The Inverness Oran

Organizers said that this was not a protest, what they were doing was disrupting the flow of goods just as the RCMP raids have disrupted their livelihoods. The community was backed by the chief and council when they decided to take a stand supporting other First Nations communities who have had their products seized.

-by April MacDonald

                Tensions are running high between the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Nova Scotia’s First Nations communities due to the ongoing raids and seizures of what the police call illegal cannabis and tobacco sales.

                On April 2^nd, in Potlotek First Nation, Northeast Nova RCMP seized illegal cannabis, arrested two people, responded to protests, and the investigations continue. RCMP officers executed a search warrant under the authority of the federal Cannabis Act at an illegal cannabis storefront on Hwy. 4 in Potlotek. They arrested two men on the premises and seized cannabis products.

                After the RCMP raided the shop, a community group gathered in protest, blocked Hwy. 4, and surrounded the police vehicles, demanding the return of the products that had been confiscated.

                Officers were forced to leave their vehicles.

                RCMP cleared their vehicles of all weapons and their Mobile Data Terminals or  Mobile Data Computers. These devices are used by RCMP and local police services (such as Halifax Regional Police) to access computer-aided dispatch systems, check vehicle and personal records, run license plates, and write reports. The computers are part of a broader “mobile office” system aimed at keeping officers on the road.

                Officers departed on foot, while their vehicles remained in Potlotek; unmarked police vehicles picked up the officers and escorted them out of the area.

                RCMP state that Hwy. 4 was illegally blocked by heavy equipment as well as a large group of protesters throughout the day.

                Richmond County District RCMP and the Nova Scotia RCMP Division Liaison Team engaged in communications with community leaders in an attempt to resolve the situation peacefully.

                Once word spread throughout First Nations communities, community meetings took place, namely in We’koqma’q First Nation. Later that afternoon, the Oran received a call from a local councillor stating that protesters were obstructing Hwy. 105 in Whycocomagh/We’koqma’q.

                There were transport trucks lined up as far as the eye could see from the roundabout and up Hwy. 104 towards Port Hastings.

                Organizers were safely directing vehicular traffic in and out of the area, stating they were not protesters but that they were disrupters.

                Councillor Katerina Basque was on the scene directing traffic; she said once the community heard about the situation in Potlotek they got together to stand with their brothers and sisters in what they call illegal raids and RCMP once again terrorizing their community.

                Many said that these raids were traumatizing and triggering especially for elders in the community who lived through or were survivors of Residential schools. Those that we spoke to who were leading the blockade said RCMP continue to strip away their autonomy and right to provide for their families and community.

                Madonna Bernard said that once again the Mi’kmaq are under strict control of the government and the RCMP.

                “Our people have had enough trauma, loss of identity, loss of traditions, and ongoing economic challenges. Now that we are making a living through our legal right to sell cannabis, they raid us, they steal from us,” said Bernard.

                “They are disrupting us; we can be disrupters too,” she added.

                The Mi’kmaq rights to sell cannabis in Nova Scotia are currently the subject of an intense legal and political battle, with Mi’kmaw leaders asserting inherent and treaty rights to manage their own economies while the province maintains that all cannabis sales must adhere to the Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation regulations.

                “We are doing this for our kids, for your kids, for the future,” she added.

                Bernard said that they were going to open the blockade by 7:00 p.m.

                Back in Potlotek, seven RCMP vehicles that were abandoned were removed from the community.

                There was significant damage to the vehicles, including broken windows, dents, deflated tires, removed tires, and urine-soaked interior surfaces.

                Many Mi’kmaw chiefs and operators argue that the 1752 Peace and Friendship Treaty, which allows for the sale of goods at “truckhouses,” justifies the sale of cannabis. They view the sale of cannabis as part of their sovereign right to economic development and a “moderate livelihood.”

                The Nova Scotia government maintains that only the NSLC is authorized to sell cannabis in the province. The province argues that unlicensed stores are illegal, unregulated, and pose a health and safety risk to consumers and youth.

                The RCMP say they will continue to conduct raids on unlicensed cannabis shops on First Nations reserves, including in Membertou, Potlotek, Eskasoni, and We’koqma’q.

MacDonald House Museum in Lake Ainslie.

-by Beverley Phillips

                Heritage organizations across the province were caught off guard by the recent cuts in the Nova Scotia budget, just three years after the province increased its funding.

                Among the $300 million cut in the recent Tim Houston budget were cuts to organizations that preserve our history. Along with the closure of 12 provincial museums, the Association of Nova Scotia Museums (ANMS) also received cuts to their budget and to what they do to support museums around the province.

                The ANSM is a nonprofit organization that is celebrating its 50^th anniversary this year. Over those 50 years, it has been offering training and support to museums across the province. It has been advocating on their behalf and providing education to them, as well as developing a collections database.

