Amid the worst drought in Brazil history, wildfires rage and the Amazon falls to a record low level
The Associated Press 09/09/2024 BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) — Brazil is enduring its worst drought since nationwide measurements began over seven decades ago, with 59% of the country under stress — an area roughly half the size of the U.S. Major Amazon basin rivers are registering historic lows, and uncontrolled manmade wildfires have ravaged protected areas and spread smoke over a vast expanse, plummeting air quality. “This is the first time that a drought has covered all the way from the North to the country’s Southeast,” Ana Paula Cunha, a researcher at the National Center for Monitoring and Early Warning of Natural Disasters, said in a statement Thursday. “It is the most intense and widespread drought in history.” Smoke on Monday afternoon caused Sao Paulo, a metropolitan area of 21 million...
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Mark Carney to lead Liberal economic task force ahead of next election
The Canadian Press Former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney will chair a Liberal task force on economic growth, the party announced Monday as Liberal MPs meet to strategize for the upcoming election year. Long touted as a possible leadership successor to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Carney was already scheduled to address caucus as part of the retreat in Nanaimo, B.C., this week. The Liberals say he will help shape the party’s policies for the next election, and will report to Trudeau and the Liberal platform committee. “As chair of the Leader’s Task Force on Economic Growth, Mark’s unique ideas and perspectives will play a vital role in shaping the next steps in our plan to continue to grow our economy and strengthen the middle class, and to urgently seize...
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Peter Nygard sentenced to 11 years for sexual assault convictions
The Canadian Press 09/09/2024 11:21 TORONTO,ONT-Former fashion mogul Peter Nygard has been sentenced to 11 years in prison for his sexual assault convictions in Toronto. His time behind bars will work out to 6.7 years after accounting for credit he received for time already spent in custody. Nygard’s lawyer had argued for a six-year sentence, citing the 83-year-old’s age and poor health, while the Crown sought a sentence of 15 years. Nygard was convicted of four counts of sexual assault last November but acquitted of a fifth count as well as one of forcible confinement. The charges stemmed from allegations dating from the 1980s until the mid-2000s, as multiple women accused Nygard of sexually assaulting them at his company’s headquarters in Toronto. Nygard’s lawyer previously argued in court that a...
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Chiefs react to AMC leader’s death with shock and disbelief
By Connor McDowell Local Journalism Intitiative Reporter In the wake of Grand Chief Cathy Merrick’s sudden death, Westman First Nation leaders reacted with shock and disbelief. Chief Vincent Tacan of the Sioux Valley Dakota Nation had a unique relationship with Merrick. His nephew was married to her, he said. And her leadership built a bridge for his people this year, leading the band to rejoin the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs. “She had a message of hope,” Tacan told the Sun on Friday. “It’s going to be difficult going forward with her passing. I was shocked to hear that today.” The band had left the AMC more than a decade ago after the handling of a casino development in southwestern Manitoba caused a rift between the two organizations. Earlier this year,...
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“I was really shocked,”: Potlotek’s Isaiah Bernard elected as new AFN Youth Council Co-Chair
By Meghan Dewar is a Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Potlotek’s Isaiah Bernard will represent First Nations youth nationally as the new Youth Council Co-Chair on the Assembly of First Nations. Bernard is the 3rd Mi’kmaw individual to hold this position, and the 2nd Mi’kmaq from Nova Scotia, following Jaime Battiste who held the position from 2001 to 2006. Bernard shared that it wasn’t long after his nomination that he was elected. “I’m on the Wabanaki Youth Council, I’m the co-chair for that, and through that I got appointed to be on the AFN National Youth Council. This past July, I got nominated and then I got elected probably 10 minutes after that,” Bernard recalled. “I did a little laugh because I was really shocked. I didn’t think I would get...
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Man dead, police officer injured in shooting on Saskatchewan FirstNation
The Canadian Press 09/09/2024 04:15 A man is dead and a police officer is in hospital after a shooting in central Saskatchewan Sunday morning. Shellbrook RCMP say officers were called out to a reported assault at Ahtahkakoop Cree Nation, located about 65 kilometres northwest of Prince Albert. Mounties say when they arrived and approached a residence, they had a confrontation with an adult male, which led officers to seek cover and the man fled inside the home with children in it. The scene was secured, and during the police response, police say a firearm was discharged and the adult male was injured. Officers initiated life-saving efforts until paramedics arrived, but the resident of the First Nation was later pronounced dead at the scene. A police officer was treated for non-life-threatening...
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Justin Trudeau may be in for an earful as he meets with caucus in B.C.
The Canadian Press 09/09/2024 04:00 Prime Minister Justin Trudeau may be bracing for an earful from his caucus when Liberal MPs gather in Nanaimo, B.C. today to plot their strategy for the coming election year. It will be the first time he faces them as a group since MPs departed Ottawa in the spring. Still stinging from a devastating byelection loss earlier this summer, the caucus is now also reeling from news that their national campaign director has resigned and the party can no longer count on the NDP to stave off an early election. “They should be giving the prime minister a rough ride,” said strategist Ginny Roth, who served as director of communications for Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s leadership campaign. She’s skeptical they will, though. “This is a...
