December 16 2022

Nickel Belt News

Hungry polar bears may roam farther seeking food

BY IAN GRAHAM EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET

Seeing polar bears considerably inland from Hudson Bay, as a Thompson resident did near Gillam Dec. 7, is not unprecedented though perhaps unusual and they may be sighted more frequently in the future as a result of the changing climate.

Lori Walsh and work colleagues saw a polar bear on Provincial Road 280 near Gillam early Wednesday morning as they were travelling back to Thompson. They captured video of the bear, which ambled across the road, paused briefly atop a snowbank to survey their vehicle and then went down across the ditch and off into the bush.

edge of polar bears’ usual roaming territory in Northern Manitoba.

Anyone who spots a polar bear can report it by calling the polar bear alert line at 204-6752327(BEAR) or the TIP line at 1-800-782-0076.

is one of the world’s top authorities on polar bears and has studied the western Hudson Bay polar bear population extensively. He also said it is likely that more polar bears will be seen in inland areas over the coming years.

Book a way to preserve and pass on memories of growing up in Churchill

A spokesperson for the provincial government’s Natural Resources and Northern Development department the bear was captured Friday morning and “is being relocated to the Hudson Bay coastline, where it will be released and free to roam out onto the sea ice.”

Gillam is on the southern

This isn’t the first time that a polar bear has been spotted more than 100 kilometres from the shores of Hudson Bay this fall. In October, a bear was trapped in Shamattawa, which is further south than Gillam, at about the same latitude as Thompson and 130 kilometres south of York Factory, where the Nelson River enters Hudson Bay. That wasn’t the first time that a polar bear had visited the community, as one was also spotted on the shores of the river in Shamattawa in September 2010.

“Such sightings used to be unusual,” says Ian Stirling, a retired Canadian Wildlife Service research scientist and adjunct professor in the University of Alberta Department of Biological Sciences, who

The reason for that is earlier melting of sea ice, which cuts into the bears’ prime feeding season from early April until ice breakup. Western Hudson Bay polar bears, says Stirling, take in about two-thirds of the stored energy they will need to fast for at least four months — eight months if they are pregnant — in the spring and early summer.

“The earlier the breakup, the progressively less time that bears have to feed during the most important time of the year,” he says. “This means that progressively more bears are coming ashore along the Manitoba coast lighter and lighter over time.”

In essence, changing climate is resulting in the bears trying to go the same length of time on smaller fat stores, which Stirling

likens to trying to drive a car the same distance on three-quarters of a tank as you do on a full one.

“Subadult bears in particular are lighter and running low on stored energy before freeze-up occurs so they get hungrier and hun -

grier, and thus go looking for alternate food sources on land during the long summer-fall fasting period,” Stirling says. “Some, mainly subadult males, range farther away from the normal range. There are probably many more,

some of which may have been seen but not reported. Similar observations have been made in northern Ontario and elsewhere such as the southern Beaufort Sea where the population is also in decline because of climate warming.”

Manitoba’s throne speech promises on mining have northern leaders, communities hopeful

BY DAVE BAXTER LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE REPORTER, WINNIPEG SUN

Leaders in Manitoba’s north say it can’t be understated how important the mining industry is to the region, and that is why recent promises from the premier and the province have them optimistic about the future of their communities, and the future of Northern Manitoba.

other industry they have in the south,” he said. “We don’t have the same levels of agriculture or forestry, so you are looking at mining as the real driver of revenue in many parts of the north, including here in Snow Lake.”

Mayor Colleen Smook said she was also happy to hear the topic of mining in the north come up in the throne speech last month.

BY IAN GRAHAM EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET

During last month’s throne speech in Winnipeg, Premier Heather Stefanson claimed the Manitoba government understands and recognizes the importance of economic stability and success in Northern Manitoba communities.

Though she’s now written a book about her experiences growing up in Churchill, Addictions Foundation of Manitoba northern director Gisele deMeulles said writing wasn’t something she always thought she would do.

“Northern Manitoba’s economic success is critical for our province’s long-term economic stability,” Stefanson said.

to write things that you have to figure out. It’s pretty clear when I get through.”

her book, titled the Wind: Stories from the North - Life in Churchill for a couple of reasons.

I don’t.”

She also has a reputation as a storyteller herself.

was not a very safe thing to do but I jumped at it. I thought that was exciting until the plane landed and they started throwing the fuel off and I realized, ‘Holy cats, I was probably sitting on a bomb.’”

Scott said he and other Northern Manitoba leaders were listening to the throne speech last month to see what promises and commitments would be made regarding Northern Manitoba, and said he was happy to hear the premier speak specifically about mining, and about the importance of Northern Manitoba.

swallow when people say that Churchill residents should just find somewhere easier to live.

“More and more I believe the government is starting to recognize how important the north is, and how important mining is to the north, and that is why you see more investments, and you see more ministers coming to visit the north and acknowledging its importance,” Smook said.

Stefanson added she understands that the economy in several northern communities is directly tied to the mining and mineral industry, and said the province is now looking for ways to invest more into mining in Northern Manitoba.

“We are building our reputation as a leading minjurisdiction,” Stefanson said. “As part of our mineral

“In my youth I never felt good at writing,” she said. “But when I moved to Thompson to get into the school of social work, at that point I had to write for university and realized, ‘Holy, I’m not bad at this, right?’ I certainly developed a lot of skill in university and came out of there with a very strong skill in my writing and confidence in my writing. I write very clear and that’s it. It’s there.

Some people say it’s kind of blunt or direct. I don’t tend

strategy, our government will incent capital investments to produce Manitoba’s critical minerals right here in Manitoba.”

Ronald Scott is the mayor of Snow Lake, a town about 685 kilometres north of Winnipeg that is home to about 900 residents and, with several mining operations running in and around the town, he said mining is the “lifeblood” of Snow Lake and the areas that surround it.

“I just sort of thought, you know what, this history, this stuff that’s in my head, it’s going to be gone if I don’t write it down,” she said. “My kids are not going to get it if I don’t do it and it’s something I’ve always wanted my mom to do. My mom’s an elder and she’s an artist, she’s got so many wonderful stories because she always tells her stories at Parks Canada in Churchill and I’ve always hounded her, ‘Please, just put it on tape, I will write it for you because your story is going to be lost,’ and she’s never done it and I thought,

“Mining is what drives the town, it really is the lifeblood around here,” Scott said. “We have the Lalor Mine and some other big players around here, so minerals are always driving the economy in Snow Lake.”

“I had such a varied history and I would tell people stories and they would go, ‘That’s not true, is it?’ I’d go, ‘Yeah it’s true.’ They’d go, ‘You didn’t do all that, did you? You’ve got to be really old.’ I was like, ‘No, actually I did all that before I was 27,’ and they went ‘What?’”

Another thing that spurred her on was the hard times facing Churchill since the Hudson Bay Railway suspended operations north of Gillam last spring.

you can’t get a hotel room because they are booked with contractors, and then the restaurants are packed because we have so many people down here,” he said.

“It has so many spinoffs.”

“I am very pleased that she said it, because it I think it has been very obvious for a long time,” Scott said.

For all the harsh weather and the dangers of polar bears, deMeulles said if it had been viable she would have moved back to Churchill in a heartbeat.

Looking back, some of those experiences are things she might not do again.

Along with offering jobs, Scott said mining also brings people in the mining industry from across North America to Snow Lake, further boosting the economy of the small town.

“It used to be a really thriving large community and it’s just dwindled down to such a small population now,” deMeulles says.

“There are times when

“I did some pretty bizarre stuff like fuel hauls into the high Arctic at -35,” said deMeulles. “It didn’t dawn on me until after. That was a very dangerous thing to do. Being on a plane full of fuel

Scott, who said he is a geoscientist by trade, and has worked for years in the mining industry, estimates that about 90 per cent of the economy in Snow Lake is fuelled by mining.

Though she’s not there any longer, her parents and her sister and other family members still are.

“In the north we just don’t have some of the

“My cousin owns the hardware store there,” she says.

Because of that, deMeulles finds it hard to

According to statistics released in 2020, the oil and mineral mining sector in Manitoba generated an annual average of $2.15 billion in economic activity over a 10-year period, and a 3.7 per cent share of provincial gross domestic product annually.

Mining has also been a crucial industry in the northern city of Thompson since it was established in the late 1950s following the discovery of significant nickel deposits, and Thompson

“To say, ‘Those people choose to live there. They should just leave,’ is quite simplistic. It’s quite disrespectful. If we were in the same boat in another area I think we would scream about that so why don’t they have the option to do that? I think right now they’re feeling like they’re pawns in a political game and that’s really sad for them because I think the people of Churchill really want to thrive. They’ve built their worlds there. How would we feel if someone came to you and said, ‘I’m sorry, you have to leave your home community and we’re going to displace you somewhere else and all your loved ones and your history is gone?’”

But should mining investments lead to new or expanded mining operations in Northern Manitoba, Smook made it clear that no projects should be undertaken unless all affected communities, and specifically Indigenous communities are made part of the process.

“I miss the shoreline, I miss the rock, I miss the polar bears even though they’re very dangerous and I really miss the Hudson Bay,” she says. “When I go back home, standing on the Hudson Bay looking out on the bay, it just gives you an incredible sense. You feel so small and you feel great.”

“We have to have our Indigenous leaders on board, and on board right from the start not after a decision has been made,” she said. “It’s about making sure those communities are part of every conversation.”

Now that she’s got one book under her belt, deMeulles says she may try to produce another.

— Dave Baxter is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of the Winnipeg Sun. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the government of Canada.

“I have another book in me,” she says. “It’s a darker story, more about personal growth and struggles. Maybe in the next five years it’s something I’ll focus on doing.”

Serving the Norman Region since 1961

Nickel Belt News photo by Ian Graham

Addictions Foundation of Manitoba northern director Gisele deMeulles has written a book about her experiences growing up, mostly in Churchill.

Friday, December 16, 2022

Delivering News to the Nickel Belt since 1960

Thompson Citizen video screenshot courtesy of Lori Walsh The area near Gillam, where this polar bear was spotted Dec. 7, is at the southern edge of the predators’ usual range in Northern Manitoba. A polar bear expert says the shortening sea ice season gives bears less time to pack on fat for a four-month fast, which leads to some moving inland to seek out food sources.

Thompson Citizen file photo

Vale’s Manitoba Operations in Thompson. The mayors of Thompson and Snow Lake say they were pleased to hear references to the importance of the mining industry to the north and to the province as a whole during the throne speech in November

Appeals of convictions for 2018 Thompson homicide dismissed

BY IAN GRAHAM EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET

Two people convicted of murder and another convicted of manslaughter for a 2018 homicide in Thompson had their conviction appeals dismissed Nov. 25.

Gregory Hart, who was convicted of manslaughter, also had his sentence appeal dismissed.

