‘Buckets of tears’: The four women who died at the hands of a Winnipeg serial killer
Canadian Press 11/07/2024 12:47 Jeremy Skibicki admitted to police that he killed four women in Winnipeg in 2022. Court heard he targeted them at homeless shelters. A judge convicted Skibicki on Thursday of four counts of first-degree murder. Here is a look at the victims: Rebecca Contois Rebecca Contois, 24, lived in Winnipeg but was a member of O-Chi-Chak-Ko-Sipi First Nation, also known as Crane River. She had a daughter. Court heard that in May 2022 a man looking for scrap metal found her partial remains in a dumpster in Skibicki’s neighbourhood. More of her remains were discovered the following month at a city-run landfill. Her family later said in a statement that the discovery was incredibly difficult. “We have experienced paralyzing grief. Pure devastation,” the statement said. “I don’t...
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Assembly of First Nations, Ottawa confirm $47.8-billion deal on child welfare reform
The Canadian Press 11/07/2024 12:28 The AFN’s national chief confirmed today that the organization finalized a deal with Ottawa late Wednesday night to put $47.8 billion towards child-welfare reform. Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak got cheers as she made the announcement on the floor of the annual general assembly in Montreal. Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdu stood beside chiefs and shed a few tears in a subsequent news conference as Woodhouse Nepinak said what a monumental agreement they had reached. The deal is worth more than double what was originally promised for long-term reform in a settlement agreement that resulted from a hard-fought human-rights complaint over underfunding of child-welfare services. Families who helped launched the initial court case stood with the minister and national chief as they shared the news. Ontario Regional...
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Looking — and feeling — like a million dollars in heat means loose linen clothing
The Canadian Press 11/07/2024 11:04 Dressing for the summer to stay and look cool involves more than picking out a white T-shirt and shorts. Choosing the right fabric, according to experts in fashion and dermatology, is about a breezy fit, and remembering to hydrate. Henry Navarro, associate professor at Toronto Metropolitan University’s school of fashion, stresses the need to use multiple forms of protection against the sun and heat, including to choose long, loose clothing, wear a hat and carry an umbrella for shade. “There’s no silver bullet to protect against the heat and sun,” he said in an interview Wednesday, but he adds that North Americans can learn about staying cool from dress traditions in warm and humid countries. “We can learn (from) historically proven ways to cope with...
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CP NewsAlert: Judge finds admitted serial killer guilty of first-degree murder
The Canadian Press 11/07/2024 12:08 A judge has found Jeremy Skibicki guilty of first-degree murder in the killings of four women in Winnipeg. Defence lawyers had argued Skibicki should be found not criminally responsible and said he was suffering from schizophrenia at the time of the slayings in 2022. But Crown prosecutors said he had the mental capacity and awareness to commit and cover up the killings. The trial heard Skibicki targeted the women at homeless shelters, strangled or drowned them and disposed of their remains in garbage bins. The case renewed calls for governments and organizations to address the ongoing issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. A first-degree murder verdict carries an automatic life sentence with no chance of parole for 25 years. More coming....
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More talks needed on McGill tuition exemptions for Indigenous students, KI says
By Cedric Gallant Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Last month, McGill University announced its new initiative of covering tuition costs and mandatory fees for Indigenous students would begin with the upcoming fall semester. However, this program has a few addendums when it comes to Nunavik students, as Kativik Ilisarniliriniq says more discussions are needed to iron out the details. Starting in the fall, the university, based in Montreal, plans to only offer full tuition coverage to students from nearby Mohawk communities, including the six Haudenosaunee nations of the Grand River in Ontario. McGill calls this its “first phase” of the program. When it comes to other Indigenous students, including Nunavimmiut, the deal only includes prospective or current diploma students enrolled in McGill’s school of social work, school of continuing studies, or...
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Innu Chief takes case against Quebec to United Nations forum in Switzerland
By Marc Lalonde Local Journalism Initiative Reporter 11/07/2024 08:57 An Innu community is taking their case against the provincial government and how its attitude violates the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) all the way to a United Nations forum in Switzerland. Pekuakamiulnuatsh First Nation Chief Gilbert Dominique is attending the 17th session of the United Nations Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples being held this week in Geneva, Switzerland. He presented to the forum Tuesday. Speaking on behalf of the Regroupement Petapan, made up of the Essipit, Pekuakamiulnuatsh, and Nutashkuan communities, Dominique said Quebec’s heel-dragging and failure to ratify a tripartite, updated Petapan Treaty by March 31, 2023 constitutes a violation of UNDRIP. He also said that Quebec’s failure to live up to...
