Teenage boy charged with murder in stabbing death on First Nation in Manitoba
A 14-year-old boy has been charged with second-degree murder after the stabbing death of a man from a First Nation west of Winnipeg. Police say a vehicle carrying an injured man pulled up to the Long Plain detachment of the Manitoba First Nations Police Service on Feb. 24. They say the vehicle stopped at a home in Long Plain First Nation to drop someone off when a boy exited the home to confront the victim, allegedly over stolen property. Police say the boy allegedly got in the vehicle and stabbed the man. After the stop at the police station, the 26-year-old man was taken to hospital, where he died. The Manitoba First Nations Police Service and RCMP are investigating. This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 3,...
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‘Fantastic’ response to animal clinic in Far North
By Marissa Lentz-McGrath, Local Journalism Initiative, TimminsToday.com FORT ALBANY – A southern Ontario animal rescue is making a pawsitive impact in the Far North. A team of volunteers from Precious Paws Rescue recently travelled to Fort Albany First Nation to provide essential veterinary care to dogs and cats. The four-day February clinic offered wellness exams, vaccinations, parasite prevention, and spay-neuter surgeries to help control the dog population and improve animal health. Precious Paws Rescue is a non-profit, all-breed dog rescue based in Simcoe County. Founded in 2006 by Cassandra Hauck, the organization is entirely volunteer-run, with no paid staff and no government funding. “I’ve been involved in animal rescue since a very young age. I started out working in humane societies and went to school to become a veterinary technician....
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‘If more women are part of the decision-making, I think we would all live in a better world’
By Kira Wronska Dorward, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunavut News Recently-appointed Nunavut Senator Nancy Karetak-Lindell was born in what was then called Eskimo Point, Northwest Territories, in 1967. “I had a wonderful childhood,” she says. “My world was my community, my family. We had not very much contact with the outside world in those days.” Karetak-Lindell was fortunate to be able to stay in the local community, now called Arviat, up until Grade 8, after which she attended residential school in Yellowknife. “Those days, they did not send students [from Kivalliq] home for Christmas, so we stayed in Yellowknife… [I spent] a lot of time away from home. That was the most difficult time.” From a small and close-knit community, the drastic change to a very regimented life “was absolutely...
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‘Humanitarian crisis’ if Inuit Child First Initiative expires, advocate warns
By Jeff Pelletier, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunatsiaq News The end of the Inuit Child First Initiative on March 31 would have a severe, immediate impact on thousands of Nunavut children, one advocate says. Taya Tootoo, who works for the Arctic Children and Youth Foundation, joined Nunavut MP Lori Idlout and Qikiqtani General Hospital pediatrician Dr. Holden Sheffield on Friday to call on the federal government to extend the program’s funding beyond its scheduled March 31 expiry while a long-term solution is in the works. Inuit Child First Initiative gives Inuit children access to health and education supports. It runs parallel to Jordan’s Principle, which is a federal commitment to provide the same type of support to First Nations children. Jordan’s Principle was created in 2007 in response to a...
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Historic ship completes first leg of journey to become world’s largest artificial reef
By Bruce Shipkowski The historic, aging ocean liner that a Florida county plans to turn into the world’s largest artificial reef has completed the first leg of its final voyage. The SS United States, a 1,000-foot (305-meter) vessel that shattered the trans-Atlantic speed record on its maiden voyage in 1952, arrived early Monday in Mobile, Alabama, nearly two weeks after departing from south Philadelphia’s Delaware River. The ship was due to arrive at a repair facility in Mobile later Monday. Crews will spend about six months cleaning and preparing the ship before it is eventually sunk off Florida’s Gulf Coast. The 1,800-mile (2,897-kilometer) move south started on Feb. 19, about four months after a years-old rent dispute was resolved between the conservancy that oversees the ship and its landlord. Plans...
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A federal inmate transferred to Oklahoma to be put to death
-AP-Federal prison officials transferred an inmate to Oklahoma custody so that he can be executed for a 1999 killing, following through on President Donald Trump’s sweeping executive order to more actively support the death penalty. George John Hanson, 60, was moved from a federal prison in Louisiana to the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester, Oklahoma, over the weekend, Oklahoma Department of Corrections spokeswoman Kay Thompson confirmed Monday. Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond sought Hanson’s transfer earlier this year, and Trump’s new Attorney General Pam Bondi ordered his transfer last month. Drummond said his office is expected to request an execution date for Hanson later this year. Hanson’s attorneys in the Federal Public Defender’s Office in Oklahoma sought to prevent his transfer from federal custody. They also have argued that Hanson...
