July 27, 2016 issue

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July 27th, 2016 - Issue # 924
711-388 Portage Ave, Winnipeg MB R3C 0C8
b
First Nations
Should
Own
Their
Resources...
MANITObA’S LEADING AbORIGINAL NEWSPAPER
b
First Nation
Is Overrun
With
Development...
b
Reservation
is a
Pow Camp...
Kathleen Wynne's Empty Apology To Indigenous Peoples
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Last May Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne declared vironmental, labor and social justice leaders marched
these words in response to the response to the Truth and through downtown Toronto to the Ontario Legislature
Reconciliation report. “As Premier, I apologize for the where they delivered a canoe filled with letters and petipolicies and practices supported by
past Ontario governments and for
the harm they caused.”
Noble sentiments or hypocritical
rhetoric from a politician who continues to do just that, cause harm to
Indigenous peoples by her lack of
direct action, when she knows the
damage her procrastination causes.
You can bet your fishing boat that
if mercury poisoning was infiltrating the lakes around Wynne's highpriced cottage country retreat, the
cleanup would be done tomorrow,
regardless of cost.
Kathleen Wynne Ontario Premier
The issue is reported by By Barb
Nahwegahbow, Windspeaker Contributor. “Grassy Nar- tions representing more than 35,000 people. They were
rows First Nation and supporters continue to hike up the met with a strong police presence and a fence barring
pressure on Premier Kathleen Wynne and the Ontario entry to the legislative buildings.
government to clean up the Wabigoon-English River sysThe signatures delivered were collected from petitems of toxic mercury waste. On July 7, prominent en- tions and online actions
Continued on page 2
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2
Continued from page 1
from Leadnow, the David Suzuki Foundation, Amnesty International, and the
Council of Canadians. Other groups involved in the day’s action, included the
Canadian Labor Congress,
CUPE, and Free Grassy.
Speakers at the press conference following the march expressed anger and frustration
at the government’s lack of
commitment to Grassy Narrows, in particular, and to Indigenous people, in general.
Reconciliation and renewed relationships are “just
pretty words,” said Dawn
Bellerose, the Aboriginal representative on the board of
CUPE. “What does that really mean, because they’re
not doing it,” she said. “It’s
time they started taking some
action. The people of Grassy,
they’re Canadians, they’re
human beings. They need to
have clean water.” CUPE is
Canada’s largest union, representing more
than 635,000 people across the country.
Marie Clarke Walker, executive vice
president of the Canadian Labor Congress, told the gathering at Queen’s Park,
“I’m here today to let everyone know that
the Canadian Labor Congress and its
over 3.5 million members stand in solidarity with Grassy Narrows.” She said it
was very clear to her that race was an
issue in the government’s lack of action
on Grassy Narrows. If this kind of situation occurred with the Don River, the
Humber River or the Rouge River, it
would be cleaned, Walker said.
More than 50 years ago, the Dryden
Chemical Company dumped 9,000 kilograms of toxic mercury waste into the waterway that provided fish, clean water and
fish and sediment. Decades of inaction by
successive governments are a stain on
Canada’s human rights and environmental
record and depicts the history of environmental racism,” Walker said. “Prime Minister Trudeau, Premier Wynne, it’s been
an economic base for Grassy Narrows residents. The Ontario government has done
nothing to clean up the river. A report by
three renowned scientists that was released a month ago said the mercury can
be cleaned and the water and fish made
safe for consumption. Ontario has not
committed to a clean-up of the river.
Following a visit to the community by
Ontario’s ministers of Indigenous Affairs
and the Environment on June 27, the
provincial
government
committed
$300,000 to conduct testing of the water,
over 50 years of inaction. Clean up the
river and stop poisoning generations.”
Amara Possian, 27, is campaign manager with Leadnow, an independent advocacy organization with 500,000 members
across Canada. “Six years before I was
born,” she said, “the Ontario government
heard that there were safe ways to clean
up the river. For my entire lifetime, the
government has been making excuses and
refusing justice for Grassy Narrows First
Nation.” The Leadnow community stands
in solidarity with Grassy Narrows, Possian
said, “and it’s time for Premier Wynne to
clean up the river.”
The Council of Canadians, Canada’s
largest member-based social justice organization, was represented by Mark
Calzavara, Ontario-Quebec organizer.
“We all know now what
only some people knew
years ago,” said Calzavara,
“that the water can be
cleaned, that Grassy Narrows can be returned to what
it once was, a thriving and
healthy community.
“At this point Kathleen
Wynne has to wonder – is
she going to act for Grassy
Narrows and fulfill our responsibilities as treaty partners, or is she going to
become the new face of
colonialism in Canada?”
Calzavara said their
members had sent 1,400 letters to Premier Wynne over
the last few days. “The letters ask for her to fulfill her
treaty obligations,” he said,
“and to provide the best possible health
care for mercury survivors, to compensate
those impacted by mercury, to fund an environmental health monitoring station run
by Grassy, to put in place a comprehensive
monitoring program of the pollution
sources, and last of all, but most important, to remediate the river.”
“It’s time to heal the people. It’s time to
heal the water,” Calzavara said. It's also
time for Premier Wynne and all politicians
to grow a conscience.
Page
Aboriginal
Hunting
– The Need For
More Information
By
Christina
J. Cook
I have
represented
many First Nation and Aboriginal hunters
charged with Wild Life offenses. Since
writing my article in the last issue of the
Grassroots News, I have been contacted by
many other Aboriginal hunters sharing
their stories with me.
One of the things that I am hearing from
hunters, is that Conservation officers and
people in the justice system sometimes do
not appear to understand or know about
our Aboriginal rights and how we can exercise them.
I heard a story where a hunter was told by
a conservation officer that he was not allowed to hunt outside his treaty territory, this
is not correct. I was told of another time conservation officers told an Aboriginal hunter
that he needed a hunting license to hunt on
Crown land, which is also not correct.
Also, I discussing a case with a Crown
lawyer recently and I mentioned that Aboriginal people have an Aboriginal right to
spot light on Crown land.* The Crown
lawyer was surprised by this.
Aboriginal law is often made by court decisions and it is not written down as an easy
read list of rules, like the law in the Wild Life
Act. So it may be difficult for conservation
officers and Crown lawyers to keep up to
date or be familiar with our rights. However, if the Provinces takes it upon itself to
police our Aboriginal and First Nations
hunters, then they must ensure all conservation officers and Crown lawyers are aware
of our constitutionally protected Aboriginal
rights and how we can exercise them.
Now, there are many conservation officers and Crown lawyers that do know and
understand our rights. We need these people to educate their colleagues and we need
the Province and Canada to ensure that they
are properly educating their representatives
and keeping them up to date on the development of Aboriginal rights. It’s in everyone’s best interest if we are free to exercise
our Aboriginal rights without harassment.
It is our way of life, and we’re never going
to stop hunting.
*Note: Aboriginal hunters must be
Crown land and must not shot from their
vehicle or the highway.
**Nothing in this article is meant to constitute legal advice and should not be relied upon as legal advice. If you have a
specific legal matter please contact a
lawyer for advice.
Christina J. Cook is Anishinaabe and a
member of Brokenhead Ojibway Nation.
She is a lawyer at Wilder Wilder Langtry
and helps people with a variety of legal
matters, including hunting charges, contract
disputes, employment law, WCB appeals,
insurance matters, personal injury, and
Aboriginal law & governance.
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Page
4
First Nations Should Own Their Resources
The pendulum has swung back from the days when
a resource developer could give a chief a ball cap and
case of beer for oil wells or logging rights - to the point
where now huge multi-billion dollar projects like Enbridge's Northern Gateway pipeline are endlessly
stalled by courts for lack of First Nations consultation.
Canada’s potential crude oil reserve is one of the
largest in the world, second only to Saudi Arabia.
Likewise, Canada is also the second largest exporter
of natural gas, trailing behind Russia. Thus, it is projected that oil and gas activities, including exploration
and exploitation, will increase dramatically in Canada.
