Current Problems: Health (18-24)

Exploring Theme: "Ongoing Health Crisis"

Updates on this page: 88
 

March 18, 2024


Inuit leaders, MPs urge action on TB elimination as federal budget nears

TB rate among Inuit 676 times higher than among non-Indigenous, Canadian-born people CBC Indigenous: With the federal budget approaching, Inuit leaders and New Democrat MPs are urging the Trudeau government to tackle tuberculosis in Indigenous communities. Inuit in particular face a “staggering and unacceptable reality” of tuberculosis rates more than 300 times higher than Canadian-born non-Indigenous people,...

March 14, 2024


Flip-flop in regulating mental health counsellors will slow getting urgent services to Indigenous people

Treaty 8 Grand Chief Arthur Noskey and Treaty 6 Grand Chief Cody Thomas. Windspeaker.com: The decision by Alberta to regulate counsellor therapy through the College of Alberta Psychologists (CAP) will not meet the urgency of mental health care required by Indigenous populations in the province. Letters sent from Treaty 6 and Treaty 8 nations in...

March 13, 2024


State of emergency over substance abuse in Shamattawa leads to vehicle searches, patrols of snowmobile trails

Other communities also search vehicles for drugs, alcohol CBC Indigenous: A northern Manitoba First Nation is cracking down further on drugs and alcohol after declaring a state of emergency over bootlegging in the community. Leaders in Shamattawa First Nation have made a band council resolution to give local and hired security officers the power to...

March 12, 2024


Nursing shortage creating ‘health crisis’ in First Nations in Manitoba

“Critical nursing services at the 21 nursing facilities run by ISC in remote Indigenous communities in Manitoba have been impacted”: Ottawa Cross Lake (PImicikamak Cree Nation) in northern Manitoba is in the midst of a health crisis due to a shortage of nurses. Photo: APTN file  APTN News: A Cree Nation in northern Manitoba is...

March 5, 2024


Deaths spark calls for youth outreach, reopening of Port Hardy ER overnight

Health officials are working with First Nation that declared a state of emergency following the deaths of 11 of its members, many of them youths, in the past two months, premier says. An aerial shot of Tsulquate reserve on March 1. VIA CHEK NEWS NationTalk: Times Colonist – Premier David Eby says health officials are...

March 5, 2024


Father who lost son to fentanyl poisoning hopes anti-drug campaign goes national

‘No thanks I’m good’ campaign is hoping to save lives in Manitoba. APTN News: Joseph Fourre says his son was known for saying “No thanks I’m good” when he was offered drugs. “Harlan was an extraordinary young man who was looking forward to paying off his car and his future,” Fourre says on the latest...

March 1, 2024


Mamakwa confronts Conservative ministers about NAN state of emergency

Nishnawbe Aski Nation hosted an emergency meeting on Jan. 24 in Ottawa following a string of youth suicides in First Nation communities across the region. NationTalk: TBNewswatch.com THUNDER BAY – MPP Sol Mamakwa called out the Doug Ford government during question period on Wednesday — for failing to attend last month’s emergency meeting discussing high suicide...

February 29, 2024


Treaty 6 and 8 grand chiefs call for action on mental health crisis in Alberta

Chiefs Noskey and Thomas say province must establish regulatory college to address First Nations mental health crisis Kevin Ma NationTalk: Airdrie City View – The grand chiefs of most of Alberta’s First Nations have called on the province to proclaim a counselling college and address an ongoing mental health crisis. Treaty 8 First Nations of...

February 27, 2024


First Nations people in B.C. continue to be hit harder by toxic drug crisis, statistics show

‘They’re not just numbers, they’re people,’ says FNHA chief medical officer CBC Indigenous: First Nations people continued to die from toxic drugs at a higher rate than non-First Nations people in British Columbia in the first six months of 2023, according to the First Nations Health Authority (FNHA).  First Nations people died at six times the rate of non-First...

February 6, 2024


Cree chief pleads for help to end community’s wave of violence in open letter to Sask. premier, PM

Pelican Narrows’ health clinic is not providing non-urgent care because staff are too busy with emergencies CBC News: Leaders in a remote Saskatchewan community are calling out for help. They say residents in Pelican Narrows are living in fear daily because of drug-fuelled violence, stabbings, shootings and suicide, which are the result of historical injustice and geographic isolation.  Registered...