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Another earthquake shakes awake some British Columbians
B.C.-CP-An earthquake has shaken awake some B.C. residents, the latest in a series of tremors for the province. Earthquakes Canada says the 4.1 magnitude earthquake was detected at 5:02 a.m. PST roughly 44 kilometres northeast of Victoria, B.C., and 75 kilometres southeast of Vancouver but it isn’t believed to have caused any damage. The agency says the quake would have been lightly felt around Victoria and Vancouver, and by 6 a.m. more than 1,500 people had reported feeling the quake to the agency. Many people also took to social media to report being shaken awake by the tremor. The U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center says there is no tsunami risk from the earthquake. On Feb. 21, a 4.7 magnitude quake was widely felt across southern B.C. including Victoria and Vancouver...
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‘Humanitarian crisis’ if Inuit Child First Initiative expires, advocate warns
By Jeff Pelletier, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunatsiaq News The end of the Inuit Child First Initiative on March 31 would have a severe, immediate impact on thousands of Nunavut children, one advocate says. Taya Tootoo, who works for the Arctic Children and Youth Foundation, joined Nunavut MP Lori Idlout and Qikiqtani General Hospital pediatrician Dr. Holden Sheffield on Friday to call on the federal government to extend the program’s funding beyond its scheduled March 31 expiry while a long-term solution is in the works. Inuit Child First Initiative gives Inuit children access to health and education supports. It runs parallel to Jordan’s Principle, which is a federal commitment to provide the same type of support to First Nations children. Jordan’s Principle was created in 2007 in response to a...
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‘If more women are part of the decision-making, I think we would all live in a better world’
By Kira Wronska Dorward, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunavut News Recently-appointed Nunavut Senator Nancy Karetak-Lindell was born in what was then called Eskimo Point, Northwest Territories, in 1967. “I had a wonderful childhood,” she says. “My world was my community, my family. We had not very much contact with the outside world in those days.” Karetak-Lindell was fortunate to be able to stay in the local community, now called Arviat, up until Grade 8, after which she attended residential school in Yellowknife. “Those days, they did not send students [from Kivalliq] home for Christmas, so we stayed in Yellowknife… [I spent] a lot of time away from home. That was the most difficult time.” From a small and close-knit community, the drastic change to a very regimented life “was absolutely...
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What the N.W.T. can learn from Lytton about climate resilience
By Claire McFarlane, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Cabin Radio In June of 2021, the village of Lytton, British Columbia, burned down in less than an hour. Lytton is known as “Canada’s hotspot” due to its geography and location, within a canyon that make it one of the hottest places in the country during a heat wave. Patrick Michell said he received a text message from his wife at 4:58 p.m. on the day of the fire, asking him to come home to help with a grandchild’s diaper change. At 5 p.m., she texted to say she had just received a call that there was a fire in town. By 5:02 p.m. their house was on fire. Michell, a former chief of the Kanaka Bar Indian Band just south of Lytton...
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Freeland ‘uniquely qualified’ to lead Canada through ‘greatest threat’ since WWII
By David Baxter When former deputy prime minister Chrystia Freeland enters her campaign rallies in her bid to become the next Liberal leader, speakers always blare Nelly Furtado’s 2006 hit “Maneater.” It is a nod to the central theme of her pitch to the country: she will not shy away from taking on powerful men. With just one week left before the race concludes, that message is front and centre as she declares that her political experience makes her “uniquely qualified” for the challenges facing Canada today. Those challenges have increased since she launched her leadership bid in mid-January, and she now calls the battle ahead the “greatest threat since the Second World War.” With polls and fundraising pointing to former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney as the front-runner,...
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Squamish Nation carver restores historical totem pole now at Seaspan in North Vancouver
By Abby Luciano, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, North Shore News An 18-foot, colourful totem pole resembling a bear, frog and thunderbird now stands in front of Seaspan’s main office in North Vancouver. Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) artist Darren Yelton was given the task of restoring the decades-old totem pole after facing natural damage over the years. An “Opening of the Eyes” ceremony – a traditional celebration by the Squamish Nation – was held last month in front of Seaspan’s Pemberton location to share the newly finished totem pole, but also celebrate Yelton’s hard work. “As a totem pole carver, I enjoy what I do. It’s in my culture. I’m keeping my history alive,” Yelton said. The animals on the totem pole represent the Coast Salish people, and the pole’s roots...
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Area residents to be made aware of fraudulent status cards
By Carl Clutchey, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Chronicle-Journal THUNDER BAY,ONT-A scheme involving fake Indigenous status cards near Sault Ste. Marie doesn’t appear to have shown up in the Thunder Bay area as yet, but officials said they will make locals aware of the scam. On Thursday, Batchewana First Nation issued an alert bulletin about fake cards being used in that community during attempts to fraudulently access band services. “Police have confiscated two of these cards and advise anyone who encounters a suspicious card to notify police immediately,” a Batchewana First Nation news release said. “Using and manufacturing a fake status card is a criminal offence and individuals using these cards can be charged with fraud and forgery,” the release added. The fakes “are flimsy, are not signed by an...
