How Black Lives Matter protests are popping up in small towns across Ontario

'We live in a town where there is still a lot of racism,' Collingwood, Ont. organizer says


Haydn Watters · CBC News · Posted: Jun 11, 2020   

Rallies and solidarity marches sparked by the killing of George Floyd are happening in some of Ontario's smaller communities, including Cobourg, Ont. This group marched the streets of the small town east of Toronto and made a stop in front of the police station. (Submitted by Mallory Ford)


When Marrika Sanders saw the video of George Floyd's murder — the unarmed Black man was killed by a white police officer in Minnesota — she was devastated and knew she had to do something.

Sanders lives in Fort Erie, Ont., the small Niagara border town where protests aren't very common. But she wasn't letting that stop her. Sanders marched the streets of her small town with a pack of other young protesters. She led chants and held a homemade sign which said "Justice 4 George."

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"It's a big deal for Fort Erie, for sure," she said. "I know we're a small town but it matters to us and we wanted to make a difference."

Fort Erie is just one of the smaller Ontario communities where peaceful rallies and solidarity marches have been popping up in response to Floyd's murder. During an arrest Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes.

Sanders took part in the Fort Erie protest because she wanted to speak up for those who have experienced racism in her area. (Submitted by Marrika Sanders)

Bracebridge, Ont., Elliot Lake, Perth and Timmins have all had protests. Each town is home to fewer people and less diversity than the larger centres where protests are taking place.

According to the 2016 census, 265 of Fort Erie's 14,315 people in private households identify as Black. Sanders said she hasn't dealt with racism much herself in Fort Erie, but her family has. Her father lives in the U.S., where he has also dealt with racism and police brutality.

"We're also just across the border ... so it's like, we gotta do something, right?"

Protesters in Fort Erie, Ont., encouraged others to join in. 'We’re a small town but we can make an impact,' said Sanders. (Submitted by Marrika Sanders)
'New step forward'

Grade 12 student Reneé Ficko is used to organizing climate protests, but often has a hard time getting people to join in.

She helped put on a protest in her hometown of Collingwood, Ont., on Monday and was struck by how many came out. The community sits on Georgian Bay, 150 kilometres northwest of Toronto.

"We closed the street down and we marched," she said. "We live in a town where there is still a lot of racism."

Only about 20,000 people live in Collingwood, Ont. Some of Trinity Stephens' friends stayed home because they were nervous but now are keen to participate because of the support they saw. 'If you care, then it shows other people that they should care.' (Submitted by Tom Hannan)

The area's Black population has a storied past, chronicled in a local Black history museum called Sheffield Park.

Trinity Stephens touched on her experiences with racism during a speech at that protest. She said much of it happened at a local high school, where her teachers didn't always stop it. She didn't have a speech prepared and said she spoke from the heart.

"I really didn't realize that I had all of that inside of me," she said, home from her studies at University of British Columbia. "I feel so much lighter."

Trinity Stephens, pictured centre, spoke at the Collingwood, Ont., rally about the racism she had experienced at high school. She said she wasn't prepared to give that speech and started crying. 'I was just really shocked by the turn out.' (Submitted by Tom Hannan)

She too was "shocked" by the turn out and didn't think it was very common for Collingwood. Both Stephens and Ficko plan to attend another protest in town this weekend.

"It makes it more of an accepting place," she said. "This is definitely a new step forward for Collingwood."

'It's not just a few political activists'

Isaac Burke was scrolling through Instagram on Black Out Tuesday and noticed many locals posting a black square. He wanted to see them do more. So, he cobbled together a protest in his hometown of Cobourg, Ont, a small town on Lake Ontario about 100 kilometres east of Toronto.

He made an Instagram account about the protest and days later, hundreds showed up in support. He's home from university because of COVID-19.

"It's not just a few political activists. It's not just a few people online or a few politicians or whoever. It's everyday people," he said. "People think that because it's relatively small, it would never take off. You'd never be able to mobilize people ... but that's not really true."

Isaac Burke, who helped organize the protest in Cobourg, Ont., said his community is predominantly white. 'There definitely is racism in Cobourg. There’s no doubt. There is racism everywhere and Cobourg is absolutely not exempt from that.' (Submitted by Mallory Ford)

As part of the protest, Burke collected donations for six different organizations supporting Black communities.

"You have to do quite a bit if you're genuinely supporting this. You can't act like there's nothing going on. We're tired of seeing people acting like there's nothing going on."

Similarly, Asha Agro thought coordinating a protest would help show support from her own community of Tillsonburg, 60 kilometres southeast of London.

Protesters in Cobourg lined the street, getting honks and fist pumps from those passing. (Submitted by Mallory Ford)

It was her first time organizing, so she was nervous. She said her mom helped her out.

The feedback was mostly positive though she did get complaints about gathering during a pandemic. She understood, encouraging participants to physical distance.

She also had a tricky time tracking down a megaphone but found one.

Asha Agro planned the Tillsonburg, Ont., protest last minute but she wanted to act fast. 'If you think that you are going to take this seriously and you really believe in a cause you can stand up for whatever you want.' (Submitted by Nicki Roy)

"I feel like a lot of people are scared to speak up but now that I have seen a ton of people start doing it more and more," she said.

"[It's] really cool because that means the message is getting out."

REDNECK COTTAGE COUNTRY
Confederate flags still flying in Ontario, prompting call for change
Petitions to ban racist symbol gather signatures as U.S. Marine Corps, NASCAR take a stand
Laura Howells · CBC News · Posted: Jun 13, 2020

A Confederate flag flies over a house in Collingwood, Ont. It was taken down after recent community backlash. (Submitted by Abigail Hitchens)

Kyra Nankivell remembers the first time she saw a Confederate flag. It was around Grade 9, and she was at a party at a friend's house. The flag was draped over a basement couch.

"I felt super uncomfortable," said Nankivell, now 19. She was one of only a few Black students at her high school in Wellington County, Ont.

It wouldn't be her last encounter with the symbol many now associate with slavery and anti-Black racism.

