Topic: Today’s News

The FNHP Certification program 
Starting September 14, 2020, all five courses will run online for an eleven week period. 

Register for the First Nations Housing Professional Program to take the courses necessary to be certified as a First Nations Housing Professional (FNHP)! Or, take a course to support your ongoing professional development! Check out our latest Information Guide and visit our certification page for full details and registration. *The last day to register for the Fall semester is September 10, 2020.

If you have taken SAIT, VIU or CEGEP Garneau housing courses, you may be eligible for course exemptions! The cost of exemptions will be covered by CMHC scholarships. It is suggested that one required course (in order) be taken per semester, after applicable exemptions. For more details on the courses, check out our courses and learning objectives.

All five courses will be offered in an online format:

• Online: Fully online for an 11 week period. Fall Semester: September – December. Winter Semester: January – April. $850 for members and $1,000 for non-members (per course).

Course 300 will be offered in an intensive format:

• Intensive: A five day in-person session with an online component. Location will be based in Edmonton, Alberta and is dependent on COVID-19 restrictions. $2,200 for members and $2,350 for non-members (per course).

All courses will be offered in the intensive and online format in the Winter semester starting in January, 2021.

*Candidate membership is $150, read below to see if you’re eligible for free membership!

The courses can also be delivered to private groups such as Tribal Councils, First Nations, etc. Contact info@fnhpa.ca or call 613-702-3166 for more information. 

Do you have more than 7 years of housing experience?
If so, the Prior Learning Assessment & Recognition (PLAR) path may be for you!The FIRST 50 applications through the PLAR path are FREE!! After that the application cost is $650. 

Support available! If you are looking to take the PLAR path, we have fully funded support available to help you get your portfolio completed! Contact info@fnhpa.ca or call 613-702-3166 for more information.

Are you eligible for free membership?
Your first candidate membership may be available free of charge if you have taken the SAIT, VIU or CEGEP Garneau housing courses, or if you are working in First Nations housing in Manitoba. Contact info@fnhpa.ca or call 613-702-3166 for more information. 

Request for Proposal
FNHPA is seeking a proposal from a qualified consultant to conduct a search for two positions: an Executive Director and Program Manager. Get the full details here.  

Call for Instructors
FNHPA is looking for qualified individuals to provide services as an instructor to support the delivery of the First Nations Housing Professional Program courses. See our Job Posting for full details!

Knowledge Centre Available
Looking for housing resources? Our Knowledge Centre is up and running! You’ll find information on Best Practices & Tools, Career Support Services, Housing Articles, Papers & Reports, and more!

www.fnhpa.ca

KETTLE & STONY POINT FIRST NATION—  A young man from Kettle & Stony Point (KSP) First Nation and the Saugeen Ojibway Nation (SON) is on a 28-day canoe journey along the shore of Lake Huron to help others understand the importance of the lake and the complex and troubled relationship between the water, First Nations, and settler populations.

Waasekom Niin is adding the trip to his already impressive paddling achievements, including a voyage in 2016 from Sault Ste. Marie to Stony Point, and a 97-day odyssey the next year, travelling the entire length of the Great Lakes, from Duluth, Minnesota, at the western tip of Lake Superior, to Matane, Quebec, almost at the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

His latest trip and the video recordings being made while travelling aim to highlight the Indigenous title claims being made to the water, lake bed, the shores, and rivers flowing into Lake Huron, Niin says.

He supports the multi-billion dollar claims by Saugeen and the Nawash (Cape Croker) Unceded Territory that are currently before an Ontario court, and hopes “to build relationships with the water and the people along our way” during his trip.

A major concern for Niin is the Bruce Nuclear facility, north of Kincardine, which “is siphoning off an Olympic-sized swimming pool of water” every seven seconds for cooling the nuclear process. The water is returned to the Lake 10 degrees warmer, he says, “which is measurable and actually has an impact on the fishery.”

“We’re not saying they can’t take the water, because nuclear power wouldn’t exist without it, but what are you doing to actively give back for that taking?” he asks.

