A long time coming…

 June 27, 2014

 Globe and Mail – Sean Fine
Supreme Court expands land-title rights in unanimous ruling

The SCC has declared that Aboriginals still own their ancestral land unless they signed away the title in treaties with the government.  “The court also spelled out in detail what aboriginal title means: control of ancestral lands and the right to use them for modern economic purposes, without destroying those lands for future generations.”  Government still has access to the land but only under certain conditions.  http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/supreme-court-expands-aboriginal-title-rights-in-unanimous-ruling/article19347252 Related article:  Globe and Mail   Editorial   Supreme Court offers needed clarity on native land claims   http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/editorials/on-native-land-claims-a-supreme-court-judgment-brings-clarity/article19355512  Related article:  CBC News  Tsilhqot’in First Nation granted B.C. title claim in Supreme Court ruling   Related article:  CTV   B.C. land ruling: A 30-year timeline   http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/b-c-land-ruling-a-30-year-timeline-1.1888588   Related article:  National Newswatch –  Dene Moore   Top court grants land title to First Nation http://www.nationalnewswatch.com/2014/06/26/landmark-supreme-court-ruling-grants-land-title-to-b-c-first-nation/#.U6zhi7GAOWN   Related article:  National Newswatch – Canadian Press –  Bob Weber  Top court decision could ripple from B.C. into Alberta, lawyers say    http://www.nationalnewswatch.com/2014/06/27/top-court-decision-could-ripple-from-b-c-into-alberta-lawyers-say/#.U61lfrGAOWN    Related article:  National Post – Brian Hutchinson     Supreme Court B.C. land-claim ruling has staggering implications for Canadian resource projects     http://news.nationalpost.com/2014/06/26/supreme-court-b-c-land-claim-ruling-has-staggering-implications-for-canadian-energy-projects   Related article:  CBC News – Amber Hildebrandt    Supreme Court’s Tsilhqot’in First Nation ruling a game-changer for all     http://www.cbc.ca/news/aboriginal/supreme-court-s-tsilhqot-in-first-nation-ruling-a-game-changer-for-all-1.2689140

 University of Toronto – Centre for Criminology and Sociolegal Studies –  Anthony Doob and Rosemary Gardner

The June 2014 issue of Criminological Highlights is now available.  The approach involves selected questions of current interest with a summary of the current research.  Additionally, the Centre has major posting on the website for four issues, treated the same way.  Finally the centre offers access to back issues of the Highlights.  In this issue, there are summaries on prison population reductions in Alberta, an assessment of the US G.R.E.A.T. program for gang prevention, beliefs about violence as predictors of violence in prison, and others.   June 2014 Highlights:  https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox/146d9e85ffd99598?projector=1   Highlights archive: http://criminology.utoronto.ca/criminological-highlights/criminological-highlights-archives

 The Mainlander (BC)  –  Aiyanas Ormond
The Emergence of the Containment State | Part II: Containment as an instrument of Canadian capitalism, colonization & imperialism 

Last week, communiqué featured part I in this series.  This part looks to employment and the ways available to mitigate the potential for militancy of those short changed and the neoliberal response to those opportunities.  The use of prison and the disproportionate jailing of Aboriginals is, according to Ormond, bringing mass incarceration and a prison pipeline starting with child apprehension. http://themainlander.com/2014/06/26/the-emergence-of-the-containment-state-part-ii-containment-as-an-instrument-of-canadian-capitalism-colonization-imperialism

 Toronto Star – Tim Alamenciak
Health Canada keeps flu plant inspection report secret 

While the US Food and Drug Administration has serious concerns – “a startling report” – around a flu vaccination supplier in Quebec,  Health Canada is keeping its inspection report secret.  GlaxoSmithKline’s plant is trying to keep secret what it calls confidential business information but experts think the secret is at risk of patient health.  The problem seems to be around contamination levels at the plant but no one is saying exactly.  http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2014/06/27/health_canada_keeps_flu_plant_inspection_report_secret.html

 Toronto Star – Carol Goar
U.S. mayors tackle the income gap 

Congress and the senate locked in struggle?  Here are the mayors of major cities tackling the income inequality problems accentuated by the last recession.  Calling the crisis the problem of our times, the mayors are raising civic wages, tackling hosing, rebuilding inner cities and child daycare services, all the an urgency to address income inequality.  http://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2014/06/26/us_mayors_tackle_the_income_gap_goar.html