Trial of admitted serial killer to hear about search of landfill for remains
The Canadian Press A judge is expected to hear from a police officer who led the search of a Winnipeg landfill for the partial remains of a victim of admitted serial killer Jeremy Skibicki. Police cordoned off and looked through an area at the Brady Road landfill in the summer of 2022, after some remains of Rebecca Contois were found in dumpsters in Skibicki’s neighbourhood. Skibicki has pleaded not guilty to four counts of first-degree murder for the slayings that year of four Indigenous women, including Contois. His lawyers have told court that he admits to the killings but is not criminally responsible due to mental illness. Court has heard DNA from three of the victims as well as some of their belongings were found in Skibicki’s apartment. Crown prosecutors...
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Two Indigenous nurses pave the way to overcoming a colonial past to lead in health care
By Alexandra Mehl Prior to colonization, Indigenous healers and midwives held significant roles in their communities, serving with their knowledge of harvesting, preparing and administering local medicinal plants, reads an article published by the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA). Even with Indigenous people’s rich history of traditional medicines and healing practices, Western healthcare systems have a longstanding past of alienating First Nations people from the sector. “The genesis of healthcare in Canada was a direct result of the relationship that the Jesuit missionaries had with our First Nations healers when they first came to the land,” said Lisa Bourque Bearskin of Beaver Lake Cree Nation, who is an associate professor for the School of Nursing at the University of Victoria (UVic). “When the settlers came over, they introduced disease. It was...
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Winnipeg trial hears victims’ clothing, DNA found in serial killer’s apartment
By The Canadian Press WINNIPEG, MAN-The trial of serial killer Jeremy Skibicki heard Thursday that police found physical evidence of the victims in his Winnipeg apartment, including jewelry, clothing, DNA and a bloodstained bathtub. Const. Jan de Vries, who was part of the police search team, testified they found bloodstains in Skibicki’s bathroom belonging to one of the victims, Rebecca Contois. Some stains were visible while others were found using a spray that makes stains fluorescent when used with a black light, he said. “The bathtub was very fluorescent,” said de Vries. “So was the floor, the walls and on the exterior side of the door.” He said the bloodstains found in the bathtub covered the entire area, which had likely been emptied and rinsed at some point. Skibicki is...
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Timeline of slayings of 4 women in Winnipeg, demands to search a landfill for remains
By Canadian Press A Winnipeg man has admitted to killing four women but claims he’s not criminally responsible because of mental illness. Jeremy Skibicki, 37, has pleaded not guilty to four counts of first-degree murder. His trial began Wednesday. Here is a timeline of the case: March 15, 2022 — Police say an unidentified woman is killed on or around this date. May 1, 2022 — Morgan Harris, a member of Long Plain First Nation living in Winnipeg, is last seen in the area of Main Street and Henry Avenue north of the city’s downtown. Police say the 39-year-old is killed on or around this date. May 4, 2022 — Police say Marcedes Myran, 26, also of Long Plain First Nation and living in Winnipeg, is killed on or around...
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‘B.C.’ legislative assembly to issue formal apology to First Nations, build residential ‘school’ memorial
By Amy Romer Local Journalism Initiative Reporter The “B.C.” legislative assembly has released an action plan aimed at reconciling pieces of its colonial legacy, which is set to include a formal apology to First Nations. The Reconciliation Action Plan also commits to building a memorial garden on the legislature grounds honouring those who attended residential “schools” across the province and country. The plan sets out five key commitments to be carried out over the next four years and seven initial actions. It was created in consultation with an Indigenous advisory committee that was created in 2023. Speaker Raj Chouhan presented the document on Wednesday during an event held at the parliament buildings on ləkʷəŋən (Songhees and Esquimalt) territories, which began with drumming, singing, a prayer, and calling on witnesses. At the...
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Northern premiers call for national emergency response system
The Canadian Press Northern premiers are calling for a national emergency response system to deal with natural disasters they fear will become more frequent. After a meeting this week in Pond Inlet, Nvt., they say the wildfires and floods of recent years point to the need for federal co-ordination. Northwest Territories Premier R.J. Simpson says Canada is one of the few G7 countries without such an agency. Yukon Premier Ranj Pillai says municipal and First Nations leaders are already talking about how they can work together when wildfires or floods threaten their communities. Nunavut Premier P.J. Akeeagok said even his territory experienced wildfires. The N.W.T. has brought in more firefighters earlier this year and in more locations. “It’s time we started looking into (a co-ordinated system),” said Simpson, who was...
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Warnings continue against Native Education and Training College
By David Briggs Local Journalism Initiative reporter “They ignore me all the time and when I try to phone them, they just hang up on me.” So explained Chelsea Marois, speaking of her experiences with North Bay’s Native Education and Training College. BayToday recently wrote about the private career college, which has been locked out of its McIntyre Street office due to unpaid rent, and detailed allegations from a student and former instructor. Marois has had similar experiences – after paying tuition for an online PSW program, she could not access the course. When she reaches out to the school’s owners and administrators, Larry, Waylon and Lee Stewart, she receives no solutions, if she receives an answer at all. In January, Marois enrolled in the program. Her and her mother...