However as we have witnessed in Canada and indeed
around the world, the development of oil and gas and
other natural resources can also lead to economic inequality, inflation, social upheaval, displacement,
housing shortages, social tensions, loss of traditional
lifestyles, and significant environmental damage.
While, in general, the provinces have jurisdiction
over natural resources within their borders, the web of
jurisdictional power is complicated in the special case
of resource development on First Nations lands. By
virtue of the Constitution Act (1867), the federal government has responsibility for legislation concerning
“Indians and lands reserved for the Indians.” Reserve
lands are set apart for First Nations bands and are held
by the federal Crown for the collective use and benefit
of the entire band. While this is the case for most of
Canada, relatively recent land claim settlements in the
Canadian North have significantly shifted jurisdictional power over land and resources from the Canadian Crown to First Nations governments. Given the
complexity of the jurisdictional web surrounding
Canada’s Indigenous peoples and the many layers of
government, one Indigenous entrepreneur has put forward a surprisingly solid basis for discussion to help
break the gridlock surrounding resource projects.
This is reported from an interview on CBC radio
with Joe Dion. As the CEO of Frog Lake Energy Resources Corporation, Dion runs a company that helps
his Alberta First Nation profit from oil. But as a member of Canada's Indigenous community, he agrees with
groups like B.C.'s Tsleil-Waututh Nation, which is
fighting the proposed Trans Mountain pipeline. Dion
says this position makes him, and other oil producing
First Nations, perfectly positioned to both get pipelines
built and improve the lives of Indigenous Canadians.
They are calling on the federal government to fulfill
its promise of a "new relationship" with Canada's first
people by negotiating a new treaty that would allow
First Nations, Inuit, and Métis to own, and therefore
benefit directly from, Canada's resources. In light of a
Joe Dion, Chairman and CEO for
Frog Lake Energy Resource Corp.
recent decision by the Federal Court of Appeal, striking
down the approval of Enbridge's Northern Gateway
pipeline for lack of consultation with First Nations, the
federal government could be very keen to agree to a
First Nations National Energy Strategy.
Dion explains what a First Nations National Energy
Strategy is. “It's a proposal to the federal government
that we put in The Globe and Mail, asking for a sit
down, a discussion, on how we can proceed to move
our resources, primarily oil, to tidewater, which is
sorely needed right now. There's an impasse happening in the country, you've got folks for an against these
projects, these pipelines, and we thought as First Nations producers, that we should get into discussion and
make an attempt to break the gridlock.”
It's probably safe to say that most Canadians associate First Nations with the opponent side when it
comes to, particularly pipelines, but oil and gas projects in general. It will be very challenging to get
groups like B.C.'s Tsleil-Waututh Nation, which is
fighting the Kinder Morgan pipeline expansion in
court, on board.
“Well I know the Tsleil-Waututh folks, Chief
Leonard George is a friend of mine, I've discussed this
matter with him. I believe we can. I support them in
their opposition to the pipeline going into their waters,
Burrard Inlet, I think it's an unsafe place to put a
pipeline in, I totally agree with them, I've already
mentioned that to them. I think there are better places
to put that pipeline.”
“So, I think this is where we need to get some movement, with the proponents, with the First Nations, with
the governments, that there's a way to get these things
done. And for anyone to stay stiff-necked or stay on
one proposal alone, I don't think that's going to work.”
While Frog Lake can make money from oil and gas,
some of the coastal First Nations claim that oil and gas,
and pipelines and this kind of development, could threaten
their traditional livelihood, particularly fisheries. Those
are competing interests that need to be reconciled.
“There's world-class examples of how the two can
live together. Oil exploration offshore, like Norway,
there's a world-class example of having both livelihoods continue. Fishing and oil development. I think
we can do this here. I think what's needed here, is an
economic piece. A powerful economic piece that these
First Nations can see. And that's where we come
across, where we come forward on if we're going to
do this, there's got to be First Nations ownership of
pipelines, there's got to be ownership of terminals, I
really truly believe that if these terminals are going to
be sitting in the coastal waters of B.C., or even New
Brunswick, they should be owned by First Nations.”
“At the end of the day, the revenues from those terminals should be going to the communities, who need
this revenue piece, and when it crosses lands across
B.C., and across Canada, we're talking those revenues
should be going to communities like Attawapiskat,
First Nations who are destitute right now.”
Increased Indigenous control over development decisions and most importantly ownership of the resources will allow communities to make decisions
appropriate for their unique circumstances, histories,
values, and goals, something way too long overdue.
Page
In previous editions of Grassroots News we featured First
Nation Builders, an up and coming, 100% Indigenous owned
and operated construction company. The Fisher River based operation was created to address serious quality control deficiencies
that run rampant in Northern housing construction. Founder
and owner Trevor Charrier explained to Grassroots news, “I
started First Nation Builders to conquer the quality control problem, to have an alternative for these reserves to come to and get
5
Quality Materials Means A Healthy Home
something built properly.” Trevor operates his company on the
core philosophy that his staff of 17 are building quality homes
that First Nations people can be proud to live in.
Trevor owns an 8000 square foot shop where four 1200
square ft. three-bedroom homes can be constructed at the same
time. The beauty of Trevor's system is he can reduce unnecessary crew expenses, maintain close supervision and avoid construction delays. “By having homes built inside one location
you can keep an eye on the quality control and make sure that
the little details are done properly. We can handle 100 houses
per year. So for about the same price as other builders, we can
offer a quality house that is built to last with quality materials for
First Nations and built by First Nations.”
One of the tricks of the trade that Trevor strongly advocates
is using superior building materials right from the start, something
extremely important in rugged Northern construction conditions,
something he says saves real money on your home in the long
run. “The amount of houses that I go into on reserves, the mold
issue is just a huge problem. The way that you solve the deadly
mold is you build with superior materials and products.”
The question becomes why aren't houses on reserves built
with the quality materials necessary in the harsh northern climate
to avoid problems like unhealthy mold? Trevor is well aware of
the answer. “The money is there to do that in these northern projects, but the money is just not being allocated to superior materials by contractors. It is a low bid system, it is the cheapest
product, the cheapest everything. The contractors cash the
cheque and get out.” Leaving the home owner the big expense
to fix the problems.
“Look at the cost of renovations to fix the mold issues. You
could almost build a complete new home by the time you are
done. You have to start ripping down to bare walls to get rid of
the mold. It is unhealthy to leave it but expensive to fix it.”
“At First Nation Builders we build with the best windows
and doors in Canada. They are a little bit more money but they
are a far superior window than any other product, meaning you
do not get the leaking windows which then in turn goes down to
causing your mold issues, and rot issues and everything else that
goes with that.”
See more tips from Trevor in our upcoming
issues of Grassroots News.
Contact First Nation builders at:
Lot 68 Fisher River
box 272, Koostatak, Mb. R0C 1S0
Tel: 1-204-641-2427
E-mail:
info@firstnationbuilders.com
www.firstnationbuilders.com
6
It's fair to say that most First Nations are not against development on their territories per se. They see development
as a potential partnership and opportunity for badly needed
economic development for their bands. But when governments and big business continue to exploit First Nations territories unilaterally as is the disturbing case for Blueberry
River First Nation, it just proves that colonialism and capitalism and white supremacy are still alive and thriving in
Canada, building wealth for white business interests on the
backs of Indigenous peoples who remain impoverished and
exploited beyond any conscionable standard that should be
permitted in this country or anywhere else.
This story is reported by Andrea Smith Windspeaker
Contributor. “The Blueberry River First Nation in BC now
has substantial evidence their traditional territory is being
infringed upon. In fact, it’s being more than infringed upon,
according to a report released by the First Nation, with help
from the David Suzuki Foundation, and EcoTrust Canada.
The three parties worked together to develop The Atlas of
Cumulative Landscape Disturbance, and uncovered disturbing statistics about the commercial use of Blueberry
River First Nation’s traditional lands. The most significant
finding is that 84 per cent of their territory is currently impacted by industrial activity of some kind.
