‘We are sorry’: Manitoba premier apologizes to two men switched at birth decades ago
By Steve Lambert THE CANADIAN PRESS WINNIPEG-Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew formally apologized at the provincial legislature Thursday to two men who were switched at birth in a hospital almost 70 years ago. Kinew called it a terrible wrong that cannot be undone but must be acknowledged and atoned for. “Ed and Richard are here today as two people wronged by the Manitoba government and the institutions they should have been able to trust,” Kinew said as Edward Ambrose and Richard Beauvais sat nearby. “They were wronged from the very first day each of them arrived here on Earth.” The premier said the men were denied connection to their families, and their parents were denied their children. The men said they appreciated the apology and also a private meeting with Kinew...
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Key recommendations from the government’s review of the Cannabis Act include Indigenous communities
Indigenous communities key recommendations include co-developing cannabis amendedments to protect health and safety and agreements to control commercial cannabis activites OTTAWA- More than five years after cannabis was legalized in Canada, the government has released its final report of the legislative review of the Cannabis Act. The report is the result of 18 months of work by a panel of industry experts to assess the progress of cannabis legalization and make recommendations to improve upon cannabis legislation. Here are some of the key recommendations made by the report. Public health The report makes a number of public health recommendations concerning issues including product promotion, packaging and labelling, children and youth, and potency. It calls on Health Canada to set and monitor targets for reducing youth and young adult cannabis use,...
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Chippewas of Nawash pass resolution banning unsanctioned ceremonies
By Cory Bilyea Local Journalism Initiative Reporter NEYASHIINGIIMIING- On Jan. 29, the Chippewas of Nawash Band Council passed a Band Council Resolution (BCR) that gives them the exclusive right to ban or approve a ceremony and to decide what is or isn’t considered a ceremony. A concerned Neyaashiinigmiing community member provided Midwestern Newspapers with a copy of a letter addressed to them from Chippewas of Nawash Chief and council, which says, “Council passed resolution #979 recognizing that the First Nation has inherent right to decide what `ceremony’ can take place on its territory. Council contemplated a referendum, knowing well that the diverse spiritual views in the community could give rise to debates surrounding what constitutes a ceremony within their tradition. “We would like to emphasize that the fact that a...
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Mohawk Council of Kahnawake joins call for Northwolt mega-lithium battery environmental assessment
By Miriam Lafontaine Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK) chief Ross Montour was in Montreal this week alongside environmental groups calling on Quebec to submit the Northvolt mega-lithium battery plant to an environmental assessment process. Activists with Greenpeace, Equiterre, the David Suzuki Foundation, and Nature Quebec all gathered at a press conference this Monday. They say public trust is being eroded because citizens and First Nations aren’t being properly consulted about the project and how it could impact the environment. “You have to take into account the potential impact of your decisions on the faces that are still in the earth and the faces yet to come, or as some people say, the seven generations,” Montour told the room, mentioning the Great Law of Peace. “If you...
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Alberta University Of The Arts Appoints First Indigenous Board Chair Adrian Stimson
By Jeremy Appel Local Journalism Initiative Reporter The Alberta University of the Arts (AUA) has appointed the first Indigenous chair of its Board of Governors in the school’s 98-year history. Adrian Stimson, a multidisciplinary artist from Siksika Nation, was announced as the new chair in a March 20 press release from AUA. He’s sat on the Board of Governors since August 2021. “I am humbled and honoured to take on this role, and I’m looking forward to working with my colleagues on the Board of Governors to advance Alberta University of the Arts. The university is an important incubator for artists, designers and craftspeople; it is a place where we build capacities to reflect on our shared histories and inspire creative futures,” Stimson said in a news release. Stimson’s artistic...
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First Nations Chiefs Ask Feds Not To Claw Back $135 Million In Unspent Site Rehabilitation Funds
By Jeremy Appel Local Journalism Initiative Reporter ALBERTA-Chiefs representing First Nations from Treaties 6, 7 and 8 joined the Alberta government and a representative from an oil and gas industry-funded organization to ask the Liberal federal government not to claw back $137 million in unspent funds from its Site Rehabilitation Program (SRP). The feds, however, say the funding was part of a $1 billion grant intended for an early pandemic job creation program, which the Alberta government chose not to fund fully and is no longer needed. Loon River First Nation Chief Ivan Sawan (Treaty 8), Woodland Cree First Nation Chief Isaac Laboucan-Avirom (Treaty 6), Frog Lake First Nation Chief Greg Desjarlais (Treaty 6), Tsuut’ina First Nation Chief Roy Whitney (Treaty 7), Cold Lake First Nation Chief Kesley Jacko (Treaty...