The three were appealing convictions stemming from an April 2018 attack outside the Burntwood Hotel that left a 35-year-old man

dead. The victim bled to death after suffering three stab wounds, including one that penetrated his jugular vein and another that perforated both his lung and the fluid-filled sac surrounding his heart. He also had 11 slash-type wounds and was also punched and kicked by four assailants.

The fourth person who was convicted of the killing, Carla Wass, found guilty of manslaughter, abandoned her conviction appeal.

The convictions came in October 2021 after a trial by judge alone

The killing occurred after Warren Bradburn and Randall Hastings, both of whom were convicted of second-degree murder, as well as Wass, were in the Burntwood Hotel bar. After a disagreement with the victim, they followed him outside when he left and began to punch and kick him. The judge heard evidence at trial that Hastings pulled a beer bottle out of his pocket, smashed it on the victim’s head and then stabbed him in the neck and chest with the broken bottle.

Hart was walking by the hotel with two other people when he heard Hastings, who was a friend of his, yelling and ran over to join him and Bradburn in their attack. Court also heard from witnesses who said Hastings told them he

stabbed the victim in the neck and that he knew he had killed him.

Other evidence at trial included video evidence that showed Hart washing his hands in a snowbank, Bradburn wiping himself with a shirt before turning it inside out and putting it back on, and Hastings cleaning his shoes in the snow and using a shirt to wipe off his hands and arms before lighting the shirt on fire and throwing it into a dumpster.

All four people convicted were arrested within five days of the murder.

Bradburn’s appeal argued that the judge gave inadequate reasons for his conviction and wrongly applied the mens rea requirement for murder — the test through which a judge or jury determines if an accused person had the intent to cause death or behaved in a way that they

knew was likely to result in death.

“In our view, it was reasonably open to the trial judge on the whole of the evidence to find that the only reasonable inference arising from punching and kicking an overpowered person, who was also being stabbed during a lengthy group attack, was that Bradburn meant to cause the victim bodily harm that he knew was likely to cause the victim’s death and was reckless whether death ensued or not,” said the Court of Appeal’s written decision, delivered Dec. 8.

In his appeal, Hastings argued that the judge failed to consider evidence of intoxication, anger and potentially provocative behaviour when finding that he had the required intent for murder. He also said the judge came to an unreasonable verdict because the eyewitness evidence identifying him as the person who stabbed the victim was unreliable.

“There was ample evidence supporting the factual findings and inferences drawn by the trial judge regarding Hastings’s actions, role in the offence and his level of intoxication.,” the appeals judges found.

Hart’s appeal said his conviction was unreasonable because the only evidence against him was a video-recorded statement of a witness who said during cross-examination

at trial that he may have been mistaken when he told police he saw Hart hitting the victim.

“The trial judge was entitled to accept the minor witness’s video-recorded statement and … he adequately dealt with the inconsistencies in the overall evidence and reconciled them logically,” said the appeal court ruling. “Furthermore, different corroborative evidence supported aspects of the minor witness’s testimony. The trial judge made no error in weighing the evidence and the verdict was one that a properly instructed jury or a judge could reasonably have rendered.”

The appeal of Hart’s nine-year prison sentence was made on the grounds that it was considerably harsher than the six years given to Wass and that the trial judge discounted factors relating to his personal circumstances. These arguments were rejected by the appeal court.

“Hart’s moral culpability is illustrated by the fact that he joined the attack at a point where the victim was very obviously helpless and there was no need for Hart to ‘help his bro,’” the ruling found. “We note that, at the sentencing, the Crown sought a sentence of 15 years and Hart suggested a sentence of seven years would be appropriate—only two less than the sentence imposed.”

Thompson Citizen file photo

A Thompson RCMP officer outside the Burntwood Hotel on April 21, 2018 where a man died after being beaten and stabbed with a broken bottle.

Fewer violent crimes overall but more homicides than 2021

BY IAN GRAHAM EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET

Most categories of crimes against people are down through the first 10 months of this year in Thompson compared to 2021, an RCMP report to council shows.

The notable exception is homicides, which are up five from 2021, when there were none. There were two each in 2020 and 2019.

Year-to-date, assaults, domestic assaults and sexual assaults are all down, while break-and-enters, thefts and provincial traffic offences are up. The latter is likely due to increased enforcement as the detachment’s dedicated traffic officer was assigned to other duties for part of 2021.

October’s RCMP statistics were presented to council by Staff Sgt. Shane Flanagan, who had been the detachment’s acting officer-in-charge, a role now being filled by Insp. Damon Werrell, who also attended the Dec. 5 committee of the whole meeting.

Werrell said he has served with the RCMP for 21 years in 10 postings, including six where he was the officer in charge. He previously oversaw

the Shamattawa and Island Lake detachment and has about five-and-a-half years of service in Manitoba, along with nine in British Columbia and seven-and a-half in the Northwest Territories.

“I wanted to come back,” Werrell said. “I knew what I was getting into when I asked to come back to Thompson.”

Flanagan said October saw a large increase in theft calls over September, mainly the result of two people, and that there was also a homicide, which required a lot of investigative resources. The 10th month of the year also saw significant drug and weapons seizures.

“Just prior to the [municipal] election, we had a variety of shootings happen in the city,” Flanagan said. “These are directly related. These seizures are as a result of that.”

Thompson RCMP officers spent 29 hours in October waiting at the hospital with patients suffering mental health issues, which equates to about $10,000 worth of overtime. Police also respond often to calls about people in need of medical care who have left the hospital without being

CITY OF THOMPSON CAREERS RECEIVABLES CLERK

The City of Thompson invites qualified applicants to submit a resume for consideration for the full-time position of Receivables Clerk:

The successful candidate will have Grade 12 or higher, have completed a recognized Business Administration or Accounting diploma program with a minimum of two years’ experience, or a minimum of 2 years training and experience. This position requires demonstrated working knowledge of computer software, including word processing, spreadsheets, and accounting software. The successful candidate must possess excellent verbal and written communication skills and excellent public relation skills, be able to work accurately under pressure and within tight deadlines and adapt to quickly changing situations.

The duties for this position include preparing and balancing interest recaps to General Ledger and posts interests, receives and enters tax payments, prepares surveyors, tax and planning scheme certificates, provides authorized information by telephone, letter and over the counter to the general public, banks, real estate and legal firms, balances tax rolls, enters current taxes to Tax Roll. This position also provides support for all aspects of the Accounts Receivable Clerk and Utility Clerk roles as required including move in and move outs.

The City of Thompson offers a comprehensive benefits program and competitive salary.

Detailed resumes outlining education, experience, qualifications and references will be accepted up to and including Wednesday, December 21, 2022. Those interested may apply in confidence to:

City of Thompson

226 Mystery Lake Road

Thompson, Manitoba R8N 1S6

FAX: (204) 677-7981

E-Mail: ecormier@thompson.ca

We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted. Those requiring assistance with the application process should call 204-6777924.

The City of Thompson is committed to providing a superior quality of life and unlimited opportunities. We are dedicated to supporting healthy growth and our northern urban lifestyle while providing our residents with high quality municipal services and facilities.

discharged.

“It’s our job to go find them and take them back for care because obviously it’s a detriment to their health,” Flanagan said. “There was three for the month of October and 21 thus far this year.”

Deputy mayor Kathy Valentino, who was chairing the meeting, asked Flanagan if there had been fewer people trying to stay

warm in the hospital emergency room in October as a result of the healing centre opening up and providing more room to house people with nowhere else to stay on extremely cold nights.

“There’s less disturbance calls in the TGH related to that,” Flanagan said.

The trend of fewer crimes against people this year compared to last was common across the RC -

MP’s north district, which encompasses everything in Northern Manitoba from Grand Rapids to the Nunavut boundary. There were 10 per cent fewer crimes against persons in Northern Manitoba this October compared to one year earlier while property crimes and drug crimes were up. The only category of crimes against persons that was higher in Northern

EXPRESSION OF INTEREST

EOI NO 90210: EXPRESSION OF INTEREST FOR LEASE OF THE CONCESSION LOCATED IN THE THOMPSON REGIONAL COMMUNITY CENTER, THOMPSON, MANITOBA

The City of Thompson (CITY) is inviting interested parties to submit an Expression of Interest for the lease of the Concession located in the Thompson Regional Community Center (TRCC).

The proponents interested in leasing the space, for the use of a Concession, should consider the following criteria in their submission:

1) The Concession area is 410 sq. ft. on the main floor

2) The opening date on or before February 1, 2023

3) The proponent will be majorly responsible for the following: a. Kitchen design and finishes including all kitchen equipment (supply and maintenance/replacement)

b. Janitorial supplies and services for the Concession area

Cleaning of the tables in the lobby area

Supply of furnishings, decorative accents, dishes/cutlery

All licenses including Liquor license, if interested

Water Utilities

4) The CITY will be responsible for the following but any consideration is subject to the lease payment suggested by the proponent: a. Janitorial cleaning of the lobby area, floors, and garbages b. Cleaning of washrooms c. Snow clearing of TRCC parking lot

Property taxes e. Hydro

5) The proponent must include the following in their submission: a. Proposed lease details, including term, gross lease payment per square foot/ per month/ per annum b. Business plan including marketing concept, description of business, the vision of design/décor, sample of menu selections, pricing, and hours of business.

c. Related experience, location of other establishments, owned or operated, providing a similar service d. Letters of Reference verifying experience in food service

CITY OF THOMPSON

226 Mystery Lake Road

Thompson, MB R8N 1S6

Phone: 204-677-7910 communications@thompson.ca

Manitoba this October than last was offences related to death, which were up 100 per cent, from three in 2021 to six this October.

There were no fatal motor vehicle collision in Northern Manitoba in October, but 60 per cent of that month’s non-fatal serious collisions in areas policed by the RCMP — six out of 10 — occurred in the north.

6) The proponent shall be aware of the following items:

a. the proponent must maintain consistent hours of operation seven days per week.

b. the use of deep fryers is not permitted in the concession. Only exception is a fully enclosed, self-contained deep fryer. c. at any time the City may enter into exclusive rights agreement with beverage and food suppliers. If and when this occurs, the proponent will be given notice and be required to market and supply beverages and food supplied by the designated supplier.

The space may be viewed. Please contact Sonya Wiseman, Director of Recreation and Community Services by email at swiseman@thompson.ca to make an appointment to view.

Interested parties must submit their responses in sealed envelopes/ fax/email to the CITY by 3:00 PM (CST) on Thursday, December 20, 2022 at the below-given address: City of Thompson, 226 Mystery Lake Road, Thompson, MB R8N 1S6 Ph: (204) 778-7974 Fax: 204-677-7980

Email: swiseman@thompson.ca

The envelopes must state “EOI# 90210 FOR THE LEASE OF THE CONCESSION AT THE TRCC”.

All submissions received by the CITY before the deadline will be opened publically at that time.

