The Tilbury Times

Year: 2021

  • Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp hit by global outage

    Facebook and Facebook-owned apps Instagram and WhatsApp have been hit by an outage on Monday affecting users around the world.
    Users around the world reported being unable to log into any of the services a little before noon eastern time on Monday. The website Downdetector, which collates complaints about web outages, said there were more than 30,000 Canadians complaining about an outage. Instagram logged 21,000 reports of outages, while there were at least 14,000 reports about WhatsApp in Canada alone.
    Reports of similar outages emerged throughout the U.S., Europe, Africa and Asia.
    About 30 minutes after it began, Facebook acknowledged the outage in a tweet, saying that around the world some people are having trouble accessing Facebook app. We’re working to get things back to normal as quickly as possible, and we apologize for any inconvenience.
    The outage comes as the social media giant is once again coming under intense scrutiny for the way it does business.
    Last week, it halted plans to develop a version of its photo and video sharing app Instagram designed specifically for children. .
    Then over the weekend, a former manager blew the whistle on the company’s involvement in feeding the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
    The whistleblower, Frances Haugen, will tell her story to U.S. lawmakers tomorrow.
    CBC News

  • Milton Fire Department reminds residents to Learn the sounds of Fire Safety

    By: Laura Steiner
    Milton Fire Department (MFD) is reminding residents of the sounds of Fire Safety.  The department is partnering with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) to promote this year’s Fire Prevention Week  from October 3-9.
    This year’s theme is:  Learn the Sounds of safety.  “It’s important to learn the different sounds of smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. When an alarm makes noise—a beeping sound or a chirping sound—you must take action,”  Milton Fire Department Chief Peter Gatto said.
    Different sounds have different meanings.  ” Is there a beep or a chirp coming out of your smoke or carbon monoxide alarm? Knowing the difference can save you, your home, and your family,” Vice President of Outreach and Advocacy at NFPA added
    The Milton Fire Department is sharing the following tips to Learn the sounds of fire:

    • An uninterrupted set of 3 loud beep-beep-beep means smoke.  Residents are advised to get out, and call 9-1-1 and get out
    • A single chirp every 30 or 60 seconds indicates the battery should be changed
    • If the chirping sound continues after the battery is replace it means the alarm needs to be replaced
    • Smoke alarms should be replaced every 10 years
    • Make sure the smoke and CO alarms meet your family’s needs (there are smoke alarms designed for those who are hard of hearing for deaf)

    For more information on Fire Prevention week, visit their website.  Watch the Milton Fire Department Twitter feed for more tips throughout the week.  For more information on Fire Prevention Week visit their website

  • Huge ’Pandora Papers’ leak exposes secret offshore accounts of politicians, celebrities and billionaires

    The offshore fortunes of prime ministers, royalty, billionaires, athletes and celebrities are being laid bare in a giant new leak of tax-haven financial records, even bigger than the Panama Papers, revealed today by a global consortium of media outlets.
    The leaked files, dubbed the Pandora Papers , show 35 current or former world leaders and more than 300 other public officials around the globe who have held assets in or through tax havens. Former British prime minister Tony Blair, the current prime ministers of the Czech Republic and Kenya, and the king of Jordan have all benefited from the anonymity or tax advantages of their offshore holdings, the records reveal.
    The 11.9 million files — consisting of everything from emails to bank statements, incorporation documents and shareholder registries — are from 14 firms that provide offshore services, and were leaked by a confidential source to the Washington-based International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. The ICIJ has provided access to the files to 150 of its partner news organizations around the world, including CBC/Radio-Canada and the Toronto Star in Canada.
    So far, the CBC and the Star have identified the names of at least 500 Canadian citizens or residents in the records.
    Much like the Panama Papers leak in 2016 or the Paradise Papers the following year, the secret files provide a behind-the-scenes glimpse at how certain global elites — or in other cases, high-profile criminals — take advantage of financial wizardry or opaque corporate structures to either shield assets, wriggle out of their tax obligations, or hide wealth entirely.
    After the Panama Papers came to light five years ago, world leaders, including U.S. President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron, repeatedly pledged to crack down on such tax abuses and to clean up the murky world of offshore finance. But the new Pandora Papers show that the global offshore world, while chastened, continued to thrive in recent years.
    When we published the Panama Papers a few years ago, there was a lot of outcry around the world saying that this was a system that needed to end, said Gerard Ryle, the ICIJ’s director. But we’re now seeing the very people who could end the system … themselves benefiting from it.
    There is nothing inherently illegal about having an offshore bank account or company, as long as it is properly declared to tax authorities, and plenty of major businesses operate overtly and legally in and through tax havens. However, the anonymity provided in offshore jurisdictions, coupled with their minimal or non-existent tax on income, also makes them a magnet for money launderers, tax evaders, corrupt politicians and other criminals.

