Environment commissioner warns Canada failing to protect commercially valuable fish

OTTAWA — The federal government is biased against listing commercially valuable fish as species at risk and needing protection, environment commissioner Jerry DeMarco said in a new audit.



The audit of Canada's efforts to protect aquatic species at risk was one of six new environmental reports tabled in the House of Commons.

Most of them focused on Canada's efforts to protect biodiversity and keep the estimated 80,000 different species living in its borders from dying off.

"Our reports today demonstrates Canada's biodiversity is at serious risk," DeMarco said.

Under the Species at Risk Act, the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada assesses different species and recommends whether they should be added to lists of species that are endangered or threatened.

Individual departments then review those assessments and make a recommendation to the environment minister that a specific plant or animal be listed as needing protection under the act.

In the review on aquatic species at risk in particular, DeMarco found Fisheries and Oceans Canada was very slow to act when one of those assessments said a particular aquatic creature or plant is in danger.

And when that assessment relates to a fish with significant commercial value, the department's default appears to be against listing the fish as needing special protection.

"Unfortunately, short-term economic concerns can trump the need for long-term measures to protect the species and we're seeing ... that there's a bias against protecting species with commercial value," DeMarco said.

In all, DeMarco's audit looked closely at nine fish, two mussels and a sea turtle that the endangered wildlife committee assessed as needing protection.

Four of the fish, both mussels and the loggerhead sea turtle, all deemed to have no significant commercial value, were all recommended to be listed as species at risk by Fisheries and Oceans.

Five of the fish were marine species with significant commercial value, and in all five of those cases, the department opted against listing the fish as a species at risk.

That includes the Newfoundland and Labrador population of Atlantic cod, steelhead trout, the Okanagan population of chinook salmon, yellowmouth rockfish and Atlantic bluefin tuna.

The report says a moratorium on commercial fishing of the Newfoundland cod was put in place in 1992 and twice since then the wildlife committee assessed it as being "endangered," meaning it faces imminent danger of going extinct.

Listing a species as endangered under the Species at Risk Act would mean it could not be killed, harmed, harassed or captured.

The first assessment on Newfoundland cod came in 2003, and it took three years for Fisheries and Oceans to review the finding. In 2006, the federal department decided against adding it to the Species at Risk Act list, and allowed some inshore fishing and Indigenous harvesting to continue.

In 2010, the committee assessed the Newfoundland cod as endangered a second time. Twelve years later, Fisheries and Oceans still has not finished a review to determine what to do with that assessment.

DeMarco also found it took the department far too long to conduct its own reviews, noting the average time from an assessment to a review was almost four years.

He said Fisheries and Oceans hasn't finished its review for half the 230 aquatic species that the wildlife committee recommended for an at-risk designation since the Species at Risk Act took effect in 2004.

Furthermore, the department was found to have big gaps in what it knows about species that need protection, and not enough staff to enforce protections when they are put in place.

Fisheries Minister Joyce Murray said Tuesday Canada has "some real challenges" when it comes to protecting aquatic species and committed to looking closely at how the department can respond to assessments faster.

But she said the Species at Risk Act is only one "tool" available to the department to restore a species when its numbers fall below a specific limit. She pointed to a renewed Fisheries Act that she says requires a rebuilding plan when numbers of a particular species are identified to be a concern.

The commissioner's fall audits also looked at policies to manage low- and intermediate-risk radioactive waste, which accounts for 99.5 per cent of all radioactive waste in Canada.

DeMarco said Natural Resources Canada, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission and Atomic Energy of Canada were doing a good job managing the waste.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 4, 2022.

Mia Rabson, The Canadian Press

I WILL SUPPORT YOU

'Embarrassing and humiliating': PQ leader seeks support against swearing oath to King

QUEBEC — Parti Québécois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon is insisting he can take office without swearing an oath to the King — even if the secretary general of the legislature has told him otherwise.


'Embarrassing and humiliating': PQ leader seeks support against swearing oath to King© Provided by The Canadian Press

The PQ leader has vowed not to pledge allegiance to King Charles III, to whom elected members must swear an oath before they can sit in the legislature. Members are required to swear two oaths before taking office: one to the King and another to the Quebec people.

St-Pierre Plamondon, leader of a sovereigntist party that advocates for Quebec's independence from Canada — and from colonial procedures and traditions — told reporters Monday he sent letters to the leaders of the three other parties that won seats in the Oct. 3 election, asking for their support.

"We are faced with a question that goes beyond the usual divisions and traditional political parties," St-Pierre Plamondon told a news conference in Quebec City, adding he was confident if each elected member was asked privately, the vast majority would find taking the oath "embarrassing and humiliating."

“The King of England is the (head of) the Church of England," the PQ leader said. "In what universe are we going to force an elected Quebecer from a state based on secularism to swear loyalty, an oath to the king of a foreign state who, moreover, is the head of a church which, in my case, absolutely does not correspond to my ideas or convictions?”

In the past, elected members of separatist parties have all pledged allegiance to the Crown. Article 128 of the Canadian Constitution Act states that members must take an "Oath of Allegiance" to the King. Quebec's National Assembly Act, meanwhile, requires that members swear allegiance to the "people of Quebec."

Related video: PQ leader wants oath to Canada’s monarch to be optional
Duration 1:52  View on Watch

There is no sanction in Quebec law for members who do not swear an oath to the King and no mechanism to block access to the legislature. It is unclear how St-Pierre Plamondon thinks Quebec can overturn federal law, but he said last week he has legal opinions demonstrating that the legislature isn't obliged to take action against officials who reject the oath to the King.

St-Pierre Plamondon, who won his seat in the Montreal riding of Camille-Laurin on Oct. 3, said several times during the campaign that he would not take an oath to a foreign crown. The PQ leader also wrote a letter to Siegfried Peters, the legislature's secretary general, requesting that the oath to the Quebec people be sufficient for members.

In response, Peters told St-Pierre Plamondon — in a letter made public Monday — that federal law is "very explicit" and that the secretary general cannot modify the rules on his own.

“The possibility of modifying or abolishing the Oath of Allegiance has already been raised in the (legislature)," Peters wrote. "To date, however, the (legislature) has not taken any action in this regard, and it is not for me to take a decision on this subject.

"Therefore, until the law evolves … I must enforce the one that is in force."

He concluded by saying he was hopeful “that these details will allow you to properly assess the scope of a refusal to take one of the two oaths at the start of the 43rd legislature."

Elected members of the four parties that won seats in the Oct. 3 are scheduled to attend swearing-in ceremonies this week, with St-Pierre Plamondon's turn coming Friday. The PQ leader has previously said he and the two other elected members of the party, Pascal Bérubé and Joël Arseneau, will all forgo the oath to the King.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2022.