Information provided by the CITY to a proponent, or by a proponent to the CITY, or acquired by any party through further inquiries or investigation, is strictly confidential. Such information shall not be used or disclosed in any way without the prior written authorization of the CITY, or of the Proponent. This is only an inquiry as to interest in the potential lease of the Concession at TRCC. The CITY will not necessarily invite any of those submitting an Expression of Interest to lease the above-noted space.

The CITY shall have the right to disqualify any proponents from the process should they have failed to complete their obligations under any prior engagement or been involved in vexatious litigation with the City of Thompson. The CITY shall have the right to evaluate all submissions as per its criteria, whether or not such criteria has been expressly related to the Proponents.

EMERGENCY NUMBERS

AMBULANCE / FIRE (204) 677-7911

R.C.M.P. (204) 677-6911

COMMUNITY SAFETY OFFICERS (204) 677-7916 HOSPITAL (204) 677-2381

Thompson Citizen file photo

Thompson’s RCMP detachment has a new officer-in-charge who previously served in Shamattawa and Island Lake.

Will Indigenous sovereignty be on the agenda at COP15?

BY MATTEO CIMELLARO LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE REPORTER, CANADA'S NATIONAL OBSERVER

Msit No’kmaq, Wahkohtawin, Nindinawemaganidog — all loosely translate into the phrase “all my relations,” which is defined by a kinship between beings in the natural world and Mother Earth. It’s a phrase that asserts the symbiotic relationship between Indigenous nations and their lands.

Now, as the world prepares to converge on Montreal for the United Nations’ biodiversity conference, known as COP15, countries hope to negotiate an agreement not unlike the Paris climate accord to recognize and take action to tackle the biodiversity crisis.

Finalizing the agreement at COP15, which takes place between Dec. 7 and 19, is urgent for researchers who have been sounding the alarm. One million individual species are at risk of extinction globally, according to the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), an independent international group of scientists and knowledge holders established to help inform better policy on biodiversity.

In Canada, 1,231 species and counting are listed under the Species at Risk Act.

Biodiversity loss is not a new crisis for Indigenous Peoples on the ground, where caribou, moose and other integral species have suffered in the age of human-caused climate change.

Waba Moko, an Algonquin land defender, recently told Canada’s National Observer the moose population in her territory is in rapid decline, forcing her to buy more and more store meat.

At a recent press briefing for COP15, Valérie Courtois, director of the Indigenous Leadership Initiative, said our survival is dependent upon the very lands we live on. Indigenous Peoples have long known that a healthy land makes for healthy people, she added.

Indigenous knowledge of the land is essential for biodiversity. Globally, lands inhabited by Indigenous Peoples are estimated to contain 80 per cent of the world’s remaining biodiversity, according to researcher Gillian Rutherford.

Biodiversity on Indigenous-managed lands is also consistently higher than it is elsewhere, according to University of British Columbia researcher Richard Schuster. And when Indigenous Peoples have held the pen in Canada over their lands, they protect up to 60 per cent of it, Courtois said.

Canada is currently developing its 30 by 30 goal to protect 30 per cent of its land and waters by 2030.

The way in which the federal government plans to achieve this includes Indigenous protected and conserved areas (IPCAs), restorative nature projects and protecting federal lands, such as Ketch Harbour in Nova Scotia and Penticton, B.C., through what the federal government is calling

“other effective area-based conservation measures,” according to an access-to-information request by Canada’s National Observer.

Canada’s environment minister, Steven Guilbeault, told Canada’s National Observer there currently isn't a numerical value around how much of the country’s land and water protection will be Indigenous-led. However, Guilbeault hinted the federal government’s first nature agreement to address biodiversity will be announced in the next few days or weeks. These agreements, between Ottawa and interested provincial and territorial governments, lay out plans for nature conservation and protection. The federal government says it “will work with provinces and territories to collaboratively engage Indigenous partners,” but it's still unclear whether Indigenous nations will be part of the forthcoming nature agreement.

Indigenous sovereignty, particularly in the Canadian context, will have repercussions for reconciliation as well. For years, conservation in Canada excluded Indigenous Peoples. When Parks Canada was created, Indigenous Peoples were banished from their lands and forbidden to enter the newly formed parks.

Banff National Park superintendent George Stewart accused the local Stoney people of destroying game for local settler hunters in 1887. He also alleged they caused “depredations among the ornamental trees

that make their frequent visits to the Park a matter of great concern,” according to the Canadian Encyclopedia.

What happens in the COP15 negotiations surrounding Indigenous sovereignty, and its potential exclusion, may end up as foreshadowing of the success or failure of the larger Montreal biodiversity agreement.

It’s a push and pull for countries, where some may feel threatened by including Indigenous rights and title. Indigenous sovereignty and nation-state sovereignty are often oppositional, especially when it comes to natural resources — take for example, the conflict in Wet’suwet’en territory.

But if countries are serious about tackling the biodiversity crisis, recognizing the sovereignty of the world’s Indigenous Peoples and their role in that fight could be a tipping point for the future of biodiversity.

— with files from Marc Fawcett-Atkinson

Photo by Alenka Skvarc on Unsplash

Can Canada juggle biodiversity, conservation, resource projects and Indigenous land rights?

BY NATASHA BULOWSKI LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE REPORTER, CANADA'S NATIONAL OBSERVER

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s opening speech at COP15 was interrupted by a group of Indigenous protesters playing drums and singing “Canada is on native land” and “climate leaders don’t build pipelines.”

In a roundtable discussion attended by Canada’s National Observer, Trudeau said there always needs to be room for protests of this nature. It is “part of the strength of our diversity as a country and our democratic processes,” he added.

Canada’s own environment minister has a history of participating in climate protests, one which involved him scaling the CN tower in 2001 (after which he was arrested).

“I have always believed in non-violent civil disobedience … when we were asked to host the COP, we said well, in Canada, these things are allowed,” Steven Guilbeault said at the roundtable.

There are high hopes this United Nations biodiversity conference will result in a strong global agreement to halt and reverse biodiversity loss and conserve 30 per cent of the world’s lands and waters by 2030 — the amount some scientists deem necessary to avoid dangerous biodiversity tipping points.

“We wanted to really

make sure that (COP15) matched Canada's level of ambition for nature and biodiversity,” Trudeau told reporters at the roundtable. “We didn't want to just sort of slide by.”

The federal government is very vocal about its pledge to conserve 30 per cent of Canada’s land and sea by 2030, and Indigenous people — particularly women — are leading the charge, as they have for millennia. Guilbeault has been clear that there’s no path to 30 by 30 without Indigenous-led conservation in Canada.

Globally, Indigenous people protect 80 per cent of the world’s remaining biodiversity, according to a 2021 report by Territories of Life. Some Indigenous groups are concerned the draft text set to come out of COP15 — which will guide global action on biodiversity conservation — doesn’t acknowledge Indigenous land rights in biodiversity-rich areas. These fears are well-founded.

Around the world, Indigenous Peoples have been forcibly removed from their land under the guise of conservation, like the thousands of local people evicted to create Kruger National Park in South Africa.

In 19th-century Canada, the creation of national parks was used to dispossess Indigenous Peoples of their lands. Banff National Park and Vancouver’s Stanley Park both saw In-

digenous people forcibly removed from their land.

After “decades and generations of colonial thinking,” the federal government is putting Indigenous communities “in the driver’s seat” and asking what they need, said Trudeau.

On Dec. 7, Canada announced $800 million in funding over seven years for four Indigenous-led conservation initiatives. This builds on a previously committed $340 million for Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs) and the Indigenous Guardians program.

At the same time, the federal government’s plans to develop Canada’s critical minerals sector raise questions about the impacts of that activity on biodiversity.

For example, in Ontario’s Ring of Fire, huge deposits of nickel, chromite and other minerals rest beneath carbon-rich peatlands that serve as critical habitat for caribou. Scientists say mining would unearth that planet-warming carbon and hurt biodiversity.

“Having a reliable source of these critical minerals, even if it's more expensive, because it's done properly, responsibly, is totally worth it,” said Trudeau. “And there is a market for that, because we don't want to be reliant on authoritarian states for our sources.”

The federal government is currently doing a regional impact assessment on the Ring of Fire, conducted

with Indigenous communities, Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault said at the roundtable.

That process includes discussions about why certain areas may be off-limits, whether it's due to cultural significance or the land being critical caribou habitat.

“We sit down with them and we agree, as the prime minister was saying, if we are to do some development on your lands, how's it going to happen (and) under which conditions, which is a totally different way of doing it,” said Guilbeault.

It remains to be seen exactly how the federal government will balance its plans to ramp up the critical minerals sector with the need to protect biodivers-

ity and respect Indigenous rights and title.

The chants of the protesters who interrupted Trudeau’s speech draw attention to battles being fought by Indigenous communities against pipelines and other development projects. Wet’suwet’en hereditary leadership and their allies are fighting the Coastal GasLink natural gas pipeline in B.C. The Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation is dealing with the fallout of toxic oilsands tailings ponds and fighting a plan to release treated tailings into the river upstream of the massive Mackenzie River watershed. While some Indigenous communities are able to utilize federal funding to steward their lands,

others are grappling with the presence and legacies of industry.

Earlier this week, Guilbeault told Canada’s National Observer that New Zealand and Australia’s new government are allies in Canada’s push to defend Indigenous rights in negotiations.

“I was down in South America earlier this year, talking about these things with the governments of Colombia, Argentina, Chile,” he said in an interview.

“They see what we're doing as being at the forefront of Indigenous-led conservation. And this is what we want to defend throughout the next two weeks of the negotiations and, obviously, beyond that.”

‘Yes and:’ Assembly of First Nations votes to release money for child welfare survivors, return to negotiating table with feds

BY MATTEO CIMELLARO LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE REPORTER, CANADA'S NATIONAL OBSERVER

Karen Osachoff and Melissa Walterson would’ve grown up together as sisters if not for the foster care system. They were separated and grew up “alone” with their respective foster families, Osachoff told attendees of the Assembly of First Nations’ Special Chiefs Assembly on Dec. 7.

The separation of First Nations siblings by today’s foster care system has drawn parallels to the residential school system and the ‘60s Scoop, both of which split apart families at great emotional cost.

Osachoff and Walterson are plaintiffs in a classaction lawsuit, launched by the sisters and other survivors, for compensation over a discriminatory child-welfare system that sees thousands of First Nations youth taken from their communities. Osachoff is also a trained lawyer and worked on the case.

The AFN voted Dec. 7 for the immediate release of half of the $40 billion in federal funding promised in an agreement in principle signed earlier this year. That settlement — the largest in Canadian history — includes $20 billion set aside for compensating survivors of child-welfare services and another $20 billion for system reform.

The agreement signed between the AFN and Canada was set to address a

2016 ruling by the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal that found Canada underfunded First Nations child-welfare services. However, the tribunal rejected part of the proposal in October over concerns it would not provide each child who had suffered under the system with the $40,000 in compensation they were awarded in the original ruling.

The chiefs extended the assembly on the night of Dec. 7 to vote on resolutions calling for the federal government to both release the already promised money and extend the time frame for signing a final settlement agreement on long-term reform of the child-welfare system.

