Ottawa to spend $1.2 million to replace and repair homes after mass stabbing
The federal government is to spend $1.2 million to repair and replace houses damaged during a mass stabbing in Saskatchewan nearly three months ago.
Houses became crime scenes after 11 people died and 18 were injured on the James Smith Cree Nation and nearby village of Weldon during the Sept. 4 attacks.
Myles Sanderson, the 32-year-old suspect in the attacks, later died in police custody.
Indigenous Services Canada said $750,000 will be used for replacement, repairs and restoration of homes damaged during the massacre. The repairs are expected to be completed by mid-December, the department said in an email.
Chief Wally Burns has said four of the affected homes cannot be repaired. Some of the funding will be used for replacement ready-to-move homes, he said, but it will be some time before they are habitable.
"The housing is there," Burns said Monday during a news conference on the First Nation. "The transition from here to there, it takes a long time."
Indigenous Services Canada said 16 homes have been cleaned at an expected cost of $203,000. That covers cleaning 14 homes on the reserve, one in Weldon and one in Wakaw.
An additional $200,000 was provided to replace furniture and $40,000 was set aside for a housing co-ordinator.
Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdu said the government will support families who are still waiting to return home.
"Building a house can't happen overnight, unfortunately," she said Monday.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited the First Nation of about 1,900 people 170 kilometres northeast of Saskatoon, on Monday and announced $40 million over the next six years to build a wellness centre and repurpose a lodge. He also announced funding for community-based safety projects and treatments for substance abuse.
Since the tragedy, Indigenous leaders have talked about how housing is connected to health.
Burns said Monday that the COVID-19 pandemic worsened overcrowding in housing on the First Nation. Combined with the stabbing rampage, it's left a lot of people feeling anxiety, he said.
"That's not healthy," he said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 30, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
BREAKING McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Friday that Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
More than half the Canadians once detained in Syrian camps for suspected ISIS family members have returned home
A total of 29 Canadians have been freed from detention camps in northeast Syria and brought back to Canada since human rights advocates began lobbying for their release years ago.
Canada abstains from Palestinian UN membership vote but supports two-state solution
Canada was one of 25 countries that abstained from a United Nations vote on Palestinian membership that passed with overwhelming support on Friday.