Wawatay News

The Vision Quest Conference & Trade Show, Canada’s longest running Indigenous business, community and economic development conference, is pleased to announce that Jordin Tootoo and Lorne Cardinal will be one of this year’s Keynote Presenters.

JORDIN TOOTOO, NHL’s First Inuk Player, Author of All the Way
Keynote Presenter, Wednesday May 15

The Anishnawbe Business Professional Association (ABPA) launched today with special guests and community leaders in attendance. The launch event was held at the NADF office in Thunder Bay with traditional ceremonies performed by a local elder and drum group. The ABPA will be initially run by an all-Indigenous powerhouse board of directors from multi-disciplinary backgrounds. The founders of the non-profit corporation include:

• John Beardy
• Brian Davey
• Ron Marano
• Rachael Paquette
• Jason Rasevych
• Jason Thompson

Thunder Bay Police Service officers were dispatched to the Shoppers Drug Mart at 1186 Memorial Avenue just before 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 3 following reports of a theft.

During the investigation police learned that a possible assault linked to this incident may have occurred.

Police conducted multiple witness interviews and reviewed video footage of an altercation between a youth and a security guard.

Following this, and after reviewing other evidence, officers have charged the security guard with Assault Causing Bodily Harm.

Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler is calling for a coordinated response by the federal and provincial governments as Cat Lake First Nation has declared a state of emergency due to life-threatening housing conditions in the remote community.

The Ontario Independent Police Review Director released a 200-page report concluding that the evidence “overwhelmingly supports the existence of racism” at the Thunder Bay Police Service.” Death investigations were “too often handled differently because the deceased was Indigenous,” finds OPIRD Director Gerry McNeilly.