The resolutions urged the AFN to pursue negotiations for additional compensation for families, direct Canada to provide supports for youth in the foster care system until age 26 and seek a minimum 12-month pause before signing the final agreement to determine who will participate in the class-action lawsuit against Canada.

Ashley Dawn Bach, another plaintiff in the class action, spoke to the assembly about the importance of releasing the funds.

She told a story about meeting a young woman who was living on the street. It was the beginning of the pandemic, and all services were closed. They talked and discovered they were both from the same territory and both had survived the foster

care system. The young woman had just aged out of the foster care system without any supports. She told Bach she had tried to end her life that day.

Bach told the assembly she thinks about the young woman every day and how her life would’ve been different if she had received compensation.

Cindy Blackstock, who wasn’t scheduled to speak at the assembly until a motion was passed, told those gathered that they should take a “yes and” approach to compensation and reform of the child-welfare system. “Yes and” refers to getting families compensation as quickly as possible while taking the long-term approach of returning to the negotiation table for additional compensation and reform measures.

Both Blackstock and the AFN launched a discrimination claims in 2007 over Canada’s mishandling of First Nations Child and Family Services, which caused harm and the separation of families.

By voting in favour of the resolutions, the chiefs would be taking the “yes and” approach, Blackstock said.

The chiefs’ vote will direct the AFN’s executive committee moving forward on the child-welfare file.

Another resolution is in development overnight to end discrimination in the child-welfare system for years to come, Blackstock said before the vote was held.

Northern Birthday Box Project spreads joy across the North

BY BAILEY SUTHERLAND LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE REPORTER, PRINCE ALBERT DAILY HERALD

A Facebook group is looking to give all Canadian children an equal chance at having a fun birthday celebration, no matter how far north they live.

The Northern Birthday Box Project was created in 2016 to assist in bringing birthday fun to kids aged 1 to 17 that live in remote or fly-in/fly-out Canadian communities where party supplies are limited or completely inaccessible. They match interested sponsors to children with upcoming birthdays, who then fill a box with decorations and birthday items before sending it up north.

Koreyan Peterson has been an active admin for the group since being invited to the page after its creation nearly six years ago.

“Right around 2009, there was a lot of information in the news about the high cost of living up north, and there was a Facebook group that opened up that was sharing how expensive it was getting groceries and everything else in these communities.”

Peterson said in an interview with the Northern Advocate. “From there, a couple people decided to buy and send birthday supplies. It originally started with just a small shoebox and people would send their leftover supplies up north.”

Peterson said a few other groups with the same idea popped up over the years but were ultimately unsuccessful.

“When those groups were shut down, another person opened up our group. She was trying to do it on her own and it wasn’t working until she invited five of us to be admins for it.”

At the time of Peterson joining the Northern Birthday Box Project, there were under 1,000 members. After receiving media coverage out in Ontario, the group slowly grew to around 6,000 people. Recently, a popular internet influencer, Living on a Loonie, discovered the group and created a TikTok video about it. Due to her wide following, more than 5,000 people joined in one week.

Currently, the group is sitting at around 40,000 members.

As of January 2021, the Northern Birthday Box Project has sent more than 11,000 boxes filled with party supplies. Peterson said on average, 300 birthday boxes are sent per month to children living all over the north. The group automatically accepts applications for birthday kids from all northern Canadian communities, as long as they are remote or fly-in/fly-out, even for part of the year.

Peterson said the basic requirement to receive a birthday box is residing three or four hours away from the nearest center in an area where the cost of living is higher than other Canadian communities; economic status and income is not taken into consideration.

“Our goal is to alleviate some of the costs for people living in those remote areas,” explained Peterson.

Caregivers of children with an upcoming birthday that fit these requirements can message the Northern Birthday Box Project on Facebook and fill out an application through messenger. Peterson said guardians must apply at least two months before the birthday to give the group’s admins time to find a match, allow the sponsor time to shop, and for the box

to be mailed to their home.

Birthday boxes must contain a cake mix, icing, candles, and enough supplies for a fun party – a minimum of four decorations, said Peterson.

“Kids give us their theme, their favourite colour, they tell us what kind of cake and icing they want. From there, people can send whatever they want,” she said. “We just ask them to limit to it to one box.”

Peterson said some examples of other items that have been sent in birthday boxes are toys, stuffed animals, things for treat bags, or an outfit for the birthday kid.

“We have some sponsors that are actually really cool and go above and beyond for their birthday box,” she said. “There was one child, he was turning 16 and his theme was zombies. So [the sponsor] sent up all these chocolate bars she had rewrapped with fun zombie labels and all different kinds of things, so he could have a good zombie themed party, which was really creative.”

Just like everything else in the world, the Northern Birthday Box Project was forced to shut down for two months during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The group tentatively restarted sending birthday boxes to children once again but were limited to only 125 kids per month because there weren’t enough sponsors to match with families. With the influx of members since the viral TikTok video, the group has been able to lift their limits once again.

“Last time I looked, we had well over 3,000 people waiting to send a box,” said Peterson. “If you could imagine, up until a couple weeks ago we were still only taking 125 people per

month. We would tell people we were sorry, but we had to cut the list, please apply next year. Now we’re trying to get the news out there to everybody, like, ‘hey, we’re open again, send us your applications, we can send boxes to your kids!”

There are currently more sponsors waiting to send than families who have applied for a birthday box, so it's going to take a long time to get everyone their match, said Peterson, “but it’s a good problem to have.”

Peterson was inspired to get involved with the Northern Birthday Box Project after reconnecting with her Indigenous roots.

“I’m Wolastoqiyik from New Brunswick, so when I started to learn more about the reasons why people were living where they were in the north and learning about how expensive it is, it touched my heart,” Peterson said. “One of the things that I like about our project is that it’s a really easy way to get people to learn more about the true history of Canada, there’s that reconciliation piece.”

Peterson said every child deserves a birthday party, no matter where they live.

“Hopefully we provide that source of fun for the kids,” she noted.

While The Northern Birthday Box Project currently has a long waiting list, they are always welcoming people interested in sending boxes.

“Birthdays happen every year, we will never turn them away.”

Interested birthday box sponsors or caregivers of children from remote northern Canadian communities with an upcoming birthday can join the Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/ groups/1692466914374665.

The Thompson Golf Club wishes to extend its sincere thank you and appreciation to the Manitoba Metis Federation for their continued support and partnership with the Summer Career Placement program. 2022 represents six years of a successful partnership that has provided an opportunity for many students to acquire valuable skills and knowledge in the workplace. The MMF’s contribution benefits both the Club and our community. We look forward to continue to partner with the MMF and the Summer Program.

Change her world and your own.

Notice of Environment Act Proposal

Notice of Environmental Act Proposal

Anyone likely to be affected by the above operation and who wishes to comment on the proposal should contact Eshetu Beshada, Senior Environmental Engineer, in writing or by email at Eshetu.Beshada@gov.mb.ca not later than January 16, 2023. Further information is available from the Online Public Registry: www.gov.mb.ca/sd/eal/registries

Information submitted in response to this proposal is public and will be available to the proponent and placed on the public registry per Section 17 of The Environment Act.

at 204-945-7021, not later than June 11, 2018. Further information is available from the Online Public Registry: www. manitoba.ca/sd/eal/registries/index.html

Environmental Approvals Branch Manitoba Environment, Climate and Parks 1007 Century Street Winnipeg MB R3H 0W4 Toll Free: 1-800-282-8069 Fax: 204-945-5229 Website: www.gov.mb.ca/sd/eal/registries

Information submitted in response to this proposal is considered public information and will be made available to the proponent and placed on the public registry established in accordance with Section 17 of The Environment Act.

Environmental Approvals Branch

Manitoba Sustainable Development 1007 Century Street Winnipeg MB R3H 0W4 Toll Free: 1-800-282-8069 Fax: 204-945-5229 Website: www.manitoba.ca/sd/eal

Thompson Citizen photo courtesy of the Northern Birthday Box/Facebook

A birthday box full of party supplies sent by a sponsor.

Special Olympics receives donation from 100 Women Who Care

Contact Andrea Hatley, CE Coordinator, at communityentity@thompson.ca for additional information or questions.

The first-ever march at a COP biodiversity conference was Indigenous-led

BY MATTEO CIMELLARO LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE REPORTER, CANADA'S NATIONAL OBSERVER

Civil society has a message for COP negotiators: let Indigenous nations lead on the world’s biodiversity crisis.

On Dec. 10 in Montréal, the home of COP15 negotiations, over 3,500 people, including environmentalists, union representatives and Iranian demonstrators marched behind Indigenous leaders. The demonstrators made their way from the base of Mont Royal and concluded at the Parterre in the Quartier des spectacles, a park around the corner from where COP15 negotiations were taking place.

Having Indigenous leaders front the march was a deliberate choice to drive home a message Indigenous sovereignty rights and title must be included in the finalized COP15 agreement’s targets. Research has shown 80 per cent of the world’s biodiversity is on lands inhabited by Indigenous Peoples.

In the early morning hours on Dec. 10, there was a big win for Indigenous Peoples in negotiations, Swetha Stotra Bhashyam of Global Youth Biodivers-

ity Network and based in India told Canada’s National Observer. Global Youth Biodiversity Network are involved in negotiations.

“They did include environmental defenders' rights in the targets.”

The Nairobi negotiations held earlier this year in June ended with “literally 1,800 brackets,” Bhashyam said. A bracket in COP negotiations are items left for nations to debate and negotiate; once an item leaves a bracket, it becomes a target in the finalized agreement.

The big joke coming out of the Nairobi negotiations was that the “global biodiversity framework” should have been named the “global bracketed framework,” Bhashyam added.

COP agreements are similar to co-drafting a work document with colleagues. But instead of having a department of four to argue over wording, COP negotiations have over 190 nations that debate and prune each word and turn of phrase.

It’s a slow and deliberate process because every word informs the next 10 years of global biodiveristy action.

It’s a difficult fight for groups like the Global Youth Biodiversity which works tirelessly to enshrine human

rights into the final wording of the agreement targets. Without specific language in the targets, many countries, including India, will not implement them, Bhashyam explained.

Over the next week of negotiations, battles remain over targets around Indigenous sovereignty and self-governance, and free prior and informed consent.

That was why Collectif COP15, a coalition of civil society groups, ensured Indigenous leaders led the march.

The march concluded with speeches by Indigenous and environmental leaders.

“We want one thing, we want Canada and all of these companies out of Indigenous land,” one Indigenous youth said to the crowd.

Bhashyam argues many nations think in archaic terms and are too scared to touch the social causes of the biodiversity crisis. They forget the root causes of the current crisis are the “values and behaviours that we hold,” she added.

“That’s why it’s important for us to use these marches as a space to show them people are ready for change, and that you are the ones too scared to make that change.”