“Elders and land users give me daily reports of continuing
damage to our lands and water… Development has extinguished our traditional way of life on wide areas of our
land," said Chief of Blueberry River, Marvin Yahey.
“Fracking, forestry, roads and other development is pushing us further and further to the edges of our territory and
we are no longer able to practice our treaty rights in the
places we’ve always known,” he said.
The Disturbance Atlas is as a follow-up report to a 2012
Disturbance Atlas. The 2012 report also found significant
damage was being done to BRFN territory, so the Nation
requested assistance from the B.C. government on the matter, in a variety of forms including a cumulative impact assessment in 2014.
But according to Yahey, pleas were not heard, and the
2016 report supports his sentiment.
The data in the report shows that since that 2012 report was
published, more than 2,600 oil and gas wells have been approved by the government of B.C. to develop within BRFN
territory, along with 1,884 of petroleum access roads and permanent roads, 740 km of petroleum development roads,
1,500 km of new pipelines and 9,400 km of seismic lines.
“Despite raising these concerns directly with the premier
and with provincial ministers, there has been no meaningful
response to this critical threat. Instead, the province continues to approve major industrial undertakings in our territory,
including major fracking operations and the Site C Dam,
willfully ignoring that each new approval brings our unique
culture closer to extinction,” he said.
More significant findings from the new report include:
First Nation Is Overrun With Development
75 per cent of the entire BRFN area territory is within 250
meters of some kind of industrial disturbance, while over
80 per cent is within 500 meters.
*Active petroleum and natural gas tenures—an agreement
with the government which gives oil and gas companies the
right to explore areas with further development in mind—
cover nearly 70 per cent of BRFN traditional territory.
* Linear features such as roadways and pipelines, has
reached beyond 10,000 km in total, and exceeds a level
which can co-exist with wildlife sustainably.
* Of the total area in B.C. reserved for pipelines through
oil and gas tenures, 46 per cent sits on BRFN land.
* Nearly 200,000 hectares of BRFN’s traditional territory
has been logged since 1950.
* And, 60 per cent of B.C.’s natural forest landscape is
still intact, less than 14 per cent of natural landscape remains
in BRFN.
The Nation has even launched a lawsuit against the government of B.C. In March 2015, they launched a suit in
the B.C. Supreme Court over the breach of their rights
under Treaty 8. They stated the B.C. government was not
protecting their territory and upholding treaty rights, but
instead was allowing the oil and gas, and logging industry
to exploit their land.
Their latest move—efforts now being put forth after seeing findings from the new report—is the creation of a Land
Stewardship Framework. BRFN will use it to better assess
the environmental issues facing them, and to develop a plan
to restore territory, rehabilitate wildlife, and ensure sustainable development in the future—despite not having government assistance at this time.
q
Page
Page
National
Defence
Defense
nationale
WARNING
SHILO RANGES
Day and night firing will be carried out at the
Shilo Ranges until further notice.
The range consists of DND controlled property lying approximately 32 kms SE from
Brandon and N of the Assiniboine River in
Townships 7, 8 and 9; Range 14 WPM,
Townships 8, 9 and 10; Ranges 15 and 16
WPM and Townships 9 and 10; Range 17
WPM in the Province of Manitoba. If required,
a detailed description of the Shilo property
may be obtained from the Base Construction
Engineering Office at Canadian Forces Base
Shilo.
All boundaries, entry ways, roads and tracks
into the Range are clearly marked and posted
with signs indicating that there is to be NO
TRESPASSING. Hunting is no longer
permitted on the Shilo Ranges.
STRAY AMMUNITION AND EXPLOSIVE
OBJECTS
Bombs, grenades, shells, similar explosive objects, and their casings are a hazard to
life and limb. Do not pick up or retain such
objects as souvenirs. If you have found or
have in your possession any object which you
believe to be an explosive, notify your local
police and arrangements will be made to
dispose of it.
No unauthorized person may enter this
area and trespassing on the area is strictly
prohibited.
BY ORDER
Deputy Minister
Department of National Defense
OTTAWA, CANADA
17630-77
Canada
Murdered and Missing
Indigenous Women
- Unpacked (Part 2)
“We can see patriarchy as one
structure and white supremacy as
another structure coming into play
to create a “structured victimhood” for Indigenous women.” says Tessa Blaikie Whitecloud, a
sociologist who teaches at the University of Winnipeg. Tessa has researched and studied and lectures
on the role of sex and gender relations and social structure and how
it informs our society on every level. When Tessa turned
her Rhodes Scholar mind to the issues surrounding missing and murdered Indigenous women and children, she
formulated a unique and penetrating analysis that draws
some very stunning conclusions about the root causes; paternalism, white supremacy, colonialism, capitalism and
racism. None of which were intrinsic to Indigenous society before colonization. This is part two of her in-depth
examination of the subject.
“The third social structure that comes into play is how
did we get here in terms of Indigenous women's bodies
being a disposable commodity. And that is colonialism.
That is the history of needing to suppress Indigenous
women's leadership in order to take over Indigenous land
and take over Indigenous resources and take away Indigenous children. As a fourth-generation settler, I know my ancestors fled poverty in Europe to a land they were told was
empty. But the land in North America was not empty when
they got here. And so even though the intention was to settle
empty land, that is not the reality. The land was actually Indigenous territory. And we need to stop feeding ourselves
the non-reality that fits that really nice intention.”
“And we are correcting the reality, through the Truth and
Reconciliation Commission and through different efforts.
But ultimately we are still telling ourselves the story that
this land never belonged to somebody before we got here.
We can see that in the way that we do mining and resource
extraction. Colonialism has created a sense of entitlement
and we see men playing that out on the bodies of women,
in particular Indigenous women.”
“Colonialism, patriarchy and white supremacy intersect
but there are other things that start to come into play also
on a more macro level. Colonialism creates our laws and
protects white interests. I often call mainstream media,
“white stream” media. The white mainstream media is informing us in the way that it only recognizes its own status
quo white population and tries to make sure that nothing
presented is too abrasive for them.”
“When we see the way that white supremacy, colonialism
and patriarchy intersect with our laws and
influence our interactions with one another, in sociology
we call it symbolic interactionism. But it is actually about
racism. We have taken these learned
educational structures and we have
now made them our own personal
objectives. Or a personal belief.
And that is where we see Indigenous
women being targeted with language that is racist by people who
are racist and that use racist tropes
to justify violence.”
“For example when I am talking
with my students, because sometimes these layers of social structure
get complex, I say white supremacy made it okay on a
macro system-level to have slavery. And racism made it
okay on a micro level that you could beat a human being.
And none of it was okay. But that was how people justify
it. There is that macro level and then that micro level.”
“What underlies all of this social structure, very importantly, is capitalism. When it comes down to how even the
news is presented about Indigenous women going missing
and murdered, and who still holds the economic clout in
Canada, it is privileged white men. It comes down to capitalism though because we are still writing our media and
still writing our law to protect capitalism as opposed to protect people. Capitalism is something that commodifies
women as simply bodies. Feminists have been pushing really hard for equality but unfortunately the way that we
push for equality has been to commodifie men's bodies as
well, as opposed to stop commodification of bodies in general. The end result is that people with economic privilege
feel like they can access someone else's body at will. People
with patriarchal privilege, male folk, feel they can access
women's bodies at will. If it is an Indigenous woman,
chances are there will be little or no consequences.”
“My hope for the Inquiry and for the families of the missing women is that it spearheads action. For me as a sociologist, sociology is about research for a better world. It is not
about research for the sake of research. I hope that the government Inquiry has a model that looks at what is happening
and determines how we stop it from happening. How do
we make things better.”
“Families have been asking for it and so it is important
that we honor what they are looking for in order to be able
to grieve and understand what has happened to their loved
ones. I think that if we had been listening to the families
from the beginning we would have already heard why this
is happening. The Inquiry is a one way to hear those answers from them.”