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Poilievre to make first in-person speech at Assembly of FirstNations
The Canadian Press 11/07/2024 04:00 Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is expected to make his first in-person address at the Assembly of First Nations today. Poilievre, who has a testy relationship with some Indigenous Peoples, is set to take the floor with a speech and a question-and-answer session. NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is scheduled to speak as well, on what will be the last day of the annual general assembly in Montreal. The AFN is also expected to hear from families of victims in a criminal case involving the killings of four First Nations women, after a Manitoba judge delivers a verdict. While Jeremy Skibicki confessed to the killings, his lawyers argued he should be found not criminally responsible due to mental illness. On Wednesday, the AFN called for Manitoba to...
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‘Buckets of tears’: The four women who died at the hands of a Winnipeg serial killer
The Canadian Press 11/07/2024 04:00 Jeremy Skibicki admitted to police that he killed four women in Winnipeg in 2022. Court heard he targeted them at homeless shelters. A judge was set to rule Thursday whether Skibicki is guilty of first-degree murder or not criminally responsible due to a mental illness. Here is a look at the victims: Rebecca Contois Rebecca Contois, 24, lived in Winnipeg but was a member of O-Chi-Chak-Ko-Sipi First Nation, also known as Crane River. She had a daughter. Court heard that in May 2022 a man looking for scrap metal found her partial remains in a dumpster in Skibicki’s neighbourhood. More of her remains were discovered the following month at a city-run landfill. Her family later said in a statement that the discovery was incredibly difficult....
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Judge to give verdict in trial of man who admitted to killing four women in Winnipeg
The Canadian Press 11/07/2024 04:00 A judge is scheduled to give his decision today in the first-degree murder trial of a man who admitted to killing four women in Winnipeg. Lawyers for Jeremy Skibicki argue he should be found not criminally responsible and say he was suffering from schizophrenia at the time of the slayings in 2022. But Crown prosecutors say he had the mental capacity and awareness to commit and cover up the killings. They have characterized the killings as racially motivated and say the 37-year-old targeted the Indigenous women at homeless shelters. The case sparked calls for governments and organizations to address the ongoing issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. A first-degree murder verdict would carry an automatic life sentence with no chance of parole...
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Brantford Mayor stepping down for new appointment
BRANTFORD, ONT-Brantford Mayor Kevin Davis has announced his resignation to take on a provincial appointment. The mayor’s announcement appeared in a Facebook post Wednesday (July 10) and statement. He said he received a provincial appointment as a member of the License Appeal Tribunal. Davis said the appointment will allow him to return to his roots as a lawyer and give him more time with his family. “It is with a mix of gratitude, pride and a touch of bittersweet sentiment that I announce my intent to resign at the end of the month,” Davis said in the statement. The tribunal is an independent, quasi-judicial agency that adjudicates applications and resolves compensation and licensing activities regulated by the provincial government. He takes on the new post in August. He has 18...
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Missing Brantford woman found safe
MISSISSAUGAS OF THE CREDIT FIRST NATION-A Brantford woman missing since July 5th has been found safe on the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. The Brantford Police Service announced Wednesday (July 5) missing person, 44-year-old Eugenia (Jenny) Dasilva has been located and safe and now in the company of family. The Brantford Police Service said it does not have any concern of foul play and there is no concern for public safety as a result of this missing person investigation. Out of respect for the privacy of the family, police said no further details will be released. Dasilva had last been seen in Woodstock at about 3:00 p.m. Friday July 5, 2024 wearing business attire; navy blue blazer, navy blue skirt, a white shirt and black wedge style shoes (heels)....
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AFN head told chiefs draft child-welfare reform deal with Ottawa worth $47.8B: source
The Canadian Press 10/07/2024 14:06 The head of the Assembly of First Nations has informed chiefs that a draft deal with Ottawa on child-welfare reforms is worth $47.8 billion, a source who was in the room says — more than double what was initially promised. National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak revealed that number to chiefs and their proxies on Tuesday afternoon, says the source, who was granted anonymity because they were not authorized to share the details publicly. She also referred to the political risks of not accepting the deal that is on the table, the source said, and affirmed that she wanted chiefs to be able to discuss the offer before voting on the matter at a special assembly this fall. The closed-door session, which members of the media...
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Renowned artist Alex Janvier, part of Indian Group of Seven, dies at age 89
The Canadian Press 10/07/2024 Renowned artist Alex Janvier has died at the age of 89. Officials at the Assembly of First Nations annual general meeting announced his death and held a moment of silence. Janvier, who was from Cold Lake First Nations in Alberta, is considered one of Canada’s greatest painters. His work is widely collected and hangs in private homes and public galleries across the country and around the world. He was a groundbreaking Indigenous artist and belonged to the so-called Indian Group of Seven. Janvier’s work is known for bright colours and flowing lines, which combined the influences of Denesuline beadwork and abstract modernists such as Vassily Kandinsky. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 10, 2024....
