Impassable winter roads are delaying vital shipments and threatening the safety of First Nations across northern Ontario, leaders warned as they pressed the provincial and federal government for support. An unseasonably warm winter, intensified by human-caused climate change, has left many remote First Nations cut off from an essential road network built over frozen land, lakes and rivers. The situation has prompted recent state of emergency declarations by First Nations in Manitoba and Ontario, as well as repeated requests for support. “It’s becoming more and more dire, and more challenging,” said Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler of the Nishnawbe Aski Nation, an organization of First Nations across northern Ontario.

Continue Reading

Tagging @politicsofcanada

“Ontario Premier Doug Ford said Wednesday he “won’t spare a penny” to help fight the northern wildfires and support evacuees, but he isn’t declaring a state of emergency.

Mr. Ford visited the wildfire command centre in Thunder Bay and met with evacuees and community leaders. He thanked the hundreds of firefighters, as well as other provinces and jurisdictions such as Wisconsin and Mexico, who have sent resources to help.

Both the size and number of wildfires burning across northern Ontario are substantially higher than in an average year, and the blazes have forced more than 3,000 people from their homes on several First Nations. Thousands more may have to be displaced.

First Nation leaders have called on Ontario to declare a state of emergency over the situation, but Mr. Ford suggested doing so wouldn’t provide additional help.

Northwestern Ontario sees 17 new wildfires; more evacuations ongoing

“I think there’s a little confusion [over] what a state of emergency is,” he said. “It’s not going to add any more resources. It’s basically the province coming in, taking over everything.”

Mr. Ford said he believes in working in collaboration with First Nations and municipalities.

“The only difference [with a state of emergency] is the province will come in and say, ‘You can’t go down this road,’ ” Mr. Ford said. “There’s already emergency orders put in place, so it’s not holding back any resources. We’ll put all the resources we have. I won’t spare a penny.”

Government officials have said the legal conditions have not been met to declare a state of emergency, which include a lack of available resources to support the crisis.

Nishnawbe Aski Nation Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler said that a state of emergency would eliminate barriers and give the province the authority to access more accommodations, resources and supports, such as access to health care and mental health services for evacuees while they are away from home.

In his daily calls with senior provincial and federal officials, they say they don’t have the manpower or equipment to fight the fires, Mr. Fiddler said.

“[The government’s] response again today was if they were to issue an emergency declaration that would just mean more power or more authority and not necessarily resources,” he said.

“Well, that’s not really true. I think a state of emergency would just take away all those bureaucratic hurdles that are still very much there.”

Pikangikum is waiting to evacuate 1,300 people but there is nowhere to accommodate them, he said.

Mr. Fiddler worries that if more people need to leave, there will be very few options in terms of where they will have a bed and wraparound supports.

“Show us the plan. What does that plan look like in the long term?” he said.

“In the long-range forecast there is very little rain for the next few weeks, so we’re looking at potentially being in this situation until September. Right now the current model is not sustainable.”

Mr. Ford said the province is looking at more accommodations in the Greater Toronto Area, if evacuees are willing to travel that far.

Ruth Wassaykeesic, her partner and five children were evacuated from Poplar Hill First Nation to Thunder Bay with little time to pack their essentials.

“I was sitting at home looking at everything in my home, like all the children’s art and everything, wondering if we’ll be able to see our home again,” she said. “But all the material things didn’t really matter to me … I’m hoping we’ll be able to go home.”

For Ms. Wassaykeesic, the culture shock of moving to a large city has been difficult to adjust to because Poplar Hill is a fly-in community that has been in full lockdown since March, 2020. She and her children try to keep busy in their rooms with toys for the younger ones and electronics for her teenagers, waiting to hear when they can go back.

“I don’t want to go home until I know that it’s safe for me to go home with my children,” she said.

The NDP has also called for a state of emergency and for the 1,300 people in Pikangikum to be evacuated immediately.

“How could the provincial government abandon these 1,300 souls, like they don’t matter?” said Sol Mamakwa, who represents the riding of Kiiwetinoong.

“Doug Ford should be moving heaven and Earth to get those people airlifted to safety, and put the resources in place to give them a safe place, where they can access medical care and temporary supports.””

