N.S. to build berm to protect Chignecto Isthmus, still wants Ottawa to pay for it

OTTAWA – The national chief of the Assembly of First Nations is urging chiefs to vote in favour of a landmark child welfare deal, saying she doesn’t think a better agreement would be possible under a different federal government.

First Nations chiefs are gathering in Calgary today as they prepare to vote on a $47.8-billion child welfare reform agreement with Ottawa.

The deal was struck in July between Canada, the Chiefs of Ontario, Nishnawbe Aski Nation and the Assembly of First Nations after a nearly two-decade legal fight over Canada’s underfunding of on-reserve child welfare services.

The Canadian Human Rights Tribunal said that was discriminatory and tasked Canada with coming to an agreement with First Nations to reform the system, along with compensating children who were torn from their families and put in foster care.

Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak says there are some shortfalls in the agreement, but she is urging chiefs to vote in favour of the deal so it is in place before the next federal election.

Woodhouse Nepinak says she’s tried to build bridges with Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, but she can’t guarantee a better deal could be reached with him based on that party’s record on Indigenous issues and its promise to cut spending.

Chiefs in Ontario voted in support of the agreement last week, but the AFN is set to discuss three resolutions this week calling for the deal to be struck down or renegotiated.

Chiefs have raised concerns since before July that the agreement was being negotiated in secret, while experts have said the deal doesn’t go far enough to ensure Canada’s discrimination never happens again.

The AFN’s special assembly continues until Friday, with chiefs expected to vote on the deal Thursday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 16, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

TORONTO – Ochai Agbaji’s relatively small stature won’t stop him from defending some of the biggest and best forwards in the NBA.

All-star forwards Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown were Agbaji’s main defensive assignments in the Toronto Raptors’ 119-118 pre-season victory over the Boston Celtics on Tuesday. Those are tough marks for the six-foot-five Agbaji, who gives up an inch to Brown and three to Tatum, but the Raptors’ forward is up for the challenge.

“I embrace that every single night,” said Agbaji. “That’s the fun in this, showing up and having those matchups, having the defending champs and knowing that you got to turn it up to a different level.

“It’s just always fun, whatever matchup it is, whether it’s them or Kevin Durant or whoever it is, it’s just always fun to match up with them.”

Agbaji averaged 6.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 27 games for the Raptors last season after Toronto acquired him in a trade with the Utah Jazz on Feb. 8. He was listed as a shooting guard for all of those games — his natural position — but on the relatively undersized Raptors, he’ll spend most of this coming season playing against bigs.

“It’s got to be a helpers’ mentality on defence,” said Agbaji. “Everyone’s obviously in that helping mindset ready to take cover whenever their man is in a post-up situation or gets beat off the ball.

“That’s just how it is and it’s got to be a collective effort every night.”

Brown averaged 23 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.6 assists in his third all-star campaign last season. Tatum garnered MVP votes and was named an all-star for the fifth consecutive year as he averaged 26.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 4.9 assists last season.

Despite battling against two scoring juggernauts, Agbaji had a game-best plus-29 defensive rating on Tuesday and limited them to below-average points with Brown getting 19 and Tatum 24.

Agbaji scored 16 points, five rebounds, and three assists Tuesday. Those points came on 7 of 11 shooting, including going 1 for 4 on three-point attempts.

“For me, the priority is what he’s doing defensively, and he affected the game, and in a big, big way,” said Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic. “Tonight, he was also able to score in transition and create those opportunities.

“He can do so many other things that can affect our game (besides) shooting.”

The Raptors face the Nets in Brooklyn on Friday for their final pre-season game.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 16, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

It will be coach by committee for the Canadian women’s soccer team’s upcoming friendly with Spain, in the absence of suspended coach Bev Priestman.

Former Canadian international Diana Matheson joins returning assistant coaches Andy Spence, Jen Herst and Neil Wood in the coaching ensemble for the Oct. 25 game in Almendralejo, Spain

Matheson, co-founder of the fledgling Northern Super League, is serving in an interim team support role. The staff will also include Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girls Elite head coach Katie Collar, as an interim technical assistant, andinterim performance analyst Maryse Bard-Martel.

Canada Soccer says the interim coaching staff “will support the team on a collective basis for the October window.”

Priestman was handed a one-year suspension from soccer by FIFA in the wake of the Paris Olympic drone-spying scandal.

The Canadian women are ranked sixth in the world while Spain, the reigning World Cup champion, is No. 3.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 16, 2024

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.