B.C’s auditor general to review government’s response to 2021 Lytton wildfire
The Canadian Press British Columbia’s auditor general says his office is doing a review of the province’s response to the 2021 wildfire that devastated the community of Lytton, B.C. Michael Pickup says in a video statement that the report will focus on the B.C. government’s roles and responsibilities for disaster recovery, its support for Lytton, including funding, challenges that came with rebuilding and how the province can improve. On June 30, 2021, just one day after Lytton hit a Canadian temperature record of 49.6 C, a wildfire swept through the village, killing two people and levelling almost the entire community. Efforts to rebuild and return people to their homes have been slow, leading to protests from residents. Thousands of artifacts were discovered while digging up the area, which was the...
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NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh confirms his party will support the Liberals’ federal budget
The Canadian Press NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh on Wednesday ended any speculation his party would pull out of its deal with the minority Liberal government by finally agreeing to support the government’s budget. Singh said his party wanted time to digest the document, which was tabled April 16, but is ultimately voting in favour of it because of shared initiatives that it proposes. That includes creating a national school lunch program and providing free birth control and diabetes medicine for anyone with a health card. “These are things that would have never been in the budget if not for us,” Singh said. The Conservatives and Bloc Québécois have previously said they wouldn’t support the budget. The minority Liberals needed the support of at least one other party to get the...
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Ontario suspends chemical plant approval over benzene emissions
By Allison Jones The Canadian Press Ontario’s Ministry of the Environment has ordered a petrochemical facility in Sarnia to suspend its production operations after high benzene emissions, first flagged by a neighbouring First Nation. Aamjiwnaang First Nation, which is surrounded by industrial facilities and monitors air quality readings, recently said citizens fell ill and there were high emissions of the cancer-causing substance from Ineos Styrolution. The company said in a statement Tuesday that its own monitors didn’t detect any emissions outside prescribed limits, but that it temporarily shut down to perform maintenance and address a mechanical issue. But the ministry said Wednesday evening that “despite several previous provincial orders requiring the company to reduce benzene emissions, recent readings at this site continue to be above acceptable levels.” “Today, the decision...
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Brantford city’s Chief of Police is leaving
BRANTFORD, ONT- Brantford’s Chief of Police is moving on. Police Chief Rob Davis, the first Indigenous Chief of Police to serve the city, will be leaving the policing service June 21, 2024 which is also the 28th annual National Indigenous Peoples’ Day, a day celebrating Indigenous culture in Canada. Davis is Mohawk from the neighbouring community of Six Nations of the Grand River. The Brantford Police Services Board announced his departure date in a post today (Wed., May 1, 2024.) saying he has advised the board he is moving to other opportunities, He did not say what those opportunities are. He has already begun to transition his responsibilties to the Brantford Police Deputy Chief Jason Saunders. Saunders will serve as Interim Chief of Police. Police Chief Davis joined the force...
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‘A place that nobody wants to be:’ Police search Saskatoon landfill for missing woman
By Canadian Press The father of a missing woman looked out over the Saskatoon landfill Wednesday, as police wearing white chemical-resistant suits scoured through piles of debris looking for evidence of his daughter. “It’s a cold morning,” said Paul Trottier. “This is a place that nobody wants to be.” Mackenzie Lee Trottier was 22 when she was last seen in December 2020. She said she was going to get a lift with a ride-booking service when she left her family’s home. She was in good spirits, said her father. More than three years later, Paul Trottier looked on as officers accompanied by dogs specialized in searching for human remains began examining a specific area of the landfill. Officers went in and out of a large white tent, moving wheelbarrows of...
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Woman accusing ex-MP Saganash of sex assault files suit after criminal case diverted
BY DYLAN ROBERTSON THE CANADIAN PRESS OTTAWA:A woman accusing former New Democrat MP Romeo Saganash of sexual assault has filed a civil suit, saying she never wanted prosecutors to divert his criminal charge to a restorative justice program. Carmen Roy, who fought to have her name released in the case, alleges she was sexually assaulted a year ago, and now lives with “psychiatric, psychological, emotional and physical injuries.” In a statement of claim filed Tuesday, Roy publicly details the specifics of her allegations for the first time. None of the allegations has been tested in court and no statement of defence has been filed. Saganash’s lawyer declined comment, but Ethan Pollock has previously said that his client is presumed innocent. He has also requested that Saganash’s privacy be respected. “My...
