March 30, 2023 – Mass shooting…
NS Mass shooting report:
Halifax Examiner – Jennifer Henderson Mass Casualty Commission calls for overhaul of policing in Canada, including potentially breaking up the RCMP https://www.halifaxexaminer.ca/mass-casualty-commission/mass-casualty-commission-calls-for-overhaul-of-policing-in-canada-including-potentially-breaking-up-the-rcmp/
Toronto Star – Steve McKinley Nova Scotia Mass Casualty Commission slams RCMP for response to April 2020 shooting rampage – The inquiry’s final report contains 130 recommendations, more than half — 75 of them — directed at the RCMP https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2023/03/30/nova-scotia-mass-shooting-inquiry-report-to-be-released-today.html?source=newsletter&utm_source=ts_nl&utm_medium=email&utm_email=404CAADEF7EB839FC77B1B04F0C251E1&utm_campaign=bn_173992
CBC News – Catherine Tunney and Haley Ryan N.S. mass shooting report condemns systemic RCMP failures, calls for dramatic reforms – Mass Casualty Commission releases final report in Truro, N.S., today https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/n-s-mass-shooting-report-condemns-systemic-rcmp-failures-calls-for-dramatic-reforms-1.6795826
CTV News (Atlantic) – Bruce Frisko Lessons learned: Sweeping changes recommended in final report into N.S. mass shooting https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/lessons-learned-sweeping-changes-recommended-in-final-report-into-n-s-mass-shooting-1.6335740
Global News – Alex Cooke ‘There were failures’: N.S. shooting inquiry report slams RCMP response to 2020 tragedy https://globalnews.ca/news/9588071/nova-scotia-shooting-final-report-inquiry-rcmp-slammed/
National Catholic Reporter – Christopher White
Vatican formally repudiates ‘Doctrine of Discovery’ used to justify colonization
A two page document from the Vatican has rejected as doctrine the Doctrine of Discovery so much a part of the missing focus in recent papal visit. “The Catholic Church therefore repudiates those concepts that fail to recognize the inherent human rights of indigenous peoples, including what has become known as the legal and political ‘doctrine of discovery.’” The rejection asserts the human rights of all Indigenous people and comments on the use and purpose of papal bulls. “…the papal bulls “did not adequately reflect the equal dignity and rights of indigenous peoples” and that they were “manipulated for political purposes by competing colonial powers in order to justify immoral acts against indigenous peoples that were carried out, at times, without opposition from ecclesiastical authorities.” https://www.ncronline.org/vatican/vatican-news/vatican-formally-repudiates-doctrine-discovery-used-justify-colonial Related article: Global News – Nicole Winfield, The Associated Press Vatican formally renounces Discovery Doctrine after decades of Indigenous demands https://globalnews.ca/news/9589418/vatican-renounces-discovery-doctrine/
Office of the Child and Youth Advocacy, Alberta
MANDATORY REVIEWS INTO CHILD DEATHS – OCTOBER 1, 2021–MARCH 31, 2022
This is an extraordinary report and the largest number ever released at once. “The Child and Youth Advocate is deeply concerned about the exceptional number of notifications that continue to be received regarding children and youth who have passed away. Of significant concern is the number of Indigenous youth, highlighting the critical need for systemic changes to better support First Nation, Métis and Inuit young people, their families, and communities.” The report then reviews the deaths of 15 youth in care – 12 Indigenous, 3 non-Indigenous. https://www.ocya.alberta.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/MandRev_October2021-March2022v2.pdf
Tweet from Scott Hechinger on Results from Bail Reform in Houston, TX: “Just incredible. Another day, another robust, non-partisan report unequivocally underscoring the extraordinary policy success of bail reform. In Houston, the court-appointed monitor of a legal settlement prohibiting pretrial jailing on misdemeanors just issued its 6th report: https://t.co/LgGCYYxnql
(https://twitter.com/ScottHech/status/1640489907909959683?t=DhGtbtHOiETHmCRy-xhkhA&s=03)
Toronto Star – Ashley Joannou, The Canadian Press
‘It’s going to take the community’: Yukon faces Canada’s worst toxic drug death rate
Yukon community response to the worse drug opiate overdose problem in Canada may have something to teach the rest of Canada. “Carcross Tagish First Nation declared a state of emergency over the opioid crisis in January 2022, when three citizens died of overdoses in the span of six days, Robinson-Brown said. At the same time, there were a lot of non-fatal overdoses that just “never make the news… The Yukon government declared a “substance use health emergency” not long after, and earlier this year the First Nation of Nacho Nyak Dun in Mayo declared its own opioid emergency over a situation that was “terrorizing” citizens and families with violence, crime, overdoses and death.” The community brings the naloxone to the people, after 5 PM or not, three times a week. https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2023/03/30/its-going-to-take-the-community-yukon-faces-canadas-worst-toxic-drug-death-rate.html Related article: CBC News – Drug users in B.C. face uncertainty amid shortage of medication for opioid addiction – B.C. says shortage has been resolved, ‘ripple effect on the supply chain might be felt for a couple of weeks’ https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/drug-users-in-b-c-face-uncertainty-amid-shortage-of-medication-for-opioid-addiction-1.6795630
Homeless Hub – C.L. Michel
Five Arguments for Trans Inclusion in the Homelessness Sector
Michel argues that the article is necessary because there is such turmoil politically and civilly about transgendered people – so much hateful rhetoric that people of conscience and human rights advocates need to affirm these arguments broadly. The principles: Trans people have a right to be included; Access without safety is no access at all; Inclusion defeats fear; Base expectation on behaviour, not identity; Disproportionate need and disproportionate harm. Michel has a timely and appropriate conclusion: “Although it is unfortunate that we need to prepare to defend people’s basic rights, inclusion is an ongoing process that requires constant attention. As long as gendered services exist, there will need to be special attention paid to the inclusion of Trans and gender non-conforming people. Trans inclusion became a legal reality with a stroke of a pen in 2017, but to make it real on the ground will require the long, slow work of breaking down prejudices, unpacking fear, and developing new practices.” https://www.homelesshub.ca/blog/five-arguments-trans-inclusion-homelessness-sector?utm_campaign=hh&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter Related article: Global News – Students launch petition following anti-LGBTQ2S+ rhetoric at school board meeting https://globalnews.ca/video/9588442/students-launch-petition-following-anti-lgbtq2s-rhetoric-at-school-board-meeting
Toronto Star – Armine Yalnizyan
Federal budget a swing and a miss for Trudeau’s shrinking feminist government of Canada – Sadly, writes Armine Yalnizyan, Budget 2023 failed to read the room and certainly missed most of the women in the room — unexpected from one of the most feminist governments Canada has ever had.
The budget review by economist Yalnizyan notes the remarkable absence of women and programs to address women’s concerns in the 2023 budget. “Budget 2023 addresses the need to transition to a clean energy economy with more vigour than making sure Canada’s most vulnerable are assured of food, housing, and care.” https://www.thestar.com/business/2023/03/29/federal-budget-a-swing-and-a-miss-for-trudeaus-shrinking-feminist-government-of-canada.html?source=newsletter&utm_content=a03&utm_source=ts_nl&utm_medium=email&utm_email=404CAADEF7EB839FC77B1B04F0C251E1&utm_campaign=top_173988