"[One or two] people had them flying out the back of their trucks in my high school," Nankivell said.
Anybody who says that the Confederate flag is not a symbol of hate, or that it is a symbol that is not deeply injurious to people of African descent, really is a person that doesn't know their history very well.- Barrington Walker, Wilfrid Laurier University

Earlier this month, photos of a veteran Belleville, Ont., police officer with the same flag on his shirt and flying from the back of a golf cart sparked outrage. But some Ontarians say it's not an entirely unusual sight, whether waving from trucks, on bumper stickers or flying over homes.

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While some see it as a sign of rural pride or a harmless image from the Dukes of Hazzard TV show, "it's failing to acknowledge what that piece of history actually represents," said Belleville resident Kayla Koomans, who co-organized a vigil in her city following the death of George Floyd.

Confederate flags aren't a daily sighting in her community, Koomans said, but there are still "more than we should be seeing."

Kyra Nankivell, now a student in Toronto, said she felt very alone as a Black high school student in rural Ontario. (Submitted by Kyra Nankivell)

For her fellow co-organizer Sydney Jarvis, it "makes me think that those people who are flying the flag think that people of colour [like me] still deserve to be in slavery."
'Symbol of country living' ignores racist history

Some in Ontario see the Confederate flag as a "harmless symbol of country living, of rural identity," said Barrington Walker, a Wilfrid Laurier University professor who specializes in Black Canadian history. But that ignores the "long history of white supremacy, segregation and Jim Crow" the flag represents, he noted.

The Confederate flag was flown during the Civil War by the secessionist states, notoriously by General Robert E. Lee's army that fought to preserve slavery.

The symbol was later resurrected during the civil rights movement by those opposed to equal rights for Black people, and has since been associated with white supremacist groups like the Ku Klux Klan. To this day, the symbol remains in a corner of the state flag of Mississippi.

Const. Todd Bennett, a 29-year veteran with the Belleville Police Service, is seen on the left riding on the passenger side of a golf cart with a Confederate flag attached, and on the right wearing a T-shirt with the same flag pictured. (Facebook via Katie MacLeod)
The debate has long raged in the U.S. over whether the Confederate flag represents southern pride and states' rights, or racism and hatred.

"Anybody who says that the Confederate flag is not a symbol of hate, or that it is a symbol that is not deeply injurious to people of African descent, really is a person that doesn't know their history very well," Walker said.

How anti-Black racism protests are popping up in small towns across Ontario

For Dwayne Edwards, who is Black, seeing the Confederate flag on vehicles is yet another way he feels targeted in his largely white community of Belleville.

"I think [Belleville] is very friendly for Caucasian people," Edwards told CBC's Ontario Morning. He described being profiled in stores, getting dirty looks and hearing backhanded comments, and said he and his wife, Emily, have decided they don't want to raise their three young boys there.

"I think we need to open the chapter on how we treat Black people on a day-to-day basis," Edwards said.

Emily and Dwayne Edwards live in Belleville, Ont., with their three young sons. (Submitted by Emily Edwards)

Petitions gain momentum

Residents of other Ontario municipalities are petitioning their towns to ban the controversial flag.

Collingwood, Ont., Mayor Brian ​​​​​Saunderson said two "Civil War re-enactors" were flying Confederate flags in his town. One of them recently took the flag down as the petition surged to more than 28,000 signatures.

Clearview, Ont., Mayor Doug Measures has asked for a legal opinion on whether a ban is possible, noting the flags are "not common at all."

Emily Edwards took this photo of a Confederate flag on the rear window of a truck near Belleville, Ont. (Emily Edwards/Facebook)

Jacey Sampson, who started the Clearview petition, said she's "seen this flag my entire life" on car windows and bumper stickers, and believes most people are ignorant about its origin.

Collingwood town council will vote Monday on a motion to look into options for prohibiting "symbols of hate and racial intolerance."

Abigail Hitchens started that town's petition last year after a neighbour hung the Confederate flag in his yard, which she passed each day with her young son. She revived the petition in recent weeks after her son started asking questions about George Floyd's killing, and support took off.

The man flying that flag, Dennis Morris, has now taken it down after community backlash. In a message to CBC, Morris said he participates in Civil War re-enactments, and said to him the flag doesn't stand for racism, "it means history."

Hundreds of people attended Belleville’s march and vigil for Black lives this month. (Submitted by Kayla Koomans)

History of controversy in Ontario

It's not the first time the Confederate flag has sparked controversy in this province. In Hamilton, a man was fired after proudly flying the flag from his truck in 2017. A year earlier, Norfolk County Fair vendors were told to stop selling Confederate flags after complaints.

Last year, a Chatham-Kent councillor refused to take down a Facebook post showing a Dukes of Hazzard "General Lee" toy car, which has the Confederate flag on its roof, after complaints from a local resident. The councillor, Trevor Thompson, told CBC it was a childhood toy, and said only one person had complained.

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Sutton High School, north of Toronto, banned students from wearing Confederate flag paraphernalia in 2013, with some students telling the Toronto Star they saw it as representing "country values" rather than racism. A year later, four teens at the same school were charged with assault after a black student was beaten while onlookers yelled racist slurs.


Georgetown High School had the Confederate flag on team merchandise until 1989, and only dropped "Rebels" from its team name in recent years.


Toronto Coun. Neethan Shan pushed for a ban on the Confederate flag from city-owned spaces and events in 2017 after a Dukes of Hazzard General Lee replica turned up at the Highland Creek Festival.

Belleville Mayor Mitch Panciuk said he does see some decals and licence plates with the flag, but called such sightings "unusual."

Regardless, Kyra Nankivell thinks Ontario should acknowledge its own legacy of racism and consider banning the Confederate flag from public display.

"Even if people don't tie it directly to oppression of Black people and slavery, the fact that a marginalized community does tie it to those things — and it makes them feel uncomfortable — should be a big enough reason."

With files from Ontario Morning and Ryan Patrick Jones

Trans Mountain pipeline shuts as crews clean spill in Abbotsford, B.C.