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A remote tribe is reeling from widespread illness and cancer. What role did the US government play?
The Associated Press 09/09/2024 03:46 OWYHEE, Nev. (AP) — The family placed flowers by a pair of weathered cowboy boots, as people quietly gathered for the memorial of the soft-spoken tribal chairman who mentored teens in the boxing ring and teased his grandkids on tractor rides. Left unsaid, and what troubled Marvin Cota’s family deep down, was that his story ended like so many others on the remote Duck Valley Indian Reservation. He was healthy for decades. They found the cancer too late. In the area, toxins are embedded in the soil and petroleum is in the groundwater — but no one can say for sure what has caused such widespread illness. Until recently, a now-razed U.S. maintenance building where fuel and herbicides were stored — and where Cota worked...
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Human remains believed to be hundreds of years old found on shores of Minnesota lake
The Associated Press 05/09/2024 People gathering wild rice from Minnesota’s third-largest lake have stumbled across human skeletal remains that are believed to be several hundred years old. Authorities suspect erosion caused the remains of at least three people to surface on the shores of Leech Lake, where they were discovered Saturday. Covering more than 100,000 acres (40,470 hectares), the lake is located mainly within the Leech Lake Indian Reservation in the north-central part of the state. Several tribes have called the area home, most recently the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, and remains periodically are found in the area, said the tribe’s police chief, Ken Washington. “They’ll just arise like that just through natural erosion of the water coming up on shorelines,” he said. Cass County Sheriff Bryan Welk said...
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Telecom sector poised to shed assets amid slower growth and more competition
The Canadian Press 08/09/2024 06:00 When Bell Canada announced in June it was selling Northwestel Inc. to a consortium of northern Indigenous communities, the telecom giant hailed the $1-billion deal as a milestone in advancing Indigenous self-determination. Bell said Northwestel, which provides phone, internet and television services in Canada’s north, would benefit from commitments by its new owner, known as Sixty North Unity, to double fibre internet speeds and expand high-speed availability. But the deal also signalled a shift for Bell’s owner, BCE Inc., which appeared focused on “unlocking value from its business and monetizing standalone assets,” said CIBC analyst Stephanie Price in a recent research note. That is to say, it was time to sell off parts of the company it no longer made sense to keep. As Canada’s...
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Premier says Manitoba grand chief to lie in state at provincial legislature
The Canadian Press 07/09/2024 16:57 Grand Chief Cathy Merrick of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs will lie in state at the provincial legislature following her sudden death. Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew made the announcement during a news conference Saturday morning where the province’s Indigenous leaders paid tribute to the late leader. Merrick was outside the Winnipeg Law Courts building on Friday talking to reporters about two court cases when she said she felt dizzy and fell to the ground. Fire and paramedic crews arrived, performed chest compressions and carried Merrick away on a stretcher to an ambulance, but she did not survive. Kinew says the decision to have Merrick lie in state at the legislature was made in consultation with her family as well as the leadership of Pimicikamak Cree...
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Feds giving $100k to NOTL Museum for enhanced history education
By Richard Wright Local Journalism Initiative Reporter As the Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum treads along the path of its $10-million expansion plans, the federal government has pledged $100,000 to aid in its growth. Niagara MPs Vance Badeway and Chris Bittle, for Niagara Centre and St. Catharines, respectivley, made the announcement Sept. 3 on the front yard of the historical repository, with museum staff and board members, municipal officers and members of the public in attendance. This is part of the federal government’s plan to allot $1.3 million total to regional organizations through its Tourism Growth Program. The money will be used to create the new exhibits, says curator Sarah Kaufman, with an added goal of enhancing Indigenous and Black history education in the region so, “we can better tell these under-told stories...
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Chiefs tie Mann Cup series with Saturday victory against visiting Shamrocks
Six Nations Chiefs and their fans celebrate a goal during the team’s 10-4 victory at Game 2 of the Mann Cup series By Sam Laskaris Writer The Six Nations Chiefs were looking for a rebound game on Saturday having lost the Mann Cup series opener one night earlier. And the Chiefs certainly delivered, registering a convincing 10-4 triumph over the visiting Victoria Shamrocks in a match staged at the Iroquois Lacrosse Arena (ILA). Six Nations’ goaltender Warren Hill was spectacular between the pipes for his side and was rightfully selected as the team’s player of the game. With the win the national Senior A men’s lacrosse best-of-seven championship series is now deadlocked at 1-1. Victoria had eked out a 9-8 victory on Friday. Game 3 is set for Monday at...
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Chiefs tie Mann Cup series with Saturday victory against visiting Shamrocks
By Sam Laskaris Writer The Six Nations Chiefs were looking for a rebound game on Saturday having lost the Mann Cup series opener one night earlier. And the Chiefs certainly delivered, registering a convincing 10-4 triumph over the visiting Victoria Shamrocks in a match staged at the Iroquois Lacrosse Arena (ILA). Six Nations’ goaltender Warren Hill was spectacular between the pipes for his side and was rightfully selected as the team’s player of the game. With the win the national Senior A men’s lacrosse best-of-seven championship series is now deadlocked at 1-1. Victoria had eked out a 9-8 victory on Friday. Game 3 is set for Monday at the ILA, beginning at 8 p.m. Chiefs’ assistant captain Randy Staats said his club’s performance on Saturday was decidedly different than the...
