Condolences and condemnation: Indigenous people and people of colour react to the death of Queen Elizabeth II

While some have offered unflinching takes on the damage of British colonisation, others say the monarch held ‘a special place’ in their hearts

The reaction to the death of the Queen among Indigenous people and people of colour, including those from Commonwealth nations, has been swift and, at times, unflinching.

For many the Queen was the personification of British colonisation and the damage it has wreaked in their countries – and they were not afraid to say so. Yet others expressed their condolences for the monarch who has long held “a special place” in their hearts.

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King and country: brief delay as new Canadians swear oath to Charles III

Citizenship ceremony starts belatedly as officials adapt oath in moments following death of Queen Elizabeth II

Roberto Rocha was huddled with three others around a computer screen, as one of the friends prepared to become a Canadian citizen.

The pandemic had derailed the pomp of an in-person swearing-in ceremony, leaving 140 excited, polite faces to meet instead on a Zoom screen.

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‘Canada is in mourning,’ says Justin Trudeau after death of Queen

PM hails ‘one of my favourite people in the world’ but death set to prompt questions about institution whose popularity is in decline

Justin Trudeau has expressed his condolences over the death of Queen Elizabeth II, telling reporters that that monarch, who was also Canada’s head of state, was “one of my favourite people in the world”.

“In a complicated world, her steady grace and resolve brought comfort and strength to us all. Canada is in mourning,” said Trudeau, who first met the Queen as a child when his father Pierre was prime minister.

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Suspect arrested over Canada mass stabbing dies from self-inflicted injuries

Myles Sanderson went into ‘medical distress’ after his arrest, and later died in hospital, say police

The fugitive wanted over a mass stabbing in Canada that killed 10 people and injured 18 has died in hospital after his arrest, police have confirmed, with sources saying his death was the result of self-inflicted wounds.

Myles Sanderson went into “medical distress” after his arrest and was taken to hospital where he died, Royal Canadian Mounted police assistant commissioner Rhonda Blackmore said in a press conference on Wednesday night. Police found a knife in the truck, which officers had rammed off the road into a ditch, but Blackmore would not comment on the cause of his death.

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A veteran, a mother, a widower: police name victims of Canada stabbing

Province of Saskatchewan releases names of victims in Sunday’s rampage as police arrest fugitive brother Myles Sanderson

A beloved veteran described as a “hero”, an elder who served as an addictions counsellor, a mother of five and a widower who spent his days volunteering are among the 10 victims of Sunday’s deadly knife attack in western Canada.

Police in the province of Saskatchewan have named the victims of Sunday’s stabbing rampage, their ages ranging from 23 to 78.

Thomas Burns, 23

Carol Burns, 46

Gregory Burns, 28

Lydia Gloria Burns, 61

Bonnie Burns, 48

Earl Burns, 66

Lana Head, 49

Christian Head, 54

Robert Sanderson, 49

Wesley Petterson, 78

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Fear and confusion as police widen search for Canada stabbings suspect

Police alert warned James Smith Cree Nation residents to shelter in place but subsequent alert said Myles Sanderson was not nearby

Fear, confusion and desperation have run high in western Canada as police widened the search for the remaining suspect in a stabbing spree that left 11 people dead.

On Tuesday afternoon, an emergency alert to phones warned people to shelter in place after several people in the James Smith Cree Nation reported seeing Myles Sanderson, 30, who is wanted over the string of attacks which left at least 11 dead and 18 injured.

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Canada mass stabbing: one suspect in Saskatchewan attacks found dead, say police

Body of Damien Sanderson found by police still hunting for his brother Myles after the RCMP formally charged the two suspects with first degree murder

One of the suspects in the stabbing deaths of 10 people in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan has been found dead, police said, but warned that his accomplice remains at large.

The body of Damien Sanderson was found with visible wounds in a grassy area near a house being examined by police. His injuries are not believed to be self-inflicted.

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Canada stabbings: police say suspects remain at large after overnight search

‘Relentless’ hunt fails to track down two men believed to have attacked residents of Indigenous community in Saskatchewan

Police in western Canada have said the two men believed to have killed 10 in a stabbing rampage have evaded search teams and remain at large despite a “relentless” overnight search.

The country is still reeling from one of the deadliest attacks in its history as the police forces from multiple provinces ramp up their search.

