Saskatchewan Briefs - September

Funding from the provincial government will help First Nations, and other Saskatchewan communities, deal with destruction caused by spring-time flooding.

Provincial dollars to help with flooding losses

First Nations communities along with rural and urban municipalities, towns and villages are eligible for funding for natural disaster losses under the Provincial Disaster Assistance Program. Through PDAP they can receive an advance payment of 60 per cent of their total estimated claim. “This government is working to ensure timely financial support through PDAP,” said Corrections, Public Safety and Policing Minister D.F. Huyghebaert in a news release. The policy was recently implemented to help alleviate financial hardships for the more than 300 communities eligible for disaster assistance.

Remains identified as missing boy

Human remains discovered on the shore of the Churchill River system near the community of Sandy Bay on Aug. 15 have been identified as those of a missing six-year-old. On Nov. 28, 2009, Travis Misponas, from Sandy Bay, was reported missing to the Sandy Bay RCMP by his guardian. An investigation was conducted which concluded Travis was last seen playing with some other small children near the Churchill River in Sandy Bay. It was presumed the boy had slipped into the river.

Immediate searches and subsequent searches using the RCMP Underwater Recovery Team did not locate Travis. On June 10, 2010 the RCMP Historical Case Unit in Saskatoon used the Alberta RCMP helicopter to search the Churchill River system in hopes of locating evidence of Travis’ whereabouts. The search yielded no new information. The remains found Aug. 15 were sent for DNA testing which concluded that they were that of Travis.

Toddler dies from dog mauling

A little girl just shy of her two-year birthday died of injuries incurred when mauled by two dogs on Aug. 22. The attack occurred on the Mosquito First Nation when Flora Francis wandered into a yard containing the dogs. She was pronounced dead shortly after arrival at hospital in North Battleford. The two husky-cross dogs were not leashed nor fenced in. The dogs were destroyed by the RCMP shortly after the incident. No criminal charges were laid. Mosquito First Nation is home to about 450.

Fight leaves one man dead

Ryan Daniel David Assoon, 23, has been charged in the death of Dennis Dustyhorn, 27. Both men are from the Kawacatoose First Nation, although Dustyhorn resided in Regina. On the morning of Sept. 4, members of the Punnichy RCMP responded to a complaint of a fight that had occurred between the two men. They arrived to find Dustyhorn injured. He was transported to Wynyard hospital wehre he died. When RCMP arrived on the scene of the fight, Assoon had fled. Assoon was charged with Second Degree Murder and made his first appearance in Punnichy Provincial Court on Sept 6. Members of Major Crime South, Yorkton Forensic Identification Section, Yorkton General Investigation Section and Saskatoon Traffic Services are assisting in the investigation.

Drug bust during Aboriginal Summer Games

A joint investigation initiated to address drug trafficking in conjunction with Thunderchild First Nation which hosted the Saskatchewan Aboriginal Summer Games resulted in a search and seizure and charges being laid on Aug. 10. Police seized Marihuana packaged for sale, cash, and three Marihuana plants from the residence on Thunderchild First Nation. Robert Colin Brown, 29, Sandra Gail Wapass, 39, and Kristian Annie Wapass, 20, all from Thunderchild, face Marihuana-related charges of trafficking, possession for the purpose of trafficking, and production and possession of proceeds of crime. They will appear in provincial court on Oct. 4.

Fire allowed to burn cause of health concerns

On Aug. 30, 15 to 20 people from the Pheasant Rump First Nation were temporarily evacuated from their homes which were in the direct path of smoke from a fire at Star Valley facility, owned by Calgary-based NAL Energy, located north of Kisbey. Because two tanks were burning at the facility and several others had not caught fire, the NAL-contracted industrial firefighters did not attempt to extinguish the fire right away. “Some of our people are feeling the effects,” Chief Olive McArthur told the Leader-Post just before the fire was extinguished. The effects were worsened, he said, because the First Nation was not informed about the fire until Tuesday morning. Clayton Paradis, the director of investor relations for NAL, said air-quality monitoring was taking place the entire time the fire was going so the firm will have information about that in the coming days.

