Company gets $400K to increase modular home construction
By Clint Fleury, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter THUNDER BAY — No matter where you are in Northwestern Ontario, CEO of Smart Modular Canada Bill Boulton told Newswatch, they are seeing a need for affordable housing . “Everywhere is in the same problem. Even our own little area, Fort Frances has no housing or you buy, rent or whatever… And Nipigon has the same problem. Geraldton has got the same problem. And even Rainy River was here yesterday and they have the same issues,” Boulton said. Smart Modular Canada is a local company that produces residential and commercial modular buildings. They received a $400,000 grant from the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation to help ramp up production of modular buildings for rural communities and first nations. Thunder Bay-Atikokan MPP Kevin Holland...
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Indigenous youth leaders urge Canada to prioritize health, education and cultural representation
By Jeremy Appel, Local Journalism Indigenous Reporter The Senate Standing Committee on Indigenous Peoples heard testimony on Oct. 30 from young Indigenous leaders representing communities from British Columbia to Nova Scotia. The testimony was split into two sittings, with the first occurring from 11:45 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. and the second from 6:45 to 8:45 p.m. Participants were aged 18 to 35 and selected based on the leadership role they’ve taken “in driving meaningful change in their communities,” explained committee chair Sen. Brian Francis of Prince Edward Island, who is the former chief of Abegweit First Nation. Breane Mahlitz, a health policy advisor to the Métis National Council, told the committee that Métis people need “distinction-based health legislation that reflects our right to health as section 35 rights holders,” referring...
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On Strike! Postal Workers off the job
Six Nations Ohsweken Post Office is now opened but no mail is moving after CUPW announced a nation wide strike (Photo by Jim C. Powless) By Lynda Powless Editor Canada’s postal workers are on strike! They walked off the job at 12:01 Friday. A sign is posted on the door of the Ohsweken Post Office announcing a potential delay in service but inside workers are still working in Ohsweken although no mail is moving.. After a year of negotiations, a total of 55,000 workers members of Canadian Union of Posta; Workers (CUPW) walked off the job at 12:01 a.m. Ontario time Friday and is expected to disrupt mail service across the country. Canada Post has yet to lock out workers Depending on the length of the strike Canadians could...
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‘Bullyish’ behaviour will stop, says new Indigenous Affairs minister
By John Chilibeck • Local Journalism Initiative Reporter New Brunswick’s Indigenous Affairs minister is eager to mend relations with First Nations and repair the damage he says was done by the Higgs Progressive Conservative government over the last six years. Less than two weeks into his new role, Keith Chiasson told Brunswick News he’s scheduled to meet with eight of the nine Mi’gmaq chiefs at Metepenagiag, or Red Bank First Nation, near Miramichi on Friday. “These first meetings are really important because we have to hash out details on areas of concern, and I need to hear feedback from the chiefs,” the Liberal minister said, before mentioning former Progressive Conservative premier Blaine Higgs. “The last few years have been hard on different communities in the province. There was more of a bullyish...
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Flag flies at Alstom: ‘this is Fort William First Nation territory’
Local Journalism Initiative THUNDER BAY — The flag of Fort William First Nation now flies at the Thunder Bay Alstom plant. “The reality is they’ve chosen to fly a Fort William First Nations flag, which clearly delineates that this is Fort William First Nation territory,” said Michelle Solomon, chief of Fort William First Nation. “And, that is part of their act of reconciliation.” “I think that flags are certainly a symbol and anywhere you go, if there’s a flag raising it’s a symbol of the land that you’re on and the place that you are,” she said. By raising the Fort William First Nation flag at their plant on Montreal Road, Alstom aims to demonstrate a commitment to strengthening the bond between the first nation and the company. Justin Roberts,...
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Indigenous groups, government and industry launch $375M for conservation initiatives
-Canadian Press-A new $375-million conservation fund being created in the Northwest Territories is the largest single investment in Indigenous-led conservation and stewardship in the territory. The Our Land for the Future fund is a collaboration between government, industry and Indigenous Peoples and includes $300 million from the federal government and $75 million from private donors. That fund, announced today, will be used for Indigenous-led conservation and stewardship, ecotourism, traditional economic activities and climate research, among others. Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Gary Anandasangaree says the “historic agreement” will move the government closer to its goal of conserving 30 per cent of lands and waters by 2030. Grand Chief Herb Norwegian of Dehcho First Nations says the fund will allow Indigenous governments to create and protect the “sacred paradises” their ancestors have “long...
