In the news today: Canada mulling patrol changes at U.S. Border
Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed… Canada mulling patrol changes at U.S. Border Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc says his department is considering giving additional powers to the Canada Border Services Agency to patrol the U.S. Border. He also says the RCMP and CBSA are working on a list of new equipment that could help supplement their existing enforcement at the border. LeBlanc’s comments come as Canada tries to quickly beef up border security following a threat by president-elect Donald Trump to impose punishing tariffs on Canada and Mexico over border security concerns. He and Trudeau were in Florida Friday dining with Trump at Mar-a-Lago but LeBlanc says the meeting was just the beginning of a conversation where no...
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NTI presidential candidate Cathy Towtongie on the issues
By Kira Wronska Dorward Local Journalism Initiative We asked, they answered. The four candidates vying to be president of Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated (NTI) have submitted their responses about their background, motivation and specific positions on some of the most pressing issues for Nunavut Inuit. The election is scheduled for Dec. 9. What it is about your personal and professional background that makes you well suited for the role? I have always been committed to Nunavut and Inuit. I can speak both languages: English and Inuktitut. Along with that, I am bi-cultural and [a] linguist. I am a former NTI president. [I have] knowledge of the Nunavut Trust and the Nunavut land deal. Here is what I often say: Nunavut is two, not one. You have the Nunavut land agreement with certain...
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‘Significant failures’ in addressing Indigenous youth mental health in New Brunswick
The Canadian Press New Brunswick’s independent advocate for children, youth and seniors released a report today saying the province has failed to collaborate with First Nations governments to address youth mental health. The report from Kelly Lamrock is in response to recommendations from a 2021 report from the First Nations Advisory Council that included 13 calls to action aimed at addressing mental health challenges of Indigenous children and youth. Lamrock’s followup report identifies several “significant failures” in collaboration and accountability. His report says there is a lack of recognition within the provincial government for a distinct approach for reducing rates of youth suicide and mental health emergencies in First Nations communities. As well, the report cites delays in the formation of committees and implementation of training recommendations. And it says...
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‘Significant failures’ in addressing Indigenous youth mental health in New Brunswick
New Brunswick’s independent advocate for children, youth and seniors released a report Monday saying the province has failed to collaborate with First Nations governments to address youth mental health. The report from Kelly Lamrock is in response to recommendations from “No Child Left Behind,” a 2021 report from the First Nations Advisory Council that included 13 calls to action aimed at addressing mental health challenges of Indigenous children and youth. Lamrock’s followup report identifies several “significant failures” in collaboration and accountability, including a lack of recognition within the provincial government for a distinct approach for reducing rates of youth suicide and mental health emergencies in First Nations communities. As well, the report cites delays in the formation of committees and implementation of training recommendations. And it says the province has...
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Searchers begin sifting at landfill for remains of slain First Nations women
WINNIPEG MAN.,-CP-Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew says excavation and sifting have started in a section of a landfill believed to hold the remains of two slain First Nations women. He says the first truck has moved a load of refuse from the area to a Quonset hut, where searchers are manually sifting through it in the hope of finding the remains of Morgan Harris and Marcedes Myran. Police believe the remains of the women were sent to the Prairie Green landfill north of Winnipeg in May 2022. Jeremy Skibicki is serving a life sentence for first-degree murder in the killings of Harris, Myran and two other Indigenous women. Court heard he disposed of their bodies in garbage bins. The remains of Rebecca Contois were found in a different landfill and an...
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Northern Ontario site selected for nuclear waste underground repository
A region in northern Ontario was chosen Thursday as the site to hold Canada’s nuclear waste in a deep geological repository, a critical milestone in a $26-billion, decades-long project to bury millions of used fuel bundles underground. The Nuclear Waste Management Organization, a non-profit body funded by the corporations that generate nuclear power and waste, announced that Ignace in northwestern Ontario will be the site, after both the town’s council and Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation were willing to move forward. Laurie Swami, president and CEO of the NWMO, said the organization will now start the regulatory process, which could take seven to 10 years. Construction is expected to take 10 years, with operations set to begin in the 2040s. “I’m really excited that we’ve been able to select the site,...
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B.C. Chiefs ‘alarmed’ by federal and B.C. government’s role in First Nations dispute
The Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs says the federal and provincial governments are wrongfully choosing sides in a land title dispute between two First Nations. The union says it’s “alarmed” that B.C. and Canada are supporting the Nisga’a Nation’s bid to be added as a defendant in a lawsuit filed by the Gitanyow Nation seeking Aboriginal rights and title over a 6,200-square-kilometre area in northwestern B.C. The Nisga’a Nation says the area claimed by the Gitanyow overlaps with its treaty lands, but both the B.C. Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal denied the Nisga’a bid. The Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs says the Nisga’a Nation is now seeking leave to appeal in the Supreme Court of Canada with the support of the federal and B.C. governments. Grand Chief Stewart...
