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Pope lands in Edmonton to start 6-day 'penitential' trip aimed at Indigenous reconciliation – CBC.ca

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Pope Francis arrived in Canada on Sunday to an honour drum song ahead of what he describes as a “penitential” trip aimed at advancing reconciliation with Indigenous people over the lasting harm suffered in residential schools.

The drum group from Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation sang in front of Francis as he sat between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Gov. Gen. Mary Simon in an airport hangar at the Edmonton International Airport.

The Pope told reporters on the plane before it landed in Edmonton that the six-day visit must be handled with care.

The pontiff is also set to travel to Quebec City and Iqaluit.

“I hope, with God’s grace, that my penitential pilgrimage might contribute to the journey of reconciliation already undertaken. Please accompany me with prayer,” said a message on the Pope’s Twitter account.

An elevator was used to get the Pope off the plane, and he went for a short ride in a Fiat to the hangar. He then got into a wheelchair and was taken to a red carpet for the official welcoming ceremony.

Treaty Six Grand Chief George Arcand Jr. gave the Pope a beaded medallion and was handed an unknown item in return.

“I hope that this visit is the beginning of a change in history, a change in the way business is going to be done, and a way for us to begin our healing journey,” Arcand Jr. told CBC News after the arrival ceremony.

“More importantly, I asked the Pope to walk with us and create this new road that needs to be created.”

Francis kissed the hand of residential school survivor Alma Desjarlais of the Frog Lake First Nation as she welcomed the Pope along with Grand Chief Greg Desjarlais of the Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations.

Francis was also greeted by other church, Indigenous and political dignitaries.

Pope Francis was then set to be driven to the St. Joseph Seminary, where he will be staying during the Alberta portion of the trip.

WATCH | Indigenous rights advocate hopes for ‘not just another apology’: 

As Pope lands in Canada, Indigenous rights advocate hopes for ‘not just another apology’

8 hours ago

Duration 1:24

Pope Francis arrived in Edmonton to begin a six-day tour of Canada aimed at reconciliation with Indigenous people. Riley Yesno, an Indigenous rights advocate and writer, hopes people keep the wide-ranging feelings of residential school survivors in mind during the Pope’s visit.

The Pope plans to visit the former Ermineskin Indian Residential School in the community of Maskwacis, south of Edmonton, on Monday. That is where Francis is to deliver his first public statement in Canada and is expected to apologize to Indigenous people for abuses they have suffered.

An estimated 150,000 Indigenous children were forced to attend residential schools in Canada, where neglect and physical and sexual abuse were rampant. More than 60 per cent of the schools were run by the Roman Catholic Church.

On Sunday, Grand Chief Desjarlais said his thoughts were with those who did not make it home from residential schools — and with those who survived them.

Desjarlais said he’s optimistic about the apology, but the fact remains that generations of Indigenous people in Canada have been traumatized, he said.

“Now I hope the world will see why our people are so hurt,” he told reporters.

“When you own up to a wrong, that’s when reconciliation can start.”

Vicki Arcand, an elder of Alexander First Nation and a residential school survivor, said she feels the Pope’s visit is long overdue. But she hopes it will encourage people to start thinking differently and try to deal with their past trauma.

“Maybe [the Pope’s visit] is something that should have happened many, many years ago. Maybe the start of reconciliation would have started then,” she said.

‘This is an important historical moment’

Arcand Jr. said last week that survivors have been carrying unimaginable trauma for many generations. The Pope’s acknowledgement of their pain is a crucial step, he said.

“This is an important historical moment for survivors of the residential school system and the harm caused by the Catholic Church,” Arcand Jr. said.

RoseAnne Archibald, national chief of the Assembly of First Nations, said she is looking forward to the apology but feels the focus on survivors has gotten lost during the organization of the Pope’s visit.

Pope Francis greets Arcand, left, and others during a welcome ceremony at the airport hangar in Edmonton on Sunday. (Evan Mitsui/CBC)

“[The church] has not been including us in the proper planning of this trip. It has been very unilateral, and we don’t feel it has been about survivors,” Archibald said, referring, for example, to the church trying to raise funds through tickets at a mass this week.