The Canadian Press

Iranian female athlete removes headscarf during international competition in act of defiance

Lynn Chaya - 8h ago - National Post

While Iran faces its second month of brutal crackdowns on dissidents, one Iranian athlete chose to stand with her fellow protesters in an act of defiance against the regime’s mandatory hijab law.


A screengrab of Iranian athlete Elnaz Rekabi preparing to scale a wall during the IFSC Climbing Asian Championship finals in Seoul on October 15, 2022.

Elnaz Rekabi, a 33-year-old Tehran native, is one of the Iran’s top climbing athletes. She is one of only two Iranian women to compete in public without a headscarf.

A viral video on social media showed Rekabi at the IFSC Climbing Asian Championship finals in Seoul over the weekend scaling a wall with her hair tied in a ponytail.

“Sports can be highly political,” tweeted European Member of Parliament Hannah Neumann.

Rekabi’s qualms over competing with a headscarf date back to 2016. In a Euronews interview , she stated that the hijab is an obstacle while competing.

“At the beginning, it was a little bizarre for the other athletes who were curious about a girl wearing a scarf on her head and an outfit that covered the arms and legs whilst competing inside in such a hot temperature,” she said.

“For sure when it’s hot, the hijab becomes a problem. During competition your body needs to evacuate the heat. But we have tried to create an outfit ourselves that respects the hijab and is compatible with practicing the sport of climbing.”

As one of only a few female climbers in Iran, she hoped to be an inspiration to women trying to break into the scene.

John Baird: The West ignores the plight of Iranian women at its own peril

Iran prison fire kills four, injures 61 as protests persist

Related video: Iranian athlete competes without Hijab; Elnaz Rekabi tosses Islamic Republic's diktat in the air
Duration 2:21 View on Watch

“My friends congratulate me and encourage me to continue. But it is true that every time people ask me about what I do they are stunned. A female climber? But on a positive note it does help other girls to come out and practice this sport.”

After this weekend’s competition, Rekabi’s fans supported her message.

Iranian journalist Sima Sabet stated that Rekabi may not be allowed to participate in Iran’s national team again as a consequence of removing the hijab.

Female boxer Sadaf Khadem paved the way with firsts for athletes in Iran. In 2019, she became the first female boxer since the Iranian Revolution to compete in an official boxing contest, the first Iranian woman to win an official match and the first to remove the hijab during competition.

During her first highly publicized match in Royan, France in 2019, against opponent Anne Chauvin, she respectfully removed her headscarf and replaced it with a blue headguard and gumshield, and opted for shorts and a t-shirt in the colours of the Iranian flag.

“I confounded the rules of my country,” Khadem told the Guardian . I wasn’t wearing a hijab, I was coached by a man — some people take a dim view of this.”

On April 16, 2019, two days after her fight, Khadem cancelled her flight to Iran. Her representative told Reuters that the authorities had issued arrest warrants for both her and her coach Mahyar Monshipour. She has remained in France after seeking asylum.

In a recent interview with Arab News, she said France offered her freedom and protection.

“I lived in Iran, I know what it’s like to be a woman living in Iran,” she said. “Being a woman is really hard.”

She expressed her solidarity with those fighting back home.

“If I don’t speak up today I will regret it tomorrow, she added.

“I stand by the Iranian people until the day Iran becomes free. I am their soldier, I am a champion in the eyes of the Iranian people. I stand by them until the end for freedom and for human rights.”

Female athlete represents Iran without hijab at overseas climbing competition


Female athlete represents Iran without hijab at overseas climbing competition

SOMAYEH MALEKIAN and MORGAN WINSOR
Mon, October 17, 2022 

A female athlete from Iran did not wear a hijab at an international competition over the weekend in open defiance of her country's mandate, amid fierce protests against the Islamic Republic's restrictions on women's dress.

Iranian sport climber Elnaz Rekabi, 33, was seen competing without the Islamic headscarf at the International Federation of Sport Climbing's Asian Championships in Seoul on Sunday. Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, women are required to wear a hijab in Iran. They must also abide by the mandatory rule outside Iran when they are officially representing the country abroad.

MORE: Students in Iran say they will continue to protest despite warnings, threats from regime

Rekabi is believed to be one of the first Iranian female athletes to disobey the hijab requirement -- a move that was widely praised by observers on social media as "historic," "daring," "courageous" and "powerful." Sadaf Khadem, 27, was bare-headed and wore shorts when she became the first female Iranian boxer to win an overseas fight in 2019. Khadem had intended to return to Tehran after the competition but was forced to stay in France, after Iranian authorities reportedly issued an arrest warrant over her violations of the strictly enforced Islamic dress code. Iranian women who don't cover up in public are routinely arrested by the country's morality police.

PHOTO: Elnaz Rekabi representing Iran during the International Federation of Sport Climbing's Asian Championships in Seoul on Oct. 16, 2022. (International Federation of Sport Climbing/YouTube)

Rekabi got to the final round of the weeklong annual Asian Championships and finished in fourth place on Sunday. The Iran Mountaineering and Sport Climbing Federation announced the result on its website alongside an undated image of Rekabi wearing a hijab. Rekabi did not immediately respond to ABC News' request for comment on Monday, while telephone calls to the Iran Mountaineering and Sport Climbing Federation went unanswered.


MORE: Iranian teenage protester's death sparks global outcry, alleged threats to family from regime

Large-scale protests have swept across Iran in recent weeks, sparked by the death of a young woman who was detained by the morality police for breaching the dress code. Mahsa Amini, 22, died in police custody in Tehran on Sept. 16, three days after she was arrested over allegedly wearing her state-mandated hijab too loosely. Iran requires women to don the garment in a way that fully covers their hair while in public.

PHOTO: In this Sept. 24, 2022 file photo people take part in a protest following the death of Mahsa Amini in front of the United Nations headquarters in Erbil, Iraq, Sept. 24, 2022. (Azad Lashkari/Reuters, FILE)

Iranian police have denied that Amini was mistreated. They said she suffered a heart attack at the police station and died after being in a coma for two days. Amini's family said she had no history of heart issues and that they were prevented from seeing her body before she was buried, according to The Associated Press.

Female protesters in Iran have been seen taking off their headscarves and cutting their hair to show solidarity with Amini. The movement has garnered global attention, with people around the world taking to the streets in support of the Iranian protesters.

MORE: Student protesters in Iran tear-gassed, arrested by police: Report

The widespread demonstrations in Iran have been met with a brutal crackdown by authorities, who are disrupting internet access and allegedly using both excessive and lethal force. Nearly 8,000 protesters have been arrested and at least 240 have been killed, including 32 children, according to U.S.-based rights monitor HRANA.

