Jukasa News Update – June 11, 2019
Whales and dolphins will no longer be able to be kept in captivity in Canada under new legislation that passed Monday.
The federal bill now requires royal assent to become law and will phase out the practise of holding whales, dolphins and porpoises in captivity.
Green Party leader Elizabeth May sponsored the private members bill that started in 2015.
The bill had support from Liberals, NCP and Bloc Quebecois along with the Green Party with some Conservative MPs opposed.
It bans the capture of wild cetaceans but allows for rehabilitation and rescue of the aquatic mammals. It also changes the Criminal Code of Canada creating new animal cruelty offences related to holding whales and dolphins in captivity and breeding them.
Brantford Pride kicked off it’s week of events in Brantford and Brant County on Monday.
Brant Mayor David Bailey is the county’s first openly gay mayor. He made history, raising Brant’s first gay pride flag.
City of Brantford Mayor Ken Davis also raised his first gay pride flag in a ceremony later in the day.
Brantford Pride will be holding solidarity events for the LBGTQ2S community and allies throughout the rest of the week — including a march on Saturday to honour the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots.
Alberta will bring in legislation this fall to create a $1billion dollar crown corporation to help First Nations invest in major energy projects like pipelines.
Premier Jason Kenney made the announcement after meeting with chiefs from across Alberta at Government House in Edmonton.
The legislation will create the Indigenous Opportunities Corporation.
On the campaign trail, Kenney promised his government would fund the corporation with $24 million over the first four years to give legal, technical and financial advice to First Nations looking to initiate or participate in energy projects.
The province would also provide $1 billion to provide financial backstops and loan guarantees to First Nations who don’t have the financial means to get commercial rates of credit.
The chief commissioner of the inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls says it’s obvious that the tragedies amount to a genocide.
Marion Buller made the remarks in a speech Monday
The inquiry’s final report, released last week, detailed a deliberate and persistent pattern of abuses against Indigenous women, girls, two-spirited people and LGBTQ2S individuals, which it said can only be described as a genocide.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has not directly answered questions about whether he agrees with this finding, but has said he accepts it. Other politicians, including Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer, have rejected the conclusion.
Buller said in an interview that she welcomes the national discussion about the meaning of genocide.
The prime minister has promised a national plan to address the issues raised in the report that might not be ready until after the next federal election.
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