Thompson Citizen photo by Ian Graham Marlene Enberg, right, representing Special Olympics Norman Region, accepts a cheque for $5,700 from 100 Women Who Care Thompson members at their Dec. 7 meeting. Special Olympics Norman Region, which serves all of Northern Manitoba, was voted on as the winner of 100 Women’s quarterly donation at their meeting in September and will use the money to help cover the costs of travel and accommodations when northern athletes compete in Special Olympics events down south.

Jazzy jams

The Thompson Crisis Centre is looking for Board members that are energetic, passionate people who:

Value women & children and their rights, working towards to eradicating violence against women in society by providing support to enhance growth, and promoting healthier tomorrows. Be part of a team in policy decisions that impact and meet the needs of individuals, families and communities. Build community networks Please submit your application to the Board of Directors: Thompson Crisis Centre

Thompson Citizen photos by Ian Graham

R.D. Parker Collegiate's choirs and jazz bands were on the Letkemann Theatre stage for a Christmas concert Dec.

Canadian lithium exploration could help

batteries of the future

BY JAMES SNELL

Canada’s post-pandemic economy is like a cross-country horse race. Out front, galloping through the canyons of inflation, geopolitical instability, and supply chain problems are oil and gas, retail, transportation, manufacturing, agriculture and tourism, to name a few industries. Gaining momentum is energy cleantech.

Chris Doornbos, CEO and founder of Calgary’s E3 Lithium, is helping lead the charge in Canada’s nascent lithium sector. The geologist and his team are at the forefront of Canada’s uptick in lithium exploration, which could help secure future economies as the world moves to reduce CO2 emissions.

Lithium, or white gold, is found in minute quantities in the Earth’s crust. It’s essential in lithium-ion batteries, which are used in electric vehicles and mobile phones.

Using its direct lithium extraction technology, E3 is focused on liquid brines harvested from aquifers in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin – noted for vast oil and gas reserves. The company hopes for commercial production in 2026 from its inferred mineral resource of 23.4 million tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent.

“In my mind, Western Canada is going to be one of the biggest jurisdictions for lithium on the planet,” said Doornbos.

Fortified by a $27-million investment from the Government of Canada’s Innovation, Science and Economic Development’s Strategic Innovation Fund, E3 is collaborating with Imperial Oil to advance an initial lithium pilot project in Alberta.

The pilot project, anticipated in 2023, will extract lithium from the historic Leduc aquifer using DLE technology. E3’s proprietary technology removes lithium from brines, producing a concentrated product that can be converted into battery-grade material. The company completed drilling its first test well in July and now owns three wells in total.

“This exciting collaboration brings together Imperial’s long-standing

commitment to research and technology to help test and scale E3’s lithium-recovery technology,” said Jason Iwanika, Imperial’s director of commercial business development.

Annual global electric vehicle production is set to grow from 3.4 million in 2020 to 12.7 million in 2024, says GlobalData, a data and analytics company. Battery production could grow from 95.3 gigawatt hours to 410.5 gigawatt hours over the same period. As a result, demand for lithium is expected to grow from 47.3 kilotonnes in 2020 to 117.4 kilotonnes in 2024 at a 25.5 per cent compound annual growth rate.

But Alberta isn’t the only province in on the action.

With a large land package in Manitoba, Vancouver-based Foremost Lithium hopes to address global lithium demand by exploring for spodumene, the mineral associated with hard-rock lithium deposits. The company has lithium showings at surface and in drill holes and has conducted geophysics and soil sampling to determine drilling targets, said Mark Fedikow, a geologist and vice president of exploration.

“We are extremely busy exploring our 43,000 acres of tier-one lithium exploration properties,” he said.

The company’s exploration area is near the historic mining community of Snow Lake. The region has an endowment of copper, zinc, and gold. There is an experienced workforce at Snow Lake and the local population understands and supports mining, said Fedikow. The region also has reliable helicopter and fixedwing aircraft services.

“We’ve been able to put crews on the ground from the local communities,” he said, noting Foremost was awarded a $300,000 Manitoba Mineral Development Fund grant to support exploration.

“We look to them for support in other areas, too. We get our groceries there. We buy our fuel there. We are deeply involved with the Snow Lake community. We are very fortunate in that regard.”

Foremost expects to carry out 3,000 metres of drilling this winter. The

company is also exploring its Grass River, Zoro and Peg North properties in Manitoba.

“We’ve managed to complete drone magnetic surveys on all our properties,” said Fedikow. “Eventually, we will be drilling targets based on the results, also

prospecting and rock and soil sampling. In the future we fully expect to be exploring our properties with more than one drilling rig.” James Snell is a multimedia journalist based in Alberta. He has bylines in Alberta Farmer Express, Canadian Energy Centre,

CREE NATION CHILD & FAMILY CARING AGENCY

CIC Supervisor – Perm Position

OFFICE: Mathias Colomb Cree Nation Sub Office

Pukatawagan, Manitoba

Cree Nation Child & Family Caring Agency (CNCFCA) is responsible for administering and providing for the delivery of Child and Family Services. CNCFCA is dedicated to providing comprehensive CFS Services that are community-based and incorporate both protection and prevention services.

Our agency will strive to maintain family unity.

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Child in Care Supervisor is responsible for all aspects of the effective day to day supervision of agency social workers and others assigned to the unit as well as all aspects of related service and program delivery activities. The Child in Care Supervisor will ensure that services are delivered in accordance with the Child and Family Services Act, the Adoptions, Act, related Regulations and Standards, as well as CNCFCA policies and procedures.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

§ General Supervision § Supervision of Unit Service Delivery § Workplace Safety and Health § Human Resources § Training & Development § Unit Activity and Performance Reports § Financial and Operational Requirements

§ Other duties related to the position may be assigned

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE

§ Bachelor of Social Work (BSW)

§ Work experience in Child and Family Services with demonstrated knowledge of child development, family centered service, early intervention, family support and community-based services

§ Ability to converse fluently in Cree (preferred)

KNOWLEDGE & EXPERIENCE

§ 5 years supervisory/management experience within an aboriginal child welfare environment

§ Knowledge of AJI-CWI Devolution

§ Excellent assessment, intervention and writing skills

§ Knowledge of the Child and Family Services Act and provincial standards

§ Understanding of child development theory and practice

§ Knowledge of available resources within the community (formal and informal)

§ Knowledge of Family Systems theory

§ Working knowledge of child abuse

§ Ability to use a variety of computer applications such as Microsoft Word, Excel and data base systems

§ CFSIS and FACTS information systems (preferred)

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

§ Must pass a criminal records check, child abuse registry check and prior contact check.

§ Cannot be active on a protection case.

§ Must maintain absolute confidentiality in accordance with agency requirements.

§ Varied amounts of travel required within this position

§ Must have a valid Manitoba’s driver’s license;

§ Must be able to provide own vehicle for work;

§ Other duties related to the position may be assigned.

Deadline: December 21, 2022 @ 4:00 pm

Submit cover letter & resume along with three (3) references marked “personal & confidential” to:

Human Resource Manager

Cree Nation Child & Family Caring Agency Box 10130, Opaskwayak, MB. R0B 2J0

Fax: 204-623-3847

Email: hr@creenation.ca

We thank all who apply and advise that only those selected for further consideration will be contacted.

“Please visit our website at www.https://creenation.ca”

Our office ensures that best practices in COVID-19 are observed. Under Cree Nation Child & Family Caring Agency’s COVID-19 vaccinations policy, all applicants are required to be fully vaccinated.

Winnipeg Sun, National Post, Financial Post, Western Producer and Thompson Citizen. He holds a degree in arts and science and a diploma in journalism. He is a recipient of the Jason Lang, Elaine Taylor Thomas and Gord Kelly

Memorial Scholarships for academic and journalistic excellence. He is the author of Gold Bloody Gold, which is available on Amazon. This article was submitted by the Canadian Energy Centre.

© Troy Media

CREE NATION CHILD & FAMILY CARING AGENCY

Administrative Assistant/ Case Aide–Permanent Pukatawagan Sub Office Mathias Colomb Cree Nation

Cree Nation Child & Family Caring Agency (CNCFCA) is responsible for administering and providing for the delivery of Child and Family Services. CNCFCA is dedicated to providing comprehensive CFS Services that are community-based and incorporate both protection and prevention services.

Our agency will strive to maintain family unity.

POSITION SUMMARY:

Under the supervision of the Service Manager, the Administrative Assistant/Case Aide provides administrative support and assists Child & Family Service Workers with a variety of tasks within a child welfare service unit. The Administrative Assistant/Case Aide maintains strict confidentiality in performing all duties.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

§ Types, edits, formats and transcribes reports, forms, correspondence, files, recordings, minutes, case planning notes and other material as assigned by the Unit Supervisor. Composes routine correspondence and maintains templates.

§ Receives, screens, assesses, transfers telephone calls and takes messages.

§ Maintains daily attendance records, monitors, records, and relays information regarding staff whereabouts.

§ Assists with photocopying, faxing and other administrative duties as assigned.

§ Manages incoming and outgoing mail.

§ Provides information about administrative procedures for all unit staff.

§ Coordinates meetings and meeting spaces.

§ Enters information on CFSIS

§ Monitors and operates office equipment

§ Provides support to other administrative staff as needed.

§ Maintain confidentiality in accordance with the agency policy and procedures.

§ Direct case management support

§ Indirect case management support

EDUCATION AND TRAINING

§ Post Secondary Diploma or equivalent

§ Ability to converse fluently in Cree (preferred)

KNOWLEDGE & EXPERIENCE

§ Ability to use a variety of computer applications such as Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint and database systems

§ Ability to deal effectively with a variety of visitors and circumstances

§ Knowledge of customer service (preferred)

§ Good organizational skills and working knowledge of office and administrative procedures and related equipment (preferred)

§ Excellent oral and effective communication skills (preferred)

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

§ Must pass a criminal records check, child abuse registry check and prior contact check.

§ Cannot be active on a protection case.

§ Must maintain absolute confidentiality in accordance with agency requirements.

§ May be assigned to provide coverage or support for other office locations from time to time and as required.

§ Other duties related to the position may be assigned.

Deadline: December 28, 2022 @ 4:00 pm

Submit cover letter & resume along with three (3) references marked “personal & confidential” to:

Human Resource Manager

Cree Nation Child & Family Caring Agency

Box 10130, Opaskwayak, MB. R0B 2J0

Fax: 204-623-3847 Email: hr@creenation.ca

We thank all who apply and advise that only those selected for further consideration will be contacted.

“Please visit our website at https://creenation.ca”

Our office ensures that best practices in COVID-19 are observed. Under Cree Nation Child & Family Caring Agency’s COVID-19 vaccinations policy, all applicants are required to be fully vaccinated.

The Northern Social Work Program in Thompson is hiring a casual in-person tutor for UM Social Work students with a Jan 16, 2023 start date. Prior teaching, tutoring, mentoring, or homeschooling experience preferred. Effective writing and grammar skills are essential. Training and support are provided. If interested, please submit resume to posting #24324 in UM Careers on the University of Manitoba website or contact 204-677-1453 for more information.

