Day parole revoked for man who killed Indigenous woman with trailer hitch
Canadian Press 01/08/2024 The Parole Board of Canada has sent Brayden Bushby back to jail, revoking the release granted to the man convicted of killing an Indigenous woman by throwing a trailer hitch at her from a moving vehicle in Thunder Bay, Ont. Bushby, now 25, was sentenced in 2021 to eight years in prison for the 2017 manslaughter of 34-year-old Barbara Kentner and granted day parole last year, which allowed him to live at his mother’s home. The parole board says it found Bushby had violated several terms of his day release, including a condition not to consume alcohol, noting that he failed a breathalyzer test during a traffic stop. The board’s report also says Bushby failed to remain at the scene of a collision in which he reversed...
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First Nation calls for removal of mining firm from managing Yukon disaster site
The Canadian Press 1/08/2024 The Na-Cho Nyak Dun First Nation in Yukon says the company that owns the gold mine where there was a massive ore slide and cyanide spill should be removed from managing the cleanup. The nation said in a statement that the Eagle Gold mine’s owner, Victoria Gold Corp., has failed to follow government directions and can’t be relied upon to fix the situation. It says the nation is urging the Yukon government to “take immediate and robust action” to make sure mitigation efforts continue to “remedy and prevent” further environmental contamination from the site, which is on its traditional territory. Yukon government officials said Thursday that some water samples taken downstream from the site where two million tonnes of contaminated ore spilled have shown cyanide levels...
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N.L. opposition calls for firing of university chair over forwarding of alumna email
The Canadian Press 01/08/2024 Newfoundland and Labrador’s Progressive Conservatives called Thursday for the removal of the chair of Memorial University’s board of regents after he forwarded an alumna’s pro-Palestinian campaign email to her father last month. In a news release, Paul Dinn, the Official Opposition education critic, said Glenn Barnes showed a “severe” lack of professionalism and judgment and violated the woman’s privacy. “Members of the board are expected to act with integrity, respect, and in a manner of trust and confidentiality,” Dinn said in the release. “Unfortunately, MUN continues to make headlines for all the wrong reasons, and the chair of the board of regents must be held accountable.” Barnes said in an email earlier this week that he will not be making any public comments on the matter....
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Sturgeon Lake First Nation overwhelmingly approves ‘cows and plows’ deal with Federal Government
By Susan McNeil Local Journalism Initiative 01/08/2024 The members of Sturgeon Lake First Nation (SLFN) have overwhelmingly approved a historic settlement agreement with the federal government, securing approximately $152 million for the community. The approval came following a community vote held from July 22 to 26. This significant settlement resolves SLFN’s Agricultural Benefits Settlement Agreement, also known as the longstanding “cows-and-plows” clause of Treaty 6. The settlement addresses unfulfilled promises made by Canada to provide agricultural tools and support to the Cree community, located about 50 km northwest of Prince Albert. “I’m thrilled that Sturgeon Lake has secured that $152 million from the federal government through a groundbreaking settlement. This money will help us to address the promises that were made during the signing of our Treaty 6 that that were...
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Massive B.C. landslide could mean new barriers for struggling salmon
The Canadian Press 02/08/2024 An expert on British Columbia’s salmon populations says the massive landslide that blocked off part of Canada’s largest sockeye salmon run has created an unprecedented situation potentially putting the already struggling fish at even more risk. Scott Hinch, the associate dean at the University of British Columbia’s Pacific Salmon Ecology and Conservation Laboratory, said the debris piled 30 metres high and 600 metres long blocking the Chilcotin River could cause problems for chinook and sockeye populations both while the water is being held back, and when it eventually bursts free. “These are natural events, but what’s unusual about this event is it’s occurring at a time when the rivers are way warmer than they used to be,” he said in an interview Thursday. “And that creates...
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First Nation chief says B.C. landslide doubled in size, sparks concerns
The Canadian Press 02/08/2024 The chief of Williams Lake First Nation says a landslide of debris that has dammed the Chilcotin River in British Columbia’s central Interior has nearly doubled in size since Wednesday. Chief Willie Sellars, who toured the slide site by helicopter Wednesday and Thursday, says the water is continuing to build on one side of the dam, while the other had “completely dried up” for about two kilometres. Officials have said the water collecting behind the slide south of the city of Williams Lake could reach a level where it will start flowing over the debris, or it will erode the material, setting off a release. They have estimated a release could come Friday or Saturday, and could set off dozens of evacuation orders and alerts downstream....
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Parole board ignored trauma of Indigenous man convicted of murder, court rules
Canadian Press 01/08/2024 An Indigenous man convicted of murder and attempted murder could get parole after the Federal Court ruled the parole board failed to consider his traumatic past when it denied his release. Jeffrey George Ewert, 61, was convicted in 1984 after he sexually assaulted and strangled two women in British Columbia in two separate incidents while highly intoxicated, killing one and leaving the other disabled. The Parole Board of Canada denied his application for day parole in 2022, concluding he still posed an undue risk to society. But a Federal Court judge last week overturned that decision, ruling the board failed to consider what are known as Gladue factors — Ewert’s traumatic childhood and the Indigenous healing process he has undertaken. The case will now return to the...