8 hrs ago

© (Ben Nelms/CBC) Workers are pictured at the Trans Mountain Pipeline in Burnaby, B.C., on June 17, 2019.

ABBOTSFORD, B.C. — A crude oil spill from the Trans Mountain pipeline in Abbotsford, B.C., has been contained and crews are working to clean up the site.

The company says in a news release that an alarm was received early Saturday and the pipeline was immediately shut down as crews went to investigate.

The statement says the pipeline remains closed, an incident command post has been set up to manage the cleanup and local authorities have been informed.

It says an investigation into the cause of the spill is underway and there's no estimated volume of what spilled at the time, but that it has been fully contained.

The Transportation Safety Board says it has also deployed an investigator to the spill that occurred in a pump station.

The Crown-owned pipeline moves about 300,000 barrels of crude per day from Alberta to B.C.'s terminal near Vancouver.

Chantel Moore's family calls for justice, public inquiry during healing walk
Moore, a 26-year-old Indigenous woman, was shot and killed by police in Edmundston June 4

Sarah Morin · CBC News · Posted: Jun 13, 2020

Participants in a healing walk in Edmundston, N.B., carry a sign reading, 'Justice for Chantel Moore.' (Shane Magee/CBC)


Hundreds gathered in cities across New Brunswick and in Halifax on Saturday afternoon to take part in a healing walk in honour of Chantel Moore, the 26-year-old Indigenous woman shot and killed by police in Edmundston, N.B.

Moore's family addressed the crowd of about 100 people at the end of the walk in the Edmundston's town square, asking for justice and a full public inquiry into Chantel's death.

Joe Martin, a relative, said Moore was the second person in the family to die at the hands of a police officer.

"We've been hurt many times," he said. "How can we ever trust any police force? Why should we answer a door for a wellness check?"

Gracie, 6, the daughter of Chantel Moore, hands out cards in memory of her mother at Saturday's healing walk in Edmundston, N.B. (Genevieve Normad/Radio-Canada)

"How in the hell did that happen?"

Moore, originally from Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation in British Columbia, was killed by Edmundston police on June 4 during a wellness check. Her funeral was Thursday. Quebec's independent police investigation agency, the Bureau des enquêtes indépendantes, is investigating the shooting.

The agency is also investigating the death of a man from Metepenagiag First Nation who was shot and killed by RCMP Friday night. Friends and community members have identified the man killed as Rodney Levi, 48.

Mi'kmaq chief says community member fatally shot by New Brunswick RCMP

The silent healing walks began at 1 p.m. ADT Saturday in Edmundston, Fredericton and Moncton. Walkers wore orange-coloured clothing for Madawaska First Nation, which is near Edmundston. Others wore yellow and gold for Chantel Moore, whose favourite saying was "Stay Golden."

Chantel Moore's family led the march in Edmundston.

Joe Martin, a relative of Chantel Moore's, speaks on behalf of the family at the healing walk in Edmundston on Saturday. (Shane Magee/CBC)

Martha Martin, Moore's mother, said all she wants is justice for her daughter.

"Nobody should have to feel afraid," she said.

She called on Indigenous and non-Indigenous people to educate each other so everyone can live in peace.

 

Martha Martin, Chantel Moore's mother, speaks to reporters after Saturday's healing walk in Edmundston. (Shane Magee/CBC)

"We shouldn't have to be afraid of having that wellness call. The message today is we're going to come together as one and that's really important."

She said her heart goes out to families who are experiencing the same thing.

Most attendees wore masks and physically distanced themselve from others. Moore's family wore masks with her name written across it. Moore's six-year-old daughter Gracie gave out cards with her mother's name, photo and a message written on them.

Nora Martin, a relative of Moore's, said Gracie told her she didn't want to die like her mother.

"There's no way on this earth that Chantel should have been shoot five, six times," Nora Martin said. "No way. She did not deserve that."

People silently walk through the streets of Edmundston in memory of Chantel Moore. (Shane Magee/CBC)

Amanda Myran, an organizer of Fredericton's healing walk, said people are understandably angry and sad over Moore and Levi's deaths.

"I think having two Indigenous people killed in Wabanaki territory within the span of eight days speaks to the fact that this is a crisis and it needs to be addressed as such," Myran said.

A man at Fredericton's healing walk carries a sign reading 'Justice for Chantel Moore.' (Gary Moore/CBC)

Jake Stewart, New Brunswick's minister of Aboriginal Affairs, offered condolences to Moore's family and the community of Metepenagiag.

"I'm deeply sorry that this has happened," Stewart said.

Stewart admitted systemic racism exists throughout government. He said the death of Levi has amplified the call for politicians and the public to act.

Edmundston Mayor Cyrille Simard and New Brunswick's Lt. Gov Brenda Murphy also offered condolences.

"I'm shocked, I'm dismayed, I'm saddened and I'm angry that this systemic injustice has happened," Murphy said.

Those who took part in the walk used sacred drums to soothe shared anguish and wore ceremonial skirts and shirts to honour First Nations colours and pride.

Chantel Moore was shot and killed June 4 by police in Edmundston. CBC has permission from Chantel Moore's family to use this photo. (Chantel Moore/Facebook)

Imelda Perley, the former Elder-in-residence at the University of New Brunswick and instructor at the Mi'kmaq-Wolastoqey Centre, said healing is crucial right now.

"Rather than showcasing anger, confusion, fear, I wanted us to unite in solidarity," Perley said Friday. "To pray and to call on our ancestors and allies to walk with us."

During the walk, women carried a bowl of water that was poured into the centre of a healing circle so Moore's family could witness the emotions being given back to Mother Earth.

"Our gift of water is to carry the emotions of all people who are feeling the pain," Perley said.


The healing walk should not be called or be seen as a protest, Perley said. The walk is Ikatomone, which translates to "Let's guard."

"Let's guard our spirits, our languages, our cultural ways of doing things. This is what I wanted to revitalize and remind the next generation that this is how we ask for justice."