Student absentee rates surging

BY MAGGIE MACINTOSH LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE REPORTER, WINNIPEG FREE PRESS

“Chronically absent” kindergarten and Grade 1 students now outnumber those who attend classes regularly in one Winnipeg school division.

The Louis Riel School Division published a new report that outlines the alarming toll COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses continue to have on Manitoba’s K-12 buildings this week.

The interactive project, which showcases current and historical fall student absence rates, shows overall non-attendance has surged beyond record-breaking levels in 2020 and 2021.

While the number of students who miss partial or entire school days on a regular basis is up across all grades, there are particularly stark trends amongst the division’s youngest pupils.

“So often, an absence, absences — it can all get away from you,” said

superintendent Christian Michalik, who oversees the education of about 15,500 public school students.

“The longer you’re away, the more difficult it is to find one’s way back into community, one’s way back to the learning journey everyone else is on. It requires tremendous work and a tremendous collective effort (to break these patterns).”

Michalik said this reality warrants significant investments in public education to ensure small class sizes, adequate staffing levels and other resources can support consistent learning in the coming year and beyond.

So far this year, the overall absence rate — which accounts for the period of September, October and November — is 12 per cent. The average autumn absence rate for the five academic years predating the COVID-19 pandemic was less than seven per cent.

CREE NATION CHILD & FAMILY CARING AGENCY

Family Enhancement Worker –Permanent Position Thompson Sub Office Thompson & Lynn Lake, MB

Cree Nation Child & Family Caring Agency (CNCFCA) is responsible for administering and providing for the delivery of Child and Family Services. CNCFCA is dedicated to providing comprehensive CFS Services that are community-based and incorporate both protection and prevention services.

Our agency will strive to maintain family unity.

POSITION SUMMARY:

Under the supervision of the Unit Supervisor(s), the Family Enhancement Worker is responsible for providing and administering CFS Services in accordance with the Child & Family Services Act.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

§ Responsible for gathering information and assessing child and family functioning problems;

§ Responsible for the development of case plans for children and families within program guidelines and provide referrals, support, guidance and problem solving;

§ Responsible for all file documentation, referrals, ensuring services are applied;

§ Case Monitoring, Risk Assessment & Follow up;

§ Provides case management and support for children in care and families.

QUALIFICATIONS

§ Work experience in Child and Family Services with demonstrated knowledge of child development, family centered service, early intervention, family support and community-based services;

§ Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) or related undergraduate degree in Human Services (preferred);

§ Ability to converse fluently in Cree (preferred);

§ Excellent assessment, intervention and writing skills;

§ Knowledge of the Child and Family Services Act and provincial standards;

§ Ability to use a variety of computer applications including CFSIS and FACTS.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

§ Must pass a criminal records check, child abuse and prior check;

§ Cannot be active on a protection case;

§ Maintain absolute confidentiality;

§ Varied amounts of travel required;

§ Travel is required to work in Lynn Lake office one week per month;

§ Must have a valid Manitoba driver’s license;

§ Must be able to provide own vehicle for work;

§ Other duties related to the position may be assigned.

Deadline: December 23, 2022 @ 4:00 pm

Submit cover letter & resume along with three (3) references marked

“personal & confidential” to:

Human Resource Manager

Cree Nation Child & Family Caring Agency Box 10130, Opaskwayak, MB. R0B 2J0

Fax: 204-623-3847 Email: hr@creenation.ca

We thank all who apply and advise that only those selected for further consideration will be contacted.

“Please visit our website at https://creenation.ca”

Our office ensures that best practices in COVID-19 are observed. Under Cree Nation Child & Family Caring Agency’s COVID-19 vaccinations policy, all applicants are required to be fully vaccinated.

Chronic absenteeism is defined as non-attendance for 10 per cent. Across Louis Riel’s 40 schools, the number of students who have missed more than that percentage of the academic year to date is up 15 per cent from pre-pandemic periods.

If a student misses upwards of 20 per cent of all instructional days, they are considered “severely chronically absent.”

The former is the equivalent of missing about a month of the 202223 academic year, given the province has allotted 193 days on the calendar. The latter is the equivalent of being absent for two full cumulative months of instruction.

While teachers monitor attendance daily, these thresholds prompt a further probe into why a child is not at school, exploration of strategies to re-engage them in traditional schooling, if need be, and possible contact with community services.

The president of the

Louis Riel Teachers’ Association said significant student and staff non-attendance, much of it tied to illness, is contributing to workloads that have skyrocketed since March 2020.

“An absent student requires special considerations. Multiple absent students impact learning plans for the class as a whole,” union leader Marcela Cabezas said.

About 23 per cent of all kindergartners missed enough instructional time to be classified as chronically or severely chronically absent between 201415 and 2018-19. To date in 2022-23, that figure is 54 per cent.

The chronic absence rate spiked to 31 per cent among Grade 1 children during that time, followed by increases of 27 and 23 per cent among their peers in grades 2 and 3, respectively.

Chronic attendance problems have worsened in communities that have struggled the most

CREE NATION CHILD & FAMILY CARING AGENCY

Human Resource Generalist–Permanent Position LOCATION: Regional Office OFFICE: The Pas, Manitoba

Cree Nation Child & Family Caring Agency (CNCFCA) is responsible for administering and providing for the delivery of Child and Family Services. CNCFCA is dedicated to providing comprehensive CFS Services that are community-based and incorporate both protection and prevention services.

Our agency will strive to maintain family unity.

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Human Resource Generalist facilitates and provides a full range of HR services to CNCFCA and all employees in various locations. Provides guidance, support and direction regarding all Human Resources matters to all CNCFCA.

RESPONSIBLITIES: § Employee Attendance § Training and Development

Benefits Administration

Compensation § Recruitment and Selection

Employee Communication

EDUCATION & TRAINING § Human Resources Management Diploma or related equivalent education (preferred) § Minimum three years human resources management experience is required

KNOWLEDGE & EXPERIENCE § Ability to use a variety of computer applications such as Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint and database systems § Ability to deal effectively with a variety of visitors and circumstances § Knowledge of customer service (preferred) § Good organizational skills and working knowledge of office and administrative procedures and related equipment (preferred) § Excellent oral and effective communication skills (preferred)

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT § Must pass a child abuse registry check and prior contact check § Cannot be active on a protection case. § Must maintain absolute confidentiality in accordance with agency requirements. § Varied amounts of travel required § Must have a valid Manitoba’s driver’s license § Must be able to provide own vehicle for work § Other duties related to the position may be assigned

Deadline: December 20, 2022 @ 4:00 PM

SUBMIT COVER LETTER & RESUME ALONG WITH THREE (3) REFERENCES MARKED “PERSONAL & CONFIDENTIAL” TO:

Human Resource Manager

Cree Nation Child & Family Caring Agency Box 10130, Opaskwayak, MB. R0B 2J0

Fax: 204-623-3847 Email: hr@creenation.ca

We thank all who apply and advise that only those selected for further consideration will be contacted.

“Please visit our website at https://creenation.ca”

Our office ensures that best practices in COVID-19 are observed. Under Cree Nation Child & Family Caring Agency’s COVID-19 vaccinations policy, all applicants are required to be fully vaccinated.

throughout the pandemic due to socioeconomic factors, according to the superintendent.

Michalik also acknowledged older students have typically missed more school than their younger peers in the past, which is why there is likely such a drastic surge in absenteeism in K-3 classrooms.

While noting he is far from a virologist, Michalik said the illnesses circulating have also likely affected elementary students’ young immune systems more than others.

Analyzing the data and sharing it with community members was the first step, Michalik added, noting it’s now time to investigate the proper pedagogical response and ensure schools are being flexible, offering personalized learning, and maintaining welcoming environments for students to return to.

Young students, in particular, are missing out on curriculum content and socialization opportunities — the results of

which will “reverberate for years,” said Cabezas, a high school Spanish and English teacher.

At the same time, the union leader said low morale and burnout are serious worries in staff rooms, as teams grapple with recovery learning in all areas while education funding fails to keep up with inflation.

A spokesperson for Manitoba Education said the department continues to work closely with public health officials to monitor seasonal respiratory illness rates and encourage school community members to get immunized and stay home when symptomatic.

“School officials know their communities best. Those with increased rates of absenteeism among students and staff are encouraged to reach out to their local public health office,” the spokesperson wrote in an email.

Louis Riel is the sole district that publicly reports its absenteeism rates.

CREE NATION CHILD & FAMILY CARING AGENCY

Child & Family Service Worker–Permanent Position Regional Office – Unit B Opaskwayak, Manitoba

Cree Nation Child & Family Caring Agency (CNCFCA) is responsible for administering and providing for the delivery of Child and Family Services. CNCFCA is dedicated to providing comprehensive CFS Services that are community-based and incorporate both protection and prevention services.

Our agency will strive to maintain family unity.

POSITION SUMMARY: Under the supervision of the Unit Supervisor(s), the Child & Family Service Worker is responsible for providing and administering CFS Services in accordance with the Child & Family Services Act. RESPONSIBILITIES:

for gathering information and assessing family functioning problems

Develop and implement intervention plans within program guidelines for families within program guidelines and provide referrals, support, guidance and problem solving

Provides for the placement, case management and ongoing support for children in care

Responsible for all file documentation and ensuring services are applied

Case Monitoring, Risk Assessment & Follow up

QUALIFICATIONS

Work experience in Child and Family Services with demonstrated knowledge of child development, family centered service, early intervention, family support and community-based services

Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) or related undergraduate degree in Human Services (preferred)

Ability to converse fluently in Cree (preferred)

Excellent assessment, intervention and writing skills

Knowledge of the Child and Family Services Act and provincial standards

Ability to use a variety of computer applications including CFSIS and FACTS

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

Must pass a criminal records check, child abuse and prior check

Cannot be active on a protection case

Maintain absolute confidentiality

amounts of travel required

Must have a valid Manitoba driver’s license

Must be able to provide own vehicle for work

Other duties related to the position may be assigned

Deadline: December 20, 2022 @ 4:00 pm Submit cover letter & resume along with three (3) references marked “personal & confidential” to:

Human Resource Manager

Cree Nation Child & Family Caring Agency Box 10130, Opaskwayak, MB. R0B 2J0

Fax: 204-623-3847 Email: hr@creenation.ca

We thank all who apply and advise that only those selected for further consideration will be contacted.

“Please visit our website at www.https://creenation.ca”

Our office ensures that best practices in COVID-19 are observed. Under Cree Nation Child & Family Caring Agency’s COVID-19 vaccinations policy, all applicants are required to be fully vaccinated.

Landfill search for murder victims will need to come from Indigenous community, says police board chairman

BY DAVE BAXTER LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE REPORTER, WINNIPEG SUN

The chair of Winnipeg’s Police Board says he believes whatever next steps are taken to get a Manitoba landfill searched for the remains of two murdered Indigenous women will have to come from Indigenous groups, and likely will not come from the Winnipeg Police Service.