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Ohio historical society settles with golf club to take back World Heritage tribal site
The Associated Press 01/08/2024 COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio’s historical society announced a deal Thursday that will allow it to take control of an ancient ceremonial and burial earthworks site long located on the site of a golf course. Ohio History Connection will pay Moundbuilders Country Club in Newark to buy out its lease and end the long-running legal dispute over the Octagon Earthworks, although the sum is confidential under a settlement agreement. The deal avoids a jury trial to determine the site’s fair market value that had been repeatedly postponed over the years. The Octagon Earthworks are among eight ancient areas in the Hopewell Earthworks system that were named a UNESCO World Heritage Site last year. The historical society, a nonprofit state history organization, takes control of them Jan....
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Old-growth forests still not protected despite Province’s plan: Valhalla Wilderness Society
By Timothy Schafer Local Journalism Initiative Reporter 01/08/2024 The Provincial government has fallen short in protecting B.C.’s old-growth forests says a West Kootenay environmental group and is calling for fulfillment of the recommendations of two auditor generals and the creation of two new parks. In a New Future for Old Forests — a series of recommendations to protect old-growth forests released in 2020 — the Provincial government overlooked the fact old-growth forests are seriously depleted and that the rich coastal and interior rainforests that grow big trees are almost gone, said Amber Peters, biologist and campaigner with the Valhalla Wilderness Society based in New Denver. However, a Provincial government-authored progress report released in late May stated that work was underway in response to 14 recommendations made by an independent panel...
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Judge finds former business manager ‘harmed interests’ of LKDFN, sends case to trial
By Tom Taylor Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Published: 31/07/2024 NWT Supreme Court Judge Karan Shaner has found “overwhelming evidence” that Ron Barlas “knowingly breached his fiduciary duties” as the boss of several Lutsel K’e Dene First Nation (LKDFN) companies, harming the First Nation’s members and “gaining significant financial benefit for himself and his family” in the process. Barlas served in leadership roles with LKDFN’s Denesoline Corporation as well as the Tsa and Ta’egera companies — all three of which aim to produce profits for the First Nation. In April 2023, the First Nation and its chief, James Marlowe, accused Barlas of misappropriating roughly $14 million during his time with the companies, later making more specific accusations that he used company money to buy everything from real estate to jewelry to...
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Amazing Race Canada competitors include three First Nations members
By Crystal St. Pierre Local Journalism Initiative Reporter 31/07/2024 The Amazing Race Canada is midway through the series but the competition isn’t slowing down. The CTV series started with 11 teams including two with Indigenous participants. Former pro basketball player Michael Linklater and his son Amari, members of Thunderchild First Nation in Saskatchewan, are the first Indigenous father/son duo to compete in the race. The Linklater duo also share the excitement of representing their Indigenous ancestry and heritage on screen. Taylor McPherson, a member of Miawpukek First Nation in Newfoundland and Labrador is also excited to not only compete but to have the opportunity to have a cultural presence on screen. She is paired with Katie Mulkay who is a strong supporter and friend. “I feel that you know Indigenous...
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Landslide sets off evacuation order for those living along B.C.’s Chilcotin River
Canadian Press 31/07/2024 The Cariboo Regional District in British Columbia’s central Interior has issued an immediate evacuation order for 34 parcels of land along the Chilcotin River because of a landslide. The district says in a statement that the order was issued due to immediate danger to life and safety because of flooding caused by the slide. A map released by the district shows the order covers a stretch of the river about 30 kilometres long, spanning nearly 73 square kilometres. The district has also declared a state of local emergency as it tells residents to gather their family and take anyone else who may need help to get out. It says people should take available routes north to Highway 20 and east to the community of Williams Lake. The...
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FWFN discusses community concerns during safety meeting
By Katie Nicholls, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter 31/07/2024 FORT WILLIAM FIRST NATION — After declaring a state of emergency regarding the opioid crisis, Fort William First Nation held a community meeting earlier this week to hear residents’ concerns. “We knew that it was important to gather with our community and get some input from them on what they see as priorities for actions, and their input is very important to how we move forward,” Chief Michele Solomon said. Solomon said most of the concerns that were discussed included non-community members entering the First Nation, participating in criminal activity as well as being violent and bringing drugs. She noted that it was a good opportunity for First Nation residents to share positive thoughts and stories, and to speak openly during the...