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Motion to axe carbon tax for First Nations blocked, says MP Bob Zimmer
By Tom Summer Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Prince George-Peace River-Northern Rockies MP Bob Zimmer says a motion put forward by Bow River, Alberta MP Martin Shields to axe the carbon tax for First Nations, Inuit, and Metis communities has been blocked by NDP and Liberal MPs, ahead of a 23 percent increase planned for April 1. The motion was brought forward during a meeting of the Standing Committee for Indigenous and Northern Affairs on March 18. Zimmer took to social media, posting a clip of himself and Shields on Facebook discussing the motion. “I thought it was a well-worded motion,” said Shields. “One we worked at, we worked with other parties, we talked about the importance of the carbon tax and how it affects a lot of people in our...
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Quesnel looking to address harm caused by Mayor’s wife denying Residential School history
By Tom Summer Local Journalism Initiative Reporter The City of Quesnel is seeking to set up a meeting with the Lhtako Dene Nation, following the discovery that the Mayor’s wife, Pat Morton, had been distributing copies of Grave Error – How The Media Misled Us (And The Truth About Residential Schools), a book which severely downplays the history and harms of residential schools in Canada. The issue was addressed during council’s March 19 meeting, following a letter from the Lhtako Dene Nation, expressing outrage over having to defend the findings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the T’Kemlups te Secwepem’c First Nation, the Williams Lake First Nation, and others. “The calling into question of what our Nation went through is a slap in our people’s collective faces and is very...
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Commission releases interim report into unmarked graves at residential schools
OTTAWA- An interim report from an international group hired to provide advice on identifying and locating the unmarked graves of children who attended residential schools says Canada should continue funding searches beyond 2025. The report from the International Commission on Missing Persons, based in The Hague, covers the work done so far and suggests next steps. It also recommends there should be a multijurisdictional dialogue to support the needs of communities and for Ottawa to ratify the United Nations International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance. “States have the responsibility to find all missing persons, regardless of their background,” Kathryne Bomberger, director-general of the commission, said Thursday in Ottawa. Ottawa launched the Residential Schools Missing Children Community Support Fund in June 2021. The money is for...
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B.C. unveils flood strategy, adds $39 million in funding for flood mitigation
By Brieanna Charlebois THE CANADIAN PRESS VANCOUVER- Catastrophic flooding in British Columbia that caused billions in damages to infrastructure, property and homes has resulted in a new comprehensive flood strategy to help communities reduce risk and respond to extreme events. Nathan Cullen, minister of water, land and resource stewardship, told a news conference Thursday that the province worked alongside local governments and First Nations to draft the B.C. Flood Strategy, which will be a road map to navigate climate events. “Floods, similar to droughts, historically were very localized, very short term,” he said. “But like droughts, now we perceive, with the effects of climate change, that floods will be much larger region-wide and have much larger impacts, hence the need for a flood strategy that incorporates all communities.” The Insurance...
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Manitoba premier apologizes to two men switched at birth decades ago
By Steve Lambert THE CANADIAN PRESS WINNIPEG- Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew formally apologized at the provincial legislature Thursday to two men who were switched at birth in a hospital almost 70 years ago. Kinew called it a terrible wrong that cannot be undone but must be acknowledged and atoned for. “Ed and Richard are here today as two people wronged by the Manitoba government and the institutions they should have been able to trust,” Kinew said as Edward Ambrose and Richard Beauvais sat nearby. “They were wronged from the very first day each of them arrived here on earth.” The premier said the men were denied connection to their families, and their parents were denied their children. The two men were born in a municipally run hospital in Arborg, Man.,...
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Six Nations Women Singers perform a world water event
By Lisa Iesse Writer SIX NATIONS OF THE GRAND / BRANTFORD – The Six Nations Women Singers (SNWS) are raising their voices for the community at a special world water awareness event. SNWS will sing on Friday March 22 at the Pauline Johnson Collegiate & Vocational School in Brantford. The event is being hosted by Brantford Region Indigenous Support Centre (BRISC). SNWS have performed locally across the Haudenosaunee community, across Turtle Island in places like Mexico, and beyond in places like Norway, explains Buck. “Music really is a language that is universal,” said Sadie Buck, lead singer of SNWS at a recent music sharing event in Ohsweken. SNWS are celebrated internationally among the most influential singing groups. Many Onkwehonwe women musicians have credited SNWS for inspiring them to pursue music as a...
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B.C. unveils flood strategy, adds $39 million in funding for flood mitigation
VANCOUVER -British Columbia has released a comprehensive flood strategy to help communities reduce risk and respond to extreme events. Nathan Cullen, minister of water, land and resource stewardship, says the province worked alongside local governments and First Nations to draft the B.C. Flood Strategy, which will be a road map to navigate climate events. Consultations for the plan began after the historic floods in November 2021 that swamped southwestern British Columbia. Cullen says the focus will be in four key areas: assessing flood risks with floodplain mapping, increasing communication with local and First Nation governments, better preparing for floods and response, and helping with flood resilience. Bowinn Ma, minister of emergency management and climate readiness, told the news conference that the province is also adding $39 million to the Community...
