Blueberry River Resources shuts down amid financial struggles and governance issues
BUICK, B.C. — Blueberry River First Nation’s (BRFN) economic arm, Blueberry River Resources (BRR), has announced it will cease operations effective immediately. A press release by the company says an in-depth financial analysis presented to BRR’s board of directors rendered BRR unable to maintain an income stream or assets. BRFN family councillors instructed BRR leadership to cut ties with the organization in October. “Governance challenges, negative actions and a lack of income stream has rendered BRR to cease operations,” reads the statement, dated Tuesday, November 12th. “Without a supportive governance framework from BRFN Council, BRR cannot execute its strategic plan and maintain a sustainable path forward.” BRR was formed in late 2022, with former Fort St. John mayor Lori Ackerman as its Chief Executive Officer and former Chief Judy Desjarlais...
Broken taillight leads to charges
By Austin Evans Writer A broken taillight led to an Ohsweken resident getting caught driving without a license. Six Nations Police officers, on general patrol, spotted a car travelling on Onondaga Road with a nonoperational taillight on October 15 at 3:35 am. Police spoke to the man driving the car after conducting a traffic stop. Policesaid the driver told them he did not have a valid driver’s license. Police issued an Approved Screening Device Demand to check the driver’s sobriety, which came back with an alert warning. As a result of the investigation, police arrested 36-year-old Ohsweken resident Andrew Hill, charging him with operation while prohibited and driving a motor vehicle in contravention of conditions. Hill is scheduled to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Brantford on November...
The winners and losers of the Liberals’ holiday tax break and cash giveaway
Canadian Press-The Liberal government is pulling out the federal wallet to put more money into people’s pockets over the holidays, but its recently announced affordability measures create winners and losers. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Thursday that the federal government will remove the goods and services tax on a slew of items for two months, starting Dec. 14. But in provinces where the provincial and federal sales taxes are blended together into a harmonized sales tax, Canadians will get a larger break. The federal government also plans to send $250 cheques to Canadians who were working in 2023 and earned up to $150,000. That means Canadians who were not working in 2023, including those who were receiving social assistance or were in retirement, will not be sent a cheque...
Trump gave Interior nominee one directive for a half-billion acres of US land: ‘Drill.’
Associated Press-BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Donald Trump assigned Doug Burgum a singular mission in nominating the governor of oil-rich North Dakota to lead an agency that oversees a half-billion acres of federal land and vast areas offshore: “Drill baby drill.” That dictate from the president-elect’s announcement of Burgum for Secretary of Interior sets the stage for a reignition of the court battles over public lands and waters that helped define Trump’s first term, with environmentalists worried about climate change already pledging their opposition. Burgum is an ultra-wealthy software industry entrepreneur who grew up on his family’s farm. He represents a tame choice compared to other Trump Cabinet picks. Public lands experts said his experience as a popular two-term governor who aligns himself with conservationist Teddy Roosevelt suggests a willingness to...
First Nation considers legal options as B.C. approves mining permit ‘without consent’
Canadian Press-The Xatśull First Nation says it is “disappointed” that British Columbia’s Mines Ministry has granted an operating permit for the Cariboo Gold Mine without meeting its leadership or obtaining the nation’s consent. The mine is on the nation’s territory in central B.C. and it issued a statement earlier this month calling for the project to be halted until the nation had given its consent. The B.C. government announced Thursday that Barkerville Gold Mines, owned by Osisko Development Corp., was issued the permit for the underground mine in a process that took 13 months to complete. The ministry said it was the first project entirely assessed under the new Environmental Assessment Act, which was modernized to enhance public confidence, and was done in consultation with experts, the public and First...
Feds should kill bill recognizing ‘fraudulent right holders,’ COO grand chief says
By Mike Stimpson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter THUNDER BAY — The Chiefs of Ontario is watching as a federal bill to extend treaty recognition to Métis remains alive, Regional Grand Chief Abram Benedict said Thursday. Speaking to reporters after the COO’s three-day fall assembly adjourned, Benedict said First Nations in the province remain opposed to Bill C-53, which would authorize Ottawa to negotiate and ratify treaties with Métis organizations including the Métis Nation of Ontario (MNO). “Our position on (Bill C-53) hasn’t changed,” Benedict said. “It’s something we’ve been calling upon the government to remove off the docket to stop it from happening.” The bill “recognizes fraudulent right holders” and needs to be withdrawn, he said. The bill hasn’t been withdrawn, “but we’re pretty certain that there isn’t going to...
