Saskatchewan report calls for more services to combat intimate partner violence
-CP-The Saskatchewan government is being urged to increase services for victims of intimate partner violence and to make the topic of healthy relationships a mandatory part of the school curriculum. They are among the recommendations in the Domestic Violence Death Review released Thursday — the second report of its kind from the Saskatchewan government since 2016. The report, compiled by people from different provincial ministries, reviewed 31 deaths that occurred between 2015 and 2020. It says many victims reached out for support before their deaths but faced barriers in receiving adequate help. “Tragically, family members noted that each of their loved ones had reached out to law enforcement, shelters, or other support services prior to their death. Their loved ones sought out the safety they needed, however, they did not...
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B.C. to see its first-ever Indigenous-led port logistics facility
By Radha Agarwal, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter The Canada Infrastructure Bank is loaning $60 million to the Metlakatla Development Corporation (MDC) and the Prince Rupert Port to develop the first-ever Indigenous-led port logistics facility in British Columbia. The funding will be used for extensive site preparations covering 56 acres for the upcoming South Kaien Import Logistics Park (SKILP) project. This flat, serviced land is close to the Fairview Terminal, CN Rail, and the CANXPORT transloading facility on Kaien Island. Most of the site preparation work is expected to be completed within two years and involves heavy civil construction, land clearing and levelling of bedrock. “This project is part of Metlakatla’s long-term vision for enabling regional growth and benefiting the next generation of its members,” said CIB in a Jan. 30...
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B.C. fires Victoria School Board over ban on police in schools
By Marcy Nicholson -CP-British Columbia’s education minister has fired the entire Victoria School Board in a dispute over a safety plan in which the board barred police from schools except in emergencies. Minister Lisa Beare said student safety was at risk in the district and she had appointed a lone trustee to oversee the district until the next municipal elections, set for the fall of 2026. “Our government has given this board multiple opportunities to act, and they have not delivered,” Beare said in a statement. She said the appointment was effective immediately, clearing the way for the completion of a safety plan for the district. “The decision to remove an elected board is a difficult one, but it is necessary to bring our collective focus in School District 61...
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Caregiver charged with murder of toddler on Manitoba First Nation
-CP-Manitoba RCMP say a woman has been charged in the death of a toddler in her care. Police say the injured two-year-old was brought last week into the nursing station on the Bloodvein First Nation, where she later died. An autopsy deemed her death a homicide. Police say officers searched the child’s home and charged her caregiver with second-degree murder. Burma Skye, 56, has been remanded into custody. Police say the death is a loss for the girl’s family and the entire community. “This is a senseless crime that will have a profound impact on the community, first responders and investigating officers,” Sgt. Laura LeDrew, lead investigator with major crime services, said in a statement Thursday. Bloodvein First Nation, a community of about 1,200, is about 200 kilometres north of...
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Armed Forces name former MP as first Indigenous Knowledge Keeper
-CP-The Canadian Armed Forces have named its first Indigenous Knowledge Keeper. T he military is set to host a ceremony tonight in Winnipeg for Warrant Officer Robert-Falcon Ouellette, who is also to be promoted to captain. The military says the new position is part of its effort to embrace and welcome Indigenous spirituality with its members. Ouellette is a former Liberal member of Parliament who also ran for mayor of the province’s capital. He has served in the military for 29 years, starting with the navy league and sea cadet program. He is currently an associate professor of education at the University of Ottawa. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 30, 2025. ...
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Saskatchewan report calls for more services to combat intimate partner violence
-CP-A report is calling for more education about intimate partner violence in Saskatchewan, including making healthy relationships a mandatory part of the school curriculum. The Domestic Violence Death Review is the second report of its kind from the Saskatchewan government since 2016, and it reviewed 31 deaths that occurred between 2015 and 2020. The report says many victims reached out for support before their deaths but faced barriers in receiving adequate help. It also says the rate was higher in rural areas than in urban ones, and Indigenous people were overrepresented, making up 57 per cent of adult victims. The report recommends teaching kids about healthy relationships in school and seeking longer sentences for repeat offenders. It also calls for specialized courts in rural and remote locations, as well as...
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MLA Brittny Anderson receives ministerial mandate
By Rachael Lesosky, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Premier David Eby’s cabinet have received their ministerial mandate letters. The letters lay out priorities for action, and hone in on specific directions unique to each minister. Kootenay Central MLA Brittny Anderson is also the Minister of State for Local Governments and Rural Communities. Anderson’s role is new in cabinet, and the first time for a Minister of State to report directly to the premier. “British Columbians have trusted us with a mandate to deliver for them in ways that make a tangible difference in their daily lives,” says Eby in Anderson’s letter. “They expect us to listen and learn from people of different perspectives – and work together to make things better for everyone.” Key points for Eby’s government as a whole...