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Statement from Ministers Vandal, Anandasangaree, and Hajdu on the passing of Grand Chief Cathy Merrick
OTTAWA, ON, Sept. 6, 2024 – Today, Ministers Vandal, Anandasangaree, and Hajdu issued the following statement: “We are deeply saddened by the sudden passing of Cathy Merrick Grand Chief of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs (AMC). Grand Chief Merrick was a trailblazing leader, as the first female Chief of the AMC, and a cherished member of the Pimicikamak Cree Nation. On behalf of the Government of Canada, we extend our heartfelt condolences to the family, friends, community of Grand Chief Merrick, and all Manitobans. Grand Chief Merrick dedicated her life to advancing the rights and well-being of First Nations, working tirelessly to preserve the cultural heritage, language, and traditions, and to ensure the justice, safety and security of Indigenous women, girls and Two-Spirit people. The Grand Chief was a strong...
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Manitoba Grand Chief Cathy Merrick dies after collapsing outside courthouse
The Canadian Press 06/09/2024 21:10 Tributes poured in Friday for Grand Chief Cathy Merrick of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, who died after collapsing outside the Winnipeg Law Courts building. Merrick, the first woman elected to the role, was talking to reporters about two court cases when she said she felt dizzy and fell to the ground. Fire and paramedic crews arrived, performed chest compressions and carried Merrick away on a stretcher to an ambulance, which sped off with its siren on. The assembly posted a statement to its website late Friday afternoon, calling Merrick “a trailblazing leader,” as well as someone whose “courage, vision and leadership will forever inspire us.” “She approached her work with joy, compassion, thoughtfulness and a spirituality that was grounded in the belief that we...
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Chiefs edged by Shamrocks in opening contest of national Mann Cup championship series
By Sam Laskaris Writer Six Nations Chiefs’ head coach John Tavares summed up the contest rather nicely. “They showed up,” he said. “They had a great game. They brought a lot of energy. They capitalized on all of their opportunities.” The problem is, however, that Tavares was talking about the visiting Victoria Shamrocks and not his own squad. The Shamrocks edged the Six Nations club 9-8 on Friday night in the opening game of the best-of-seven Mann Cup series being held at the Iroquois Lacrosse Arena. The two teams are right back at it on Saturday. The opening faceoff for Game 2 is scheduled for 7 p.m. The Chiefs, the defending Mann Cup champions, found themselves in a hole early on in Friday’s outing. Victoria built a 3-1 lead midway...
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Ahousaht deals with toll of recent deaths, as safety concerns persist
By Nora O’Malley, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter and Eric Plummer Ha-Shilth-Sa Ahousaht, BC – Ahousaht is drawing on support for its members in the wake of a tragic Labour Day weekend that left two unexpected deaths in the First Nation’s village – and an arrest resulting from a police investigation. The First Nation has since declared a state of emergency for its village of Maaqtusiis on Flores Island, located northwest of Tofino, with a 9 p.m. curfew and “24-hour cultural support and counselling services,” according to a message from Ahousaht Chief Councillor n̓aasʔałuk (John Rampanen). The deaths are unrelated. One was a “medical” incident, said the elected chief, while the other attracted a heavy police presence in the community. On Aug. 31 RCMP were called to a residence on Robinson...
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Emergency alert: RCMP in northeastern New Brunswick arrest ‘armed and dangerous’ man
The Canadian Press 06/09/2024 14:58 The RCMP in northeastern New Brunswick say a suspect wanted for a fatal shooting was arrested Friday, a day after the Mounties issued an emergency alert saying residents should lock their doors because the man was armed and had “dangerous intent.” A social media post from the Mounties on Friday afternoon did not provide details about where the suspect man was arrested. But earlier in the day, residents in and around the Esgenoopetitj First Nation — also known as Burnt Church — were told they could resume regular activities because investigators had determined the crime was an isolated incident. The suspect was identified as 47-year-old Keith Martin. At the time, police said he was last seen on Diggle Point Road, which is at the southern...
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Controversy plagues Mann Cup opening tonight as Shamrocks pick-up players ruled ineligible
By Cleve Dheensaw Times Colonist writer Just when you think lacrosse has turned a corner — a flashy pro box league that plays in NHL rinks and the inclusion of field-sixes in the 2028 Olympics — the old lacrosse of amateur disorganization again rears its head. The Mann Cup, the annual showcase for Senior A supremacy in Canada between the champions of the Western Lacrosse Association and Ontario-based Major Series Lacrosse, should be a highlight of the year. But it has become roiled in controversy before the start of Game 1 tonight between the WLA champion Victoria Shamrocks and MSL champion Six Nations Chiefs at the Iroquois Lacrosse Arena on the Six Nations of the Grand River Reserve in Hagersville, Ont., where all games in the best-of-seven series will be...
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