January 29, 2024


Mushkegowuk First Nations Enhancing Their Response To Illegal Drug And Alcohol Crisis

NationTalk: – Moose Factory ON Mushkegowuk Council has approved funding to support Kashechewan, Fort Albany, Moose Cree and Attawapiskat First Nations to respond to an escalating illegal drug and alcohol crisis that is devastating their communities. The funding, approved at a meeting of Mushkegowuk Chiefs held earlier this month, will help stem the flow of...

January 27, 2024


FSIN concerned about Government’s reduction changes

First Peoples Law Report: CKRM – The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN) is endorsing the appeal made by Provincial Health Care professionals urging the Government of Saskatchewan to reconsider recent modifications to harm reduction services. Earlier this month, the province announced it would cease to support programs providing a safe supply of pipes to...

January 26, 2024


Marlborough Hotel video sparks calls for better accommodations

Click on the following link view the video: https://winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/indigenous-leaders-demand-better-accommodations-for-those-travelling-to-winnipeg-for-medical-care-1.6744482 First Peoples Law Report: CTV News Winnipeg – Leaders are demanding better accommodations for those travelling from remote First Nations to Winnipeg for medical care. Cockroaches, bed bugs and mice are just some of the conditions patients face in hotels designated for their stays in the...

January 24, 2024


Nishnawbe Aski Nation holds emergency meeting in Ottawa amid surge in sudden deaths on First Nations

First Nations chiefs from Ontario, federal officials at meeting after string of suicides, unexplained deaths WARNING: This story contains details of suicide and may impact those who know someone affected by it. CBC Indigenous: Leadership with the Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) held an emergency meeting with federal officials after a string of recent youth suicides and unexplained deaths in First Nations...

January 24, 2024


Prevention measures, not crisis management needed to address emergency situation in Bigstone Cree Nation

Bigstone Cree Nation called on ministries to address “mental health, policing, gangs, rising crime rates, poverty, food security, child and family-related issues, homelessness and the housing crisis that we face.” — Bigstone Cree Nation Chief Andy Alook Chief Andy Alook (centre) is pictured with some of the councillors from Bigstone Cree Nation. Windspeaker.com: Armed with...

January 24, 2024


First Nations leaders hold emergency meeting in Ottawa on mental-health crisis

NationTalk: The Canadian Press, Ottawa – First Nations leaders are holding an emergency meeting in Ottawa on Wednesday to discuss a mental-health crisis they warn could get even worse without government help. Nishnawbe Aski Nation says there has been an alarming spate of suicides and suicide attempts in the northern Ontario First Nations it represents. That includes the...

January 17, 2024


Former Cree grand chief spends 4 days in an ER hallway after travelling to Montreal for health care

‘There was nowhere that we could go,’ says granddaughter who accompanied Matthew Mukash CBC News: When Jade Mukash accompanied her grandfather to Montreal on Jan. 7, she never imagined they’d be sitting in the ER hallway for four days. Positioned next to a glass partition next to the ER door, Matthew Mukash, the former grand...

December 28, 2023


Homes in four Ontario First Nations have dangerous levels of carbon dioxide, mould 

A welcome sign for the Lac Seul First Nation west of Sioux Lookout, Ont., on April 24, 2018. File photo by The Canadian Press/Colin Perkel  THE FIGHT AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE TAKES MANY HANDS, AND ALL OF US ARE BETTER EQUIPPED WHEN WE’RE INFORMED.  Goal: $125k $98,930 Donate Canada’s National Observer: A study has found air...

December 18, 2023


Dismissal of Dr. Deena Hinshaw from Indigenous health team prompted Alberta ethics investigation

Two people say they gave testimony to ethics commissioner Marguerite Trussler in October After Dr. Deena Hinshaw was briefly hired and quickly removed from a position with an Indigenous health team at Alberta Health Services earlier this year, more than 100 physicians signed a letter calling for an ethics investigation. Unbeknownst to the public, they got their wish. CBC...

December 13, 2023


Indigenous people in remote communities may not see much benefit from national dental care plan

If there are no services in your community, more money doesn’t matter, says pediatric dentist CBC Indigenous: The co-founder of the Indigenous Dental Association of Canada says along with expanding coverage, the federal government needs to be improving access to dental care for those who live in remote communities to keep oral health gaps from widening.  “Unless we’re dealing with the issues...

November 28, 2023


Global Ozempic shortage affects First Nations people with diabetes

Health Canada says Ozempic shortages could last until March 2024 CBC News: The global shortage of the diabetes medication Ozempic has diabetics like Eleanor Michael from Sipekne’katik worried about finding alternatives. Ozempic has seen a skyrocketing global demand, in part due to prescriptions related to weight loss. Michael, whose Mi’kmaw community is about 50 kilometres northwest of Halifax, was diagnosed with diabetes earlier this year...