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Diverted Air France passengers kept Iqaluit airport staff busy
By Jeff Pelletier Local Journalism Initiatve Reporter It wasn’t a normal Tuesday for staff at Iqualuit airport gift shopw hen 260 passengers were unexpectedly stuck in the airport terminal for nearly 11 hours.The passengers made their unplanned arrival at the airport shortly before noon Tuesday when their Air France flight from Paris, bound for Seattle, Wash., made an emergency landing in Iqaluit after a “heat smell” was detected inside the plane. With their arrival, the staff at the gift shop got to work, making sure the travellers were happy and comfortable. “They were just more curious and had lots of questions,” Troy LeBlanc, manager of Arctic Co-op’s gift shops and Tundra Takeout at the airport, said of the international travellers. An Air France jet is parked at the Iqaluit Airport...
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Winnipeg trial hears victims’ clothing, jewelry found in serial killer’s apartment
By The Canadian Press Staff UPDATE: Thursday May 9 2024 The trial of serial killer Jeremy Skibicki heard Thursday that police found physical evidence of the victims in his apartment, including jewelry, clothing, DNA and a blood-stained bathtub. Const. Jan de Vries, who was part of the police search team, testified they found bloodstains in Skibicki’s bathroom belonging to one of the victims, Rebecca Contois. Some stains were visible while others were found using a spray that makes stains fluorescent when used with a black light, he said. “The bathtub was very fluorescent,” said de Vries. “So was the floor, the walls and on the exterior side of the door.” He said the bloodstains found in the bathtub covered the entire area, which had likely been emptied and rinsed at...
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Rivers recede as B.C. faces prospect of ‘unfamiliar territory’ for drought
The Canadian Press Parts of British Columbia will likely enter “unfamiliar territory” with drought if they see another hot, dry summer, says the head of the province’s River Forecast Centre. Dave Campbell says persistent drought conditions in B.C. stretch back to 2022, so the province is heading into this summer with “multi-year” precipitation deficits. Satellite photos show rivers in the Interior running narrower and shallower than the same time in 2023, which went on to be one of B.C.’s driest years on record. With the average snowpack level lower than ever recorded in B.C., Campbell says he’s expecting cumulative effects that could include water scarcity. “We know these antecedent conditions that we’re coming into this year are much more challenging than we started out last year with,” he said in...
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Winnipeg trial hears victims’ clothing, jewelry found in serial killer’s apartment
By The Staff The Canadian Press Posted May 9, 2024 A Winnipeg trial has heard the belongings of two slain women were found in the apartment of an admitted serial killer. A police officer who searched the home of Jeremy Skibicki testified Thursday that clothing and jewelry belonging to Morgan Harris and Marcedes Myran were discovered in the suite. Skibicki is charged with first-degree murder in the slayings of four Indigenous women in 2022. He has admitted to the killings, but his lawyers are arguing that he’s not criminally responsible due to mental illness. The Crown says the killings were racially-motivated and that Skibicki preyed on the vulnerable women at homeless shelters. Court has also heard DNA evidence belonging to Harris, Myran and a third victim, Rebecca Contois, was found in the...
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Qualtrough picks former Ontario chief justice to lead sport commissioner
The Canadian Press Former Ontario chief justice Lise Maisonneuve will lead the Future of Sport in Canada Commission. Canadian sports minister Carla Qualtrough also announced Thursday that Noni Classen and Andrew Pipe will be Maisonneuve’s advisers. The commission’s mandate is to delve into problems amid what Qualtrough and her predecessor Pascale St-Onge have called a safe-sport crisis in Canada. The commission has an 18-month mandate and will consult with sport bodies and survivors of abuse on how to improve the national sport system. It will produce two reports and hold a national summit to discuss preliminary findings. Some former athletes, academics and former sports minister Kirsty Duncan have called for a public inquiry. This year’s federal budget provided $10.6 million over two years to the commission. Maisonneuve’s eight-year term as...
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OPP arrest 64 in massive child sexual exploitation investigations
By: Austin Evans Writer Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) have arrested and charged 64 suspects who are now facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations, dubbed “Project Aquatic” that spanned the province. OPP announced the arrests May 8th at a news conference in Scarborough saying it involved online child exploitation. These arrests were the latest development from their Provincial ICE (Internet Child Exploitation) Strategy. The OPP conducted investigations for Project Aquatic between February 19 to February 29, 2024 to identify those making, possessing, and distributing child sexual abuse material. OPP conducted 129 separate investigations across Ontario involving online sexual abuse materials. As a result OPP identified 34 victims ranging in age from infants to teenagers and safeguarded 30. In addition, they laid 348...