- Elena De Luigi and The Canadian Press, “Premier Doug Ford says he ‘won’t spare a penny’ to fight Ontario wildfires, resists calls to declare state of emergency.” The Globe and Mail. July 28, 2021.

Still in crisis, Cat Lake First Nation awaits temporary replacement for nursing station razed by fire

New Post has been published on https://petn.ws/HyOXr

Still in crisis, Cat Lake First Nation awaits temporary replacement for nursing station razed by fire

Cat Lake First Nation Chief Russell Wesley, seen in this file photo from the Nishnawbe Aski Nation winter chiefs’ assembly in February, says he is grateful for how people have come together to support Cat Lake after its nursing station was destroyed in a fire Saturday night. (Sarah Law/CBC – image credit) Efforts are underway […]

See full article at https://petn.ws/HyOXr #CatsNews #ArnoldLazare, #CatLakeFirstNation, #FederalGovernmentPartners, #FireInvestigation, #FireMarshal, #FirstNations, #NishnawbeAskiPoliceService, #NorthwesternOntario, #NursingStation, #RemoteCommunity, #RussellWesley, #WaterReservoir

References

Abramovich, A. (2016). Preventing, reducing and ending LGBTQ2S youth homelessness: The need for targeted strategies. Social Inclusion, 4(4), 86-96. https://doi.org/10.17645/si.v4i4.669. 

Ancil, G. S. (2018). Canada, the perpetrator: The legacy of systematic violence and the contemporary crisis of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 2018.

Assembly of First Nations (AFN). (2013). Fact Sheet - First Nations Housing on Reserve. https://www.afn.ca/uploads/files/housing/factsheet-housing.pdf.

Bingham, B., Moniruzzaman, A., Patterson, M., Sareen, J., Distasio, J., O'Neil, J., & Somers, J. M. (2019). Gender differences among indigenous canadians experiencing homelessness and mental illness. BMC Psychology, 7(1), 57-57. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-019-0331-y. 

Brandon, J., Peters, E. J., & Manitoba Research Alliance. (2014). Moving to the city: housing and Aboriginal migration to Winnipeg. CCPA (Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives). https://policyalternatives.ca/sites/default/files/uploads/publications/Manitoba%20Office/2014/12/Aboriginal_Migration.pdf.

Bretherton, J. (2017). Reconsidering Gender in Homelesness. European Journal of Homelessness, 11(1), 1-21. https://www.feantsaresearch.org/download/feantsa-ejh-11-1_a1-v045913941269604492255.pdf. 

Burns, V. F., Sussman, T., & Bourgeois-Guérin, V. (2018). Later-life homelessness as disenfranchised grief. Canadian Journal on Aging, 37(2), 171-184. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0714980818000090. 

Clifford, B., Wilson, A., & Harris, P. (2019). Homelessness, health and the policy process: A literature review. Health policy (Amsterdam, Netherlands), 123(11), 1125–1132. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthpol.2019.08.011. 

Dyck, L. E., & Patterson, D. G. (2015). On-reserve Housing and Infrastructure: Recommendations for Change, Standing Senate Committee on Aboriginal Peoples. Standing Senate Committee on Aboriginal Peoples. https://sencanada.ca/content/sen/Committee/412/appa/rep/rep12jun15-e.pdf.  

Kauppi, C., Pallard, H., & Stephen, G. (2013). Societal constraints, systemic disadvantages, and homelessness. An individual case study, 11(7), 8. 

Levine-Rasky, C. (2011). Intersectionality theory applied to whiteness and middle-classness. Social Identities, 17(2), 239-253. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504630.2011.558377. 

MacTaggart, S. L. (2015). Lessons from history: The recent applicability of matrimonial property and human rights legislation on reserve lands in canada. The University of Western Ontario Journal of Legal Studies, 6(2). 

Mashford-Pringle, A., Skura, C., Stutz, S., & Yohathasan, T. (2021). What we heard: Indigenous Peoples and COVID-19. Public Health Agency of Canada. https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/phac-aspc/documents/corporate/publications/chief-public-health-officer-reports-state-public-health-canada/from-risk-resilience-equity-approach-covid-19/indigenous-peoples-covid-19-report/cpho-wwh-report-en.pdf. 