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Híɫzaqv leaders take RCMP to court, say police discriminate against the nation’s laws
By David P. Ball, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, IndigiNews Hereditary and elected leaders of Híɫzaqv Nation are taking the RCMP to court, saying the police force refuses to enforce the nation’s bylaws — including a law expelling drug dealers and sexual offenders from the community. The lawsuit says this had led to “an atmosphere of fear and lawlessness” on reserve that put members’ safety at risk. It further states that the case has broader implications around whether “Canada” respects Híɫzaqv jurisdiction on their own territories. K̓áwáziɫ Marilyn Slett, elected chief councillor of the Heiltsuk Tribal Council, said at a press conference Tuesday that the RCMP’s lack of action means “drug dealers and sexual offenders can act freely without fear of enforcement.” “We’re facing a critical problem,” she said. “The only...
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Man who killed Indigenous woman in northern Alberta released from prison
By Fakiha Baig -CP-Nicole Gladue-Weesemat wailed after learning the man who stabbed her mother in northern Alberta a decade ago, then moved her dead body to Manitoba, is out of prison. She says she has been overwhelmed with emotions since Corrections officials told her that Grant Sneesby was freed earlier this month after being granted statutory release. “I haven’t cried like this since (police) told us they found her,” she said Friday from her home in Edson, west of Edmonton. She said she misses her mother, Gloria Gladue, and has a hard time forgetting Sneesby’s trial. “I’m shaking because it’s never easy talking about.” Gladue, a member of Bigstone Cree Nation, was last seen in Wabasca, Alta., in October 2015. The remains of the 44-year-old were found in rural Manitoba...
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Supreme Court dismisses appeal from Saskatchewan government involving Métis group
-CP-The Supreme Court of Canada has dismissed an appeal from the Saskatchewan government over a lawsuit alleging a Métis organization wasn’t consulted over uranium exploration permits. The unanimous ruling issued Friday lets Métis Nation Saskatchewan proceed with its legal action against the province, after permits were granted more than three years ago in northwest Saskatchewan near Patterson Lake. The court says it was not an abuse of process for Métis Nation Saskatchewan to sue the province on the issue. “Although abuse of process is possible in proceedings involving Indigenous litigants, the unique context of Aboriginal rights litigation must always be borne in mind,” the decision says. Métis Nation Saskatchewan filed a claim in 2021 against the province, arguing it had Aboriginal title and rights to the land where NexGen Energy...
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Kahnawake sewage discharged into St. Lawrence
By Eve Cable, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter A maintenance operation at Kahnawake’s sewage treatment plant this week saw more sewage than expected discharged into the St. Lawrence River – though the Kahnawake Environment Protection Office (KEPO) maintains that the environmental impact of the discharge remains “low.” “Any amount is never something that we want to do,” said Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK) grand chief Cody Diabo. “But we took all the precautions possible, and this is what happens with aging facilities.” Initially, MCK had told the community that the operation could potentially require the dumping of up to 200 cubic metres of untreated sewage into the St. Lawrence River, an operation that needed to take place due to clogging in the town system that had slowed the sewage treatment process...
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Ottawa tells First Nations chiefs committee to sort out child welfare talks with AFN
By Alessia Passafiume -CP-Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdu says Ottawa needs the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) and a committee trying to renegotiate a child welfare agreement to decide who’s leading the talks before any progress can be made. “There has been confusion regarding the role of the National Children’s Chiefs Committee and whether you and the committee are the body that Canada should be working with,” says a Feb. 25 letter from Hajdu to the chair of the National Children’s Chiefs Commission. “I would encourage the National Children’s Chiefs Commission to work directly with officials from the Assembly of First Nations … to clarify this situation.” After seeing Hajdu’s letter, the Assembly of First Nations said it has made it “consistently clear” to the federal government that it must...
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One dead, two hurt in Sandy Lake First Nation house fire
-CP-Police say one person was found dead and two others were injured after a home caught fire in Sandy Lake First Nation earlier this week. Nishnawbe Aski Police Service says officers responded to a report of a fire in the northern Ontario community Tuesday afternoon and found the home engulfed in flames. Police say community firefighters also rushed to the scene and worked to extinguish the fire. They say two individuals who fled the home were taken to the community nursing station for treatment and their injuries are not believed to be life-threatening. Police say a third occupant of the home was unaccounted for and human remains were found at the scene the next day. Police, the fire marshal and the coroner’s office are working to identify the deceased and...
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Zelenskyy leaves White House after Trump cuts short talks following Oval Office blow up
By Will Weissert, Zeke Miller And Justin Spike WASHINGTON (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy left the White House without signing a critical minerals deal with the U.S. that President Donald Trump had demanded and suggested was a condition for future support for Ukraine. His departure early Friday afternoon came after Trump cut short talks over the deal and shouted at Zelenskyy in the Oval Office. Trump berated Zelenskyy for being “disrespectful.” The pair had planned to sign an agreement and hold a joint news conference. Untouched salad plates and other lunch items were being packed up outside the Cabinet room where the lunch between Trump and Zelenskyy and their delegations was supposed to have taken place. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below. WASHINGTON (AP)...
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