One person displaced by Wotstak First Nation fire
By Jim Dumville Local Journalism Initiative Reporter One person was displaced by a fire that destroyed a house on Eagle’s Nest Drive in Wotstak First (Woodstock) Nation on Friday morning, March 8. While the single-family dwelling remained standing after the Woodstock Fire Department subdued the blaze, Fire Chief Harold McLellan described the home as “destroyed.” McLellan said the home’s occupant had already left the house before a neighbour spotted the fire and called it in. He said an investigator from the Fire Marshal’s Office visited the fire scene on Friday, but they still have not positively determined a cause. He said they don’t consider the fire as suspicious. McLellan said his firefighters received some extra support when a small group of firefighters heading to a fire training session in the...
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B.C. First Nation says racism, doctor shortage persists in regional health care
WILLIAMS LAKE, B.C.- A British Columbia First Nation says racism in the health-care system persists despite efforts by the government and industry to combat the problem. The Tsilhqot’in National Government says in a statement that it met with officials from Interior Health, the Cariboo Regional District and the City of Williams Lake last week to address the issue. Tsilhqot’in Tribal Chair Joe Alphonse says racism within the local health system is limiting the Indigenous community’s access to care, and the problem is further exacerbated by a “dire shortage of doctors.” The nation’s statement says the doctor shortage remains at Cariboo Memorial Hospital, and “racism at the hospital is still happening.” In November 2020, the B.C. government released the report which found that “stereotyping, prejudice and racist treatment” were common experiences...
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Chiefs, province publicly call out feds for taking back unspent oil and gas clean up dollars
By Shari Narine Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Alberta chiefs are asking the Liberal government to allow them to keep millions in unspent federal dollars and dedicate that money to oil and gas site rehabilitation on reserves. As an economic driver for the energy industry that had work shut down due to COVID-19 pandemic health measures, the federal government in 2020 allotted $1.7 billion to the three prairie provinces through the Site Rehabilitation Program (SRP) to perform well, pipeline and oil and gas site closure and reclamation work. Of the $1 billion received by Alberta, the Indian Resources Council (IRC) and Indigenous leaders were successful in lobbying the Alberta government to allocate 10 per cent to be used for work in Indigenous communities. The SRP fund was administered by the province....
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North Vancouver City Library welcomes first Indigenous storyteller in residence
By Mina Kerr-Lazenby Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Kung Jaadee, author, educator, drummer and singer, has more than a tale or two up her sleeve. Born and raised in Haida Gwaii, and as a member of the Haida, Musqueam and S?wx?wu7mesh ?xwumixw (Squamish) Nations, Kung Jaadee has unparalleled understanding of the stories, traditions and legends that make up much of local Indigenous culture. For years Kung Jaadee has travelled the breadth of the country sharing her stories with all who will listen, and now she’s bringing her tales to the ears of those on the North Shore, as the North Vancouver City Library’s inaugural Indigenous storyteller in residence. The program, a regular fixture at the Vancouver Public Library but a first for the North Shore, will invite a notable person annually...
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Fort McKay First Nation eyes payday with new lease for bitumen production on lands
By Shari Narine Local Journalism Initiative Reporter A potential new deal with Suncor Energy could generate up to $2.25 billion in royalties for Fort McKay First Nation over five years if full bitumen production is realized from a lease on reserve land. It’s an estimated figure based on a concept, said Chief Raymond Powder, which is dependent on the price of West Texas Intermediate, a grade of crude oil, with a barrel of oil set at $60, $75 or $90. A memorandum of understanding on a prospective oil sands lease was signed March 7 between the northern Alberta First Nation and Suncor. The MOU was made possible after Indigenous Services Canada passed Regulations Amending the Fort McKay First Nation Oil Sands Regulations last December. The amendment saw Reserve No. 174C, which...
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Indigenous resistance mounts to nuclear waste dump near Ottawa River
By Patrick Quinn Local Journalism Initiative Reporter First Nations leaders took their opposition to a recently approved radioactive waste disposal site near the Ottawa River to Parliament Hill February 14, calling on the federal government to halt the project that they say threatens drinking water, wildlife and their fundamental rights. On January 8, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) approved plans for a nuclear waste disposal facility at the Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) site at Chalk River. The near-surface facility located about 160 kilometres northwest of Ottawa would feature a mound holding up to a million cubic metres of low-level radioactive waste about one kilometre from the Ottawa River. “We stand united in safeguarding the well-being of our shared environment and the fundamental right of all Canadians to access clean...
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U of L kicks off Indigenous Awareness Week
By Steffanie Costigan Local Journalism Initiative Reporter University of Lethbridge celebrated the start of Indigenous Awareness Week with a Blackfoot naming ceremony, and mini powwow on Monday. Indigenous Awareness Week will be celebrated at the university until Friday. “What Indigenous Awareness Week does is bring people together and build relationships,” said vice-provost, Iniskin Indigenous Relations, Dr. Leroy Little Bear. Little Bear added “the more we talk to each other, the better we know each other, the easier it is to work together. In my words, it’s all about relationships. If we have good relationships, it’s much easier to work together and to cooperate.” The Faculty of Fine Arts received a Blackfoot name “Piiksinaasin.” Translated it means “fancy writer.” Heather Davis-Fisch, Dean of Fine Arts, shared the impact receiving an Indigenous...