Female athlete represents Iran without hijab at overseas climbing competition originally appeared on abcnews.go.com

Quebec elects record number of women, but will they be named to key cabinet roles?

MONTREAL — Quebecers made history when they elected a record number of women to the province's legislature, but political observers say more is needed to ensure equality between men and women in politics.



Of the legislature's 125 seats, 58 are represented by women, including 41 of the 90 seats won by the Coalition Avenir Québec led by Premier François Legault. That number broke the previous record of 52 women elected during the 2018 general election.

Esther Lapointe, executive director of Groupe Femmes, Politique et Démocratie, a Quebec organization that advocates for more women in politics, said the increase is good news. But for real equality to be achieved, she said, women need to be represented in the places where decisions are made, including the premier's cabinet and among his political advisers.

"I believe that things will really change when not only in the forefront, but in the background, behind the scenes we also have more female political advisers, with their ideas, their experience, their expertise," she said. "We don't want to replace the guys, we want to share the decisions, discussions; we want to be at the table where the decisions are made."

Lapointe is also calling for Legault to appoint a gender-balanced cabinet — and to maintain parity throughout the next mandate. The women named to cabinet, she said, should have important portfolios.

In 2018, Legault appointed 13 men and 13 women to his cabinet, but after three months, then-environment minister MarieChantal Chassé resigned and was replaced by a man: Benoit Charette. When the 2022 election was called, Legault's cabinet consisted of 16 men and 11 women.

"We saw that there were women who were penalized while men who were not always exemplary in their files remained in cabinet," she said. "I have a question about that: is there a double standard?"

Legault has said his new cabinet will consist of between 40 per cent and 60 per cent women.

Pascale Navarro, author of "Women and Power: The Case for Parity," a 2015 book that explored how gender parity could be achieved in politics, said the results of the Quebec election are "excellent" — but she said women need more support in politics.

Related video: CAQ wins in Quebec with largest majority in decades
Duration 2:19  View on Watch

"It's an excellent result in terms of the number — you can't argue with that. You have to recognize that the parties have made efforts to recruit female candidates, so it's an excellent thing."

However, she said it's not yet clear that with more women in politics comes more female-related issues on the top of the agenda. Prioritizing issues that affect women is important, Navarro said, especially following the COVID-19 pandemic, which had a major effect on female-dominated fields such as health care and education.

Navarro said that while the parties are doing a better job at recruiting female candidates, they need to ensure they retain them after they are elected — around a quarter of the women who were elected in 2018 didn't run four years later.

"It's not just about finding women, you also have to support them. And in this regard, I have not found that Coalition Avenir Québec has done a lot to ensure its capacity to retain women," she said, using the example of former environment minister Chassé.

Shortly after the 2018 election, Chassé didn't perform well during a few news events. Legault initially supported her, but then said it was "mutually agreed" she should leave that position.

“I think (Chassé) started to understand her file well — she’s an engineer, a businesswoman — but communicating with journalists was difficult,” Legault told reporters at the time.

Navarro suggested Chassé would have been treated differently if she was a man.

"Why wasn’t she supported when there are plenty of other ministers who made gaffes? Men who made a lot of gaffes remained in office, and they had a team around them, to help them, to support them, to equip them. I would expect the same for women."

Danielle Pilette, a political science professor at Université du Québec à Montréal, said there are still barriers to women entering politics. Labour shortages in daycares, for instance, have contributed to a reduction in spaces, making it more challenging for women — especially for those who don't live in the provincial capital and need to travel to the legislature.

As well, female politicians are often targeted on social media more hatefully than men are, Pilette said in an interview Wednesday.

But despite the increase in women holding elected office in Quebec, power remains centralized in the premier's office, a growing phenomenon across the country. Whether members are men or women, Pilette said, they all have to toe the party line.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 6, 2022.

Jacob Serebrin, The Canadian Press

VANCOUVER ISLAND
State of emergency declared on B.C.'s Sunshine Coast because of drought

Karin Larsen - TODAY

A state of local emergency declared on the Sunshine Coast because of drought includes an order for breweries, water bottlers and non-medical cannabis growers to shut down water use starting at 11:59 p.m. P.T. on Tuesday.


An aerial photo shows historic low levels on Chapman Lake on Sept. 21, 2022. 

The Sunshine Coast Regional District depends on the lake for its water supply.

© Sunshine Coast Regional District

According to the order, the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) has secured the water supply through early November but is using the emergency order "to further secure and expand water supply should there be no significant rainfall on the Sunshine Coast in the coming weeks."

A state of local emergency has also been declared by the District of Sechelt and the shíshálh Nation.

"We have unfortunately been left with no choice but to order non-essential large commercial users to cease their use of drinking water," said SCRD Board Chair Darnelda Siegers.

"At this time, we must prioritize our water supply for essential use by residents, the Sechelt Hospital and fire protection."

Swimming pools, cideries, distilleries, and companies involved in concrete, cement, asphalt, gravel and aggregate installation, repair or cleaning are also included in the list of non-essential businesses ordered to "cease use of treated drinking water" by the deadline.

The Sechelt Aquatic Centre is closing Tuesday night until the order is lifted, according to the district. More information on the status of community pools in Gibsons and Pender Harbour is expected in the coming days.

Related video: Parts of NSW bracing for more flash flooding as wild conditions lash eastern states

Duration 2:47 View on Watch

The SCRD said it is still awaiting responses from provincial and federal ministries about changing the water release pattern from the area's main reservoir at Chapman Lake.

The district has asked for a reduction in the amount of water released from the lake into Chapman Creek to support fish and the creek's aquatic ecosystem in order to preserve it for human consumption.

The owner of Persephone Brewing Company said the tricky part for his business is not knowing how long the order will last.

"My feelings are a small pang of panic, a sense of urgency and deep concern for my company, employees and community," said Brian Smith. "My thoughts are, alright, let's get to work to solve this."

Irrigation on farms in the area, including one owned by Persephone, was halted Aug. 31 when all outdoor water use was banned with the introduction of Stage 4 water restrictions.

Smith said the state of local emergency will put a halt to beer production now too, but that the brewery and store will remain open, selling off products it has in inventory.

The Sunshine Coast hasn't seen significant rain in over 100 days. This is the fourth time in the last seven years the region has experienced significant drought.

An infrastructure project proposed in 2017 to increase the Chapman Lake water supply by downgrading a Class A provincial park to install a new pipeline was turned down by the provincial government.

Smith said it's frustrating, given that climate change is here, that the district hasn't been able to do better planning and forecasting to manage the issue.

"It's not surprising that climate events are hitting businesses like ours hard," he said.

"The more important piece is to recognize that climate change is very real, and it's coming at us fast. If farmers are the first victims of it, then small businesses like ours are perhaps the next victims."

