‘Concerned and perplexed’: Alberta police force move catches unions off guard
By Lauren Krugel THE CANADIAN PRESS CALGARY- The union representing Alberta’s sheriffs says it was not consulted about a plan announced this week to have a new police service handle much of the work they currently do. The Alberta Union of Provincial Employees says it was surprised by a bill the United Conservative government introduced Wednesday to create an independent police force. “Sheriffs want to know that their rights will be protected and that they will be properly supported in their duties,” Bobby-Joe Borodey, the union’s vice-president, said in a news release Thursday. “All of our law-enforcement members are passionate about their work and keeping Albertans safe. They deserve to be treated with respect, and that means they need to be given reassurances.” Borodey said that includes knowing whether their...
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‘Concerned and perplexed’: Alberta police force move catches unions off guard
By Lauren Krugel THE CANADIAN PRESS CALGARY- The union representing Alberta’s sheriffs says it was not consulted about a plan announced this week to have a new police service handle much of the work they currently do. The Alberta Union of Provincial Employees says it was surprised by a bill the United Conservative government introduced Wednesday to create an independent police force. “Sheriffs want to know that their rights will be protected and that they will be properly supported in their duties,” Bobby-Joe Borodey, the union’s vice-president, said in a news release Thursday. “All of our law-enforcement members are passionate about their work and keeping Albertans safe. They deserve to be treated with respect, and that means they need to be given reassurances.” Borodey said that includes knowing whether their...
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Too soon to say on liquor store changes
By Stewart Burnett Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Long debated in municipal chambers, and sometimes at the territorial level, over the past two years has been Rankin Inlet’s beer and wine store, which opened in late 2021. After concerns from the RCMP and support organizations in Rankin Inlet, the municipal council successfully lobbied the territorial government to cut the daily purchase limits in half, to 12 beers per person. “It has been almost six months since the daily purchase limit at the store were reduced,” said Alexander Sammurtok, MLA for Rankin Inlet North-Chesterfield Inlet in the legislative assembly March 6. “Can the minister indicate what effect this decision has had on addressing concerns related to alcohol-related crime and other problems in the community?” Lorne Kusugak, minister responsible for the Nunavut Liquor...
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Saskatchewan government to start work on $1.15B irrigation project
By Jeremy Simes THE CANADIAN PRESS REGINA- The Saskatchewan government is set to begin work on a $1.15-billion project to expand irrigation, a move Premier Scott Moe says will help fulfil a dream not fully realized. Moe announced Thursday the province is to start design work and consult with land users about the Lake Diefenbaker expansion project, with construction expected to start next year. The project would make more water available from the lake for farmers, allowing 364 more square kilometres to be irrigated. “Our government is happy to take the first major step in creating the most sustainable food and economic security project in Canada which will create major benefits for generations,” Moe said in a news release. “Saskatchewan can be a leader across the country and move this...
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Hamilton Public Health warns measles case in Hamilton
HAMILTON – Hamilton Public Health Services (HPHS) announced another case of measles, bringing the province’s total to eight confirmed measles infections. On Wednesday (March 13) HPSH reported a child who recently travelled via Toronto Pearson International Airport to India was infected with the measles virus. HPSH officials report the child is recovering and isolating at home, as the health unit takes precautions to prevent new infections. “Hamilton Public Health Services has investigated, and is following up directly with known contacts in Hamilton who may have been exposed to the measles virus through this individual,” said HPHS in a statement posted on the city of Hamilton’s website. In less than three months, reported measles infections for 2024 have already surpassed 2023’s twelve month tally in the province. In 2023, seven cases...
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Six Nations cable business gets $11.4 million for high speed internet
By Lisa Iesse Writer SIX NATIONS OF THE GRAND – First Nations Cable will receive $11.4 million in federal and provincial funding to bring high-speed internet to thousands of households in Six Nations. The announcement was made on Wednesday (March 13) by Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural Economic Development and acting Minister for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, along with Kinga Surma, the Minister of Infrastructure for Ontario. The funding will support a groundbreaking project by First Nations Cable to provide access to large‑scale, fibre-based broadband for high-speed internet to Six Nations households. “We are very proud of our community and we are dedicated to providing high-quality service at a fair and competitive rate. Today, we would like all parties to be recognized as we are now prepared to deliver...
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New Brunswick long term care unprepared for next generation of aging seniors
By Hina Alam THE CANADIAN PRESS FREDERICTON- New Brunswick will need to rethink its long-term care offerings to respond to the needs of an increasingly diverse population, the province’s seniors’ advocate says in a report released Wednesday. Kelly Lamrock says New Brunswick’s long-term care system has traditionally reflected the majority population, which is primarily of European heritage and Christian or, more recently, secular. But going forward, he said it should reflect the “unique cultural and religious expectations and requirements” that immigrants, First Nations and LGBTQ populations bring to the province. The 198-page report says the coming generation of Gen X seniors will have a different profile in terms of chronic health conditions and comorbidities such as dementia. But there will also be “different social and cultural factors, ranging from family...