November 23, 2023


Opioid-Related Toxicity and Deaths Continue to Rise among First Nations in Ontario

NationTalk: Toronto, ON – The Chiefs of Ontario (COO) and Ontario Regional Chief Glen Hare made the following statement regarding the opioid overdose crisis and the death toll rise affecting Ontario First Nations. First Nations in Ontario have been disproportionately affected by the opioid overdose crisis, which has greatly affected both families and communities. COO...

November 23, 2023


Prince Albert Grand Council calls for help after study finds high levels of cocaine, crystal meth in waste water

APTN News: The Prince Albert Grand Council, or PAGC in Saskatchewan is calling for help to combat a drug crisis in the city. According to Statistics Canada, Prince Albert has the highest amounts of cocaine, meth and amphetamines in its wastewater per capita in the country. “This situation goes beyond mere statistics,” said Grand Chief Brian...

November 15, 2023


Record-breaking year looms for drug toxicity deaths in Saskatchewan: coroners service report

Health experts say prevention measures needed, while province focuses on treatment CBC News: Emile Gariepy didn’t have to look at the Saskatchewan Coroners Service’s latest report to know drug toxicity deaths continue to rise across the province. As a paramedic and the harm-reduction manager at Regina’s Nēwo-Yōtina Friendship Centre, which houses a safe consumption site,...

November 14, 2023


‘Unbearable’ hurt as Fort McPherson, N.W.T., sees 5 deaths in 1 week

‘All of the deaths we’ve experienced have touched every person in Fort McPherson,’ says chief CBC Indigenous: Prayer circles were held across the Northwest Territories, the Yukon and northern B.C. over the weekend to mourn a series of recent deaths in the hamlet of Fort McPherson, N.W.T.  Three young women, a young man and an...

October 30, 2023


‘Nunavut is scary’: Nurses speak out about toxic work environment

Current, former staff allege harassment, abuse, blacklisting make it harder for Nunavummiut to access health care Jessica Garner is a former Nunavut nurse who is speaking out about what she describes as a toxic work environment in the territory’s health centres. She says she is concerned the situation creates a barrier to health care. Garner...

September 15, 2023


How the legacy of Canada’s tuberculosis sanatoriums haunts public health efforts in Pangnirtung

Officials battling the disease must contend with trauma caused by their predecessors and new challenges too CBC Indigenous: Sixty-five years ago, tuberculosis left Nancy Anilniliak with an invisible scar. In 1958, when she was five, Anilniliak was taken from her family in Pangnirtung and transported all by herself to a sanatorium in Hamilton, Ont., aboard...

September 14, 2023


Tuberculosis screening clinic to open in Pangnirtung, Nunavut

Clinic will operate until Dec. 1 in community dealing with TB outbreak since 2021 CBC Indigenous: Nearly two years after the government of Nunavut declared a tuberculosis outbreak in Pangnirtung, a community-wide screening clinic will open in the community of 1,500.  Jointly funded to an amount of up to $4 million by the federal and territorial governments...

September 7, 2023


Pimicikamak Cree Nation worries it won’t have enough staff to run new health centre

First Nation’s leaders say nursing station running with less than half of staff it needs Manitoba First Nation struggles to find staff for new health centre: Duration 1:38 Pimicikamak Cree Nation is pleading for more government support for health care. The community in Cross Lake says it’s struggling with few local health services and a severe...

September 7, 2023


Alberta First Nations declare state of emergency over drug crisis

A tribal council representing five First Nations in northeast Alberta have declared a state of emergency over an escalating mental health and addictions crisis. Athabasca Tribal Council Grand Chief Allan Adam speaks during a news conference in Ottawa on March 20, 2013. ADRIAN WYLD/THE CANADIAN PRESS The Globe and Mail: A council representing five First...

September 4, 2023


Searching for solace a year after tragedy in James Smith Cree Nation

Members of First Nation look for ways to heal 1 year after mass stabbings in Saskatchewan CBC News: Rickety wheels slice through the undisturbed gravel of the race track in Prince Albert, Sask. A man in a cowboy hat declares that the first chariot race will start soon. After donning helmets, vests and a need for...