“We (First Nations) have a say and a role,” he says in regards to decisions about how the water should be used.

The paddler’s goal is “to bring the voice of the water into these decision-making processes.”

“We need to take the consultation process to the next level. We are decision-makers in our own territory, we should be sitting side-by-side with the regulator and the proponent,” he insists, adding that also in water use applications, not consulted separately.

The recent cancellation of plans to build an underground depository for low-level nuclear waste from the Bruce power plant is a victory for SON and others who supported the community in opposing it, says Niin. Last winter, 85% of voters at Saugeen rejected the proposal by Ontario Power Generation (OPG), killing off hopes for the chamber that would have been built more than half a kilometre underground near SON territory.

“They (OPG) did what they said they would do, and that’s good. They’re honouring their word. It’s really positive for our nation to go up against major proponents and hold our own ground; that’s a big deal,” he says after OPG’s 15 years of efforts to create the depository come to an end.

For Waasekom Niin, issues in the relationship between First Nations, the settler community, and Lake Huron go beyond the taking of water and the disposal of contaminated waste. For all people living in the area “there’s always this question of what it means to be a treaty person,” he says. For that reason, he wants to bring attention to the legal cases that are trying two different claims by the SON.

In the first claim, the Saugeen Ojibway is seeking ownership of government land across the Bruce Peninsula, including national parks, road allowances, rivers, and lakes. Privately owned property is exempt from the claim. The second claim covers the waters of Lake Huron north from the Goderich area, around the peninsula, and through part of Georgian Bay near Collingwood.

Also important to Niin is that his community is asking the court to affirm their rights to hunting and fishing within their traditional territory were never surrendered.

Treaty provisions state certain islands on Lake Huron and on the Georgian Bay side of the Peninsula “belong to us, but when you go there, all those islands are privately owned. You’ll see those signs that say ‘No Trespassing, Private Property,’” he explains.

“There’s all this assumed ownership in our territory. There’s profound racism if you try to go on, quote-unquote ‘somebody’s land”; but really that land is still in question in terms of traditional access and use.”

The canoe trip is meant to explore and document these stories. Working with a filmmaker on a series of short videos, the long-distance voyager hopes to create a series of short videos and share them “strategically” with various people involved in matters of the treaties, such as politicians. He hopes to give these influencers a new perspective on the issues.

As of July 12, the trip had reached SON and Waasekom Niin was holding ceremony with community members. While also observing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic protocols like social distancing, before heading further north. The journey can be followed at Picking up the Bundles Canoe Journey on Facebook. Niin’s GPS tracker precise location can be tracked from the same page.

With a background first in culinary school and then studying at Trent University, Niin has also worked for the Chiefs of Ontario, for the Independent First Nations organization, as well as stints working for both his ancestral communities. Last January he was awarded a $75,000 Changemaker Fellowship by the NDN Collective in the U.S.A.  That group offers the 12-month fellowships to 21 “Indigenous Changemakers each year across Canada, the United States, and Mexico, who are working to defend, develop, and decolonize their communities and Nations,” the group’s website states.

QUEEN’S PARK — NDP MPP Monique Taylor (Hamilton Mountain) tabled a motion in the Ontario legislature Tuesday urging the Ford government to implement a plan to meet the needs of children with special needs and their families during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“For months, families have been struggling to support their children with special needs and parents are feeling isolated and burnt out.” said Taylor. “I have heard from many parents who fear that their children are regressing without access to therapy and mental health supports. We need a plan to resume these services, with COVID-19 precautions, to provide these children and their families the support they need.”

Taylor’s motion requests that the Ford government immediately implement a COVID-19 plan to meet the needs of children with special needs and their families with a sector wide strategy for reopening, including:

• Emergency respite services for families, with equitable access for Northern and rural communities
• Increased funding and shortened wait times for Special Services at Home (SSAH) reimbursements
• Fast-tracked development of the needs-based Ontario Autism Program
• Proactive and regular communication with families by the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services, which has been mostly silent throughout the pandemic
• Resources for schools and additional education assistant support this fall
• Personal protective equipment (PPE) for support workers

“So far, throughout this pandemic, Ford has failed to support children with special needs,” said Taylor. “We need this government finally stand up for these families and provide a real plan for providing services safely as Ontario reopens.”