Steven Lewis: Saskatchewan needs an occupational therapy school — now


A century’s worth of scientific and medical progress has conditioned us to think that humanity will eventually fight off what nature and time have in store for us.

The University of Saskatchewan Campus is seen in this aerial photo of Saskatoon, SK taken on Sept. 13, 2019. (Saskatoon StarPhoenix/Liam Richards)© Provided by Leader Post

It’s search-and-destroy medicine: Find the genetic, physiological and biochemical causes of disease and outfox them. There is just enough success — some cancers largely beaten, some surgeries remarkably restorative — to sustain the triumphalist narrative.

Yet that vision remains largely a mirage and a virus has reminded us that we haven’t even mastered the basics. Meanwhile, 20 per cent of the population, and nearly half of those over 75, live with a disability. Their goals are more prosaic: Function as independently as possible for as long as possible.

An 85-year-old is less at risk from high blood pressure than not being able to cook a meal or safely take a shower. It’s not the dying of the light we should rage against. It’s the failure to meet the needs of people who aren’t looking for miracles, but a little ingenuity to help them get on with their lives on their own terms.

Forty-odd years ago, I was the research director for the Saskatchewan Task Force on Rehabilitation that laid out a comprehensive plan to modernize and expand rehabilitation services. Delivered in 1980 it was (like a hundred other reports) received, ritually praised and largely ignored.

There’s no trace of it today; it was never digitized and you’d have to go to a library to find a copy.

I lived in Saskatoon at the time, and drove to and from Regina meetings with Margaret Tompson, a task force member and legendary occupational therapy leader and advocate. I was in my 20s, still young enough to be educable.

Margaret used my car as a makeshift classroom where she taught the occupational therapy catechism. Its mission is to free people from limitations imposed by diminished physical, mental or emotional capacities.

Occupational therapists look at people’s total circumstances — individual, environmental, social — and design workarounds tailored to their realities, from exercises to improve balance to assistive devices to modifying the kitchen.

Saskatchewan has university programs in medicine, dentistry, nursing, physical therapy, pharmacy and nutrition and kinesiology. Historically, the medical school has exported more graduates than it has retained. To this day, rural Saskatchewan is almost entirely dependent on foreign-trained doctors.

But the province didn’t flinch at spending hundreds of millions of dollars on a new building and to rescue the program from a threatened loss of accreditation.

The U of S physical therapy program is so far the only offering of the expansively named School of Rehabilitation Science. It takes but 12 faculty to deliver the program.

Not coincidentally, Saskatchewan had 60.5 physical therapists providing direct care per 100,000 people in 2020, roughly the national average, about 10 per cent more than Manitoba, and 10 per cent fewer than Alberta.

By contrast, in 2020 Saskatchewan had 25.8 occupational therapists providing direct care per 100,000 people — the fewest of any province. Manitoba had 41.3, Alberta 41.6 and B.C. 42.5. Those provinces have occupational therapy schools, while Saskatchewan, despite decades of advocacy, does not.

Compared to medicine and dentistry, the cost of an occupational therapy program would be trivial, at most a few million dollars a year. (I wish I could be more precise; try to find a university financial statement that lists costs by program.)

It is hard to imagine a decision more at odds with the needs and aspirations of the public than the perpetual refusal to create an occupational therapy school in the province. Saskatchewan buys 20 occupational therapy seats at the University of Alberta, but obviously that isn’t getting the job done.

The province is woefully and chronically short of an adequate supply. Occupational therapy has been out of sight for so long that it is more or less out of mind.

The result is widespread, avoidable harm, in the form of functional decline, isolation, people left at risk and lost opportunities to thrive in the workforce or age in place.

A province that spends enormous amounts on medical interventions and huge volumes of drugs won’t train and deploy enough occupational therapists to keep people as independent and active as possible.

Wake up, government. Create the school and train as many occupational therapists as possible. There is no viable seniors’ strategy without them. A school would be a small investment with a potentially huge payoff.

The occupational therapists shortage is a self-inflicted wound. It’s high time to fill this embarrassing gap in the health-care workforce.

Steven Lewis spent 45 years as a health policy analyst and health researcher in Saskatchewan and is currently adjunct professor of health policy at Simon Fraser University. He can be reached at slewistoon1@gmail.com.

TREATY 7 IS SOUTHERN ALBERTA

'It's very out there': Play with Blackfoot actors examines effects of Treaty 7


CALGARY — Young Blackfoot actors are to embark on a time-travelling journey focusing on the signing of the historic Treaty 7 with the Canadian government in a play opening in Calgary this week.



"O’KOSI," a Blackfoot word meaning "in the fall when we gather," is filled with music and poetry, and propels the audience through history, beginning on the day Treaty 7 was signed at Blackfoot Crossing, east of Calgary, on Sept. 22, 1877.

It's no coincidence the show at Victor Mitchell Theatre begins Thursday, on the 145th anniversary of the treaty.

"Every scene you see basically takes place on Sept. 22, but in a different year," explained director Michelle Thrush, who is Cree.

"At the time, the people of this territory did not understand the repercussions. They were in the middle of starvation because there was cultural genocide that was happening, the loss of buffalo, disease, smallpox," she said.

"They had no idea that they were going to be put on to these reserves and kept in an apartheid state."

Treaty 7 is one of 11 treaties signed between First Nations and the Crown between 1871 and 1921.

The treaties set aside land for reserves and promised annual compensation in exchange for First Nations ceding the rights to their traditional territory.

Thrush said although the plays centres on historical events that have affected her community, she did not want to focus on the residential school system.

"We mention it once, but truly it's about how our family systems were destroyed, our bonds between parent and child for two to three generations were broken and how do we regain that?"


Actor Garret Smith said there is some humour despite the dark subject manner.

"I play a father and I also play a game show host," Smith said with a laugh.

"It is very out there but it's also very grounded, too. As fantastical as the play gets, it's really rooted in just the land and our people."

Smith, who grew up in the Calgary area, said he hopes those attending the play will come away with a better understanding of what First Nations people have gone through.

"We really want people to connect to something and whatever it is, so long as they walk away touched, with a smile or a tear," Smith said. "That's really the result we're looking for."

Dusty Frank, who grew up in Lethbridge but is part of the nearby Blood Reserve, plays a young Indigenous man who is adopted into a Polish family. He hopes the subject matter will help inspire young people and educate them about Indigenous history in Canada.

"It's an education that I really needed as well," he said.

The musical score is a combination of traditional powwow and dance, but some of the songs include a fusion of guitars and bass music.

"It's a cool journey," said singer Faith Starlight.

She said one song is a rendition of Earth, Wind and Fire's "September" that is overlapped with powwow music instead of English words.