“We have to refocus on what we’re really doing here — and that’s about survivors … listening to that apology from the Pope.”

On April 1, after meetings over several days with First Nations, Inuit and Métis groups at the Vatican, Francis apologized for the deplorable conduct of some church members involved in residential schools and promised to visit Canada.

Indigenous delegates had told the Pope they wanted an apology on Canadian soil.

First Nations leaders in Alberta said they expect the Pope’s presence to open old wounds for Indigenous people and that mental health counsellors will be at the sites. But they also hope the visit will be a step toward reconciliation.

WATCH | What an apology from the Pope in Canada could mean for reconciliation: 

What a residential school apology from the Pope in Canada could mean for reconciliation

2 days ago

Duration 3:36

Pope Francis will be arriving in Canada and some survivors are hoping for an apology for the Roman Catholic Church’s role in abuses suffered at residential schools. From resources for healing to returning Indigenous artifacts, First Nations, Métis and Inuit leaders explain what the visit and apology mean for reconciliation.

“We are here with you and we are supporting you,” Louis Bull Tribe Chief Desmond Bull told survivors last week.

Archibald said she hopes there are enough mental health supports for people who listen to the Pope’s anticipated apology because it will trigger a lot of pain and raw emotion — on the day of, as well as the future.

The Ermineskin school south of Edmonton was one of the largest of the institutions in Canada. Organizers of the papal visit have said they expect about 15,000 people will be at Maskwacis to see the 85-year-old pontiff.

Later Monday, Francis is to meet parishioners of an inner-city church in Edmonton. A large outdoor mass at the city’s football stadium is scheduled for Tuesday. The Pope then heads to nearby Lac Ste. Anne to take part in an annual pilgrimage.

Francis is to travel on Wednesday to Quebec City and deliver a public address following meetings with Trudeau and Simon. The following day, another large mass is scheduled in Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré.

The visit is set to finish on Friday in Iqaluit before Francis heads back to the Vatican.

Organizers have said that due to the Pope’s age and physical limitations, he will take part in public events for about an hour and will use a wheelchair throughout the tour.

Shortly after departing from Rome, the Pope used a cane to help him move around the airplane as he greeted individual reporters.

“I believe I can make it,” he joked.

Thousands have travelled from different parts of the country to take part in the events.

Mabel Brown, a 77-year-old residential school survivor, journeyed to Edmonton from Inuvik to hear the Pope apologize and find forgiveness and healing with other survivors. She hopes it’s an opportunity to move forward in a good way.

“This is a very important time in history,” she said. “Better things are yet to come.”


Support is available for anyone affected by the lingering effects of residential schools and those who are triggered by the latest reports. The Indian Residential School Survivors Society can be contacted toll-free at 1-800-721-0066.

A national Indian Residential School Crisis Line has been set up to provide support for former students and those affected. Access emotional and crisis referral services by calling the 24-hour national crisis line: 1-866-925-4419.

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Everything is warmups for the New York Yankees until they get to the World Series

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NEW YORK (AP) — For the New York Yankees, the real opening day is World Series Game 1.

A little bubbly for a playoff berth, the AL East, the Division Series and their 41st pennant were just warmups.

World Series rings are the only numbers that count when you are measured not among the living but against the ghosts: Yogi, Joltin’ Joe, the Iron Horse, the Babe and the Mick.

“That’s why we’re here. That’s why I get up every single day. That’s why I put in the work not only at the field but in the offseason, is to just bring a championship home back to the city and back to this team,” Yankees captain Aaron Judge said when spring training started in February.

“It’s been quite a long time since we’ve got to that finish line,” he added, “but I think a lot of the guys and pieces that we’ve added into this room, especially a couple of changes we made in approaches, guys we brought in, it’s all going to push us towards the right direction, which is ultimately being the last team standing.”

The Yankees are in the World Series for the first time since winning title No. 27 in 2009, starting Friday at the Los Angeles Dodgers or in the Bronx against the New York Mets.

