Eric Plummer

Today the Pope concludes his five-day visit to Canada, leaving behind mixed feelings among First Nations communities after he apologised for the pain caused by the residential school system.

Pope Francis made stops in Edmonton, Iqaluit and Quebec City July 24-29, addressing former residential school students and Indigenous leaders at each event. His visit follows a meeting with First Nations, Métis and Inuit representatives at the Vatican on April 1, when he recognised the “deplorable behaviour” of Catholics who abused children while working at residential schools.

Nuu-chah-nulth representatives can expect more meetings with high-level DFO officials in the future, according to the head of a $647-million federal initiative designed to turn the tide of Pacific salmon declines.

This was the reassuring message from Sarah Murdoch, senior director of the Pacific Salmon Strategy Initiative, a large-scale project launched a year ago to “stem historic declines in key Pacific salmon stocks and rebuild these species to a sustainable level,” states Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

While Canada struggles to come to terms with its colonial past, the life of Ray Williams serves as a critical reminder of the old world that rapid development took for granted – and what teachings should be preserved for future generations.

One week of ground-scanning work has been undertaken to identify possible burial sites on Tseshaht territory, bringing challenges in penetrating the rugged terrain that make up the former grounds of the Alberni Indian Residential School.

The trial over the Nuchatlaht’s claim of Aboriginal title to the northern part of Nootka Island is currently on a summer break, as the First Nation’s legal team and the province’s lawyers prepare their final arguments.

Over 40 days in court that began March 21, the evidence portion of the trial ended May 26. Both sides are now reviewing facts presented to Justice Elliot Myers over the two months, assembling their final arguments for the B.C. Supreme Court.

Owen Stewart from the Nuchatlaht’s legal team is confident in how things have progressed so far.

Today the Tseshaht First Nation began work scanning the former site of the Alberni Indian Residential School, with the aim of locating unmarked burials that resulted from the 81 years that children attended institutions at the location.

Approximately 100 hectares of the First Nation’s territory west of the Somass River has been researched over the past several months, with general locations of where former students could have been buried identified with the help of AIRS survivors.

Police are encouraging the public to be on the lookout for a regular customer to the Tseshaht Market, Amber Manthorne, who was last seen Wednesday, July 6.

After her disappearance was reported to police on Friday, Manthorne’s vehicle was discovered south of Nanaimo on Sunday. The 2021 Jeep Compass was found near the airport, thanks to “the vigilance and concern of a citizen,” stated the Port Alberni RCMP.

As a sign of Bamfield and Anacla’s continued growth, the area’s community school is preparing to take in high school grades in the fall, offering local teenagers the opportunity to pursue their secondary education at home.

After sitting at under 100 residents for years, the Huu-ay-aht village of Anacla has grown to over 150 residents since 2020, with more homes being built as the First Nation encourages its members to return to their ancestral territory.

The province is pointing a finger at pharmaceutical companies as a factor in the opioid crisis, a six-year public health emergency that continues to claim five lives a day – with heavier tolls among First Nations communities.

After a two-year shutdown that included an uncertain period for the future of the destination, the Ka:'yu:'k't'h'/Che:k'tles7et'h' First Nation’s resort has rebounded this summer to reclaim its place in a growing tourism industry.