"All of us who have helped remake that song? We cannot hear that song the same way now," Starlight said.

The play runs until Oct. 1.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2022.

Bill Graveland, The Canadian Press

Murray Mandryk: Offering radicals comfort backfired for some politicians

Opinion by Murray Mandryk - POSTMEDIA

Driving in wedges as means of embarrassing your political enemy hasn't been working well for politicians that have done so.© Provided by Leader Post

The crucial pandemic lesson for politicians should be that it’s dangerous to play footsie with radical elements.

Whether they all have learned that lesson remains questionable. Some still think it’s beneficial to legitimize radicals if those elements seem to be mostly attempting to embarrass your political enemy.

But it should be obvious by now that the tool you are using to drive political wedges — even as you make public pronouncements calling for the need to mend divisions — is likely a sharp and dangerous one.

A recent Postmedia article by Matthew Black revealed top-secret Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) documents (acquired through an access to information request) show grievances with government led to conspiracy theories and the extremist narratives that we saw played out

According to the documents Postmedia obtained, ideologically motivated violent extremists (IMVE) largely opposing public health restrictions of the past two years created an “anti-government threat environment.”

“Grievances and conspiracy theories related to the COVID-19 pandemic continue to drive ideologically motivated violent extremist narratives in Canada and justifications for political violence,” according to Black’s reporting of a November 2021 report.

“The Integrated Terrorism Assessment Centre (ITAC) assesses that restrictions and public health measures related to the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccines continue to be the most significant drivers of IMVE threats.”

The CSIS concern did prove prophetic, coming shortly before the January “Freedom Convoy” disruptions in Ottawa and the international border blockades at places like Coutts, Alta., that have all led to criminal charges.

Citing threats to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and former Alberta municipal affairs minister Tracy Allard, the CSIS report noted all politicians were now at risk.

“We assess that some anti-authority and anti-government IMVE adherents in Canada will attempt to use public health restrictions to incite others to violence,” the report said.

The report said it could not assess the magnitude of the threat, but it expressed concern that the December-January World Junior Hockey Championships in Edmonton might be targeted.

It also cited “low sophistication” potential attacks of “ministers and Opposition leaders who are local, identifiable and in a known location with minimal security.”

“Extremist actors in Canada have both the intent and the capability to undertake a violent attack,” the report said.

It’s unknown how much knowledge most politicians had of CSIS’s concern at the time, but we know that Premier Scott Moe was also getting threats . This was when Saskatchewan still had masking rules and vaccine restrictions resulting in daily protests at the legislature.

Such were these protests that the Saskatchewan Party government deemed it necessary to pass a bill to bring in a more costly, beefed-up security detail at the legislature.

Given this threat level outlined by CSIS, why would any politician do anything that offered sanctuary to radicals perceived to be a threat to them and everyone else?

Yet that appears to be exactly what Moe did.

Moe wrote an open letter in support of the Freedom Convoy, legitimizing it as an issue solely created by Trudeau’s COVID-19 trucking policies. He even opposed the use of the federal Emergencies Act , giving the unlawful protests more credence.

Meanwhile, behind the scenes, former premier Brad Wall, according to court documents, was offering one of the convoy’s leaders strategic advice for the protest.

Of course, Moe would argue he did warn protesters to exercise their free speech rights within the law, but most would observe he was never adamant with those truckers who acted illegally when their ire was aimed at Trudeau.

In fact, condemnation from Moe on the growing anti-vaccine movement ended in September 2021.

The problem, however, is legitimizing this radical opposition did eventually backfire.

A few months after Moe’s hour-long conversation with Unified Grassroots organizer Nadine Ness who opposes vaccine measures, he saw the rise of Nadine Wilson’s new Saskatchewan United Party.

As well, the Saskatchewan legislature had to put up its own barricades to keep safe from truckers’ protests.

It appears the growing radicalization CSIS predicted wasn’t an effective political tool for anyone.

Mandryk is the political columnist for the Regina Leader-Post and the Saskatoon StarPhoenix.

Murray Mandryk: Trudeau's resistance is back, maybe stronger than ever

Opinion by Murray Mandryk - Oct 8

Whether Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe is in lockstep with new Alberta Premier Danielle Smith will say a lot about how nasty Canadian politics is about to become.© Provided by Leader Post

Political watchers will recall the November 2018 Maclean’s magazine cover entitled “The Resistance” that pictured five prominent conservative political leaders who were vehemently opposed to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s carbon pricing.

Wearing blue suits and Photoshopped together, the magazine featured former Conservative Party of Canada leader Andrew Scheer, Ontario Premier Doug Ford, former Alberta premier Jason Kenney, former Manitoba premier Brian Pallister and then relatively new Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe sternly staring into the camera.

“Former” became the operative word.

The magazine cover was roundly mocked with cartoon parodies, with opponents on social media replacing the right-wing politicians with characters from The Simpsons and King of the Hill. Some took special delight in reposting the cover on social media with an X through those leaders who met their political demise.

But as it stands right now, conservative leaders so mercilessly mocked just a few years ago are back and are surely more hardcore right-wing than they were before.

The new “Resistance” was solidified Thursday night with Danielle Smith winning Alberta’s United Conservative Party (UCP) race to replace Kenney.

Smith’s story alone represents one of one of biggest political comebacks in quite some time.

Many swept Smith’s career in the political ash bin after she abandoned Alberta’s Wildrose Party to join then-Alberta Progressive Conservative premier Jim Prentice’s government. However, she used right-wing talk radio to reinvent herself, winning back those former Wildrose supporters who thought she had abandoned them.

Hardened by abundant anti-Trudeau sentiments mixed with their own opposition to COVID-19 vaccinations and public health measures, they become Smith’s base of support.

And Alberta’s premier-designate is now rewarding them with policies that extend well beyond former Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper’s one-time calls for a firewall around Alberta or talk of taking over pensions and provincial policing that Moe has also advocated.

Smith’s is a frontal assault on not only Trudeau policy, but also on the structure of the nation, promising Alberta Sovereignty Act legislation that could see the province ignore federal laws or environmental policies. Kenney said it would make Alberta a “laughing stock” and would be unconstitutional.

Yet Smith won anyway and further served notice Thursday to Alberta Health Services to follow her direction to recruit nurses and doctors or risk being replaced.

So Alberta now has a premier who said during her leadership bid that cancer is “completely within your control” until Stage 4, dictating to health professionals that they simply must follow her orders or else.

It was almost too on the nose for the new order of “The Resistance” now led by CPC Leader Pierre Poilivere. Poilivere has recently been accused of embedding misogynist hashtags in his political YouTube videos that observers note have been rather sympathetic to “young men living in their parents’ basement.”

Are these the foot soldiers in the new “Resistance”?