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Groups threaten to sue over which fish should be saved – salmon or bass
By John Chilibeck Local Journalism Initiative reporter A battle that’s been brewing on a famous New Brunswick river between people trying to protect wild Atlantic salmon and others wanting to preserve striped bass fishing has boiled over. Both sides on the Miramichi River are threatening to sue Ottawa for not listening to their demands. On one end is a small group of conservationists warning they’ll take the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans to court unless it allows people to kill more striped bass, a predator of threatened wild Atlantic salmon on the eastern New Brunswick river. On the other is a group of sport fishers who argue the department has already increased the cull of stripers so much that it threatens the species’ astonishing comeback. They’re collecting signatures –...
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Blair says future of defence relies on building relationships with Indigenous Peoples
Defence Minister Bill Blair says his department’s future success depends upon building and strengthening relationships with Indigenous communities in a way that’s consistent with reconciliation. Blair was speaking today at the first national Indigenous defence conference in Ottawa, which involves Indigenous leaders, defence professionals and government talking about the impact of the military on Indigenous lands, stewardship and treaty rights. Blair says defence of the North is Canada’s greatest responsibility, and building infrastructure and having a persistent, reliable presence in the Arctic region is crucial to national security and community prosperity. But to achieve that, the government must gain trust from communities, and work in a more collaborative and respectful way. That includes bringing community leaders into conversations about why certain things need to be done, rather than dictating to...
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Nunavik police chief stresses healing, rebuilding trust in wake of fatal shooting
By Cedric Gallant, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Nunatsiaq News Nunavik Police Service Chief Jean-Pierre Larose said Wednesday he is “deeply affected” by a fatal police shooting earlier this month and that changes have already been made in the way officers will respond to future confrontations. It was Larose’s first public statement since an early morning altercation involving officers and two residents in Salluit Nov. 4 left Joshua Papigatuk dead and his twin brother, Garnet Papigatuk, severely injured. Hours after the shooting, angry residents protested outside the Salluit police office, and at another protest the next day in Kuujjuaq some people carried signs with the messages #justiceforJoshua and #justiceforthetwins. Another protest march is planned for Saturday in Montreal’s Westmount neighbourhood. Kativik Regional Government chairperson Hilda Snowball, centre, says KRG intends to...
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Dermo disease detected in oyster samples in northeastern Nova Scotia
OTTAWA-(CP)-Federal food safety officials say they have confirmed the first case of dermo disease in oysters from Nova Scotia — the second confirmed case in Canada. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency says the disease, detected in oyster samples from Merigomish, N.S., doesn’t pose a risk to human health or food safety but can cause increased oyster mortality and decreased growth rates. Dermo, also known as perkinsosis, presents in adult oysters more than one year old and causes several symptoms, including making their shells open out of water. The first confirmed Canadian case of the disease was detected last week in oysters collected in Spence Cove, N.B., not far from the Confederation Bridge linking New Brunswick with Prince Edward Island. Another oyster disease that poses no health risk, multinucleate sphere unknown,...
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Poilievre calls two-month GST break inflationary, says Tories will vote against it
OTTAWA-(CP) Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says his party will vote against Liberal legislation to remove the federal sales tax off a slew of items over the holidays. The government introduced the bill in the House of Commons on Wednesday afternoon, and it’s expected to be debated today. The two-month tax break covers dozens of items commonly purchased over the holidays, including children’s clothes and toys, video games and consoles, Christmas trees, restaurant and catered meals, wine, beer, candy and snacks. Poilievre, a vocal advocate for cutting taxes, said the GST break “isn’t a tax cut.” “This an inflationary, two-month temporary tax trick that will drive up the cost of living,” Poilievre said on Thursday. “My tax cuts are not just about lowering costs, they’re about sparking more production. By axing...
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One small solar panel started big East Coast dreams for energy self-sufficiency
By Matteo Cimellaro, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Canada’s National Observer A clean energy revolution in a Prince Edward Island First Nation was started by one small solar panel system atop the community’s school. It was the nation’s only claim to renewable energy in 2021. But then, Drew Bernard, the ambitious young energy leader from Lennox Island First Nation, graduated from community college with a mission to make his nation energy self sufficient. Now, the community of about 400 people is working toward large-scale renewable projects, a revamped greenhouse and a major retrofit campaign on every house. “Only three years later, we certainly view ourselves as one of the national leaders in terms of holistic community energy,” Bernard said. Prince Edward Island is one of the most progressive provinces when it...
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Mamakwa to propose new provincial holiday
By Mike Stimpson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter KIIWETINOONG — Sol Mamakwa believes the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation should be a statutory holiday for all Ontarians, and he will be introducing a private member’s bill to that effect. The New Democrat MPP for Kiiwetinoong is set to introduce the bill on Thursday after a news conference in Toronto. He will present his case for the bill in Anishininiimowin (Oji-Cree) and speak in that language in question period as well. “I think it’s important that we acknowledge a day of reflection for Indian residential schools on Sept. 30 and make it a statutory holiday within Ontario, because it’s a day where Ontarians have a day to learn about history, learn what Orange Shirt Day is and how to take action...
