 48 hours will be crucial in Quebec’s wildfire fight in northern and western parts of the province, Public Security Minister Francois Bonnardel said Saturday, with authorities hoping the situation remains stable ahead of rain forecast for early next week. Bonnardel told reporters that warmer temperatures and lower humidity levels will precede the moment when precipitation is expected Tuesday in those hard hit regions, noting the hotter, drier conditions could exacerbate the wildfire situation. “We have to hold on for the next 48 hours, the flammability index will increase, the humidity will cease and the temperature will rise: it’s a cocktail that could bring new fires,” Bonnardel said. “The battle isn’t won,” he added. Environment Canada meteorologists are forecasting about 10 to...
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RCMP find missing Manitoba First Nations woman’s remains 3 years after disappearance
By Dave Baxter Local Journalism Initiative Reporter RCMP said Friday that a search of an abandoned rural home earlier this week has led to the confirmation that a woman who has been missing for more than three years is dead, and police say they are now investigating her death as a homicide. During a Friday media conference in Winnipeg, RCMP Sgt. Laura LeDrew, a Manitoba RCMP Major Crime Services investigator, confirmed that police have discovered the remains of Melinda Lynxleg, after conducting a search in and around an abandoned home in the community of San Clara, located about 40 kilometres north of Roblin. “The RCMP does not give up on missing people, more than three years of searching, conducting interviews, collecting evidence,” LeDrew said. “We never stopped.” Police first announced...
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Six Nations Police’ Project Dinero nets over $130,000 in illegal drugs two Hamilton people charged trafficking drugs at Six Nations and local areas
OHSWEKEN, ON- Two Hamilton people are facing drug trafficking and possesion charges after Six Nations Police launched Project Dinero, a drug trafficking investigation that yield over $130,000 in carfentanil, fentanyl, cocaine and oxycodone. Six Nations Police, with the assistance of Brantford and Hamilton city police, launched Project Dinero, an investigation into illicit drugs being actively trafficked on Six Nations and in surrounding areas, with all three forces raiding residences in both Hamilton and Brantford Thursday ( June 8 2023) . Six Nations Police said three section 487 Criminal Code Search Warrants were executed on a vehicle and residences in Hamilton and Brantford with the assistance of the Brantford Police Service Tactical Unit. Police seized carfentanil, fentanyl, cocaine and oxycodone with a street value of approximately $130,000. In addition to the...
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RCMP find missing First Nations woman’s remains 3 years after disappearance
WINNIPEG- Manitoba RCMP say they have found the remains of a First Nations woman who was reported missing three years ago. Police received recent information about the disappearance of Melinda Lynxleg that led officers to an abandoned residence in the rural area of San Clara, Man., near the Manitoba-Saskatchewan boundary. RCMP crews, including a forensic identification team and a forensic anthropologist, canvassed the area earlier this week. Lynxleg, who was from Valley River First Nation, was first reported missing in March 2020. Police said earlier this week they were investigating her disappearance as a homicide. RCMP are expected to provide more information this afternoon. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 9, 2023....
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Branford Bans Open Air Burning
Brantford, ON – Due to the special air quality alert, caused by fires in Quebec and northeastern Ontario and extremely dry conditions, the City of Brantford has issued an open-air burning ban. Effective immediately, all open-air fires are prohibited including those who have an open-air burning permit and agricultural burns. The only exceptions to the ban are cooking fires contained in a barbeque and cooking fires in approved campgrounds. Outdoor appliances listed for use in Canada that utilize propane or natural gas as a fuel supply are also allowed to be used, provided they are being used in accordance with their manufacturer’s instructions. Fires conducted during the ban may be subject to a fine or a cost recovery invoice, including the costs of the personnel and equipment as authorized and...
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`Make a list’, NWAC CEO tells Miller as feds get failing grade on progress made on MMIWG plan
By Shari Narine Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Words spoken earlier this week by Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Marc Miller have the CEO of the Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC) riled. Miller delivered a statement June 5 marking the fourth anniversary since the National Inquiry on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) delivered its final report. “He says it’s not a tick box operation,” said Lynne Groulx, and she agrees. “It’s not a tick box? It’s a genocide.” “But at the same time?if you are responsible for a department and you have 231 calls for justice?231 activities and initiatives and things that you have to do to end the genocide, excuse me, you need to make a list,” Groulx said. In a brief address in the House of Commons...
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Squamish Nation to celebrate centennial Amalgamation Day anniversary
By Mina Kerr-Lazenby Local Journalism Initiative Reporter One hundred years ago, in the summer of 1923, 16 First Nations chiefs, a large group of government officials and a smattering of interpreters gathered around a document that would shape the future of the u?xwumixw, the several Squamish communities that lived in British Columbia. The political amalgamation agreement declared that the chiefs’ 16 villages would assemble as one governing body, and with the signing of the document the S?wx?wu7mesh ?xwumixw (Squamish Nation), as we now know it, was born. This July, the Squamish Nation will celebrate its centennial year with a month-long hosting of events. Designed to showcase the Nation’s culture, heritage and history, the events, funded with $129,700 of the government’s B.C. Fairs, Festivals and Events (BCFFE) fund, span the modern...
First Nations leader blindsided by QEII statue, province says AMC was consulted
By Dave Baxter Local Journalism Initiative Reporter A statue of Queen Elizabeth II that was toppled on Canada Day two years ago is once again standing at the Manitoba Legislative Building, and that is not sitting well with one of this province’s most powerful First Nations leaders. `There was no consultation, prior notice, or acknowledgement from the provincial government that this would be happening, which is upsetting,” Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs (AMC) Grand Chief Cathy Merrick said in a media release put out just days after a bronze statue of Queen Elizabeth II was re-erected on the east side of the Manitoba Legislative Building grounds. Protesters toppled the statue on Canada Day in 2021, during a protest and demonstration held after the discovery of what is believed to be 215...