Tessa blaikie Whitecloud
“The findings of the 2016 report clearly show that even
though the provincial government had clear notice of the
scale of harm that existed, including those found in the 2012
Atlas, it has worked to make the problem worse, not better,”
said Chief Yahey.
BRFN did receive a statement of support from Minister
of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation the day after the
report was released, however. Rustad openly declared his
concern for the environmental issues impacting BRFN and
acknowledged the government would need to act fast in
order to help.
“As the 2016 Disturbance Atlas shows, the situation in
Blueberry River territory is severe and requires an urgent
response. The province has acknowledged it will take years
to complete their regional assessment. Blueberry River cannot wait that long… Otherwise there will be nothing left for
us by the time the regional assessment reaches the same conclusion we have reached for years: there is a serious problem
and immediate protection measures must be put in place...”
7
Page
8
Another distressing legacy
of the Stephen Harper
govenment's war against
Indigenous peoples
has officially come to light
in Alberta. No surprise it is
in Harper's home province.
As if the tsunami
of Indigenous suicides was
not punishment enough,
now it is revealed that
Harper policy has also
succeeded in decreasing
the lifespan
of Indigenous people.
This is the report from Keith Gerein of the Edmonton
Journal. “In comparison to Alberta’s total population, the
First Nations population experiences an infant mortality rate
that is more than one and a half times higher, a suicide rate
that is five to seven times higher, a higher rate of diabetes,
and significantly higher rates of arthritis, asthma, heart disease and high blood pressure,” according to the latest annual
report from Alberta Health on life expectancy.
After rising to 72.52 years in 2013, Indigenous life expectancy has since tumbled to 70.36 — meaning the typical
First Nations resident born in the province today can expect
to die about dozen years earlier than other Albertans.
Among non-Indigenous Albertans, life expectancy reached
a new high of 81.87 years in 2015. The projected lifespan
of women is about four years longer than that of men.
Chief Vern Janvier of Chipewyan Prairie Dene First Nation said changes in Indigenous lifestyles over the last 30
years have undoubtedly shortened lifespans. Before Highway 881 was built, the community 120 kilometers south of
Fort McMurray used to rely heavily on wild foods. Members would get exercise as they hunted, fished and trapped
their meals, he said.
Today, moose populations have declined, meaning there
is more reliance on store bought food, which has led to
higher rates of heart disease and diabetes, said Janvier, 48.
“I remember people used to live, at 90 years old they were
still walking around in good shape. Today our 79-year-olds
… most of them are really old,” he said.
He said the last couple of years have been particularly
hard due to the poor economy. Unemployment on the reserve has made it difficult for people to afford healthy food
and other necessities. “The reservation is basically a PoW
Reservation is a POW Camp
camp, that’s how we live, that’s how we stay.”
About 250 kilometers south, at the Saddle Lake Cree Nation, Eric Shirt said the trend in life expectancy can be reversed with proper investments in jobs, education, social
services and other things that affect quality of life. He said
his community in particular could benefit from more housing, road improvements, an extended care facility for elders
Hoffman said her cabinet has had numerous discussions
about overall First Nations health and various inter-related
“social determinants” that play a role — from poverty and
food security to chronic illnesses and violence.
“If you are worrying about having your basic needs met,
your health impacts, educational impacts and so forth are
far more precarious,” Hoffman said. Hoffman said Indige-
Health Minister Sarah Hoffman
and access to healthier foods. “Some people will say diabetes runs in the family; it’s the food environment that runs
in the family that triggers the disease,” said Shirt, a former
chairman of the National Aboriginal Health Organization’s
traditional health and healing committee.
Health Minister Sarah Hoffman said she found the new
statistics to represent a “troubling situation” in Alberta. Hoffman noted the Indigenous population constitutes a fairly
small statistical group, so changes in that demographic can
produce big fluctuations up and down in life expectancy.
She said a look at longer-term trends shows the lifespan of
First Nations people is about the same as it was at the start
of the century. Still, the lack of progress is concerning because Albertans as a whole have added about three years to
their projected lifespan in the same time period.
Life expectancy is a somewhat complex measurement
that takes into account mortality statistics at a given time.
Changes in life expectancy tend to reflect fluctuations in
patterns of death, such as infant mortality, incidences of
heart disease and infectious illnesses. In Alberta’s case,
nous leaders have shown a strong interest in partnering with
the province and federal government to address the issue.
She said her government already has a number of initiatives
underway, including a review of mental health supports,
and more money for social housing.
The Alberta Health annual report also unveiled new statistics on infant mortality. The province’s First Nations population recorded a rate of 7.82 deaths per 1,000 live births
last year — a big improvement from the rate of 9.56
recorded in 2014, but still well behind the 4.39 rate recorded
in Alberta as a whole. Auditor general Merwan Saher and
child and youth advocate Del Graff are set to release separate reports on the government’s performance delivering
programs to Indigenous children.”
More reports by government to justify non action. If you
asked anyone living on a reservation in Canada what single
thing the government could do to improve their living conditions, how many would say “we need more reports to
prove living in a POW camp is killing us.”
Page
Port of Churchill layoffs
'came out of nowhere,'
says town's mayor
The largest employer in Churchill, Man., has started
handing pink slips to workers at the local port.
Mayor Mike Spence says about 50 employees at the Port
of Churchill were handed layoff notices on Monday afternoon, and another 40 or 50 people expecting calls back are
learning that there's no work for them.
"It came out of nowhere," Spence told CBC News. "The
community, the employees are devastated by this all."
Spence said he's contacting the provincial and federal
governments to see if they can intervene.
"We're going to have to work at this and rectify this matter … hoping we can reverse this," he said.
other job, but he doesn't know what he will do when that
work dries up.
"I don't even have a Plan B, so I have to try and figure
something out, I guess," he said.
Stover said the news has shocked the community.
"We definitely weren't expecting bad news," he said. "We
had anticipated that it might be a slower than usual season,
but to have the whole thing called was pretty heartbreaking."
Joe Stover, who has worked at the Port of Churchill for
10 years, called the layoffs 'heartbreaking.' (Submitted by
Joe Stover)
Elden Boon, president of the Hudson Bay Route Association — an advocacy group for the Port of Churchill — said
news of the layoffs blindsided him, too.
He said his organization met with OmniTrax three weeks
ago over concerns it had following a slow year, but com-
pany officials gave him no indication of possible layoffs.
Boon said officials have told him there would be no more
grain shipments going through the port this year.
"This is the first time that it's ever shut down, other than
the Second World War," he said.
OmniTrax has operated the Port of Churchill and the
Hudson Bay rail line since 1997, but a slump in grain shipments has put a strain on the operation.
Spence said OmniTrax has been trying to sell the Port of
Churchill and the rail line for some time.
"OmniTrax has indicated that they have made it clear they
no longer want to operate the port, and we'll take it at that
and let's hope there's a new future for the port," he said.
"By finding the right ownership and a new ownership towards operating a port effectively with Canadian ownership, I think we can make things happen. That's the goal."
RECYCLING IN MANITOBA
Share Your Views
concerning eight stewardship program plans
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The Manitoba government is reviewing eight proposed new plans for the recycling
and collection of designated products.
Workers say OmniTrax, the Denver-based company
that runs the port, issued two-week layoff notices around
3:30 p.m. CT to a group of employees in the company's
lunchroom.
Joe Stover, one of the laid-off employees, said it's an "extremely sad day" for Churchill — Manitoba's northernmost
town, with a population of around 800.
Stover tweeted news of the layoffs after OmniTrax officials sat down with a group of workers for the emergency
meeting. Workers were yelling, crying and screaming at
the meeting, he said.
"It's pretty heartbreaking," he said.
"The port is the biggest employer in town, and it's the
biggest building in town. It dominates our skyline and is
part of our life…. I just got back from the Legion and
there's still people in there that are crying
A spokesperson with the Public Service Alliance of
Canada, which represents Port of Churchill workers, confirmed the layoffs but said union officials would not be
available to comment until Tuesday.
OmniTrax spokesman Ron Margulis refused to confirm
or comment on the layoffs in Churchill.