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RCMP investigating death of Edmonton man after mixed martial arts fight
ALBERTA-(CP)Mounties in Alberta are investigating the death of a fighter following a mixed martial arts charity event. RCMP Cpl. Troy Savinkoff said the man was taken to hospital after he fought Saturday at a community centre in Enoch Cree First Nation west of Edmonton. Parkland RCMP received a report of the man’s death on Monday morning, he said. “This fighter did die in hospital. However, it was immediately after the fight, so you would attribute it to the fight,” Savinkoff said Wednesday. “This is a very traumatic incident, and I’m sure it’s traumatic for those that were watching the event.” The fighter was 33 and lived in Edmonton. The organizer of Saturday’s event, Ultra Events Canada, said in an email Wednesday it was devastated to hear about the death of...
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Six-unit residential housing complex in Inuvik destroyed by fire this week
Evan Lemieux, one of the residents, said he spent Tuesday helping to accommodate the other tenants who lived in the affected building. Lemieux wants anyone with information about how the Monday fire could have begun to contact the local police detachment. Inuvik’s director of protective services and fire chief, Brian Larman, said no injuries were reported during the incident, which he said is under investigation. “The Inuvik Fire Department responded to a report of a structure fire at a residential complex on Inuit Road in Inuvik with 20 personnel and six firefighting apparatuses at 06:00 on November 25,” Larman wrote in an email on Wednesday. “Firefighters were on scene for five hours and contained the fire to the subject unit which sustained major damage; adjacent units within the complex sustained...
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Ontario eyes new electricity generation sites, possibly including nuclear
Canadian Press-Ontario is eyeing three sites across the province for new electricity generation facilities, including the possibility of large-scale nuclear plants, in order to meet soaring power demands. The province is on track to meet rising electricity needs through to 2035, Energy Minister Stephen Lecce said, but after that point the demand will continue to skyrocket and Ontario needs to secure more power for the future. “Our economy is undergoing a profound transformation – we are attracting historic investments in electric vehicle and battery production, the life sciences and manufacturing, and we’re electrifying whole industries like steel production,” he said. “But with the rapid growth comes a generational challenge. How do we meet the surging demand for electricity, while ensuring our energy system remains reliable, affordable and future ready?” The...
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Long-sought court ruling restores Oregon tribe’s hunting and fishing rights
LINCOLN CITY, Ore. (AP) — Drumming made the floor vibrate and singing filled the conference room of the Chinook Winds Casino Resort in Lincoln City, on the Oregon coast, as hundreds in tribal regalia danced in a circle. For the last 47 years, the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians have held an annual powwow to celebrate regaining federal recognition. This month’s event, however, was especially significant: It came just two weeks after a federal court lifted restrictions on the tribe’s rights to hunt, fish and gather — restrictions tribal leaders had opposed for decades. “We’re back to the way we were before,” Siletz Chairman Delores Pigsley said. “It feels really good.” The Siletz is a confederation of over two dozen bands and tribes whose traditional homelands spanned western Oregon, as...
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Supreme Court of Canada sides with First Nation in police funding dispute
QUEBEC- (CP)-Quebec must provide more money for a First Nations police force after acting dishonourably by refusing to negotiate the funding terms, the Supreme Court of Canada has ruled. The top court dismissed the province’s appeal of a ruling that said Quebec violated the principle of good faith and failed to uphold the honour of the Crown in refusing to adequately fund the Pekuakamiulnuatsh First Nation’s police force. The Quebec Court of Appeal ruled in December 2022 that the provincial and federal governments owed almost $1.6 million to the First Nation in Mashteuiatsh, Que., to make up for years of underfunding. The federal government agreed to pay its share of the money, but Quebec asked the Supreme Court to overturn the decision. In its 8-1 ruling Wednesday, the Supreme Court...
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Liberal candidate in B.C. byelection seeks Métis membership after identity questioned
BC-(CP)-The Liberal candidate in a federal byelection in British Columbia says she is applying for Métis membership after a local group questioned her claims of Indigenous identity. Madison Fleischer says in a written statement that she self-identifies as Métis based on what she knows about her great-grandmother’s heritage and is “collecting the necessary documentation to go through the application process” for citizenship with B.C.’s Métis Nation. In the meantime, Fleischer, who is the candidate in the Dec. 16 byelection in Cloverdale-Langley City, says she has removed “Métis” from her social media profile descriptions to ensure there is “no confusion” about her Indigenous status. Her response comes after the Waceya Métis Society — which describes itself as a chartered community representing Métis people in the Langley and White Rock regions of...
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