Event provides comfort and space for residential school survivors
By Amanda Rabski-McColl Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Residential school survivors gathered together to support one another and share this week. Hosted by Moose Cree First Nation and Kashechewan First Nation, a survivors’ summit was held from Tuesday, Feb 13 to Thursday, Feb. 15 in Timmins, bringing together residential school survivors from northern Ontario and Quebec. “We have initiatives in both communities because both communities have survivors at Horden Hall,” said elder Stella Schimmens, who is from Moose Cree First Nation. “We have three generations of people who went to the school.” Many attendees at this week’s conference are survivors of Bishop Horden Hall, an Anglican residential school in Moose Factory. Indigenous children were sent there from 1906 to 1976. The events focused on giving survivors a chance to share their...
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World premieres bring together Indigenous and immigrant voices in Canada
By Michael Staples Local Journalism Initiative Reporter After months of preparation, members of Canada’s Indigenous and immigrant communities are preparing to launch a pair of multimedia storytelling experiences they hope will illustrate a rapidly developing bond between the groups. The world premiere of One Land, Two Hearts: WhereWeStand will debut Feb. 23 at the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 in Halifax. A second premiere presentation will occur Feb. 25 at the Woodland Cultural Centre in Brantford, Ont. Indigenous participants paired with newcomers have worked to produce everything from live storytelling to spoken word to dance to films all of which are designed to reflect on the differences and common ground of identity and belonging. Cyrus Sundar Singh, co-creative producer, said the premiere is more than just bringing “a...
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Ottawa warns it will likely close lucrative baby eel fishery
By John Chilibeck Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Canada’s most valuable export fishery could be done for the season before it’s even started. The federal fisheries minister has warned she will probably shut the baby eel fishery this spring in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia because her department doesn’t have time to come up with new rules to stop rampant poaching threatening the longterm survival of the species. In a letter sent last week to the 12 baby eel, or elver, licence holders in the Maritimes, Diane Lebouthillier says time is running short and there’s just too much to do ahead of the season, which normally starts in about six weeks, near the end of March or beginning of April. “It is my view that it is not possible to have...
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Tribal bloodshed shines spotlight on instability in strategically vital Papua New Guinea
By Rod Mcguirk THE ASSOCIATED PRESS MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) -A tribal clash in Papua New Guinea’s remote highlands in which at least 26 people were killed has put a growing internal security problem under the microscope in the strategically vital South Pacific island nation that has garnered closer military attention from the United States and China. The rival powers are increasingly keen to strike security pacts with the developing nation whose international significance has grown in tandem with China’s increased regional influence. Here’s a look at some key issues surrounding Papua New Guinea’s internal security concerns: PAPUA NEW GUINEA, THE COUNTRY Papua New Guinea is the most populous South Pacific island nation after Australia and was a colony of that near neighbor until independence in 1975. The government estimates Papua...
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Kuujjuaq sculptor turns ice into art at Quebec’s Winter Carnival
By Cedric Gallant Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Sammy Kudluk’s ice sculpture depicting two Inuit women holding a qulliq was viewed by thousands of people at the Quebec Winter Carnival. The Kuujjuaq artist created the piece Feb. 11. Kudluk said he has been honing his craft as an artist for nearly 50 years, doing painting, sculpting and soapstone carving. “I have not done that much ice sculpting,” Kudluk said in a phone interview, after returning from Quebec City. Kuujjuaq’s river ice, he explained, has too much air in it and tends to crack, but the ice at the carnival is made specifically for the art. Kudluk’s first foray into ice-sculpting was five years ago, at the ice hotel created each year in Sainte-Foy near Quebec City. For this festival, Kudluk said his...
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Saint John police ‘working towards’ diversity expectations: chief
By Andrew Bates Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Saint John’s police chief says a diversity and inclusion recruiting initiative is part of efforts to make the force more reflective of the city’s demographics. The Inclusivity and Diversity Recruitment Camp runs May 23 at the Saint John Police Force’s Peel Plaza headquarters, according to a press release Wednesday. The full-day program aims to bring in potential recruits from underrepresented communities, including women and visible minorities, and give them an idea of what life as a police officer looks like, according to Chief Robert Bruce. “We’re looking for people … that are looking to find out what policing is all about and how they can serve their community,” Bruce told Brunswick News. At the Tuesday meeting of the Saint John Board of Police Commissioners,...
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Acimowin Opaspiw Society Says Police Refusing To Investigate Saddle Lake Mass Graves
By Jeremy Appel Local Journalism Initiative Reporter A year after announcing the discovery of undocumented mass graves at the former Blue Quills Residential School, the head of the Acimowin Opaspiw Society (AOS) says the RCMP and Alberta chief medical examiner are refusing to assist in their investigation. The AOS is a non-profit based out of Saddle Lake Cree Nation, where Blue Quills operated from 1898 to 1932 before the forced assimilation institution was moved to St. Paul County, where it remained until its closure in 1970. At a Jan. 24 press conference on Enoch Cree Nation, AOS executive director Leah Redcrow said this lack of cooperation from authorities is the product of “continued negligence and institutional racism against our people.” The first of the communal graves was discovered by “accidental...
