Latest news with #Wiikwemkoong
CBC
3 days ago
- General
- CBC
Indigenous community on Manitoulin Island gets a data centre to help preserve its cultural heritage
An Indigenous community on Manitoulin Island in northeastern Ontario says its new data centre will help it secure its data sovereignty. The Ogimaa (or chief) of Wiikwemkoong, Tim Ominika, said the community will be using the data centre to store information about programs and services, including the community's education department, health centre and services offered through the band office. It will also allow the First Nation to preserve its cultural heritage locally. "It empowers us to digitally preserve and share our Anishinaabe language because that is another thing we are looking at our knowledge, our traditions," Ominika said. The facility arrived by truck on Friday, May 23. "It looks like a large storage container," Ominika said. "But inside… with the data storage system in there, it looks like you're in a movie when you see all of the data storage and all the compartments. That's what it looks like inside, inside the unit." Ominika said the community previously used third-party vendors to host its information online. "Not saying we don't trust any other IT [information technology] businesses out there, but you know, we are just trying to look at paving the way for Anishinabek communities such as our community here," he said. Although he did not provide the exact cost for the data centre, Ominika said "it wasn't cheap." He added that it was a worthwhile investment for the community to preserve important cultural data, and information about services, locally. Ominika said Wiikwemkoong could make arrangements with other Indigenous communities to store their data. The data centre is also expected to create some local jobs to keep it running, and Ominika said he hopes it sparks more interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields among young people in the community.
CTV News
5 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
Wiikwemkoong welcomes data centre to advance digital sovereignty
Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory is celebrating the installation of a new data centre at the First Nation's administration building. Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory is celebrating the installation of a new data centre at the First Nation's administration building. Ogimaa Tim Ominika said the idea was first presented a few years ago as a way for the First Nation to have ownership of and access to its digital infrastructure. 'It was something that was brought forth by our administration team … why can't we look at our own data sovereignty?" Ominika said. Wikidata2 Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory is celebrating the installation of a new data centre at the First Nation's administration building. (Supplied) 'Why are we relying on other outsourced vendors to, you know, have control over all of the information stored within our First Nation community?' He said it was something he quickly supported and he's excited to see the project come to fruition. 'From my understanding and talking to our administration staff, this is the first of its kind in any First Nation community, either provincially or nationally,' Ominika said. 'Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory -- our quote is proud, progressive and prosperous. So, you know, when we're looking at taking that new innovative approach, it is a very unique step.' A data centre is a secure facility designed to house servers and computing systems. It's responsible for storing, managing and accessing digital information. 'Currently we store we store all data in our Microsoft data storage centre in Toronto,' said Michael McCormick, Wiikwemkoong's chief technology officer. Wikidata3 A data centre is a secure facility designed to house servers and computing systems. It's responsible for storing, managing and accessing digital information. (Supplied) 'But it was important for us to be able to bring that data back to our territory. So it can be a vehicle that we can use to … repatriate our data.' Beyond safeguarding data, the hope is the new centre will create jobs. 'We're hoping that … this will kind of invigorate our youth to kind of join the IT ranks," McCormick said. 'We're hoping that, you know, as community members pass by and have a look … it might stimulate youth to get involved in the sector.' While the centre is on the First Nation, he said that the data is still being moved to Wiikwemkoong from the former facility. McCormick said that from here on out, all videos, language, apps and even traditions will be kept here for future generations.
CTV News
14-05-2025
- CTV News
Counterfeit money circulating on Manitoulin Island, police warn
The Wikwemikong Tribal Police Service (WTPS) is warning community members and local businesses about counterfeit money circulating in Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory. Police say fake $20, $50, and $100 bills have been found in the First Nation community located on Manitoulin Island. Counterfeit bills - Manitoulin Island The Wikwemikong Tribal Police Service warns of counterfeit $20, $50, and $100 bills – identified by darker colour, repeated serial numbers, and the word "COPY" on the back of them – circulating on Manitoulin Island. (Image sources: Wikwemikong Tribal Police Service/Facebook) In a video posted to social media, WTPS Cons. Raven Manitowabi outlined key differences between real and counterfeit bills. 'The counterfeit is a little darker and it's not clear, and the counterfeit will have the word 'COPY' below the number,' Manitowabi said. 'All of the serial numbers are all going to be the same.' She noted that fake $20 bills have serial numbers beginning with FLA. Other signs include inconsistent colouring, texture, and missing or unclear watermarks. WTPS advises the public to carefully inspect cash by checking watermarks, feeling the texture, and looking for unusual colouring. Anyone who encounters counterfeit money is urged to report it using the WTPS' new online non-emergency tool.
