A pedestrianized Gastown reopens with nods to Indigenous history
By Mina Kerr-Lazenby Local Journalism Initiative Reporter 15/07/2024 Gastown has been given a pedestrian-only rejuvenation and a design makeover that nods to the area’s Indigenous history. On July 4, the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh Nation) joined the City of Vancouver in reopening Water Street and kicking off its pedestrianized pilot. Maple Tree Square to Cambie Street. will be open to local traffic only while Maple Tree Sq. and Water St. from Cambie to Richards St. will be car-free until the end of August, with the area set to host expanded patios with more seating, stalls, live performance and events. Beyond going car-free, there has been an overhaul to the street’s esthetics, with Indigenous artwork, storytelling boards and signs paying homage to the culture and history of the...
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Yellowknife man to donate found artifacts to Fort Simpson Historical Society
By Tom Taylor, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter 15/07/2024 A 24-year-old Métis man from Yellowknife will be donating several artifacts he found to the Fort Simpson Historical Society. Lucas Wick, 24, discovered the items while on a moose hunting trip with his father in 2014. The relics, which include a knife and an axe head believed to be from the mid-1800s, were discovered at the site of an old homestead located several hours down the Mackenzie River from Fort Providence. “[My father and I] are are collectors and I’ve always been intrigued with antiques, so we just kind of went out and tried to find this place,” said Wick, who added that he got into antiques and collectibles by watching TV shows like American Pickers and Pawn Stars. “We were looking...
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First Nations chief who’s highly critical of Higgs signs $18.8M deal with province
By John Chilibeck, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter The chief of a Mi’kmaq First Nation in eastern New Brunswick says the $18.8-million deal he just signed for housing in his community does not change in any way his people’s large Aboriginal title claim for about half of the province’s territory. George Ginnish, the leader of Natoaganeg, or Eel Ground First Nation, says he hasn’t patched up his differences with the Higgs Progressive Conservative government on several hot-button issues, despite the latest agreement. The Tories have snubbed the Mi’kmaq title claim, cancelled their special tax-sharing agreements and rejected a public inquiry into how Indigenous people are treated by the justice system, among other sore points. “This is an agreement with the Regional Development Corporation to provide housing, and that’s all it is,”...
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B.C.’s vital Indigenous-led auxiliary is expanding
By Hope Lompe Local Journalism Initiative Reporter When the Nathan E. Stewart tugboat ran aground off the coast of Bella Bella, spilling over 100 litres of fuel into surrounding waters in 2016, members of the Heiltsuk Nation were the first on scene. The volunteers were there to support emergency operations — but were not fully included in the process, says Dawn Wilson, CEO of the Coastal National Coast Guard Auxiliary (CN-CGA). It was a missed opportunity on many levels, she explains. “When you have multiple stakeholders working together, and nobody knows what the left or right hand is doing, they’re either doubling up on the work, making the work harder, or creating more damage than good between those relationships,” Wilson says. Since the incident, Indigenous-led auxiliaries have been included more...
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‘At any given time, we can turn around and shut it down’
By Roisin Cullen, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Xa’xtsa First Nation (also called the Douglas First Nation) has seen a rise in visitors disrespecting Sloquet Hot Springs and its adjacent campground, prompting new messaging from the Nation. The hot springs are sacred to the Xa’xtsa people and used as a place for spiritual cleansing. A campfire ban was put in place on Sunday, July 7 at Sloquet Creek FSR recreational site. Hosts decided banning fires would protect public safety, citing “extreme heat and dry conditions” at the site as their reasons. A province-wide campfire ban was enacted midday on Friday, July 12 as B.C. continues to feel the heat. Darryl Peters is a Xa’xtsa councillor and business manager for TTQ Economic Development Corporation, a Xa’xtsa First Nation business arm. He said...
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Nolalu prepares for worst
As rising temperatures hike the potential for natural disasters, Nolalu is taking steps to ensure its villagers remain high and dry. Though the Highway 588 community has had an emergency plan in place since 2017, experts say such documents shouldn’t be left to gather dust on a shelf: locals need to know how to implement them well before disaster strikes. “With climate change, we’re going to see (floods) more often,” said Sharon Bak, a consultant who is helping the village develop response strategies. Bak, a former Emergency Management Ontario field officer, said response plans should be practised at least once a year, and there should be lists of people who can assume leadership roles in a crisis. According to provincial regulations, unincorporated communities don’t have the authority to officially declare...
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Councillors to hear out nuclear waste group
By Carl Clutchey, Local Journalism Initiative reporter The Township of Conmee has deferred a proposed resolution that would have expressed concerns about transporting spent nuclear-fuel rods across its boundaries. At Wednesday’s council meeting, councillors opted to table the resolution until they’ve heard a presentation by the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO), the agency that plans to ship the radioactive rods to an underground storage site either near Ignace, or in southwestern Ontario. Conmee chief administrator Shara Lavallee said on Friday a meeting with Nuclear Waste Management Organization officials has yet to be set. Conmee’s decision to defer follows this week’s announcement by the Township of Ignace to declare its willingness to become a host community for the proposed storage site, technically known as a deep geological repository. Ignace council passed...