Reached in Georgia, Margulis said the company would
be releasing more information sometime Tuesday.
'I don't even have a Plan B'
Stover said he has work for another three weeks at an-
Under the Waste Reduction and Prevention Act regulations, Producer Responsibility
Organizations have submitted product stewardship plans concerning the proper recycling
and collection of materials and products such as: paper and packaging, paint, fluorescent
lights, other household hazardous waste, electrical and electronic waste, used tires,
primary and rechargeable batteries, lead-acid batteries, unused medications, and
mercury-containing thermostats.
We Want to Hear from You
Manitoba Sustainable Development wants to hear what you have to say about the
stewardship plans for the following programs:
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Stewardship Program
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Stewardship Program
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(primary and rechargeable batteries)
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Mercury-Containing Thermostats
You can review the plans at greenmanitoba.ca/new-stewardship-plans or on Manitoba
Sustainable Development’s public registry: www.manitoba.ca/conservation/eal/registries/
index.html. You may request printed copies by calling 204-945-0578 or 1-866-460-3118.
Please provide any feedback via email to: stewardship@greenmanitoba.ca. The deadline
for comments on the plans is October 4, 2016. Feedback may also be sent in writing to:
Green Manitoba
Manitoba Sustainable Development
#PY.BJO4USFFU
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9
Helping build First Nation
Communities since 1991.
1783 Dugald Rd. Winnipeg, MB R2J 0H3
P. (204) 661-8600 F. (204) 654-8848 TF. (800) 665-8666
www.olympicbuildingcentre.ca
President’s Message
This study has shown that these outcomes are
largely due to the fact that we do not have equal and
culturally appropriate access to healthcare despite
paying billions in taxes. We must explore all options
to ensure our Elders and those in need of care have
access to those medicines and services they need.
The Manitoba Metis Federation – the self-governing
body representing Manitoba’s Métis community – is
in the midst of community consultations regarding
the MMF Land Claims case.
I have been enjoying the conversations I have had
with many of our Métis Citizens across the province
of Manitoba. Already we have visited Churchill, Duck
Bay, Dauphin, Kinosota, Roblin, and St. Laurent where
we met with Métis Citizens from the locals in the
surrounding areas. We have another 15 community
consultations scheduled during the summer.
This is an important time for our Métis Citizens to
learn about the next steps in the negotiation process
for our collective claim against Canada. It is also an
excellent time for you, our Citizens, to share your
ideas with us on what are the priority topics for these
negotiations with Canada to proceed and to share
what is important to you as a Métis Citizen.
In the meetings that have taken place so far we
have heard time and again how our citizens want
to ensure our Children, Grandchildren and those
of future generations truly receive the head start
promised over 140 years ago. The loudest calls have
been for education for our Children. As I have often
said before, no longer will our families wonder if their
children will be able to afford an education. No, our
families will now instead be thinking about which
university or college they will send their children to!
Other valuable ideas put forward have been around
the issues of access to healthcare and affordability
of medicines. A recent study the MMF did with the
University of Manitoba has shown that the Métis
have some of the worst outcomes in areas of diabetes,
amputations, and other life threatening diseases.
Our Métis Citizens also expressed their desire for
strong economic development opportunities for our
towns and villages. I remember when Duck Bay was
prospering and we had five stores. Today we do not
have any stores at all. Provincial governments have
mismanaged our resources for years. Today our
fisherman are largely out of business even though the
fishery was once a mainstay for many a Métis village.
This has to change. As we negotiate self-government,
we will be sure to negotiate means to better protect,
manage and conserve our natural resources.
When I first resurrected this land claim file back in
1997 when I became President, I made a promise I
would see this through to the benefit of all Métis. The
first thing I did was make this claim truly a claim of
the people. I could have put my name on it as others
had done before, but I didn’t. I put the Métis people
on the claim.
During my recent meetings with our Métis Citizens, I
have encountered a few people with a misconception
regarding the MMF Land Claim.
A misunderstanding about this claim surrounds the
fact that it is a collective claim on behalf of all the
Métis of Manitoba. This is not an individual claim
seeking compensation on a family by family, lot by
lot basis. The Supreme Court of Canada has said that
these claims cannot be brought before the court and
that it is not prepared to accept them – too much time
has passed. However, the highest court in Canada did
say they recognize the collective claim of the Métis
of Manitoba. It also recognized the fact that the
Manitoba Metis Federation is the governing body of
Manitoba’s Métis Community and the representative
for Métis interests.
In 2013 the Supreme Court of Canada made a
declaration that the honour of the Crown was
breached and that the fact this claim has not been
yet settled is an ongoing rift in the national fabric of
Canada.
Recently, Mr. Tom Isaac also confirmed this in his
report “A Matter of National and Constitutional
Import: Report of the Minister’s Special Representative
on Reconciliation with Métis: Section 35 Métis Rights
and the Manitoba Metis Federation Decision.”
In his report Mr. Isaac emphasizes the MMF Land
Claim has been accepted by the Supreme Court of
Canada’s 2013 declaration. His recommendation is
for the MMF and Canada to move on implementing
the declaration. On that matter I am pleased to say we
have already moved beyond this recommendation in
working with Canada to begin the process of settling
this important matter. For full details on his report,
I encourage you to visit our website at www.mmf.
mb.ca and click the graphic for the Thomas Isaac
report.
We are now involved in the next steps to developing
a framework for a modern day treaty with Canada,
which will deal with the MMF Land Claim. We
signed a Memorandum of Understanding with
Canada on May 27, 2016 and we will now develop
a negotiations framework. We are now meeting with
you, our Métis Citizens, to hear about what you want
to see in this framework. We will then put together
a draft framework agreement based on your input
and put it forward for ratification at our upcoming
AGA in Winnipeg on September 23-25, 2016 at the
Assiniboia Downs. Once ratified, Canada will take it
forward for Cabinet approval and we will begin the
formal negotiation of this outstanding 146 year old
claim against the Crown.
These are great times for the Métis. After almost a
century and a half, we are beginning to see the sun
rise on a better day for the Métis Nation. I invite,
encourage and ask each Métis Citizen to attend a
community consultation meeting happening in their
region during the summer months. If you are unable
to attend, please visit our website for information on
the land claim process. Please also submit your ideas
on what you want to see in the framework agreement
to ideas@mmf.mb.ca.
Finally, I wish to give my thoughts and prayers for
those who are shut-in, ill or have cause for grief. May
you find comfort and strength in community with
family and friends. I wish you all the best and safe
journeys this summer as you get out and enjoy times
together at home and away.
Meeqwetch,
President David Chartrand, LL.D. (hon), O.M.
Back to Batoche 2016
Hundreds of people travelled from across North
America this July to celebrate Back to Batoche Days.
Since the Back to Batoche festival began in 1971,
many people travel to the annual event to reunite with
family, friends, and acquaintances. Most importantly,
they come to pay respect to the Métis who made the
ultimate sacrifice to protect their lands, culture, and
families.
This year the event was hosted from July 14th to July
17th. The celebration was held at the Batoche Métis
Cultural Grounds, not far from the Batoche National
Historic site where the Battle of Batoche took place
in May 1885. As part of the weekend’s activities, the
Métis Nation also honoured and paid tribute to fallen
Métis heroes lost during this historic battle. During
a special ceremony on Saturday, the Métis Nation
commemorated its Métis veterans for their valiant
efforts fighting alongside Canada in past World Wars
and other armed conflicts.
“We must never forget their sacrifice,” said David
Chartrand, President of the Manitoba Metis
Federation and Minister of Veteran Affairs for the
Métis National Council. “It’s important to show
our young generation that we must remember and
honour our Métis Veterans who gave us the freedoms
we enjoy today.”
The North-West Resistance included a series of
battles fought between the Métis and the government
of Canada; the final battle was the Battle of Batoche.
The Métis believed Canada failed to protect their
rights, land, and survival against an influx of settlers.