A core in its 30s covets a championship as validation as much as accomplishment. Giancarlo Stanton is in his 15th major league season, Gerrit Cole his 12th and Judge his ninth.

Stanton has been restrained in his assessment.

“As far as I’m concerned, we haven’t done nothing,” he said after Game 4 against the Guardians.

Stanton’s edge was visible during Saturday night’s celebration when Gleyber Torres handed him the AL championship trophy, saying “Take the baby. Take the baby.” Stanton cradled the prize and rocked it back and forth — an apparent reference to Josh Naylor’s home run celebration when he connected against Cole in the 2022 ALDS.

Baseball’s winningest tradition is in the players’ faces from the day they arrive at Yankee Stadium. Oversized photos of pinstriped greats line the tunnel leading to the clubhouse. The walls of the locker room corridor are filled with paintings of recent luminaries.

Players don’t have to be reminded that Yogi Berra won 10 titles, Joe DiMaggio nine, Babe Ruth and Mickey Mantle seven each (though only four of Ruth’s were with the Yankees), and Lou Gehrig six. Hall of Famers Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera, both five-time champions, mingled with the current players in August when the 2009 champions were honored on Old-Timers’ Day.

“What makes the Yankees the Yankees is winning and winning a World Series” said Anthony Volpe, a 23-year-old shortstop who is in his second big league season.

The Yankees missed the playoffs last year for the first time since 2016, skidding to an 82-80 record and narrowly avoiding their first losing season since 1992.

Expectations soared after they obtained Juan Soto from San Diego in December, and he set an attitude when he arrived at spring training wearing a T-shirt that proclaimed: “The Generational Juan Soto.” The free-agent-to-be turned to the dugout and pounded his chest after the Yankees’ signature shot of the postseason thus far, his 10th-inning, three-run homer that won their 41st pennant.

A 50-22 start raised confidence but a 10-23 slide from mid-June through late July sparked skepticism. The acquisition of Jazz Chisholm Jr. from Miami ahead of the trade deadline injected some energy, and New York finished an AL-best 94-68, clinching a playoff berth in Game No. 152 and the AL East in No. 159.

Stanton (.294, five homers, 11 RBIs in the postseason), Soto (.333, three, eight), Judge (two homers, six RBIs despite a .161 average) have provided key hits and Torres has reached leading off in eight of nine postseason games.

Bullpen contributors include Tim Hill (signed in June after he was released by the woeful Chicago White Sox), Jake Cousins (purchased from the White Sox in late March), Tim Mayza (signed in July after he was released by Toronto) and Mark Leiter Jr. (a trade-deadline arrival added to the active roster Friday after Ian Hamilton got hurt).

Aaron Boone reminded players in February to be ready no matter their depth chart status.

“I talked to those guys first day of camp,” the manager recalled Saturday. ”’You’re sitting in here right now, you think, ah, I probably won’t be with the big club this year or whatever.’ I’m like, ‘You might find yourself in the batter’s box or on the mound in the biggest moment of the year, so try and prepare that.’

“And then there’s always the X factors of the trade deadline that happens, but even the other moves like getting Tim Hill and Jake Cousins that have become really significant parts of our bullpen that were in a way cast-offs from other organizations. So you never know how it’s all going to shape up.”

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Dodgers finish off Mets with 10-5 win in NLCS and advance to face Yankees in World Series

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Tommy Edman and Will Smith homered to send Shohei Ohtani into the World Series for the first time, and the Los Angeles Dodgers eliminated the New York Mets with a 10-5 victory in Game 6 of the NL Championship Series on Sunday night.

The Dodgers clinched their record 25th NL pennant and first at home since 1988, when they beat the Mets in seven games. They moved on to their 22nd World Series — 13th in Los Angeles — and first since 2020, when they beat Tampa Bay during the pandemic-delayed season.

Next up for Ohtani and Co. is Aaron Judge and the New York Yankees, who are back in the World Series for the 41st time and first in 15 years. Game 1 is Friday at Dodger Stadium, pitting Judge (58) and Ohtani (54) — MLB’s top home-run hitters this season.