                Three years ago, the ANSM met with the province, which agreed they needed more support and increased funding. The Community Museum Assistance Program (CMAP) from the Department of Communities, Culture, Tourism, and Heritage saw a $650,000 increase, which was deemed “a permanent increase to the budget” by Christopher Shore, Executive Director of Culture and Heritage Development of the Department of Communities, Culture, Tourism, and Heritage.

                And now, that support that was deemed vital three years ago has been cut. CMAP has been cut by $300,000. Devin Casario, executive director of ANSM, said it came as a surprise to them. “There was no consultation beforehand that this would be happening,” he said.

                The ANSM has lost 20 per cent of its operational funding, as well as 50 per cent, or $50,000, for the TRACK program they offer. As stated on its website, “The TRACK program provides training, resources, assessment, coaching, and knowledge-sharing for museums. It guides museums on updating their standards of operation and becoming stronger, more engaged organizations by identifying needs and opportunities for support.” It offers workshops, webinars, and coaching from experts to help museums develop what they offer the community and visitors. “The TRACK program is essential for museums to take to receive CMAP funding,” said Casario. “We do have significant reserves, and so we will be able to complete this year’s program, but we don’t know what it will look like going forward.”

                He said they have been trying to get a meeting with the minister, but as of March 30^th, they had not been able to do so.

                On the impact of the cuts, he said, “This is devastating to the province and rural communities. These small museums tell us stories unique to their area. And they are community hubs, serving seniors and youth programs, and they provide summer jobs in rural communities. We will be assessing the impact of these cuts and bringing that information back to the government.”

                “This is an existential moment to the sector,” he added.

                Local heritage organizations have been taking stock of how the cuts will impact them. Ben MacKay, secretary of the Board for the Inverness Miners Museum, said they are waiting to see what the impact will be. They received a federal grant for a summer student and are waiting to hear about the other grants they applied for.

                MacKay is concerned with what the cut to TRACK will mean for them. “We worked hard to get into the program. We had a good report, but with their 50 per cent cut, it’s up in the air what we will receive,” said MacKay. “In the coming weeks, we are having meetings with local elected officials to see what they can do to offer support going forward.”

                On their Facebook page, the board of directors posted their concerns about the cuts noting, “Heritage preservation is not just an investment in our past, but in our future. Understanding where we come from strengthens civic pride, fosters education, and connects young people to the values and traditions that have built our amazing province.”

                “It’s important for local organizations to stick together,” said MacKay, adding, “Community museums and art centres aren’t just for visitors, they are for locals as well, and it’s important for local residents to be part of them.”

                The Inverness Miners Museum will be fundraising this summer, including a softball tournament during Gathering Week, as well as other events that will be posted to their Facebook page.

                MacDonald House in Lake Ainslie noted on its Facebook page that because of budget cuts, they are relying even more on the public’s help to maintain operations and have a matching donations fundraiser on the go. Until May 31^st, donations made to the MacDonald House Museum will be tripled. A $10 gift will provide them with $30. From June 1^st to August 31^st, donations will be doubled.

                The Mabou Gaelic and Historical Society (MGHS) noted the cuts to ANSM as well. “We have been working with the ANSM to improve our museum knowledge, ie, record keeping, artifact storage, etc. ANSM was subject to a 20 per cent reduction in their operating grant which will directly impact our chances of obtaining a full-time employee for the museum, which was a goal that we were working towards,” said MGHS president Joanne MacIntyre in an email.

                She also noted their other funding sources. “We frequently access provincial money through grants that are awarded through the Office of Gaelic Affairs. The OGA has suffered a 50 per cent reduction in their grant funding. In a typical year, it is not unusual for us to apply three times a year to this pocket of money. The events that we are able to host and support with the financial assistance of the government include Gaelic language classes, including immersions, wintertime music sessions, cultural experiences for local youth, as well as adding to and making accessible through digitization, our archive of local songs, folklore, and history to visitors who come into the museum. The number of people that are served by these activities is countless.”

                The loss of the Port Hastings visitor information centre (VIC) is also a cause for concern. “Something that will impact many more than us here at MGHS,” wrote MacIntyre, “the loss of the tourist information centre at the causeway! This is something that we feel strongly will have a huge, detrimental impact on most of Inverness County. This seems like it was completely not thought through, and we feel strongly that it will negatively impact our visitor numbers for the tourist season.”

                Casario was grateful for all the hard work these and other heritage organizations across the province are doing and encouraged them to stay strong. “The sector has proven to be resilient,” he said.

Blackstone Knights goaltender Kenzie MacPhail readies for a shot while defenceman Keenan Gillis keeps his goalie’s sight line clear during Saturday’s Senior A playoff game against the County in Membertou.

