Latest news with #Mamakwa
Global News
02-06-2025
- Politics
- Global News
Ontario MPP ejected from debate for claiming Ford is telling ‘untruths' about Bill 5
As tensions over the Ford government's controversial Bill 5 continue to escalate, Indigenous MPP Sol Makmakwa was ejected from the Ontario legislature after accusing the premier of telling 'untruths' to First Nations communities. The government has faced fierce pushback to its proposed law to create special economic zones to fast-track priority infrastructure projects in the province, including the resource-rich Ring of Fire in northern Ontario. On Monday, the government was expecting to face more protests from First Nations leaders who are promising to revive the Idle No More movement with possible blockades of GTA-area highways to underscore their point. While Premier Doug Ford maintains the government will respect First Nations and the Crown's legal duty to consult with Indigenous leaders, Mamakwa suggested the premier isn't being upfront. 'The government said that they respect First Nations, that they respect treaty rights. Speaker, we know the premier is telling untruths to First Nations,' Mamakwa said during question period at Queen's Park. Story continues below advertisement Mamakwa was asked to withdraw the remark by Speaker Donna Skelly, who viewed the statement as unparliamentary. When Mamakwa refused, he was removed from the chamber. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'You cannot trample on inherent rights; you cannot trample on First Nations rights,' he said. 'I think that's why I said those things — they needed to be said in a very public way.' Mamakwa's removal from the chamber came at the start of Monday's legislative proceedings in a week expected to be dominated by protests and rallies at Queen's Park. Just after noon, the leaders of a number of Ontario First Nations will descend on Queen's Park to hold a rally against the proposed legislation. The group, convened by the Chiefs of Ontario, said Bill 5 would be a 'direct threat' to their 'lands, jurisdiction and sovereignty.' Indigenous leaders have also invoked the Idle No More movement of 2012, which saw blockades of rail lines and round dances in public places as part of a massive series of disruptions. Ford on Friday said blockades in response to the legislation would be 'very, very disappointing' and blamed a 'very small, vocal group' for the opposition to the bill. 'And wouldn't that be a disappointment?' he said. 'They think that Ontarians and Canadians are going to be in favour when you block a railroad, you block a road? That's counterproductive.' Story continues below advertisement Mamakwa said the premier's comments were an attempt to 'divide and conquer' the province's Indigenous communities. Bill 5 — the Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act — is expected to pass the legislation before Thursday, when MPPs rise for the summer. Opposition parties grouped together during committee hearings for Bill 5 last week to delay its progress. They tabled a flurry of amendments and put extra speakers up to slow debate on the legislation and filibuster the committee. A government time-allocation motion, however, should now let the legislation pass before the end of the week — with a marathon committee session set for Tuesday and its final approval planned by the Progressive Conservative majority soon after.
Toronto Star
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Toronto Star
Sir John A. Macdonald's Queen's Park statue to be uncovered amid warning that protests will follow
Sir John A. Macdonald is being released from five years in protective custody, reviving debate and anger over his record. The 1894 statue of Canada's first prime minister at the legislature atop University Avenue has been cloaked in hoarding since being vandalized over Macdonald's role in creating residential schools, where thousands of Indigenous children died after being taken from their families. 'We cannot run away from our history,' Donna Skelly, speaker of the legislature, said Tuesday, adding consultations will continue with Indigenous Peoples on how they can be better represented in the building and on its grounds. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW But an Indigenous MPP who survived residential schools said he's hurt by the decision to 'unbox' the statue, where dozens of pairs of tiny shoes had been placed in memoriam, and warned it remains a target. 'It might come down, it might get spray-painted, I don't know. But let them learn,' said New Democrat Sol Mamakwa (Kiiwetinoong). 'We are still trying to find our kids, our ancestors, in these residential schools,' he told reporters, referring to ground radar searches for graves in former school locations across the country. With Premier Doug Ford's government pushing to pass its controversial Bill 5 allowing the fast-tracking of infrastructure and mining projects over the concerns of Indigenous leaders — who fear violating First Nation Treaty rights will be ignored and wildlife endangered — Mamakwa said the timing of the statue decision is 'very disrespectful.' In a nod to those concerns, the government has pledged amendments to the 'Protect Ontario by Unleashing Our Economy Act.' At issue is the creation of 'special economic zones' exempt from many municipal and provincial rules. The move to uncover the Macdonald statue, wrapped in tarpaulins inside the hoarding to minimize damage caused by an infestation of rodents, came in a May 12 vote by representatives of the governing Progressive Conservatives, New Democrats and Liberals on the legislature's board of internal economy. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Once a cleaning is complete, a protective coating will be applied to the statue which will be under a 24/7 watch by legislative security officers. A plaque that has been on the hoarding for years will added to the statue, stating the legislature is a place for 'debate and deliberation' and hinting at next steps. 'Though we cannot change the history we have inherited, we can shape the history we wish to leave behind,' the plaque reads. 