Despite claiming earlier victories at Duck Lake and
Fish Creek, the Resistance ended when the Métis
were defeated by Canadian government troops
during the Battle of Batoche. Despite the defeat of
the Resistance, many Métis would later enrol to
fight alongside Canada in notable wars such as the
First and Second World Wars and the Korean War.
Even though the Métis assisted Canada during this
time, they would become the only ones not formally
recognized for their efforts on behalf of Canada.
“A promise was made to these Veterans that when
they came back they would be given an economic
start for a better future, because they were giving
the ultimate sacrifice – their life,” said President
Chartrand. “The Métis veterans are the only ones
that have never been settled with.”
After years of effort put forth by the Métis Nation,
a memorial monument was unveiled on July 19,
2014 to honour its Métis Veterans. The monument
conveys a long-held dream of the Métis to honour
and remember the contributions of over 7,000 Métis
Veterans who valiantly served to defend our land and
freedom. The unveiling ceremony on July 16, 2016,
at the Batoche Métis Cultural Grounds included the
newly added names of over 5,000 Métis Veterans
MMF P
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engraved on the monument.
“We’re proud to be at this historic site to pay tribute
to your Métis ancestors. Together we memorialize
the legendary heroes like Louis Riel and Gabriel
Dumont,” announced Carolyn Bennett, Canadian
Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs, during
the opening ceremonies for Back to Batoche Days.
“We also pay tribute to Métis Veterans who served
alongside Canada in all of its wars. We recognize the
contribution of the Métis as partners in Canada’s
Confederation and celebrate their culture, heritage,
and tradition.”
The Back to Batoche Days festivities include several
Métis cultural activities such as fiddling & jigging
competitions, square dancing, and bannock baking.
Traditional cuisine offered during the event included
fried bannock and moose stew. Several vendors also
sold clothing, jewelry, and Métis sashes made by local
Métis artisans. Participants attending the festivities
often book a campsite within the park ground and
stay for its duration. We hope you come, celebrate
and remember with us next year as the Métis Nation
gathers again for Back to Batoche Days.
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Step back in time and
aend the Metis Soiree
The sweltering heat did not stop those attending a
recent Metis Soiree from having a great time. These
weekly summer Soirees celebrate Métis culture at
Riel House National Historic Site located on River
Road in Winnipeg.
Families and friends attended the lively free event
that included traditional Métis fiddle music by Al
Desjarlais with special guests Meghan Mowatt and
Kenny Muzia, a tour of Riel House, refreshments and
colouring books for the children. Guests were invited
to bring their lawn chairs and dancing shoes as they
enjoyed the musical entertainment behind the small
house where Louis Riel’s mother lived in the 1800’s.
Attendees of the Soiree were able to stepback in
time if only for a few hours and witness 19th century
life as interpreters wander the grounds dressed in
traditional Métis garb with fiddle music providing
the soundtrack to their walk. Many of the costumed
interpreters were excited to answer questions the
public had regarding the site, and even provided some
with a personal demonstration of tasks performed in
the 1800’s. Even the gardens beside Riel House kept
to tradition by only growing produce available in the
19th century.
While Riel himself only visited the home once before
he was murdered, it was there his body laid in state
for two days prior to his burial in the cemetery at St.
Boniface Cathedral.
“Riel House is an important historical site to the
Métis people,” said President David Chartrand of the
Manitoba Metis Federation. “Under the leadership of
Louis Riel, the Métis were able to negotiate Manitoba’s
entrance into Confederation in 1870. Riel is a symbol
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of perseverance in the fight for rights of the Métis.
Riel House honours his years of dedication to human
rights and is a part of our country’s collective history.”
Riel House is located at 330 River Road in St. Vital.
It is open July 1st to August 30th, Friday through
Wednesday 10:00am to 5:00pm, and 1:00pm to
8:00pm on Thursdays for a general public walkthough. The Metis Soirees are hosted by the Louis
Riel Institute and will continue every Thursday from
6:00pm to 8:00pm until the end of August. Guided
tours of Riel House are also available during each
Soiree.
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Proposed Manitoba Hydro Project to Impact the Manitoba Metis Community
Recently the Manitoba Metis Federation (MMF)
concluded a series of community consultation
meetings focused on the impact of the Manitoba
– Minnesota Transmission Project on the rights,
interests and claims of the Manitoba Métis
Community. Métis Harvesters and Citizens gathered
together to hear the preliminary results of the study
and to discuss the Manitoba Hydro project that has
potential to impact land, water and resources of the
Manitoba Métis Community.
According to Manitoba Hydro, the proposed route
will originate at the Dorsey Converter Station, travel
south around Winnipeg, pass near the Riel Station and
continue south to the Manitoba–Minnesota border to
finally connect to the Great Northern Transmission
Line at the US border.
Manitoba Hydro provided the MMF with funding
to undertake a Métis Land Occupancy and Use
Study (MLOUS) to identify areas of concern to the
Manitoba Métis Community and assist in identifying
the means by which Métis Citizens prefer to harvest
and conditions that affect harvesting such as the
presence of transmission lines.
The MMF hosted several meetings throughout the
province in January and again over the last month in
Selkirk, Lorette, Brandon, and Winnipeg to discuss
the proposed project and gain input from its Citizens.
“It is important to state that all the harvesters
we interviewed will be negatively impacted by
this project,” said MMF Minister of Energy and
Infrastructure Jack Park during the meeting. “There is
strong, strong evidence to this regard.”
The study will include a Métis Specific Interests
Document that will be provided to Manitoba Hydro
and Manitoba – Sustainable Development in an
effort to ensure the impacts of the project on the
hunting, trapping, fishing and gathering rights of the
Manitoba Métis Community are considered in the
environmental assessment process. The document
will also form part of the MMF’s evidence at the Clean
Environment Commission hearings and the National
Energy Board hearings scheduled for 2017.
Photos From the MMF Land Claims Community Consultations
Left tto
Left
o Right: MMF
M
President
President Chartrand
Chartrand consulting
consulting Métis Citizens
Citizens in Churchill
Churchill on Land Claim
Claim process
process and what they
they would
would like
like to
to
framework
see in the fr
ame
ework agreement
agreement for
for negotiations
negotiations with
witth Canada; Métis Citizens
Citizens enjoying
enjoying traditional
trraditional food
food at Dauphin
Dauphin Community
Community Land
Claims
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Consulation;
onsulation; Métis in Kinisota inquiring about
abou
ut Métis Citizenship.
Citizenship. If you
you have
have an idea
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regarding what you
you would
would like
like to
to see in
Claims
the MMF Land C
laims Negotiations,
Negotiations, please send it to
to ideas@mmf.mb.ca.
ideas@mmf.mb.ca.
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ManitobaMetisMMF
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www.mmf.mb.ca
What you should ask
when hiring a lawyer
Hiring a lawyer can be scary and confusing. By the time
someone needs a lawyer, they usually have a problem that is
causing them a lot of stress. There are a lot of lawyers out there
with lots of different skills and experience. When you are looking to hire a lawyer, here are some questions you may want to
consider asking the lawyer before you retain them.
(1) After you describe your situation, ask them if they have
ever handled a similar situation.
(2) If they have handled a similar situation, ask them how
often they have worked in this area and what is their success rate?
(3) If you retained them today, what would be their legal
strategy or “game plan” for you matter.
(4) Based on what you’ve told the lawyer, what are your
chances of success? What factors (generally) will change your
chances of success?
(5) What risks do you face if you lose? (Fines, penalties,
costs?)
(6) How much is this going to cost, from start to finish?
You can also ask the lawyer to prepare a budget setting out their
estimated costs and ask them to agree ask your permission before
incurring any charges beyond this budget.
(7) Does this matter qualify for Legal Aid? If so, does this
lawyer do Legal Aid? If so, can the lawyer help you in applying
for Legal Aid?
(8) Do you need to pay the lawyer any money up front? If
so, how much?
(9) How will the lawyer charge you for their time?
