On today’s CHMA daily news:
Marching for racial justice in Sackville
and finally, CHMA checks in with the Tantramar Community Food Program.
But first:
[Pronouncer: Metepenagiag — MEH-deh-beg-GA-nee-agh]
Another person has been shot and killed by police in New Brunswick.
Rodney Levi, a 48-year-old Mi’kmaw father of three from Metepenagiag First Nation, was tasered, shot and killed by an RCMP officer on Friday.
Rodney’s sister Linda Levi told APTN News that he was a loving family man who struggled with mental health issues.
His sister said he tried to get medical help, but was told there was nothing that could be done for him.
Eight investigators from Quebec’s independent review agency arrived in New Brunswick on Saturday to begin a review of the shooting.
An RCMP media release on Saturday states that police responded to an unwanted person call, and “when police arrived on scene, they were confronted by a man armed with knives who charged at officers.”
The pastor of Boom Road Pentecostal Church issued a statement on Sunday saying Levi was an invited guest at his home for a barbecue Friday night.
Rodney Levi’s family have asked the community not to speak further to media about the incident, pending the investigation.
In the wake of the shooting, Indigenous leaders are calling for various levels of reform and investigation of the police.
Assembly of First Nations National Chief Perry Bellegarde told the CBC that sooner rather than later, Canada should be “looking at revamping the whole system of policing or looking at putting proper policies and legislation in place so that this systemic violence ends toward First Nations people.”
On Friday, about 250 protesters marched along Sackville’s Main Street to town hall, where they held an anti-racism rally.
The march and rally were organized by the Black Students’ Union and the Caribbean Students’ Union at Mount Allison University.
Mount Allison student Khandra Barrett shared her experience as a Black student in Sackville with the crowd.
AUDIO Khandra Barrett
“This is the colour of our skin, we can’t change who we are.
And we don’t want to change who we are,
“It’s really hard if you’re trying to be yourself and you’re not accepted or welcomed.”
Toni-Anne Dixon spoke about feeling unwelcome in Sackville when she first arrived.
AUDIO Toni-Anne Dixon
“When we first came here, we were expecting welcoming arms, but it turned out that some people aren’t [welcoming], so it was kind of a shock to us, so we really appreciate everyone coming here….”
ends in: clapping.
That was Toni-Anne Dixon, a Mount Allison student speaking to a crowd gathered Friday to protest racial injustice in Sackville.
The protesters chanted “BLACK LIVES MATTER” and “WHEN BLACK LIVES ARE UNDER ATTACK, STAND UP AND FIGHT BACK.”
They also carried placards asking WHY IS ENDING RACISM A DEBATE? and WHERE DO WE TURN WHEN POLICE MURDER?!
The march ended at town hall, where the crowd listened to speeches, and then knelt in silence for eight minutes in memory of George Floyd, who was killed by a Minneapolis police officer three weeks ago today.
——
Hundreds gathered in cities across the Maritimes on Saturday afternoon to take part in a healing walk in honour of Chantel Moore, the 26-year-old Indigenous woman shot and killed by police in Edmundston, N.B.
Moore’s family addressed the crowd of about 100 people at the end of the walk in the Edmundston’s town square, asking for justice and a full public inquiry into Chantel’s death.
Joe Martin, a relative, said Moore was the second person in the family to die at the hands of a police officer.
Martha Martin, Moore’s mother, said all she wants is justice for her daughter. “Nobody should have to feel afraid,” she said.
She called on Indigenous and non-Indigenous people to educate each other so everyone can live in peace.
In Moncton, Chief Terri Richardson from Pabineau First Nation planned to attend the march as a participant, but ended up speaking, in order the share the news of another Indigenous person shot and killed by police.
AUDIO Terry Richardson Heavy Heart
ends with: “… and I’m going to get shot.”
Richardson pointed out that since April, six Indigenous people have been killed by police in Canada.
Richardson called for collaboration and cooperation to solve the problem. “The system is broken,” he said.
AUDIO Terry Richardson
“what I’m saying is we need to bring people to the table…”
ends with: drumming/clapping
Chief Terry Richardson spoke at a healing walk in Moncton on Saturday.
——
One more person died with COVID-19 over the weekend in New Brunswick.
The person was in their 80’s, and had been resident of Manoir de la Vallee before being admitted to hospital with complications from the disease.
The province reported no new cases on Sunday. Currently there are 26 active cases in the province, with four people in hospital.
Testing in the province continues at relatively high levels, with over 3300 test results reported in the past week.
In Nova Scotia, officials reported no new cases of COVID-19 for the sixth day in a row.
There are three active cases in Nova Scotia, with two people in hospital.
As of today, daycares in the provinces are permitted to re-open.
Amherst firefighters saved the Amherst Stadium from sustaining severe damage on Saturday from what appears to be a suspicious fire.
Fire Chief Greg Jones said the Amherst Fire Department received a call for a possible structure fire at the stadium around 4pm Saturday.
The first crew on scene discovered a fire in some bales of artificial turf located at the back of the building.
Jones says at this point the fire appears suspicious, but they won’t know for certain until an investigation is completed.
Firefighters used a front-end loader to pull the turf away from the structure and poured water and foam onto the turf and wall.
The fire was hot enough that it burned the paint off a portion the concrete wall the turf was laying against.
The chief indicated quick action by the firefighters prevented the flames from getting into the eaves and second-storey of the stadium.
And finally on today’s news, Erica Butler checks in with the Tantramar Community Food Smart Program.
COVID-19 has meant some changes for the bulk-buying food program, the biggest of which has been a dramatic increase in demand.
Erica Butler speaks with organizer Kate Doyle in this latest instalment of The Check In.
AUDIO 8:49
Ends with “thanks for listening.”
That’s it for the CHMA daily news.
Thanks to Geoff de Gannes, Bruce Wark, and James Anderson for their contributions.
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