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Ex-priest sentenced to six years for sex abuse of Nunavut children
-CP-A former Catholic priest who pleaded guilty to indecent assault against seven Inuit children more than four decades ago has been sentenced to six years in prison. An Iqaluit court heard Eric Dejaeger assaulted six girls and one boy between 1978 and 1982 in the hamlet of Igloolik, Nvt. “He destroyed their childhood, hurt their relations with their families and ruined their relationship with their church,” Justice Faiyaz Alibhai said in his sentencing decision Thursday. “The trauma reverberated to the next generation, as the children of his victims also suffered from the consequences of his actions.” Court heard harrowing accounts last week from five abuse survivors, who were between the ages of four and nine when the assaults took place. The judge paused frequently to allow an interpreter to repeat...
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Ottawa names a new chief adviser on combating human trafficking
By Émilie Bergeron -CP-The federal government says it has appointed a new “chief adviser” on combating human trafficking. Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations Gary Anandasangaree says Jennifer Richardson, who served as the first director of Ontario’s Anti-Human Trafficking Coordination Office, has deep knowledge of human trafficking. As chief adviser to the federal government, Richardson will offer recommendations to Public Safety Minister David McGuinty. In recent weeks McGuinty has been working to convince the new administration of U.S. President Donald Trump that Canada takes border security seriously. Richardson is also expected to work with Anandasangaree to respond to many of the recommendations from the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. Richardson’s appointment is part of a national strategy to combat human trafficking. This report by The Canadian Press...
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Former chief Turtle running for NDP in Kenora-Rainy River
By Mike Stimpson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter GRASSY NARROWS – The Ontario New Democratic Party has a candidate for Kenora-Rainy River: Rudy Turtle, former chief of Grassy Narrows (Asubpeeschoseewagong) First Nation. Turtle told Newswatch on Thursday he is running in the Ontario general election because “there are some issues that we need to speak up about. For example, we need more housing in our area and also helping people that are on the streets and being able to help our young people begin their lives in a proper way. “And one of the issues that’s come up, too, is highway safety,” he continued. “I’m very concerned about highway safety.” Turtle was chief of Grassy Narrows for two non-consecutive terms, and a councillor for 10 years as well. In his 14...
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B.C. Lt.-Gov. Janet Austin wraps up seven-year post
By Marcy Nicholson -CP-British Columbia’s lieutenant-governor is leaving office after seven years on the job, with Premier David Eby telling her farewell ceremony that her focus on reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples was among her key contributions. Janet Austin’s work during her tenure advanced reconciliation in the province, Eby told the ceremony at the legislature in Victoria on Wednesday. In her own remarks, Austin said she was “deeply honoured” to provide royal assent for B.C.’s Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, which passed unanimously in the legislature in late 2019. “Our challenge now is to help British Columbians understand that the work of reconciliation is not only a legal and moral imperative, but a strategic investment in a more prosperous, equitable and sustainable future for all Canadians,” she said....
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‘Staggering’ number of families struggle in B.C.’s system for disabled kids: advocate
By Ashley Joannou -CP-British Columbia’s children’s representative says the province is at a “threshold moment” for fixing an underfunded and fragmented system of supports for children with disabilities that is almost impossible to navigate and has left a “staggering” number of families at a breaking point and struggling to get help. The latest report from Jennifer Charlesworth’s office says up to 83,000 young people with disabilities are not receiving adequate services in the province, and while spending has increased 190 per cent in the 18 years her office has been in place, most went to salaries and a narrow set of programs. The document, published Wednesday, says the representative’s office has produced a dozen reports making recommendations to fix the system, but the government has been slow to respond, often...
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B.C. extends deferral of logging in Fairy Creek amid reports of tree spiking
By Marcy Nicholson -CP-The British Columbia government has approved a legal order to extend temporary protections to an old-growth forest on Vancouver Island even as the minister of forests acknowledged that the RCMP are investigating reports of tree spiking in the area. Ravi Parmar said he was informed of the reports last week, calling the news of such vandalism “incredibly alarming.” Spikes are typically metal and can injure or even kill a person who attempts to cut down or mill the tree. “I want to be very crystal clear to British Columbians, anyone who goes out and spikes a tree, puts the lives of forestry workers on the line, risks their safety, potential death each and every day, I want to condemn these actions,” Parmar told reporters on Wednesday. The...
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A New Zealand mountain is granted personhood, recognizing it as sacred for Māori
By Charlotte Graham-Mclay WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — A mountain in New Zealand considered an ancestor by Indigenous people was recognized as a legal person on Thursday after a new law granted it all the rights and responsibilities of a human being. Mount Taranaki — now known as Taranaki Maunga, its Māori name — is the latest natural feature to be granted personhood in New Zealand, which has ruled that a river and a stretch of sacred land are people before. The pristine, snow-capped dormant volcano is the second highest on New Zealand’s North Island at 2,518 meters (8,261 feet) and a popular spot for tourism, hiking and snow sports. The legal recognition acknowledges the mountain’s theft from the Māori of the Taranaki region after New Zealand was colonized. It...