August 31, 2023


UBCIC Stands with Families and Calls for Action on Overdose Awareness Day

by ahnationtalk on August 31, 2023 NationTalk: (xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil Waututh)/ Vancouver, B.C. – Today, UBCIC grieves with thousands of families devastated by the overdose crisis and urges municipal, provincial, and federal governments to put aside their lethal political squabbling and take urgent, comprehensive, and coordinated action to save lives and support First Nations...

August 8, 2023


‘Very little’ government help for 11 Man. First Nations months after declaring state of emergency

Government approved $300,000 in extra funding but chief says that’s not enough CBC News: More than four months after declaring a state of emergency First Nations in Manitoba say the current federal support offered fails to address numerous long-term issues in their communities. The Keewatin Tribal Council — representing 11 communities spread throughout northern Manitoba — declared a state of emergency...

August 7, 2023


Bearspaw First Nation to meet with federal officials as opioid crisis worsens

FRÉDÉRIK-XAVIER DUHAMEL The Globe and Mail: Indigenous Services Canada officials are set to meet with the leaders of a First Nation in Alberta this week to discuss support for the small community that is struggling to cope with the devastating impact of the opioid crisis. Bearspaw First Nation Chief Darcy Dixon said his people have faced...

July 25, 2023


Association of Yukon Communities decries rural health centre staffing woes

‘What we continue to hear from our members is that this is a big deal,’ said association president CBC News: The Association of Yukon Communities (AYC) says the territory has to think creatively to solve an ongoing shortage of health care workers. “This is an issue we continue to hear from all of our members...

July 22, 2023


Inuit elders making historic healing journey from Nunavut to Hamilton’s former sanatorium

1,200 Inuit were forced to stay at Sanatorium on the Mountain for tuberculosis treatment CBC News: Over a dozen Inuit elders are making a historic healing journey to Hamilton this weekend to revisit the former sanatorium site where they were held in isolation and endured psychological abuse in the 1950s and ’60s.  Naomi Tatty helped organize...

July 10, 2023


Treaty 6 Chiefs declare state of emergency over opioid deaths

By Danielle ParadisJul 10, 2023  Treaty 6 chiefs are speaking out about drug poisoning  APTN News: The Confederacy of Treaty 6 Nations in Alberta announced Monday it has declared a state of emergency due to the opioid drug crisis. Families, friends, and loved ones are being lost to this devastating crisis,” Grand Chief Leonard Standingontheroad said...

July 6, 2023


Tuberculosis numbers increasing in Nunavik communities

5 communities have outbreaks; 58 cases in total this year CBC News: An annual music festival was postponed due to a tuberculosis outbreak in northern Quebec, as the Nunavik region grapples with a series of outbreaks in several communities. Salluit’s festival was supposed to start June 29, but will now happen in the fall. Salluit resident Ida...

July 5, 2023


SCO Launches Harm Reduction Education and Awareness Campaign

ANISHINAABE AND DAKOTA TERRITORY, MB — Today, the Southern Chiefs’ Organization (SCO) is announcing the launch of a comprehensive public campaign focused on preventing and increasing awareness of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Sexually Transmitted and Blood Borne Infections (STBBIs), and harm reduction. “Harm reduction has become a major focus for SCO when it comes to...

July 4, 2023


First Nations life expectancy plummets in Alberta due to opioid deaths

First Nations women and men have had their life expectancy decline seven years since 2015.  APTN News: Between 2015 and 2021 the life expectancy dropped a shocking seven years for First Nations men and women living in Alberta due in part to drug poisoning deaths. In 2015, the average life expectancy for a First Nation...

June 27, 2023


IPAC Statement in response to the shocking and disrespectful events that precipitated Dr. Tailfeathers’ resignation from Alberta Health Services

NationTalk: At the Indigenous Physicians Association of Canada, we stand in solidarity with Dr. Tailfeathers as she made the difcult decision to resign from her position with Alberta Health Services and the brave words she has offered to the media in the aftermath of this decision. It is deeply painful for our community of Indigenous...

June 27, 2023


Better dental care means dealing with historical issues, says Indigenous dentist

CBC News: Dr. Sheri McKinstry says Indigenous communities struggling to access dental care is common across the country.  “It’s kind of not surprising that we’re having issues with dental providers coming into the clinics when we’re isolated,” she told The Trailbreaker.  McKinstry is a dentist, member of Sagkeeng First Nation in Manitoba, and one of the...

June 27, 2023


Doctors sign open letter to decry AHS decision to revoke Hinshaw job offer

130 Alberta doctors had signed the letter by late Monday afternoon CBC News · Posted: Jun 26, 2023, Last Updated: June 27 More than 100 Alberta physicians have signed an open letter condemning the move by Alberta Health Services to revoke a job offer to Dr. Deena Hinshaw, who was set to start working on a key...