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The Blueberry River First Nations’ oil and gas dispute is a failure of colonial-imposed governance
By Giuseppe Amatulli The Conversation The Blueberry River First Nations (BRFN) has, for a few years now, been locked in a dispute with the B.C. government over oil and gas development on its land. These tensions came to a head in 2021 when the BRFN won a landmark court case against the province as the B.C. Supreme Court ruled that Blueberry River First Nations were not properly consulted. The 2021 verdict led to the signing of an Implementation Agreement in 2023 which generated hope things could be done differently in an area rich in natural resources. The agreement laid out how the province and the BRFN aimed to build a “new collaborative, long-term and evolving relationship in relation to land, resources and economic development in respect of the claim area.”...
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Poilievre holds campaign rally in Fort Frances
By Ken Kellar, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter 31/07/2024 Conservative Party of Canada leader Pierre Poilievre is hoping a stop in the Rainy River District will turn into more votes for his party come next year’s election, and he is promising bigger paycheques, fewer taxes and less crime to those who help him form the next federal government. Poilievre held a political rally in Fort Frances on Monday, July 29, 2024. As the daylight turned long down Church Street, hundreds of supporters and those seeking to feel out the Conservative Party of Canada leader filed into the Fort Frances Royal Canadian Legion Branch #29 to hear him speak. Poilievre was in the Rainy River District earlier this week as part of his “Axe the Tax” tour, a series of stops across...
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Amnesty International names Wet’suwet’en chief Canada’s first prisoner of conscience
The Canadian Press 31/07/2024 Amnesty International called for the release of a First Nations chief who is serving two months of house arrest Wednesday, naming him Canada’s first prisoner of conscience. Chief Dsta’hyl was arrested in 2021 for breaching a court order not to impede construction of the Coastal GasLink liquefied natural gas pipeline, and is currently confined to house arrest for contempt of court. The chief, who also goes by the name Adam Gagnon, represents the Likhts’amisyu clan within the Wet’suwet’en Nation. “The extraction industries have been protected by the government and encouraged to just keep raping the land,” Dsta’hyl said at a press conference, where he appeared by video from his home. “It’s up to us as Wet’suwet’en people to protect the land,” he told reporters Wednesday. Amnesty...
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Two witnesses storm out of House committee in tears, decrying Liberal politicization
The Canadian Press 31/07/2024 Two witnesses stormed out of a parliamentary committee meeting Wednesday, after Liberals tried to steer a planned discussion about violence against women towards the topic of abortion rights. The rare summer hearing of the House of Commons status of women committee was organized so MPs could hear from advocates and a deputy chief of the Peel Regional Police. Though witnesses set out to sombrely argue that the current justice and bail system is failing victims, the session quickly derailed into a mess of political bickering. During an opening statement, Cait Alexander, who heads up the advocacy group End Violence Everywhere, shared her personal story as her family looked on in a public seating area. “I’m supposed to be dead,” she said, showing MPs graphic photos of...
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Knowledge-keeper Cecilia DeRose recognized for her ‘massive impact’ in Secwépemc communities
By Dionne Phillips, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter The Wren 31/07/2024 At the kitchen table of her home in Williams Lake, Secwépemc Elder Cecilia Dick DeRose sits across from her daughter Lulu, who is beading a hat. Lulu learned to bead from her mother, who has taught multiple generations in their family about their culture, including berry picking, working with buckskin and speaking Secwepemctsín. “She just immersed it into our life,” Lulu says. “It was part of our life, part of our culture, automatically.” These teachings have extended far beyond DeRose’s own family, and she has taught many people about language, plant medicines, cultural safety and much more. Her ongoing work as a knowledge-keeper was recognized by Thompson Rivers University, which recently awarded DeRose with an honorary degree for her “massive...
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FWFN discusses community concerns during safety meeting
By Katie Nicholls, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter 31/07/2024 FORT WILLIAM FIRST NATION — After declaring a state of emergency regarding the opioid crisis, Fort William First Nation held a community meeting earlier this week to hear residents’ concerns. “We knew that it was important to gather with our community and get some input from them on what they see as priorities for actions, and their input is very important to how we move forward,” Chief Michele Solomon said. Solomon said most of the concerns that were discussed included non-community members entering the First Nation, participating in criminal activity as well as being violent and bringing drugs. She noted that it was a good opportunity for First Nation residents to share positive thoughts and stories, and to speak openly during the...
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Man runs over moving ground to narrowly escape landslide along B.C. river: rescu
The Canadian Press 31/07/2024 A man camping along the Chilcotin River in British Columbia’s central Interior woke up to the sound of a landslide overnight Tuesday and managed to run to safety as the ground moved beneath his feet. Debra Bortolussi with Central Cariboo Search and Rescue said the man told rescuers the next morning that he had set up camp with his dog during a rafting trip, when he heard sounds of the slide at around midnight and started running. “It genuinely seems like a miracle that he did not get caught in it,” Bortolussi said in an interview following Wednesday’s rescue operation. “It directly came down overtop of where he was,” she said. “His tent, his raft, everything was taken out by the landslide itself.” The man’s dog...
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