Port Alberni, BC- The Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council (NTC) sends our deepest condolences to the family and community of late James Williams, who comes from Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ and Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations. It has come to our attention that James was found deceased shortly after his release from the Duncan RCMP detachment, on July 16, 2020.

We have been informed that on July 15, 2020 at approximately 4:30 p.m., RCMP officers arrested James Williams, for allegedly being publicly intoxicated in Duncan, BC. It is our understanding that he was then
transported to the RCMP cells. Further, that on July 16, 2020, at 1:30 a.m., James was released from RCMP custody. Fourteen hours later, at 3:30pm, the RCMP were called to assist Emergency Health Services at Warmland House, a shelter and transitional residence in Duncan, B.C., where James Williams was found deceased in his unit.

The Independent Investigation Office (IIO) will investigate to determine what role, if any, the officers’ actions or inaction may have played in the death of James Williams. The BC Coroners Service is also conducting an independent investigation to determine how, where, when and by what means he came to his death.

This devastating news comes at a time where our top political figures have finally admitted that systemic racism does in fact exist within the RCMP, and also within every single health region in B.C. Countless reports of unjust treatment and blatant racism towards First Nations people are coming forward in recent weeks.

The Nuu-chah-nulth people are still grieving the heartbreaking loss of Chantel Moore-Martin (mit) who was killed by a member of the Edmundston Police in New Brunswick recently during a “wellness check”.
The NTC is committed to standing in support of the family of late James Williams as they seek important answers to their questions, to determine what may have occurred and by whom, prior to James’ untimely death.

We implore the IIO and BC Coroners Service to conduct a thorough investigation, so that the family will be able to obtain the answers that they deserve. The IIO is asking that any person who saw or spoke to James Williams on July 16, 2020 to contact the IIO Witness Line toll free at 1-855-446- 8477 or via the contact form on the iiobc.ca website.

Despite the settlement agreement reached in November 2017, thousands of Sixties Scoop survivors are still waiting for their cheques.

“We’ve been waiting all our lives for this to happen,” said Shirley Corrie, a Sixties Scoop survivor. “Trudeau was happy to release $500 million for approved applicants. But then he put it over to Collectiva to handle the disbursement and now thousands of us are still waiting.”

As of June 25^th, 2020, 36,747 claims were submitted. Of those, only 12,751 had been processed, leaving the majority of applicants wondering whether they will ever receive compensation. Even among approved claims, many are waiting for the settlements they were promised.

“I’m calling on Prime Minister Trudeau and the Minister of Crown–Indigenous Relations Carolyn Bennett to take action and expedite this process,” said Kim Beaudin, National Vice-Chief for the Congress Aboriginal Peoples (CAP). “It is absurd to say survivors can afford to wait even longer because we’re in the middle of a pandemic. This compensation is even more important in a crisis.”

A federal court order issued on March 27^th and an Ontario court order issued on June 1st, ordered initial payments for those who had been approved to be released. Despite these orders, many approved claims await compensation, sparking criticisms that Collectvia continues to delay processing. Initial deadlines were put on hold due to COVID-19 further delaying access to funding.

“I’m counting on this money to grow my business,” said Corrie. “It’s difficult enough with COVID-19 delays on importing equipment at the border and supply chain problems. I can’t afford to spend my time reminding them to do their job too. I would just like an answer.” 

“The rollout has been a mess. We were expecting payment in January, then spring and now summer is slipping away,” said Cheryl Taniskishayinew, a fellow Sixties Scoop survivor. “I was counting on this payment to help me participate in this year’s rain dance ceremonies, but the delays mean I will probably miss it. This compensation was for loss of culture and taking away our identities and now another year is going by without that experience.”

Others in the Métis and non-Status community have no idea if they will receive compensation at all under the initial compensation announcement from the Government of Canada in December 2018.