June 23, 2023


The hiring and unhiring of Dr. Deena Hinshaw warrants answers that we aren’t getting

Consequences have spread beyond the former public health official’s employment status CBC News: We know who hired Dr. Deena Hinshaw to a new role supporting public and preventive health in Alberta. We don’t know who un-hired her. But we’re starting to learn about the consequences of that somebody’s decision to rescind the appointment of Alberta’s...

June 20, 2023


Grassy Narrows chief questions federal commitment to mercury care home amid delays, soaring costs

Facility could now require an estimated $80M to build — 3 times what was initially pledged CBC News: More than three years after the Canadian government agreed to fund a in-community mercury poisoning care home for Grassy Narrows First Nation, construction hasn’t started, estimated costs are skyrocketing, and the chief is questioning the prime minister’s commitment. “It makes...

June 19, 2023


Medical patients flock to this northern community, but there aren’t enough places to stay

Those travelling to Sioux Lookout for health care pushed to hotels as far as Dryden, Ignace, Lac Seul CBC News: Health-care workers in Sioux Lookout, Ont., hope a new hostel will ease the pressures of overcrowding among people travelling to the community for medical care. Thousands of people from remote First Nations in northwestern Ontario...

June 16, 2023


Peguis First Nation, surrounding Manitoba communities fear lack of funding could shut down ambulance service

Provincial funding agreement for Fisher Ambulance Service expired in 2019 CBC News: Peguis First Nation and surrounding communities in Manitoba’s Interlake have declared a state of emergency over lack of funding for their ambulance service, which they say is in danger of shutting down unless the province steps in with support. The Fisher Ambulance Service...

May 12, 2023


More than 6 years later, Moses Beaver’s means of death ‘undetermined’, inquest jury finds

Jury delivers 63 recommendations focused on improving mental health care for Indigenous people WARNING: This story discusses mental distress and suicide. CBC News: The jury overseeing the inquest into the death of Moses Beaver has deemed the means of his death to be undetermined — which is the finding his family was hoping for. The...

May 8, 2023


Moses Beaver’s sons tell inquest their requests for help for Oji-Cree artist were brushed off

NAN leader asks inquest, now in 4th and final week, why recommendations from previous inquests not in place WARNING: This story discusses sexual abuse, mental distress and suicide. CBC News: Over the past three weeks, the jury probing the inquest into the 2017 death of Moses Amik Beaver has heard numerous calls for better mental...

April 25, 2023


Mikisew Cree First Nation declares state of local emergency following multiple suicides

‘We can feel the grief amongst the people, the hurt,’ says Chief Billy-Joe Tuccaro CBC News: A First Nation in northern Alberta has declared a state of local emergency following a string of suicide and suicide attempts among community members.  The Mikisew Cree First Nation says immediate medical intervention is needed in Fort Chipewyan, Alta.,...

April 24, 2023


Indigenous People Bear the Brunt of the Toxic Drug Crisis

The First Nations Health Authority has unveiled a plan to curb the deadly toll. Odette Auger TodayTheTyee.ca Odette Auger (Sagamok Anishnawbek) is a freelance reporter whose work has appeared in APTN, IndigiNews, Watershed Sentinel and Asparagus Magazine. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative. The Tyee: The B.C. First Nations Health Authority...

April 24, 2023


More mental health resources needed in remote First Nations, jury hears during Moses Beaver inquest

First week of inquest into Moses Beaver’s death in Thunder Bay, Ont. focuses on events in Nibinamik WARNING: This story discusses mental distress and suicide.  CBC News: Calls to improve mental health care resources in remote First Nations in northwestern Ontario continue to be at the forefront of the inquest into the death of Moses...

April 21, 2023


Toxic drugs killing First Nations residents in B.C. at nearly 6 times the rate of overall population: report

373 First Nations people died from illicit toxic drugs in B.C. in 2022: Toxic Drug Data report  CBC News: First Nations people are disproportionately represented in toxic drug poisoning deaths in British Columbia, according to new data from the First Nations Health Authority. First Nations members represented 16.4 per cent of toxic drug deaths in B.C. in...

April 17, 2023


COVID-19 pandemic stalled progress on eliminating tuberculosis among Inuit: officials

CTV News: Nunavut’s health minister says the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted efforts to eliminate tuberculosis in Inuit communities, and questions remain over whether targets to stamp out the disease can be met. “COVID has had a huge impact on every area of health care, and that includes TB,” said John Main. “While we were putting so much effort...