With files from Information Morning Moncton, Logan Perley, Shane Magee, Hadeel Ibrahim, Gary Moore
Nova Scotia
Hundreds walk to honour Chantel Moore Saturday in Halifax

The event started in Grand Parade and ended at Halifax police headquarters
CBC News · Posted: Jun 13, 2020
People gather in Halifax's Grand Parade on Saturday before the healing walk in memory of Chantel Moore. ( Olivier Lefebvre/CBC)

About 400 people gathered to take part in a healing walk in memory of Chantel Moore in Halifax on Saturday.

The ceremony for Indigenous peoples and supporters began in Grand Parade around 1:30 p.m., with many dressed in shades of yellow and gold.

Attendees were asked to wear their Indigenous regalia, gold and yellow colours, or rainbows.

Moore's catchphrase was, "stay golden," according to organizers, and shortly after she died a rainbow appeared in the sky.

There are healing walks in many communities this weekend in memory of Chantel Moore. CBC has permission from Chantel Moore's family to use this photo. (Chantel Moore/Facebook)

The event was one of many that happened across Nova Scotia and New Brunswick to honour Moore, the 26-year-old Indigenous woman who was shot and killed by police in Edmundston earlier this month.

Healing walks also took place in Edmundston, Fredericton, Moncton and the Membertou First Nation in Cape Breton on Saturday.

The Edmundston Police Force has said an officer shot a woman during a wellness check June 4 after she threatened him with a knife. The officer was not injured
Halifax organizers said the priority of the event was collective healing, although they also wanted to amplify the message "abolish the police."

They say too many Indigenous and Black lives have been lost at the hands of police.

Moore's funeral was Thursday. Quebec's independent police investigation agency, the Bureau des enquêtes indépendantes (BEI), is investigating the shooting and the province confirmed on Thursday a coroner's inquest will take place.

Walk attendees urged to wear regalia, certain colours
Attendees of the 'Healing Walk K'jipuktuk', the Mi'kmaw name for Halifax, were asked to read through proper protocol composed by Dr. Imelda Perley on the Facebook event.

Perley, the former Elder-in-residence at the University of New Brunswick and instructor at the Mi'kmaq-Wolastoqey Centre, writes that a healing walk should never be called a protest.

"This is not our traditional word, we instead use 'Ikatomone' (eek-gut-moh-neh) which translates to 'let's guard' our way of life, our languages, our ceremonies, our rights to declare justice," she said.

A supporter walks with a sign during the healing walk honouring Chantel Moore in Halifax on Saturday. (Brooklyn Currie/CBC)

Perley said other protocols include using sacred drums, and wearing ceremonial skirts and shirts to honour the First Nations' colours and pride.
Police kill Indigenous man Friday night

A day before the various walks, police shot and killed another Indigenous person in New Brunswick.

Friends and community members have identified the man killed as Rodney Levi, 48, of the Metepenagiag First Nation.

Quebec's BEI is also investigating the shooting, which they said happened in the vicinity of Miramichi, N.B., which is about 32 km east of Metepenagiag First Nation.


Hundreds walk to honour Chantel Moore Saturday in Halifax

A Halifax healing walk to honour First Nations woman Chantel Moore is one of many that took place across New Brunswick and Nova Scotia on Saturday. The 26-year-old Indigenous woman was shot and killed by police in Edmundston earlier this month. 1:00

Levi was shot by a member of the Sunny Corner RCMP during an incident in Boom Road, N.B.

RCMP were called at 8 p.m. local time to respond to reports of a person "possibly armed with a knife."

Officers reportedly found the person in a building with the knife and used a stun gun "several times, without success," said the statement.

The statement said the individual allegedly charged at police and one of the officers fired his gun, hitting the man, who was then given medical assistance and later pronounced dead at a hospital.

The organizers of the Halifax event handed out pamphlets with the names of eight Indigenous people who were killed by police forces in Canada since April. Levi was not among them.

In light of Levi's death, which organizers said was "unbearable," there was no water ceremony.

The people set to lead the ceremony knew Levi, so the event was cancelled to give them room to grieve.

Instead, the walk ended at Halifax Regional Police headquarters on Gottingen Street, where demonstrators led chants and played a grieving song in honour of Moore and Levi.

The event ended at Halifax Regional Police headquarters on Gottingen St. (Brooklyn Currie/CBC)

B.C. woman shot dead during police wellness check had just made fresh start to be with her child, family says

Police say woman emerged from her apartment with a knife and attacked officer  COPS LIE
Yvette Brend · CBC News · Posted: Jun 04, 2020 | Last Updated: June 9

Chantel Moore, 26, was shot by police in New Brunswick early Thursday morning during a wellness check. She died at the scene. CBC has permission from Chantel Moore's family to use the photos included in this story. (Chantel Moore/Facebook)

Chantel Moore, a Vancouver Island woman who died after being shot in New Brunswick by police early Thursday, was kind, gentle and bubbly, and was making a fresh start to be closer to her mother and six-year-old daughter, her family says.

In a statement, the Edmundston Police Force said officers were called to do a wellness check on a woman in an apartment in the city. When they arrived, she emerged with a knife and attacked an officer, Insp. Steve Robinson told reporters on Thursday.

"He had no choice but to defend himself," Robinson said.

Moore, a 26-year-old Indigenous woman, died at the scene.

"I'm pissed. I'm outraged," Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller said Friday in Ottawa.

Miller said that he watched several incidents involving police and Indigenous people yesterday in what he described as "disgust."

"I don't understand how someone dies during a wellness check? Police serve Canadians and Indigenous peoples of Canada — not the opposite. These independent inquires need to bring justice," said Miller.

Watch as Chantel Moore's great aunt, Nora Martin, describes who she was and what questions her family is asking:

Chantel Moore's great aunt, Nora Martin, says she doesn't believe the 26-year-old would act violently toward a police officer and her family wants to know why she was shot. 1:23

His outrage echoes words from Indigenous leaders.

"It's shocking. It's appalling. Policing in North America has just so deteriorated to this point to where we are on the verge of civil unrest here," Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, president of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs, said Friday.

The Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation woman loved dirt biking and swimming, and was devoted to her family, loved ones say.