A class action lawsuit for Métis and non-Status Indian survivors continues to be processed through the courts. Survivors continue to wait for government to follow through on the pledge from 2018 to settle outstanding claims. 

Harvesters Support Grant & Young Hunters Program

Nutrition North Canada’s Harvesters Support Grant demonstrates that direct engagement with Indigenous and northern partners is essential to driving innovative change. It was developed in response to community engagement sessions that highlighted the importance of country foods and the challenges caused by the rising cost of hunting and harvesting.

Grant funding supports a wide range of harvesting activities, such as the purchase of equipment and supplies, maintenance, training, traditional knowledge programs, and food processing, preparation and storage, as well as supporting food sharing initiatives, and food storage such as community freezers.

The Grant was developed in direct collaboration with Indigenous partners and will provide $40 million over five years, and $8 million per year ongoing to Indigenous governments and organizations in Canada’s North. In Nunavut, funding will flow to communities through Nunavut Tunngavik Inc., which has been allocated $14,885,000 over 5 years.

The Grant will increase Northerners’ access to country foods by lowering the high costs associated with hunting and harvesting. It has been designed to be distinctions-based, so as to maximize Indigenous control and decision-making. Recognizing that each community has unique harvesting needs and priorities, dedicated Grant agreements have been developed to ensure that Indigenous governments and organizations have authority to determine how to best support their communities.

The funding flows through a Grant rather than a conventional contribution agreement as grants do not need to be repaid and the funding can be relied upon year after year. This approach provides Indigenous partners with full control on how the funding is put to use.

The Grant was also configured to work with other government programs, such as youth programming and Skills and Employment programming. The intent behind this flexibility was to permit recipients to support and develop the harvesting economy by, for example, using the highly flexible HSG funding, in combination with Skills and Employment funding to support the development of critical skills and businesses, such as small engine repair.

Nutrition North Canada continues to work actively to administer Grant Agreements to Indigenous governments and organizations.  For more information about the Grant, please visit: https://www.nutritionnorthcanada.gc.ca/eng/1586274027728/1586274048849.

Young Hunters Program

The Young Hunters Program (YHP) is a community-based initiative that works with Elders to document the knowledge and skills required for youth to become masters in sustainable harvesting. Led by the Aqqiumavvik Society in Arviat, Nunavut, the program connects male youth aged 8 to 18 with Elders to learn hunting and survival skills, while learning how to monitor and adapt to the impacts of climate change.

The YHP offers youth the opportunity to go out on the land to learn about and reinforce their way of life, while instilling a sense of accomplishment and pride. Participants of the YHP gain hunting and survival skills and knowledge through time spent with the Elders, while building cultural resilience, community wellness and food security. Teaching hunting and survival skills, such as measurement of ice conditions, also provides an opportunity for youth to learn about the impacts of climate change.

Programs like this help to address community wellness and mental health in a holistic manner, while providing positive activities and opportunities for youth in their community The population of Arviat is just over 2500, predominantly Inuit, and relatively young; with over 35 per cent of residents under 15 years old. Supporting Indigenous-led climate change initiatives that engage young people is a priority among organizations and leadership in Nunavut and across Canada.

With support from the Government of Canada, the Young Hunters Program has run the Ujjiqsuiniq Project since 2018, developing and piloting a climate change observation and adaptation curriculum that is being incorporated into on-the-land programming in the remote Inuit community of Arviat, Nunavut.

The YHP is jointly supported by the Climate Change Preparedness in the North and Indigenous Community-Based Climate Monitoring Programs (through CIRNAC), as well as the Climate Change and Health Adaptation Program (through Indigenous Services Canada). In February 2020, Minister Vandal announced an investment of $1.23 million to the program.

Federal funding to the program breaks down as follows:

• $412,062 over three years from 2018-to-March 31st, 2021, is being provided through CIRNAC’s Climate Change Preparedness in the North Program.
• $375,000 over three years from 2018-to-March 31st, 2021, is being provided through CIRNAC’s Indigenous Community-Based Climate Monitoring Program.
• $439,954.00 over four years from 2018-2022 is being provided through Indigenous Services Canada’s Climate Change and Health Adaptation Program.