Canada ordered to address Jordan’s Principle backlog, find new solutions
Canadian Press-The Canadian Human Rights Tribunal has ordered Canada to address a backlog of requests under Jordan’s Principle which is meant to ensure First Nations children don’t wait to receive assistance because of jurisdictional battles. The First Nations Child and Family Caring Society raised concerns that Ottawa was taking too long to process requests for financing through Jordan’s Principle, leaving children without access to services. The principle stipulates that when a First Nations child needs health, social or educational services they are to receive them from the government first approached, with questions about final jurisdiction worked out afterward. It’s named after Jordan River Anderson of Norway House Cree Nation in Manitoba. Born in 1999 with multiple disabilities, Anderson died at five years old without ever leaving the hospital, because federal...
Officer shoots, kills armed teen on northern Manitoba First Nation: RCMP
Canadian Press-RCMP in northern Manitoba say an armed teenager was fatally shot on a First Nation north of Lake Winnipeg. Mounties say it followed from a report that a man was agitated and armed with an “edged weapon” in a home on Norway House Cree Nation. They say the man was outside with the weapon when officers arrived and, despite numerous orders to drop it, advanced toward them. An officer shot the youth, and police provided medical aid until paramedics arrived. A 17-year-old from Norway House Cree nation was taken to hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The Manitoba Independent Investigation Unit, the provincial police watchdog, is taking over the case. Watchdog officials say the youth was high at the time. This report by The Canadian Press was first published...
New Brunswick oysters test positive for dermo disease, first confirmed case in Canada
Canadian Press-The Canadian Food Inspection Agency says oyster samples from New Brunswick’s east coast have tested positive for two diseases, one of which has been found for the first time in Canada. A news release from the agency says multinucleate sphere unknown, also known as MSX, and dermo, also known as perkinsosis, have been confirmed in mollusks in Spence Cove. It says both diseases do not pose risks to human health or food safety, but they increase oyster mortality and decrease growth rates. Dermo, which has been detected in Canada for the first time, has spread from oyster to oyster in New Brunswick. The disease presents in adult oysters more than one year old, and causes several symptoms including making their shells open out of water. The agency says it...
Six Nations Police looking for couple after damages and car fire set in school yard
OHSWEKEN, ON- Six Nations Police are continuing to investigate a vehicle fire and damages at a local school after receiving calls from the public over property damage. Six Nations Police responded to a report of a suspicious vehicle at a Cayuga Road school Monday, November 18, 2024, at about 9:00 p.m.. Police said a silver Mercedes Benz C230 had been seen spinning around the rear of the property and the school track. Upon arrival police found a vehicle on fire, but the suspects had fled the scene. The Six Nations Fire Department assisted with extinguishing the vehicle fire. The vehicle was destroyed by fire. The vehicle had not been reported to police as stolen. Witnesses told police they heard a man and woman arguing after the vehicle lost control, hit...
Norfolk County man facing sexual assault charges
NORFOLK COUNTY, ON – A 46-year-old Norfolk County man has been charged in connection with an ongoing Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) historical sexual assault investigation. OPP said at about 8:35 a.m. on Thursday, November 21, 2024, the OPP Norfolk County Detachment launched an investigation into a report of a sexual assault that took place between 2016 and 2019 at a Norfolk County address. As a result, a man was taken into custody without incident. Aaron Mitro, 46, of Norfolk County has been charged with the following alleged offences: Sexual assault, Sexual interference, Invitation to sexual touching under 16 years of age. The accused has been held in custody and is scheduled to appear for a bail hearing at the Ontario Court of Justice in Simcoe on Friday, November 22, 2024....
Every seed has a story that needs to be heard
Don’t throw away your seeds, because they hold valuable ancient agricultural knowledge. It’s one of the key messages from the 13 Moons Food and Seed Sovereignty learning circle project from SAGE – ē kanātahk askiy (it is a clean earth), which is focused on seed and food sovereignty for the Indigenous people living on the prairies. “A seed is like us,” said Glenda Abbott, with the International Buffalo Relations Institute. “What we go through in life can weather us. A seed can hold a memory if they go through a period of drought or are impacted by insects, it holds those different types of stories.” SAGE is a collaborative project between the International Buffalo Relations Institute and the University of Saskatchewan and is funded by the Weston Family Foundation. The...
B.C. RCMP detachments begin rollout of body worn cameras
Canadian Press-The officer in charge of the RCMP detachment in Mission, B.C., says he’s grateful that Mounties in his community will be among the first to wear body cameras to record police interactions with the public. Insp. Ted Lewko says 44 cameras will be used by his officers starting next week, and he’s “very hopeful” that they will improve officer safety, strengthen trust with the public and help resolve complaints more quickly. Police announced the rollout of the cameras in Surrey on Thursday, detailing how thousands of Mounties across the province will soon be fitted with the devices. Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald, commanding officer of the RCMP’s E Division in B.C., says the initiative is the “largest and most ambitious rollout of body cameras across the province.” McDonald says calls...