What is clear is resistance to Trudeau is alive and well. The question is: Where does it go from here?

Perhaps one way to to find out is to watch Moe. Will he blindly follow Smith? Or will he heed the warnings of Kenney and others who’ve been steering clear of Smith? (Interestingly, former premier Brad Wall supported his former communication aide Rebecca Schultz in her UCP leadership bid.)

The first clue may be the Saskatchewan speech from the throne later this month. If Moe mimics Smith’s policies, expect this province to join in a wild political ride.

While Moe isn’t exactly known for nuanced politics, he likely recognizes the dangers of Smith’s hardline approach. Others already have.

While Smith led from start to finish in the UCP race, that it took her six ballots to get from 40 per cent support to 50 per cent support suggests she makes many Alberta conservatives nervous.

Moreover, Moe must understand that those who oppose Trudeau make for a big tent, and that it’s unnecessary to all crowd into the far-right corner.

That’s one sure way of collapsing the whole thing.

Mandryk is the political columnist for the Regina Leader-Post and the Saskatoon StarPhoenix.

'I felt like an outcast': Members of Kitigan Zibi First Nation reflect on Truth and Reconciliation day

Cindy Tran - CBC

David Decontie felt like a stranger to his family.

After coming home from residential school, he found himself disconnected from his community. He'd forgotten his language and he was forced to learn French and English.

"I felt [like] an outcast. I wasn't accepted." said Decontie, who is from Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg First Nation.

He spent nearly a decade at Kenora and Point Bleue residential schools. The fall after he turned three years old, he was forced to attend residential school along with his two brothers.


Decontie keeps images and clippings in a binder documenting his time as a child in residential school as a reminder of what he went through.© Cindy Tran/CBC

While at residential school, Decontie experienced sexual, physical and verbal abuse from religious authorities. He was forced to assimilate, unable to practise his native language, and was reduced to a number.

The schools held their version of the Olympics and survivors were forced to participate. Decontie says they would push children to the limit, no matter if it caused physical harm.

"I fainted once during a mile run. I passed out and they lifted me up and they just carried me to keep on running," said Decontie.

He remembers a time when the teachers would make him watch movies every Saturday about cowboys and Indians — where the Indians were portrayed as "the bad people."

On the playground, Decontie says at one point he began reenacting scenes from the movie.

"I was shooting the Indians …They had already brainwashed me to know that Indians were no good," he said.

Now, Decontie is gradually relearning his language and his culture with the help of his kids.



Kitigan Zibi's cultural centre is home to several artifacts from residential school years. Many children in residential schools were reduced to numbers, their names forgotten.© Cindy Tran/CBC

Impact of residential school on his family

"I didn't know what being a father was all about," said Decontie.

The trauma he experienced trickled down to his children who could feel the depth of the scars of residential school.

"I had my oldest son in my arms, and I told him, 'Brian, nobody is going to take you or your mother away from me. They're going to have to pay a price if they try,'" said Decontie.

When he first met his wife, Decontie says she taught him about fatherhood and being present. But Decontie's refusal to talk about his trauma led to his wife leaving him for a period of time. It was while they were separated that he began to pick himself up.



Decontie says he was one of the lucky children who were able to return home, but many did not.© Cindy Tran/CBC

Now Decontie has two sons and a daughter who have children of their own. He took his children back to Mashteuiatsh, Que., where he attended Point Bleue residential school.

"I told them, this is where I was. That's how it looked. They sort of understood the meaning of being in residential school and them being my children," said Decontie.

Understanding truth and reconciliation

Decontie says there are still people who doubt his story and other survivors. Today he hopes Canadians can look beyond and reflect on two things: truth and reconciliation.

"Think about those children who never made it home. I made it home but it brought a lot of grief and anger."



To remember those who have helped him through his trauma, Decontie collects tokens such as pins to put onto his hat.© Cindy Tran/CBC

Allen Beaudoin, a member of Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg First Nation, hopes more people will consider how they benefit from the system that has oppressed Indigenous people and learn to change their mindset.

"I hope that people will recognize that we're still here, and that we're stronger than ever," said Beaudoin.

For Delphis Whiteduck Commonda, who is also a member of Kitigan Zibi, the day should be about reflecting and rebuilding relationships.

"Understand that we are still thriving and we can coexist with each other once again," said Whiteduck-Commonda.



Orange ribbons flank a monument remembering the children from Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg who were forced to attend residential schools. The ribbons hang in remembrance of the 215 children whose remains were discovered in an unmarked burial site on the grounds of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School in Kamloops, B.C.© Christian Milette/Radio-Canada

National library association calls for release of remaining residential school records

OTTAWA — The Canadian Federation of Library Associations is calling on federal cabinet ministers to support a full public release of remaining residential school records held by the Catholic Church and the government.



It says the federal government committed to turning over 12,000 residential school documents after calls from the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, which has archived more than five million documents and 6,000 witness statements.

The CFLA says in a release issued today that the documents are important for understanding the injustices and human rights abuses committed in the residential school system and are integral for "the achievement of justice" for Indigenous communities.

The CFLA says in order for the Pope's recent visit to Canada to impact reconciliation, action must be taken to uncover the full truth of the residential school system.

Related video: Honouring victims of residential schools who are no longer here today
Duration 2:12   View on Watch

The call comes one day before the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Friday.

Earlier this year, the federal government announced an agreement with the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation to hand over thousands of records, after the centre said last fall that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was incorrect when he told a gathering of Indigenous leaders on Tk'emlups te Secwepemc territory that it had turned over everything it had.

Survivors and Indigenous leaders have long called on the federal government to release remaining records that it had refused to fully disclose, citing legal obligations it had to third parties, including Catholic entities that operated the institutions.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 29, 2022.

Canada Posts launches four stamps recognizing residential schools and reconciliation

OTTAWA — Canada Post is launching four new stamps showcasing Indigenous artists' visions for truth and reconciliation.



The Crown corporation says this is the first in an annual series meant to encourage reflection on the painful legacy of Canada's residential schools.

The stamps will be released on Thursday, a day before the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Friday.
The series features artwork by Jackie Traverse, Gayle Uyagaqi Kabloona, Kim Gullion Stewart and Blair Thomson. The stamps are inscribed with the Indigenous language of each of their creators.

Canada Post says the stamps are cancelled — given a decorative mark that prevents reuse — in Brantford, Ont., the site of the Mohawk Institute Residential School.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 28, 2022.

The Canadian Press

National chief says Canada's reconciliation actions taking long road; 40 years away


VICTORIA — The road to reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples in Canada remains a long one, says Assembly of First Nations National Chief RoseAnne Archibald, who estimates it will take 40 years at the current pace to achieve the more than 90 calls to action in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission report.