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Higgs government signs another First Nation deal
By John Chilibeck Local Journalism Initiative Reporter A small First Nation has signed a $4.2-million deal with New Brunswick’s provincial government after it unilaterally cancelled a special tax revenue sharing agreement that the community counted on to fund public services. Amlamgog, or Fort Folly First Nation, is the fourth out of 15 Indigenous communities in the province to sign a deal with the Higgs Progressive Conservative government following its controversial decision to end the unique and long-standing financial arrangements last year. But the latest deal was deeply symbolic. The Mi’kmaq community near Dorchester in the province’s southeast was the first of New Brunswick’s First Nations to sign the special agreement 30 years ago before the Tory government nixed it. Under the old terms, a First Nation received 95 per cent...
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Sky Deer says MOU will be signed in the next month
By Marc Lalonde Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Progress on a Memorandum of Understanding that will form the basis for a nation-to-nation relationship with Canada is progressing quickly, Mohawk Council of Kahnawake Grand Chief Kahsennenhawe Sky-Deer said . “It will be signed in the next month,” she said. “We have a draft, and the draft was actually presented to the Council of Chiefs Tuesday. We went through it line by line. There are a couple of small issues to fix up, but it’s largely complete.” From there, Sky-Deer said, the government will have a look at the document. She expects them to sign off on it and for there to be movement soon. “The federal team will look at it today,” Sky-Deer added. “It outlines the framework for the relationship, with...
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QNW to celebrate 50thanniversary milestone in May
By Marc Lalonde Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Quebec Native Women (QNW) will mark a milestone anniversary in May with a conference focused on the future of Indigenous women’s rights in the province, the organization announced recently. As part of the celebrations surrounding its 50th anniversary, Quebec Native Women (QNW) announced it will be holding a Great Summit, with the primary focus on the future of the defense of Indigenous women’s rights in Quebec. The conference will be held May 13 to 16 in Quebec City at the Hilton Quebec and a 50th-anniversary celebration gala will be held at Theatre Capitale. The conference will focus on four major areas. Those are: Leadership and Governance; Social and Economic Development: Education and Women’s Entrepreneurship; Culture and Identity: Language and Intergenerational Relationships, and Territory...
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Will Ottawa meet its fiscal target? Economists split as deficit tracks higher
By Nojoud Al Mallees THE CANADIAN PRESS OTTAWA- Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland has pledged that the government will meet its fiscal targets in the upcoming federal budget, but economists say achieving that goal will be challenging as the deficit tracks higher. Amid mounting pressure to rein in spending, the Liberals unveiled new fiscal guardrails in the fall that aim to limit deficits. Among the government’s promises was that this year’s deficit will not exceed $40.1 billion. In new reports previewing the federal budget, TD and Desjardins offer different takes on whether the government will meet its goal for current fiscal year. TD says although the deficit appears to be tracking closer to $55 billion, it is projecting it will be capped at $40 billion. “I think the government has an...
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Interior Department will give tribal nations $120 million to fight climate related threats
The the Great Lakes make up the largest freshwater system on Earth, containing 84 percent of North America’s fresh surface water. The lakes are a vital resource for water supply, transportation, recreation, and power generation, among other uses. By Graham Lee Brewer THE ASSOCIATED PRESS The Biden administration will be allocating more than $120 million to tribal governments to fight the impacts of climate change, the Department of the Interior announced Thursday. The funding is designed to help tribal nations adapt to climate threats, including relocating infrastructure. Indigenous peoples in the U.S. are among the communities most affected by severe climate-related environmental threats, which have already negatively impacted water resources, ecosystems and traditional food sources in Native communities in every corner of the U.S. “As these communities face the...
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Long after the woolly dog’s extinction, Coast Salish kin carry on the canine’s legacy
Debra Sparrow working on her weaving (MOA Collection ) in the Museum of Anthropology on the traditional and unceded territory of the Musqueam people.( Photo by Alina Ilyasova) By Kayla MacInnis Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Debra qasen Sparrow recalls talking and learning about Coast Salish woolly dogs with her grandfather, Ed Sparrow, in her early days as a weaver. Born in 1898, Ed remembered seeing the now-extinct canines around their village, and watching the women weaving with the companion animal’s woolly hairs. The x?m??k??y??m (Musqueam Indian Band) artist’s grandfather told her that “every village had wool dogs, that they were like gold because, of course, their fibers were mixed with the mountain goat and then rove made into a roving for spinning and spun,” she shared. Known in some...
