California bill would provide support services to Native American families, reduce foster care
By Sarah Stierge/the Mendocino Voice SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A bipartisan bill to ensure Native American children and families receive culturally appropriate support services aimed at preventing foster care placements passed the California Legislature last week. If signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, Assembly Bill 1378 would amend state law to let tribes and tribal organizations partner with the California Department of Social Services to provide services aimed at keeping children safely at home and out of foster care. Currently, tribes and tribal organizations can access foster care, adoption and guardianship services, but most preventive services, such as legal assistance and family counseling, are only available through nontribal organizations that often lack the cultural competence to respect each tribe’s practices and sovereignty. AB 1378 would give tribes and tribal organizations the...
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Developers propose $400-million project to transform Montreal’s downtown Bay store
The corporation representing the Cree Nation is one of two developers that are ready to invest $400 million to turn the former Hudson’s Bay store in downtown Montreal into a cultural hub and museum. The James Bay Eeyou Corp. and JHD Immobilier say they intend to submit an offer to acquire the historic building on Ste-Catherine Street. The developers say they want to transform the building into a space that celebrates the heritage and vitality of the Cree people. Their concept includes a museum dedicated to the fur trade and exchanges between the Cree and the Hudson’s Bay Co. that go back more than 350 years. It also includes an Indigenous cultural centre, retail showcases, mixed-use facilities and a hotel. They say the project could be completed by 2029 and...
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‘An honour to serve’: Akeeagok thanks staff, family in legislature
By Jeff Pelletier, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunatsiaq News With the Nunavut legislative assembly’s sitting nearing its end, Premier P.J. Akeeagok thanked his staff, the territory’s public servants and his family for their support over the past four years while noting his government didn’t accomplish everything he wanted it to. “While no government ever completes the work, together we showed what is possible when we act in unity, grounded in our values and committed to our people,” Akeeagok said in his minister’s statement Wednesday. “It has been an honour to serve Nunavummiut through this assembly. To our partners, to our communities, and to our families, I say qujannamiik [thank you].” Akeeagok, who is preparing to leave office after announcing he won’t seek a second term as an MLA in the...
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‘Street Sweeps’ Increase Overdose and Violence Risks, Study Finds
By Michelle Gamage, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Tyee When city workers confiscate personal belongings like tents and harm reduction supplies from people sheltering on the street, it increases their risk of non-fatal overdose and physical and sexual violence, according to a new study. Colloquially known as “street sweeps,” the practice refers to the clearing of makeshift residences from sidewalks and parks by city workers and park rangers. They are often accompanied by police. While the study shows correlation, not causation, it’s fair to say the practice is dangerous and puts marginalized people at an increased risk of harm, said Kanna Hayashi, St. Paul’s Hospital chair in substance use research and associate professor in the faculty of health sciences at Simon Fraser University. Hayashi is a co-author of the peer-reviewed...
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Artist Norval Morrisseau’s estate wants dismissal of lawsuit alleging sexual assault
-CP-The estate of Indigenous artist Norval Morrisseau is seeking dismissal of a lawsuit alleging he sexually assaulted a fellow painter, saying the accuser is engaged in a “defamation campaign” that began after being denied a bid to be promoted as Morrisseau’s “artistic successor.” The estate says in its response to the British Columbia Supreme Court lawsuit by Mark Anthony Jacobson that Morrisseau “was in no position to be physically or socially aggressive” at the time of the alleged 2006 assault. It says he “had no libido,” was held upright in a wheelchair by straps, and was in the advanced stages of Parkinson’s disease, dying of complications from the condition the next year at the age of 75. None of the claims by Jacobson or the estate have been tested in...
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‘People are scared’: Labrador doctor back to work amid ongoing investigations
By Justin Brake, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Independent Dr. Adolf Hamann, an obstetrician and gynecologist (OBGYN) under investigation following complaints from at least 20 patients, has returned to work at the Labrador Health Centre in Happy Valley-Goose Bay. Last week messages circulated on social media alleging the controversial doctor was seen in the Labrador hospital despite no apparent resolution to an investigation by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Newfoundland and Labrador, which The Independent has confirmed is actively investigating complaints against Hamann from 19 women. On Monday Hamann’s lawyer, Robin Cook, confirmed his client returned to work on Aug. 26 following an investigation by NL Health Services, the province’s health authority, that was “favourable to Dr. Hamann,” and that there “are no restrictions on his medical license...
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Temiskaming Shores being asked for support to submit wind turbine bid
By Darlene Wroe, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Temiskaming Speaker TEMISKAMING SHORES – Temiskaming Shores council is awaiting a senior level staff report on the proposed wind turbine project in Temiskaming Shores and surrounding area. ABO Energy (separate from the Horizon New Energy Group which is proposing a project in neighbouring Kerns and Hudson townships) is proposing a wind turbine project in Temiskaming Shores and the surrounding area, but first it must secure the support of the municipality with a municipal support resolution (MSR). City council next meets on September 16 and ABO must have the city’s support in the form of a resolution before it can make its bid to the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO), which is due no later than October 16. The city’s chief administrative officer Sandra...