'The speaker of the legislative assembly is considering how the depictions of those histories in the monuments and statuary on the assembly's grounds can respect all of our diverse peoples and cultures.' Mamakwa said the plaque is insufficient and faulted a legislative committee of fellow MPPs which for several years made attempts at consultations to address the i ssue. Suggestions for the statue have included putting it in a museum where Macdonald's full legacy — good and bad — can be explained, or adding a residential schools monument. NDP Leader Marit Stiles said she has 'no problem with the hoarding coming down' as long as Indigenous communities are consulted. 'Our history, as broken as it is in some ways, the good and the bad, we have to be clear on what our history is,' said MPP John Fraser, the Liberal representative on the board of internal economy. 'The reality is that there is controversy.' Skelly said protests are welcome at the statue 'as long as no one is hurt and you don't break the rules or the law.' 'It's a different time from when that statue was erected in 1894,' she added. 'At the time … women weren't even considered persons.' Residential schools began in 1883 under Macdonald's government. The last one closed in 1996. About 150,000 Indigenous children were removed from their homes and forced into a system likened to apartheid and genocide. Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Commission initially counted 3,201 deaths in a 2015 report. The search for unmarked graves is expected to take years. Politics Headlines Newsletter Get the latest news and unmatched insights in your inbox every evening Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. Please enter a valid email address. Sign Up Yes, I'd also like to receive customized content suggestions and promotional messages from the Star. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Politics Headlines Newsletter You're signed up! You'll start getting Politics Headlines in your inbox soon. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page.
CBC
11-03-2025
- Health
- CBC
First safe sobering beds open in Thunder Bay, Ont., for those intoxicated by alcohol or drugs
Social Sharing People who are intoxicated by alcohol or drugs in Thunder Bay, Ont., now have access to a space where they can rest and recover without judgment. The community's first seven safe sobering beds opened on Monday at 500 Oliver Rd. The program, run by St. Joseph's Care Group, is the first of its kind in the northwestern Ontario city, which has the highest opioid-related death rate in the province. The provincial government announced nearly $3 million for the program in September 2024. The beds are open to anyone 16 and older that is under the influence of alcohol or other substances and does not require the level of care provided at an emergency department or in St. Joseph's withdrawal management program. The program is entirely voluntary, and is hoped to divert people from ending up in police custody or the emergency department, instead, giving them a more appropriate place to access support. "We're really hoping to be able to create a safe space in our community to be able to take those calls that are less acute, where somebody doesn't require that full medical intervention of emergency services," said Andrea Docherty, vice president of clinical and community health at St. Joseph's Care Group. Developing a safe sobering program in the city was among the key recommendations made during a joint coroner's inquest into the deaths of two Oji-Cree men in 2022 — Roland McKay and Don Mamakwa. Both died while in police custody in Thunder Bay. Mamakwa, 44, was a member of Kasabonika First Nation. He died in 2014 after being arrested on the suspicion of public intoxication. His autopsy said his cause of death was ketoacidosis, a serious complication of Type 2 diabetes, alcohol use disorder and sepsis (when the body's response to an infection damages its own tissues). McKay, 50, was Mamakwa's uncle and a member of Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug First Nation. He died in 2017 while in police custody; it was determined he died of natural causes. More than 30 organizations worked together to create a safe sobering model that would work in Thunder Bay. "It's a local solution for our local needs, and so we're really grateful for all of that hard work and support," Docherty said. People can stay in the beds for up to 24 hours at a time. The average stay is between four and eight hours. "Today, we are closing a gap in addictions services," said Janine Black, president and CEO of St. Joseph's Care Group. "These spaces represent our collective responsibility to people in crisis, offering the support needed without defaulting to emergency rooms or jail cells, which were never meant to be the front lines of addiction care." Connecting clients to other services St. Joseph's Care Group operates several mental health and addictions services in the community. In the fall, it moved its 25 detox beds from the Balmoral Centre on Sibley Drive to the Crossroads Centre at Oliver Road to allow renovations to take place. By the summer, the goal is to permanently move the Crossroads Centre pre and post-treatment recovery program to Sibley Drive to make room for both the safe sobering bed program and withdrawal management program at Oliver Road. Once construction is complete, an additional eight safe sobering beds are hoped to be up and running by late spring or early summer, said Docherty. "All our programs are voluntary but we're really hopeful that once someone's feeling a little bit better, we can introduce withdrawal management right across the hall and support them if they're interested," she said. Several new staff have been hired to facilitate the safe sobering bed program, including nurses, addictions counsellors, Indigenous health counsellors and peer support workers. Another key aspect of the program is creating a culturally-safe space. N'doo'owe Binesi, St. Joseph's Care Group's Indigenous health division, will provide traditional healing, system navigation, counselling and connection to Elders and ceremony as well. While they expect most referrals will be made by police or the hospital, individuals can reach out to St. Joseph's Care Group directly on behalf of themselves or a loved one to access one of the beds, Docherty said. "We're really hoping that this will be a warm, welcoming introduction to other services within our system," Docherty said.
