Métis Nation Saskatchewan leaves national council, cites concerns with Ontario group
The Canadian Press The Métis Nation of Saskatchewan has pulled out of a national body representing Métis, citing problems with the Métis Nation of Ontario. In a resolution passed this morning, the Métis Nation — Saskatchewan says the Métis Nation of Ontario, which is a member of the national body, accepts and continues to represent people who are not Métis. They also say the Métis National Council has failed to ensure the integrity of the Ontario group’s citizenship registry and has not rectified it, despite constant calls to do so. A statement from the organization says participation in the Métis National Council is “no longer necessary or beneficial to the work of our nation” as it inches toward self-government. The Métis Nation of Ontario did not immediately respond to a...
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New Brunswick Tory leader kicks off provincial election campaign with fed-bashing
The Canadian Press As New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs started his election campaign Thursday, he claimed his main rivals were already planning a power-sharing deal similar to the now-defunct one between the federal Liberals and NDP. Minutes after announcing a vote would be held Oct. 21, Higgs said provincial Green Party Leader David Coon was drawing up demands for Liberal Leader Susan Holt “in order to get into power” if Higgs’s Progressive Conservatives win a minority government. “This is a direct page out of the Justin Trudeau-Jagmeet Singh playbook,” Higgs said, referring to the confidence and supply agreement that saw Singh’s NDP support Trudeau’s Liberal minority government until earlier this month. “Susan Holt has refused to speak against anything Justin Trudeau has done … we cannot let Susan Holt and...
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Grays Bay road and port could be $1B project, proponent estimates
By Jeff Pelletier, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Nunatsiaq News The estimated cost of the proposed Grays Bay road and port project, which would connect resource-rich western Nunavut to the rest of Canada, has nearly doubled according to its proponent. Brendan Bell, CEO of West Kitikmeot Resources Corp., provided a new cost figure to Nunatsiaq News after signing a memorandum of understanding to continue support for the project at the Nunavut Trade Show in Iqaluit on Wednesday. “I would estimate that it’s at least a billion-dollar undertaking at this point,” Bell said. That number is up from a previously estimated $550 million price tag from before the COVID-19 pandemic and recent inflation. As well, plans for the project itself could be changing. “We are having discussions with the coast guard and with...
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After years of advocacy by a pediatrician, all Nunavut babies to get RSV immunization
The Canadian Press 19/09/2024 15:06 The Nunavut government says it will provide immunization against respiratory syncytial virus to all infants in the territory this fall, a policy change that one pediatric infectious diseases specialist has been advocating for decades. “This new immunization program is vital because RSV … poses a significant health risk to infants,” Dr. Ekua Agyemang, Nunavut’s deputy chief medical officer of health, said in an email to The Canadian Press on Thursday. The territory will give infants Nirsevimab, a single-dose antibody injection with the brand name Beyfortus, that was authorized by Health Canada in April 2023. The antibody injection is approved for newborns and infants during their first RSV season, as well as children up to 24 months old who continue to be at risk of severe...
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NWT artists a hit at ‘awesome’ Santa Fe Indian Market
By Tom Taylor Local Journalism Inititative Reporter John Sabourin and his fellow NWT artists were well received at the recent Santa Fe Indian Market in New Mexico. “A lot of people were really curious to hear that there were Canadians and Northern artists down there, so they came just to see us and what we had to sell,” Sabourin said several weeks after returning home from the event. “They said my art was different from everyone else’s down there. People came up and shook my hand and wanted to say congratulations. It was really good.” Organized by the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts (SWAIA), the market is among the most prestigious and widely-attended Indigenous art markets in the world. This year, the event ran on Aug. 18-19, and a small...
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Brantford police seek public’s help after woman sexual assaulted
BRANTFORD, ONT-Brantford police are asking the public for help after a woman was sexually assaulted by two unknown men Monday, Sept., 16th. Police said are seeking the public’s help to identify two persons of interest involved in an attack that occurred Monday, September 16, 2024, between 6:30 p.m., and 8:00 p.m.,. A woman told police she was sexually assaulted by two unknown men while in the area of the D’Aubigny trail near the Ballantyne Drive boat launch. The suspect’s descriptions are not available. Police said a sexual assault is any unwanted act of a sexual nature imposed by one person upon another. Forced or coerced intercourse, grabbing, touching, or kissing can be defined as sexual assault. If you or someone you know is a survivor of sexual assault, the Sexual...
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B.C. and First Nations reach deal to sell 2,600 condos at 60% of market value
The Canadian Press 19/09/2024 13:47 An agreement between First Nations and the British Columbia government will see thousands of homes made available in Vancouver at 40-per-cent below cost. Premier David Eby calls it a “remarkable” accomplishment between the province and the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations, which would see about 2,600 homes sold for 60 per cent of the value in one of the most expensive real estate markets in the world. The agreement would sell one-, two- and three-bedroom units in a 99-year-lease on First Nations land with the government financing the other 40 per cent of the value to be paid back when the unit is sold or 25 years after the purchase date. There will be screening to stop speculators, while buyers must have a total...