“The Winnipeg Police Board is not the arbiter in terms of the next decision or decision-making process or next steps,” Winnipeg Police board chair Markus Chambers said on Dec. 11 during a news conference held after the board met with WPS Chief Danny Smyth

“That’s really up to the Indigenous communities and the various levels of government to determine what the next steps are.”

The police board met with Smyth on Monday afternoon, as Indigenous groups continue to call for WPS to search the Prairie Green Landfill for the remains of Morgan Harris and Marcedes Myran, who are both believed to have been killed by alleged Winnipeg serial killer Jeremy Skibicki, and whose remains are now both believed to be in the landfill near the town of Stony Mountain.

On Dec. 1, WPS announced new charges against Skibicki in the deaths of Harris and Myr-

PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

AWASIS AGENCY OF NORTHERN MANITOBA

UNIT/OFFICE: TADOULE LAKE (SAYISI DENE)

LOCATION: TADOULE LAKE, MB

an, and an unidentified woman being referred to by the community as Buffalo Woman. Skibici was already facing a first-degree murder charge in the death of Rebecca Contois. The women are believed to have been killed between March and May of 2022.

Smyth told reporters that investigators believe the remains of Myran and Harris, who are both members of the Long Plain First Nation, are in the Prairie Green Landfill, but said WPS does not plan to do a search of the landfill, because their forensics unit sees little hope of a successful recovery, and because of the risks it could pose to those conducting that type of search.

The decision to not search the landfill has been criticized by family members of the victims and Indigenous leaders and advocates, with several, including Long Plain First Nation Chief Kyra Wilson, publicly calling on Smyth to resign during a media conference held last week.

But Chambers said Dec. 11 he does not believe that WPS has the ability to independently plan and conduct that type of a search.

“Any search that’s done now is more from a humanitarian and recovery effort,” Chambers said. “It is beyond the scope of the police in terms of the resources they have available just based on what they

PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY AWASIS AGENCY OF NORTHERN MANITOBA

GOD’S LAKE NARROWS SUB-OFFICE

GOD’S LAKE NARROWS, MB

Position: Child & Family Services Worker

One (1) Full-Time Permanent Position

were provided with.”

Chambers added that at this point WPS believe they have done what they need to do to move the investigation forward, and are satisfied with the job they have done on this case.

“At this point, the police have done their job,” Chambers said. “They have been able to have charges laid in that regard, which has led them to other parts of the investigation, that's led to additional charges being laid against Mr. Skibicki.

“So from that perspective, they've done their due diligence.”

He said he believes that Indigenous groups and

communities must now communicate with levels of government to determine if a search is feasible, and how it could be planned and funded.

“There was consultation that was done to determine the feasibility of a search, and we know that the Indigenous community is not satisfied with that,” he said.

“So, it's up to them now to reach out to the levels of government.”

— Dave Baxter is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of the Winnipeg Sun. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the government of Canada.

PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY AWASIS AGENCY

OF NORTHERN MANITOBA

UNIT: WINNIPEG SERVICE DELIVERY OFFICE (WSDO)

LOCATION: 315 MCGEE STREET WINNIPEG, MANITOBA

Position: Child & Family Services Worker

One (1) Full-Time Permanent Position

Position: Case Aide

One (1) Full Time Permanent position

Summary of Position: Reporting to the Regional Unit Supervisor the Case Aide is responsible for facilitating case-related activities (on behalf of their unit) when working with families and children in the field of child protection and must follow all guidelines related to clients’ safety and privacy. The duties would include, but not limited to assist with case management administration, provide administrative support to case workers/Unit, including developing strong relationships with clients, acting as a liaison for Agency and clients, preparing reports, check progress and reports about cases, conducting interviews, assisting with compiling case particulars for Court, ensuring accurate and timely documentation, assist with developing long/short term case plans, developing/facilitating workshops, community education and networking with collateral resources/services.

Qualifications:

• Combination of education and experience in related field

• Previous experience in child welfare is preferred

• Knowledge of CFS legislation, Regulations and Provincial Standards

• Knowledge of Child & Family Services information System (CFSIS) would be an asset

• Excellent written and oral communication skills

• Excellent assessment skills

• Good organizational, time management and prioritizing skills

• Proficiency in MS Office applications (Word, Excel, and Outlook)

• Must be self-motivated with the ability to work independently and in a team setting

• Sensitivity to and an understanding of First Nations culture and values

• Ability to speak and/or understand the Cree or Dene language would be considered an asset

Working Conditions:

• Fast-paced environment

• Confidentiality environment with access to sensitive information

• Overnight and remote travel approximately 5% of the time

• Maintain a satisfactory Prior Contact check, Child Abuse Registry Check, Criminal Record Check and Driver’s Abstract

• Maintain a valid driver’s license and have access to a vehicle

Salary: Awasis Agency offers a competitive salary and employee benefit package. Salary will commensurate with education and experience

Closing Date: Friday, December 30, 2022

Awasis Agency provides service to Indigenous children and families, therefore preference will be given to Indigenous applicants. Applicants are encouraged to self-identify. Individuals interested in this challenging opportunity please reference Competition Number 2022-102 on your resume/cover letter and in the subject line of your email in confidence to:

Human Resources Department

Awasis Agency of Northern Manitoba Competition #2022-102

701 Thompson Drive, Thompson, MB R8N 2A2 Fax: 204-778-8428 Email: hr@awasisagency.ca

We thank all applicants who apply, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Applicants may request reasonable accommodation related to the materials or activities used throughout the selection process

**Note: Awasis Agency Vaccination policy mandate: fully vaccinated plus booster

Reporting to the Unit Supervisor, the Child & Family Services Worker is responsible to implement the policies, procedures and specific directions/directives of Awasis Agency of Northern Manitoba when working with families and children in the field of child protection. The duties include conducting Intakes and Assessments, responding to community service requests and carrying a case load of protection and voluntary family files.

Conducting interviews and assessments, compiling case particulars for Court, investigating/follow up on allegations of child protection issues, maintaining regular visits, ensuring accurate and timely documentation, developing long/short term case plans, developing/ facilitating workshops, community education and networking with collateral resources/services.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor of Social Work Degree with experience in child welfare preferred or an equivalent combination of experience and training may be considered

• Strong commitment to community-based service delivery

• Working knowledge of CFS legislation, standards and issues

• Knowledge of Child & Family Services Information System (CFSIS)

• Assessment, interviewing, and counselling skills

• Demonstrated written and verbal communication skills

• Strong work ethic and reliable

• Proven ability to prioritize workloads and meet deadlines

• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook

• Self-motivated with the ability to work independently, as well as part of a child protection unit team

• Sensitivity to, and an understanding of First Nations culture and values

• Ability to speak and/or understand the Cree or Dene language would be an asset

Working Conditions:

• Fast-paced environment

• Confidentiality environment with access to sensitive information

• Overnight and remote travel approximately 30% of the time

• Maintain a satisfactory Prior Contact check, Child Abuse Registry Check, Criminal Record Check and Driver’s Abstract prior to starting the position and throughout employment as required.

• Maintain a valid driver’s license and have access to a vehicle

Salary: Awasis Agency offers a competitive salary and employee benefit package. Salary will commensurate with education and experience

Closing Date: Friday, December 30, 2022

Awasis Agency provides service to Indigenous children and families, therefore preference will be given to Indigenous applicants. Applicants are encouraged to self-identify. Individuals interested in this challenging opportunity please reference Competition Number 2022-104 on your resume/cover letter and include it in the subject line of your email, in confidence to:

Human Resources Department

Awasis Agency of Northern Manitoba

Competition #2022-104

315 McGee Street, Winnipeg, MB R3G 1M7

Fax: 204-790-4455 Email: hr@awasisagency.ca

We thank all applicants who apply, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted. Applicants may request reasonable accommodation related to the materials or activities used throughout the selection process

**Note: Awasis Agency Vaccination policy mandate: fully vaccinated plus booster

Reporting to the Unit Supervisor, the Child & Family Services Worker is responsible to implement the policies, procedures and specific directions/directives of Awasis Agency of Northern Manitoba when working with families and children in the field of child protection. The duties include conducting Intakes and Assessments, responding to community service requests and carrying a case load of protection and voluntary family files.

Conducting interviews and assessments, compiling case particulars for Court, investigating/follow up on allegations of child protection issues, maintaining regular visits, ensuring accurate and timely documentation, developing long/short term case plans, developing/ facilitating workshops, community education and networking with collateral resources/services.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor of Social Work Degree with experience in child welfare preferred or an equivalent combination of experience and training may be considered

• Strong commitment to community-based service delivery

• Working knowledge of CFS legislation, standards and issues

• Knowledge of Child & Family Services Information System (CFSIS)

• Assessment, interviewing, and counselling skills

• Demonstrated written and verbal communication skills

• Strong work ethic and reliable

• Proven ability to prioritize workloads and meet deadlines

• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook

• Self-motivated with the ability to work independently, as well as part of a child protection unit team

• Sensitivity to, and an understanding of First Nations culture and values

• Ability to speak and/or understand the Cree or Dene language would be an asset

Working Conditions:

• Fast-paced environment

• Confidentiality environment with access to sensitive information

• Overnight and remote travel approximately 30% of the time

• Maintain a satisfactory Prior Contact check, Child Abuse Registry Check, Criminal Record Check and Driver’s Abstract prior to starting the position and throughout employment as required.

• Maintain a valid driver’s license and have access to a vehicle

Salary: Awasis Agency offers a competitive salary and employee benefit package. Salary will commensurate with education and experience

Closing Date: Friday, December 30, 2022

Human Resources Department

Awasis Agency of Northern Manitoba Competition #2022-101 315 McGee Street, Winnipeg, MB R3G 1M7 Fax: 204-790-4455 Email: hr@awasisagency.ca

We thank all applicants who apply, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Applicants may request reasonable accommodation related to the materials or activities used throughout the selection process

**Note: Awasis Agency Vaccination policy mandate: fully vaccinated plus booster

Manitoba Indigenous leaders meet with Winnipeg police chief to discuss landfill search

BY DAVE BAXTER LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE REPORTER, WINNIPEG SUN

A First Nations chief said Indigenous leaders were expected to meet with Winnipeg Police Chief Danny Smyth on Dec. 14 to discuss what steps could be taken to get the Prairie Green Landfill searched for the remains of two murdered Indigenous women.

On Dec. 13, the Winnipeg Sun spoke to Long Plain First Nation Chief Kyra Wilson, one day after Winnipeg police board

chair Markus Chambers said during a media conference that he believes whatever next steps are taken to get the Prairie Green Landfill searched for the remains of Morgan Harris and Marcedes Myran will have to come from Indigenous groups, and likely will not come from the Winnipeg police.

