Watch this U Sports women's basketball quarter-final between the Carleton University Ravens and the Bishop's University Gaiters from the University of British Columbia's War Memorial Gym in Vancouver.

Alberta public safety minister Mike Ellis dodged an NDP MLA’s question at a March 13 committee meeting about The Orchard’s exclusive reporting on his government’s apparent cover-up of police violence against the University of Calgary’s short-lived pro-Palestine encampment.

As this outlet reported last week, according to Calgary police chief Mark Neufeld’s hand-written notes, he received a May 13 phone call from Ellis informing him that the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) was investigating allegations of police misconduct regarding the forced dismantling of the encampment on May 9.

Half an hour later, Neufeld received a phone call from Premier Danielle Smith’s then-chief of staff, Marshall Smith (no relation), informing him that “ASIRT won’t investigate,” but would instead focus narrowly on whether there was “serious injury” resulting from police action.

“I can’t speak to a conversation that I was not a part of, or what may or may not have been said between two individuals,” Minister Ellis, a former Calgary cop, said at Thursday’s Standing Committee on Families and Communities meeting.

This was in response to a question from Edmonton-City Centre MLA David Shepherd, who serves as the NDP’s shadow public safety minister.

Shepherd brought up The Orchard’s reporting, referring to “a journalist” who obtained the chief’s notes of his conversations with members of the government “in response to a student protest at the University of Calgary.”

He asked Ellis how Marshall Smith’s intervention squares with the minister’s stated commitment to a “broader paradigm shift that reimagines police as an extension of the community rather than as an arm of the state.”

“Having a chief of staff of the premier call to tell the chief whether or not an investigation would take place sure seems like the arm of the state,” said Shepherd.

Ellis, whose office didn’t acknowledge The Orchard’s initial request for comment, was cagey, but added that “this is the exact reason” his government has ordered the establishment of the Police Review Commission to independently address allegations of police misconduct.

The commission isn’t expected to begin operations until December.

“If I were the minister of public safety,” Shepherd replied, “having the premier’s chief of staff interfere to comment on what is going to be the scope of an investigation, that would certainly concern me.”

Before Shepherd could ask his question, Calgary-East UCP MLA Peter Singh tried to shut him down, arguing that Shepherd’s line of questioning was out of order, since the committee meeting was focused on the Ministry of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness’s 2025/26 budget.

“We aren’t here to discuss media reporting,” said Singh.

But Shepherd did connect the question to specific budget items before Singh cut him off.

From the budget estimates, he specifically cited line items for funding ASIRT ($5.7 million) and “Contract Policing and Police Oversight” ($397.2 million).

From the ministry’s business plan, Shepherd cited key objective 1.3, which states:

Implement strategies to improve the delivery of policing services in the province to ensure Albertans are safe and police are accountable to the communities they serve, including support for municipalities and Indigenous communities in the development of new models of policing and public safety.

Camrose MLA Jackie Lovely, the committee chair, deferred to Minister Ellis to determine “whether he chooses to answer and how he answers.”

In addition to Minister Ellis and Marshall Smith, Chief Neufeld’s notes include summaries of conversations about the encampment response with Advanced Education Minister Rajan Sawhney and Justice Minister Mickey Amery.

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Hamilton Police continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding a vicious, unprovoked assault that took place on Tuesday afternoon and are asking anyone with information to report it to investigators.

On Tuesday, at 1:35 p.m. at the intersection of Upper Gage Avenue and Fennell Avenue East a male suspect punched an elderly woman in the face. The suspect is described as: male, white, approximately 30 years-old, 5’9 to 5″10 in height with a thick build. The assailant was wearing a black hooded sweater with a reflective “X” on the chest and back.

The victim had no interaction with the male and does not know him, this was a totally unprovoked assault. Investigators are asking for the public’s assistance and are asking drivers in the area at the time of the assault to check their dash cameras as well as homeowners to review any camera footage that they may have during that time. Division 30 CID Detectives continue to investigate the assault and anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Sergeant Paul Corrigan at 905-546-3851 or [email protected]

For those who wish to provide information anonymously, they can call  out to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or submit anonymous tips online at Crime Stoppers Hamilton’s Website.

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An Eskasoni man is being remembered for his unwavering commitment to bringing joy and laughter to all those around him.

Arnold Sylliboy Sr., 43, passed away suddenly in his home in Sydney on February 22nd. He is survived by his loving fiancée Nina Kent and his children Arnold Jr., Evan, Arlo, and Arley, along with his mother, Vera Sylliboy.