    Canadians

    The leaked files contain details on hundreds of offshore companies and accounts set up by or for Canadians. Here are some of the most prominent names.
    Jacques Villeneuve
    The only Canadian to ever win a Formula 1 championship, Villeneuve lived a life of luxury in Monaco and Switzerland during most of his racing career, but lived in Quebec for a period in the 1990s and from 2007 to 2013. The Pandora Papers show he had offshore companies set up in zero-tax jurisdictions from the start of his career, back in 1992. They were set up to receive racing and endorsement income.
    Elvis Stojko
    The karate-chopping figure skater won hearts with his edgy Olympic performances and world championship wins, but the money from his success wasn’t bad, either. The leaked files show Stojko transferred Canadian assets worth up to $6.5 million into an offshore trust in the Caribbean in 2007, while he was living in Mexico. Skate Canada, an organization that receives public funding, signed off on the transaction. Stojko told CBC News that he relied on his lawyer to handle his finances, and had no real involvement or interest in any of it. When my longtime lawyer recommended that I set up a trust … I did not question his advice, and I trusted him to act in a manner which was both in my best interests and in compliance with the law. Skate Canada declined to comment.
    Firoz Patel
    The Quebecer is currently serving a three-year sentence in a Connecticut prison after pleading guilty last year in the U.S. to conspiring to launder money, via his and his brother’s unlicensed online payment platforms Payza and AlertPay. The Pandora Papers show that just as the investigation into the Patel brothers was hitting its full stride, Firoz Patel flew to the United Arab Emirates where he acquired an offshore company. From prison, Patel said the corporation was set up legitimately to do business in Asia and had nothing to do with Payza.
    Alexandre Cazes
    The alleged criminal mastermind behind the dark web marketplace AlphaBay — an online bazaar for buying and selling drugs, guns and stolen credit card info — amassed a fortune worth about $29 million, according to U.S. authorities. The Pandora Papers show for the first time how he used a network of shell companies to obscure his ownership of various assets, including luxury homes.
    Cazes died in 2017, a week after he was arrested. It’s believed the Trois-Rivières, Que., native took his own life while in custody.
    Fred Sharp
    Sharp’s Vancouver firm, Corporate House, was known as the go-to investment outfit for wealthy Canadians wanting to keep assets hidden and use offshore havens to minimize their taxes, sources in the wealth management industry told the CBC in 2016 . Not surprisingly, Sharp was revealed that year as the most frequently named Canadian in the Panama Papers leak.
    The Canada Revenue Agency began auditing him and a number of his associates right after. Nothing much has come of it yet — at least in Canada — as Sharp and co. filed dozens of lawsuits to block the CRA’s efforts. South of the border, however, Sharp’s machinations caught the eye of the FBI, and he and a couple of clients were charged with securities fraud in August. He’s less prominent in the new Pandora Papers leak, which mainly shows his firm doing routine administration of offshore companies. Sharp did not comment in response to questions from CBC News and the Toronto Star.
    CBC News will report in depth on some of these cases, and other Canadian names, in the weeks ahead.