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We could be in the ocean’: Trepassey residents worried as breakwater fails, mayor says town can’t afford another project
By Sanuda Ranawake Local Journalism Initiative Reporter TREPASSEY, N.L.- Jim Corrigan is worried. He’s one of several residents in Trepassey whose property is at risk after the failure of the town’s breakwater.A lifelong resident of Trepassey, and a fisherman with 40 years of experience behind him, Corrigan says he’s living in fear.“I’ve spent a lot of time out to sea. You don’t stop the North Atlantic. They can’t just build what they had before and expect it to work,” says Corrigan. The town’s breakwater failed just eight months after it was rehabilitated, a project that received funding from the federal and provincial governments. “Eight months. That’s it. Like I say, it’s just not done right,” says Corrigan. “Water levels are the big issue now. It’s the main source of our...
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17 North Shore women nominated for Women of Distinction Awards
By Mina Kerr-Lazenby Local Journalism Initiative Reporter The nominees for the 41st edition of the YWCA Women of Distinction Awards have been announced, with 17 of the women in the running for the award from West Vancouver, North Vancouver and Lions Bay. The annual awards honour the individuals and organisations whose “outstanding activities and achievements” have contributed to the well-being and future of the community, said the organisation. This year, 106 nominees have been chosen from across Metro Vancouver. Split into 12 categories, the nominees represent achievements in the likes of arts and culture, business, community commitment, education, environmental stewardship, reconciliation and health. North Vancouver’s own Orene Askew, DJ, Squamish Nation councillor, and motivational speaker, is up for the Arts, Culture and Design award. Nominated in the Business and the...
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Child advocate position to remain vacant
By Kevin Jeffre Local Journalism Initiative Reporter THUNDER BAY- Thunder Bay is forging ahead with other strategies to serve children and youth. Recently there have been calls for the city to fill the Thunder Bay child advocate position. In a letter from President Tisha Duncan of the Regional Multicultural Youth Council (RMYC) written in February 2023 to city council, she said the hiring is long overdue. “The RMYC believes in your words at the political table on January 26,” the letter stated. “We are kindly asking you to fill the vacant position and bring together stakeholders to revive the Thunder Bay Children’s Coalition to engage the community in implementing the Seven Youth Inquest Recommendations.” The 2016 inquest examined the deaths of seven youth who travelled to Thunder Bay from their...
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Brokenhead bringing in First Nations police to replace RCMP
By Dave Baxter Local Journalism Initiative Reporter A southern Manitoba First Nation is transitioning away from being policed by RCMP and bringing in a First Nations-led police force. “We are proud to bring a police service to Brokenhead Ojibway Nation that is by First Nations for First Nations,” Brokenhead Ojibway Nation (BON) Chief Gordon BlueSky said during an event held last week, where it was announced that the community will begin the transitioning police services to the Manitoba First Nations Policing Service (MFNPS). BON, a community of about 800 on-reserve members along Highway 59, north of Winnipeg, is currently policed by the Selkirk RCMP detachment. BlueSky believes policing can be more effective in communities when the force and its officers better understand the specific needs of First Nations people and...
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Atlantic newspaper owner Saltwire faces insolvency after lender files claim
HALIFAX- A private equity fund is initiating insolvency proceedings against Atlantic newspaper owner SaltWire Network Inc., claiming it owes tens of millions of dollars after several years of mismanagement. In documents filed to the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia on Monday, Fiera Private Debt Fund said Saltwire and The Halifax Herald Ltd. together owe it $32.7 million, plus almost $600,000 of accrued and outstanding interest. About three-quarters of that debt is owed by Saltwire, which owns a number of news publications across Atlantic Canada including Halifax’s Chronicle Herald, the Telegram in St. John’s, and the Guardian in Charlottetown. Fiera said in the filings that senior management of the company has mismanaged the business, used employee pension funds for operations and failed to remit HST, among other allegations. It said in the...
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Deepsea eruption expected off Vancouver Island after 200 earthquakes in an hour
By Ashley Joannou THE CANADIAN PRESS An eruption of magma under the Pacific Ocean floor far off Vancouver Island will be so hot the water will fizz but only scientists will notice. Scientists with Ocean Networks Canada are predicting an eruption is coming anywhere from a few weeks to a few years from now after they detected up to 200 small earthquakes per hour in the area last week. They say the expected rupture, about five kilometres deep and 260 kilometres off the coast of Tofino, on the west coast of Vancouver Island, will be too distant and small to be cause for concern. However, it offers a unique opportunity to learn more about how the Earth’s crust is formed. Martin Scherwath, a senior scientist with the organization, said it...
