Remnants of COVID disruption could be driving rural Manitoba homicide spike: prof
By Dave Baxter Local Journalism Initiative A significant spike in rural homicides this year is raising alarm bells in rural Manitoba, but a local criminology professor says the numbers we are seeing might not be cause for panic just yet. “The questions are all the same, it’s, ‘what’s going on?’ And generally the answer is probably nothing is going on,” University of Manitoba Instructor of Sociology and Criminology Frank Cormier said on Friday. “The vast majority of homicides are disorganized kinds of crimes, it’s different if there’s a gang war going on and people are knocking off their rivals, but the majority of homicides in Manitoba are interpersonal issues.” According to RCMP spokesperson Sgt. Paul Manaigre, so far this year in areas serviced by Manitoba RCMP, there have been 55...
Register
Separated from their kids, this Dakelh couple journeyed across ‘B.C.’ for justice
By Amy Romer Local Journalism Initiative Reporter After what they say has been months of refused visits with their four children in foster care, Kimberly and Jordan Joseph packed their bags and decided to walk more than 1,500 kilometres from “Prince Rupert, B.C.” to “Victoria.” The couple — both Dakelh (Carrier) — say they’re raising awareness about the lack of support for birth parents resulting in too many kids in the country’s child welfare system. During their 75-day journey, they met dozens of people with lived experience of the child welfare system, visited a number of Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD) offices, and earned the encouragement of hundreds of supporters. The Josephs live in Yekooche, a remote community of 87, northwest of “Fort St. James.” They said they...
Register
Federal fisheries proposal would slash commercial elver quota in 2025
Canadian Press-Commercial elver fishers in the Maritimes are dismissing new quotas for the 2025 season, saying they would significantly cut their share of the lucrative baby eel fishery. In a letter obtained by The Canadian Press, the federal Fisheries Department said Thursday it wants to hand 50 per cent of the total allowable catch — 4,980 kilograms — to First Nations fishers. However, in a potentially contentious move, the department is proposing that another 28 per cent of the allowable catch — 2,812 kilograms — should go to a new pilot project. The department’s plan calls for distributing that 28 per cent among people who are already involved in the fishery, including those who are working for commercial elver fishing enterprises. That means the nine existing commercial licence holders will...
Register
B.C. minister wants new safety plan for Victoria schools, threatens board removal
Canadian Press-British Columbia Education Minister Lisa Beare has appointed a special adviser to help the Victoria school board “revise and improve” its safety plan after it barred police from schools except in emergencies. Beare says former Abbotsford, B.C., school superintendent Kevin Godden will help with the changes, and if a plan isn’t reached by Jan. 6, she will consider using the School Act to replace the current school board. Police haven’t been allowed at district schools except in special circumstances since last year, and the board says it based that decision on reports that some students and teachers — particularly those who are Indigenous or people of colour — don’t feel safe with officers in schools. Victoria police Chief Del Manak has repeatedly criticized the board’s decision, citing concerns that...
Register
Canada’s Arctic policy draws on international collaboration to face emerging threats
Canadian Press-Canada has unveiled an Arctic foreign policy that commits to increasing domestic and international collaboration to combat emerging foreign threats in the North. The policy, released by Global Affairs Canada on Friday in Ottawa, says the North American Arctic is “no longer free from tension” because of increased geopolitical instability following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which has “shaken the foundations of international co-operation in the Arctic.” While the policy doesn’t commit to any new defence spending, it is aimed at helping Canada work more closely with its allies. “Canada is an Arctic nation, and we are at a critical moment. We live in a tough world, and we need to be tougher in our response,” Foreign Affairs Minister Joly said at a press conference on Friday. “I don’t think...
Register
Government faces third Tory non-confidence vote ahead of potential fiscal hurdle
OTTAWA(CP)-The Liberals are set to face a third Conservative non-confidence vote today, but the government is likely to survive with the support of the NDP. Members of Parliament are supposed to vote on a motion that quotes NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh’s criticism of the Liberals and asks the House to agree with Singh and vote to bring down the government. Singh said last week he is not going to support the Conservatives, so the motion will likely fail. The House is also supposed to vote on an NDP motion calling on the government to expand the GST break and the $250 “working Canadians rebate” to fully retired seniors and people who rely on disability benefits. Those votes will come after MPs deal with a debate on a point of privilege...
Register
Earth’s lands are drying out. Nations are trying to address it in talks this week
AP-Much of Earth’s lands are drying out and damaging the ability of plant and animal life to survive, according to a United Nations report released Monday at talks where countries are working to address the problem. The report was released at the U.N. summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on combating desertification — once-fertile lands turning into deserts because of hotter temperatures from human-caused climate change, lack of water and deforestation. It found that more than three-quarters of the world’s land experienced drier conditions from 1970 to 2020 than the previous thirty-year period. “The drier climates now affecting vast lands across the globe will not return to how they were,” said Ibrahim Thiaw, chief of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, which is facilitating the Riyadh talks. “This change is...