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Heatwave in North America threatens to break global September temperature record

Temperatures nearing record of 52.2C set in Mecca, California, in 1950


Western areas of North America are continuing to suffer a significant heatwave that is threatening to break the highest global September temperature record. The global record in September is 52.2C (126F), in 1950 in Mecca, California. On 1 September this year, temperatures at Furnace Creek in Death Valley reached a scorching 51.3C (124.4F), less than a degree off the all-time record.

In the following days, several Canadian provinces’ September records were broken, including Alberta, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia. On 2 September Lytton in British Columbia reached 39.6C (103F), only 0.4C off the September record for all of Canada. Records in many other cities also fell on 2 and 3 September. The remainder of this week will stay anomalously hot, about 10C above average, with a continued threat of records falling but the heat is expected to move away eastwards later this week.

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Canada mass stabbing: police search for two suspects after 10 killed across Saskatchewan – as it happened

Fifteen people are in hospital after attacks in 13 locations in two communities in the province

In response to the attacks, James Smith Cree Nation declared a state of emergency and various locations increased security.

The Mosaic Stadium, host to the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ game, also boosted its security presence.

A call for additional staff was issued to respond to the influx of casualties,” authority spokeswoman Anne Linemann said in an email to Associated Press.

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Saskatchewan stabbings: what we know so far about the attacks in Canada

Ten people were killed and at least 15 wounded in series of stabbings in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan on Sunday

Ten people were killed and at least 15 wounded in a spate of stabbings in 13 locations across an Indigenous community and a nearby village in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan on Sunday.

Police first began receiving reports of stabbings around 5.40am on Sunday in the James Smith Cree Nation community. Reports of additional attacks quickly followed in the nearby village of Weldon, north-east of Saskatoon. Both communities are sparsely populated with 3,400 and 200 people respectively.

At least 15 people were taken to hospital although “there may be additional injured victims who transported themselves to various hospitals”, Rhonda Blackmore, commanding officer of the Saskatchewan Royal Canadian Mounted police, said. Mark Oddan, a spokesperson with Stars air ambulance, said two helicopters were sent from Saskatoon, and another from Regina.

Some of the victims appear to have been targeted but others appear to have been attacked at random, Blackmore said. She did not provide a motive.

Police identified the suspects as Damien Sanderson, 31, and Myles Sanderson, 30 and asked them to turn themselves in. Both are said to have black hair and brown eyes, though the relationship between them is unclear. The pair were last sighted driving a black Nissan Rogue with licence plate 119 MPI in Saskatchewan’s capital of Regina, about 200 miles (320km) south of the attacks in the James Smith Cree Nation and the village of Weldon.

Canada’s prime minister, Justin Trudeau, described the attacks as “horrific and heartbreaking” in a statement of support to the families of those killed. “The attacks in Saskatchewan today are horrific and heartbreaking. I’m thinking of those who have lost a loved one and of those who were injured,” he said in a tweet.

One witness said she believed one of the suspects approached her and her daughter claiming he was hurt. Doreen Lees, 89, said she and her daughter thought they saw one of the suspects when a car came barreling down her street in Weldon early in the morning. Lees said a man approached them and said he was hurt and needed help but took off when her daughter said she would call for help. “He wouldn’t show his face. He had a big jacket over his face. We asked his name and he kind of mumbled his name twice and we still couldn’t get it,” she told the Associated Press. “He said his face was injured so bad he couldn’t show it.” She said the man was by himself and “kind of a little wobbly.”

Saskatchewan’s premier, Scott Moe, also issued a statement, describing the attacks as “senseless violence”. “There are no words to adequately describe the pain and loss caused by this senseless violence. All of Saskatchewan grieves with the victims and their families,” he said.

Residents of James Smith Cree Nation chronicled the events on social media. One woman posted an image of a broken door handle, adding that she was glad her younger sister wasn’t home when it was broken into. “This is forever gonna traumatize me,” she wrote. Others – including a young woman who had seen her grandfather the night before, only to learn he was a victim in the attacks – posted tributes to killed family members.

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Canada stabbings: police say 10 killed and 15 hurt in Saskatchewan

Police extend search for two suspects over three provinces after attacks at 13 different locations

A manhunt was under way in western Canada on Sunday night as police searched frantically for two men suspected in a series of stabbings that have killed 10 people and wounded at least 15 others.