April 13, 2023


Six community health centres on reduced or emergency service in Nunavut

Health centres in 1 Baffin community, 3 Kivalliq communities and 2 Kitikmeot communities affected  Nunatsiaq News: Six of Nunavut’s community health centres are currently offering reduced or emergency services only. Staff shortages in the territory’s health-care sector are creating a “heavy workload and greater likelihood of burnout,” according to Health Department spokesperson Chris Puglia. “When...

April 12, 2023


Staffing shortages in northern Manitoba nursing stations a ‘life or death’ matter, advocate says

Indigenous Services Canada says it’s working to recruit and retain nurses  CBC News: A shortage of nurses across the country is hitting hard in remote and northern First Nations like Pimicikamak Cree Nation in Manitoba, where nursing stations are typically the only place people can access health care close to home. Chief David Monias said the nursing station in Pimicikamak...

April 4, 2023


Sioux Lookout hospital getting safe rooms, with hopes of bringing better support for mental health patients

About 20% of ER visits last year to northwestern Ontario hospital related to mental health or addictions CBC News: The Meno Ya Win Health Centre in Sioux Lookout in northwestern Ontario is undergoing renovations to make space for four safe rooms in its emergency department. The rooms will be designated for patients experiencing acute mental health...

April 3, 2023


Northern Manitoba chiefs call for immediate federal action on health-care crisis

Recent deaths linked to inadequate medical care include mother of 5 from Manto Sipi Cree Nation, chief says CBC News: A group of Manitoba chiefs is calling for immediate action from the federal government to address what they call a health-care crisis causing preventable deaths on northern First Nations in the province. That action needs...

April 3, 2023


Budget erred by suggesting Ottawa backing away from Inuit TB eradication, minister says

ITK president worried about meeting 2030 goal to eliminate TB in Inuit Nunangat CBC News: The Indigenous services minister says the Liberal government made a mistake in the federal budget by appearing to back away from its promise to eradicate tuberculosis in Inuit communities. In the document released last week, the government announced $16.2 million...

March 30, 2023


‘It’s going to take the community’: Yukon faces Canada’s worst toxic drug death rate

Toronto Star: The Canadian Press – When the doors close at night at the administration office at Yukon’s Carcross Tagish First Nation, a van hits the road and drives through the communities to offer naloxone to reverse overdoses, drug testing kits, food and even a friendly face to help those struggling because of the opioid...

March 23, 2023


Northern B.C. First Nations say they need more resources to deal with the illicit drug crisis

Distance a barrier to accessing addictions treatment, say communities Members of B.C.’s most northern communities are saying they need more resources to deal with the impacts of the province’s drug crisis, at a forum in Prince George, B.C., this week. More than 200 First Nations leaders and health-care workers met to talk about harm reduction,...

March 23, 2023


N.W.T. wants to contract an Indigenous-led treatment facility, but none are bidding for the work

The territory received proposals from two facilities, but neither met its criteria for Indigenous-led services CBC News: The N.W.T. government’s search for an addiction treatment facility with Indigenous-led programing isn’t going well.  The territory’s Health and Social Services Department was taking proposals from facilities it could work with early in the year, but the contract...

March 17, 2023


Nunavut declares tuberculosis outbreak in hamlet of Pond Inlet

The Globe and Mail: Another tuberculosis outbreak has been declared in Nunavut, this time in a community near the top of Baffin Island. Nunavut’s Department of Health announced Friday that five active and 22 latent cases of TB have been identified in Pond Inlet, a hamlet of 1,500 people, since last month. The territorial government had...

March 16, 2023


First Nation calls for check stops, more police in Mayo, Yukon, to deal with opioid emergency

Na-Cho Nyäk Dun council passed resolution after 2 homicides in Mayo last weekend CBC News: An emergency declaration by the First Nation of Na-Cho Nyäk Dun in the wake of last weekend’s double homicide in Mayo, Yukon, is calling for a number of strict measures to try to quell the local drug trade — including highway check...

March 10, 2023


‘It’s hard to comprehend:’ AMC says more resources needed after girls freeze to death in St. Theresa Point

APTN: The chief of St. Theresa Point First Nation is making a plea for privacy after two 14-year-old girls froze to death in the northern Manitoba community on March 1. Leaders of the close-knit First Nation, 465 km northeast of Winni peg, said the whole community has been hit hard by the girls’ deaths. It...