Register
SCO grand chief hospitalized after fight in Ottawa
By Dave Baxter. Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Ottawa police (OPS) are investigating after a “disturbance” outside of a downtown bar in the nation’s capital earlier this week, while a source has confirmed the Grand Chief of the Southern Chiefs Organization (SCO) was involved in the incident, and was sent to hospital with injuries. “As a policy, the Ottawa Police Service does not confirm incidents by a victim’s name,” OPS media relations manager Julie Kavanagh said in a Friday email. “However, we can confirm that just after 2:30 a.m. on Tuesday, December 3, the OPS received a call for service in the 1-100 block of York Street for a disturbance. “A man was transported to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries,” Kavanagh said. A source has confirmed to The Winnipeg Sun that the...
Register
Conservatives intervene to delay debate on NDP motion in House of Commons
OTTAWA-(CP)The Conservatives are stalling an NDP opposition day motion in the House of Commons, after the New Democrats intervened in the Tories’ opposition day on Thursday. The NDP was set to begin debate on a motion calling on the government to expand the GST break to cover what they call essentials. Instead, Conservative deputy leader Melissa Lantsman raised a point of privilege about a protest that happened earlier this week, saying three NDP members voiced support for protesters who blocked MPs from doing their work. On Tuesday, about 100 protestors held a sit-in at the Confederation Building, one of the buildings that houses MP offices, calling for an arms embargo against Israel. Most of this morning’s debate time was eaten up by Lantsman’s privilege motion and a series of points...
Register
Canada’s Arctic policy draws on international collaboration to face emerging threats
The Canadian Press-Canada has unveiled an Arctic foreign policy that commits to increasing domestic and international collaboration to combat emerging foreign threats in the North. The policy, released by Global Affairs Canada on Friday in Ottawa, says the North American Arctic is “no longer free from tension” amid increased geopolitical instability following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which has “shaken the foundations of international co-operation in the Arctic.” A key part of the plan is to revive the role of Canada’s Arctic ambassador, which was removed in 2006 under the Harper government, and commits to opening consulates in Nuuk, Greenland, and Anchorage, Alaska. It also outlines commitments to share information with territorial and Indigenous leaders on foreign interference threats and to initiate Arctic-specific dialogue with NATO allies, though such measures are...
Register
Canada’s Arctic policy draws on international collaboration to face emerging threats
The Canadian Press Canada has unveiled an Arctic foreign policy that commits to increasing domestic and international collaboration to combat emerging foreign threats in the North. The policy, released by Global Affairs Canada on Friday in Ottawa, says the North American Arctic is “no longer free from tension” amid increased geopolitical instability following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which has “shaken the foundations of international co-operation in the Arctic.” A key part of the plan is to revive the role of Canada’s Arctic ambassador, which was removed in 2006 under the Harper government, and commits to opening consulates in Nuuk, Greenland, and Anchorage, Alaska. It also outlines commitments to share information with territorial and Indigenous leaders on foreign interference threats and to initiate Arctic-specific dialogue with NATO allies, though such measures...
Register
Chief ‘disappointed’ to see clean water used as a political tactic by Conservatives
Canadian Press-Cowessess First Nation Chief Erica Beaudin accused Conservative House leader Andrew Scheer of using First Nations drinking water legislation as a political “tactic,” saying she’s disappointed in what transpired in the House of Commons on Thursday. Government legislation known as Bill C-61 recognizes that First Nations have an inherent right to clean drinking water, after amendments by the Indigenous and Northern affairs committee, and commits the government to providing “adequate and sustainable” funding for water services in First Nations. Liberal MP Jaime Battiste asked on Thursday for unanimous consent from members of Parliament to send the First Nations Clean Drinking Water Act to the Senate — but several MPs said no. Scheer, whose riding includes Cowessess, rose immediately afterward with a similar motion that also condemned the Liberal government...
Register
How mother’s diet affects baby’s health: What insights from different cultures can tell us
By Sandi Azab, Sonia Anand What happens in the womb and during the first 1,000 days of life is critical to shaping a baby’s future health, a fact that is becoming ever more apparent as research dives deeper into this period. A glaring example is gestational diabetes, a temporary form of diabetes that some women develop during pregnancy. Though gestational diabetes usually disappears after delivery, its presence during pregnancy doubles — and in some cases triples — the risk of future Type 2 diabetes for both the mother and her child. This problem deserves our attention, as do other factors in early childhood that also contribute to future risk of diabetes. These include low-quality diet, ultraprocessed foods and sedentary lifestyle due to heavy screen time, as well as pressures at...