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Supreme Court declines to hear appeal of man convicted in Alberta hunters’ deaths
-Canadian Press-Canada’s top court has declined to hear the appeal of one of two men found guilty in the fatal shooting of two Métis hunters in eastern Alberta. As is usual, the Supreme Court did not give reasons for its dismissal Thursday of Anthony Bilodeau’s leave to appeal. A trial heard that in March 2020, Bilodeau and his father had been concerned about a truck parked at the end of their rural property, so they chased down the vehicle and there was a confrontation. Bilodeau was convicted of second-degree murder in the death of Maurice Cardinal and of manslaughter in the death of Cardinal’s nephew Jacob Sansom. Sansom, 39, and Cardinal, 57, had been moose hunting before they were shot and left on the side of the road near Glendon,...
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SCO partners to fund 150 education awards for health care students
A new partnership will look to give a leg up to First Nations Manitobans hoping to pursue careers in health care. The Southern Chiefs’ Organization (SCO) announced it has partnered with the Business Council of Manitoba and the provincial government, and a total of $450,000 in funding will be used to provide 150 education awards over the next five years to members of SCO nations. The awards will be provided to those looking to pursue careers and post-secondary opportunities in the health care field, as SCO said it continues to look for ways to increase Indigenous representation in health care in Manitoba. According to SCO, less than 1% of physicians in Canada identify as Indigenous, while approximately 1.5% of nurses in Canada are First Nations. SCO said the award will...
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Chair of Liberal Indigenous caucus says identity ‘complicated’ as members questioned
-Canadian Press-The chair of the Liberal party’s Indigenous caucus says Indigenous identity is “complicated” after questions have been raised about the claims of two Liberal MPs who currently sit with the group and one cabinet minister who is no longer a member. “It’s a very complicated issue, and there’s no right answer,” said Jaime Battiste, who is Mi’kmaq from Eskasoni First Nation. “It’s not biological or mathematical. It’s a social construct, and that’s why there are challenges.” Others say it’s not so complicated, and want answers as to why Employment Minister Randy Boissonnault, who has claimed to be Cree, sat on the party’s Indigenous caucus and was touted as an Indigenous member of the party for years, is now changing his tune. In 2018 at a Canadian heritage committee meeting,...
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Ontario signs $100M deal with Elon Musk’s Starlink system
-CP-Premier Doug Ford’s government has signed a $100-million deal with Elon Musk’s SpaceX to deliver high-speed internet to remote residents in rural and northern Ontario. The new program called ONSAT — which stands for Ontario Satellite — will bring SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet system to 15,000 premises, said Infrastructure Minister Kinga Surma. “These communities will gain access to high-speed satellite internet capable of supporting streaming video calls, online gaming and more activities that have become second nature to so many of us,” Surma said. The service will be used to connect people in the hardest-to-reach areas of the province to the internet, she said. The system will go live next June with eligibility and registration starting in the spring. The province will cover equipment and installation costs, but not monthly...
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Students helping to build a brighter future for their FirstNation
It started, with just a hole in the ground and a pile of lumber. Now, thanks to the work of a handful of high school students, Canoe Lake Cree First Nation (CLCFN) has a newly built safe house for kids and families in need of refuge. “It brings me joy to know I worked on something that people are going to use,” said Sydney Lariviere, grade 12 student at Canoe Lake Miksiw School. “It’s not going to be thrown out, it will be taken care of.” The housing project is something the youth can be proud of for years to come. “I’ll come back in 20 years and tell my kids, ‘I helped build this, to help kids in need,’ ” she said. This unique three-year building program, Kanaweyiminan ‘take...
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Lawmakers stage Māori protest in New Zealand’s parliament during fraught race relations debate
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — A vote in New Zealand’s parliament was suspended and two lawmakers ejected on Thursday when dramatic political theater erupted over a controversial proposed law redefining the country’s founding agreement between Indigenous Māori and the British Crown. Under the principles laid out in the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi, which guide the relationship between the government and Māori, tribes were promised broad rights to retain their lands and protect their interests in return for ceding governance to the British. The bill would specify that those rights should apply to all New Zealanders. The bill has scant support and is unlikely to become law. Detractors say it threatens racial discord and constitutional upheaval, while thousands of New Zealanders are traveling the length of the country this week to...
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Ford announces $8.5 million for Geraldton hospital
GREENSTONE — The Geraldton District Hospital will be getting $8.5 million in provincial funding for renovations. Premier Doug Ford made the surprise announcement at a media event on Wednesday. The premier told assembled reporters, local dignitaries and First Nations representatives he had visited the hospital earlier in the day and was asked about the progress of its funding application. The renovations funding will happen, Ford told Newswatch. In addition to the $8.5 million for the renovations, he said the province will also fund the hospital’s nurse practitioner program. Ford was in Greenstone to mark the completion of highway upgrades that could support an eventual road to the Ring of Fire mineral deposits. Further updates to come on this story. ...