From a young age, Arnold was loyal, protective, and caring, shared sister Mallery Anne Sylliboy, who is among his four siblings, one of which passed away in 2005.

“Arnold’s always been there for me, always by my side and always kept at me, even though it’s a five-year age difference. If I’m looking at pictures, he was always by my side,” she shared.

“I can say he’s a loving person, but it’s so much deeper. He’s very considerate of others. He has so much passion for people and their mental health. After our brother died by suicide, his passion for mental health grew bigger.

“I see people’s Facebook posts and people are telling me that Arnold reached out to them and would show up at their house and wouldn’t leave until they started laughing or smiling again. Arnold was a safe person and a safe place that they might not have had.”

Arnold worked at the local crisis centre for over a decade, providing a safe space for his community members to work through loss and grief.

“I feel like everything he did was great. We had a sweat ceremony last night for my family and I prayed that our grief doesn’t turn into anger,” his sister explained.

“Arnold is someone who would come to people with peace and love and kindness and be there for people, and I thought that that’s how I would like us as a family to move forward.”

Loyal and encouraging

Alongside his siblings, Arnold will also be mourned by several close friends that have known him since adolescence.

“I’ll always remember him for being a great teammate, a great friend and staffer. A more loyal and encouraging person? I don’t think I’ll find one,” shared longtime friend and colleague, Jaime Battiste.

The pair initially became friends while they were attending Cape Breton University and later went on to work together as Culture, Recreation and Youth coordinators in Eskasoni in 1998

“One thing about him, he was a great athlete. He played in the North America Indigenous Games in basketball. He also got a tryout for the Moncton Wildcats, he was a tremendous athlete. He could play every sport; volleyball, hockey, basketball, softball,” said Battiste.

“But he also gave back to his community in terms of he coordinated so many tournaments. I think he coordinated more than a dozen different tournaments over his life, all in different sports.”

Battiste also recalled Arnold’s exemplary leadership as a youth, when he was the first class president at Allison Bernard Memorial High School and the first winner of the Mr. Eskasoni contest, a male version of the local pageant.

“He was always doing things to make other people laugh, no matter how serious things were. He always enjoyed making people laugh and helping people,” said Battiste.

“In 2019, when I started believing that I wanted to be a Member of Parliament, he was there with me from my nomination as my campaign manager and then stuck with me through the actual election. He was my right-hand man through that and did so through the 2021 election.”

Battiste shared that following the election, Arnold decided to pursue a dream of becoming a barber and opening a shop in his home of Eskasoni.

He attended barber college and honed his craft, but returned to work for Battiste in order to save up for his wedding after getting engaged to fiancée Nina Kent.

A doting partner and father

In his untimely passing, Arnold’s fiancee Nina Kent and their two young boys hold his memory close.

Kent first met Arnold at the Eskasoni powwow in 2014, she shared, where she was a dancer and he was a volunteer.

“At first glance, we both had hearts in our eyes for each other when we first met,” said Kent.

The pair went on to date while Kent attended CBU and Arnold worked in mental health in Eskasoni. He introduced her two his two sons, Arnold Jr. And Evan, and as time progressed, they bought their first home in Sydney in 2017 and started their own family.

“Shortly after, we welcomed our first son together, Arlo in 2018, followed by Arley in 2020,” Kent shared.

“We dated for 10 years when Arnold proposed to me amongst family, and we were scheduled to be married August 2025. Sadly, Arnold was called away to the spirit world.”

After 10 years together, Kent had a long list of Arnold’s qualities she admired, from his outgoing and caring nature to his love of community.

“He was a kid at heart, had a playful nature. I want to carry on his love for oldies music, Pepsi, board games and card games, and his elaborate breakfasts and snacks. He had the best style and was never afraid to overdress or be the best dressed in the room,” said Kent.

“Arnold was such a good father to our boys. He would play with them, had the best imagination and would set up little play areas for them where they would play for hours after school.”

Kent also shared that Arnold was always a very present father and would arrange his work life to make his family his top priority.

That included his older sons, Arnold Jr. And Evan Sylliboy. Though Evan didn’t live with his father, he never felt that affected the close bond that they had.

“He’s my favourite person to be around. He was overall a good person to be around, always being funny and energetic around the people he loved,” said Evan.

“My dad was the type of father to support his kids, no matter what the situation was. He was always there, through thick and thin, he loved every one of his kids: me, Arnold, Arlo and Arley. He was the best father I could’ve ever asked for.”