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B.C. wildfire crews battle blaze in ancient forest park with 1,000-year-old trees
The Canadian Press British Columbia’s wildfire service says crews are battling a 10-hectare blaze in a park that protects a portion of what the province calls the “only inland temperate rainforest in the world,” with trees 1,000 years old. The Ancient Forest or Chun T’oh Whudujut Park is about 115 kilometres east of Prince George in the traditional territory of the Lheidli T’enneh First Nation. It’s currently closed as the BC Wildfire Service says it’s responding to multiple incidents in the park, with the largest fire spanning 10 hectares. The service says in a statement on social media that initial attack crews are at the scene and a helipad and water relay system have been established. But it says the park’s terrain, and ecological and cultural values have challenged suppression...
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P.E.I. First Nations, Ottawa establish national park reserve on sacred Mi’kmaq land
The Canadian Press The government of Canada and Prince Edward Island’s Mi’kmaq First Nations announced an agreement on Thursday to turn a pristine chain of islands with sacred cultural significance into a national park reserve. Lennox Island First Nation Chief Darlene Bernard said she’s thrilled about the agreement, which will ensure the protection of the 50-kilometre strip of islands off P.E.I.’s northwest coast called Pituamkek, which means, “at the long sand dune.” “We have a strong cultural, traditional connection to that land. And the land is going to be protected and allow for our people to always have that land there for future generations to come,” Bernard said of the islands, where Mi’kmaq have hunted, fished and harvested for at least 4,000 years. The land is also home to a...
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Canada to apologize after labelling Dakota and Lakota as refugees
The Canadian Press 15/07/2024 Canada’s Crown-Indigenous Relations minister is scheduled to deliver an apology today to nine First Nations in Manitoba and Saskatchewan following decades of Canada labelling the Dakota and Lakota as refugees. Gary Anandasangaree’s apology, which will be delivered at a ceremony at Whitecap Dakota Nation south of Saskatoon, is being called “historic” by officials. By being referred to as refugees, the Dakota and Lakota were not included in treaty negotiations, as Canada viewed them as being American despite their strong presence north of the Canada-U.S. border. They’ve historically had a more fraught relationship with Canada, including having smaller reserves and fewer economic supports than other Indigenous groups. Whitecap Dakota Nation signed a self-government agreement with Canada in 2023, which officially recognized them as Aboriginal Peoples under the...
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First Nation challenges nuclear waste decision in federal court
By Natasha Bulowski, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter A First Nation concerned about approval of a nuclear waste disposal facility near the Ottawa River was before federal court this week to challenge the decision. The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission greenlit the project on Jan. 9 and less than one month later, Kebaowek First Nation filed for a judicial review. Kebaowek’s legal challenge is centred on the United Nations Declaration Act (UNDA), which enshrined the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) into Canadian law. The declaration specifically references the need for free, prior and informed consent when hazardous waste will be stored in a nation’s territory. Kebaowek argued in court that Canadian Nuclear Laboratories — the private consortium responsible for managing the Chalk River nuclear site — did...
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Poilievre pitches firebrand conservatism to First Nation leaders. Will they be convinced?
By Matteo Cimellaro Local Journalism Initiative Reporter If Pierre Poilievre wants to become the prime minister, then he still needs to educate himself about First Nation Peoples, says a former Chief. The rebuke by Judy Wilson, a former Kukpi7 (Chief) from unceded Secwepemcúl’ecw territory, of Poilievre’s first in-person speech to the Assembly of First Nations was par for the course as he pitched his firebrand “common-sense” conservatism. “This is my first meeting in person, but I hope it is the first of many,” Poilievre said to a room of over 300 First Nation leaders, positioning himself as prime minister-in-waiting. The speech did not veer from Poilievres’s slogan-ready promises to axe the tax, build homes, stop crime, and fix the budget, but instead reframed them with a First Nation lens —...
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FWFN chief declares state of emergency due to drug epidemic
FORT WILLIAM FIRST NATION — A state of emergency was declared by Chief Michele Solomon at Fort William First Nation on Friday because of the ongoing drug crisis that is negatively affecting the community. Council passed a motion on July 8 to make the declaration. The declaration will remain in force until the crisis is stabilized to a level that is satisfactory to the chief and council, a release said. Chief Solomon spoke with the media after a Facebook live video on the declaration. “This comes as a result of escalating situations in our community, escalating violence, escalating people coming into our community who really shouldn’t be here. And certainly the escalation of opiate-related deaths of our people, our members.” Solomon indicated the declaration was sent to Indigenous Services Canada....