March 7, 2023


‘Our people are dying’: Manitoba First Nation declares state of emergency

3 people have died in O-Pipon-Na-Piwin Cree Nation in the past 2 weeks CBC News: A remote northern Manitoba First Nation has declared a state of emergency following the deaths of three people in the community over the past two weeks. “We’ve seen the hurt and pain suffered by our First Nation and we can’t wait any longer....

March 5, 2023


Family, community mourn 2 teens found dead in northern Manitoba

Girls found outside and St. Theresa Point Chief believes drugs a factor in their deaths CBC News · Posted: Mar 05, 2023 9:17 AM EST | Last Updated: March 5 The family of one of the 14-year-old girls found dead outside after a frigid night on a northern Manitoba First Nation says she was struggling to cope with...

February 13, 2023


Indigenous advocates call for more culturally informed addictions treatment in B.C.

First Nations people die from illicit drug toxicity at 5 times the rate of B.C.’s general population CBC News: As of last week Avis O’Brien (N’alaga) marked 16 years in recovery from addiction.  “I was on the Downtown Eastside [of Vancouver] as an Indigenous youth,” said O’Brien, who is Haida and Kwakwaka’wakw. “I was homeless; I was...

February 13, 2023


Frustrations mount in Cross Lake, Man., where ambulance service has been in limbo for 2 years

Private ambulance service is still seeking its licence after 2021 incident CBC News: A private ambulance service in Cross Lake, Man., hasn’t been operating for two years now, with frustrations mounting from operators and community members who want to see things back up and running. “You know, it’s a matter of life and death for some...

February 11, 2023


Behind the push to expand mandatory treatment for mental health and addictions in B.C.

The Globe and Mail: In his past career as a civil-rights lawyer, David Eby would have been first in line to argue against involuntary treatment for mental health and addictions issues. But as British Columbia Premier, he is now pushing to expand the province’s capacity to compel it because the alternative, he argues, is worse....

January 30, 2023


RSV is still a threat, especially in Canada’s North. But new treatments and vaccines are on the way

“We’ve known for a long time that Inuit babies have four to eight times the rate of hospital admission due to RSV, compared to the premature babies or the cardiac babies” with RSV, Banerji said. In the Arctic, the peak is usually February/March to June. One doctor is calling for an expedited review of a...

December 20, 2022


A hospital in northern Quebec could cut down on the long journey to Montreal for medical travel

Improved care closer to home would bring multitude of benefits to Nunavik, experts say CBC News: If a patient in Nunavik requires specialized medical care, they have to get on a plane and travel more than 1,400 kilometres to Montreal.  But a new regional hospital proposed in Kuujjuaq, Que., could help keep some patients closer to home....

December 15, 2022


When their child’s doctor is 2,800 km away, Inuit families face tough choices

Nunavut mother says some Inuit who leave territory for health care don’t return CBC News: Medical travel between the remote community of Clyde River, Nunavut, and Ottawa has been an essential, but difficult journey for Tina Kuniliusie and her 14-year-old daughter Tijay. The toll has been high and after almost a decade and a half of...

December 2, 2022


Government of Canada announces nearly $10 million to support Indigenous communities address substance-related harms

Improving health outcomes for Indigenous people at risk of substance-related harms and overdose across Canada Health Canada: The ongoing effects of colonialism and institutional racism are closely linked to the disproportionate harms that the overdose crisis and increasingly toxic drug supply have had on Indigenous Peoples. The Government of Canada is committed to addressing these...

November 24, 2022


The Impact of Inaction – New Publication Reveals Not All of Canada is on Track to Meet Global Hepatitis C Elimination Goal

Timing of elimination of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) in Canada’s provinces indicates 70% of provinces could reach the World Health Organization’s (WHO) HCV elimination target of 2030, however three of Canada’sprovinces — two of them the most populous in the country — are off track to achieve this hepatitis C elimination goal.1 Timely elimination would save 170...

September 11, 2022


James Smith Cree Nation chief calls for drug treatment centres in wake of knife attacks

Crystal meth addiction is rampant in community, support needed, leaders say CBC: The chief of James Smith Cree Nation and other Indigenous leaders are calling on the provincial and federal governments to fund on-reserve addiction treatment centres following the horrific stabbing rampage on the Saskatchewan First Nation and neighbouring town of Weldon. “We’ve got to protect our...