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NDP leader slams Liberals for giving nearly $26M to Costco, Loblaw in recent years
By Canadian Press NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is slamming the federal Liberals for giving nearly $26 million to Costco and Loblaw for energy-efficient appliances. The money came from the Liberal government’s low-carbon economy fund, which is meant to support projects that will reduce greenhouse-gas emissions. In 2019, the Liberals faced heat from Conservatives after the government announced it was giving up to $12 million to Loblaw for energy-efficient refrigerators and freezers at 370 of its stores. Newly released data from Environment and Climate Change Canada show Costco was also given more than $15 million for efforts to reduce emissions, including new fridges. Loblaw was ultimately given more than $10 million. The payments were made to the two grocery chains between 2019 and 2023. While people are deciding what they can...
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Indigenous food sovereignty farm featured in documentary screening at Vancouver festival
By Sam Laskaris Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Ryan Dickie was keen to be involved with his latest film because he believes there is an important message that needs to get out. Dickie, a member of Fort Nelson First Nation in British Columbia, wrote and directed Tea Creek, a documentary about an Indigenous food sovereignty farm that had its premiere at the DOXA Documentary Film Festival on May 4 in Vancouver. The film will have a second screening May 9 at the festival, presented annually by the non-profit organization called the Documentary Media Society. Tea Creek features Indigenous food sovereignty activist Jacob Beaton. He transforms his family farm in the B.C. village of Kitwanga into Tea Creek, which includes a training centre for people whose mission it is to restore the...
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Police present but not enforcing injunction at Alberta oil blockade
Police are present at a blockade of an oil lease road in northern Alberta but say they aren’t enforcing an injunction for members of a local First Nation to clear the site. “We are aware of the situation, and we have dispatched resources to speak with both parties,” said RCMP Cpl. Mathew Howell. “We have not gone into an enforcement capacity. We’re trying to get both parties to the table.” On Monday, a judge issued an injunction for members of the Woodland Cree First Nation, north of Peace River, to clear a road used by Calgary-based Obsidian Energy. The blockade was first set up in February and Obsidian says it needs the road to conduct maintenance on a pipeline site. “This work is time-sensitive as it must be completed prior...
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Brant-Brantford paramedics facing alarmingly high patient offload times
Hospital offload times at Brantford General Hospital (BGH) are currently one of the worst in the province, with an average delay of 80 minutes, members of the paramedic services committee heard on Tuesday morning. “Things have deteriorated to some extent since our last report,” Russell King, chief of paramedic services for Brant-Brantford told the committee. Offload times — the time it takes to transfer a patient arriving by ambulance into the hospital’s care — have been an ongoing challenge. Contributing factors include the influx of new residents in the region, an aging population, and the lack of primary care and urgent care options in the community, a report shared with the committee showed. Persistent staffing challenges at the hospital, combined with systemic challenges such as aging infrastructure and inadequate bed...
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Quebec premier defends new museum on Québécois nation after Indigenous criticism
By Morgan Lowrie Canadian Press Quebec Premier François Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a group representing First Nations of trying to erase their history. The Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador criticized Legault’s April 25 comments that suggested the province’s history began with the arrival of French explorers Jacques Cartier and Samuel de Champlain in the 16th and 17th centuries. During his announcement of a new Quebec national history museum, the premier paid tribute to Quebec’s history, saying it “started with the explorers, Cartier then Champlain, who was the founder of our nation.” The Assembly of First Nations also criticized histor ian Éric Bédard who was present at the event and was quoted telling reporters that history begins with writing, and...
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Chiefs say Rickford made ‘threats of retribution’
By Mike Stimpson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter KENORA – A court document filed recently by the Chiefs of Ontario accuses the MPP for Kenora-Rainy River, who is the province’s Indigenous affairs minister, of making “threats of retribution.” A spokesperson for Greg Rickford responded to the allegations with a one-sentence statement. “As this matter is before the courts, it would be inappropriate to comment further,” the spokesperson stated in an email to Newswatch. The allegations against Rickford are in a statement of claim filed by the chiefs organization. The statement’s 45th paragraph alleges that Rickford “spoke in an angry tone and made threats of retribution” in a Dec. 11, 2023, phone call to Regional Chief Glen Hare. According to the statement, Rickford told Hare all collaboration between the chiefs and the...
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Toxic spill raises questions about radioactive waste
By Matteo Cimellaro Local Journalism Initiative Reporter OTTAWA For more than a month, while Algonquin First Nation members harvested plentiful pickerel, walleye and pike from the Ottawa River, they had no idea toxic sewage could also be flowing in the water. A month ago, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL), the company that operates the Chalk River nuclear research facility, notified Kebaowek First Nation that there was an issue with toxic effluent, but they were assured it was being taken care of, said Chief Lance Haymond. At first, Haymond didn’t see it as a problem because Kebaowek has a sewage facility. “We didn’t even raise a red flag that what was going on was serious,” he told Canada’s National Observer. Then, CBC News called about its investigation that revealed the effluent had...
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