Winnipeg trial to hear about letters admitted serial killer sent to inmate
The Canadian Press Staff 22/05/2024 04:00 Crown prosecutors are set to wrap up their evidence today in the trial of a Winnipeg man who has admitted to killing four Indigenous women. Court is expected to hear about letters Jeremy Skibicki sent to an inmate about the charges he’s facing. Skibicki has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in the 2022 slayings of Rebecca Contois, Morgan Harris, Marcedes Myran and an unidentified woman Indigenous leaders have named Buffalo Woman. His lawyers say he killed the women but argue he should be found not criminally responsible due to mental illness. Prosecutors say the killings were racially motivated and Skibicki preyed on the vulnerable victims at homeless shelters. Skibicki’s lawyers have said an expert will later testify to Skibicki’s mental state at the...
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First Nations leader says little change for women’s safety since Pickton murders
By Chuck Chiang in Vancouver The Canadian Press Published: 22/05/2024 04:00 An Indigenous leader in British Columbia says little has changed since the crimes of serial killer Robert Pickton, as community members reflect on news that he is in life-threatening condition after being attacked in prison. Chief Marilyn Slett with the Heiltsuk Tribal Council in Bella Bella, B.C., says discussion about Pickton after the assault at a Quebec prison on Sunday has revived painful memories for the Indigenous community. Slett, who is also secretary-treasurer at the Union of BC Indian Chiefs, says Indigenous women still face a barrier of systemic racism when it comes to personal safety and access to the justice system when they are victims of crimes. Pickton was convicted of six counts of second-degree murder and sentenced to...
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A lifetime of change for Barney Tootoo
By Darrell Greer Local Journalism Initiative 22/05/2024 07:13 Barney Tootoo had a lot to look back upon as he blew out the candles to celebrate his 76th birthday on May 14. Tootoo has lived in three different Kivalliq communities during his life: Baker Lake, Rankin Inlet and Whale Cove. And, with the obvious creation of Nunavut as its own territory, he’s seen a lot of change in three-quarters of a century. He said the biggest change he’s seen in Rankin Inlet over the years is the different nationalities of people who are moving to the community and staying longer. He said for many years, people would just come into Rankin to work for the summer and then they were gone. “We have people from all over living here now full...
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Good Spirit School Division report exposes education gap for Indigenous students
By Cleo Ding Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Students of Indigenous ancestry have long been underachieving because of the inadequate systems that have been put into place, acknowledged Quintin Robertson, Good Spirit School Division (GSSD) director of education, regarding a student learning outcome report in February. “It’s the system that needs to change, not our Indigenous students,” Robertson said. The report reads that the First Nations and Métis students face unique challenges in education, lacking equitable support and opportunities. When their cultural backgrounds aren’t reflected in the curriculum, students’ confidence and academic performance are negatively impacted – This disconnect can lead to higher dropout rates and long-term disparities in career opportunities. For the 2022-23 school year, the number of K-12 students in Saskatchewan who graduated within the typical three-year period after...
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Winnipeg trial hears search for ‘serial killer’ definition found on killer’s computer
By The Canadian Press Staff 21/05/2024 15:28 A police analyst tasked with going through the computer of a Winnipeg man who admitted to killing four women found internet searches for what it means to be a serial killer. Riley Johansson told a murder trial that he traced months of online searches on Jeremy Skibicki’s computer around the same time the four Indigenous women were slain in 2022. “My goal was to give some of this data context … to help narrow the search for any additional victims,” Johannson testified Tuesday during the third week of the trial. Skibicki, 37, has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder for the slayings of Rebecca Contois, 24; Morgan Harris, 39; Marcedes Myran, 26; and an unidentified woman Indigenous leaders have named Mashkode Bizhiki’ikwe, or...
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Fourth First Nation in Manitoba declares state of emergency
By Dave Baxter Local Journalism Initiative reporter The Chemawawin Cree Nation (CCN) is the fourth First Nation community to declare a state of emergency since the start of this year, as CCN leaders said they are dealing with an ongoing crisis of violence that includes the recent killing of a 14-year-old girl. Last week, CCN Chief Clarence Easter and the community’s band council said in a notice they have declared a state of emergency in the community located 450 kilomeres north of Winnipeg and are putting in new guidelines that residents must follow or face punishments that could include being evicted from their homes, or possibly banished from the community. Council said they were forced to take action due to increased violence and illegal activity. Last week, RCMP confirmed that...
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‘Happy tears’ of victim’s sister after prison attack on serial killer Robert Pickton
By Morgan Lowrie in Montreal and Nono Shen and Chuck Chiang in Vancouver The Canadian Press 21/05/2024 16:41 Cynthia Cardinal says she was “overwhelmed” with happiness when she received a text message on Monday with the news that serial killer Robert Pickton, who murdered her sister Georgina Papin, was in a life-threatening condition after being attacked in prison. She calls it “karma.” The text came from a cousin of Tanya Holyk, another missing woman whose DNA was found at Pickton’s pig farm in Port Coquitlam, B.C. “I don’t think anybody that evil should be walking on Earth, as far as I’m concerned,” Cardinal said on Tuesday. “I have happy tears. Very happy tears.” Correctional Service Canada confirmed Tuesday that the B.C. serial killer was the inmate injured in a “major...