Moore was born in Edmundston, N.B., but moved to B.C. as a small child and grew up in Nanaimo and Port Alberni, her great-aunt says.

She was adopted by a family from about age four until age 14 but ran away, and was raised by her grandmother after that in Port Alberni.

She'd lived in Port Alberni for the past four years and recently saved money to move away, according to one of her siblings.
'She would never hold a knife'

News of her death has stunned many in the tight-knit Vancouver Island communities.

"She was funny. Bubbly. She was such a little joker," said Melinda Martin, her half-sister from Port Alberni.

Martin said she wants justice.

"She would never hold a knife," she said, sobbing.

Indigenous woman killed by Edmundston, N.B., police during wellness check

Martin said Moore had just saved the money to move to New Brunswick to be closer to her daughter, Gracie, who had been living with Moore's mother.

She said her younger sister was proud and in good spirits. She was off to see her mother and child, then head home.

"She was so excited," said Martin. She says her sister called her every day, and they'd spoken around 10:40 p.m. PT the night before she died.

Not long after, around 1 a.m. PT, Moore's grandmother, Grace Frank, got a call telling her that her granddaughter had been shot in the chest and was dead. 

Suspect turns himself in after racist incident on First Nation near Port Alberni, B.C.

Nora Martin, Moore's great-aunt, spoke for Frank, who could be heard through the telephone, sobbing in the background.

"We heard that one cop went to Chantel's place by himself, and that he shot at her five times and she was trying to attack him with a knife," said Martin.

She believes that a man who dated Moore called police from Montreal or Toronto to ask to check on her well-being because he feared she was being harassed by someone.

Frank was too overcome to speak but posted to her Facebook page. 

"I don't believe this. They were going there to check on her, not kill her. This is not right. Why would they shoot her five times?"


For years, Moore worked at the Tseshaht market and Fas Gas Plus gas station, a pit-stop on the Island Highway.

Tseshaht Coun. Hugh Braker said the news was upsetting, especially given a recent racist attack on the Tseshaht First Nations territory near Port Alberni and ongoing racial tensions with police in Canada and the U.S., with the death of George Floyd underscoring how many police incidents end in the death of a person of colour.

"It just heightens the tension and comes at such a bad time — the shooting of any woman is terrible and tragic at any time," said Braker.

There will be an independent review of the shooting, with the aid of New Brunswick RCMP's investigative and forensic teams, the Edmundston force said.

Editor's note: There have been numerous posts on social media urging the media to remove images of Chantel Moore out of respect to Tla-o-qui-aht cultural traditions. The CBC was provided photos of Chantel by members of her family. The CBC also spoke to Chief Councillor Moses Martin of the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation who said the decision on displaying photographs is at the family's discretion. "We need to get this message out and this young woman has become the face of a societal issue that we want people to understand happens, and should not," he added. 

Moore grew up on Vancouver Island, but left recently to live in New Brunswick where she joined her mother and daughter Gracie, 6. CBC has permission from Chantel Moore's family to use the photos included in this story. (Chantel Moore/Facebook)

Mi'kmaq man fatally shot by New Brunswick RCMP

MIRAMICHI, N.B. — The chief of a New Brunswick First Nation says an Indigenous man shot and killed by the RCMP was troubled, but not a violent person.

Chief Bill Ward of the Metepenagiag Mi'kmaq Nation said Rodney Levi shouldn't have become the province's second victim of a fatal police shooting in less than a month on Friday.

"He had his demons but he was always very friendly, he never tried to harm anybody," Ward said during an emotional Facebook event on Saturday.

© Provided by The Canadian Press Ward says Levi visited his home Friday and talked about wanting to move to Fort McMurray, Alta., for a fresh start.

He said Levi was a slight man who tried to get a mental health assessment at hospital recently, but was refused. Ward said Levi had trouble sleeping in the days before the incident.

"He's not a violent man. He might have poached some salmon but that's it," Ward said from the community about 30 kilometres west of Miramichi.

The RCMP were called to a home after Levi attended a barbecue, where he had planned to seek guidance from a church minister.

Ward said police told him that Levi had two knives in his sweater and threatened officers.

"He wasn't in the right state of mind at that point of time. He wasn't a violent person, so basically to me what it says is that if you're mentally ill and you have a bad day, the cops can kill you for it," said Ward.

"I just want to preserve his memory and not let people twist the story to justify what they did," he said, taking several breaks to regain his composure. "He wasn't some monster that they're going to try to paint him to be."

Ward said community members were going to remember Levi by lighting a sacred fire and holding an ceremony.

The RCMP said officers responded to a complaint about an "unwanted man" in a home near the community at 7:40 p.m. local time on Friday.

© Provided by The Canadian Press"When police arrived, they were confronted by a man who was carrying knives," said RCMP Cpl. Jullie Rogers-Marsh.

She said officers used a stun gun several times but were unable to subdue the man.

An officer then discharged a firearm. The suspect was declared dead in hospital around 9 p.m.

On June 4, Chantel Moore, 26, died after being shot by an Edmundston Police Department officer. Moore, from a First Nation in British Columbia, had moved to the community in northwestern New Brunswick to be near her mother and six-year-old daughter.

Police have said an officer performing a wellness check allegedly encountered a woman with a knife.

"It's an international disaster when you talk about racism," Roger Augustine, the regional chief representing New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, said in an interview.

"Racism is everywhere. It's like a virus, like COVID-19. That's how I see racism. It just seeps through the communities and kills the young people, and the old people."

Quebec's independent police investigation agency, the Bureau des enquetes independantes, is investigating both shootings. New Brunswick does not have a similar agency, which is why the Quebec organization is involved.

On Saturday, the bureau explained in an unsigned statement that it had accepted a request by New Brunswick authorities to determine the circumstances surrounding the death of a 48-year-old man during an RCMP intervention.

The watchdog said it is responsible for informing for keeping in touch with family and while the information is confidential to the bureau, the family representative can choose to share it as they see fit.

The Quebec organization said it will submit a report to the coroner overseeing the probe and the New Brunswick Public Prosecution Service to determine whether charges will be laid.