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Deputy Minister announces First Nations loans program
BUSINESS: Electrification strategy and details of Indigenous Loan Guarantee Program revealed at Toronto conference By Sam Laskaris Writer Some major news was shared at this year’s First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference. The two-day event, which concluded on Apr. 23, was held at the Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel. About 1,700 delegates attended the conference. The FNMPC is a national group made up of more than 150 First Nations elected councils, hereditary chiefs, tribal councils and development corporations. One of the conference sessions was titled the National Indigenous Electrification Strategy. Niilo Edwards, the FNMPC’s CEO, and JP Gladu, the founder and CEO of the consultancy Mokwateh, were panelists for the session which unveiled details of the strategy released that day. The FNMPC and Mokwateh had joined forces to create the...
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Six Nations Elected Chief takes personal day as council goes behind closed doors
By Lynda Powless Editor Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) went behind closed doors last week to hold its first fully closed political liaison meeting but they went without Elected Chief Sherri-Lyn Hill. Instead of attending the closed session that comes under her tenure, Elected Chief Hill took a “personal day,” Turtle Island News has learned from numerous sources. Closing the meeting was approved by band councillors. The Chief’s absence left a band councillor to have to chair the first closed session. Elected Chief Hill did not respond to the Turtle Island News questions on the timing of her personal day off. It was the first of two “personal” times off the elected chef would take within a week. The Elected Chief also left a council session saying she was taking...
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Councillors learn Elected Chief holds secret meeting with Minister at Six Nations without them
Six Nations Councillors want Elected Chief Sherri -Lyn Hill to include them in meetings with federal and provincial ministers. Six Nations Councillors were not pleased to find out Elected Chief Sherri Lyn Hill had met with Ontario Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, Michael Tibollo on the reserve, in a private meeting recently. Councillor’s didn’t learn from the Elected Chief about the meeting but from her political Advisors Christopher Mahon and Claire Pietron during the General Council meeting on April 23. Elected Chief Sherri Lyn Hill had excused herself from the meeting to attend her son’s birthday celebration. Mahon and Pietron delivered the Chief’s Update and during the update councillors learned Elected Chief Hill had met with Minister Tibollo on Six Nations in April. Mahon said the pair spoke about...
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Hamilton bridge replaced undergoes archaeological investigation
By Lisa Iesse Writer SIX NATIONS OF THE GRAND / HAMILTON – Representatives from Six Nations Band Council, the Haudenosaunee and Mississaugas are working with the city of Hamilton on plans for a multi-stage archaeological investigation by the site of a $58 M bridge replacement. Susan Jacob, who is manager of design and engineering at the city, said First Nations were engaged for the completed Stage 2 assessment. “First Nations were involved in the investigations to date and will continue to be engaged for further investigations,” said Jacob. “Stages 3 and 4 within the proposed corridor and additional lands as identified through short term mitigation strategy are required to be undertaken,” she said. On April 11, Jackie Kennedy, engineering services director at Hamilton public works, submitted a report to the...
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SNEC wants to meet with Ontario Hydro after community complaints
Six Nations is demanding a meeting with Hydro One executives due to “lazy” installations and untenable wait times for hook-ups and underground line location services. Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) passed a motion at its General Council meeting on april 23 to push Hydro One executives to come to the reserve and meet with councillors and departments to explain why hydro poles are not installed on road allowances and why there are months-long delays in services requested on Six Nations. Councillor Cynthia Jamieson introduced the motion after the Chief’s political advisors Christopher Mahon and Claire Pietron gave the Chief’s Update in her absence. Elected Chief Sherri Lynn Hill excused herself from the meeting to attend her son’s birthday celebrations. Pietron told SNEC Hydro One staff would come to Six Nations...
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Native Horizons Centre “Phoenix rising” as program expands
MISSISSAUGAS OF THE CREDIT FIRST NATION – The Native Horizons centre is seeing their “Phoenix rising” with not only a restoration but an expansion of programs and services at their rebuilt facility. Their residential treatment programs are back and will likely increase from six weeks to eight weeks in length. Just last week, the centre officially re-opened their doors after a devastating fire in 2018. After five years of group programs run in temporary office spaces in Six Nations, Native Horizons Treatment Centre celebrated their grand reopening on April 17, at their newly rebuilt centre in Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. “Despite the difficulties, we have emerged stronger and more resilient, transitioning from a period of uncertainty into a new era of hope and healing,” said a message from...