Milaney, K., Tremblay, R., Bristowe, S., & Ramage, K. (2020). Welcome to canada: Why are family emergency shelters ‘Home’ for recent newcomers? Societies, 10(2), 37. https://doi.org/10.3390/soc10020037. 

Nishnawbe Aski Nation & Together Design Lab (NANTDL). (2018). Nishnawbe Aski Nation response to the First Nations National Housing and Infrastructure Strategy. Nishnawbe Aski Nation. http://www.nan.on.ca/upload/documents/nan-housing_position_paper-final.pdf. 

O’Donnell, V., Wallace, S. (2011). First Nations, Métis and Inuit Women. Component of Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 89-503-X. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/pub/89-503-x/2010001/article/11442-eng.pdf?st=1wx3UPy6.

Palmater, P. (2020). Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Indigenous Women and Girls in Canada. Canadian Feminist Alliance for International Action. https://pampalmater.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/P.-Palmater-FAFIA-Submission-COVID19-Impacts-on-Indigenous-Women-and-Girls-in-Canada-June-19-2020-final.pdf. 

Robson, R. (2008). Suffering An Excessive Burden: Housing as a Health Determinant in the First Nations Community of Northwestern Ontario. The Canadian Journal of Native Studies, 28(1), 71-87. http://ezproxy.lib.ryerson.ca/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/suffering-excessive-burden-housing-as-health/docview/218084458/se-2. 

Schwan, K., Versteegh, A., Perri, M., Caplan, R., Baig, K., Dej, E., Jenkinson, J., Brais, H., Eiboff, F., & PahlevanChaleshtari, T. (2020). The State of Women’s Housing Need & Homelessness in Canada: A Literature Review. Hache, A., Nelson, A., Kratochvil, E., & Malenfant, J. (Eds). Toronto, ON: Canadian Observatory on Homelessness Press. 

Statistics Canada. (2017, October 25). The housing conditions of Aboriginal people in Canada. https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/as-sa/98-200-x/2016021/98-200-x2016021-eng.cfm.

Waegemakers Schiff, J., Schiff, R., & Turner, A. (2016). Rural homelessness in western canada: Lessons learned from diverse communities. Social Inclusion, 4(4), 73-85. https://doi.org/10.17645/si.v4i4.633. 

Yakubovich, A. R., & Maki, K. (2022). Preventing gender-based homelessness in canada duringthe COVID-19 pandemic and beyond: The need to account for violence against women. Violence Against Women, 28(10), 2587-2599. https://doi.org/10.1177/10778012211034202.

플라이 법원 재개됨에 예비 재판 변화 원합니다

플라이 법원 재개됨에 예비 재판 변화 원합니다

플라이 법원 비평가들은 신속하고 즉각적인 청문회가 커뮤니티 구성원에게 도움이되지 않는 판결로 이어진다고 말합니다. COVID-19 전염병으로 인해 오랜 기간 중단된 후 북서부 온타리오 원주민에서 즉시 법원 청문회가 재개됨에 따라 지역사회 기반 정의를 촉진하는 조직이 예비군 정의에 대한 더 큰 토론을 촉발하기를 희망하고 있습니다. Nishnawbe Aski Legal Services는 경험이 풍부한 First Nations 컨설턴트 3명의 서비스를 활용하여 법원 반환에 대해 지역 사회와 협력했다고 법률 서비스 관리자 Don Rusnak이 말했습니다. 그는 “지역사회에 대한 일련의 질문이 있었고 주로 법원 당사자가 복귀하기 위해 지역사회가 요구하는 사항에 대한 보건 및 안전 조치에 중점을 두었다”고…

View On WordPress

Ontario nuclear waste site selectors delay announcement until 2024

Ontario nuclear waste site selectors delay announcement until 2024

Nishnawbe Aski Nation chiefs opposed to storage site based on environmental grounds Northern Ontario Business Staff, 15 Aug 22, The site selectors for a proposed underground nuclear waste repository in Ontaro say they won’t make a decision on a preferred location until the fall of 2024. The Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) is pushing back the naming of a site by one year,…

View On WordPress

La sopravvissuta della scuola residenziale NAN Evelyn Korkmaz condivide un messaggio con Papa Francesco

La sopravvissuta della scuola residenziale NAN Evelyn Korkmaz condivide un messaggio con Papa Francesco