Levi's death prompted scores of emotional reactions from members of the community.

"My bro Rodney Levi, my childhood friend ... Got tears in my eyes thinking how this happened," wrote Dwayne Everett Ward.

"Shot twice by the police ... I pray for all your family, I know they're hurting right now ... I'm overwhelmed with sadness about all this."

There have been calls for a broader inquiry to examine systemic bias against Indigenous people in the province's policing and criminal justice systems.

Jeremy Dutcher, a New Brunswick-born, classically-trained Indigenous tenor and composer, called out the province's premier on social media, saying he wants to see discussions on issues like police defunding and better social programs .

"I'm really encouraging our leadership in this country to sit down and listen to Indigenous people," Dutcher said. "If the Truth and Reconciliation Commission didn't wake people up ... I hope events like this are starting to make things very clear that we have a real problem in this country."

For Dutcher, those discussions should also include body cameras for police officers.

"When we don't witness, we only have one side of the story," Dutcher said. "Rodney, Chantel, they don't have the chance to tell their side of the story, there's no justice there."

Jake Stewart, New Brunswick's minister of Aboriginal affairs, has said he supports the call, saying the province has a problem with systemic racism toward Indigenous people.

On Friday, the commissioner of the RCMP, Brenda Lucki, issued a statement saying it is her responsibility to ensure the RCMP is free of racism, discrimination and bias.

She also said she struggled with the concept of systemic racism when asked about the issue.

"I did acknowledge that we, like others, have racism in our organization, but I did not say definitively that systemic racism exists in the RCMP," she said. "I should have."

"As many have said, I do know that systemic racism is part of every institution, the RCMP included. Throughout our history and today, we have not always treated racialized and Indigenous people fairly."

Augustine said "systemic racism is not owned by the RCMP."

"And it's not owned by any government in any country. Systemic racism is something that has to be addressed by the community itself, and in this case it's New Brunswick. Racism exists in all peoples. Racism is about judging people. When (you) walk down the streets and you see someone you don't like, you judge their clothing, the colour of their skin .... that's racism."

The six chiefs in the Wolastoqey First Nation in New Brunswick also issued a statement on Levi's death.

"As we have said all week, we are not experiencing isolated incidents, this is just further proof that systemic discrimination is pervasive in this province," they wrote. "We need action now, we cannot afford another tragic loss of life."

Meanwhile, marches were organized in several communities in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia to pay tribute to Moore on Saturday.

The events were followed by "healing walks" in Edmundston, Fredericton and Moncton, N.B., as well as Halifax and Membertou, N.S.

In Halifax, more than 500 people — many of them wearing masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19 — gathered at Halifax City Hall to listen to speeches and Indigenous music before marching through the sun-drenched downtown to the Halifax Regional Police headquarters.

A few protesters carried a banner that read: "Abolish the police."

Organizer Raven Davis told the crowd that Moore's young daughter will grow up mourning her mother every time she sees a police car.

"Chantel's little girl is going to bed tonight without a hug from her loving arms," Davis said. "Most importantly, she will never have he opportunity to know her mother's resilience, strength and beauty."

A private funeral service was held for Moore in Edmundston on Thursday, where she was remembered as a kind soul who united family from both sides of the country.

— With files from Ross Marowits in Toronto, Sidhartha Banerjee in Montreal and Michael MacDonald in Halifax.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 13, 2020.

Metepenagiag First Nation Chief demands answers following N.B. RCMP killing of Rodney Levi

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'I can't justify it. I can't,' Chief Bill Ward said

Gail Harding · CBC News · Posted: Jun 13, 2020 

Rodney Levi, a member of the Metepenagiag First Nation, was shot by a member of the Sunny Corner RCMP during an incident in Boom Road, N.B., on Friday evening. He later died in hospital. (Facebook )

Metepenagiag First Nation Chief Bill Ward is demanding answers after a member of the community in New Brunswick, 48-year-old Rodney Levi, was shot and killed by the RCMP on Friday evening. 

"I can't justify it. I can't," Ward said of Levi's death as he wiped away tears during an address to the community in a Facebook live video on Saturday. "He had his demons but he was always very friendly, but he never tried to harm anybody." 

Ward said he had spoken to Levi earlier Friday and said he was in good spirits but had told him he hadn't slept in a few days. The killing took place in Boom Road, about 30 kilometres from Miramichi, N.B.

New Brunswick RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Jullie Rogers Marsh said members of the Sunny Corner RCMP responded to a report of an unwanted person at a residence at 7:40 p.m. Friday.

"When police arrived they were confronted by a man who was carrying knives," Rogers Marsh said.

She said a stun gun was deployed several times but was unsuccessful. 

"A member of the RCMP discharged a firearm," Rogers Marsh said.She said the man was treated at the scene and taken to hospital but died of his injuries around 9 p.m. The investigation into the fatal shooting of Levi continues Saturday. 

Second death 

Levi's death comes just over a week after Chantel Moore, 26, was shot by a police officer in Edmundston, N.B., on June 4.

The two police shootings are concerning, said Bernard Richard, New Brunswick's former ombudsman. 

Now an adviser with six First Nations communities in N.B. focused on child well-being, Richard said the killing of Levi is particularly disturbing given what what Indigenous communities in the province are already dealing with.
"There's no question it adds to the tension that already exists," Richard said. 

Healing walks are underway across N.B. today in memory of Moore. 

Metepenagiag First Nation Chief Bill Ward was emotional during a 45-minute Facebook Live video Saturday as he spoke to community members about what he knew about Rodney Levi's death. (Bill Ward/Facebook)

Outside agency to investigate

Eight investigators with Quebec's Bureau des enquêtes indépendantes, which investigates cases where civilians are seriously injured or killed in police operations, arrived in New Brunswick Saturday morning after the RCMP had requested its assistance to investigate a police shooting. 

BEI will communicate with the family and "provide them with all relevant information relating to the investigation process as long as this does not interfere with the investigation." 