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Senate report recommends Canada develop targeted suicide prevention strategies
By Fakiha Baig THE CANADIAN PRESS A Senate report released Thursday says Canada can make major strides in suicide prevention if all levels of government develop strategies tailored towards men and Indigenous people, the groups facing the highest suicide rates. The Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology also says the Federal Framework for Suicide Prevention Act has done little to bring down the rate of suicides across Canada since it was adopted in 2016 because it does not prioritize evidence-based interventions for suicide prevention and does a poor job at tracking the issue. Sen.Patrick Brazeau, a member of the Algonquin community of Kitigan Zibi and a committee member, says he pushed for a study of suicide in Canada after he tried to take his own life twice almost...
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Province drops name change fees for some First Nations people
By Dave Baxter, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Manitoba will indefinitely waive fees for name changes to help residential school, Federal Indian Day School and `60s Scoop survivors and their families reclaim traditional Indigenous names. “At birth, these children were given names that connected them to their rich Indigenous cultures, only to have those names taken away when they entered the residential school system,” Consumer Protection and Government Services Minister James Teitsma said in a media release. “This change will allow those affected to proudly reclaim that important link to their families and heritage at no cost.” The Vital Statistics Branch will waive fees indefinitely and “engage with Indigenous-led organizations to develop a simplified and trauma-informed application process and forms specific to residential school, Federal Indian Day School and `60s Scoop survivors.”...
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Six Nations immersion school accredited as high school
SIX NATIONS OF THE GRAND – The Kawenni:io/Gaweni:yo School Cayuga and Mohawk language immersion school has received accreditation as a high school. The school made the announcement Wednesday (June 7). For students, parents, teachers, volunteers and staff at Kawenni:io/Gaweni:yo Private School (KGPS) it was a long-awaited, celebrated victory. Many are crediting the hard work of the board at the Cayuga and Mohawk language immersion school for that hard won gain. KPGS board chair Ruby Jacobs sees this as a very critical outcome for the school’s students. Because of the school’s accreditation status, high school graduates will be able to continue to be granted credits for completed courses, said Jacobs. She sent out a message of joy and recognition to them all, “Congratulations to all from the board, for diligence and hard...
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Liberal budget bill passes in House of Commons after Conservative filibuster attempt
OTTAWA- The House of Commons passed the Liberal government’s budget bill today, which seeks to roll out vast new incentives for clean energy and expending dental care subsidies, despite a Conservative attempt to hold it up. The bill passed 177 to 146 with the support of Liberals and New Democrats, while the Tories and Bloc Quebecois voted against it. The bill includes a new anti-flipping tax for residential properties, a doubling of tradespeople’s tools deduction and an enhancement to the Canada workers benefit, a refundable tax credit to help low income workers. It also codifies sanctions on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine, and raises tariffs on Russia and Belarus. The Conservatives attempted earlier this week to delete much of the bill by introducing amendments eliminating 900 of its clauses,...
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Six Nations family loses home to fire
By Lisa Iesse Writer SIX NATIONS OF THE GRAND – Fire quickly tore through a Second Line home early Wednesday ( June 7, 2023) evening leaving a young family of six without a home. Six Nations fire were called to the house at 380 Second Line (Sour Springs Road) home near Bateman Line shortly at about 5:30 p.m. batteling a house engulfed in flames. Home owner Layla Staats was inside when fire broke out. Layla Staat said she was in the shower at the time. “I was in the shower, all the smoke alarms and lights kept going off.” She rushed to grabbed her baby, called 911 and “got out,” she said spotting the smoke through windows. Neighbours and family who live nearby came to assist Staats and her young...
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Convicted sex offender Eric Dejaeger arrested on 8 new charges
By Tom Taylor Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Defrocked oblate priest Eric Dejaeger, previously covicted of numerous sexual crimes against Inuit children in Nunavut, was arrested again in Kingston, Ontario on June 7, and is facing eight new charges for crimes he allegedly committed during his time in the territory. The 76-year-old, who was born in Belgium and became a Canadian citizen in 1977, was arrested on a nation-wide warrant, Iqaluit RCMP said in a news release, and will be moved to Iqaluit to appear before the Nunavut Court of Justice. The new charges he faces relate to investigations conducted from 2011 to 2015, police said, but no specifics in terms of where or when the alleged incidents occurred have been revealed. Dejaeger has been convicted on dozens of sexual offences over...
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Senate report recommends Canada develop targeted suicide prevention strategies
OTTAWA- A Senate report released today says Canada can make major strides in addressing suicide prevention if all levels of government develop strategies tailored towards men and Indigenous people, the groups facing the highest suicide rates. The Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology also says the Federal Framework for Suicide Prevention Act has done little to bring down the rate of suicides across Canada since it was adopted in 2016. The report says this is because the current framework does not prioritize evidence-based interventions for suicide prevention and does a poor job at tracking the issue. Senator Stan Kutcher, a committee member, says the report found men account for 75 per cent of suicides in Canada and that the highest rate of suicide is among Inuit in the...
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Premier remains mum on funding to search landfill for remains of two women
WINNIPEG -Manitoba’s premier says a potential search of a Winnipeg-area landfill for the remains of two First Nations women should be led by the federal government and families. Premier Heather Stefanson says the province is standing by the families of Morgan Harris and Marcedes Myran but did not commit to providing provincial money to help fund the search of the Prairie Green landfill. A feasibility study completed by an Indigenous-led committee last month estimated it could take up to three years and cost $184 million to search the area, but family members and Indigenous leaders have said it must go ahead. Stefanson says her government is reviewing some of the recommendations in the study that would require provincial approval. The federal government says it is still reviewing the feasibility study...