CITTÀ DEL QUEBEC, QC: Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) La sopravvissuta alla scuola residenziale indiana Evelyn Korkmaz, membro della Fort Albany First Nation, ha presentato una lettera con il seguente messaggio a Sua Santità Papa Francesco nel tradizionale territorio della Cree First Nation di Waswanipi questo mattina: “Questa è stata una settimana emozionante per me come sopravvissuto, come lo è…

View On WordPress

The demand for drastic change comes just days after a report for Ontario's attorney general, completed by a team of provincially appointed investigators who spent years looking through TBPS sudden death investigations, was leaked to some news organizations, including CBC News.

The report details serious concerns with the investigations of 14 Indigenous people who died suddenly in the city between 2006 and 2019, with investigators saying they should be reinvestigated. Two other cases, with similar investigative concerns, should go for a coroner review or inquest, and another 25 unresolved cases of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls (MMIWG) cases in Thunder Bay should be reviewed, according to the investigators.

That's at least 41 cases, and there could be more.

The report begins with the disclaimer: "Due to finite timelines and resources allocated to the process outlined in this report, cases provided here are not an exhaustive list," adding there may be other sudden death cases that "warrant further investigation." It ends with the recommendation for an external audit of all death investigations in the police department's record management system.

"I see their faces, and also others who have died on the streets and rivers in Thunder Bay, where it was quite obvious their deaths were not investigated," said Achneepineskum, adding she knows many of the cases.

"It says to us that we are not worthy of our death being investigated."

First Nations leaders and families from northern Ontario are calling on the province’s Inspector General of Policing to disband the Thunder Bay Police Service and have a new police service investigate some of its cases.

“The Thunder Bay Police Service has turned into a cold case factory when it comes to investigations into the deaths of Indigenous Peoples. There is a complete lack of trust. Everything has broken down and it can’t be repaired. It’s like watching a disaster unfold in slow motion, and it has life-changing consequences for our members,” said Alvin Fiddler, grand chief of the Nishnawbe Aski Nation, an organization that represents 49 First Nations in northern Ontario.

“It is time for the provincial government to show they care about what is happening in Thunder Bay and disband this Service. Our families don’t need any more reports – they need action.”

Several reports since 2018 have documented systemic racism in the Thunder Bay police force and outlined how investigations into the sudden deaths of Indigenous people have been tainted by racist attitudes and stereotyping.

A confidential report obtained by APTN News found the sudden deaths of 14 Indigenous people were so poorly handled they had to be reinvestigated.

That is in addition to nine deaths that were already been reinvestigated. [...]

Continue Reading.

Tagging: @newsfromstolenland, @vague-humanoid

“A proposed public loitering bylaw has sparked rallies, protests and even a powwow in Kenora since city council discussed it at the committee of the whole Tuesday.

The bylaw is meant to prevent people from loitering on city property, and give the police or bylaw officers a mechanism to move people away. In the report accompanying the bylaw written by city clerk Heather Pihulak it says the city is experiencing an increase in public loitering and “aggressive behaviour” from people that are loitering.

On Friday, a powwow was held at the old Kenwood Hotel site on First Street South. More than 100 people showed up in support. There were signs, but organizer Calvin Skead said it wasn’t a protest.

“Today is not a protest, it’s about being together and healing in an Indigenous way,” he told the crowd in attendance. “Together we can make change. We can make positive change.”

There was fruit and hot dogs served as well as water. Traditional dancing and drumming took place during the afternoon.

“Today is not about politics, today is to honour, celebrate and respect the people most affected by this bylaw,” fellow organizer Dr. Jonny Grek told the crowd. Grek is a local physician in town who works with Compassionate Kenora.

“You’re welcome to loiter as long as you want.”

Grek said there needs to be more focus put on building relationships with people experiencing homelessness and improved outreach services.

“We have an overdose crisis, we have a housing crisis, we don’t have a loitering crisis,” he said.

Grek challenged those who may be in support of the bylaw to step out and speak to some of the people on the street.

“Those people who are talking about the bylaw and those people who are very much in favour of shifting Indigenous people who are homeless off the street probably need to look at themselves and say when was the last time I actually stepped out there and spoke to somebody and looked at whether or not they’re a menace to society or whether they make me feel unsafe,” he said.