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Racism and cultural beliefs can affect organ donations in some communities: doctors
By Camille Bains THE CANADIAN PRESS VANCOUVER- A kidney-shaped cake will likely be on the menufor Reema Garcha and her family as they celebrate the six-year anniversary of her kidney donation to her older sister. That’s been the traditional dessert to mark Feb. 26, 2018, when the bond between Garcha, 46, and Binn Johal, 51, deepened through their shared experience as organ donor and recipient. Johal’s worsening autoimmune disease meant she needed a transplant. And when doctors suggested she ask someone to consider donating one of their kidneys, Garcha, her mom and brother were ready to help. “I felt like I won the lottery when they told me I was a match,” Garcha said from Langley, B.C. But many people in the South Asian community fear asking family and friends...
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‘No backup plan’: Funding for HIV self testing kits ending in March
By Kelly Geraldine Malone THE CANADIAN PRESS Prossy Luzige often gets calls from people looking for HIV tests that they can do in the privacy of their own homes. The program co-ordinator at CAYR Community Connections in Ontario says the take-home tests are crucial to connecting with people as Canada’s HIV infections climb. But the groundbreaking initiative to provide the kits across Canada is in peril, as funding runs out at the end of March. “What will happen after the funding ends?” Luzige asked. “What kind of answer are we going to give such community members?” The federal government indicated it is looking to sunset the self-test program, said Sean Rourke, a scientist who was a principal investigator in a study that helped get the tests approved in Canada. “There...
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Chance to protect, improve water quality squandered, official says
By John Chilibeck Local Journalism Initiative Reporter An environmentalist warns that threats such as pharmaceutical and forest fire pollution in rivers and lakes haven’t been addressed in the New Brunswick government’s latest update on the province’s water protection strategy. Beverly Gingras, the Conservation Council of New Brunswick’s executive director, wrote a scathing letter to Environment Minister Gary Crossman Feb. 1 outlining her concerns that the latest version of the 10-year strategy – a midpoint update of the first version published in late 2017 – didn’t involve consultations with any environmental, conservation or Indigenous groups. She said her organization only found out about the Progressive Conservative government’s five-year update through some contacts in mid-January. “They released it very quietly and they didn’t do a press release on this,” she said in...
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Blanket of Stars dedicated to Canada’s ‘residential school warriors
By Hugh Kruzel Local Journalism Initiative Reporter The president and founder of Weengushk Film Institute, Shirley Cheechoo, is a ground-breaking Cree artist, actress filmmaker and editor. On Friday, Cheechoo, who is based on Manitoulin Island, visited Laurentian University to talk about her current project, Blanket of Stars. In her own words, her work is “dedicated to harnessing the power of film to tell Indigenous stories while also providing a platform for the next generation of Indigenous filmmakers to be seen and heard.” Looking forward to July 20, just before its international film festival, the Weengushk Film Institute (WFI) is organizing “a momentous event on Manitoulin Island to honour residential school warriors,” Cheechoo said. “These warriors play a crucial role in the reconciliation process. Their testimonies, resilience, and determination to shed...
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Kinngait artist Ningiukulu Teevee’s work featured in special exhibition in London
By Kira Wronska Dorward Local Journalism Initiative Reporter The Winnipeg Art Gallery (WAG)-Qaumajuq has announced a new exhibition featuring the work of contemporary artist Ningiukulu Teevee was to be held at Canada House in the famous Trafalgar Square in the heart of London, UK, on Feb. 8. The event was organized by WAG-Qaumajuq in partnership with the High Commission of Canada in the UK. Entitled Ningiukulu Teevee: Stories from Kinngait, the exhibition included 26 artworks from the celebrated Inuk artist. Based in Kinngait, Teevee is known for her “bright, playful depictions and retellings of Inuit stories,” WAG-Qaumajuq wrote in a news release. The exhibition, curated by Dr. Darlene Coward Wight, showcased Teevee’s favourite subject matter: Arctic animals, abstract natural forms and traditional oral folktales passed down through generations. Last year,...
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Louis Riel portrait updated to recognize Metis leader as first premier of Manitoba
WINNIPEG -A portrait of Louis Riel hanging in the provincial legislature now recognizes the Metis leader as Manitoba’s first premier. Premier Wab Kinew and Manitoba Metis Federation President David Chartrand unveiled the updated plaque below the portrait today, which is recognized as Louis Riel Day in the province. Riel led a provisional government in what is now Manitoba and blazed the trail for the province to join Confederation in 1870. The Riel portrait has been on the walls of the legislative building for many years but the plaque designated Riel as president. Kinew’s first legislation introduced after the NDP government came to power last year was to recognize Riel’s role as the first premier. Chartrand says it is a historic and important way to honour Riel and the contributions of...