National chief

It has been a process of two steps forward and one step back over the past year, Archibald said in an interview ahead of Friday's National Day of Truth and Reconciliation.

The day was declared last year after hundreds of potential unmarked burial sites of Indigenous children were found by First Nations near former residential schools, including by the Tk’emlúps te Secwepemc nation in Kamloops and Saskatchewan's Cowessess First Nation.

The national chief was in Regina Thursday along with Gov. Gen. Mary Simon for a reconciliation ceremony at Mosaic Stadium and co-hosted by Chief Cadmus Delorme of the Cowessess.

"At that rate we're going with the number of calls to action that have been actually implemented, it's going to take 40 years to complete all the calls to action," she said in an interview.

"That's how slow the process has been," said Archibald. "That's kind of disheartening that we're not moving faster. The Canadian government and all the partners that are mentioned in these calls to action are not moving as quickly as they could be."

Making progress on the 94 calls to action is a subject of the federal government's "relentless commitment" on reconciliation, Marc Miller, federal Crown-Indigenous relations minister, said Thursday in an interview.

"It's ongoing," he said. "It's incomplete. I'm not satisfied. I don't think anyone is."

Miller said many of the calls to action involve long-term investments, which the government is determined to achieve.

"This isn't an operation of ticking off boxes," he said. "It has to have the relentless commitment of our government, particularly in light of the horrific discoveries in and around Kamloops, and really the impact that had on all Canadians, shocking their conscience and a re-examination of what it means to be Canadian."

Related video: How Canadians learn and move forward together during Truth & Reconciliation Week  Duration 2:41 n Watch

Miller said he's heard others beyond Archibald say the process to achieve the calls to action could take many years, but many of the issues can't be resolved in short periods of time.

"We've heard from some people doing searches, for example, that it could take up to 10 years to get a full picture of what it is in and around those unmarked graves," he said.

The 4,000-page report released in 2015 by the National Truth and Reconciliation Commission detailed harsh mistreatment at residential schools, including emotional, physical and sexual abuse of children, and at least 4,100 deaths at the institutions.

Archibald said there have been positive reconciliation steps this past year, but "we've had a couple of real steps backwards in relation to reconciliation."

She cited court cases over Indigenous rights to self-determination, self-government and jurisdiction over their children as examples of backtracking,but the recent establishment of an independent National Council on Truth and Reconciliation and the raising of the Survivors' Flag on Parliament Hill were steps forward.

Archibald said the Pope's visit to Canada last summer and his apology to residential school survivors "was very much appreciated by some survivors."

But the progress toward addressing many of the calls to action remains slow, she said.

"The real, deeper issues under the TRC's report have yet to be fulfilled. So, it's as though governments are trying to find the, I guess, easiest to implement," said Archibald. "I suppose it makes sense, but you know when it comes to systemic changes we need in Canada, we need those deeper issues looked at. We need some of the issues around justice and policing, all of those things to be actioned as well."

Organizations monitoring reconciliation in Canada, including the completion of the 94 calls to action, report the resolution of up to 12 of the commission's calls.

Indigenous Watchdog, a federally registered non-profit dedicated to monitoring and reporting on how reconciliation is advancing on the critical issues affecting the Indigenous world, reported 12 completed actions in August.

The group also reported 35 per cent of the 94 calls to action have not been started or are currently stalled.

In June 2021, the First Nations-led Yellowhead Institute reported nine completed calls to action, including the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls inquiry and federal acknowledgment of Indigenous language rights.

Archibald said the National Truth and Reconciliation Day is a time for Canadians to pause and consider the history and reality of residential schools.

"It's really an opportunity for reflection," she said. "It's a call to action for non-Indigenous peoples to do some basic things like get a copy of the summary of the TRC calls to action. It's really worth it for non-Indigenous people to read that particular handout pamphlet."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 29, 2022.

Dirk Meissner, The Canadian Press

We shouldn't have to push people': Most provinces have not made Sept. 30 a stat

While Canada prepares to honour the second annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Friday, the majority of provinces have not followed the federal government's move to make it a statutory holiday for its workers.


'We shouldn't have to push people': Most provinces have not made Sept. 30 a stat

© Provided by The Canadian Press

New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut have declared Sept. 30 a statutory holiday.

The other provinces and territories are choosing to observe the day in various ways, while some continue consultations with Indigenous groups and businesses about whether to make it a stat.

Some cities, schools and businesses are also choosing different ways to recognize the day.

New Brunswick was the latest to declare Sept. 30 a provincial holiday.

"While this is a day to commemorate the tragic history of residential schools and honour those who did not make it home, as well as their survivors and families, I would encourage all to reflect and be reminded that reconciliation is not just one day of the year," New Brunswick Aboriginal Affairs Minister Arlene Dunn said in a statement last week.

The day is set to be treated as any other provincial holiday. All essential services, including health care, will continue to be delivered. The holiday will be optional for private sector businesses, the province said.

Mi'gmawe'l Tplu'taqnn, a group representingMi'kmaq communities in New Brunswick, said the day is set aside for people to remember and honour victims and survivors of residential schools, including children from First Nations who attended day schools.

"It's no secret our relationship with the (Blaine) Higgs government has been strained. Recognizing this holiday does not reconcile issues or differences with the Higgs government, but it is a step in the right direction," the organization said in a statement.

"By granting this holiday, the Government of New Brunswick is giving New Brunswickers an opportunity to reflect on how we can learn from each other and work together as treaty partners."

The day, originally known as Orange Shirt Day, was established in honour of the experience of Phyllis Webstad, whose gift of clothing from her grandmother was taken away on Webstad's first day at a residential school.

The federal government made the day a statutory holiday for its workers and federally regulated workplaces last year.

For many residential school survivors, including Eugene Arcand, the day will always be known as Orange Shirt Day and efforts at the grassroots level to acknowledge the pain and trauma Indigenous children were subjected to at residential schools should continue to be recognized.

Arcand, who is from Muskeg Lake First Nation in Saskatchewan, said he never thought he'd see a day dedicated to honouring survivors.

The discovery last year of what are believed to be 215 unmarked graves at a former school site in Kamloops, B.C., forced the country to listen to what survivors had been saying for years.

Since the discovery, numerous First Nations across Canada have begun their own ground-penetrating searches of school sites, Pope Francis delivered a historic and long-awaited apology on Canadian soil for the role the Roman Catholic Church played in running many of the residential schools, and a flag honouring those impacted by the schools was raised on Parliament Hill.

Arcand said these events will provide a better quality of life for future generations of children.

But, he added, it's up to non-Indigenous peoples to educate themselves.

"We shouldn't have to push people. It's important for people to determine for themselves how they want to get engaged," he said in a recent interview in Winnipeg.