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Town council one step closer to municipal police committee
By Pearl Lorentzen, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Lakeside Leader The Town of Slave Lake council will eventually have to establish a municipal policing committee, but will wait to pass a bylaw until it has ministerial permission. In August, council asked for clarification from the Government of Alberta on several issues related to this requirement. The situation is that the Government of Alberta has mandated that municipalities, that are the size of the town, must either join the regional policing committee or start their own. However, as all other municipalities of this size in northeastern Alberta have opted for the municipal model, that is the only option for Slave Lake. Council already meets with the detachment commander to set policing goals, so doesn’t see the point. However, if a committee is...
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y̓ilmixʷm Robert Louie honoured with Order of B.C. for lifetime of ‘bold leadership’ Slugline: LJI-BC-ROBERT-LOUIE-ORDER-OF-BC
By Aaron Hemens, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, IndigiNews y̓ilmixʷm (Chief) simo Robert Louie has been recognized with the province’s highest honour for his decades of work in Indigenous governance and business. Louie, who has served multiple terms as chief of the Westbank First Nation (WFN) across a 27-year-span, was awarded with the insignia for the Order of British Columbia on Tuesday. He was one of 17 leaders, artists and researchers to receive the honour at a ceremony at the Government House in “Victoria.” “His lifetime of service has inspired a national movement towards Indigenous equity and reconciliation,” said Jerymy Brownridge, the private secretary to B.C.’s Lieutenant Governor. “Chief Louie has demonstrated bold leadership, and created lasting, transformative change.” Louie was first named as a recipient in August. The province said...
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Saskatoon drop-in centres to get $3 million a year from province
Saskatchewan’s government says it’s providing $3 million annually for drop-in homelessness services in Saskatoon. Social Services Minister Terry Jenson says the province will work with the city and Indigenous partners to determine where the money goes. He says the goal is to ensure people have warm places to stay this winter, as Saskatoon is seeing a higher need for drop-in supports. Mayor Cynthia Block says having stable, year-round funding is vital to tackling the growing issue of houselessness. She says the money will allow the city to meet people’s needs throughout the year, rather than respond in times of crisis. Saskatoon had experienced a drug crisis earlier this year, causing two libraries and a safe drug consumption facility to temporarily close. The city had opened a temporary shelter earlier this...
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Carney taps top aide David Lametti to replace Bob Rae as UN ambassador
By Kyle Duggan Prime Minister Mark Carney is appointing his principal secretary David Lametti as Canada’s next ambassador to the United Nations. The Prime Minister’s Office announced Thursday that Lametti, a former federal justice minister, will replace former Liberal leader Bob Rae, 77, who has held the role since 2020. Lametti will step into the prestigious diplomatic posting on Nov. 17. He was brought into Carney’s office in July to take on the top role of principal secretary after serving as an adviser during the spring election. But Tom Pitfield has remained on board as principal secretary since the spring and shared the role with Lametti for weeks. Pitfield was chief digital strategist to former prime minister Justin Trudeau and is married to Quebec Liberal MP Anna Gainey. Adam Chapnick,...
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Alberta’s ban on police ‘carding’ expires, but province says practice still outlawed
By Jack Farrell The Alberta government has chosen not to renew a regulation banning the practice of “carding” by police officers, but the province says the practice is still prohibited under other laws. The provincial regulation enforcing the ban was due for renewal this past summer, but a government letter to the Alberta Association of Police Governance and shared by the Edmonton Police Commission says the province wouldn’t be renewing it. Carding refers to police officers stopping members of the public without reason and asking for identification. Advocates have said the practice largely amounts to racial profiling, as statistics across Canada have shown people of colour are more likely to be carded than white people. A 2016 freedom of information request made to the Edmonton Police Service found Indigenous people...
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Bearing the brunt of climate change in Nunatsiavut
By Frey Blake-Pijogge, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Independent Ron Webb says he and other community members don’t have a choice when it comes to dealing with Labrador’s rapidly changing climate, but they must adapt. “Years ago, we would get ice of the normal five to seven feet of ice – and now we’re lucky to have three feet and maybe two feet,” the Inuk elder from Nunatsiavut says, explaining that while much of the sea ice still freezes to a safe thickness in winter, there are areas around his community of Nain where the ice is soft and poses a significant risk to Inuit. Nain is the northernmost Inuit community in Nunatsiavut, the semi-autonomous region and government as defined in the Labrador Inuit Land Claim Agreement of 2005. It...