“When did you step out of your office and ask those questions and look at relationships rather than breaking them?”

On Wednesday, just a block from where council members posed for a photo-op celebrating the “reopening” of Kenora, around 20 people gathered in front of city hall protesting the bylaw.

Liz Visser, who has lived in Kenora since 2003, said it was apparent who was being targeted with the proposed bylaw.

“It is going to be our homeless population, they are the most vulnerable in our city and this is going to punitive and it’s going to criminalize them in a lot of ways,” she said.

Marlene Elder, an employment councillor in Kenora, said council was trying to fly this bylaw through under the radar.

“It was done in the time of COVID, in the summer, people weren’t paying attention and I think they just intended to pass it and have nobody notice,” she said. “It’s going to penalize people who are Indigenous, people with mental health issues, people that have addictions and people who are poor.”

Council members were relatively split about the bylaw, Coun. Mort Goss called the legislation “draconian” and “retrograde.” Coun. Andrew Poirier said something had to be done about the increased loitering downtown.

The $100 fine that would accompany the bylaw would not be a reason for having it, Mayor Dan Reynard said.

“The reality is there’s a growing concern within the community that hasn’t been there before that they don’t feel safe in their own community,” he said following the July 14 meeting. “This isn’t going to solve the issue but it allows the police to deal with a couple of issues.”

Kenora Chiefs Advisory, Grand Council Treaty 3 and Nishnawbe Aski Nation sent out news releases Friday calling on Kenora council to vote down the loitering bylaw.

The bylaw will be brought before council on Tuesday at the regular council meeting at 12 p.m.” - Ryan Stetler, “Powwow, protests held in support of Kenora's homeless community.” Kenora Miner and News. July 17, 2020.

Cat Lake First Nation's nursing station burns down, leaving remote community without health-care hub

New Post has been published on https://petn.ws/0OZgu

Cat Lake First Nation's nursing station burns down, leaving remote community without health-care hub

Cat Lake First Nation’s nursing station is described as a Cat Lake First Nation’s nursing station has burned down, leaving the remote northwestern Ontario community without a central access point to health-care services. Nishnawbe Aski Police Service (NAPS) confirmed that a fire broke out at the Margaret Gray Nursing Station Saturday night just before 9:30 […]

See full article at https://petn.ws/0OZgu #CatsNews #CatLakeFirstNation, #EabametoongFirstNation, #HealthCareCrisis, #HealthCareServices, #NishnawbeAskiPoliceService, #NorthwesternOntario, #NursingStation, #SolMamakwa

What are Some Housing Difficulties Indigenous Women Must Tackle on and off Reserves?

Housing on reserves, at its roots, contributes to Indigenous women’s social and economic exclusion. Due to a young, rising population on reserves, there is a profound housing scarcity as new property development and maintenance of residential properties have fallen behind the demand (Dyck & Patterson, 2015, p.5). Issues like overcrowding shorten a home’s longevity and increase frustration and violent behaviour (Assembly of First Nations (AFN), 2013). Additionally, overcrowding is associated with a higher risk of spreading illnesses (Robson, 2008, p.72). The photo below states that adult Indigenous peoples are 12.9% more likely to utilize shelters than non-Indigenous peoples. Likewise, overcrowding frequently brings family violence, and domestic violence is rooted in colonial violence sustained by inadequate housing on reserves. In fact, on reserves, 36.8% of Indigenous peoples reside in overcrowded housing units. The problems of existing properties on reserves also reflect poorly on the quality of housing constructions, as 44% of Indigenous peoples who reside on reserves live in homes that require extensive maintenance (Statistics Canada, 2017). O’Donnell and Wallace (2011) stated that, contrary to 7% of non-Indigenous women, 28% of First Nations, Inuit, and 14% of Métis women lived in homes needing substantial repairs off-reserves. On reserves, 44% of women resided in homes that required extensive repairs, and relative to 3% of non-Indigenous women, 31% of Inuit women remained in overcrowded homes. A direct correlation exists between gendered housing issues on reserves and the disproportionate number of Indigenous women experiencing housing instability and hidden homelessness.