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Housing crisis in Indigenous communities should consider health and climate adaptation: report
By Matteo Cimellaro Local Jouranlism Initiative Reporter Solutions to the housing crisis in Indigenous communities should be viewed holistically and include cultural, health and energy-efficiency outcomes, a new report says. The report, written in collaboration with the Canadian Climate Institute and Indigenous Clean Energy, brings forward the concept of “healthy energy homes,” which are efficient, climate adaptive and support well being. The idea is not intended to create a new standard like net-zero or passive housing that can be certified, but instead is specific to each nation. The report suggests Indigenous housing must be different from the past by “creating that space for culture and creating that space for doing things in a way that makes sense for the community,” Janna Wale, a report co-author, told Canada’s National Observer. Take,...
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Heritage Fund aids Northwest economic projects
By Mike Stimpson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Thunder Bay Source KENORA – A nearly $2-million Northern Ontario Heritage Fund announcement was music to Chief Chris Skead’s ears. “It’s a great announcement, for sure,” the Wauzhushk Onigum Nation chief said Tuesday. “And it’s definitely going to go a long way in our community.” Greg Rickford, MPP for Kenora–Rainy River, announced Monday that the Anishinaabe nation south of Kenora will receive $1.5 million in Heritage Fund money to build a new 9,600-square-foot education facility. The facility will deliver land-based learning to Wauzhushk Onigum (Rat Portage) members, Skead said. Rickford also announced funding for three other projects in Wauzhushk Onigum: a new radio station, an accessible washroom and changing facility at the community’s Roundhouse, and cleanup and remediation of the Devil’s Gap site...
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MODG plans to ‘move quickly’ in advancing equity
By Alec Bruce Local Journalism Initiative Reporter GUYSBOROUGH — Under a new partnership with the Association of Municipal Administrators, the Nova Scotia government is targeting municipalities and villages as the first public bodies in the province required by law to tackle systematic hate, inequality and racism. But that doesn’t worry Barry Carroll, chief administrative officer of the Municipality of the District of Guysborough (MODG), who said his staff is ready for this and more. “Council has given us clear directions to set up an equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility committee,” he told The Journal in an interview last week. “The plan for MODG is that we will have an accessibility policy, as well as an equity and anti-racism policy.” According to a provincial government news release last week, following the...
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Recovery camp being offered
By Alexandra Noad Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Alvin Mills spent nine years at St. Paul Residential School and another four years at St. Mary’s Indian Residential School. He says although people can talk about their experiences, one can never truly understand what trauma went on without experiencing it firsthand. “Until you walk through the hall, until you hear the footsteps, you could never really know what goes on. Tell you the truth, they were a breeding ground for violence. A lot of times in the residential schools we always focused our attention on the supervisors. The nuns and abuses that they did. Oftentimes it was the older students that were just as bad, if not worse, of abuses they inflicted to on younger students,” said Mills. The trauma brought Mills...
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More Indigenous youth are learning to spearfish, a connection to ancestors and the land
The Associated Press 10/07/2024 09:33 HAYWARD, Wis. (AP) — Ganebik Johnson started learning traditional Ojibwe songs when he was about 2 years old. He’d hang around listening to his uncle sing, or observe elders, or even pull up music on YouTube. Spearfishing came shortly after, at around age 7, when his grandfather took him out on a northern Wisconsin lake for the first time. Now 13, he’s already teaching others. Johnson kept a steady beat on his drum as he joined other youth playing and singing the welcoming song at this year’s annual spearfishing event for kids put on by the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians. He and 40 or so other young people spread tobacco into the water along the shoreline, an offering of respect...
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Bites. Bruises. Tears: What unions are saying about the growing violence in schools
By Celeste Percy-Beauregard Local Journalism Initiative. Educators crying in their cars, trying to convince themselves they can get through another day. Bite marks, bruises, and the daily fear of violence from the elementary students they teach. These were a few of the challenges handwritten on postcards delivered to the Grand Erie District School Board (GEDSB) by the presidents of four unions representing Brant-area education staff. The representatives hoped the words would inspire the board to allocate some of its $11.1 million budget surplus to support staff. None of the stories came as a surprise to the union heads from CUPE 5100, ETFO Occasional Teacher Local, ETFO DECE Local and ETFO Teacher Local, who represent more than 2,800 education workers in GEDSB elementary schools. Still, reading through the challenges of local...
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Influx of money largely goes into junk food, says wellness co-ordinator
By Darrell Greer Local Journalism Initiative Reporter 10/07/2024 09:14 Sometimes the more things change, the more they stay the same, and unhealthy food choices seem to have crept back to the top of the list in Baker Lake. Hamlet wellness co-ordinator Karen Yip hasn’t liked a lot of the food choices she’s seen being made since funds from the Inuit Child First/Jordan’s Principle Food Security program were rolled out in the community. Yip said she’d like to see more people do their due diligence when it comes to selecting food items with the extra food money they’re now receiving. “I would like to do a community event and talk about nutrition, play games, and, maybe, get people to taste things that they could easily make just by buying the ingredients...
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