Register
Province opens round the clock safe space in Brandon
By Dave Baxter Local Journalism Initiative Reporter The provincial government is putting up half a million dollars to fund a new safe space in Brandon to help Indigenous women, two-spirit and gender-diverse people at risk of harm escape from violence and abuse. On Thursday morning, Families Minister Nahanni Fontaine announced the province will provide $500,000 to support a new 24/7 safe space in the western Manitoba city that is home to approximately 50,000 residents, and is the second largest urban centre in Manitoba. “This new safe space will mean more beds and more space for Indigenous women, two-spirit or gender-diverse people who are unsheltered and at risk of harm, who need help to stabilize their lives,” Fontaine said during a Thursday morning media conference in Brandon. “Indigenous women, girls, two-spirit,...
Register
First Nations chiefs in Manitoba call on Ottawa to address Jordan’s Principle backlog
Canadian Press-First Nations leaders in Manitoba are calling on the federal government to address a backlog in requests for Indigenous children to receive swift access to health care and other services. They say the delay in approval of requests under Jordan’s Principle has resulted in communities paying out of pocket for health, social or educational services that are supported under the principle, putting other important programming at risk. The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs said the backlog has added financial strain to communities, forcing them to provide essential services with limited resources. “Many First Nations are trying to meet the needs of their families. They are not receiving funding to provide these services. They are currently running deficits,” acting Grand Chief Betsy Kennedy told reporters in Ottawa on Thursday during the...
Register
New Brunswick’s Tories bypassed due diligence for Christian rehab centre: advocate
Canadian Press-New Brunswick’s child, youth and seniors advocate says there was a lack of accountability and due diligence in government funding of a private, faith-based drug rehab centre. In a report published Thursday, Kelly Lamrock expresses concern about “politicized” decision-making by the provincial Regional Development Corporation. His report is titled, “Express Lane: How a Faith-Based Addictions Program Jumped the Queue During a Shortage of Services.” Under the previous Progressive Conservative government, led by Blaine Higgs, the corporation gave $1.5 million in September to a Christian group, Village of Hope, to expand its services in Upper Tracy, about 45 kilometres south of Fredericton. The Regional Development Corporation is a provincial Crown corporation that plans and implements economic development initiatives. In his report, Lamrock said he was concerned that approval processes varied...
Register
Former cabinet minister Randy Boissonnault tells committee: ‘I am not Indigenous’
Canadian Press-Randy Boissonnault, whose shifting claims to Indigenous identity cost him his job as employment minister, told a House of Commons committee today that he is not Indigenous. Boissonnault was called to testify at the Indigenous and Northern affairs committee after a series of media reports, led by the National Post, raised doubts about his past claims related to his heritage. The Edmonton MP has been described as Indigenous multiple times in communications from the Liberal party, and has referred to himself as “non-status adopted Cree” and said his great-grandmother was a “full-blooded Cree woman.” He has since clarified that his adoptive mother and brother are Métis, and he apologized for his shifting claims. At the committee this morning, Boissonnault says he came up with the term “non-status adopted Cree”...
Register
Government introduces ‘enhanced civilian governance’ for RCMP
Having less than 5,000 population, the Town of Claresholm police service is structured under the Provincial Police Service Agreement and will not be required to form a local governance body as required for larger communities, a result of recently proclaimed legislative changes. In a letter to town council introduced at its Nov. 25, meeting, Mike Ellis, deputy premier of Alberta, informed council the Alberta government “is enhancing civilian governance of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) by proclaiming sections of the Police Amendment Act, 2022, and creating the Police Governance Regulation and Police Governance (Ministerial) Regulation. “These amendments will ensure communities policed by the RCMP have a voice in setting local and province-wide policing priorities and performance goals by creating municipal and regional policing committees, as well as a Provincial...
Register
Garden River woman sentenced for fraud
By Maggie Kirk Local Journalism Intitiative A former housing manager for Garden River First Nation has been sentenced to two years less a day to be served in the community after pleading guilty to forging documents to fraudulently obtain a bank loan of more than $300,000. House arrest is required for the first 18 months, after which Anne Marie Headrick must abide by a curfew. Headrick pled guilty on Jan. 30, and was supposed to be sentenced May 29, but her pre-sentence and Gladue reports were not received until shortly before her court date. Later delays were due to the Robinson-Huron Treaty settlement, so Headrick could make full restitution. She was sentenced on Dec. 3. Headrick admitted to forging the signatures of nine council members on two documents, enabling her...
Register
Historic images of Native Americans by a Swiss artist find their way back to North Dakota
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — More than two dozen historic prints that depict a slice of Native American life and culture on the Upper Missouri River nearly 200 years ago will soon be more accessible to the public thanks to a gift that enabled a North Dakota organization to buy the rare aquatints. The State Historical Society of North Dakota on Wednesday presented four of the 26 aquatints reproduced from 1839 to 1843 from works done by Swiss-born artist Karl Bodmer. He made the artwork during his journey from 1832 to 1834 with Prince Maximilian of Wied-Neuwied across the U.S., as far west as present-day Montana. The Historical Society is reviewing the prints, which for some time had been stored at a San Francisco arthouse, and will develop a plan to...
Register
