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‘Never losing hope:’ Former national chief says apology reflects decades-long fight

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ROME — Phil Fontaine says he had hoped a long-sought apology would finally come this week when an Indigenous delegation met with Pope Francis at the Vatican.

But the former national chief says he was still shocked Friday when he heard the pontiff say: “I am very sorry.”

“This moment, I think, reflects … the determination and courage of many that kept up the fight over the years,” Fontaine said in St. Peter’s Square.

“It’s really about never losing hope.”

Thirteen years ago, Fontaine walked through the halls of the Vatican with four other Indigenous delegates to meet Benedict, who was then the pope, and request an apology for the Roman Catholic Church’s role in residential schools.

Benedict expressed his sorrow and “personal anguish.”

Fontaine says it was just one step on a long journey and they “had to put pressure every step of the way” for an apology.

An estimated 150,000 Indigenous children were forced to attend residential schools. More than 60 per cent of the schools were run by the Catholic Church.

For a long time, the abuse inside the schools was kept quiet nationally. Fontaine broke the silence in 1990 when he spoke about his own experiences as a child at the Fort Alexander Residential School in Manitoba.

Two decades later, Fontaine would hear an apology from then-prime minister Stephen Harper — a requirement of the Indian Residential School Agreement. The same words did not come from the church when Fontaine made his first papal visit the following year.

Fontaine said a lot has changed since then. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada released an extensive report detailing the abuse at the schools and Canada also stopped its opposition to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

It wasn’t just the church that needed to be convinced, Fontaine said, as Canadians were not invested until the discovery of potential unmarked graves at the site of a former residential school in Kamloops, B.C.

“It shocked the country and it became an international story,” Fontaine said.

At that point, Fontaine said, the world was watching what the church was going to do. He let his hope grow.

The day finally came this week. While Fontaine sat nearby, Pope Francis asked for God’s forgiveness for the deplorable conduct of members of the Catholic Church.

“I want to say to you with all my heart: I am very sorry,” Francis said in Italian, during a final meeting with First Nations, Inuit and Métis delegates.

The words felt powerful, Fontaine said. But he added there is much to be done, including working with the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops to make sure the apology is said again on the land where the residential schools were run.

But for the time being, Fontaine said he will feel immense satisfaction.

“It was a passion of mine for such a long time and we finally achieved the success that we were hoping for,” he said.

“There were many, many people that were part of this journey, so I’m feeling pretty good.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 1, 2022.

 

Kelly Geraldine Malone, The Canadian Press

 

 

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End of Manitoba legislature session includes replacement-worker ban, machete rules

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WINNIPEG – Manitoba politicians are expected to pass several bills into law before the likely end of legislature session this evening.

The NDP government, with a solid majority of seats, is getting its omnibus budget bill through.

It enacts tax changes outlined in the spring budget, but also includes unrelated items, such as a ban on replacement workers during labour disputes.

The bill would also make it easier for workers to unionize, and would boost rebates for political campaign expenses.

Another bill expected to pass this evening would place new restrictions on the sale of machetes, in an attempt to crack down on crime.

Among the bills that are not expected to pass this session is one making it harder for landlords to raise rents above the inflation rate.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 7, 2024

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.



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Father charged with second-degree murder in infant’s death: police

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A Richmond Hill, Ont., man has been charged with second-degree murder in the death of his seven-week-old infant earlier this year.

York Regional Police say they were contacted by the York Children’s Aid Society about a child who had been taken to a hospital in Toronto on Jan. 15.

They say the baby had “significant injuries” that could not be explained by the parents.

The infant died three days later.

Police say the baby’s father, 30, was charged with second-degree murder on Oct. 23.

Anyone with more information on the case is urged to contact investigators.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 7, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.



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Ontario fast-tracking several bills with little or no debate

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TORONTO – Ontario is pushing through several bills with little or no debate, which the government house leader says is due to a short legislative sitting.

The government has significantly reduced debate and committee time on the proposed law that would force municipalities to seek permission to install bike lanes when they would remove a car lane.

It also passed the fall economic statement that contains legislation to send out $200 cheques to taxpayers with reduced debating time.

The province tabled a bill Wednesday afternoon that would extend the per-vote subsidy program, which funnels money to political parties, until 2027.

That bill passed third reading Thursday morning with no debate and is awaiting royal assent.

Government House Leader Steve Clark did not answer a question about whether the province is speeding up passage of the bills in order to have an election in the spring, which Premier Doug Ford has not ruled out.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 7, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.



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