Liberal MP accuses opposition MPs of wasting time on another Boissonnault probe
Canadian Press-A Liberal MP says his committee colleagues are wasting time by launching a third inquiry into the former employment minister instead of focusing on important legislation for Indigenous Peoples. Jaime Battiste, who is Mi’kmaq, said there has been an “attack” on fellow Liberal MP Randy Boissonnault, who left his position as employment minister on Wednesday after allegations of shifting claims of Indigenous identity and questions around his past business dealings. Boissonnault has been the subject of two parliamentary probes, and Battiste said a third one by the Indigenous and northern affairs committee is “a waste of time, and it seems to be the Conservatives’ way of ensuring that nothing gets done in the House of Commons.” The Conservatives, NDP and Bloc Québécois all supported pushing ahead with the third...
New study shows voting for Native Americans is harder than ever
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (AP) — A new study has found that systemic barriers to voting on tribal lands contribute to substantial disparities in Native American turnout, particularly for presidential elections. The study, released Tuesday by the Brennan Center for Justice, looked at 21 states with federally recognized tribal lands that have a population of at least 5,000 and where more than 20% of residents identify as American Indian or Alaska Native. Researchers found that between 2012 and 2022, voter participation in federal elections was 7 percentage points lower in midterms and 15 percentage points lower in presidential elections than among those living off tribal lands in the same states. Earlier studies show voter turnout for communities of color is higher in areas where their ethnic group is the majority, but...
Cariboo Gold Mine in Wells, B.C., gets approval, but a First Nation is opposed
Canadian Press-An operating permit has been granted for the Cariboo Gold Mine in central British Columbia, a project that’s expected to process 1.1 million tonnes of gold-bearing ore a year but is still opposed by a First Nation. The B.C. government says in a news release that Barkerville Gold Mines, owned by Osisko Development Corp., was issued the permit for the underground mine in a process that took 13 months to complete. The mine will employ more than 630 people during construction with an initial $137-million investment and another $918 million over the life of the mine. It says waste rock from Cariboo will be stored at the Bonanza Ledge Mine near Barkerville, which is also owned by Osisko. The release says this is the first project entirely assessed under...
National Indigenous council report seeks to lead Canadian renewable energy transition
This morning, the national Wah-ila-toos Indigenous Council published a first-of-its kind report. “Kinship and Prosperity: Proven Solutions for a Clean Energy Landscape,” outlines guidelines for incorporating Indigenous voices into Canada’s climate strategy, policy, and legislation. “As Canada continues to grapple with the impact of climate change, the effect it has on Indigenous communities is felt across the country,” stated the report. The council noted that despite the federal government adopting a climate change policy and committing to carbon reduction, Canada still has a long way to go. The country is currently near the bottom of the Climate Change Performance Index, ranked 62nd out of 67 countries. The Index is a collaboration of several international climate organization and an independent monitoring tool assessing nations’ progress toward climate change targets. In 2022,...
Report offers options for using Indigenous knowledge to guide climate policy
By Cedric Gallant, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter The Canadian government must make it easier for Indigenous groups to access funding and prioritize their ability to be environmental stewards. That’s according to an Indigenous-led clean energy report published Thursday that offers the federal government a policy roadmap to integrating Indigenous expertise and voices into Canada’s climate strategy. The report, called “Kinship & Prosperity,” was penned by the Indigenous Council for Wah-ila-toos, of which six representatives and energy experts from across the country are members. The council provides the federal government guidance on clean energy policy development in rural and remote Indigenous communities. Alex Cook, who is from Baker Lake, sits on the council. He adds his experience as founder of net-zero housing company ArchTech and board member of the Quilliq Energy...
Residents call proposed peat mine a ‘threat’ to Lake Winnipeg’s Washow Bay
By Dave Baxter Local Journalism Initiative A petition asking the province to put a halt to a proposed peat mine expansion near Lake Winnipeg has almost 1,000 signatures, as residents express concerns about the project and what damage it could bring to the community and to the lake. “Lake Winnipeg’s Washow Bay area, a vital ecosystem supporting diverse wildlife and local communities, is under threat from the expansion of peat mining operations,” reads a statement posted on a petition set up on Change.org in July by residents of the Washow Bay area. According to the petition, SunGro Horticulture, which operates several peat mines in Manitoba’s Washow Bay region on the western shore of Lake Winnipeg, is seeking environmental approval to mine an additional 8.5 square kilometres of wetlands over the...
Quebec auditor general says school system failing Indigenous students
Quebec’s auditor general says the province has taken little action in the past two decades to help Indigenous students in Quebec, whose graduation rates lag behind those of Indigenous students in other provinces. In her report published Wednesday, Guylaine Leclerc says the Quebec government knew about a major gap in the success rates between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students since at least 2005, but failed to seriously address the issue. She says that as of 2021, Quebec had the highest rate among the provinces of Indigenous people between the ages of 25 and 34 without a diploma or certificate. The report also finds that Indigenous students in Quebec are given insufficient support, such as French-language training, when they transfer from schools in their communities to the province’s education system. Leclerc’s recommendations...