    Global names

    Outside of Canada, the prominent names in the leak include eight sitting presidents and three current prime ministers. Some of them had already declared their offshore assets, while for others, such as Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, their holdings were previously a secret.
    Every public servant’s assets must be declared publicly so that people can question and ask — what is legitimate? Kenyatta had told a BBC interviewer in 2018. The leaked records show he and his mother were beneficiaries of a secretive foundation in Panama, while other family members own five offshore companies with assets worth more than $38 million. Kenyatta and his family did not reply to ICIJ partner journalists’ requests for comment.
    Among the other prominent global names:
    Czech PM Andrej Babis
    Listed in Forbes magazine’s tally of global billionaires, Babis rose to power promising to crack down on corruption and tax evasion. The Pandora Papers reveal he used a string of shell companies to purchase a sprawling estate, Chateau Bigaud, in southern France and seven other nearby properties before he entered public office. He did not disclose the shell companies in the public declarations he’s required to file by law, according to Czech state records obtained by an ICIJ media partner. Within three weeks, a Czech prosecutor will decide whether to lay fraud charges against him in an unrelated case. Babis didn’t respond to the ICIJ’s requests for comment.
    Pop singer Shakira
    The Colombian-born pop music sensation is already well known for her tax troubles . Though she declared herself a resident of the Bahamas, authorities in Spain determined she was actually living in Barcelona from 2011 to 2014 but not paying taxes, and in July a Spanish magistrate cleared the way for her to go to trial on criminal charges laid in 2019. The Pandora Papers reveal that even as that investigation in Spain was underway, she was incorporating new offshore entities in the British Virgin Islands, one of which, Titania Management Inc., has never previously been publicly revealed. A copy of her Spanish ID is among the leaked files.
    King Abdullah II
    Jordan’s ruler, the leak reveals, secretly owns 14 luxury homes in Britain and the U.S., purchased between 2003 and 2017 through companies registered in tax havens. The total value is more than $134 million. Writing to ICIJ on the king’s behalf, attorneys denied anything improper about owning homes through offshore companies and said the king doesn’t have to pay taxes under Jordanian law. But had the purchases been public, the timing could have alienated many Jordanians. Most of the real estate deals took place since 2011, after Arab Spring protests posed the first serious threat to the Jordanian monarchy in generations. Lately, protests against the royal family have intensified amid allegations that nepotism and corruption are choking the country. Jordan is also one of the poorest countries in the region and depends on foreign aid, including $800 million from Canada in the past 10 years.
    Former U.K. PM Tony Blair
    Britain’s longest-serving Labour prime minister and his wife, lawyer Cherie Blair, purchased an $11-million Victorian building in London in 2017 for her law firm. But it wasn’t an ordinary real estate transaction. Instead of buying the property, they acquired the shares of the British Virgin Islands company that owned it, from the family of Bahrain’s industry and tourism minister. By purchasing the company shares instead of the building, the Blairs benefited from a legal arrangement that saved them from having to pay more than $580,000 in property transfer taxes. Cherie Blair said in replies to questions from the U.K.’s Guardian newspaper that her husband was not involved in the transaction and that the seller for their own purposes only wanted to sell the company and not the property. Blair said she and her husband took immediate steps after acquiring the property to merge it back into a U.K.-based holding company, making it fully taxable in Britain.
    The consequences for countries of wealth moving offshore, out of the reach of tax authorities, are particularly devastating this year, as national treasuries struggle against the whipsaw of a COVID-induced economic slowdown and sharply higher costs for health care, protective equipment and social programs.
    The equivalent of at least $14.3 trillion is held offshore, according to a 2020 study by the Paris-based Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. However, the complexity and secrecy of the offshore system make it impossible to know how much of that is tied to tax evasion and other crimes and how much has been reported to authorities.
    These are loopholes that are available to wealthy people but not available to others, Robert Palmer, executive director of the advocacy group Tax Justice UK, told ICIJ partner the Guardian. Politicians need to fix the tax system so that everyone pays their fair share.
    – Zach Dubinsky and the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists  · CBC News ·with files from CBC/Radio-Canada’s Frédéric Zalac, Paul Emile d’Entremont, Charles Rusnell, Alex Shprintsen, Terence McKenna, Jeff Yates, Nicholas De Rosa, Benoit Michaud, Jonathon Gatehouse and Dexter McMillan

  • Revisit the Red Baron’s history through a documentary made by local producer in Kingston