• Rodney Levi, Chantel Moore shooting deaths put focus on recent police encounters with Indigenous community

• Hundreds walk to honour Chantel Moore Saturday in Halifax

BEI said at the end of its investigation, it will submit its report to the coroner responsible for this investigation in New Brunswick, as well as to the New Brunswick Public Prosecution Service who will determine whether to lay criminal charges against the police officers involved. 

'Terrible relations'

Richard said trust between First Nations communities and police forces across Canada is probably at an all time low. 

"This is just terrible and it adds to the terrible relations that exist now," he said of the most recent killing.  

Richard said the situation overall is deplorable and quite concerning.  

The road between Boom Road and Sunny Corner remains closed as police continue their investigation into the RCMP shooting of Rodney Levi. (Michele Brideau/Radio Canada)

"There's concern now on a number of fronts of more violence actually so it's the last thing that First Nation communities need or that New Brunswick needs." 

Richard said he thinks there needs to be Indigenous expertise involved in the reviews of both deaths so a level of trust is maintained with Indigenous communities. 

Regional chief calls for calm

In a statement, Regional Chief Assembly of First Nations for N.B. and P.E.I. Roger Augustine  also called for  Indigenous leaders to be included in the investigation. 

"The only way we can accept the sincerity of the claims of reform by the RCMP's top brass is to have inclusion of our people and our leaders at the table." 

Augustine said while he understood that emotions are high, he called for people to remain calm and find peace within themselves.

"It is the only way we can heal. Moving forward, my focus will be on the healing of our people as we struggle with indifference and other issues like poverty, mental health and addictions," Augustine said.

U.S. embassy in Seoul displays Black Lives Matter banner in support of anti-racism protests


By Cynthia Kim 

A huge Black Lives Matter banner is seen at the U.S. embassy in Seoul

© Reuters/KIM HONG-JI

A huge Black Lives Matter banner is seen below a LGBT pride flag at the U.S. embassy in Seoul

SEOUL (Reuters) - The U.S. embassy in Seoul draped a huge Black Lives Matter banner on its mission building and tweeted a picture of it in support of an anti-racism campaign across America.

"The U.S. Embassy stands in solidarity with fellow Americans grieving and peacefully protesting to demand positive change. Our #BlackLivesMatter banner shows our support for the fight against racial injustice and police brutality as we strive to be a more inclusive & just society," the embassy tweeted on Saturday, along with the picture of the banner in black and white.

U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Harry Harris retweeted the message, adding "USA is a free and diverse nation... from that diversity we gain our strength."

Black Lives Matter protests are being held across the globe as part of campaigns focusing on social injustice following the death of George Floyd in police custody, but the banner is seen as a rare, open support for the protest by an appointee of President Donald Trump after Trump linked violent protests to "thugs."

No comment was immediately available from the embassy on Sunday.

The embassy also made some waves last year when it displayed a rainbow banner in support of the LGBTQ community.

Harris, a 40-year veteran of the U.S. Navy who started in Seoul in 2018 after Trump appointed him, has privately said that he is planning on exiting his position before the end of the year.

(Reporting by Cynthia Kim; Additional reporting by Josh Smit; Editing by Kim Coghill)

Saskatoon Black Lives Matter march joins call to end of racism, police brutality

© Nathaniel Dove / Global News 

Black Lives Matter demonstrators stand outside of the Saskatoon Police Services headquarters, on 25th Street.

One thousand people marched through downtown Saskatoon on Saturday in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement.

The demonstration began at noon in Kiwanis Park with speeches by organizers, guest speakers and the singing of "Lift Every Voice and Sing".

“I’m not free while any other woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own. And I’m not free as long as one person of colour remains chained,” said Natalya Mason, quoting poet Audre Lorde.

READ MORE: Lloydminster man paints Black Lives Matter message, turns fence into public canvas

It was the third demonstration in Saskatoon and just one of many that have taken place around the world since George Floyd, a Black man, died when a white police officer knelt on his neck for almost nine minutes.

Several speakers, including Mason, led the crowd in saying the names of people who have died in police incidents, like Breonna Taylor and Regis Korchinski-Paquet.

Many people in the crowd wore shirts or held signs that said "Black Lives Matter" and "Indigenous Lives Matter".

Organizers, a group called Black Lives Matter YXE, told Global News they would only speak to the media after the event finished. The march concluded after the deadline and no interview was possible.

A Facebook event post described it as a “peaceful rally and march to stand in solidarity with the global Black Lives Matter movement.”

It also asked participants to wear personal protective equipment.

The march travelled from Kiwanis Park to the headquarters of the Saskatoon Police Service.

A truck, with a microphone and speakers on the back, enabled those giving speeches to lead the crowd in chanting “Black Lives Matter.”

One speaker, who organizers only named as “Justice”, demanded the police, in Saskatoon and in Canada, be held accountable for the Indigenous women and girls who have gone missing or been murdered in the country and for Starlight Tours -- when police would pick up people in their vehicles in the winter, drive them outside of town and leave them.

“How many of you know people like George Floyd? How many of you know people who are going about their daily lives and they are stopped because… their skin is seen as a problem to be dealt with?” said one organizer.

“I’ve lived my whole life in the United States of America and I’ve never experienced the racism and the violence that I’ve experienced here in Saskatoon,” she added.

Tunde Basharon said he had faced racism his entire life.

“I’ve always felt helpless against it. So now that I have a chance to do something about it, why wouldn’t I?” he said.

“Sometimes it’s hard walking down the street just because you see the awkward glances, you see the awkward stares. Sometimes you go into a store (and) it’s very awkward (because) you can see the people are clearly staring at you.

He said he hoped the marches would help people understand that everyone deserves to be equally treated.

“As a child, you never really think of race, or you never really think of a person as a different colour — you think of that person as just being another person,” he told Global News.

“If, somehow, everybody can connect to those roots and see us as people rather than our skin colour then I think everything… could definitely be better.”

Next, the march walked to city hall, where some speakers spoke about racism in the education system.

Nisa Bano said she took part in the march to learn about the issues and support those suffering from racism.

