News
Family of Saskatoon woman being held in U.S. wants her extradited home to Canada
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Relatives of a Saskatchewan woman being held in custody in the United States say they want her extradited quickly to deal with her charges in Canada.
Dawn Walker, 48, is facing two charges in Oregon related to identity fraud along with two charges in Saskatoon of child abduction and public mischief.
She was arrested Friday when she and her seven-year-old son were found in Oregon City, Ore., after a two-week search.
Police allege Walker was involved in a custody dispute with the boy’s father and faked her death and that of her son before illegally entering the U.S.
Marie-Anne Day Walker-Pelletier, a former chief of Okanese First Nation who is Walker’s aunt, said a letter-writing campaign is underway to get federal officials to bring her home.
“I’m hoping that with every effort … through the attorney generals, both in Saskatchewan and the federal government, they can work together to have her extradited quicker than sitting in a U.S. jail,” Day Walker-Pelletier said Tuesday in Regina.
She also called for an Indigenous treaty to be invoked, since Walker and her son are members of Okanese First Nation.
“We have the Jay Treaty that reflects First Nation values and traditions, and hopefully the U.S. will consider that as part of her extradition,” Day Walker-Pelletier said.
The treaty, signed in 1794 between Great Britain and the United States, says Indigenous people in what is now Canada may travel freely across the international boundary. In order to qualify for these privileges, the treaty says eligible persons must provide evidence of their Indigenous background at the port of entry.
The United States Attorney’s Office in Oregon alleges Walker stole the identity of a colleague and that colleague’s child to illegally cross the border in what they describe as an elaborate scheme. She is being held as a flight risk.
“She’s holding up as well as can be expected in this situation,” Eleanor Sunchild said Wednesday in a phone interview from Oregon.
The Saskatchewan lawyer and friend of Walker’s said she travelled to Oregon City to lift Walker’s spirits and to let her know she’s not alone.
“She has been through a lot and she hopes to return to her Treaty land as soon as she can,” Sunchild said.
Saskatoon police said they are working with prosecutors and justice officials on extradition, but had no update on Wednesday.
The U.S. Department of Justice said on its website that if an extradition is approved by a judge, it can take months or years to return a person back to their home country.
The federal and Saskatchewan attorneys general did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Kathy Walker spoke at a rally in front of the Saskatchewan legislature on Tuesday asking the public not to vilify her sister.
“She’s a wonderful, caring, brilliant, beautiful person. And I don’t want that to be lost in this coverage, or in the story that’s being told about her,” she said.
“She did everything she could to protect her son, because that’s the type of person she is.”
In a statement provided by Sunchild on Tuesday, Walker said she left Saskatoon to protect her child.
“I was left with no choice. No one heard me. I loved my son … very much,” the statement said. “He is my only child, and I would do absolutely anything for him.”
Sunchild said the justice system often fails to protect Indigenous women who are trying to access help.
“They’re marginalized, they’re not supported,” Sunchild said.
She hopes the Canadian government will protect Walker and ensure she’s being treated fairly by the United States Justice Department.
“She has to be treated also like a citizen of Turtle Island, and I think that they know that.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 10, 2022.
Mickey Djuric, The Canadian Press
Note to readers: This is a corrected story. Previous version has Sunchild’s last name as Stonechild.
News
Body believed to be missing B.C. kayaker found in U.S., RCMP say – CBC.ca
The RCMP say a body that was recovered by authorities in Washington state is believed to be one of two kayakers reported missing off Vancouver Island on Saturday.
Const. Alex Bérubé said the identity of the body found on San Juan Island, just south of the border, is still to be confirmed by the coroner.
A search has been underway in the waters off Sidney, B.C., about 25 kilometres north of Victoria, since the two kayakers were reported missing.
RCMP previously said Daniel MacAlpine, 36, and Nicolas West, 26, went missing while kayaking from D’Arcy Island to View Beach on Saturday afternoon. They were in a teal blue, fibreglass, two-person kayak.
Police said members of the Central Saanich Police Department and Peninsula Emergency Measures Organization search and rescue were involved in the search, and the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre and Canadian Coast Guard were also assisting.
News
Some Canadians will be digging out of 25+ cm of snow by Friday – The Weather Network
Digital WritersThe Weather Network
Prepare for multiple rounds of April snowfall this week, as Labrador braces for wintry conditions. This onslaught of snow is expected to blanket the region, potentially leading to hazardous travel conditions and disruptions throughout the week
As we march even deeper into the heart of the spring season, many parts of Canada are finding it tough to find any consistent signs of warming weather. Add to the mix periods of snow and wintry precipitation, and it’s safe to say the winter season is certainly not going out without a strong fight.
This week, parts of the East Coast will bear the brunt of the winter weather, with multiple rounds of April snowfall stacking up in Labrador. The chances for snow flurries will stick around all week long, bringing as much as 25 cm for some.
MUST SEE: Extreme pattern over Arctic produces 50+ degree temperature spread
Although 25+ cm of snow in April may seem extreme, for this part of the country, it’s definitely nothing out of the ordinary. In fact, the month as a whole brings about 40-50 cm of snow to Labrador on average.
Some communities, including Nain, even have snowfall chances stretch all the way into June!
“This week will be a little bit different however, as some regions could reach about half of Labrador’s monthly averages alone,” says Rachel Modestino, a meteorologist at The Weather Network. “The first round on Tuesday will pack quite the punch, with heavy snow and gusty winds stretching from Labrador city to the coast.”
Winds will be gusting between 70-90 km/h at times, and travel conditions will likely deteriorate quickly due to potential whiteouts and reduced visibility.
News
Fire at building under construction in north-end Halifax quickly extinguished – CBC.ca
Witnesses described hearing a loud blast and seeing large plumes of black smoke on Tuesday morning as a building under construction in Halifax’s north end caught fire.
A message on Halifax’s alert system said the fire was at a building in the area of Robie and St Albans streets. About an hour later, the municipality said the fire was out.
The alert warned people who live on the peninsula to close their windows due to smoke from the fire possibly being toxic.
“Residents and businesses near the fire should still keep windows closed and air exchangers turned off until air quality conditions improve in the coming hours as a precaution,” the municipality said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Halifax Regional Police were asking people to avoid the area during what is normally a time of heavy morning traffic.
James Shaw lives nearby. He said he heard a blast around 8:20 a.m. local time.
“It shook the whole house,” Shaw said in an interview at the scene. “So I came outside … and saw this incredible building here on fire. Big black smoke. Lots of sparks and stuff going.”
Mike Clark was working on the building adjacent to the one that caught fire. He said he was on the 30th floor when the roof of the other building caught fire and propane tanks blew up.
He said construction crews were then evacuated from the building.
“The elevator was shut down and everyone went down the stairs and out the door,” he said. “Everybody on each floor has a horn to check if anybody was left in the building. Sounded the horn and walked down. It was very organized.”
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