Lawyers will usually work on either an hourly basis, or one time
flat-fee (flat-fees are most common for a will or house transfer),
or contingency (where the lawyer will take a percentage of the
amount you win). If the matter is a contingency, ask your lawyer
if you have to pay anything up front, or what fees you will be
responsible for if you lose. Often times on a contingency, win
or lose the client will have to pay disbursements. Disbursements
are the expenses for photocopying, faxing, filing documents in
court, etc etc. Just ensure you understand what you will be paying for and how you will be charged.
(10) How long is it going to take for your matter to be resolved?
(11) What are the steps in the process that you can expect?
(12) Will this lawyer, or another lawyer at their office be
doing your work?
(13) Has this lawyer, or their law firm, ever had any complaints to the Law Society? The Law Society is the regulating body
for lawyers. When a client is unhappy with a lawyer or a lawyer
has made a mistake, clients can lodge a complaint to the Law Society, which will be investigated and the lawyer can be disciplined.
(14) How will the lawyer keep in contact with you? (By regular mail? Email? Phone?)
(15) If you need to speak to your lawyer after hours, is there
a way to get in touch with them?
It is also a good idea to speak to a few lawyers to see what
they say. This will provide you with a range of prices and see
what different legal strategies, or “game plans” you have available to you. Also, speak to your friends and family about any
good or bad experiences they have had with a lawyer in the past,
or whether they have heard of any of the lawyers you spoke to.
Finally, conduct a google search of the lawyers you spoke to and
their law firms. This will show you any newspaper articles about
them and will give you a feel for them.
Remember that you are the client and the lawyer takes instructions from you. You have the right to ask all the questions you want,
and to fully understand your options. Even after you hire a lawyer,
you can disagree with them and disregard their recommendations.
You can fire your lawyer at any time. If you fire your lawyer and
they refuse to release your file until you pay the bill, you may want
to contact the Law Society to see what your options are.
After you have hired a lawyer, remember to keep your
lawyer updated with any changes in your situation or contact information. If you move, change phone numbers, or anything
call your lawyer to tell them. If you find any additional witnesses
or evidence that would be helpful or harmful to your case tell
your lawyer immediately.
Finally, always always keep a copy of all documents you
give your lawyer and you get from your lawyer. Keep them in
a safe place all together.
Remember, hiring a lawyer is a like hiring a mechanic – you
never want to hire one but when you need one you want a good one!
Good luck and happy hunting!
* Christina J. Cook is a lawyer at Wilder Wilder &
Langtry. Please note that nothing in this article is meant to
constitute legal advice. Should you have a specific legal question, please feel free to contact Christina at 204-957-4031
Have you been charged with a hunting offence?
Or a contravention of the Wildlife Act or Fisheries Act?
Call:
Christina J. Cook
204-957-4031
I defend First Nations
and Aboriginal hunters.
I have successfully helped many First
Nations clients get back their trucks
after being seized by Conservation!
Wilder Wilder & Langtry, barristers & Solicitors
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Page
20
that didn’t get to have teams under the old structure.”
Last season, Wood, 33, coached a juggernaut. The Steam
went 41-1-0 and easily won the Russell Cup as GMHL Champions. The team was led by a Metis player from Winnipeg, former Triple A Midget Warriors and MMJHL Vics forward
Thomas Freeman (1994). The team was one of the best in junior
hockey in the country and included Freeman, who had 14 goals
and 31 points in 31 games plus five Europeans (four Russians
and a Slovakian) and Nathan Johnson from Flin Flon, Man.
Johnson had seven goals and 28 points in 35 games.
He enjoyed the experience so much that he decided to buy
his own franchise.
Anderson Outstanding at
U-16 Football Canada Cup
Winnipeg Metis’
Coach Wood leads
Tottenham to Russell Cup
By Scott Taylor
Photos courtesy Harrison Anderson
By Scott Taylor
Photos by J.P. Goes
It could be argued that Ryan Wood was one of the best athletes ever produced in Manitoba.
He’s an ex-hockey player who still plays slo-pitch and fastball in the Canadian National Team program. As a hockey referee, he made it as far as the ECHL. Now, however, he’s taken
a step past the playing field and moved into the owner’s box.
Wood, whose mother and grandmother hail from Peguis First
Nation, has always been a leader among proud aboriginal athletes in Manitoba. But in the past few months he’s become more
than just a player and coach.
Wood, who also coaches the U-16 Prep Hockey Program at
Toronto’s Everest Academy, spent the last few seasons as the
head coach of the Tottenham Steam in Ontario’s Greater Metro
Junior Hockey League. It’s a 26-team league independent of
Hockey Canada.
“It’s independent of Hockey Canada because it’s a Jr. A like
the MJHL, but we allow European players,” Wood explained.
“The league was formed 11 years ago by Bob Russell, who had
a team in the Metro Toronto Hockey League. Some want to call
it an Outlaw League, but I don’t like that word. We just give
more young people a chance to play high-level junior hockey. I
like to call it an Independent League.
The league’s goals were to increase the international flavor
of Junior Hockey in Central Canada as well as locate and establish teams in the cities and towns passionate about Junior Hockey
I’m hoping I’ll get a chance to play there.”
Wood was pleased to have Freeman on his team for two
seasons.
“He broke his wrist at 19 playing with MMJHL Vics and was
kind of at a crossroads in his career,” Wood explained. “He had
played for me in the Mustangs program in Winnipeg and we’d
always kept in touch. I asked him if he wanted a change of
scenery and we were lucky enough to have him for the past two
seasons. I think because we had so much success, he learned a
lot and became a leader in our locker room.”
For Wood, who has won all sorts of hockey and softball
championships as a player, last year’s GMHL championship as a
head coach and GM was especially rewarding. Considering it led
to the purchase of a junior hockey franchise is probably a bonus.
Seems that over all these years, great aboriginal athletes are
now becoming aboriginal owners.
Ryan Wood/Tottenham Steam
“I was also general manager and a minority owner with Tottenham,” he explained. “Then, the majority owners sold the franchise without even letting me know. At that stage, I looked
around and was able to buy the Alliston Coyotes.
“It was a major move for me because the communities of
Tottenham, Alliston and Beeton, Ont., have been amalgamated
into the community of New Tecumseth. So we’re changing the
name of the Alliston team to the New Tecumseth Civics and
moving into a big, new arena that’s only nine years old.”
Having two solid veteran Manitobans on his team last season
certainly helped with his club’s leadership level. It was especially
satisfying to have Freeman back for a second season.
“I went to high school at College Jeanne Sauve and played
Double A Vics, Triple A Warriors and then spent one year with
the MMJHL Vics,” said Freeman after a workout at NRG in
Winnipeg. “I wasn’t sure what I was going to do but I wanted to
keep playing and I wanted to get better. I had tried out twice for
the Blues and didn’t make so when Ryan offered me a chance, I
thought it would be a great opportunity.
“Ryan was such a great coach, best coach I ever had. We only
lost five games in the two years I was there and won the championship last year. I’m having a meeting with the coach of Briercrest College in the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference and
It has been a pretty good summer for Harrison Anderson. The
15-year-old soon-to-be Grade 11 student at Maples Collegiate
gave up some time with his beloved Cadets to spend more time
playing football.
If nothing else, it was rewarding.
Anderson, a 5-foot-11, 170-pound linebacker from Maples
earned a spot on Manitoba’s U-16 team that participated in the
Football Canada Cup in Saskatoon. The Metis sensation was
so good that his coaches asked him if he’d like to try his hand
at playing defensive end. Like so many good, young players
he jumped at the chance and now, he might have found himself
a new position.
“I worked really hard to make Team Manitoba and when I
was told I had a spot, I was pretty excited,” said Anderson, whose
mom Kim says is a great student and an active volunteer in his
community.
“The coaching staff for the provincial team was the next level
for me,” said Anderson modestly. “Once we got going, they
asked me if I’d like to try defensive end and I said, ‘Sure.’ I ended
up playing defensive end for the U-16 tournament in Saskatoon.”