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Florida online sports betting challenge is denied by state’s highest court
By Mike Schneider THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ORLANDO, Fla. (AP)- Opponents of online sports betting in Florida on Thursday lost their latest fight against a Seminole Tribe agreement with the state that permits the gambling. The Florida Supreme Court ruled that the opponents had filed the wrong type of petition to challenge the compact between the Seminole Tribe of Florida and Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration. The deal will rake in hundreds of millions of dollars from online sports betting and other forms of gambling for both the tribe and state government. The decision was the latest setback for West Flagler Associates and Bonita-Fort Myers Corporation, which operate racetracks and poker rooms in Florida. They also are challenging the compact in federal court and have petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to take...
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Commission releases interim report into unmarked graves at residential schools
OTTAWA- An interim report from an international group hired to provide advice on identifying and locating the unmarked graves of children who attended residential schools says Canada can should continue funding searches beyond 2025. The report from the International Commission on Missing Persons, based in The Hague, covers the work it has done so far and suggests next steps. The report also recommends Ottawa ratify the United Nations International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance. Ottawa signed a technical agreement with the commission last year to work with Indigenous communities that want to search for possible unmarked graves. An estimated 150,000 Indigenous children were forced to attend residential schools across Canada. A national movement to find and commemorate unmarked graves began after ground-penetrating radar detected possible remains...
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‘Completely discouraged’: Auditor slams First Nations housing, policing failures
By Alessia Passafiume and Laura Osman THE CANADIAN PRESS OTTAWA- After two new reports detailing how the federal government is underperforming on First Nations housing and policing, the federal auditor general says a fundamental shift needs to occur in the government. “Time after time, whether in housing, policing, safe drinking water or other critical areas, our audits of federal programs to support Canada’s Indigenous Peoples reveal a distressing and persistent pattern of failure,” Karen Hogan said at a press conference Tuesday. “The lack of progress clearly demonstrates that the government’s passive, siloed approach is ineffective, and, in fact, contradicts the spirit of true reconciliation.” The reports tabled in the House of Commons on Tuesday paint a bleak picture of Ottawa’s record on First Nations housing and policing. On First Nations...
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Crown wants 25 years for Manitoba football coach who sexually assaulted students
By Brittany Hobson THE CANADIAN PRESS WINNIPEG- A disgraced former high school football coach apologized during a sentencing hearing for the “grief and shame” he caused to the nine students he sexually assaulted. However, the Crown prosecutor is arguing that Kelsey McKay conducted an unrelenting, decade-long campaign of grooming and assaults on teenage boys and a fit sentence is 25 years in prison. McKay provided a brief statement Wednesday at the end of a two-day sentencing hearing in Winnipeg provincial court. In front of a courtroom that included some of his victims and their families, McKay apologized and said he is taking his imprisonment as an opportunity to learn more about himself. “One hundred per cent of the responsibility lies with me,” he said. McKay pleaded guilty to nine counts...
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Cross sector approach needed to address health and wellness in First Nations
By Shari Narine Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Ontario Regional Chief Glen Hare was visibly shaken when he addressed media March 19 near the end of the first day of a three-day inaugural conference on First Nations Community Wellness. He had just received “heavy heart news” that former National Hockey League player and Stanley Cup champion Chris Simon had died by suicide the previous night. was the support for a man we idolized around the world, who captured many audiences of who we are’ and he was our enforcer,” said Hare. Hare said he often visited Simon’s family in Wawa, Ont. on his travels. Later he said that federal and provincial politicians would come to him after communities experienced tragic losses like this and ask what they could do. “They come...
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Satellites track the tiny silver fish hugely important to marine life
By Rochelle Baker Local Journalism Initiative Reporter A new scientific endeavour has taken to the sky using high-tech drones and satellite images to understand better the annual spring herring spawn vital to salmon and wildlife on the West Coast. Between February and March each year, frigid ocean waters transform to a milky tropical-looking turquoise green when male herring release milt to fertilize the countless eggs deposited by females on eelgrass, kelp and seaweed fringing coastal shores. Unpredictable and dramatic, the small silver fishes’ spawning event is large and best monitored from great heights, said Loic Dallaire, a researcher with the SPECTRAL Remote Sensing Laboratory at the University of Victoria. “It’s one of the very few animal formations that we can see from space, excluding human developments and towns,” Dallaire said....
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Kahnawake dancers featured prominently in new Palais des Congres Indigenous networking space
By Marc Lalonde Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Kahnawake will be featured prominently in a new cultural space featuring the eleven Indigenous nations in the Quebec region in one of Montreal’s largest gathering spaces and is the product of a unique partnership between Palais des congres and Indigenous Tourism Quebec. Combining their know-how, the Palais des congres de Montreal and Indigenous Tourism Quebec, in collaboration with interior designer Gerard Vannoote and several other contributors, developed a space that provides a window on the living heritage of First Nations and Inuit communities. The space, unveiled Thursday, is called Autochtone Quebec. Kahnawake is featured front and centre in the form of large-format photographs depicting the community’s dancers, in traditional dress. Palais des congres CEO Emanuelle Legault said it’s an honour to be part...
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