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B.C. wildfire crews battle blaze in ancient forest park with 1,000-year-old trees
The Canadian Press British Columbia’s wildfire service says crews are battling a 10-hectare blaze in a park that protects a portion of what the province calls the “only inland temperate rainforest in the world,” with trees 1,000 years old. The Ancient Forest or Chun T’oh Whudujut Park is about 115 kilometres east of Prince George in the traditional territory of the Lheidli T’enneh First Nation. It’s currently closed due to the wildfire, with the wildfire service saying it’s responding to multiple incidents in the park, with the largest fire spanning 10 hectares. The service says in a statement on social media that initial attack crews are at the scene and a helipad and water relay system have been established. But it says the park’s terrain, ecological and cultural values have...
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Grassy Narrows launches legal action on Mining Act
By Mike Stimpson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter GRASSY NARROWS – The way Chief Rudy Turtle sees it, his First Nation had to take action against Ontario’s practice of granting mineral claims without consulting First Nations. Legal action was necessary “because they haven’t been listening to us at all,” he said, referring to the provincial government. “We keep telling them that they’re not consulting properly.” Grassy Narrows (Asubpeeschoseewagong) First Nation filed a legal application Friday asking the Superior Court of Justice to declare Ontario’s Mining Act unconstitutional. The application also seeks a court declaration that the province “has a duty to consult, accommodate and obtain free, prior and informed consent” from the First Nation before issuing mining claims. If successful, the action could force Ontario to rescind thousands of mining claims...
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Bonspille demands action on illegal dumping in Kanesatake
By Miriam Lafontaine, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Mohawk Council of Kanesatake (MCK) grand chief Victor Bonspille called out the federal government while at the annual gathering for the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) in Montreal this Wednesday, saying it’s unacceptable his calls for action on illegal dumping in the community have gone ignored. Kanehsata’kehró:non and a coalition of Oka residents alike have been vocal against the seemingly endless flow of dump trucks that come into the community daily to dispose of waste from outside construction sites. Without any provincial oversight, many fear the truckloads contain contaminated waste. “You’re ignoring my emails, my letters, and my text messages to your cell phone number. I want to know why you’re not listening to my voice and my community’s voice,” Bonspille asked Gary...
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LL Cool J relearned ‘how to rap’ on his first album in 11 years, ‘The FORCE.’ Here’s how
The Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — The Grammy award winning rapper-actor- author LL COOL J will release his first new album in 11 years, “The FORCE” in September — 40 years into his hip-hop career. Not that he hasn’t been making music in that time. “I’ve always tinkered around in the studio here and there,” he told The Associated Press over Zoom. But over the last two or so years, inspiration really struck. He started working with a producer and pursuing music-making more seriously. Then he hit a roadblock. “I just felt like the tracks that this producer was giving me were better than the songs that I was writing,” he said. Then the late Phife Dawg of A Tribe Called Quest came to him in a dream. “He...
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Kahnawake votes for change
By Marcus Bankuti Local Journalism Initiative Reporter KAHNAWAKE-The Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK) has a new grand chief after a decisive win for Cody Diabo, who garnered nearly twice as many votes as incumbent Kahsennenhawe Sky-Deer, who came last in the three-way race. “I mean speechless, which is new for me,” said Diabo on election night when asked for his initial reaction. “The community put a lot of effort and pushed forward to this, and it speaks volumes.” Diabo, a Council chief last term who ran for grand chief on a platform of transparency, improved services, and taking a hard line with external governments, will work with six incumbents and five fresh faces on Council. “We’re going to be a team,” said Diabo. “We’re going to work forward together. We’re...
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B.C. seeking outside firefighting help as heat triggers eruption of wildfire activity Slugline: Wildfires-BC
The Canadian Press 11/07/2024 British Columbia’s emergency management minister says the province is proactively working to secure extra firefighters to deal with what she called the “potential for a drastically accelerated wildfire situation.” Bowinn Ma told a briefing on Thursday that B.C. was seeking out-of-province help from six unit crews representing about 180 specialized wildfire fighters. Ma said about 500 of the province’s full complement of 2,000 firefighters were currently deployed, but the province was seeking outside help early as the situation worsened due to a heat wave and ongoing dry conditions. “We do want to be prepared, and so by being proactive in our request for additional resources, we can ensure that the lag that it often takes for additional resources to come in from out of province doesn’t...
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MCFD spent nearly $300K to promote program that many Youth in need can’t access
By Amy Romer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter A provincial program meant to provide income, housing and health support to Youth aging out of government “care” spent nearly $300,000 on promotional merchandise — meanwhile, many young people are being rejected from its services. The Ministry of Child and Family Development (MCFD) ordered 15,000 “toolkits” as part of their 2022/2023 budget — including tote bags, socks, toques, lip-balm and information pamphlets. These packages are meant to raise awareness about its Strengthening Abilities and Journeys of Empowerment (SAJE) program. According to the MCFD, the purchase was a response to feedback from a series of engagements carried out in 2022. An emailed statement from MCFD said the materials would be distributed to ministry offices and community organizations, including Covenant House, to be shared with...
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