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The former chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission into Canada’s residential schools says the country is beginning to see evidence of how many children died at the institutions and that more sites will likely come to light.
Murray Sinclair released a video message yesterday, his first public remarks since the remains of children were discovered at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School last week. He said survivors of the schools need to understand that it is important to make this evidence public so Canadians can see the magnitude of what happened and the extent of responsibility. This includes what he described as the need to force churches that have documents related to residential schools to disclose them.
Sinclair said his commission heard from survivors who talked about children being “buried in large numbers into mass burial sites.” He also shared that the commissioners were told infants born to young girls at residential schools fathered by priests were taken away and “deliberately killed, sometimes by being thrown into furnaces.”
More:
Campbell Clark: Trudeau response falls short at a moment of national shock
Calgary Board of Education announces removal of residential school figure’s name from school
Ryerson University to rename journalism school publications ahead of new school year
Band Councilor for the Muskowekwan First Nation, Holly Geddes, stands in the former Muscowequan Indian Residential School, one of the last residential schools to close its doors in Canada in 1997 and the last fully intact residential school still standing in Saskatchewan at Muskowekwan First Nation, Sask., on Tuesday, June 1, 2021. The vigil was in response to the remains of 215 children recently found at the Kamloops Indian Residential School. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Kayle NeisKayle Neis/The Canadian Press
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Variant that emerged in parallel with vaccines poses a different kind of COVID-19 threat, experts warn
A slight but curious decline in the prevalence of known variants of concern in Ontario’s latest COVID-19 epidemiological report has some infectious-disease experts saying the province should be prepared for the rise of a more tenacious version of the coronavirus, even as more people are vaccinated.
The report, released on Monday, shows that in all cases that have been genetically tested, the fraction that were caused by a known variant of concern has levelled off after a three-month rise and appears to be trending downward as of mid-May. One possible explanation is that the three variants being tested for – which originated in Britain, South Africa and Brazil – are being outcompeted by an even more transmissible variant that the tests have not directly identified.
More:
Andrew Coyne: A COVID-19 vaccine today is worth two tomorrow – as Canada is discovering
Editorial: Make COVID-19 history. Boost Canada’s vaccination rate to 90 per cent
Civilian courts should handle military misconduct allegations, report says
A retired Supreme Court judge is urging sweeping changes to the prosecution of sexual misconduct in the Canadian Armed Forces, including upgraded protections for victims and the removal of such cases from the military justice system until improvements are made.
The military justice system shares responsibility for prosecuting sexual offences with the civilian criminal justice system, but lacks many of the rights protections, according to a report by Morris Fish.
The military has been under an intense spotlight over sexual misconduct. Several top commanders have stepped aside while investigations into misconduct allegations unfold.
The Decibel: The last big battle over oil?
On today’s The Decibel podcast, host Tamara Khandaker speaks to energy reporter Emma Graney about Reconnaissance Energy Africa Ltd., a Canadian oil and gas company that is planning to drill for oil in Namibia at a time when governments and investors are looking toward a future without fossil fuel consumption to stop climate change.
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ALSO ON OUR RADAR
First Black mayor to be elected in New Brunswick marks change in Atlantic region: Fourteen years after Kassim Doumbia moved to Shippagan, N.B., the native of Ivory Coast will become the first Black mayor in New Brunswick’s history. And he hopes his journey from Africa to the top political position in the town of about 2,600 can help open the door to more newcomers who want to follow him.
Injunction request aims to end prison risk-assessment tool: An Indigenous former prisoner who is the representative plaintiff in a proposed class-action lawsuit against Correctional Service Canada has applied for an injunction calling on the federal prison agency to end the use of a pivotal risk-assessment tool, arguing it is systemically biased against Indigenous peoples.
Ontario leans towards keeping schools closed for rest of school year, sources say: Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s government appears poised to keep schools closed for the rest of the academic year, and could begin to reopen the economy earlier than planned, sources say. No final decision on schools has been made, and Ford’s cabinet is scheduled to meet today to discuss the matter; an announcement could come as early as then.
CMHC study highlights Ontario’s rental shortage: Nearly one in six Toronto homes has a basement apartment or secondary unit, according to new research, highlighting the shortage of rental properties and the housing crunch in many parts of Ontario.
Up to 500 health-care workers will be allowed to attend NHL playoffs in Winnipeg: The Winnipeg Jets will be playing in front of live fans this week for the first time in more than a year. The team announced Tuesday that it will host a small number of health-care workers for the first two games of its playoff series against the Montreal Canadiens, which starts today.
MORNING MARKETS
Stock markets hovered near record highs overseas this morning as investors cheered the latest evidence of a sustained rebound in global economies and stronger oil prices lifted energy stocks. The mood was less buoyant than yesterday, however, as traders waited for crucial U.S. jobs data on Friday to assess what the increasing evidence of a faster-than-expected economic recovery would mean for central bank policy in the United States and Europe.
The broad Euro STOXX gained 0.22 per cent, slightly below Tuesday’s record high. British shares extended their rally with the FTSE 100 up 0.36 per cent, while Germany’s DAX and the French CAC 40 gained marginally.
WHAT EVERYONE’S TALKING ABOUT
Gary Mason: “So just as there was confusion and unrest over mask-wearing policies at the outset of the pandemic, it would appear we are going to end this health crisis on the same note. We seem destined for more ugly confrontations, once again.”
Marty Klinkenberg: “Another chapter has been written in the Maple Leafs history book. It reads a lot like the year before. And the year before that. But it is not time to blow the team up or burn a Matthews sweater. That will just cost another $200 to replace.”
John Doyle: “So here we come to roost: Multiple organizations and much money spent to promote Canadian TV, and nothing in the least bit attractive or clever. It’s all well-meaning but lame. That used to be said about Canadian TV – well-meaning but second rate. Now, much Canadian TV is vital and fabulous. It just needs reliable promotion, not this nonsense.”
TODAY’S EDITORIAL CARTOON
Brian GableBrian Gable/The Globe and Mail
LIVING BETTER
An Airbnb-type service gives urban dwellers access to rural land for hiking, hunting and fishing
Connecting people with nature. There’s an app for that. LandPass, a new app that connects explorers, hunters and fishers with landowners, such as farmers, is hoping to become the Airbnb of the great outdoors.
MOMENT IN TIME: JUNE 2, 1863
Portrait of Harriet Tubman, 1868/1869.Benjamin Powelson/Library of Congress
Harriet Tubman helps lead raid to free 700 slaves
Harriet Tubman was born into slavery, escaped to the North, then worked as a conductor for the Underground Railroad, earning the nickname “Moses” for guiding enslaved people to freedom. When the Civil War broke out, she joined the Union Army and in 1863 led 150 African-American soldiers on a raid against Confederate forces – the first time troops were led by a woman in that war. With the help of information gleaned from previously freed slaves, Tubman guided three gunboats away from rebel torpedoes planted in the Combahee River in South Carolina. The Union soldiers ferried more than 700 slaves to safety, with 100 of them subsequently joining the Union Army. Several plantations and Confederate supply depots were also destroyed during the raid. Though the Confederate forces eventually mobilized to fight back, the gunboats had departed by then. The Combahee River Raid was a huge victory for Union forces and solidified Tubman’s reputation for bravery and boldness. She continued to serve for the remainder of the war, often tending to the wounded and scouting in enemy territory. Musthafa Azeez
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