Saskatchewan premier says school change rooms no longer first priority, names cabinet
(Canadian Press)-Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe, fresh off a challenging election campaign, announced a new cabinet Thursday while deprioritizing a change room directive he had touted as his first order of business after the vote. Moe told reporters he misspoke when he said on the campaign trail before the Oct. 28 election that his first job if re-elected would be to ban “biological boys” from using school changing rooms with “biological girls.” He said he should have promised his first priorities were to meet with the lieutenant-governor, form a cabinet and set a legislative agenda. “When I was asked a question and provided a response on the change room policy here in the province, I (said) it was going to be the first order of business. I misspoke,” Moe said. “I...
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Inuk man shot dead by police a victim of systemic racism: Crown-Indigenous minister
The killing of an Inuk man by police earlier this week in Quebec’s Far North is an example of systemic racism, Canada’s minister for Crown-Indigenous relations said Thursday. Gary Anandasangaree said in a statement the police shooting of Joshua Papigatuk is another example of how Indigenous Peoples are impacted by the justice system, adding that change must include Indigenous-led solutions. “This tragedy underscores the deeply rooted systemic racism within our criminal justice system, which continues to disproportionately impact Indigenous Peoples,” Anandasangaree said. “Real, structural change is essential to address these injustices.” He called the death a “painful and tragic loss” for Joshua’s family and the community of Nunavik — Quebec’s northernmost region — and “for so many who have experienced much-too-familiar heartbreak.” Papigatuk was shot and killed and his twin...
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‘A tragedy’: Judge urges northern Manitoba sobering shelter after police cell death
A judge is urging the Manitoba government to look at establishing a safe sobering centre in a northern community to prevent in-custody deaths of people detained due to intoxication. The recommendation follows an inquest into the 2019 death of John Ettawakapow in the town of The Pas. The inquest heard RCMP arrested the 54-year-old on Oct. 5, 2019, on accusations he was causing a disturbance while intoxicated. He was detained in a police cell with two others when one cellmate inadvertently placed his leg and foot on Ettawakapow’s neck and face. “Mr. Ettawakapow died in police care from a preventable cause. He needed help but he did not receive it,” Senior Judge Brian Colli said in the report released Thursday. Colli has called for the Justice Department to work with...
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Canada’s Walk of Fame to honour Manitoba folk and country singer William Prince
Country-folk singer William Prince will receive a top award from Canada’s Walk of Fame. The musician from Peguis First Nation, north of Winnipeg, has been named the recipient of the Allan Slaight Music Impact Honour. The annual award recognizes Canadian musicians who “drive positive impact in the music industry.” The organization says Prince’s contributions include hosting “A Day to Listen” in 2023, an event that recognizes Truth and Reconciliation Day. It also points to the song he wrote for the 40th anniversary of Terry Fox’s Marathon of Hope. Great Big Sea frontman Alan Doyle will honour Prince with a performance of one of his songs during the Canada’s Walk of Fame ceremony on Nov. 20. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 7, 2024. ...
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Environment commissioner says Canada on track to miss 2030 emissions targets
Canada is still not on track to meet its commitments under the Paris climate agreement, federal Environment Commissioner Jerry DeMarco said in a new report on Thursday. Ottawa has promised to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to be 40 to 45 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030, but so far they have only fallen seven per cent below 2005 levels. In a news conference after the reports were tabled in Parliament, DeMarco said it is still possible to meet those targets but the “task is much harder because there’s only six years left to do essentially 20 or 30 years’ worth of reductions.” “It’s not time to give up,” he said. While progress is “painfully slow” on some of the government’s policies, DeMarco said, “that’s not a reason to just...
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B.C. gender justice groups call for repeal of Name Act changed over child killer
Gender justice groups in British Columbia are calling for the repeal of recent provincial legislation that prevents people convicted of serious Criminal Code offences from changing their names. The call for the repeal of the Name Amendment Act comes from groups that include the Gender-Affirming Healthcare, the Canadian Bar Association’s BC branch and the Trans Legal Clinic. The groups say the legislation was not necessary to protect the public and harms people most in need of legal name changes, including transgender and Indigenous people and survivors of gender-based violence. B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix, who introduced the amended legislation last May, said then that the law will ensure people convicted of serious crimes, including violence against other people and acts against children, can’t change their name. The changes were prompted...
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Returned to sender: Qalipu member lodges appeal after numerous voters didn’t receive voter registration packages for election
By Anasophie Vallée Local Journalism Initiative reporter One of the candidates who ran for chief in the recent Qalipu First Nation election couldn’t believe her eyes when the results of the vote came in and is alleging there was a delivery issue with voter registration packages. “I didn’t believe the results, and I thought, ‘something’s really wrong,” said Laura T. White of her initial reaction when first seeing the election results. “When I got the results, I thought it was impossible, because I know on my campaign, I knew I had more voters than 490. I help 490 people a month, so for me, that was impossible.” When a letter from Canada Post began circulating on Facebook, White went to Canada Post in Stephenville and have a conversation. The letter...