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Six Nations Police Fentanyl Trafficking Investigation Results In Four Facing Charges
Four charged in Six Nations Police Fentanyl trafficking investigation (SNP Photo) SIX NATIONS OF THE GRAND-Four Ohsweken residents are facing trafficking in fentanyl, cocaine and drug possession charges after Six Nations Police (SNP) executed a search warrant Friday, Feb., 15 on a Fifth Line Road home and mobile trailer. SNP executed two Section 11 Controlled Drugs & Substances Act search warrants at the 5th Line Road residence and mobile trailer where four adults were arrested without incident, police said. Two women, ages 34 and 58, and two men, 38 and 35 are facing a series of trafficking and drug related charges. Three of the accused were remanded in custody pending formal bail hearings, the 35-year-old man was released via a Form 10 Undertaking with a future court date. The charges...
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‘There is no quick and easy solution’: Shelter relocation review moving to next steps
By Marissa Lentz Local Journalism Initiative A review of the location of Timmins’ emergency shelter will be given to a steering committee at the end of the month. During the Cochrane District Social Services Administration Board (CDSSAB) meeting on Thursday (Feb. 16), Third Party Public’s Nicole Swerhun told members their report will be going to the Living Space relocation review steering committee on Feb. 29. In March, the steering committee will review the report and work with community partners to propose an action plan, including funding. CDSSAB will consider the action plan at its March 21 meeting, after which the plan will be sent to Timmins council in April. “In April that will go to Timmins council and then on an ongoing basis, the work will need to be done to...
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Donald Trump fraud verdict: $364 million penalty in New York civil fraud case
By Michael R. Sisak THE ASSOCIATED PRESS NEW YORK (AP- A New York judge ruled Friday against Donald Trump, imposing a $364 million penalty over what the judge ruled was a yearslong scheme to dupe banks and others with financial statements that inflated the former president’s wealth. Trump also was barred from serving as an officer or director of any New York corporation for three years. Judge Arthur Engoron issued his decision after a 2 1/2-month trial that saw the Republican presidential front-runner bristling under oath that he was the victim of a rigged legal system. The stiff penalty was a victory for New York Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat, who sued Trump over what she said was not just harmless bragging but years of deceptive practices as he...
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Manitoba denies environmental licence to contentious sand project
WINNIPEG- The Manitoba government has nixed a contentious sand-extraction project proposed by Sio Silica east of Winnipeg. Premier Wab Kinew and Tracy Schmidt, Manitoba’s environment minister, say the province has decided not to grant an environmental licence to the Vivian project. Kinew says his government will always put the health and safety of Manitobans first and that includes ensuring communities have safe, clean drinking water. Schmidt says the proposal failed to adequately consider long-term impacts, including potential aquifer collapse. A news release says Schmidt’s decision was based on expert information as well as consultation with affected communities and First Nations. It says a Clean Environment Commission report flagged a number of serious concerns about the project, which would have extracted sand through aquifers that provide drinking water to 100,000 Manitobans....
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Kuujjuaq sculptor turns ice into art at Quebec’s Winter Carnival
By Cedric Gallant Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Sammy Kudluk’s ice sculpture depicting two Inuit women holding a qulliq was viewed by thousands of people at the Quebec Winter Carnival. The Kuujjuaq artist created the piece Feb. 11. Kudluk said he has been honing his craft as an artist for nearly 50 years, doing painting, sculpting and soapstone carving. “I have not done that much ice sculpting,” Kudluk said in a phone interview, after returning from Quebec City. Kuujjuaq’s river ice, he explained, has too much air in it and tends to crack, but the ice at the carnival is made specifically for t the art. Kudluk’s first foray into ice-sculpting was five years ago, at the ice hotel created each year in Sainte-Foy near Quebec City. For this festival, Kudluk said...
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Activists demand action during Montreal MMIWG march
By Cedric Gallant Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Chants resonated along Montreal’s Saint-Catherine Street on Valentine’s Day as hundreds of people converged to march for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. “When I say Nuna, say back, `Nuna Back!” the crowd shouted. For 33 years, Feb. 14 has been dedicated to calling governments to action to provide safety for Indigenous women and girls in their communities. Kinngait-born Sarah Carriere led the nighttime march, screaming the chants until her vocal chords gave out. Carriere has been an active member in Montreal’s Indigenous community ever since she moved there from her hometown seven years ago. “It is super important that everyone keeps showing up,” she said in a speech at the end of the march. “We need all the love and support...
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Cultural burning stokes debate on wildfire defence
By Jessica Lee Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Joe Gilchrist’s grandmother used to tell him if you can’t walk on the land barefoot, you know something is wrong. A forest overgrown and covered in wildfire fuels is unhealthy and hurts to walk on, much like a grassland that’s overdue for a burn and covered in prickly, dead vegetation. “That forest isn’t healthy, it’s sick. There’s no food for the animals, the predators have lots of places to hide,” he said. “Spiritually speaking, there’s always a battle between the light and the dark. If the forest is dark, it’s because it’s too thick and it hasn’t been looked after.” Gilchrist is a member of the Skeetchestn Indian Band, part of the Secwepemc Nation in British Columbia. He is a traditional fire keeper...
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