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Nunavik Sivunitsavut student aims to become a leader in Kuujjuaq
By Cedric Gallant Local Journalism Initiative Reporter After spending time in Montreal, Nova Scotia, the Gaspe Peninsula and even an Arctic expedition, Tukai Augiak is set to graduate Nunavik Sivunitsavut and wants to take what he’s learned back home to Kuujjuaq. Augiak, 19, is part of the seventh graduating class from the one-year program, based in Montreal, that offers an intensive curriculum on Inuit history, governance, language, politics and culture. “The program made me learn who I am, my identity as a person,” he said. Augiak has been involved in numerous programs from a young age that have taken him to various places throughout Canada. While attending high school in Kuujjuaq, he took part in Students on Ice, which offers expedition cruise trips to students from around the world. Augiak...
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Chief Sault delivers welcome address at Little NHL opening ceremonies
By Sam Laskaris Writer MARKHAM, ONT- Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation chief Claire Sault took centre stage and offered plenty of inspirational words. Sault was asked to prepare some opening remarks and a welcome address for the opening ceremonies of the Little NHL tournament. The opening ceremonies were staged at the Markham Civic Centre on Sunday afternoon. The tourney is celebrating its golden anniversary this year. A record 245 youth clubs from across the province are participating in the event. Action begins today (Mar. 11) and continues until Mar. 14. “I’m honoured today to join you for this major milestone of the Little NHL’s 50th celebration,” Sault said. “I’m in awe of the incredible work and vision of this organization. And most importantly, of the inspiration and recognition that...
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Rugby league player banned for 8 games after racial slur against rival in Australia’s NRL
SYDNEY (AP)- A rugby league player has been banned for eight games after using a racial slur against a rival during the Australian NRL’s season-opening round in Las Vegas. A National Rugby League judiciary on Monday rejected a claim by Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu that he didn’t know he was racially vilifying Ezra Mam when he directed the slur at the Brisbane Broncos player in the March 2 match. The 23-year-old Leniu has Samoan heritage and has represented its national team. He was born in New Zealand and moved to Australia as a child. He signed for the Roosters this season after playing for the defending champion Penrith Panthers since 2019. Mam is an Indigenous Australian who has Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent. Leniu issued a public apology...
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B.C. RCMP announce seizure of millions of dollars worth of contraband cigarettes
By Darryl Greer in Vancouver SURREY, B.C. -Police in British Columbia say they’ve seized more than 27 tonnes of contraband cigarettes worth more than $24 million in a pair of investigations over the past year. Assistant RCMP Commissioner David Teboul said Friday at a news conference that their work involved collaboration with tax fraud investigators from the B.C. Ministry of Finance. He said the seizures of 133,000 cartons of cigarettes is a “major blow to numerous organized crime groups.” “They are the main orchestrators and beneficiaries of contraband tobacco sales, which are highly lucrative,” Teboul said. Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth said the most recent raids in Mission, B.C., and Maple Ridge on Feb. 28, involving 67,500 cartons, represented the largest one-time seizure of contraband cigarettes in the province. Farnworth,...
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Indigenous lawyer stresses early engagement is key to success of major projects
By Sam Laskaris Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Windspeaker.com Sara Mainville has held many prestigious posts. The Anishinaabe lawyer, who has been a member of the Ontario bar since 2005, stepped up a decade ago to serve as the chief of Couchiching First Nation in northern Ontario. Mainville was elected to a two-year term in an election that followed the sudden passing of then chief Chuck McPherson. Mainville uses her law background and also her experience as a former chief to currently assist Indigenous communities with various forms of dispute resolution. Mainville is a managing partner of JFK Law, a national law firm operating primarily in B.C., but that also does work across the country. She was a panelist at the Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada conference that was staged...
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‘Cow and Plows’ settlements could cost treaty rights, group says
By Brett McKay Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Several First Nations are negotiating settlements with the federal government to resolve an unfulfilled promise in the numbered treaties to provide agricultural supports. But accepting compensation for what was not delivered in the past comes with a concession of the treaty right to agriculture for future generations, an Indigenous legal team warns. “It’s a settlement that has a clause that indemnifies Canada and also a clause that says that this is the final, absolute payment, or the end of any action in this area,” said Rachel Snow. “That tells us that this one-time pay is not what our ancestors would have wanted, when they signed the treaty believing that the treaties are an eternal agreement, an eternal way of sharing with Canadian society...
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The US is springing forward to daylight saving. For Navajo and Hopi tribes, it’s a time of confusion
By Terry Tang THE ASSOCIATED PRESS TUBA CITY, Ariz. (AP)- Melissa Blackhair is not eager to spring forward Sunday. “I’m dreading it. I just don’t want to see how much we have to adjust,” Blackhair said while sitting in her home office in Tuba City on the Navajo Nation, the only area in Arizona that follows daylight saving time. With her husband working during the week in Phoenix, their clocks will vary. “Everything in our house is set to daylight saving time. It just kind of is an inconvenience because I am having to remember which car is on daylight and which is on standard time,” she said. “My husband will not change our time in our apartment (in Phoenix).” Those who live on the Arizona portion of the Navajo...
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