    By: Owen Fullerton, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, YGK News
    Lightstruck Film and Media produced has produced a documentary honoring Kingston’s first all-female hockey team.
    David McCallum, the documentary producer, gathered the pioneers and team members of the Red Barons and presented their stories in an hour-long documentary.
    “It is little known nor appreciated just how much this team has changed the face of hockey in Kingston and Canada,” McCallum said.
    In 1969, 19 girls and women connected and formed the first women’s hockey team in Kingston, The Red Barons. Before that, only a few school-level groups existed, and hockey was mostly considered strictly “a boys’ game”, but the Red Barons changed that forever.
    The documentary takes place at different locations while the former Red Baron’s team members share their recollections of their time in the game.
    It starts with Catherine “Cookie” Cartwright, who in 1959, was a freshman at Queen’s University and started the intercollegiate hockey team. At the same time, she lobbied Toronto, Western, Universities to form women’s hockey teams at those universities.
    Due to her efforts and persistence, in 1961, intercollegiate women’s hockey was re-established in Ontario for the first time since the Great Depression.
    “Cookie also convinced athletic departments at several other universities to organize intercollegiate hockey competitions for females, starting in the early 1960s,” McCallum said.
    Besides hockey, Cookie is an established lawyer in Kingston who graduated from the law program at Queens in 1965. She is also a Kingston Sports Hall of Fame inductee.
    The Red Barons were the first all-women hockey team in Kingston. Historically, all women’s games were held in private during the late 1890s, until it was completely shut down after the 1930s for many years.
    “I have felt that this was a story that needed to be more widely known and appreciated at Queen’s,” McCallum said.
    Cartwright says that when she joined Queens in 1959, she knew the university played intramural hockey. She then approached the Athletics Director for women at Marion Ross and convinced her to have an intercollegiate hockey team.
    “She [Ross] was a wonderful person, and there I was the first year student telling the director of athletics on what to do,” Cartwright said.
    There were only six sports played at the intercollegiate level, namely swimming and archery and tennis, basketball and volleyball, and badminton. However, the biggest problem at the time was having an ample budget and equipment.
    Surprisingly, the total budget of women’s athletics in intercollegiate athletics was around $4000, the exact figure as the cleaning bill for the men’s football team.
    Cartwright shared how Stu Langdon, trainer of men’s team, who knew Cartwright was pushing so hard for women’s hockey, showed that one of the dressing rooms in the Queen’s arena had this big wooden box, approximately four feet high and ten feet long, and that box was full of hockey equipment from the 1930s. Langdon offered Cartwright to have that equipment for her team, and once the problem of equipment was solved, there was no going back for the Red Barons.
    “I convinced Ms. Ross, and it all came together at the right time,” Cartwright said.
    The documentary is informative with the candid views of team members. Today about 800 girls and women currently play organized hockey in Kingston.
    The documentary can be viewed here

  • Digging for ’lost heritage’: Why it’s important to Indigenous youth

    Bryton Beaudoin fields questions and comments from curious passersby in leafy Vincent Massey Park as they pass a section of the park that’s been uprooted and transformed.
    The site, which measures 58 square metres, is home to the Indigenous Archaeological Field School — a new initiative launched by Public Services and Procurement Canada with two Algonquin communities to encourage more Indigenous young people to learn about archaeology and their own history.
    The field school was an opportunity for Beaudoin, one of eight participants, to connect with his roots.
    My people lost a lot of their heritage and culture, said the 21-year-old resident of Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg in western Quebec.
    I want to be part of the generation that brings it back.

    A park’s past revealed

    Vincent Massey park is one of the few pre-contact sites currently known along the Rideau River, according to Ian Badgley, the top archeologist with the National Capital Commission (NCC).
    That made it an ideal training ground for youth from Kitigan Zibi and Algonquins of Pikwakanagan First Nation.
    It’s their legacy, their ancestral cultural heritage, said Badgley, who consults with the school.
    Throughout the dig, Beaudoin shared some of the artifacts with passersby, including stone tools, pottery, fossils and blades dating back 5,000 years, revealing bits and pieces of their ancestors’ ways of life.
    Some of the material is not local to the Ottawa area, he explained.
    For example, the Onondaga chert is mostly found in New York. I learned Ottawa [was] a place for trade between us Algonquins, the Iroquois, the Cree and the Ojibway.
    The project came about after leaders from Kitigan Zibi and Pikwakanagan consulted on an artifact that was discovered on Parliament Hill in 2019.
    Merv Sarazin, a member of Pikwakanagan’s band council, says archeologists originally believed the stone to be a projectile point, but with the help of the communities, it was determined to be a Mokoman, the Algonquin word for knife.
    According to Sarazin, the Mokoman is believed to be 4,000 years old, fashioned in the late Archaic to early Woodland Period. He says it would have travelled to the area through a trade route thousands of years before the arrival of Europeans, making it a pre-contact artifact.
    That discovery confirmed what the communities already knew — pre-contact artifacts still exist in the National Capital Region. This inspired the creation of the field school to include Indigenous communities in the discovery of these artifacts and bring them home.
    It’s in light of what we’ve always believed. That we have ownership to the Ottawa Valley … it’s unceded, so we believe any and all artifacts that are here are ours, said Sarazin, adding discoveries from the school will be divided equally between Pikwakanagan and Kitigan Zibi, and placed in an archeological repository in each community.
    The pilot project runs for three years, but after the first year participants catalogued their discoveries at Algonquin College in Ottawa.
    Sarazin then plans on placing a few of the youth who participated in this year’s field school on a project in Pikwakanagan before the school starts up again next year.
    For Jenna Lanigan, who didn’t grow up surrounded by her heritage, archaeology has been a way to learn about the Algonquin people — a passion she hopes to pass on to other Indigenous youth.
    My main goal, when I first started in archaeology, was being able to give back to my community, said Lanigan, who is a member of the Algonquins of Pikwakanagan, but grew up in Gatineau, Que.
    As the only participant with previous archeology experience, she has acted as an assistant supervisor for the field school.
    I didn’t know much about my culture growing up. So I’ve finally been able to dive into it, she said, adding she hopes to instill pride in young people who often tell her they want to leave the community.
    I really want to share [that pride] with the youth who are just like ‘I want to get away.’
    Anchal Sharma· CBC News

