Police video reveals new details in shooting death of 15-year-old Alberta boy
By Canadian Press Video from police cruisers has revealed new details about a shooting by officers that resulted in the death of a 15-year-old boy south of Edmonton. “The officer’s in-car video system captured both audio and video of the interaction,” said the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team, which released a description of the video Thursday. The boy died early Friday in Wetaskiwin, Alta., after first calling police for help, saying he was being threatened. The police watchdog said a single officer located the boy, since identified as Hoss Lightning of Samson Cree Nation. “The youth and the officer spoke about the situation and the youth handed over a machete and knife,” the watchdog said in a release. It said the officer decided the teen was at risk and tried...
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‘Back to school’ means big changes for teens from the North
By Mike Stimpson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter 05/09/2024 17:04 WUNNUMIN LAKE – Wednesday was back-to-school day for the young learners at John George Martin Memorial School, where about 150 children and youth are enrolled in kindergarten to Grade 10. “I was surprised,” said Tommy Sainnawap, the school’s education director. “Every classroom was packed. They were all looking forward to going back to school.” This year’s student rolls include more than 30 in the ninth and 10th grades, he said. After Grade 10, those students will have to leave the Oji-Cree community if they want to get high school diplomas. Grade 10 is the end of the line in on the Wunnumin Lake First Nation reserve, so students finish secondary schooling in Sioux Lookout, Thunder Bay or another urban setting. It’s...
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Blue River, Simpcw First Nation to have 12-hour power outage in October
By Abigail Popple Local Journalism Initiative Reporter BC Hydro customers in the North Thompson region – which stretches from Heffley to Valemount – will be subjected to a power outage on October 6th from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., according to Hydro Community Relations representative Susan Edgell. While Valemount will be unaffected, as it can be powered by an independent power producer, other communities along the North Thompson transmission line such as Blue River and Simpcw First Nation will have to endure the 12-hour outage. About 14,000 customers rely on this transmission line, and these customers will be contacted by Hydro to inform them of the outage, Edgell said. According to Edgell, the outage is necessary for critical work to be done on Hydro infrastructure. This includes repairing or replacing...
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Mohawk professor receives prestigious accolade from Royal Society of Canada
By Sam Laskaris Local Journalism Initiative Reporter An Indigenous professor at Thompson Rivers University has been recognized for his lengthy scholarship achievements. It was announced on Sept. 3 that Dr. Rod McCormick is one of 104 new Fellows who will be honoured this year by the Royal Society of Canada (RSC). RSC Fellows are recognized by their peers for their outstanding scholarly, scientific and artistic achievements. Being recognized as an RSC Fellow is the highest honour one can achieve in the Arts and Humanities, Social Sciences and Science. McCormick is a member of Kahnawake Mohawk Territory in Quebec. The RSC had its first meeting in 1882. McCormick, however, has made a bit of history for Thompson Rivers University, which is located in Kamloops, B.C. “This is the first fellow at...
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Watchdog calls for B.C. to boost oversight of old-growth forest on Quadra Island
The Canadian Press British Columbia’s independent forest-practices watchdog says there’s a risk that a coastal island won’t have enough old-growth trees in the future due to inadequate monitoring of harvesting. The Forest Practices Board says it began looking into old-growth forests on Quadra Island about 250 kilometres northwest of Vancouver after receiving a complaint from an environmental group. The board says it looked into the situation and found licensees “did not comply with some aspect of forestry legislation” and more government oversight is needed “to identify and conserve old forests.” Board chair Keith Atkinson says in a release that the review found “no one is responsible for monitoring or ensuring that Quadra Island’s old forests are conserved, or that enough mature forests are protected from logging.” The review concludes that...
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Cruise ship passengers narrowly avoid run in with polar bear
By Kira Wronska Dorward/NNSL Local Journalism Initiative 05/09/2024 21:00 Passengers and crew from a cruise ship had a terrifying encounter with a polar bear on Sept. 2. The incident caused a panicked evacuation back on board the vessel while it was stopped at Alexandra Fjord on the eastern coast of Ellesmere Island. The polar bear was approaching from the nearby water at around 9:45 p.m. It “didn’t attack but came close to our landing side,” stated Lena-Marie Krause, junior port operations manager of destinations with TUI Cruises, who supervised the incident onboard the ship Hanseatic Nature. Seventy passengers and 14 employees were ashore at the time. All were back safely on board at 10:40 p.m., according to Krause. The ship, operated by German-based Hapag Lloyd, had seven polar bear monitors...
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Pope arrives in Papua New Guinea for the second leg of his Southeast Asia and Oceania trip
The Associated Press 06/09/2024 08:17 PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (AP) — Pope Francis arrived in Papua New Guinea on Friday for the second leg of his four-nation trip through Southeast Asia and Oceania, becoming the second pope to visit the poor, strategically important South Pacific nation. A cannon salute and marching band greeted the 87-year-old pope on the tarmac of the Port Moresby airport as he arrived after a six-hour flight from Jakarta, Indonesia. During the brief welcome ceremony, the pope momentarily lost his balance while maneuvering from his wheelchair to a chair, but his security guards steadied him. While he was travelling, Indonesian police revealed they had detained seven people from the Java and Sumatra regions on suspicion of making threats on social media of staging suicide bombings...