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Brantford police seek to identify suspect in sexual assault
BRANTFORD, ONT-Brantford Police are seeking the public’s help in identifying a male suspect wanted in connection with the sexual assault of a woman on a city walking trail. Police said on Thursday, May 16, 2024, between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m., a 16-year-old woman was sexually assaulted on the walking trail that extends from Veterans Memorial Parkway to Bell Lane. The incident was reported to police on May 20, 2024. The suspect has been described to police as follows: male, brown skin, may have been in his 20’s or older, approximately 5’4” with brown eyes and brown eyebrows. The suspect was wearing a head covering to conceal his face similar to a balaclava. Police are asking any residents in the area of Shellard’s Lane, Bell Lane, Mt. Pleasant Street and...
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Arrests and seizure of prohibited weapons after Brant County OPP stop vehicle
BRANT, ON -Two people have been arrested and several items seized included prohibited weapons after Brant County, Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) stopped a pickup truck on Colborne Street West,May 17th, 2024. OPP conducted a traffic stop on a U-Haul pickup truck on Colborne Street West between Airport Road and McGregor Avenue at about 1:42 a.m. Friday, May 17th and arrested for driving while under suspension when his driver’s license was found to have been suspended as a result of unpaid fines. OPP also found a female passenger in the vehicle who had an “active warrant from Almaguin Highlands OPP.” During a search of the vehicle OPP found what they called “items of interest” that included identity documents, prohibited weapons, a suspected opioid substance and drug paraphernalia. The driver, Jason Lowe,...
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Winnipeg trial hears admitted serial killer searched web for serial killer definition
The Canadian Press 21/05/2024 12:57 The trial of man who has admitted to killing four women has heard he searched the internet to look up the definition of what it means to be a serial killer. A Winnipeg police analyst says other online searches found on Jeremy Skibicki’s laptop were about DNA and destroying fingerprints. Riley Johansson testified that he traced months of online searches on Skibicki’s computer. Skibicki is charged first-degree murder in the deaths of four Indigenous women in 2022. He has admitted to the killings but his lawyers say he is not criminally responsible due to mental illness. Crown prosecutors say the killings were racially motivated and Skibicki preyed on the women at homeless shelters. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 21, 2024....
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Serial killer Robert Pickton hospitalized after Quebec prison assault
The Canadian Press 21/05/2024 12:12 Correctional Service Canada has confirmed that B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton was the inmate injured in a major assault Sunday at a Quebec prison. Quebec provincial police said Tuesday that 74-year-old Pickton was taken to hospital with injuries that were considered life-threatening. Police spokesman Hugues Beaulieu added that a 51-year-old suspect was in custody. Pickton was convicted of six counts of second-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison in 2007, with the maximum parole ineligibility period of 25 years, after being charged with the murders of 26 women. The remains or DNA of 33 women, many who were taken from the Downtown Eastside, were found on Pickton’s pig farm in Port Coquitlam, and he once bragged to an undercover police officer that he killed...
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Cooler, wetter weather aids B.C. wildfire fight in northeast
The Canadian Press The BC Wildfire Service says cooler, wetter conditions are allowing crews to make progress in their firefight in the province’s northeast where thousands of evacuees remain out of their homes for a second week. The service says the more seasonable weather is expected to persist until Wednesday. But it’s warning that despite the favourable conditions, much of the province remains “unseasonably dry” due to the ongoing drought. It says that means fire fuels remain “very susceptible to ignition” and wildfires can spread rapidly. The service says that most spring fires are typically caused by human activity and is asking people to do their best to minimize this. The BC Wildfire Service dashboard shows there are 119 active wildfires across the province, 23 of which are known or...
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Five NWT artists set to attend ‘huge’ market in New Mexico
By Tom Taylor Local Journalism Initiative This August, a group of five Indigenous artists from the NWT will head to Santa Fe, New Mexico to sell their work at one of the most esteemed markets of its kind. The group will be in the American southwest from August 16 to 18 for the Santa Fe Indian Market (SFIM), which will be returning to the city for the 102nd time. “I’m very honoured and feel privileged to be able to attend the Santa Fe Indian Market,” said Fort Simpson Dene and Métis artist Shawna McLeod, who will be visiting Santa Fe for the first time. “It was on my bucket list to go as a spectator, so you can imagine that I never thought I would be attending as a vendor. “It’s...
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Kahnawake legal challenge against Ontario comes up snake eyes
By Marcus Bankuti Local Journalism Initiative 17/05/2024 14:21 An attempt by the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK) to topple Ontario’s multibillion-dollar online gaming scheme was rejected by an Ontario Superior Court judge Monday. The ruling by justice Lisa Brownstone forces Kahnawake to choose between capitulating to Ontario’s demand for hefty levies – a violation of Kahnawake’s jurisdiction over gaming, the MCK has argued – or to be left out of Canada’s biggest betting market altogether. “As far as having to pay a provincial government some type of fee, it’s out of the question,” said MCK chief Cody Diabo, who is tasked with the gaming file. “It really puts us into a difficult situation for us to be operating. It’s unfortunate because the Kahnawake Gaming Commission is renowned globally, but we...