Seismometers are used to detect vibrations travelling through the ground after an earthquake, but they also pick up the background “buzz” of human activity at the surface.

According to new research published today in Science, lockdown measures to combat the spread of COVID-19 led to a 50 per cent reduction in seismic noise observed around the world in early to mid 2020.

We spoke to study co-author Mika McKinnon, a geophysicist and adjunct professor in the department of earth, ocean and atmospheric sciences at UBC about the findings.

What did this study find?

Human activity is constantly driving a seismic buzz – everything from walking around, car traffic and industrial activities create unique seismic signatures in the subsurface. We noticed seismometers all over the planet were much, much quieter as lockdown protocols rolled out.

This study, led by the Royal Observatory of Belgium, is a collaboration between more than 70 scientists. We analyzed months-to-years long datasets from over 300 seismic stations around the world, including Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal.

The study was able to show that seismic noise reduced in many countries and regions, making it possible to visualize the resulting lockdown “wave” moving through China, then to Italy, and around the rest of the world. We usually see local seismic quiet periods linked to holidays like winter religious holidays, but this is far more widespread and far, far quieter than anything we’ve seen before.

What is driving this reduction in seismic noise?

The neat bit of this research is in figuring out exactly what was driving the quiet. We correlated the decrease in seismic noise with everything from audio traffic microphones to flight records to anonymized cellphone data. Our interpretation is that the decrease in tourism, the reduction in commuting as more people work from home, and the travel restrictions all combined together limit how much seismic noise humans are generating.

I personally find this reassuring as the pandemic drags on and we are asked to continue to restrict physical contact. It’s easy to feel alone, or to look out the window grumbling about how you seem to be the only one following the rules. But the Earth tattles on our secrets, and through this reduction in seismic noise, it tells us how many other people are also sacrificing their usual habits to reduce contact.

The COVID-19 situation in British Columbia has been markedly different to that in Washington state. What differences did you see in the data? 

In Vancouver, we can see an abrupt reduction in human-generated seismic noise as first schools shut down, then a few days later when personal care businesses closed. The most dramatic place to see this is a seismometer at Canada Place that is usually buzzing with human foot traffic of people enjoying the views across the water, conference-goers having meetings, and tourists unloading from visiting cruise ships. Over just a few days, all that seismic noise drops away, leaving the seismometer recording just the vibrations of waves hitting the shore, buildings swaying in the wind, and a handful of cars navigating downtown.

Looking at seismometers in Seattle, we can see that same noticeable decrease in seismic noise as the initial restrictions were imposed to reduce travel, but it’s a far less dramatic drop. More unnervingly, it starts creeping back up sooner as their lockdown restrictions started lifting earlier than in B.C.

Why is it important to understand “noise” caused by humans?

As people flock to cities in seismically active areas like Vancouver, it’s essential for us to have a good understanding of what our risk from earthquakes is, and how we can expect the ground to move. But that’s not the only reason we monitor seismic noise.

Our planet is constantly humming and buzzing with seismic noise. Sometimes it’s from earthquakes or from magma moving around under volcanoes, but it can also be from more mundane events like waves pounding on the shore and humans going about their daily lives. Geophysicists use all of these seismic noises to peer deep within the Earth and understand it better. Studying these smaller but widespread human-generated seismic noises is another tool for understanding our planet, but in this research it’s also a way to better understand people and how we’re all working together as we face this pandemic.

New campaign from National Association of Friendship Centres works with Indigenous comedian Ryan McMahon to address COVID-19 myths through humour  

·        NAFC provides COVID-19 info, support and resources to Indigenous people living in urban centres through its network of 107 Friendship Centers across Canada  

·        Last year, Friendship Centres collectively served over 1.4 million people. 

Today marks the launch of a new digital campaign, Take Care in COVID, from the National Association of Friendship Centres (NAFC) to help address COVID-19 myths and misinformation among urban Indigenous communities across the country. As Canada’s most significant providers of culturally enhanced programs and services for off-reserve Indigenous residents, NAFC unveiled a series of humorous videos featuring Treaty 3 Anishinaabe comedian, Ryan McMahon, to address common misconceptions around prevention, contraction and treatment of the virus.  