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First Nations ‘systematically ignored’ by Quebec government on nation-to-nation relationships
By Marc Lalonde, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter The Assembly of First Nations of Quebec and Labrador (AFNQL) Grand Chief Ghislain Picard took the provincial government to task over its lack of respect for First Nations’ autonomy last week in Quebec City. Picard, who is taking part in the public consultations for Bill 69, said Thursday that the energy development bill is an ideal opportunity for the Legault government to demonstrate that it truly understands the concept of nation-to-nation relationships. Picard said First Nations governments have the jurisdiction to determine energy development on their territories and asks that the bill, called ‘An act to ensure the responsible management of energy resources,’ reflect the inherent place of First Nations in energy governance in Quebec. “The provincial government must respect the rights of...
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New channel aims to revitalize endangered Indigenous languages
By John Chilibeck, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Lisa Perley-Dutcher isn’t big on TV and doesn’t normally turn on the set. But she says it was nice to come home recently after a long workday and see some faces on the screen that looked like her own. “I’m getting supper ready, and watching TV, you know, and I’m thinking, ‘wow, they’re really showing a lot of Native people on TV these days,” said the teacher at Kehkimin Wolastoqey language immersion school in Fredericton. “More than ever before. I’m thinking this, right? And I mentioned it to my husband, and he says, ‘Dear, we’re watching APTN’.” APTN, or the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network, celebrated its 25th anniversary on cable at the start of this month. As part of the celebrations, the network...
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Local organizations team up to spread awareness of 9-8-8 helpline
Warning: this story contains discussion of suicide By Ken Kellar, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter There’s a number to call if you are struggling with thoughts of suicide, and two local organizations joined forces last week to spread the word. Northwestern Ontario Métis Child and Family Services (NWOMFCS) and the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) Fort Frances Branch were at Walmart in Fort Frances yesterday to recognize World Suicide Prevention Day and spread awareness both of suicide prevention as well as the national 9-8-8 Suicide Crisis Helpline number to those who might otherwise have never heard of it. CMHA peer support worker Andrea Bouvier, along with NWOMCFS’ Rhonda Howells were on location on Tuesday, September 10, 2024, to help spread awareness around both topics. Bouvier noted that the helpline has been...
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Manitoba cabinet minister ‘inadvertently’ violated rules: ethics commissioner
Manitoba’s ethics commissioner has found an NDP cabinet minister was in the wrong when he failed to disclose he had a business contract with the government, but he is not recommending a penalty. Commissioner Jeffrey Schnoor says Ian Bushie, the minister of municipal and northern relations, previously had a contract with the government through a gas bar and convenience store he runs on the Hollow Water First Nation. When Bushie took office after last year’s provincial election, the contract was already in place and had been permitted. But Schnoor says when the contract was renewed earlier this year, Bushie contravened the Conflict of Interest Act. The commissioner found Bushie’s contraventions were inadvertent, and says the minister has accepted responsibility. The Opposition Progressive Conservatives filed the original complaint in June alleging...
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Robinson Huron Treaty Gathering marks historic settlement
By Jacqueline St. Pierre, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter The Manitoulin Expositor EDITOR’s NOTE: PT 2 Robinson-Huron Treaty celebrated the 174th anniversary of its signing recently at an event hosted by the Sudbury-area First Nations. This series will examine and present the highlights of the large gathering. ROBINSON HURON TREATY TERRITORY—On September 9, the Robinson Huron Treaty Gathering held at the Anderson Farm Museum in Lively was an historic occasion that not only commemorated the signing of the Robinson Huron Treaty of 1850 but also celebrated the recent resolution of a long-standing legal battle. The event saw hundreds of community members come together to mark the distribution of a $10 billion settlement to the 21 Robinson Huron Treaty (RHT) First Nations. The Robinson Huron Treaty, signed over 170 years ago, was...
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Quebec won’t fund graphite mine project tied to Pentagon; locals claim ‘victory’
The Canadian Press After years fighting against the opening of a mining project with ties to the Pentagon, Louis Saint-Hilaire is breathing a sigh of relief. That’s because this week, the Quebec government rejected the mining company’s application for public funding, a decision Saint-Hilaire says reflects the will of many of the people who live near the proposed site in the Laurentians region. “It’s a big victory for us, but it’s not a total victory,” he said in an interview Wednesday. Lomiko Metals Inc., a mining company based in Surrey, B.C., wants to mine graphite — one of the world’s most sought-after minerals — at a site near Duhamel, Que. Initially, residents’ main fear was about the potential harm to the environment. But in May, the company announced it received...