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Trial of admitted serial killer wraps up second week in Winnipeg
The Canadian Press 17/05/2024 13:48 The murder trial of an admitted serial killer has wrapped up its second week of evidence. Two former acquaintances of Jeremy Skibicki were expected to testify Friday about their interactions with the killer. Crown prosecutors told court that one witness had an unexpected health issue, while the other didn’t show up. Skibicki is facing four counts of first-degree murder for the slayings of four Indigenous women in Winnipeg in 2022. His lawyers have said he carried out the killings but is not criminally responsible due to a mental illness. Prosecutors are arguing the killings were racially motivated and Skibicki preyed on the women at homeless shelters. The trial has heard Skibicki assaulted his victims, strangled or drowned them and disposed of their bodies in garbage...
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Canadiens goaltender Carey Price to receive honorary doctorate from UNBC
The Canadian Press Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price will receive an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of Northern British Columbia on May 31 at the school’s convocation ceremony. The university highlighted Price’s NHL achievements, inspiration of Indigenous youth and philanthropy in Northern B.C. and Canada in its announcement Wednesday. Price, who grew up in Anahim Lake, B.C., backstopped Canada to Olympic gold in 2014 and led the Canadiens to the Stanley Cup final in 2021. In 2015, he won the Hart Memorial Trophy as NHL MVP and the Northern Star Award as Canada’s top athlete. The 36-year-old is under contract with the Canadiens through the 2025-26 season, but hasn’t played an NHL game since April 29, 2022, due to a debilitating knee injury. Before the NHL, Price...
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“It all starts with a dream”: Nunavut’s AIP winners
By Kira Wronska Dorward Local Journalism Initiative Reporter The real winner in this year’s Arctic Inspiration Prize is the developing fabric of Nunavut’s infrastructure. Four projects, two of which were exclusively based in territory and at opposite ends of the traditional gender work spectrum, resulted in a total of $1,246,000 in prize money from Canada’s largest competition that will directly benefit Nunavummiut in a variety of ways, particularly food sovereignty and labour training. Nunavut News spoke with the exclusively Nunavut-based projects- Learning, Harvesting, Earning, which won $425,000 in the AIP Category Finalists level, and Investing in the Futures of Inuit Women, an initiative associated with the One Plane Away non-profit organization that received around $98,000 in the youth category- about their plan for the winnings. “The ceremony was unbelievable,” said...
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Court to hear from former acquaintances of admitted Winnipeg serial killer
The Canadian Press 17/05/2024 04:00 Two former acquaintances of an admitted serial killer are expected to testify today in the murder trial of Jeremy Skibicki. One of those is set to provide details about the behaviour of the man charged with killing four Indigenous women. Skibicki is facing four counts of first-degree murder for the slayings in 2022. His lawyers have said he carried out the killings but is not criminally responsible due to mental illness. Crown prosecutors say the killings were racially motivated and Skibicki preyed on the women at homeless shelters. Skibicki’s ex-wife has testified that he was violent and controlling during their marriage. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 17, 2024. ...
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Steelworkers: Bill 25 and “Rising Tide” Haida Title Lands Agreement, a major step forward
BURNABY, British Columbia, May 16, 2024 — The United Steelworkers union (USW) District 3 is committed to reconciliation with B.C. First Nations and supports Bill 25, Haida Nation Recognition Amendment Act, 2024. The “Rising Tide” Haida Title Lands Agreement is a major step forward. “We acknowledge our role in addressing the legacy of colonialism and we support the B.C. government doing the same,” said USW District 3 Director, Scott Lunny. Specifically, USW Local 1-1937 represents members working within the Haida Nation, primarily in the forest sector. USW District 3 is confident that, through respectful discussion, any changes and policies flowing from this legislation, agreement and nation-to-nation negotiations will not negatively impact those members and their families and, indeed, can result in more certainty and security for Indigenous and non-Indigenous people...
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Professor challenges ideas of land acknowledgements at APL
By Brock Weir Local Journalism Initiative 16/05/2024 It’s time to re-imagine the relationships between Indigenous peoples and non-Indigenous settlers, rather than simply walking towards “reconciliation.” That is the view of Dr. Ruth Green, an Associate Professor in the School of Social Work at York University. In her presentation “It Is More than a Land Acknowledgement”, which was hosted by the Aurora Public Library as part of their Indigenous Teachings program, Dr. Green said she didn’t believe there was “anything to reconcile” and, instead, it’s more important to focus on work to build relationships. “We’re not going back to any previous good relationship,” she said. Near the start of her presentation, Dr. Green asked participants to think about the Town of Aurora’s Land Acknowledgement, a document which can be found etched on...
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