“Anywhere there is injustice happening we have to make sure that we all are standing against it together,” she said.

“Just because we don’t face (racism) ourselves or we don’t hear about it doesn’t mean that it doesn’t exist.

Ahead of the event the organizers said in a Facebook post the Saskatoon police weren’t welcome to participate.

Officers directed traffic, tweeted out crowd size and road closures as they happened and largely kept their distance.

A watch commander told Global News no one was arrested and no property was damaged.

The sole confrontation was verbal -- an organizer directed traffic to leave -- and only lasted a few minutes.

'Their time has come': Calls increase for removal of statues linked to colonial legacy

TORONTO -- As statues and monuments of leaders from bygone eras are being toppled in response to growing calls to end systemic racism and discrimination, the sentiment is also growing here in Canada.

Just this week, protesters in Belgium vandalized a statue of King Leopold II, whose rule of Congo led to the death of 10 million people. At Oxford University, there are calls to remove a statue of Cecil Rhodes, an architect of the apartheid. And in Bristol, England, a statue of slave trader Edward Colston was dragged through the streets and dumped into the harbour.

Meanwhile in the United States, several statues honouring Confederate generals and slave owners have also been taken down in response to the anti-Black racism protests spurred by the killing of George Floyd.

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Canada is not immune to this, either. A Change.org petition calling for the removal of a Sir John A. Macdonald statue in Montreal has received more than 10,000 signatures as of Wednesday evening.

Macdonald, Canada’s first prime minister, was an architect of the residential school system and led starvation tactics against Indigenous people in the Prairies.
Read more: Thousands of Montrealers want Sir John A. Macdonald taken down

“He was very proactive in starvation of Indigenous people, so why would we want a statue of him?” said Nakuset, executive director of the Native Women’s Shelter of Montreal.

David MacDonald, a political science professor at the University of Guelph, told CTV News Channel that he believes these statues should be taken down.

“(Macdonald) certainly was the architect of several genocides in Canada, therefore I think it’s time that we continue to address his legacies and there shouldn’t be bridges and schools and all sorts of things named after someone who so blatantly went out to destroy Indigenous nations in this country,” he said.

Montreal Mayor Valerie Plants told reporters on Wednesday that there are no immediate plans to take down the statue, but she is looking at ways to address systemic racism in the community.

“There is also an opportunity to create a dialogue between what was the past and what was right then or what was acceptable then, where at one point we're like, as a society, ‘enough,’” she said.

A similar statue of Macdonald was taken down in Victoria, B.C., in 2018. Its artist said he is ashamed to admit that he didn’t know about residential schools until after he crafted the statue and now believes these monuments should also be taken down.

“We still need to confront our racism towards Indigenous people and if we have to tear down a few sculptures, great,” said John Dann.

Similar petitions in Toronto are calling for the city to rename Dundas Street, which is named after Henry Dundas, who delayed the abolition of slavery in the British Empire, and for Ryerson University to take down its statue of the school’s founder Egerton Ryerson, who also helped develop the residential schools.

Both petitions had more than 4,000 signatures by Wednesday evening.

“These sorts of statues are supposed to represent, in a way, the past, but also the kind of society we want going forward and if they’re giving lessons that are only negative, especially to younger generations of people, then I think they need to come down,” said MacDonald.

Halifax has also had its own controversial statue recently taken down. A monument to Edward Cornwallis, the city’s founder who offered cash bounties to anyone who killed a Mi’kmaw person, was removed in 2018 following increased public pressure.

MacDonald also argues monuments to people like James McGill, the founder of McGill University who was also a slave owner, and Sir. Wilfrid Laurier, who played a role in residential schools, should also be removed.

“These types of people, their time has come,” he said.

Others are wary of the removal of statues, however.

“I think we have to be careful judging the past with our modern sensibilities, so to speak” said Leo Deveau, a historian based out of Halifax.

Additionally, some art historians believe the best course of action is to put these statues into a museum, where they can preserved, but there can be additional context into the person’s life and actions.

Growing calls to rename Winnipeg school over namesake's link to apartheid

Some are pushing for the name of Cecil Rhodes School in Winnipeg to be changed. CTV’s Mason Depatie reports.

WINNIPEG -- A Winnipeg school's name is raising concerns over its namesake's link to apartheid.

Cecil Rhodes School was founded on Elgin Avenue back in 1909.

The school is named for Cecil Rhodes, a prominent 19th-century British figure

His accomplishments landed his name on the Winnipeg school, but his history isn't without fault. His policies while Prime Minister of the Cape Colony, a British colony in what is now South Africa, paved the way for apartheid.

"Hearing about Cecil Rhodes and what he has done and his background and criteria, I have a hard time being okay with his name to be on an educated school system building," said Aaron Sinclair, a parent at Cecil Rhodes School.

Aaron Sinclair is one of many parents at the school who thinks it's time for a new name.

That's why a teacher from another school division who once had a job interview at the school, created a petition to change it.

"I think leaving his name on the school leaves it in a place of honour instead of acknowledging values have changed," said Jill Sutherland, the petition creator.

The petition has gathered more than a thousand signatures in only a few days. Sutherland said the petition isn't about erasing history.

"We should absolutely remember why the school was named after Cecil Rhodes in the first place, and we should document the change," said Sutherland.

The school board trustee representing the ward has taken notice of the growing movement.
]

"I see this as an opportunity to revaluate who we choose to honour and why," said Jennifer Chen, Ward 6 Trustee of the Winnipeg School Division.

Chen is putting forward a motion to start name changing consultations.

She said she'd like to see the students heavily involved in the discussion of a new name – something Sinclair and his grade 7 daughter agrees with.

"I think that's the best way. I believe especially with our youth if we can't educate them, if we can't fix our past, I don't know how we can move ahead with the future," said Sinclair.

Trustee Chen's motion will be read for the first time on Monday, and then be up for debate at the next board meeting, likely in September.

Back in June of 2019, a Vancouver public school removed Cecil Rhodes's name from its campus.

There is also debate at Oxford University in the U.K., where there are calls to remove a statue of Cecil Rhodes.