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Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam mayors back expansion of involuntary mental health and addiction treatment; experts question policy
By Patrick Penner Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Coquitlam Mayor Richard Stewart and Port Coquitlam Brad West were among a coalition of B.C. civic leaders demanding federal funding to support expansion of involuntary care for those suffering from severe mental health and addiction issues. The coalition was headed by Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim, and included 10 mayors, three First Nation chiefs, Vancouver’s chiefs of police and fire rescue services, the president of the Canadian Police Association, and a former drug advisor to the U.S. White House. The group spoke on the steps of Vancouver City Hall on Sept. 16, pleading for immediate action from the federal government on involuntary care, bail reform for repeat offenders, and halting the illegal flow of drugs through Vancouver’s port. “This is about doing what is...
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Anishinaabemowin language carrier embarks on groundbreaking animation series
By Jacqueline St. Pierre, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter The Manitoulin Expositor WIIKWEMKOONG—Barbara Nolan, a cherished Anishinaabemowin language carrier and linguist originally from South Bay, Wiikwemkoong and who now lives in Garden River, is deeply committed to preserving her language and passing it on to the next generation. She recently embarked on a groundbreaking digital journey to teach Anishinaabemowin through animated videos. For Ms. Nolan, the videos aren’t just about the language; they’re about the joy of learning. She believes that people of all ages will find them enjoyable, although they are primarily tailored for early learners and daycares. Ms. Nolan had contemplated creating animated videos for some time, but it wasn’t until she crossed paths with Esbikenh, a teacher from a language immersion school in Bkejwanong (Walpole Island First Nation),...
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Robinson Huron Treaty after 174 years
By Jacqueline St. Pierre, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter EDITOR’s NOTE: Robinson-Huron Treaty celebrated the 174th anniversary of its signing last weekend at an event hosted by the Sudbury-area First Nations. This series will examine and present the highlights of the large gathering. LIVELY—In a momentous event held at the Anderson Farm Museum, the 174th anniversary of the Robinson Huron Treaty of 1850 was commemorated with a significant gathering that brought together members of the 21 treaty territory communities. Co-hosted by Atikameksheng Anishinawbek and Wahnapitae First Nation, this year’s gathering served as a vital platform for asserting Indigenous sovereignty, reflecting on ancestral wisdom and addressing critical issues related to land rights, economic development and cultural preservation. The Robinson Huron Treaty of 1850, a crucial agreement between the British Crown and several...
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Canada’s physicians formally apologize for harm to Indigenous communities
The Canadian Press In a haunting message from beyond the grave, Métis Elder Sonny James MacDonald recounted being incarcerated for more than two years at an Indian Hospital in Edmonton in the 1940s for tuberculosis treatment, suffering abuse and isolation as a child. “After the surgery … they took it upon themselves … that they should take my pajama bottoms off to prevent me from walking around,” MacDonald, a renowned carver who died in 2021, said in a video clip taken from a documentary release that same year. “I was put in this little room … there was no window, it was the end of the hallway. I was just like a prisoner,” he said. MacDonald said an orderly would trap him in a hospital washroom and sexual assault...
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Conservatives deny link to protesters that harassed Singh after Liberals blame them
The Canadian Press Conservatives are denying any association with protesters who harassed Jagmeet Singh, among others, outside of Parliament Hill this week after Liberal ministers accused them of lending their support. A video circulated online Tuesday showing two men following the NDP leader, as one of them appears to call him a “corrupted bastard.” Singh turned around and confronted the two men, asking who had hurled the insult. The two men denied making the remark and appeared to back off, which prompted Singh to call one of them a “coward” for not saying it to his face. Immigration Minister Marc Miller and Employment Minister Randy Boissonnault applauded Singh on Wednesday for defending himself and decried the harassment purported by the protesters. “As much as I was proud of Jagmeet for...
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New Brunswick Indigenous group says Tory position on treaty rights ‘troublesome’
The Canadian Press The six chiefs of the Wolastoqey Nation in New Brunswick have released results from a pre-election questionnaire sent to the province’s political parties, saying they are “particularly disappointed” with responses from the governing Progressive Conservatives. The Indigenous group, which represents six communities, says that in August the parties were sent questions on Indigenous treaty rights, titles, policing and systemic racism. “We find the Progressive Conservative party position on Wolastoqey treaty rights deeply troublesome and offensive,” the chiefs said in a statement released Monday. “The Progressive Conservative party response notes that they ‘respectfully disagree … that land title has been unceded’ and repeats their disinformation narrative about private landholders.” The reference to unceded territory refers to the fact that these First Nations never relinquished or legally signed away...
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Radioactive material already moves through Northwest: group
By Sandi Krasowski, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter The Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) has recognized the growing discussions from communities in Northwestern Ontario with concerns about the safe transportation and long-term storage of spent nuclear waste. In August, a deputation made to Thunder Bay city council by members of Ontario Nuclear Free Thunder Bay and Environment North resulted in council agreeing to review current transportation standards for the movement of hazardous goods within city boundaries. In response, the NWMO reiterated its commitment to safety and the importance of ensuring the process for selecting a repository site is based on partnership and consent, through its own deputation to council. Joanne Jacyk, the NWMO’s Ignace site director, and Caitlin Burley, director of strategic programs and transportation, made the presentation on Sept. 9,...
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