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Housing minister announces applications open for $1B critical infrastructure program
(Canadian Press-)Applications opened Thursday for a $1-billion federal program to help municipalities and Indigenous communities build critical infrastructure. The Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund set aside $1-billion in direct funding to communities to build or improve infrastructure to support drinking water, wastewater, stormwater and solid waste. Applications opened online today, with municipalities and Indigenous communities able to apply. Those applicants will need to demonstrate how their proposals will support the building of more homes. Housing Minister Sean Fraser says he expects to distribute $1 billion from the program directly to communities by the end of the year. Fraser also announced the Regional Homebuilding Innovation Fund is accepting applications, which will see $50 million over two years to support housing construction in southern Ontario. This report by The Canadian Press was first...
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First Nations designer from Manitoba included in Toronto fashion show
By Renée Sylvestre-Williams Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Indigenous fashion designer Lindsay King has never had a client return a purchase. On two occasions individuals brought back items for a size change. But King, a member of Little Grand Rapids First Nation in Manitoba, has never had a return. Now people will be able to see why at King’s first runway show at the upcoming Fashion Art Toronto’s 1664 Fashion Week, beginning Nov. 14. Other Indigenous artists joining King at the Toronto event will be Jenn Harper, the founder of Cheekbone Beauty who is a member of Northwest Angle 33 First Nation in northern Ontario, and Lesley Hampton, a member of Mattagami First Nation, also in Ontario. They’ll participate in the onsite fashion and beauty retail boutique. King has carved an...
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Woman charged after senior citizen robbed near Brant’s Crossing
BRANTFORD ONT-A city woman is facing charges after a senior citizen was robbed near Brant’s Crossing Thursday (Nov. 7, 2024) morning. Brantford Police Service Officers said a senior citizen was on the walking bridge near Brant’s Crossing, at 2 Icomm Drive, when she was approached by a person with their face concealed who using force, robbed her of her personal belongings (purse and shoes) before throwing the victim’s walker into the Grand River preventing her from leaving the location. Members of the Brantford Police Service Downtown Better Enforcement Action Team quickly arrived on scene located and arrested the accused. The accused was found to be in violation of four valid Probation Orders and provided false names to police in an attempt to obstruct the investigation. The victim was transported by...
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Finding proof of a treaty: Researcher finds letter in England implying existence of treaty rights between the Mi’kmaq in N.L. and the British
By Anasophie Vallée is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter Back in 1725, there were treaties signed between Britain and the Mi’kmaq nation known as the Peace and Friendship treaties. These treaties allowed the British and the Mi’kmaq to live and work side by side, explained Keith Cormier, former western vice-chief of Qalipu First Nation and the provincial coordinator for the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The treaties were later removed in the 1750s. However, the Mi’kmaq of Nova Scotia had been saying for years that the Ktaqmkuk district, which is Newfoundland, had renewed its treaty in 1763 off Codroy Island. “The federal government and the province have said, ‘You have no treaty, that there’s no proof that was ever signed.’ Well, in the summer, a young...
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Man charged after noise complaint
(OHSWEKEN, ON)- A man is facing charges after Six Nations Police investigating a noise complaint found a vehicle with its engine revving on Sixth Line Road. Police said they responded to the noise complaint, Tuesday, October 1, 2024, at about 3:35 a.m. on Sixth Line Road making patrols in the area before they located the suspected vehicle. Police officers approached the vehicle to speak with the occupants about the complaint that had been received when a single man exited the driver’s side of the vehicle and approached police. Police said signs of impairment were observed on the male. As a result of the investigation, police have arrested and charged Thomas Worme, 34, of Ohsweken, ON with the following criminal offences: – Impaired Operation – Alcohol per se Offence “80 plus” The...
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Man facing multiple charges after being found asleep in stolen vehicle
(OHSWEKEN, ON)- An Ohsweken man is facing multiple charges after being found asleep in a vehicle parked at a local business on Highway 54. Six Nations Police responded to a call Tuesday Sept. 25, 2024, at 11 p.m. and found a witness at the scene who said a vehicle had been parked at the location for an “extended period” and the person was asleep inside the vehicle. Police woke the single man in the vehicle and spotted signs of impairment and found the vehicle had been reported stolen to another police service. As a result of the investigation, police arrested and charged Samuel Miller, 51, of Ohsweken, ON with the following criminal offences: – Impaired Operation – Alcohol per se Offence “80 plus” – Possession under $5,000 – Driving while...