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One person dead, another injured as N.B. RCMP issue alert about armed man at large
The Canadian Press 05/09/2024 20:49 RCMP in New Brunswick have confirmed one person is dead and another person is injured as an alert is still active for an armed man around Esgenoopetitj First Nation, also known as Burnt Church. Around 1:47 p.m., RCMP say they responded to a call for help from someone who had reported a firearm-related injury. Upon arriving at the scene, a 48-year-old man was found dead, while another man was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. A few hours later, an Alert Ready was issued for the community 180 kilometres northeast of Fredericton, instructing them to stay inside and warning others to avoid the area. RCMP have the identified the suspect as 47-year-old Keith Martin, who is believed to be carrying a firearm with dangerous intent...
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Mass forgery ‘mutilated’ Morrisseau legacy, court hears as fraudster awaits sentence
The Canadian Press 05/09/2024 Victims of what has been described as one of the art world’s biggest-ever fraud investigations are sharing its far-reaching impact in court today. David Voss, who Crown prosecutors call the “principal architect” of a scheme that produced thousands of fake Norval Morrisseau paintings from the mid-’90s to mid-2010s, is awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to two charges in June. The late Morrisseau was a trailblazing figure in contemporary Indigenous art. Kevin Hearn, a member of the Barenaked Ladies rock band, said in a victim impact statement that the artist’s identity was “mutilated” and fraudsters misappropriated Indigenous culture to exploit the art world. Hearn won a lawsuit in 2019 against a Toronto gallery that sold him one of the fakes, and became a key figure in uncovering...
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Canadian Medical Association to apologize for Indigenous harm
The Canadian Press 05/09/2024 13:09 The Canadian Medical Association says it will formally apologize for the role doctors played in harming members of Canada’s Indigenous communities. The group representing the country’s physicians says in a statement that it will livestream the apology ceremony taking place in Victoria on Sept. 18. The association says the apology is meant to address the medical profession’s role in harms to Indigenous peoples in the health system, “both through action and inaction.” The statement also says the group hopes the apology will build trust with members of the First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities while encouraging medical professions to “undertake their own reconciliation journey.” The ceremony will include a moment of silence as well as speeches from a number of physicians, including Dr. Alika Lafontaine,...
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A Māori king who urged racial unity in New Zealand is laid to rest and a new queen rises
By the thousands mourners turned out to pay final respects to New Zealand’s Māori king, The Associated Press 05/09/2024 NGĀRUAWĀHIA, New Zealand (AP) — They came in their thousands in the freezing dawn, parking cars far away and winding down rural roads on foot, children riding on their shoulders. They arrived in mourning black with crowns of ferns and kawakawa leaves, bone carvings or wedges of deep green pounamu -– New Zealand jade -– resting on their chests. The mourners came to the North Island town of Ngāruawāhia on Thursday to pay final respects to New Zealand’s Māori king, Tūheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero VII, who died six days earlier, and witness the ascension to the throne of his daughter, Ngā wai hono i te po. The new queen, 27, is...
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Veteran BC United legislators Mike Bernier and Tom Shypitka to run as Independents
The Canadian Press 04/09/2024 A pair of BC United legislators have announced they are running as Independents in next month’s provincial election after the collapse of the Official Opposition’s campaign last week. Both Mike Bernier and Tom Shypitka suggested in separate announcements Wednesday that Independent MLAs could influence the balance of power in the province after a tight election. They were among BC United MLAs who entered uncertain waters last week when Leader Kevin Falcon shut down his party’s campaign and threw support behind the Conservatives led by John Rustad. The parties have pooled candidates, and some former BC United contenders have joined the Conservatives while others have opted to withdraw from the fall election. But Shypitka, the BC United MLA for Kootenay East, which forms part of the new...
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Doctor shortage puts Kenora health care in a pinch
By Mike Stimpson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter KENORA – A “critical shortage” of physicians has the Lake of the Woods District Hospital’s emergency department on the brink of closure, hospital officials say. The hospital has gone from having 20 physicians who worked in emergency in early 2022 to just nine part-time ER docs today, according to a news release on Wednesday. “The critical shortage of physicians we are experiencing has created a situation which is unsustainable,” said Dr. Sean Moore, the Kenora hospital’s chief of staff. “Without significant change to our health-care system, I cannot see how it is physically possible for such a small group of doctors to maintain our current services,” said Dr. Meghan Olson, medical staff president on the hospital’s board of directors. Emergency is being kept...
