Being a mother is both tiring and rewarding. Tiring because all the things you have to do for your children, even if they’re old enough to do it themselves. You feel like you want to do it for them, not […]
Archive for April, 2016
Back in town: CREE hockey tournament returns to Val-d’Or
Cree hockey returned to Val-d’Or April 7-10 as over 1,700 young players and their families descended on the city for the 24th annual Cree Minor Hockey Tournament, presented by Cree Regional Events and Entertainment. The event marked the first major […]
Attawapiskat crisis draws national attention to Cree community
Suicide and attempted suicides have long plagued First Nations communities, where suicide rates can be two to 12 times higher than the Canadian average. A recent wave of suicide attempts in the Cree community of Attawapiskat – more than 100 […]
Lessons from Lac-Simon: Slaying of Sandy Michel by local police triggers search for answers
Debates and arguments continue to swirl around the Anishnabe Nation of Lac-Simon over what actually happened earlier this month when local police killed a community member – and how to avoid more incidents that have been all too common in […]
Preparing for the worst – Val d’Or airport tests first responders
Val-d’Or is one of the last places one might expect a terrorist attack. So imagine the initial panic when a local 911 operator answered a frantic call April 9 about a bomb on an Air Creebec aircraft. The caller quickly […]
Mending economic relations – Val-d’Or reaches out to Native communities
The Val-d’Or Chamber of Commerce wants to mend the relationship with Aboriginal people, and recently issued a four-year action plan intended to keep First Nations money rolling into the city hit by a business downturn following last fall’s crisis over […]
Action needed to foster hope in First Nations
Suicide has always been an issue in First Nations across Canada. The problem recently exploded with reports of a suicide pact between 11 teenagers in my home community of Attawapiskat. There are many reasons young people in remote First Nations […]
Habs 0 – Hunters 1
Ahhh. Finally a warm south wind. The sun is out and birds are chirping. The sounds of nature fill the air, streams dash through the streets… and into my back yard. What? I check to see if my little scrap […]
Uncle Jean’s suicide solution
Many people think of former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien fondly, as the slightly embarrassing aging uncle who means well, but from time to time gleefully puts his foot in his mouth. Asked once about the liberal use of pepper spray […]
Before the Streets: A story of struggle, healing and redemption
Chloé Leriche’s breakout film Avant les rues (Before the Streets), which garnered headlines across the globe since its premiere at Germany’s Berlinale international film festival last February, is set to debut in select Quebec theatres Friday, April 15. Shot on […]