  • Halton Region Marks National Day for Truth and Reconciliation with a Sunrise Ceremony

    By: Laura Steiner/ Local Journalism Initiative
    Some of the issues discussed below may be distressing for some readers.  If you are in need, please contact the Residential Schools crisis line at: 1-866-4419.  

    The Region of Halton started the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation Day with a Sunrise ceremony.  The event was hosted by the Region’s Indigenous Advisor Eddy Robinson.  Chief Stacey Laforme of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation also attended.
    “We observe the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day in Halton to show respect, raise awareness and continue to have meaningful conversations about Indigenous history. culture People and in particular, Residential Schools,” Chair Gary Carr said.  The federal government proclaimed the statutory holiday earlier this year to coincide with Orange Shirt Day; an initative that started in 2013.
    The Region voted to officially recognizing September 30 as a holiday at last month’s council meeting.  They voted to endorse the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Report & their calls to action, as well as the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UN DRIP) earlier this year.  The Region has also committed to a formal Land Acknowledgement statement where appropriate, and permanently flying the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation.  Learn more about the Region of Halton’s commitment to building relationships with Indigenous Peoples here
    Milton Walks for Residential School Survivors
    Grandmothers’ Voice held a day-long program focusing on survivors of the Residential Schools.  Events included a luncheon, and a Facebook Live with the survivors from the Mohawk Institute Residential School.
    The public program featured a walk from 3-5pm through the grounds at Country Heritage Park.  It was led by survivors, joined by Milton Residents of al ages dressed in orange.  The walk lasted 1.5 kms ending at a barn high up on the property facing the 401 with a billboard reading “Bring Our Children Home.”

    A clear message from Grandmothers Voice on a barn facing the 401

    In a pasture opposite the barn, organizers directed the crowd to form concentric circles with adults surrounding the children.  They sang songs reaffirming the promise to always protect the children.  The walk ended near the entrance, where those who attended could walk through the healing garden or head inside where there were pamphlets, books, and displays on the history of Residential schools.
    The schools opened in Canada in 1876, run and funded by the Government of Canada, and the organized churches.  The last was closed in 1996.  In June, the Tk’emlups te Secwepemc announced that they had found what appeared to be the remains of 215 children on the grounds of the former Residential School near Kamloops B.C.  The final TRC report estimates 3,200 children died at the schools.  The number of recovered remains is believed to be more than double at 6,509. A search of the Mohawk Institute Residential School is expected to begin later this month.  It closed in 1970.

  • Coroner investigating Joyce Echaquan’s death calls on Quebec government to recognize systemic racism

    The Quebec government must recognize the existence of systemic racism within its institutions, according to the coroner tasked with investigating the death of Joyce Echaquan.
    The Atikamekw woman, a mother of seven, died on Sept. 28, 2020, moments after she recorded footage of herself in hospital as health-care staff hurled racist remarks at her.
    Tuesday marked the one-year anniversary of Echaquan’s death, which sparked outrage, protests and repeated calls for the province to recognize systemic racism.
    A three-week coroner’s inquiry into her death was held last spring.
    The top recommendation in Quebec coroner Gehane Kamel’s report calls for the province to acknowledge that systemic racism exists and make the commitment to contribute to its elimination.
    Although Echaquan’s death has been ruled accidental — she died of pulmonary edema — the racism and prejudice Ms. Echaquan faced contributed to her death, the report said.
    It is therefore my duty, as coroner, to do everything within my power to avoid having another member of the Indigenous community or any other origin receive care such as the kind that was offered to Ms. Echaquan, the report read.
    Premier François Legault has repeatedly denied the existence of systemic racism in Quebec.
    This story will be updated.