House of Assembly recognition

Arnold’s passing left not only his family and community shaken, but also those who worked alongside him in politics during his time with Jaime Battiste.

On Feb. 24, MHA Derek Mombourquette made a statement in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly to honour Arnold and his work in Nova Scotia politics.

“Our community lost a really great guy on the weekend, Arnold Sylliboy,” said Mombourquette, who represents Sydney-Membertou in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly.

“Arnold was a young man who was a role model to many in the Mi’kmaq community and beyond. Arnold worked for the local MP for years and I saw first-hand the lives that he helped and saved over those years.

“To many people, he was called ‘Big Chief’ because he was such a mentor to so many and he had a heart of gold, he was kind, and the community was a better place because he was around.”

Meghan Dewar is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter for the Cape Breton Post covering Indigenous Affairs. 

The post ‘A kid at heart’: Remembering Eskasoni’s Arnold ‘Big Chief’ Sylliboy appeared first on APTN News.

Robert Wesley Pich has pleaded guilty to the second-degree murder of Edward Geddes in 2011, and his uncle John Robert Gregoire has pleaded guilty to interfering with human remains.

The Public Utilities Board is making changes to its pricing model for fuel in Labrador, allowing higher wholesale and retail markups on gas, diesel, stove oil and propane.

Apparently hoping to avoid the chaos that accompanied Toronto’s rollout of a vacant unit tax, , Hamilton will offer in-person, drop-in clinics in each Ward, to help complete their Vacant Unit Tax declaration accurately and on time.

No reservations are required. Residential property owners just need to bring their Notice to Declare Letter or most recent property tax bill, which contains the roll number and access code needed to complete their declaration. Clinics will be hosted at the following locations, dates and times.

In Toronto the program was launched in 2022 and generated little criticism in the first year, partly because staff attached a notice in bright yellow on the residents’ tax bill. But in year two the Vacant Unit Notice was not highlighted and more than 169,000 residents were dinged for one percent of the property’s assessed value, which amounted to thousands of dollars per unit.  There was a huge public outcry and in the end the city was forced to reverse 108,000 of the vacant unit taxes that were imposed.

In Hamilton, all residential property owners are required to declare the occupancy status of their properties for the 2024 tax year by Wednesday, April 30, 2025. Failure to submit a declaration by the deadline will result in the residential unit being deemed vacant, and the Vacant Unit Tax will be applied. For an average property with an assessed value of $385,000 that works out to a bill of $3,850. The tax applies to any residential unit that is vacant for more than 183 days in a year. Any revenue generated from this tax after the cost of the program which includes hiring 16 new employees, will be reinvested into City programs to strengthen housing initiatives.

Vacant Unit Tax Drop-in Clinic Schedule

Monday, March 17

Winona Community Centre, 255 Winona Road, Stoney Creek

4:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Dalewood Recreation Centre, 1152 Main St. West, Hamilton

6:00 to 9:00 p.m.

Tuesday, March 18

Bennetto Community Centre, 450 Hughson St. North, Hamilton

4:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Wednesday, March 19

Bernie Morelli Recreation Centre, 876 Cannon St. East, Hamilton

4:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Thursday, March 20

Sir Winston Churchill Recreation Centre, 1709 Main St. East, Hamilton

4:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Monday, March 24

Bill Friday Lawfield Arena, 150 Folkestone Avenue, Hamilton

4:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Harry Howell Arena, 27 Highway 5 West, Flamborough

4:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Tuesday, March 25

Sackville Hill Seniors Recreation Centre, 780 Upper Wentworth St., Hamilton

4:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Wednesday, March 26

Westmount Recreation Centre, 35 Lynbrook Drive, Hamilton

4:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Thursday, March 27

Valley Park Community Centre, 970 Paramount Dr, Stoney Creek

4:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Monday, March 31

Stoney Creek Recreation Centre, 45 King Street West, Stoney Creek

4:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Glanbrook Arena, 4300 Binbrook Road, Glanbrook

4:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Tuesday, April 1

Ancaster Rotary Centre & Morgan Firestone Arena, 385 Jerseyville Road West, Ancaster

4:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Wednesday, April 2

J.L. Grightmire Arena, 35 Market Street South, Dundas

4:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Thursday, April 3

Chedoke Twin Pad Arena, 91 Chedmac Drive, Hamilton

4:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Declaration Reminders

Full details on the different ways that residential property owners can submit a declaration, including online, via phone, email, and by mail, are available online .

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