There was no doubt the provincial coaches wanted to get
Anderson into all the games and realized he was probably the
player who could adapt best to a new position. After all, the
coaches had 10 linebackers on the roster – Anderson, Nathan
Carabatsakis, Luc Jeanson, Josh Ma, Brandon Vandale Colton
Meisner, Braydon Wetendorf, Ethan Sinclair, Carter Wiwchar
and Brandon Palichuk.
In the end, the trip to Saskatchewan with the provincial team
Page
was worth all the work it took to (a) make the team and then (b)
play regularly.
But then again, when you consider the passion with which
Anderson plays, it’s easy to understand it becomes easier to understand why he works as hard as he does.
“I started playing football in the fall of my Grade 9 year,” he
explained. “I started playing junior varsity and then, last season in
Grade 10, I played varsity. The fun part about being a linebacker
is that you get to hit. I’d rather be the hammer than the nail.”
Harrison Anderson Team Manitoba
Harrison’s mom, Kim, is one of his biggest fans. She’s not
only proud of his football achievements, but also his commitment
to the cadets and the fact that “he does really good in school.”
She also wonders, however, if football is becoming his first love.
After all, immediately after his school year ended, he went
out and got a membership at GoodLife Fitness, plus a trainer,
and is already preparing for the 2016 WHSFL season.
“I love everything about football,” Harrison said. “I love
tackling people, I love rushing the quarterback and I love being
around my teammates. I just love everything about the game.”
He also believes that while he’s a linebacker at heart and now
knows how to play defensive end, he could also be a pretty good
runningback.
“I played a little runningback with the JV team in Grade 9,”
he said. “I liked running with the ball. I think if the coaches asked
me, I could play some runningback.”
That’s one of the great things about Anderson: He’s coachable. And he’s impressed with his coaches, as well.
“The coaching was just so great with Team Manitoba,” he
said. “They taught me so much and they gave me so much experience. It’s the best coaching I’ve ever had.
“I also did a Blue Bombers camp before Christmas this year
and I took the bus every day at 6 a.m. so I could get there for the
camp that ran before school. I’m completely committed to football I want to try and see how good I can be. I just love the game.”
Women’s basketball
Robyn boulanger:
The Next One
By Scott Taylor
Some families leave very large footprints. In Winnipeg, that
could certainly be said of the Anderson-Boulanger Family. Especially, when it comes to basketball.
For more than a decade, Jackie Anderson and her husband Marcel (Marty) Boulanger have operated, coached,
nourished and mentored the Anishinabe Pride basketball program in Winnipeg’s North End.
The program has turned out NAIG stars, university players, Team Manitoba leaders and solid,
all-around young men and women. Among
those athletes were Raven and Skylar
Boulanger, two young women who
starred at the University of Winnipeg
Collegiate and then played for the
U of Wesmen. Both are back in
the Anishinabe Pride program
coaching and in 2017 will
coach Team Manitoba’s U17 women’s basketball
team at NAIG in Toronto.
So now along comes
Boulanger No. 3. Her name is
Robyn and it would appear that
she’s “The Next One.”
Robyn, 16, is in her third and final year with
U-17 Team Manitoba (Open) and is currently
playing at the National Championship in
Regina. She has also tried out for Team Manitoba for the 2017 NAIG Games, in hopes of
playing under the coaching guidance of her
older sisters, and has made one of the Top 20
roster positions. She will be informed in the fall, likely over dinner, if she’s made one of the final spots.
She’s an outstanding ball-handler and a good three-point
shooter. However, the key to her skill is her ability to see the
floor and make plays. She says she gets more joy out of a great
pass than a great shot. She’s a leader and a vocal supporter of
the young women on her high school team.
“I started playing because my sisters were playing,” said the
5-foot-5 point- guard who hopes she’s “still growing.”
“I’ve always looked up to my sisters and I want to be like
them, but in our family, basketball is 24/7. We were always playing or coaching smaller kids or volunteering to run camps or help
younger kids. Last week, I ran my own basketball camp at Turtle
Island Community Centre and the North End Y on MacGregor.
That’s kind of what we do.”
21
Robyn will enter Grade 12 at the University of Winnipeg
Collegiate this fall and hopes to earn herself a CIS or NCAA basketball scholarship.
“I eventually to study criminology and go to work for the
RCMP,” she said. “But before that, I’d like to play university
basketball in the CIS or the NCAA. I haven’t talked to any
NCAA schools yet but I’ve spoken to a couple of CIS schools.
I’d be thrilled to play in the CIS. I know, from watching Raven
with the Wesmen that it’s great basketball.”
Naturally, her mom Jackie, is pleased with the direction all
of her daughters lives have taken, thanks in no small way to the
existence of the Anishinabe Pride program. Now, to have a
third daughter excited about attending university because
of basketball gives her, no pun intended, great pride.
“Robyn is a great kid,” said Jackie. “She’s so committed to her studies, but basketball is also six days a
week for her. She also practices her culture to keep
her balanced. She smudges before every game
and puts cedar in her ball shoes to keep her balanced and grounded and safe from injury when
in competition.”
Robyn has also been part of the Basketball
Canada Team at Manitoba's Centre for Performance the last few years. She makes no bones
about the fact that he inspiration comes from,
her sistsers, but her basketball role model is
Shoni Schimmel, a 24-year-old Native American woman who plays professionally in the
WNBA. Raised on the Confederated Tribes of
the Umatilla Indian Reservation in Mission, Oregon, Schimmel was the subject of a documentary by filmmaker
Jonathan Hock called Off the Rez,
which chronicled her journey from a
small high school to an NCAA scholarship and eventually to the WNBA.
“Her inspirations are her big sisters
Robyn boulanger,
U of W Collegiate and Team Manitoba
Raven, who also played provincials when she was a teen and
played NAIG and college basketball and is on an adventure of a
lifetime,” said Jackie. “She was chosen as one of 10 Canadian
aboriginal youth for an internship to work in Africa for five
months.
“Meanwhile, her sister Skylar also played at two NAIG
Games and is going into her fourth year playing CIS for the University of Winnipeg Wesmen. both Skylar and Raven are coaches
for the 2017 NAIG games where they And of course her father
Marty who continues to encourage all of his girls to follow and
chase their dreams.
“Robyn has worked so hard to chase her dreams, she is so
resilient and committed and so proud to always share where she
comes from and who she represents.”
Oil spill leaves Prince
Albert, Sask. with
2-day water supply
An uncontained oil spill has forced Prince Albert, Sask., to stop drawing water from the North
Saskatchewan River and warn residents that its
reservoir could run out by mid-week.
A Husky Energy pipeline leaked an estimated
200,000 to 250,000 litres of oil and oil-thinning
chemicals into the river near Maidstone, Sask.,
before it was shut off on Thursday. The amount
that leaked was approximately what would fit
inside two rail tanker cars.
On Friday, the community of North Battleford stopped drawing water from the river and
turned to well water instead.
Booms were put in place, but they failed to
stop the slick from travelling hundreds of kilometres to Prince Albert.
The city of 35,000 people closed pools, laundromats and carwashes Monday. It warned residents that they will face $1,000 fines if they
water their lawns during the state of emergency.
City workers are attempting to build a temporary pipeline to draw water from the South
Saskatchewan River.
In the meantime, Prince Albert is considering
tapping into a storm retention pond that could
provide up to five more days of water.
So far, less than half of the oil has been
cleaned up, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Lo Cheng. The oil no
longer just on the surface of the water, complicating efforts.
Sam Ferris, from Saskatchewan's Water Security Agency, said that close to 70,000 people
have been affected by the spill and that it could
take weeks -- even months -- to rectify.
Wes Kotyk, from Saskatchewan's Environment Ministry, said that four birds including a
blue heron, a frog and a fish have been found
dead as a result of the spill.
Husky Energy vice-president Al Pate apologized Monday and said the company accepts
“full responsibility for the event and the
cleanup.” He promised to “make things right.”
Pate added that the pipeline was built in 1997
and has been subject to a rigorous corrosion
monitoring program.
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