The bulk of the attacks targeted residents of James Smith Cree Nation, an Indigenous community of 3,400, with other injuries reported in the neighbouring village of Weldon, north-east of Saskatoon.

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Canadian city pulls bison sculpture in row over representation of colonialism

Edmonton decided Ken Lum’s paired figures of a bison and fur trader could ‘cause harm and induce painful memories’

A Canadian city has pulled a public art project over fears that a pair of towering bronze statues could be seen as an endorsement of colonialism – the exact opposite of the work’s intended meaning, according to the artist.

The work, which cost C$375,000 (US$285,000), comprises two large bronze figures which were intended to stand on either end of a pedestrian bridge in Edmonton. On one end, a 13ft bison was to stare out over the water. At the other, a colonial fur trader, measuring 11.5ft, would sit atop a pile of bison pelts.

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Canada: police trio charged with manslaughter over shooting death of 18-month-old

Jameson Shapiro killed by police gunfire after officers called to domestic dispute in Kawartha Lakes, Ontario, in November 2020

Three police officers in Canada have been charged with manslaughter in the death of an 18-month-old boy, nearly two years after he was killed by police gunfire.

Ontario’s police watchdog, the Special Investigations Unit, announced the charges on Wednesday afternoon.

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Shamima Begum ‘smuggled into Syria for Islamic State by Canadian spy’

Canada and UK accused of covering up involvement of double agent in British teenager’s recruitment for IS

Shamima Begum was smuggled into Syria for Islamic State at the age of 15 by a Canadian spy whose role was covered up by the police and Britain’s security services, it has been claimed in a book out this week.

Begum, along with her schoolfriends Kadiza Sultana, then 16, and Amira Abase, then 15, were met at Istanbul bus station for their onward journey to Syria by a man called Mohammed al-Rashed.

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Freeland ambush highlights growing threats to women in Canadian public life

Trudeau warns of increasingly toxic atmosphere in politics and journalism, with robust debate replaced by slurs and harassment

Justin Trudeau has warned of an increasingly toxic atmosphere in Canadian public life, amplified by the anonymity of social media and disproportionately targeting women and visible minorities in politics and journalism.

Encounters with disgruntled constituents have long been accepted as a reality of Canadian politics, but the tradition of friendly debate has increasingly been replaced by racial slurs, threatening phone calls at night and fears for the safety of politicians’ families.

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Canada’s deputy prime minister called traitor in ‘disgusting display of abuse’

Incident in which Chrystia Freeland is subjected to foul-mouthed tirade at city hall meeting in Alberta is being investigated

Canadian police are investigating after the deputy prime minister, Chrystia Freeland, was subjected to a foul-mouthed tirade at city hall meeting.

A video posted on Twitter shows a large man approach Freeland during the session in Grande Prairie, Alberta, swearing at her and calling her a “traitor″.

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Canada invokes treaty with US in push to keep cross-border pipeline open

Canada warns of ‘significant’ economic damage in the event of a shutdown of Line 5, which travels through Michigan

Canada has once again invoked a longstanding treaty with the US as it seeks to keep a controversial cross-border pipeline open, warning of “significant” economic damage to both countries in the event of a shutdown.

Canada’s foreign minister said Line 5, a pipeline operated by Calgary-based Enbridge, was a critical source of energy security.

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Weather tracker: Atlantic hurricane season may finally be starting to stir

Lack of activity has confounded forecasts so far but a cluster of thunderstorms could change that

The Atlantic hurricane season has so far confounded forecasts of an active year, with only three named storms so far, none of which were hurricane strength. In fact, until now this August joins 1997 and 1961 in having no named storms.

However, there are three months left of the season and activity is starting to stir in the tropics. A cluster of thunderstorms in the central Atlantic has the potential to organise sufficiently to become the first named storm since Colin in early July. Should this occur, it may move westwards and approach the Leeward Islands, bringing the threat of heavy rainfall towards the end of this week, but there is little suggestion it will develop into a significant storm at this stage.

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36,000km in three days: $8,000 car rental charge shocks Canadian woman

Giovanna Boniface received an $8,000 bill from Avis after driving roughly 300km around Toronto and surrounding area

Car rental companies have long earned a reputation for gouging customers, penny-pinching on frills and finding new and unscrupulous ways to charge for add-ons.

But a Canadian woman says she was billed thousands in extra mileage after a rental company claimed she drove a distance nearly the circumference of the Earth over a three-day period.

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