The Nishnawbe Aski Nation Women’s Council stated that Nishnawbe Aski Nation communities lack adequate housing, frequently resulting in overcrowding. Due to the lack of beds available, individuals must share beds or take shifts sleeping. This living can be detrimental to people’s emotional and physical well-being as many individuals residing in places like shelters also struggle with abuse, addiction and mental illness (NANTDL, 2018, p.18). The colonial practices used to suppress Status Indians, continuous federal oversight over Status Indians, and the ongoing lack of funding all contribute to high poverty levels on reserves. On reserves, poverty significantly hinders women from asserting their rights on matrimonial assets (MacTaggart, 2016, p.5). In fact, Acts like The Family Homes on Reserves and Matrimonial Interests or Rights Act (MIRA), which permits women to request absolute possession of the land, are made irrelevant, according to MacTaggart (2016), because there lacks enforcement provisions or means to attain legal support on reserves. Consequently, difficulties with the asset value of homes on reserves might result in unequal wealth allocation in an instance of divorce. The partner, most commonly the woman, is forced to search for housing off-reserve with substantially less financial assistance due to systemic poverty and housing scarcity on many reserves (p.8). Consequently, women living on reserves are frequently forced to leave since there are not enough shelters or housing choices available. Women are thus left in highly urbanized environments without substantial assistance to Indigenous-focused services. Issues concerning poverty, little income, and inexperience with systems and policies for securing housing within cities influence their relocation from reserves to urban spaces (Brandon & Peters, 2014, p.22). Indigenous women are more inclined to experience homelessness in urban settings due to these circumstances and are more likely to experience violence.

I talked about hidden homelessness, but you may wonder what it entails. Individuals who live in complex living arrangements, like couch surfing, but do not utilize shelters or transitional housing are said to be “hidden homeless” (Abramovich, 2016, p.88). The photograph below states inadequate housing, survival sex, physical and sexual abuse, overcrowding, poverty, and intimate partner violence are some factors that lead to hidden homelessness. To live, women are likely to depend on transactional and temporary services and are less likely to be found in conventional shelters, drop-in facilities, and public parks. Consequently, hidden homelessness also includes risky tactics used by homeless women to obtain housing and avoid threats from unisex shelters and the streets, which includes remaining in dangerous and abusive relationships and offering sex for housing (Bretherton, 2017, pp.6-8). As a result of its “hidden” nature within public structures, hidden homelessness amongst women frequently goes unacknowledged. 

Ontario's Office of the Chief Coroner says it's investigating the death of a 19-year-old First Nations man a few hours after he was released from the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre.

The 19 year-old was from a remote First Nation and his body was found less than a kilometre from the hospital in the early morning hours of Sept. 27. His suspected suicide has triggered concerns over the hospital's discharging practices.

Chief Coroner of Ontario Dr. Dirk Huyer confirmed his office is investigating the death.

"When there are potential intersections of systems, there may be care-related issues, there could be policies or approaches that may potentially contribute to the death of anybody. Those are the types of things we look at."

The young man was admitted to the Thunder Bay hospital at about 8 p.m. on Sept. 26 and discharged about three hours later, according to a letter written by Nishnawbe Aski Nation Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler to hospital CEO Jean Bartkowiuk.

Nishnawbe Aski Nation represents 49 First Nations from northern Ontario. The copy of the letter obtained by CBC News had the name and home community of the 19 year-old redacted.

19 year-old taken to campus by hospital security, letter alleges

Fiddler's letter stated that the 19-year-old was in distress when he was admitted to the hospital by ambulance. The letter does not state exactly why the young man was sent to the hospital.

He was found dead at 4 a.m. on Sept. 27 in a secluded area of the nearby Lakehead University campus by a security guard, said the letter.

Indigenous families struggle to trust Thunder Bay police as they face reopening of cases

Unsettling questions surround death of Timothy Atlookan in Thunder Bay

After the young man had been released from hospital he had been escorted by hospital security to Lakehead University's shipping and receiving area "approximately one-half kilometre from the entrance of the hospital," said Fiddler's letter.

"We are writing to you on a preliminary basis to find out why the hospital would escort a young man who presented at the hospital in obvious distress to a secluded area of the [Lakehead University] campus," said Fiddler's letter.

"Further alarming is that we have been advised that this is common practice by hospital security."