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Compromise sought for name of new Peterborough library branch
By Sebastian Johnston-Lindsay, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter The name of the new Peterborough library branch set to open at the Miskin Law Community Complex at Morrow Park is still up in the air. The Peterborough Public Library Board passed a motion on Tuesday, recognizing its responsibility to honour the legacy and history of all and recommended that city staff work with Indigenous partners and, specifically, the recently hired Indigenous relations adviser, to include an Indigenous name along with the DelaFosse name. The board has been discussing the possible name for the new branch, which will replace the DelaFosse branch on Park Street, since June following a motion to defer a decision passed by the board. Frederick Montague DelaFosse was the chief librarian of Peterborough Public Library from 1910 until 1946....
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B.C. court allows police to apply to dispose of evidence from Robert Pickton’s farm
A B.C. Supreme Court judge says it has jurisdiction to order the disposal of thousands of pieces of evidence seized from serial killer Robert Pickton’s pig farm decades ago, whether it was used in his murder trial or not. A ruling issued online Wednesday said the RCMP can apply to dispose of some 15,000 pieces of evidence collected from the search of Pickton’s property in Port Coquitlam, including “items determined to belong to victims.” Police asked the court for directions last year to be allowed to dispose of the mountain of evidence gathered in the case against Pickton, who was convicted of the second-degree murder of six women, although he was originally charged with first-degree murder of 27 women. Pickton died in May after being attacked in a Quebec prison....
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Environment commissioner says Canada on track to miss 2030 emissions targets
anada is still not on track to meet its commitments under the Paris climate agreement, federal Environment Commissioner Jerry DeMarco said in a new report on Thursday. Ottawa has promised to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to be 40 to 45 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030, but so far they have only fallen seven per cent below 2005 levels. In a news conference after the reports were tabled in Parliament, DeMarco said it is still possible to meet those targets but the “task is much harder because there’s only six years left to do essentially 20 or 30 years’ worth of reductions.” “It’s not time to give up,” he said. While progress is “painfully slow” on some of the government’s policies, DeMarco said, “that’s not a reason to just...
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State of emergency: Ginoogaming cut off from essential services
By Mike Stimpson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter GINOOGAMING — The bridge connecting Ginoogaming First Nation to the town of Longlac has been deemed unsafe, prompting chief and council there to declare a state of emergency. As of 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Ginoogaming closed the stretch of Blueberry Street leading to the Making Ground River Bridge to all vehicular traffic on their side of the bridge, after engineering firm WSP recomended that the bridge be closed for safety reasons. “We’re cut off from the essential services like fire and ambulance and emergency services that are needed,” said Ginoogaming Chief Sheri Taylor said in a news conference by Zoom. The bridge is the only easy way in and out of Ginoogaming (formerly Long Lake 77), a small Anishinaabe community south of Highway...
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Still work to be done to help Inuit: Cathy Towtongie
By Darrell Greer Local Journalism Initiative Longtime Inuit advocate and politician Cathy Towtongie has her own take on things like National Inuit Day. Towtongie said she grew up with the name tag E31256 and was told never to forget it. And she never has. She said as far as National Inuit Day is concerned, there has to be real action take place to make that mean something more than just lip service. “We’re living in Nunavut with a high cost of food security,” said Towtongie. “People are going hungry as Canadians (are). “But you look at formulas such as the elder’s pension, for example, and they are designed as if they’re living in a city like Ottawa, not to address the fact they’re living in the Arctic. “I think the...
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Local registered nursing training program going well
By Pearl Lorentzen Local Journalism Initiative Reporter In the spring of 2023, Northern Lakes College (NLC) and Athabasca University announced 60 seats over three years for NLC licensed practical nurses (LPN) graduates to join Athabasca University (AU)’s post-LPN bachelor of nursing program. The Leader reached out to both institutions this fall for an update. “Overall, it is going well,” says Dr. Steven Johnson, Athabasca University’s dean of the faculty of health disciplines. Asked how the partnership works, Johnson says, “we work together to establish students that would be a good fit.” The partnership is an enrolment extension for the Athabasca University program, which has existed since the early 2000s. It trains licensed practical nurses (LPNs) and registered psychiatric nurses (RPNs) to be registered nurses (RNs). Alberta has licensed practical nurses (LPNs),...
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Purchase limits for Tofino liquor store to curb bootlegging in Ahousaht
By Nora O’Malley, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Ha-Shilth-Sa Ahousaht, BC – Regulators have responded to calls for cracking down on bootlegging that continues to flood Ahousaht with hard liquor by placing purchase limits on Tofino’s government-owned liquor store. On Nov. 5 at the start of a Council of Ha’wiih Forum on Fisheries meeting, Hasheukumiss, Ahousaht Tyee Ha’wilth Richard George, announced new limits to Tofino’s busy BC Liquor store. Through a video link fed to the gathering, which was hosted by the Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nation in Tsaxana, Hasheukumiss noted that the limits resulted from meetings the hereditary chief and some elders held with Attorney General Mike Farnworth in April, followed by recent discussion with Deputy Solicitor General Doug Scott. “And he’s saying that now that they’ve changed the law with the...
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