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Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew shuffles cabinet, creates technology portfolio
MANITOBA CP-Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew shuffled his cabinet Wednesday, adding three new faces and sharpening the focus on the province’s growing tech sector. Kinew introduced the Department of Innovation and New Technology at a swearing-in ceremony for the new ministers. The innovation portfolio will be headed up by Mike Moroz, a first-time MLA who was elected in 2023 to represent the former Liberal stronghold riding of River Heights. Moroz will be tasked with growing the province’s tech industry and modernizing government services. “I think it is important for us to have a future-focused new technology department that really is all about innovation,” said Kinew. “It’s good for the economy, but it also impacts so many aspects of our lives here.” The department will also be in charge of developing an...
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Manitoba Crown stays sexual assault charges against priest on second day of trial
MANITOBA-CP-The Crown has stayed sex charges against a Roman Catholic priest in Manitoba on the second day of his trial. Arul Savari was charged last year with sexual assault, sexual exploitation and forcible confinement. The accusations stemmed from an alleged assault that took place in a remote First Nation where he worked. At the time, RCMP said they received reports Savari had sexually assaulted an eight-year-old girl. They said the girl told police she was asked to help clean the church and was alone with the priest when she was inappropriately touched and prevented from leaving. Police said Savari had been in Canada for six years, had worked in another remote First Nation and had a residence in Winnipeg. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 13,...
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Nevada trial set for ‘Dances with Wolves’ actor in newly-revived sex abuse case
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Former “Dances with Wolves” actor Nathan Chasing Horse is set to stand trial early next year in Las Vegas on charges that he sexually abused Indigenous women and girls, a significant development in the sweeping criminal case after more than a year of stalled court proceedings while he challenged it. His trial in Clark County District Court is currently scheduled to begin on Jan. 13, court records show. He pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to 21 felonies, including sexual assault, kidnapping and producing and possessing videos of child sexual abuse, KLAS-TV in Las Vegas reported. Prosecutors are now able to move forward with their case because Chasing Horse was again indicted last month following a Nevada Supreme Court decision that his original indictment be dismissed. The...
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Strathmore author featured in new horror anthology
By John Watson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Strathmore-based author Francine Cunningham is among several Indigenous authors who have contributed to a new horror anthology, Zegaajimo: Indigenous Horror Fiction. “It is a book of Indigenous horror stories and I was asked to contribute a story to it, which I did very happily,” said Cunningham. “I write a lot of dark fiction and horror fiction when I write short stories, so I was very excited to write a story for this collection.” Cunningham explained one of the editors at Kegedonce Press reached out to her asking if she had a story she would like to contribute to the book, which she excitedly accepted. The stories which comprise the book are exclusively written by Indigenous authors. The same is true for the editorial...
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Class-action alleges abuse, cultural devastation at Canadian Indigenous group homes
Canadian Press-A proposed class-action lawsuit against the Canadian government says Indigenous people removed from their communities and placed in group homes beginning in the 1950s suffered physical, sexual and psychological abuse that “was commonplace, condoned and, arguably, encouraged.” The Federal Court lawsuit filed this month in Vancouver says Indigenous children across the country were forcibly removed from their homes and taken “to live with strangers — sometimes hundreds of kilometres from their families and Indigenous communities.” Lawyer Doug Lennox said the lawsuit seeks compensation for those harmed by the country’s historic policy of assimilation. “There have been a variety of forms in which this policy has been implemented,” he said. “Most notably with residential schools, but in other areas as well, such as day schools, such as the 60s scoop,...
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$747K in federal funding boosts environmental projects in Sault Ste. Marie
By Maggie Kirk Local Journalism Initiative In a significant move towards protecting Canada’s natural landscapes and freshwater ecosystems, Terry Sheehan, Member of Parliament for Sault Ste. Marie, announced $747K in funding on behalf of Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, to several Indigenous-led organizations, as well as Algoma University. Specifically, the investments support the study and preservation of species habitats and water conservation, to improve the health of the Great Lakes and the St. Marys River. Garden River First Nation-based organizations received three grants. The first was for $71,590 towards the Ketegaunseebee Species at Risk Indigenous Knowledge Study, a project focused on habitat assessments and creating a management plan to protect species at risk on reserve lands near Sault Ste. Marie. Secondly, $50,000 was allocated to Garden River’s...
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Ottawa school board investigating after Remembrance Day song choice sparks backlash
An Ontario school board says it has launched an investigation after a song about peace associated with support for Gaza was featured in Remembrance Day ceremonies at an Ottawa high school, sparking backlash from some parents and politicians. Several media reports have cited a letter the principal of Sir Robert Borden school sent to families, apologizing for the inclusion of a song that could be seen as politically charged and that “caused significant distress” to some. The reports say the Arabic-language song, titled “Haza Salam,” was played during a slide show of Canadian soldiers and that some students and parents were upset about the music choice. The song is used as a backdrop in many online videos showing destruction in the Gaza Strip and expressing support for Palestinians but the...
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