Fisheries rights trial for 4 Mi kmaw fishermen set to go ahead in September
The trial of four Mi kmaw fishermen accused of illegal fishing in September 2019 will go ahead this fall after being delayed earlier this month.
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Trial was expected to start this month but was delayed by dispute over agreed statement of facts
CBC News ·
Posted: May 28, 2021 2:11 PM AT | Last Updated: May 28
Ashton Bernard, 30, is one of four Mi kmaw fishermen who will argue in court in September that they have a treaty right to fish outside commercial seasons.(The Canadian Press)
The trial of four Mi kmaw fishermen accused of illegal fishing in Nova Scotia will go ahead this fall after being delayed earlier this month.
Posted: May 21, 2021 10:58 AM AT | Last Updated: May 21
Ashton Bernard poses in this undated handout photo.(The Canadian Press)
The lawyer for four Mi kmaw fishermen is trying to back out of a deal he signed earlier this year that was supposed to kick-start a trial on fisheries charges.
The trial for Ashton Joseph Bernard, 31, Arden Joseph Bernard, 22, Rayen Gage Frances, 22 and Zachery Cuevas Nicholas, 34 was supposed to begin Friday morning in Bridgewater provincial court.
By prior agreement, federal Crown prosecutor Denis Lavoie was supposed to enter an agreed statement of facts into the record during Friday s hearing, then close the Crown s case. The stage would then be set for arguments over whether the four men had a treaty right to fish when they were arrested and charged in September 2019.
Winnipeg Free Press By: Joseph Quesnel Save to Read Later
CANADA and its Indigenous communities should finally commit this year to making the systemic reforms needed to ensure First Nations drinking water standards are the same as the rest of the country.
Opinion
CANADA and its Indigenous communities should finally commit this year to making the systemic reforms needed to ensure First Nations drinking water standards are the same as the rest of the country.
For starters, Indigenous communities ought to experiment with more regional water authority agreements to deliver safe drinking water.
In late 2020, Indigenous Services Canada signed agreements with Atlantic First Nations communities to create a utility to oversee drinking water and wastewater systems for 15 Indigenous communities across the region. This includes a financial commitment for staff training and capacity building.