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Physicians departing and ER closures put Prince Rupert on red alert
By Seth Forward Local Journalism Initiative Reporter A recent emergency room closure and rumours of as many as eight physicians relocating or retiring has created serious concern for the Prince Rupert community. Northern Health has confirmed that an unspecified number of physicians will either leave Prince Rupert or retire in the near future, furthering fears in a community that is already short of doctors. However, the health authority also confirmed there will be three new physicians coming to the city before the end of 2024. “Northern Health is currently aware of or anticipating both primary care provider departures and arrivals in the coming months, and we continue to recruit to current vacancies. We cannot comment on the specific plans of independent primary care providers in the community, but physicians do...
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Dialysis care expanded at Wetaskiwin Hospital: AHS
By Qiam Noori Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Alberta Health Services (AHS) has expanded dialysis services at the Wetaskiwin Hospital. According to an AHS press release, the satellite hemodialysis unit was previously open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. six days a week. Now, with the expansion, it is open seven days a week. AHS said the added extra hours now provide space for 12 more patients, accommodating all patients who were on the wait list since Feb. 1. “I’m very pleased more patients from the Wetaskiwin area will be able to access to critical kidney care within their community seven days a week,” said Adriana LaGrange, Minister of Health. “Thanks to Alberta Health Services and all the staff involved for expanding the hours of the dialysis clinic and being so...
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New Brunswick long term care unprepared for next generation of aging seniors
FREDERICTON- New Brunswick’s seniors advocate says the province will need to rethink its long-term care offerings to respond to the needs of an increasingly diverse population. Kelly Lamrock says the government should engage First Nations and other groups, including the LGBTQ community, to make sure they feel welcome in the province’s care homes. He recommends, in a report released today, that the provincial Social Development Department partner with the New Brunswick Multicultural Association to draw up a profile of future long-term care users, looking at cultural attitudes and the needs of growing immigrant communities. The 198-page report says the province’s long-term care system needs urgent action if New Brunswickers are going to feel safe relying on it. Lamrock says residents in long-term care homes lack independence and can be forgotten...
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Mayor McPherson responds to AFNOO deputation
By Austin Campbell Local Journalism Initiative Reporter The fight to keep the Franco-Ontarian flag flying permanently across Greenstone continues. Mayor James McPherson spoke to Dougall Media in a follow up from Greenstone’s regular council meeting on March 11, where the municipal council heard a deputation from the Association des francophones du Nord-Ouest de l’Ontario (AFNOO) regarding the flag’s removal. McPherson reiterated the fact that equity remains at the forefront of the issue. “We want to recognize all of the founding groups that we have in our area,” he said, adding that it was specifically a review of the municipality’s strategic plan which identified improvements they could make with regard to engaging Indigenous communities. McPherson said, as a result, the municipality devised an “action plan.” “And with that lens, when we...
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‘Lip service’: Saskatchewan chief wants meeting with Ottawa after mass killer report
By Kelly Geraldine Malone THE CANADIAN PRESS SASKATOON- A First Nations chief in Saskatchewan says his community needs a seat at the table after a probe into the release of a mass killer failed to include members’ input. A joint investigation by the Correctional Service of Canada and the Parole Board of Canada into the statutory release of Myles Sanderson was made public Tuesday. Sanderson was unlawfully at large when he killed 11 people and injured 17 others on the James Smith Cree Nation and in the nearby village of Weldon in 2022. The 32-year-old died in police custody a few days after the killings. Chief Robert Head of the Peter Chapman Band, one of the three communities that make up the First Nation, says he was disappointed members were...
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Native groups sit on a treasure trove of lithium. Now mines threaten their water, culture and wealth
By Megan Janetsky, Victor R. Caivano And Rodrigo Abd THE ASSOCIATED PRESS TUSAQUILLAS, Argentina (AP)- Irene Leonor Flores de Callata, 68, treks along a bone-dry riverbed, guiding a herd of llamas and sheep through stretching desert. Flores de Callata’s native Kolla people have spent centuries climbing deep into the mountains of northern Argentina in search of a simple substance: Fresh drinking water. Here, in one of the most arid environments in the world, it’s a life force that underpins everything. In rainy months, the sacred lands surrounding their small adobe town of Tusaquillas well with water. In the dry months, families hike miles under the beating sun, hopeful their livestock can sip from a small plastic container, fed by a hose running high into the distant mountains. Today is a...
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Capilano University introduces new reconciliation framework
By Mina Kerr-Lazenby Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Capilano University has introduced a new framework that will guide staff and students to better prioritize and support Indigenous ways of knowing. Chen?chenstway, a Skwxwu7mesh Snichim (Squamish language) term meaning to support and respect one another, has been a collaboration between the university and the Squamish, s?lilw?ta? (Tsleil-Waututh), Lil’wat, Musqueam, Sechelt, and Metis Nations. Miranda Huron, the university’s director of Indigenous Education and Affairs, said the document outlines five primary areas of commitment: learners, employees, programming, culture and knowledge. It will provide direction for incorporating First Nations languages, cultures and knowledge, and will offer guidance on how to fulfil the University’s promise to meet the goals and objectives outlined in the Truth and Reconciliation Act, she said. “This is our commitment to truth...
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