  • Krantz Marks National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

    By: Laura Steiner
    Today is September 30.  The first ever Day for Truth and Reconciliation; a statutory holiday proclaimed earlier this year by the federal government, as well as Orange Shirt Day.  Milton Mayor Gord Krantz has issued a statement encouraging residents to reflect, listen and learn.
    “We still have a lot of work to do, but we are continuing to make efforts to cultivate strong relationships with our Indigenous community and to recognize our roles and necessary actions towards reconciliation,” Krantz said.
    Earlier this year, Council adopted a formal Land Acknowledgement.  A resolution officially recognizing the National Day of Truth and asking that the provincial government work with school boards to implement curriculum around Indigenous history, as well as installing an orange crosswalk, a staff review of 8 recommendations from the Truth and  Reconciliation Report (TRC) that deal with municipal issues, and the exploration of future public art installations.
    Grandmothers Voice will be guiding a walk to honour the survivors, as well as the children who died,  from 3-5 p.m. this afternoon at Country Heritage Park to mark the occasion.   They have established a healing garden, as well as a centre for learning. They have using their Facebook page to educate Canadians by hosting weekly Facebook live videos with survivors who recount their experiences at the Mohawk Institute Residential School (also known as the Mush Hole).
    This may be a hard day for Indigenous residents of Milton.  If you find yourself in pain or distress, Residential School Crisis line is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at: 1-866-4419.  The Kids Help Phone can be reached at: 1-800-668-6868 or send a text message to: 686868.     For more on Grandmothers Voice please visit their website

  • Artist Builds Bridges for Reconciliation through ‘Every Child Matters’ Dolls

    By: Daniela Cohen, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, New Canadian Media
    When East Vancouver artist Jacinda Oldale learned about the 215 unmarked graves of Indigenous children discovered at the former Kamloops residential school, she had no words. She channeled her feelings into art.
    “The art will speak when you can’t,” Oldale says. “We can’t be stopped by our horror. We have to move through that and participate regardless. And we need avenues that invite our hearts or hands or presence to show up.”
    Oldale has been making dolls called Soul Sisters, honouring the power of friendship, for over 20 years. After the discovery of the Indigenous children’s graves in Kamloops, she was asked by her long-time friend Chastity Davis-Alphonse, a member of the Tla’amin Nation, to make a Soul Sister with an orange T-Shirt.
    Over 10 years ago, Davis-Alphonse was gifted one of Oldale’s dolls by a friend. Moved by its message of being “made stronger by connections to each other,” she went in search of the artist. Oldale says Davis-Alphonse showed up at her first craft fair sale and bought her entire stock. They have been friends since.
    Davis-Alphonse’s mother, grandmother and great-grandmother all went to residential schools. Wanting to raise awareness and bring in communities to be part of the movement for truth and reconciliation, Davis-Alphonse reached out to friends involved in various initiatives who she felt could contribute. Through conversations with Oldale, the Soul Sisters were transformed into Every Child Matters dolls.
    “These lost children have always been waiting to be acknowledged,” Oldale says. “And so, there’s a place that’s ready for that.”
    Through this initiative, Oldale creates and sells doll-making kits and donates the proceeds to the Orange Shirt Society, which raises awareness of the impacts of residential schools and supports survivors. So far, she has raised $897 for 100 dolls.
    An Indigenous relations strategic advisor and long-time advocate of the safety, health and wellness of Indigenous women, Davis-Alphonse was on the Minister’s Advisory Council for Indigenous women and went to national roundtables to raise awareness of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) prior to the 2017-2019 National Inquiry. She had a vision of the Soul Sisters with red dresses as a grassroots awareness-raising movement and gifted them to Indigenous women, survivors of violence and family members of the MMIWG.
    “Truth and Reconciliation is more than just a government responsibility,” says Davis-Alphonse. “Taking those moments to reflect on our truth and raise awareness and have a whole movement at the community level is truth and reconciliation in action that’s creating transformational change in this generation.”
    A Refugee Perspective
    Brian Broda was one of the musicians who played at Oldale’s Every Child Matters Benefit to promote the initiative on June 23. Born in Sudan, Broda came to Canada as a refugee 10 years ago.
    Believing Canada was a progressive country, he was shocked to learn about the atrocities committed against Indigenous people and see firsthand the living conditions of the bands he visited.
    “I just couldn’t connect the two together,” he says. “These people helped me get here, [but] they’re not taking care of their own people.”
    Playing at Oldale’s benefit concert was important for him to acknowledge what was done to the future generation of Indigenous people and stand in solidarity.
    “Canada has done a beautiful thing to bring a lot of immigrants here, me included,” he says. “I’m grateful for that, but that does not mean that I should turn a blind eye to what our government is doing to these people.”
    He points out the parallels between police brutality used against Indigenous and Black communities as an alternative to finding solutions and believes immigrants need to be involved in change-making efforts, particularly those holding positions of power in government offices.
    In Broda’s view, there is no reason the government can’t dedicate the money needed to resolve issues like clean drinking water, proper medication, and education for Indigenous communities, particularly considering they “just threw $610 million down the drain” on the federal election.
    Building Bridges Through Collaboration
    The Every Child Matters dolls initiative is a collaborative effort, including two skilled seamstresses volunteering their time to help prepare the kits. Volunteer seamstresses Megan Bain and Kim Bothen preparing the doll kits.
    “This only has legs with community,” Oldale says. “In every aspect, I’m asking for others’ help.”
    A group of preschoolers recently stopped outside Oldale’s house to ask about what she was making. At the end of the conversation, the teacher requested a kit for her class.
    Oldale has received many more requests for kits from teachers across the country but hasn’t had the resources to meet the demand.
    Davis-Alphonse says advocacy is needed so community members can access the funding required to initiate and sustain these community-level movements.
    Using high-quality materials is important for Oldale because of the sacredness of what the dolls represent. Although they have the same design, the dolls become individuals in the creation process as every person designs the dolls’ faces differently. The shape of the dolls is a “T” – for the truth.
    Oldale says the finished dolls should be kept in a place that matters, like on one’s hearth or by the bed or door. This represents keeping these lost children safe and present in our thoughts.
    “Think of what you would do to protect your loved ones,” Oldale says. “How would you hold them?”
    Learning the history
    Oldale’s workshops have brought people together over Zoom to make the dolls.
    “Making something with your hands requires you to slow down a little bit,” she says. “This topic requires our presence and our attention … and we all need to get on board with this, because it’s about everyone, it’s about humanity.”
    In Davis-Alphonse’s view, new immigrants can start their journey of truth and reconciliation by learning about Canadian history through an Indigenous lens, seeking out online courses, books, and documentaries by Indigenous peoples. She says it’s also important to learn the history of the lands they’re living on and the creation story of the original peoples.
    She also sees tremendous value in community members looking at how the message of truth and reconciliation can be woven into the things they’re passionate about, like Oldale has done.
    “She stepped up and did a meaningful action, which has created this moment of reflection and opportunity for people to be a part of the movement in a really meaningful way,” says Davis-Alphonse. “More of people stepping up to do that is really important.”
    Broda agrees.
    “It doesn’t take much to show up at a First Nations gathering or rally if we are invited, [to] work under the leadership of First Nations people and spread the message,” he says. “I want to urge every immigrant that this is the time to stand behind the First Nations people.”