“This pandemic has hit urban Indigenous communities especially hard. Indigenous people living in urban settings have faced multiple challenges in being recognized and appropriately supported throughout the pandemic response,” says Jocelyn Formsma, Executive Director of NAFC. “As Friendship Centres, we were really concerned that no one was really speaking to urban Indigenous populations. While the impact of COVID-19 on Indigenous people is not funny, we know how our people use humour to get through many difficult situations. We wanted to find a creative, accessible and memorable way to bring credible resources to people and help keep them and their families safe.” 

The video series features Ryan McMahon, who spends much of his time working with youth in reclaiming Indigenous culture and history through his speaking and training initiatives. The campaign will address such misconceptions as mosquitos spreading COVID, vitamin D providing protection and traditional medicine myths, while also encouraging mask-wearing, practicing social distancing, frequent hand washing and avoiding crowds.  

“I am so proud to be a part of this campaign and to use my comedy to help deliver useful information about COVID-19 to help keep people safe and healthy as this pandemic continues to evolve,” says comedian Ryan McMahon. “It’s unbelievable to see what’s floating around on the internet and even being shared by friends or even family members. That’s why there is such a need to get trusted information out there.” 

The campaign will also include a Facebook Live panel  featuring Dr. Janet Smylie, Director of Well Living House, and Jocelyn Formsma, who will provide practical tips and answer audience questions on COVID-19 protection measures for this summer. All resources will be available to the public through NAFC’s website and Facebook page. Individuals can also visit one of over 100-member local Friendship Centres or Provincial/Territorial Associations across Canada.

As part of the mandate of Friendship Centres for over half a century, its focus has been facilitating the transition of Indigenous people from rural, remote and reserve life to an urban environment. In addition to COVID-19 resources, NAFC and local Friendship Centres are also community hubs that foster cultural connection, community and provide culturally relevant services for women, vulnerable populations, youth, transition services, outreach programs and community wellness. 

“This is important because more than 60 per cent of Indigenous people live off reserve and in urban areas. Because it is so challenging to collect good data on the rate of COVID-19 among urban Indigenous, the Friendship Centres are a crucial lifeline for this vulnerable community. And it’s why now, more than ever, we need the support of all levels of government to work together to support the health and safety now and beyond COVID-19,” says Formsma. 

With NAFC’s work to advocate for more funding to support urban Indigenous people, the organization was encouraged to see the federal government’s commitment in April that $15 million would be made available to urban Indigenous organizations as part of the Indigenous Community Support Fund for COVID-19. An additional $75 million was made available in May to support off-reserve Indigenous people and those living in urban centres, including funding to local Friendship Centres which will enable them to focus on economic recovery such as childcare, youth programming, employment and training, while also continuing to provide frontline COVID-19 essential services.  

((Xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səl̓ilwətaʔɬ/sel̓ílwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh)/Vancouver, B.C. – July 22, 2020)  Indigenous rights, health, and civil liberties organizations are extremely alarmed that the Province of BC remains committed to pushing Bill 22 through the Legislative Assembly. Bill 22 proposes a number of amendments to the Mental Health Act that raise numerous concerns about the dangerous impacts on the health, safety and rights of youth. The organizations are deeply disappointed and discouraged by the lack of engagement with advocacy groups, health professionals, and impacted parties. Further, the lack of consultation with Indigenous peoples, most directly impacted by this bill, is a complete contradiction to the principles of BC’s own Declaration Act on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. 

Article 7(1) of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which the governments of Canada and BC have adopted and committed to implement, states that all Indigenous peoples have the rights to life, physical and mental integrity and security of person.