"I'm not going to bang my head against the wall for the rest of my life trying to encourage people to engage."

The Saskatchewan government said it has no plans to make the day a statutory holiday for the province.

Matthew Glover, director of media relations, said the government is encouraging residents to take a moment to reflect and discuss the importance of meaningful reconciliation.

Flags are to be lowered to half-mast at all Saskatchewan government buildings.

The Manitoba government recently announced it would observe the day for a second year, while discussions continue about making it an official statutory holiday. Schools and non-essential government services and offices will be closed.

The province said it is continuing consultations with Indigenous and labour groups.

Jennifer Wood hopes that Manitoba will soon enact legislation making the day a statutory holiday.

Wood, who lives in Winnipeg, is a survivor from Neyaashiinigmiing Ojibwe Territory in Ontario.

"It will really show that the sincerity of everything that's happened is taken seriously. It's 2022. We cannot continue to sweep anything under the rug. We have to recognize what's happening in Canada, and look at ways on how we can coexist," she said.

The day should be about educating the broader public about the legacy of residential schools, she added.

"It's our time to tell our narrative of the truth of the residential school system."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 27, 2022.

Brittany Hobson, The Canadian Press

Manitoba government funding healing lodges at two correctional centres

BRANDON, Man. — The Manitoba government is establishing healing lodges at two correctional facilities to give prisoners access to culturally appropriate supports and limit their chances of reoffending.


Manitoba government funding healing lodges at two correctional centres

© Provided by The Canadian Press

The province says the Standing Together Healing Lodges at the correctional centres in Brandon and The Pas are to support inmate education, language acquisition, family reunification and sobriety.

Justice Minister Kelvin Goertzen says evidence shows rehabilitative programs offered in the correctional system help reduce the chance of inmates reoffending.

The province says in a release that the lodges will offer participants the opportunity to work in an organized structure to focus on treatment goals.

Part of the programming will include ensuring participants have access to community supports once they leave the correctional system.

The province is providing $1.4 million to support construction of the buildings, with annual staffing and operating costs of $1.2 million.

"Healing lodges within a correctional facility help to provide cultural connection and support that can then be continued when an individual is released from custody," Goertzen said in a release Monday.

He added that healing lodges use traditional ceremonies, teachings and land-based experiences, along with other interventions, to give participants the chance to heal.

"Our elders and knowledge keeps have reminded us of the importance of our culture and language as necessary steps toward an individual's healing journey and recovery from past traumas," Edwin Wood, justice program manager at Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak, said in the release.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 26, 2022.

The Canadian Press

'The bond is broken': Data shows Indigenous kids overrepresented in foster care

WINNIPEG — A Winnipeg mother says she was scarred for life when her first child was taken away at birth by social workers, who told her she was unfit to parent her newborn daughter because she was just 17 at the time.



"I don't know how one could fully heal from that trauma," said the woman, now 41, whom The Canadian Press has agreed not to identify because of her family's involvement in the child welfare system. "Having a baby taken away from birth … the bond is broken."

New census data suggests Indigenous children continue to be overrepresented in the child welfare system.

Statistics Canada released data from the 2021 census showing Indigenous children accounted for 53.8 per cent of all children in foster care.

This has gone up slightly from the 2016 census, which found 52.2 per cent of children in care under the age of 14 were Indigenous. At the time, about eight per cent of kids that age in Canada were Indigenous.

More than three per cent of Indigenous children living in private households in 2021 were in foster care compared to the 0.2 per cent of non-Indigenous children. Nationally, Indigenous children accounted for 7.7 per cent of all children 14 years of age and younger.

Statistics Canada says because of difficulties in collecting census data on First Nations and other Indigenous communities, some caution should be exercised in comparing census years.

In recent years there has been a significant push from Indigenous leaders and child welfare advocates across the country to address the myriad systemic issues contributing to the overrepresentation of Indigenous children in care. But experts say factors like colonialism, chronic underfunding of child welfare systems, discriminatory practices and poverty remain.

The child welfare system was part of the Winnipeg mother's life since before she was born. Some of her siblings were taken from her mother, a residential school survivor, as part of the Sixties Scoop. She was allowed to stay with her mother, but she doesn't know why.

The pain of having her daughter taken would repeat when her second and third children became permanent wards of the province. She says she used alcohol to cope with a family member's death at the time. Her children were living with their father when workers apprehended them due to poverty, she says.

Years later, when the woman's granddaughter went into the system and she became pregnant with her fourth child, she knew she needed to break the cycle. She began working with First Nations advocates and parenting groups to learn more about the culture that was stripped from her.

"I've done so much healing. I learned about our grief and loss and about positive coping skills," said the woman, who is now caring for her granddaughter and four-year-old son.

Related video: New census data shows growth in Indigenous population
Duration 2:01
View on Watch

"Learning my culture and traditions really saved me."

There are about 10,000 children in care in Manitoba and about 90 per cent are Indigenous.

Statistics Canada says limitations with the way it collects data have an effect on the national numbers. For example, children living in settings like group homes would not be included.

"The most definitive counts would be coming from the service provider or organizations themselves, whether that's provincial, territorial or other jurisdictions. They would have the most definitive (number) based on a given point in time," said Chris Penney, with the Centre for Indigenous Statistics and Partnerships.

The Winnipeg mother adds that while there have been some improvements in the child welfare system thanks to First Nations authorities and social workers, prevention is still lacking.

"It should be about keeping families together and empowering the parent … they need something to keep the families together."

Mary Teegee, executive director of Carrier Sekani Family Services in British Columbia, said generations of children have been ripped from their parents through the residential school system and the Sixties Scoop, and are being raised without the support of their families, culture or communities.

This has contributed to addictions, mental health issues and trauma, she added.

"This isn't just because Indigenous people can't take care of their children. It's because of generation after generation of attacks on family, class and nation structures."

Cora Morgan, the First Nations family advocate for the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, said without proper investments in prevention and healing, government reforms alone won't get to the root of the issue.

"Right now we've been in a situation where government dictates how things are going to happen," she said.

"There needs to be free will of our nations to be able to bring children home."

Justin Trudeau's Liberal government introduced Indigenous child welfare legislation in 2019 and it came into force in 2020.

The legislation is supposed to affirm the rights of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples to exercise jurisdiction over child and family services with the goal of reducing the number of Indigenous children in care.

Indigenous Services Canada says as of July, 37 groups have sent notices of intention to exercise legislative authority and 27 have requested to enter into co-ordination agreements. Out of this, two First Nations have entered into co-ordination agreements with the federal and provincial governments.

Experts say it's too soon to tell what effect the legislation will have on reducing the number of Indigenous kids in care.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 21, 2022.

Brittany Hobson, The Canadian Press