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Federal, provincial and territorial health ministers wrap in-person meeting
By The Canadian Press Staff The country’s health ministers are wrapping up two days of meetings in Halifax today with a busy agenda. The in-person talks come as health systems are strained and millions of Canadians don’t have a family doctor. Ministers are set to talk about health data, mental health and substance use and pharmaceuticals, among other topics. The NDP is pushing federal Health Minister Mark Holland to sign deals with his counterparts to begin the first phase of pharmacare coverage. The federal government is negotiating with provinces and territories to cover the cost of contraceptives and diabetes medications as it studies the best way to launch a universal pharmacare program. The health ministers are set to hold a press conference this afternoon. This report by The Canadian Press...
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Sentence set for ex-priest who pleaded guilty to assaults on Nunavut children
-CP-A judge is set to sentence a former Catholic priest who pleaded guilty to indecent assault against seven Inuit children more than four decades ago. Crown and defence lawyers have jointly recommended a six-year prison sentence for Eric Dejaeger, who is 77. Court heard the assaults on six girls and one boy took place between 1978 and 1982 in the hamlet of Igloolik, Nvt. In victim impact statements last week, the five surviving complainants gave harrowing accounts of the abuse and described how it caused addiction, mental-health struggles, poor self-esteem and mistrust. The youngest victim to speak was four when the abuse started, and others were between six and nine. Dejaeger was previously convicted of dozens more offences against children and adults in Nunavut and Alberta. This report by The...
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Opportunity trying for special municipal status: Wants to be consulted on highways, industry
By Pearl Lorentzen Local Journalism Initiative Reporter M.D. of Opportunity council plans to try to get special status as an Indigenous municipality. Throughout the January 22 M.D. meeting in Calling Lake, council returned time and time again to the topic. The M.D. would like to be consulted on highway development and industry, as its First Nations neighbours are. Councillors think special status, recognizing the M.D.’s large Indigenous make-up, would help with that. When discussing advocacy items for provincial ministers at the Rural Municipalities of Alberta, Councillor Darlene Jackson (Wabasca) said that the M.D. should ask Minister of Indigenous Relations Rick Wilson that the M.D. be “recognized as an Indigenous community.” Councillor Cherie Courtorielle (Calling Lake) also mentioned that the M.D. should petition Alberta Minister of Municipal Affairs Ric McIver about...
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‘These divide-and-conquer tactics are destroying us’: Matawa First Nations reflect on Doug Ford’s Ring of Fire legacy
By , Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Ricochet The same day Premier Doug Ford called an early election, his government announced it had reached a $20-million deal with Aroland First Nation that will, “build roads along the entire route to the Ring of Fire.” The Shared Prosperity Agreement includes $20 million for infrastructure and new energy transmission projects in Aroland. Ontario promises to upgrade existing roads to the community, located 60 kilometres north of Geraldton, and build a road from Aroland northward to Marten Falls First Nation. Ontario also made a vague commitment to support Aroland in vying for a smelter, and it intends to meet further over potential resource-benefit sharing. Aroland Chief Sonny Gagnon posed for photos with Ford during the press conference in Toronto on Tuesday, wearing a PC...
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Ford inks agreement with First Nation to support roads to Ring of Fire
By Matteo Cimellaro, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Canada’s National Observer Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced an agreement Tuesday worth more than $20 million to help prepare a remote northern Ontario First Nation for possible mining development in the future. Aroland First Nation, 345 kilometres northeast of Thunder Bay, is located near the “gateway to the Ring of Fire” mining region, the provincial government said in a press release. The Ring of Fire is a proposed mining area in Northern Ontario, spanning about 5,000 square kilometres. The region contains rich mineral deposits needed for Ontario’s ambitions for a complete electric vehicle supply chain. However, the Ring of Fire also sits on carbon-intensive muskeg, which could release two billion tonnes of carbon dioxide if it is developed, or the equivalent of annual...
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Remote Ontario community breaks free from diesel dependency
By Matteo Cimellaro, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter A northern Ontario First Nation is celebrating the connection to the province’s power grid today after an ambitious transmission line through the North extended its reach. Poplar Hill First Nation, 570 kilometres northwest of Thunder Bay, is a remote, fly-in community, save for the brief ice road season. Until this week, most of the nation was powered by diesel, a high-emitting fuel dangerous for the climate and human health. Now, it will become the 13th First Nation in the area to be connected to a local grid. Once finished, Wataynikaneyap Power is set to power 16 First Nations that have a 51 per cent stake in the transmission company. The line is a nearly two-decade-old initiative that will move remote northern Indigenous communities...
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