“To see this legislation tabled during a time when the reality of systemic and blatant racism towards Indigenous peoples and other people of colour is undeniable, is extremely troubling and emblematic of a system that seeks to oppress rather than to support,” stated Kukpi7 Judy Wilson of the Union of BC Indian Chiefs. “Our families and communities require culturally-safe, wraparound services – not additional legal mechanisms to detain our youth and ignore our rights. We will not accept unilateral processes imposed by provincial government that places additional risks on our children’s lives, including increased fatalities and the further intrusion of child welfare agencies.”

Multiple experts have warned that Bill 22 could result in increased fatalities for youth using substances who may overdose after being released from detention with reduced tolerance levels or who may choose not to call 911 in the event of an overdose for fear of being detained. Further, the proposed amendments are inconsistent with any current evidence regarding substance use. The overemphasis in our mental health and addictions system on involuntary treatment exacerbate the ongoing opioid health crisis.

“In addition to the illogical public policy approach being taken – due to the inherent risk of increased fatalities – the proposed law imposes a coercive treatment regime on youth, which is unacceptable.  Involuntary interventions and health care detention should only be used as a last resort,” stated Meghan McDermott, Senior Staff Counsel with the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association. “We are incredibly concerned that Indigenous youth will be disproportionately impacted by this model, as is the case in other jurisdictions. The bill is also lacking crucial procedural safeguards, such as access to legal counsel and to an independent review of detention decisions.” 

“BC is one of the few provinces in Canada that does not provide access to independent legal advice and assistance for people detained under the Mental Health Act,” stated Laura Johnston, Legal Director of Health Justice. “This government committed to establishing that service last year – not only has government failed to fulfill that commitment, it is moving to create yet another form of detention for youth with no way to access legal advice and assistance.”

The organizations demand Bill 22 be withdrawn, and that the Province of BC immediately engage with Indigenous leaders, impacted parties, and advocacy groups to develop a robust and meaningful plan for reforming BC’s mental health and substance use policies. Bill 22’s approach, and the complete lack of engagement with those who will be most affected, means this bill should not be implemented. Amendments at this time are inadequate in addressing the numerous and significant concerns. Complete and systematic change, including the reallocation of resources to voluntary, culturally safe, and wrap-around services, is the only meaningful solution to this crisis of youth overdoses.

The Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC) invites Canadians to plan the perfect escape this summer in their own backyards with the launch of Destination Indigenous’ Escape from Home campaign, a series of inspired itineraries highlighting a range of authentic experiences that connect travellers to Indigenous people, their culture and the land. 

“Through strong imagery, video, and storytellers, Destination Indigenous is putting a focus on this resilient sector of the tourism industry, while delivering an emotional experience that flows from our grounding with the natural environment and our desire for meaningful connections,” says Keith Henry, President & CEO of ITAC. “Our Indigenous experiences, activities and communities have enjoyed growing demand from international visitors year-over-year for sharing rich, transformative travel experiences that showcase a modern, authentic culture. We invite all Canadians to discover the rich Indigenous history within their own communities, provinces and territories.”

ITAC announced the launch of DestinationIndigenous.ca in June to encourage, highlight and educate travellers about the many Indigenous experiences that will welcome Canadians this summer. Through Destination Indigenous’ informative website, which includes a vacation planning tool, maps and directions, intrepid travellers can explore and directly book experiences like: 

·     wildlife and fishing excursions across Quebec; 

·     urban Indigenous tours within Canada’s major cities such as Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa & Halifax; 

·     guided adventures across BC & Alberta;

·     northern Lights in NWT;

·     unique Indigenous accommodations from art-filled hotels to glamping in the wilderness; 

·     deep dives into Indigenous culture and heritage sites;

·     foraging for local ingredients and dining on Indigenous cuisine from top-trained Indigenous chefs.  

“Our Indigenous tourism members are excited to welcome Canadians and proud of the travel experiences they have been offering for many years. ITAC has worked hard to ensure they have the resources to operate with the highest health and safety standards possible, and we are honoured to share our culture during a time when sharing and supporting our local communities is so important,” says Henry. 

While planning an escape with Indigenous experiences across Canada, ITAC recommends travellers understand the health and safety guidelines for travel within each province and territory, and travellers also check to ensure that the community they hope to visit is ready to welcome back local visitors.