CBC
28-02-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Incumbents projected winners in northwestern Ontario
Social Sharing Current projections are showing Northwestern Ontario's four provincial ridings will be represented by some familiar faces at Queen's Park. The Ontario Progressive Conservative party was projected as the provincial government on Thursday. The victory marked the third-straight majority for the PCs. Northwestern Ontario didn't vote for change, either: voters in all four of the region's ridings we re-elected the incumbents, according to projections. Thunder Bay-Superior North Lise Vaugeois of the Ontario NDP is the projected winner in Thunder Bay-Superior North. With 78 out of 82 polls reporting, Vaugeois had earned just over 11,200 votes, which is about 41 per cent of the riding's vote share. Rick Dumas, PC candidate and mayor of Marathon, projected second in the riding, with about 2,000 votes less than Vaugeois. Liberal Brian Hamilton, who's also a member of Thunder Bay City Council, projected in third place, and John Northey of the Green Party finished the night in fourth place in the riding. Thunder Bay-Atikokan PC Kevin Holland is the projected winner in Thunder Bay-Atikokan. With 69 out of 73 polls reporting, Holland had earned 13,355 votes, or 45.5 per cent of votes cast in the riding. The NDP's Judith Monteith-Farrell projected second place with about 7,600 votes, and Liberal Stephen Margarit in third with about 300 fewer votes than Monteith-Farrell. Kiiwetinoong NDP incumbent Sol Mamawka held on to his seat in Thursday's election, according to projections. With 32 of the riding's 51 polls reporting, Mamakwa had already pulled far ahead of PC Waylon Scott, who was in second place. Mamakwa had about 2,100 votes, or 62 per cent of the votes cast in Kiiwetinoong. Scott was at 902 votes. Liberal Manuela Michelizzi projected third with 245 votes, and Green Party candidate Carolyn Spicer rounded out the top four with 81 votes. Kenora-Rainy River Finally, the residents of Kenora-Rainy River will continue to be represented by Greg Rickford according to projections. With 101 of the riding's 105 polls reporting, Rickford had a comfortable lead with 10,099 votes, or 59.7 per cent of the vote share. The second-place candidate, the NDP's Rudy Turtle, had 3,209 ballots cast for him, while Liberal Anthony Leek was at 2,978. Green Party candidate John Redins had 329 votes.
CBC
12-02-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Meet the 2025 candidates in the Kiiwetinoong riding
Social Sharing Kiiwetinoong has the largest land area of any provincial electoral riding, as well as one of the smallest population bases. The riding is the only one in Ontario to have a majority Indigeneous population. The boundaries of Kiiwetinoong are home to the municipalities of Sioux Lookout, Red Lake and Pickle Lake, as well as several First Nations including Sandy Lake, Pikangikum, Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug, Eabametoong and Neskantaga. The candidates in alphabetical order by surname are as follows: Sol Mamakwa, NDP Incumbent Sol Mamakwa won the young riding's previous two elections. While at Queen's Park, Mamakwa has served as the party's critic on Indigenous and treaty relations. He is the only First Nation legislato r in the province. Prior to being elected in 2018, Mamakwa had been the lead health advisor for Nishnawbe Aski Nation. Waylon Scott, PC Waylon Scott is the current chief of Wabaseemoong Independent Nations, an Ojibway band government that includes communities of One Man Lake, Swan Lake and Whitedog. He was involved in the Kenora Chief's Advisory's purchase of land for the All Nations Hospital project, and has voiced support for Kenora's Indigenous-led Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) hub. Carolyn Spicer, Green Carolyn Spicer joined the provincial Green party in 2018. Previously, she worked as a Fish and Wildlife technologist for the Ministry of Natural Resources, according to a release from the Green Party of Ontario. The Liberals have not yet announced a candidate.