“It’s kind of what the people wanted, what we all wanted,” Dodgers star Mookie Betts said. “It’s going to be a battle of two good teams, a lot of long flights across the country.”

It’ll be the 12th time the storied franchises meet in the World Series and the first in 43 years. The Yankees have beaten the Dodgers eight times, while the Dodgers’ three championships against the Bronx Bombers came in 1955, 1963 and 1981.

“It’s the place that I’ve dreamt of playing all my life,” Ohtani said through a translator, “and to be able to finally come to this stage and be able to play and hopefully win it is my next goal.”

Ohtani, playing his first season with the Dodgers after agreeing to a record-breaking contract in free agency, had two hits and scored two runs in Game 6. He hit .364 with two homers and six RBIs in the NLCS.

Not bad for his first postseason after spending six years with the Los Angeles Angels, who never had a winning record or reached the playoffs during his tenure.

Dodgers reliever Blake Treinen struck out Brandon Nimmo, Mark Vientos and Pete Alonso swinging in the eighth in his first two-inning outing since the 2021 NLCS.

The Dodgers briefly trailed 1-0 before cleanup hitter Edman came up big.

He drove in the Dodgers’ first four runs and his 11 RBIs in the NLCS tied a franchise record set by Corey Seager in 2020 against Atlanta. Edman, who the NLCS MVP award, joined the Dodgers at the July trade deadline from St. Louis.

The Dodgers eliminated the Mets on their second try in the series. They outscored New York 40-26 in the six games. None of the games were close, with the Dodgers earning two shutouts.

The Mets came within two wins of reaching the World Series after a 22-33 start.

The Dodgers led 2-1 in the first on Edman’s double into the left-field corner off Sean Manaea that scored Ohtani and Teoscar Hernández, who both singled. Hernández snapped an 0-for-18 skid in the NLCS. Manaea needed 34 pitches to get through the first.

Facing two strikes in the third, Edman sent a 406-foot shot to left-center for a two-run drive. A walk to Max Muncy and two outs later, Smith homered 416 feet to center off Phil Maton, extending the lead to 6-1.

The Mets cut their deficit to 6-3 in the fourth. With two out, Vientos hit a two-run homer — his fifth of the postseason — off Ryan Brasier. Vientos’ first career grand slam highlighted the Mets’ series-tying win in Game 2 at Dodger Stadium.

New York twice failed to cash in with the bases loaded. Trailing 6-3 in the sixth, Jesse Winker flied out against Evan Phillips to end the inning. Down a run in the third, the Mets loaded the bases against Anthony Banda only for Jeff McNeil to strike out swinging.

A clearly amped Michael Kopech opened the bullpen game for the Dodgers for his first career playoff start. He promptly issued a leadoff walk to Francisco Lindor and then threw a wild pitch. With two outs, Alonso had a two-strike flare to second base and Lindor scored on a throwing error by second baseman Chris Taylor for a 1-0 lead.

The Dodgers, whose starting pitching has been decimated by injuries, used seven pitchers in finishing off the Mets, whose $332 million payroll was the biggest in baseball.

Manaea lasted just two innings, giving up five runs and six hits. The left-hander struck out two and walked two. His revamped delivery baffled the Dodgers in Game 2, when Manaea limited them to two earned runs over five innings, but they had no such trouble Sunday.

Alonso had two hits and drove in a run in what could have been his final game for the Mets. The first baseman is eligible for free agency after the World Series.

The Dodgers, who were eliminated in the Division Series the last two years, spent a combined $1 billion last winter to sign Ohtani and pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto to lucrative long-term contracts in hopes of winning the franchise’s eighth World Series title.

The sellout crowd of 52,674 included Tom Hanks, John Legend and Chrissy Teigen, Jamie Foxx, Kerry Washington, Magic Johnson, Rob Lowe, Josh Groban, Jenny McCarthy and Vanessa Bryant.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Dodgers: 1B Freddie Freeman sat out for the third time in the postseason because of his sprained right ankle. He also missed Game 4 of the NLCS and Game 4 of the NLDS.