September 6, 2022


The beast of addiction in Indigenous communities remains untamed

Globe & Mail: Tanya Talaga – Over the past week, a Thunder Bay hotel’s conference room has become home to a land-based healing and recovery program. There, 17 women from one northern First Nation about two hours down the highway – women who are addicted to opioids, alcohol, crystal methamphetamine (jib) and/or methadone, which is...

July 11, 2022


Canada needs to implement pandemic preparedness in dealing with TB

The goal to eliminate TB by 2030 can happen if lessons learned from COVID are implemented. This includes investing in health and telemedicine. Policy Options: by Elizabeth Rea,  Tina Campbell,  Petra Heitkamp Because of the pandemic, tuberculosis deaths globally have increased for the first time in over a decade. Concerning considering that before COVID, TB was the leading...

June 30, 2021


Jordan’s Principle Funding

The Matawa Education and Care Centre (MECC), – formerly, the ‘Matawa Learning Centre,’ yesterday released their report entitled ‘Matawa Education and Care Centre 5th Annual Report on the Seven Youth Inquest – Academic 2020-2021.’ For the first time—it included an alert regarding MECC’s potential inability to meet inquest recommendations 64, 71, 81, 83, 84, 85,...

June 30, 2021


Grassy Narrows Care Home

Toronto Star – After more than 50 years of failed negotiations, the federal government committed $90M for a care home that will treat those poisoned by mercury. The deal includes: $68.9M in a trust for operational and servicing costs over 30 years and an agreement to periodically review the funding levels. $19.5M previously announced for...

February 17, 2021


Access to Health in Inuit Nunangat

Inuit life expectancy is 10 years shorter than the average Canadian, according to Statistics Canada. Nunavut News – “Tackle lack of basic health care for Indigenous peoples, then worry about racism, Nunavut’s MP says”. Nunavut member of Parliament Mumilaaq Qaqqaq says the lack of medical care available in Nunavut currently is proof that the Government...

October 21, 2020


Food Insecurity

The Narwhal – Human Rights Watch released “My fear is Losing Everything: Climate Crisis and First Nations’ Right to Food” in Canada. The report details how longer and more intense forest fire seasons, permafrost degradation, volatile weather patterns and increased levels of precipitation are all affecting wildlife habitat and, in turn, harvesting efforts. The report...

September 29, 2020


Beyond Hunger – The Hidden Impacts of Food Insecurity in Canada”

Community Food Centres (CFC) – Release of “Beyond Hunger – The Hidden Impacts of Food Insecurity in Canada”. Even before COVID-19, food insecurity affected nearly 4.5 million Canadians. In the first two months of the pandemic, that number grew by 39 per cent. Food insecurity now affects one in seven people, disproportionately impacting low-income and...

March 13, 2020


Safe and Sound: A Special Report on the Unexpected Sleep-Related Deaths of 145 Manitoba Infants

Release of Manitoba Advocate for Children and Youth (2020): Safe and Sound: A Special Report on the Unexpected Sleep-Related Deaths of 145 Manitoba Infants” According to population projections, Indigenous infants account for between 20-30% of live births in Manitoba during the study period (Jan. 2009 – Dec. 2018), but represent 57% of sleep-related infant deaths....

October 20, 2019


Denial of medicine for Inuit babies

Globe and Mail – A group of doctors is urging officials in Nunavut to offer an effective but costly drug to all Inuit babies living in remote communities in the territory to protect them against a respiratory virus that disproportionately leads to their hospitalization. But Nunavut’s chief medical officer disagrees, saying there isn’t enough evidence...

March 31, 2018


Access to Health Services: Virgo Report

Release of the Virgo Final Report: “Improving Access and Coordination of Mental Health and Addiction Services: A Provincial Strategy for all Manitobans” specifically emphasizes the discovery made during the system review that for almost every service encountered, the largest percentage of people being served were of Indigenous background. The report acknowledges the “history of colonization...

July 14, 2016


Fire protection on reserves

NationTalk – There is no national fire protection code that mandates fire safety standards or enforcement on reserves. All other jurisdictions in Canada including provinces, territories, and other federal jurisdictions (such as military bases, airports, and seaports) have established building and fire codes. The Aboriginal Firefighters Association of Canada (AFAC), NIFSC’s parent organization, supports the...

July 14, 2016


Grassy Narrows mercury clean-up ignored for over 30 years

Toronto Star – Ontario’s former environment minister called for a clean-up of mercury contaminating Grassy Narrows First Nation, historical cabinet memos obtained by the Star show. But nothing was done by the government of the day to clean up the polluted river and lakes, and more than 30 years later the fish that feed the...

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