CTV News
09-05-2025
- CTV News
New drug strategy in Manitoulin Island community sees big results
A new drug strategy for a community on Manitoulin Island is starting to see positive results, with big seizures of fentanyl and cocaine as well as the arrest of numerous suspected dealers. $35,000 cocaine and fentanyl seized in Wiikwemkoong First Nation $35,000 cocaine and fentanyl seized at a weapons call in Wiikwemkoong First Nation where a Brampton man was arrested. February 28, 2025 (Wikwemikong Tribal Police Service) Because drug activity has been a big concern, Wikwemikong Tribal Police Service launched its comprehensive community drug strategy last December. 'We did the gap analysis, conducted studies, community consultation on what was really required to mitigate a lot of things that were happening on the Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory and in Manitoulin Island,' Ron Gignac, police chief in Wiikwemkoong First Nation, said in a video interview earlier this week. Gignac said his agency is working in partnership with nearby police services on the community drug strategy efforts. This includes Ontario Provincial Police, United Chiefs and Council of Manitoulin Anishnaabe Police Service (UCCM) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). 'We have a really good, combined forces collaborative effort on evidence-based policing and intelligence-led policing,' he said. 'Crime Stoppers has been pivotal in what we are trying to do with our drug strategy. Our community … collaboration, that all has a lot to do with our success.' Wiki bust Police in Wiikwemkoong seized cocaine worth about $15,000 and seized 3D guns following a raid of a residence Thursday morning in the community. (Wikwemikong Tribal Police photo) Ways of transporting drugs identified Most of the focus is on motor vehicle traffic, since that's how most of the drugs come into the community and on the island. The upcoming addition of automated license plate readers will help identify criminal activities even faster. But it's not just motor vehicle traffic -- police are also intercepting drugs with snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and boats. Wiki bust A search warrant executed on Daawema Road in Wiikwemkoong led to the seizure of a large cache of cocaine, weapons and the arrest of 11 people, police said on Tuesday. (Wikwemikong Tribal Police photo) 'We have evidence of drug drop-off locations with … marine activities, with ATVs coming off of the territory and going to pick up drugs in a pre-stashed location,' Gignac said. 'So we're aware of these things … we have intelligence.' Using combined forces with OPP and RCMP, marine patrols have been stepped up to improve border integrity and to provide a deterrent. 'We know that it's a short distance from Point Grandin, Killarney, Birch Island,' he said. Community effort With the new strategy in place, Wikwemikong police have seized $346,000 in illicit drugs in just a few months. $20K in cocaine seized by Wikwemikoong Tribal Police Service $20K in cocaine seized April 16, 2025. (Wikwemikoong Tribal Police Service) And the police chief said more people are sharing and reporting information. 'The whole theme comes back to 'see something, say something,'' Gignac said. 'And I believe that people are comfortable in seeing the result of what's been happening with the Wikwemikong Tribal Police Service and the strategies that we have initiated.' New, online crime reporting To make non-emergency reporting easier and more accessible, he said the agency is launching its first online reporting system next week. 'We call it 'Connect, Report and Protect,'' Gignac said about the online portal that will be available 24/7. 'Sometimes people feel more comfortable reporting things online, so we wanted to make sure that we weren't missing that data from online reporting or that information that we could receive to help us out furthering our investigations.' The information reported online will be reviewed by WTPS staff and assigned to an officer for follow-up. 'I think it's going to capture the data we might be missing in certain cases because we all know that the younger generations tend to do things more online,' the police chief said.'So I think we'll be able to build that capacity into the final phase of what we're trying to accomplish here, which is information sharing.'