The letter said discharged patients are walked from the hospital to the nearby campus grounds so often that university security guards routinely carry taxi vouchers to give away.

"Surely, the hospital has procedures to support people in crisis... And surely this does not include walking them onto a university campus and leaving them alone to fend for themselves," said Fiddler in the letter.

"This practice is unconscionable."

Hospital says review of care raised no issues

Tracie Smith, senior director of communications for the hospital, said in an emailed statement that Bartkowiuk had responded to Fiddler's letter. Smith's statement said the hospital's quality of care review team had looked into the incident.

"The... team concluded that appropriate actions were taken and that the right decisions were made by clinical staff based on the information provided to them and the patient's presentation," said the statement.

"The participants maintain full confidence in the judgment and professionalism of those involved."

The statement said the hospital would review its "current processes and procedures" and "identify improvements to prevent future incidents."

Fiddler said in an interview he was disappointed by the hospital's response.

He questioned why hospital security guards would escort someone toward the campus, which is in a wooded area, when there is a bus stop on a brightly lit, wide road near the hospital entrance.

"The response we received from the hospital is not acceptable," Fiddler told CBC News.

"I know when it comes to systemic racism and the institutions that operate here, we know that there is racism in the hospital as well."

Police assisting coroner's investigation

Fiddler said he would be consulting with the young man's home community and family on next steps. He said he is also in touch with the coroner's office and would like to see the Thunder Bay police thoroughly investigate the death.

"I think what's needed is a proper review of the facts and circumstances that led to his death," he said.  

Fiddler said in the letter "that police were not notified for some time" after the 19-year-old was found by the university security guard.

AUDIO'Follow the evidence, find the truth' goal of reinvestigation of deaths of 9 Indigenous people in Thunder Bay

Lakehead University has not responded to requests for comment.

Thunder Bay police spokesperson Scott Paradis said in an emailed statement that officers were dispatched to the university campus at 8:10 a.m.

The Thunder Bay police's major crime unit is assisting the coroner's investigation, he said.

"The investigation into the death remains open and ongoing," said Paradis.

Nishnawbe Aski Nation opposes possible site for storage of nuclear waste

Nishnawbe Aski Nation opposes possible site for storage of nuclear waste

Globe and Mail, MARSHA MCLEOD, 11 Aug.22, Nishnawbe Aski Nation’s chiefs-in-assembly passed a resolution Wednesday “vehemently” opposing the possibility of an underground repository for nuclear waste in Northern Ontario. The chiefs’ resolution calls on Nishnawbe Aski Nation, or NAN, which represents 49 First Nation communities within Northern Ontario, to take action to stop such a possibility,…

View On WordPress

Leaders from Kashechewan First Nation are looking to the Ontario government and even foreign ambassadors for support in relocating their community, which they say the federal government has delayed for years.

"Our young people are getting really sick and tired of this," Chief Leo Friday told reporters at Queen's Park Monday.

Kashechewan came into being in 1957, when the Canadian government forcibly relocated Cree families from two islands onto a plain on the banks of the Albany River near James Bay, Ont., according to the book Invisible North. The name "Kashechewan" is the government's misspelling of the Cree word "Keeshechewan," which means "where the water flows fast," the book says.

The Cree nation of 2,500 is currently evacuated because of flooding. Residents have had to leave every spring for 17 years due to flood water, Friday said.

The federal government hasn't helped Kashechewan the way it helps other flooded communities in Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick, said Derek Fox, deputy grand chief of Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN), a grand council representing northern Ontario First Nations.

"You see in Ottawa, the response is immediate. They pretty much call in the army to save everyone," Fox said. "For Kashechewan, it's been 17 years."

Mantha's News from the Park - Our Children, Healthcare + More

@M_Mantha 's NewsFromThePark @NANComms @our_children @OntarioAdvocate @Kathleen_Wynne @OntYouth @OntarioNDP @ONgov

Algoma-Manitoulin NDP MPP Michael Mantha Few would argue the notion that Ontario has been blessed with an abundance of priceless resources. We enjoy access to a vast number of beautiful lakes and the fresh water of the Great Lakes, valuable mineral and ore deposits, fertile agricultural land and many thousands of square kilometres of trees. But without any doubt I say that our most precious…

View On WordPress