Family housing provides valuable accommodations

A new rental housing project is underway in Prince Albert and will help meet significant housing needs among First Nations families in the community. The total cost of the project is approximately $2.9 million, with approximately $2 million to be provided through the Aboriginal Housing Trust and the balance by Northern Spruce Housing Corporation, which is undertaking the project. Located in the West Hill neighbourhood of Prince Albert, there will be five semi-detached houses, for a total of 10 units. Completion date is set for June 2012.

New partnership for Kawacatoose

Kawacatoose First Nation has formed a partnership with Native American Resource Partners. The newly-created company, Kawacatoose Energy Company, will pursue the development of resource projects on lands and minerals secured by the Nation through the Saskatchewan Treaty Land Entitlement program. “First Nations in the province have long been resource rich but limited with respect to access to development capital. We are excited to have a direct link to a capital provider like NARP,” said Kawacatoose First Nation Chief Darin Poorman. NARP  is a private investment and development firm specializing in natural resource projects with First Nation, Tribal, and Aboriginal partners,

Saskatchewan recording artists score nominations

The nominations for the 6th annual Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards have been announced and Saskatchewan recording artists are among those recognized for top awards. Yvonne St. Germaine of Saskatoon has been nominated for Aboriginal Female Entertainer of the Year while Donny Parenteau of Prince Albert is vying for Aboriginal Male Entertainer of the Year. Parenteau’s album To Whom It May Concern was nominated for Best Country CD. Vying for Best Fiddle CD are Saskatoon artists Corn & Boots for Northern Cree Fiddle and Eric Ashdown for Enroute to Batoche Fiddle. Best Flute CD nominations went to Jacob Pratt (Regina) for Eagle Call and Jason Chamakese (Leoville) for Native American Flute Songs, Volume 2. Vying for Best Peyote CD are Brian Stoner   (Cando) for Ponca Hymns and Kelly Daniels (Saskatoon) for Blessing From A Hummingbird. Other nominees are: Conrad Bigknife  of Kronau for Full Circle (Best Folk / Acoustic CD), Big River Cree of Saskatoon for Stand by Me (Best Hand Drum CD), and Young Confederation of Saskatoon for Love Medicine (Hand Drum Harmony).  The awards will be held Nov. 4 as part of the Manito Ahbee Festival. Award winners are chosen by fans, who vote on line from Aug. 25 to Oct. 6. Check out the APCMA website.

Métis playwright’s play to tour Spain

Burning Vision, by Métis playwright Marie Clements is one of three Canadian plays that will tour theatres across Catalonia in Spain in the fall of 2012. This marks the second half of the Tant per Tant, Saskatoon’s International Theatre Company’s theatre exchange project, following the Canadian tour of Catalan plays that kicked-off in Saskatoon last fall. Tant per Tant’s artistic team were impressed by the wide selection of excellent submissions for the project and believes that the selected plays are a cross-representation of the quality of work coming out of Canada. The three playwrights will accompany the tour which will culminate at Temporada Alta, the prestigious Festival de Tardor de Catalunya in Girona. The plays will be translated into Catalan by Elisabet Ràfols. The other plays selected were Solved by Walking, by Governor General’s Award Winner Catherine Banks, and Rearview, by Saskatoon Francophone playwright Gilles Poulin-Denis.

Affordable senior housing project of LMHG

The governments of Canada and Saskatchewan are teaming up to support more affordable housing for seniors contributing $1.2 million to the Lloydminster Métis Housing Group’s 10-unit housing project for low-income seniors. A sod-turning ceremony was held in August outside of the LMHG office. The new housing project is eight two-bedroom and two one-bedroom single-storey units for seniors, built on the same site as the existing Elder’s Lodge. LMHG, which owns and manages 121 single-family dwellings in Lloydminster, is contributing $1.25 million in land and funds for the project as well. There is a waiting list of 30 approved applicants.

Compiled by Shari Narine