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Alberta’s ban on police ‘carding’ expires, but province says practice still outlawed
By Jack Farrell The Alberta government has chosen not to renew a regulation banning the practice of “carding” by police officers, but the province says the practice is still prohibited under other laws. The provincial regulation enforcing the ban was due for renewal this past summer, but a government letter to the Alberta Association of Police Governance and shared by the Edmonton Police Commission says the province wouldn’t be renewing it. Carding refers to police officers stopping members of the public without reason and asking for identification. Advocates have said the practice largely amounts to racial profiling, as statistics across Canada have shown people of colour are more likely to be carded than white people. A 2016 freedom of information request made to the Edmonton Police Service found Indigenous people...
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U.S. outdoor group in rough water as B.C. camping application upsets First Nations
By Nono Shen A U.S.-based outdoor group has been paddling in British Columbia’s coastal waters for almost 30 years, running sea-kayaking courses and camping along the coast. But an application by the non-profit National Outdoor Leadership School to renew and expand its licence in B.C. has run into choppy waters as residents and First Nations groups object, some citing concern about Canadian sovereignty. BC Assembly of First Nations Regional Chief Terry Teegee said in a statement that it was “unthinkable” to consider “leasing” Crown lands to U.S.-based organizations at a time when Canada was asserting sovereignty amid American political threats. “Leasing our lands to foreign companies for commercial gain — without our free, prior, and informed consent — cannot be justified,” said Teegee in the statement issued by the First...
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CAQ member booted from cabinet quits party, says she has lost faith in leader Legault
A member of the Coalition Avenir Québec recently booted from cabinet has resigned from the party and says she no longer has faith in Premier François Legault. Maïté Blanchette Vézina says she will sit as an Independent and says Legault should reconsider his future as leader of the CAQ, adding that his policies have neglected Quebec’s regions. Her departure is the latest controversy to hit Legault and his party, both of which are deeply unpopular with electors one year away from the provincial election. Blanchette Vézina was elected in 2022 in the riding of Rimouski and was the natural resources and forestry minister until eight days ago. She had struggled steering a bill to protect the forestry industry but which triggered blockades from Indigenous people who said the legislation threatened...
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No tsunami threat to B.C. after 7.8-magnitude quake off Russia
-BC-Authorities say there is no tsunami risk to British Columbia’s coast after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck near Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula in the same area hit in July by one of the biggest quakes ever recorded. The risk to B.C. had been under assessment after the quake struck around 11:58 a.m., Pacific time. The National Tsunami Warning Center says while a tsunami advisory is in effect for the Aleutian Islands and Amchitka Pass off Alaska’s coast, no other areas of the Pacific coast of B.C. or the United States face a threat. It says that while there is a risk of a tsunami close to the source of the quake, it is too early to say if Hawaii is threatened. The quake struck off the east coast of Kamchatka, at a...
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B.C. Conservative Sturko is ‘deeply concerned’ about fake membership allegations
By Wolfgang Depner A Conservative MLA says she is “deeply concerned” about allegations of improper membership sign ups that were forwarded to her and others by the party’s executive, ahead of final voting on John Rustad’s leadership. Elenore Sturko says she won’t comment further on the review and Rustad’s leadership until she has had a chance to talk to her colleagues about a report that alleges “some concerning memberships” that were signed up as part of the leadership review with final results to be announced Monday. A statement from a party representative says that an internal audit identified and “promptly cancelled” what it believes were “manufactured memberships,” saying that it is “unfortunately, all too common in leadership races and reviews for most parties.” The Canadian Press has seen screenshots of...
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Brantford Police warn public phone scammers identifying as police
BRANTFORD, ONT- The Brantford Police Service (BPS) has issued a warning to area residents about a sophisticated phone scam that sees scammers claiming to be from the BPS. The BPS issued the warning after receiving over 100 calls in one day from area residents. Police said people received multiple missed calls that appeared to originate from the Brantford Police Service’s non-emergency number, some of which came up in their display information as the ‘Brantford Police Service.’ People who answered the call said the caller identified themselves as a police detective who told the homeowners they were a suspect in a fraud investigation. “These calls are fraudulent and are not originating from the Brantford Police Service,” police said in a media release. “This appears to be an instance of caller ID...
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Grief and Resilience in Island Lake After Tragic Floatplane Crash
By Steven Sukkau, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Winnipeg Sun The hum of floatplanes has long been heard during autumn in Island Lake. Families head out on the water to reach traplines and hunting grounds, preparing for the long winter. But this season, the familiar sound carries a weight of sorrow. On September 13, a floatplane carrying five people crashed near Makepeace Lake, about 40 kilometres south of St. Theresa Point First Nation. Four passengers, two men, ages 53 and 49, and two women, both 50, all from St. Theresa Point, were killed. The 20-year-old pilot survived with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. News of the tragedy rippled quickly through the Island Lake communities, where nearly every family has a connection to those lost. For many, the plane was not just a...
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