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New York Liberty win first WNBA championship, beating Minnesota 67-62 in OT

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NEW YORK (AP) — As confetti fell and Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York” blared through the arena, the New York Liberty celebrated the end of a 27-year odyssey.

The team that always fell short, starting from their days in Madison Square Garden, through detours to Radio City Music Hall and Westchester County Center, finally found their way to the top.

Start spreading the news, indeed: There’s finally a pro basketball champion in New York again after a 67-62 overtime win over Minnesota in Game 5 of the WNBA Finals on Sunday night.

“I’ve been manifesting this moment for awhile, There’s no feeling like it,” Breanna Stewart said. “Credit to Minnesota they gave us a tough series. The fans have been amazing everywhere we’ve gone. To bring a championship to New York, first ever in franchise history it’s an incredible feeling. I can’t wait to continue to celebrate with the city. It’s going to be bonkers.”

Jonquel Jones scored 17 points to lead New York, which was one of the original franchises in the league. The Liberty made the WNBA Finals five times before, losing each one, including last season. This time they wouldn’t be denied, although it took an extra five minutes.

With stars Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu struggling on offense, other players stepped up. Leonie Fiebich started off OT with a 3-pointer, and then Nyara Sabally had a steal for a layup to make it 65-60 and bring the sellout crowd to a frenzied state.

“Whoever scores in overtime first usually wins,” Liberty coach Sandy Brondello said.

Minnesota didn’t score in OT until Kayla McBride hit two free throws with 1:51 left. The Lynx missed all six of their field goal attempts in overtime. After Ionescu missed a shot with 21 seconds left, her 18th miss on 19 shot attempts, the Lynx had one last chance, but Bridget Carleton missed a 3-pointer with 16 seconds left.

Stewart, who missed a free throw with 0.8 seconds left in the end of regulation in Game 1, hit two free throws with 10.1 seconds left in overtime to seal the victory.

As the final seconds ticked off the clock the players hugged and streamers fell from the rafters. Stewart and Jones hugged. The two prize free agent signees two years ago that helped get this team its first title.

New York trailed by two in regulation when Stewart was fouled with 5.2 seconds left. After a lengthy video review, Stewart calmly hit two free throws to tie the game at 60.

Kayla McBride, who finished with 21 points, had an open look for a 3, but it fell off the rim and the game went to OT.

Many of the former Liberty greats were in the audience, including Teresa Weatherspoon, who hit a half-court heave in the 1999 WNBA Finals to force a decisive Game 3 that year. That was the last time that New York had a chance to play in a championship-deciding game until this year.

Jones, who was the only player on the Liberty to compete in a Game 5 before when she was with Connecticut in 2019, earned MVP honors.

“I could never dream of this. You know how many times I’ve been denied. It was delayed. I am so happy to do it here,” she said.

Napheesa Collier scored 22 points to lead Minnesota before fouling out with 13 seconds left in OT.

The Lynx were trying for a record fifth WNBA title, breaking a tie with the Seattle Storm and Houston Comets. Minnesota won four titles from 2011-17 behind the core group of Lindsay Whalen, Seimone Augustus, Rebekkah Brunson, Sylvia Fowles and Maya Moore. That was the team’s last appearance in the WNBA Finals until this year.

“Congratulations to the Liberty on their first championship,” Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve said. “It took them 28 years, congrats to them. We were that close to our fifth, it just didn’t happen.”

This is the first time since 2019 that the WNBA Finals have gone the distance. Since the league switched to a best-of-five format in 2005, seven other series have gone to a Game 5 and the home team had won five of those previous contests, including in 2019.

This series has been a fitting conclusion to a record-breaking season for the league. All five games came down to the last few possessions and have included two overtime games and a last-second shot, which have led to record ratings.

The first three games each had over a million viewers on average, with the audience growing for each contest. They also have had huge crowds in attendance.

Liberty fan Spike Lee was courtside over an hour before tipoff chatting with the media while wearing his Ionescu jersey. Once Ionescu finished warming up pregame, the pair had a brief exchange and hugged. Lee was part of a sellout crowd of 18,090 that helped this series set both the overall attendance record for a WNBA Finals as well as the average attendance mark.

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