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Ancient Indigneous cemetery now under investigation
By Lisa Iesse Writer An ancient Indigenous cemetery in Long Point considered the “first true cemetery in Ontario,” is currently part of a burial site investigation. But provincial officials would not comment on why the site is under investigation. Dakota Moniz, interim director of communications and legislative affairs, with the Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism (MCM) told Turtle Island News April 19th the ” Port Royal site, also referred to as the “Bruce Boyd” site” is currently part of a “burial site investigation (BSI).” MCM did not respond to questions about when and how the burial site investigation began. Archaeologists reported that many First Nations people were buried at the ancient cemetery across different time periods going back about 10,000 years. One known grave held both an elder and a child,...
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Pssst… there’s a minister here, but don’t tell anyone!
Six Nations Elected councillors may have learned a quick lesson during their council session last week. It seems not just the community is being left out of meetings these days. So are they. The councillors weren’t invited to meet with a Minister who recently visited Six Nations and no one is quite sure where the meeting even took place. In the past whenever a minister visited the community Elected Chiefs notified councillors, usually at an open council session, so they could meet the minister, have lunch and express any concerns or ask questions. A one-on-one with council members often led to program enhancements or raised concerns about programs not working and why. Not just the councillors were told either by the way. In the past a photo op was held...
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Council Helen Miller: Election code says its last term on council
By Helen Miller Well folks, according to the 2023 Revised Election Code this is my last term as an elected councilor. According to the Code, councilors can only serve two consecutive terms. There are many important, some critical, issues on the 59th council’s plate. Of course, the current lands court case tops the list. Right now, the lack of a community decision-making process is the most critical issue to resolve. Once the court case gets down to the nitty gritty of negotiations, the community will be asked to make a decision. The problem is Six Nations does not have a community decision-making process that gives voice to all Six Nations members. The absence of a community decision-making process has been stuck in my craw since being elected to council 21...
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Air Canada treatment of national chief and her headdress ‘scary’, ‘humiliating’, Woodhouse Nepinak says
By Odette Auger Local Journalism Initiative Reporter When Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak was checking in for her Air Canada flight from Montreal to Fredericton, N.B April 24, the ceremonial headdress she was carrying in its case was not a problem. It wasn’t a problem when she boarded the flight, either. “Then I put my headdress under the chair in front of me, as usual. Just standard stuff, right?” It became a problem when a flight attendant made it a problem. “That’s when it escalated,” she told Windspeaker.com. Another flight attendant joined in and tried to tell Woodhouse Nepinak that she needed to put the sacred item into checked luggage in the underbelly of the plane with the cargo. The headdress had been bestowed on the...
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Six Nations lacrosse player named top newcomer in American collegiate conference
By Sam Laskaris Writer Playing a new position at a new school didn’t deter Dougie Powless. In fact, the 22-year-old Six Nations member excelled during his first year suiting up for the Clarke University Pride men’s field lacrosse squad. Powless had transferred to Clarke, located in the Iowa city of Dubuque, after spending two years at Herkimer College, a junior college, located in the state of New York. Powless was a defender when he joined the Pride. But during the club’s Fall Ball schedule in 2023, Pride head coach Tucker La Belle asked Powless if he would consider switching to the attack position. “I told him it didn’t matter to me, as long as I’m playing,” Powless said. Thus, when Clarke’s spring schedule rolled around, Powless found himself being counted...
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Six Nations members on all four National Lacrosse League semi-final participants
By Sam Laskaris Writer It’s now guaranteed that at least one Six Nations member will be part of the eventual National Lacrosse League (NLL) champions this year. That’s because following league playoff action this past weekend, there is at least one local player on all four of the squads that have qualified for the NLL semi-finals. The four clubs that remain in the hunt to capture the league title are the Toronto Rock, Buffalo Bandits, San Diego Seals and Albany FireWolves. All of these teams were victorious in their quarter-final matchups held this past weekend. One of the top performers in the four playoff contests was Six Nations member Doug Jamieson, a FireWolves’ goaltender. Jamieson, who is in his seventh NLL campaign, backstopped his host Albany club to a 9-3...
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SPORTS BRIEFS: Teen competiting AT NAHC
By Sam Laskaris, Writer Six Nations teen to compete at national tournament Six Nations’ Dreyden Cruz-General will be among those participating at this year’s National Aboriginal Hockey Championships (NAHC). This year’s national tournament will be staged May 5-11 in Grande Prairie, Alta. Cruz-General, an 18-year-old forward, is among those named to the Ontario boys’ squad that will compete in the tourney. Meanwhile, another Six Nations member, Kane Styres, is one of four alternates that were selected for the Ontario boys’ club. No Six Nations players were selected for the Ontario girls’ team that will also participate in the annual tournament, which primarily features players aged 13-18. Both the girls’ and boys’ categories at the event will feature seven teams apiece. Besides Ontario, squads representing British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Atlantic...
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