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Saskatchewan mass stabbing victims remembered two years later, playground built
The Canadian Press 04/09/2024 Children have been swinging, sliding and climbing on a playground built to honour one of the victims of a mass stabbing two years ago in Saskatchewan, while a quiet feast has been prepared to remember the others. On Sept. 4, 2022, Myles Sanderson killed 10 people and injured 17 others on James Smith Cree Nation before fatally stabbing another nearby in Weldon, northeast of Saskatoon. Chief Kirby Constant of the First Nation said in an interview Wednesday his community has been slowly moving forward while trying not to dwell on the tragedy. “We’re having a feast to acknowledge them. Families also don’t want to keep bringing up the fact that Sept. 4 happened, so we’re being low-key,” Constant said. “This topic opens those wounds and, as...
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Former NHL stars to compete in Every Child Matters Hockey Game in Kamloops
By Sam Laskaris, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter 04/09/2024 Jeremy Boston is a firm believer in dreaming big. Boston, a director with the Orange Jersey Project, helped organize the inaugural Every Child Matters Hockey Game in Williams Lake, B.C. last year. About 500 people attended that contest, which featured a couple of former National Hockey League (NHL) players. The fundraiser was aimed at promoting awareness and action for truth and reconciliation through sport. As for this year’s game, scheduled for Sept. 21, Boston decided to stage the game in the British Columbia city of Kamloops. The match will be held at the city’s largest rink, the Sandman Centre. “I’m hoping to sell out the Sandman,” Boston said. “Capacity is 5,600 so we’re hoping for that.” Boston is hoping there will be...
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Trump-backed US Senate candidate faces scrutiny for derogatory comments about Native Americans
The Associated Press 09/2024 BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — Tribal leaders in Montana urged Republican U.S. Senate candidate Tim Sheehy to apologize over remarks he made to supporters about Native Americans being “drunk at 8 a.m.” and throwing beer cans at him on the Crow Reservation Audio recordings of Sheehy’s derogatory comments were obtained and published by Char-Koosta News, the official publication of the Flathead Indian Reservation. Sheehy is backed by former President Donald Trump as he challenges three-term incumbent Democratic Sen. Jon Tester in one of the most closely-watched congressional races in the nation. A Republican victory could help swing control of the closely divided Senate. Sheehy is heard commenting in one of the recordings that his ranching partner is a member of the Crow Tribe with whom Sheehy ropes...
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Veteran BC United legislator Mike Bernier to run as independent in fall election
The Canadian Press 04/09/2024 Veteran British Columbia legislator Mike Bernier will run in the fall provincial election as an independent instead of joining several former BC United candidates in running under the B.C. Conservatives banner. Bernier said Wednesday he did not want to “bend” his morals and values by running with the provincial Conservatives, describing some of the party’s candidates as holding views that are “anti-women’s rights, anti-climate change” and “anti-First Nations.” His decision comes after B.C.’s political landscape underwent a seismic shift last week, when BC United Leader Kevin Falcon shut down the Official Opposition’s campaign while throwing support behind the Conservatives led by John Rustad. The parties have pooled candidates, with some BC United contenders joining the Conservatives, others withdrawing from the election and others, like Bernier, running...
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The NDP-Liberal deal is done. What happens now?
The Canadian Press 04/09/2024 The NDP has pulled out of a confidence and supply agreement with the Liberals. What happens now? In March 2022, the Liberals and NDP penned a deal that would keep the minority government led by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in power until June 2025 and move ahead on some mutually agreeable policies. It was called a confidence and supply agreement. What happens now? The end of the deal does not necessarily mean an election will take place before next year. It does mean the NDP will now vote on Liberal legislation on a case-by-case basis. The first big test could come this fall if the government tables an economic update in Parliament. If the Liberals survive, another decisive moment will be the vote on the next...
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‘The deal is done:’ NDP Leader pulls out of supply and confidence deal with Liberals
The Canadian Press 04/09/2024 NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has “ripped up” the supply and confidence deal with the Liberals that helped keep the minority government in power. “The deal is done,” Singh tweeted, early Wednesday afternoon. In a video posted Wednesday afternoon, Singh said he notified Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of the decision. “Canadians are fighting a battle. A battle for the future of the middle class. Justin Trudeau has proven again and again he will always cave to corporate greed,” Singh said in the video directly addressing Canadians. “The Liberals have let people down. They don’t deserve another chance from Canadians.” Trudeau said Wednesday he’s focused on affordability, housing and the impacts of climate change, not politics. “I really hope the NDP stays focused on how we can deliver...
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A remote Indigenous tribe kills two loggers encroaching on their land in Peru
The Associated Press Published: 04/09/2024 14:57 BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Two loggers have been killed by bow and arrow after allegedly encroaching the land of the uncontacted Mashco Piro Indigenous tribe deep in Peru’s Amazon, according to a rights group. The group, known as FENAMAD, defends the rights of Peru’s Indigenous peoples. It says tensions between loggers and Indigenous tribes are on the rise and more government protective action is needed. Two other loggers in the attack were missing and another was injured, FENAMAD said, and rescue efforts were underway. The rights group, which represents 39 Indigenous communities in the Cusco and Madre de Dios regions in southeastern Peru, said the incident took place on Aug. 29 in the Pariamanu river basin while loggers were expanding their passageways into the...
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