  • Here’s how some Canadian companies are marking the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

    As Canada marks the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (new window) on Thursday, some businesses are finding ways to embrace reconciliation even though they’re not covered by the new statutory holiday.
    The day (new window) is intended to reflect on the painful legacy of the residential school system, honour survivors and the children who died while attending the schools and the families and communities affected by the residential school system.
    It’s absolutely crucial that private businesses prioritize anti-racism work, prioritize this type of reconciliation, said Sheena Russell, founder of Made with Local, a granola bar company stocked by stores across Canada and based in Dartmouth, N.S.
    Russell and her local bakery partner are closing on Thursday to give staff time to learn about Indigenous experiences and support cultural change.
    Federal government employees and those in federally regulated industries such as energy, financial services and telecommunications are covered by the holiday, which fulfils one of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s  94 calls to action.
    B.C., the Northwest Territories, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, P.E.I., and Newfoundland and Labrador are giving provincial government employees the day off, but not requiring businesses to close. Other provinces are not acknowledging it as a statutory holiday.
    Some municipal governments, including Ottawa, Saskatoon, Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver, are closing their offices.
    Across the country, companies are taking action in different ways on Sept. 30 to honour Indigenous people, survivors of the residential school system, their families and those who never came home.
    Ta7talíya Nahanee, CEO of the Vancouver-based Nahanee Creative, which she describes as a social change agency, said businesses have a key role to play in reconciliation, but there’s been a longtime sentiment that it’s the government’s job to do reconciliation or it’s Indigenous peoples’ job.
    Nahanee, who is is Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), said businesses can be part of reconciliation by raising awareness, working with Indigenous suppliers, hiring Indigenous staff and more.

    A time for reflection

    At Made with Local in Dartmouth, Russell, who is conscious that her small team of white settlers is operating on the traditional territory of the Mi’kmaq, wanted to be sure the time off for her staff was about reflection and not just relaxation.
    Russell gave each of her four staff members a pair of books by Indigenous authors.
    She said the intention is not to have people taking the day off to crush Netflix or whatever, but rather to make it about education through learning and listening.
    The company is also donating money to two local Indigenous charities and Russell said she is looking for ways to engage with Indigenous entrepreneurs as part of her business plan.