Both Harris and Myran are believed to have been killed by alleged Winnipeg serial killer Jeremy Skibicki, and the remains of both women are now be-

CREE NATION CHILD & FAMILY CARING AGENCY

Intake Supervisor – Permanent Position Mathias Colomb Cree Nation Pukatawagan, Manitoba

Cree Nation Child & Family Caring Agency (CNCFCA) is responsible for administering and providing for the delivery of Child and Family Services. CNCFCA is dedicated to providing comprehensive CFS Services that are community-based and incorporate both protection and prevention services.

Our agency will strive to maintain family unity.

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Intake Supervisor will work together with the MCCN Service Manager to ensure that all aspects of agency services meet the requirements of the Child and Family Services Act, the First Nations mandate, provincial licensing and service standards, as well as the agency’s mandatory policies and procedures. RESPONSIBILITIES:

lieved to be in the landfill, just north of the city.

Skibicki has been charged with first-degree murder in their deaths along with those of Rebecca Contois and an unidentified woman being referred to by the community as Buffalo Woman.

The women are believed to have been killed between March and May but only Contois’s remains have been found.

Wilson said she and other First Nations leaders are confident that different levels of law enforcement and governments will be

able to work together and create a plan to get the landfill searched, and said they will meet with Smyth on Wednesday to discuss what role WPS could play.

“We are still moving ahead and we are having these conversations and making sure this remains a priority,” Wilson said.

Last week, Wilson and several other First Nations leaders called on Smyth to resign after he announced WPS would not be searching the landfill for the women’s remains, but Wilson now says she believes other levels of government

PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

AWASIS AGENCY OF NORTHERN MANITOBA

UNIT/OFFICE: THOMPSON CENTRAL OFFICE (TCO)

LOCATION: THOMPSON, MB Position: Child Maltreatment Prevention Worker One (1) Full Time Permanent position

Summary of Position:

Under the Family Enhancement program, working within the Child Abuse Prevention and Investigation department, the Child Maltreatment Prevention Worker provides education and awareness surrounding abuse in all forms. Working in a confidential environment, the Child Maltreatment Prevention Worker demonstrates a high level of critical and logical thinking, analysis, and logic to identify underlying principles, reasons, or facts. The incumbent collaborates with the communities in which Awasis Agency provide service, individuals, families, advocates, and service providers.

Qualifications:

• Degree/Diploma in social work, education, community studies or a related field.

• Three (3) years’ related experience in Child and Family Services.

• Demonstrated knowledge of and a strong understanding of The Child and Family Services Act, Child Abuse Regulations, Provincial Program Standards, Agency Policies and Procedures.

also have to step up to get the landfill searched.

“The police have done their job in getting the suspect arrested, and I don’t disagree with that,” she said. “We have someone arrested so that part of the investigation is a success, but this is now a whole separate issue from that, because we need that landfill searched and that needs to be a separate conversation.

“We need to work with WPS, but also with the provincial and federal governments to move this forward, and I am confident that we will move forward.”

According to Wilson, First Nations leaders are now trying to secure funding from the federal government to get the landfill searched, and have been told they need to put together a feasibility study before there is any funding from the feds.

The Sun reached out to WPS for further comment, but did not hear back before Tuesday’s press deadline.

— Dave Baxter is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of the Winnipeg Sun. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the government of Canada.

CREE NATION CHILD & FAMILY CARING AGENCY

Child & Family Services Worker/ Intake Worker –

Permanent Position

Lynn Lake Sub Office

Lynn Lake, Manitoba

Cree Nation Child & Family Caring Agency (CNCFCA) is responsible for administering and providing for the delivery of Child and Family Services. CNCFCA is dedicated to providing comprehensive CFS Services that are community-based and incorporate both protection and prevention services.

Our agency will strive to maintain family unity.

POSITION SUMMARY:

Under the supervision of the Unit Supervisor(s), the Child & Family Services Worker/Intake Worker is responsible for providing and administering CFS Services in accordance with the Child & Family Services Act.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

§ Responsible for gathering information and assessing child and family functioning problems

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE § Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) with 3 to 5 years experience in child welfare or;

Work experience in Child and Family Services with demonstrated knowledge of child development, family centered service, early intervention, family support and community-based services § Ability to converse fluently in Cree (preferred) § Minimum 3 years supervisory experience within an aboriginal child welfare environment § Workplace Safety and Health § Excellent assessment, intervention and writing skills § Knowledge of the Child and Family Services Act and provincial standards § Understanding of child development theory and practice § Knowledge of available resources within the community (formal and informal) § Knowledge of Family Systems theory § Working knowledge of child abuse § Ability to use a variety of computer applications such as Microsoft Word, Excel and data base systems § CFSIS and FACTS information systems (preferred)

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

§ Must pass a criminal records check, child abuse registry check and prior contact check.

§ Cannot be active on a protection case. § Must maintain absolute confidentiality in accordance with agency requirements.

§

Varied amounts of travel required within this position. § Must have a valid Manitoba driver’s license. § Must be able to provide own vehicle for work. § Other duties related to the position may be assigned.

Deadline: December 23, 2022 @ 4:00 pm

Submit cover letter & resume along with three (3) references marked

“personal & confidential” to:

Human Resource Manager

Cree Nation Child & Family Caring Agency Box 10130, Opaskwayak, MB. R0B 2J0

Fax: 204-623-3847 Email: hr@creenation.ca

We thank all who apply and advise that only those selected for further consideration will be contacted.

“Please visit our website at https://creenation.ca”

Our office ensures that best practices in COVID-19 are observed. Under Cree Nation Child & Family Caring Agency’s COVID-19 vaccinations policy, all applicants are required to be fully vaccinated.

• Ability to make independent decisions when circumstances require.

• Average to above average skill in MS Word, Excel, Outlook PowerPoint and Teams required.

• Highly flexible, adaptable, resourceful, with solid interpersonal skills that allow one to work effectively in a diverse working environment.

• Able to work successfully as part of a team, as well as independently.

• Demonstrated effective organizational, time management and prioritizing skills.

• Strong morals and ethics, along with a commitment to confidentiality and staff privacy.

• Demonstrated knowledge of and sensitivity to Northern First Nations Children, Families, and communities.

• Strong verbal and written communication skills.

• Ability to speak Cree or Dene an asset.

Working Conditions:

• Fast-paced child welfare environment.

• Manual dexterity required to use computer and peripherals.

• Provide satisfactory Criminal Record, Child Abuse Registry and Prior Contact checks prior to starting the position, and throughout employment as required

• Overtime may be required.

• Overnight and remote travel approximately 50% of time.

Salary: Awasis Agency offers a competitive salary and employee benefit package. Salary will commensurate with education and experience.

Closing Date: Friday, December 30, 2022

Awasis Agency provides service to Indigenous children and families, therefore preference will be given to Indigenous applicants. Applicants are encouraged to self-identify. Individuals interested in this challenging opportunity please reference Competition Number 2022-103 on your resume/cover letter and in the subject line of your email in confidence to:

Human Resources Department Awasis Agency of Northern Manitoba Competition #2022-103

701 Thompson Drive. Thompson, MB R8N 2A2

Fax: 204-778-8428 Email: hr@awasisagency.ca

We thank all applicants who apply, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Applicants may request reasonable accommodation related to the materials or activities used throughout the selection process

**Note: Awasis Agency Vaccination policy mandate: fully vaccinated plus booster

§ Responsible for the development of case plans for children and families within program guidelines and provide referrals, support, guidance and problem solving

§ Responsible for all file documentation, referrals, ensuring services are applied § Case Monitoring, Risk Assessment & Follow up § Provides case management and support for children in care and families § Receive & Assess Requests for Service

On-Site Risk Assessment

Determine & Implement Service § Documentation, Practice & Relationship Building

QUALIFICATIONS § Work experience in Child and Family Services with demonstrated knowledge of child development, family centered service, early intervention, family support and community-based services § Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) or related undergraduate degree in Human Services (preferred) § Ability to converse fluently in Cree (is an asset) § Excellent assessment, intervention and writing skills § Knowledge of the Child and Family Services Act and provincial standards § Ability to use a variety of computer applications including CFSIS and FACTS

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT § Must pass a criminal records check, child abuse and prior check

Cannot be active on a protection case

Maintain absolute confidentiality

Varied amounts of travel required § Must have a valid Manitoba driver’s license § Must be able to provide own vehicle for work § Required to provide on-call services on a rotating basis § Other duties related to the position may be assigned

Deadline: December 20, 2022 @ 4:00 pm

Submit cover letter & resume along with three (3) references marked “personal & confidential” to:

Human Resource Manager

Cree Nation Child & Family Caring Agency Box 10130, Opaskwayak, MB. R0B 2J0 Fax: 204-623-3847 Email: hr@creenation.ca We thank all who apply and advise that only those selected for further consideration will be contacted. “Please visit our website at https://creenation.ca” Our office ensures that best practices in COVID-19 are observed. Under Cree Nation Child & Family Caring Agency’s COVID-19 vaccinations policy, all applicants are required to be fully vaccinated.

Help keep Thompson GREEN and CLEAN

Travelling climate science exhibition offers education and fun

BY CARLA ANTICHOW

During a span of just over three weeks, school age children in Thompson have had the privilege of taking in a free, hands-on science exhibit aimed at raising awareness about climate change and, more specifically, reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Our Climate Quest is a travelling learning centre produced by the Science North educational tourist attraction in Sudbury, Ont. whose goal, according to the exhibit’s science communicator Kennedy Williamson, is to “empower youth.”

Explaining further, Williamson said that through the exhibit they are “trying to show our young people how they can take action and how they’re basically going to be our future and what they can do to help.”

Each booth within the exhibit offers a chance for students to engage with one of the science communicators and/or play games, which helps them to learn about a variety of subjects on everything from carbon offset to biodiversity.

Margeaux Genaille, 9, and her brother Greyson, 8, had been through the ex-

hibit set up at the Thompson Regional Community Centre several times and in Margeaux’s words the exhibit was “really cool” and her favourite part was “everything” while Greyson said his favourite part was the game on balancing carbon.

Because of the way each booth is set up to be kid-friendly, user-friendly and yet educational, Margeaux, despite her young age, was able to explain how to offset carbon using the scale and weights. Other games included a lifesized Jenga game that teach-

The

where it will be set up until 6 p.m.

Dec. 18.

Our Climate Quest is in the multipurpose room and is free to the public from noon to 8 p.m. todayand from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the weekend.

es kids about the importance of biodiversity.

tour kicked off in Niagara Falls, Ont. in June and has slowly made its way northwest to Thompson

on

Stops are planned right into 2025 and they hope to cover every province and territory in Canada.

Thompson Citizen photos by Carla Antichow Science North’s travelling exhibition Our Climate Quest at the Thompson Regional Community Centre is free to visit until its last day in town Dec. 18.

Greyson and Margeaux Genaille pose with science communicator Kennedy Williamson at Science North’s travelling exhibition Our Climate Quest at the Thompson Regional Community Centre Dec. 10.