    Downing tools to learn

    For Chandos Construction in Calgary, president Tim Coldwell said a full-day shutdown simply was impossible to organize, with the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation just announced in June.
    So the company, which does commercial buildings and has seven offices in five provinces, came up with another solution to mark the day.
    Despite the logistical challenges of managing 100 active job sites in three time zones, most of Chandos’s 500 employees, plus a few hundred contractors and subcontractors, will put down their tools at the same time on Thursday for 90 minutes.
    Starting at 2:30 p.m. ET, they’ll gather around big screen TVs for a video conference and awareness session about residential schools. It includes a video from residential school survivor and Indigenous artist Freddy Taylor.  (new window)
    I think it’s particularly powerful, said Coldwell. We think as a good corporate citizen, it’s the right thing for us as an organization.
    Coldwell is Indigenous and a member of the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte, a community near Belleville, Ont.
    He’d like to see more of a leadership position from the provinces and territories so that workers across the country are given the day to recognize truth and reconciliation.

    Flexible plans

    At Deloitte Canada, plans on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation are flexible but the company says its commitment to supporting Indigenous communities is firm.
    The consulting and professional services giant is giving each of its 12,000 staff members three hours to attend live or virtual community events focused on reconciliation. That time can be used any time over a month.
    The company is also offering its own programming for employees, created with the help of Indigenous advisers.
    On top of that, Deloitte is paying for orange shirts for workers to wear on Thursday and giving them a list of certified Indigenous vendors to purchase shirts from.
    Each year, we’re progressively making a larger commitment to our overall journey of reconciliation, said Alexandra Biron, the senior manager of Deloitte Indigenous.
    Biron, who is based in Toronto and has Anishinaabe/Ojibway heritage, is a key part of that journey. She wrote a report on how the company engages with Indigenous communities in 2019, and the firm created a new position focused on reconciliation for her as a result.
    In 2020, Deloitte launched its Reconciliation Action Plan, which it says was the first corporate reconciliation plan in the country.
    Among the company’s commitments are to hire enough Indigenous workers to mirror contemporary Canada, said Biron. That would reflect having a workforce of five per cent be made up of First Nations, Métis or Inuit.
    Another objective is economic empowerment for First Nations by ensuring five per cent of the company’s procurement budget is spent with Indigenous suppliers.
    The company has mandatory Indigenous culture awareness training and educational programming on reconciliation year-round.
    It’s heavy work for sure, said Biron, but it’s also quite rewarding and impactful.

    The growing business of reconciliation

    At Nahanee Creative in Vancouver, it’s hard to keep up with the business of reconciliation as companies come to the agency for help on raising awareness of Indigenous culture and changing corporate values.
    We have doubled our sales compared to last year. It was just myself and one assistant, said Nahanee. Now it’s me and a team of five.
    A graphic designer and communications expert for more than two decades, Nahanee has focused in the last five years on helping organizations make their workplaces and business practices more inclusive for Indigenous people.
    ahanee offers workskops and seminars and has also created educational tools like workbooks and even a board game called Sínulkhay & Ladders, which is based on Snakes and Ladders.
    The Sínulkhay is a two-headed serpent described in Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) legend, and it represents that people have both good and bad qualities.
    The game is grounded in Indigenous ways of knowing and takes players on an educational journey through real-life scenarios, teaching them to engage with First Nations cultures and put aside colonial assumptions. Missteps send them backwards with the Sínulkhay, while progress moves them ahead on a ladder.
    Nahanee said the game reflects the up-and-down nature of making change, giving people a chance to recognize their mistakes and do better.
    The last thing I want is for anyone to stay in the shame of colonialism. We all need to stay in the game.
    Nahanee Creative saw a huge spike in interest from companies following coverage of the discovery of buried remains of Indigenous children and unmarked graves near residential school sites this summer, Nahanee said.
    Demand is so high the company created pre-recorded online mini courses it’s launching on Thursday.
    Nahanee is encouraged to see businesses and the country embrace the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
    And her new videos mean she’ll be spending the day with her family, including her father, a residential school survivor.
    I’m excited about the day. We’ll be taking care of our hearts and our minds.
    Support is available for anyone affected by their experience at residential schools, and those who are triggered by the latest reports.
    A national Indian Residential School Crisis Line has been set up to provide support for former students and those affected. People can access emotional and crisis referral services by calling the 24-hour national crisis line: 1-866-925-4419.
    James Dunne · CBC News