-by Bill Dunphy

                How do you eat an elephant?

                One bite at a time.

                That sports adage comes from when a team is down in a series, and it doesn’t look good, that you can’t win that series all at once – you do it one bite, one shift, one period and one game at time.

                That’s the path the Cape Breton West Blacktstone Knights put themselves on this weekend by winning back-to-back games to tie their best-of-five Cape Breton Senior A championship series 2-2 with the Cape Breton County Islanders.

                With two dominant wins to start the series, the County was poised to wrap up the series in game three Saturday at Membertou.

                Twenty guys in the other dressing room had a different idea.

                Randon MacKinnon got things going at 7:22 of the first period with the Knights first goal, banging home a rebound on his own shot with Craig Ryan and Matthew MacNeil on the forecheck to pick up assists.

                Ryan, however, took a roughing penalty after the goal and the Islanders responded with a powerplay goal at 8:42.

                Stephen Fox restored the Knights lead before the end of the period, finishing a two-on-one with Matt Ellis on a play started in their own end by defenceman Liam Trenholm.

                The 2-1 lead held through the second period, due in large part to some outstanding goaltending by Kenzie MacPhail that even had the Cape Breton County fans oohing and aahing after saves that they thought were about to be goals.

                Three minutes into the third, Matt Raike found himself alone with the puck down low on the right side and fired a pinpoint wrister to the long side of Colin Hooper’s net to score what would turn out to be the game-winner.

                The County pressed hard to get back into the game but MacPhail held his ground until 16:40 when a tip on a point shot cut the Knights’ lead to 3-2.

                The County pulled their goaltender with a minute-and-a-half left but couldn’t score the equalizer.

                Shots on goal were 33-30 in favour of the Islanders.

                With their party plans ruined, the County was forced to come back to Port Hood on Easter Sunday for game four at the Al MacInnis Sports Centre.

                This time the County struck first, taking advantage of a defensive breakdown that allowed Nathaniel Fuller to step out from the back of the net untouched to slip a backhander past MacPhail.

                The Knights had to kill a penalty to start the second period that was carried over from the first. Getting back to even strength, Ryan fired a shot through traffic to tie the game 1-1 at 1:44. Fox and defenceman Drew MacDonald picked up assists, but Cody Hinkley was instrumental in keeping the play alive in the County zone.

                A four-on-four midway through the second saw the Islanders regain the lead on a two-man rush that saw Bailey drive to the net to finish a nice pass from Logan O’Neil.

                The 2-1 County lead carried over into the third and it wasn’t until 11:10 when a point shot by Trenholm got through a screen for MacNeil to redirect it off the goalie’s stick and in for the tying goal. Trenholm’s linemate on the blueline, Keenan Gillis, also got an assist.

                Regulation time ran out and a 10-minute overtime followed without flooding the ice.

                Each side had some chances, and while MacPhail was up to the challenge, Travis King pitched in by sacrificing his body on a big blocked shot in the slot.

                Knights coach Kyle Gillies was forced to burn his time out at 7:02 when an icing call kept his players on the ice after a long shot.

                The ploy worked and the  first overtime period ended, setting up a second 20-minute overtime after the flood.

                This time around there was no fooling around by the Knights. With MacKinnon winning the opening faceoff, MacNeil got a shot away down low and the rebound came out to Trenholm pinching on the right side and his deadly shot found the back of the net at the 28-second mark to give the Knights a 3-2 win.

                MacPhail faced 42 shots for the win, with the Knights getting 39 on the County net.

                Some minor theatrics followed the overtime goal, with a County player slap-shotting Ryan’s stick down the ice. While there was no penalty assessed to the County player for his lack of sportsmanship, Ryan received a gross misconduct penalty for giving the player a middle-finger salute, which  the refs felt was enough to end Ryan’s season.

                After the game, Liam Trenholm said scoring the game-winner in double overtime at home was a special moment in his career.

                “Nothing better than scoring!” he said. “I was happy to do it in Port Hood. There are people not in the rink tonight who may not understand how important it was to these guys to win this game. There are guys in that room with bruises, injuries, and playing in pain.

                “It’s playoff hockey and we’re bringing it back to Sydney!”

                Trenholm said the team played with confidence with MacPhail between the pipes.

                “Kenzie’s a gamer and we knew what we were getting when they signed him. He bailed me out in the first overtime and I’m glad we won it for him.”

                MacPhail said a real bond has formed among the players which made the difference in tying the series.

                “Bringing them (the County) back here and to beat them on home ice, that’s what makes it so much better. Being there for each other means a lot. Liam and I are great buddies and the friendships you make with guys you never played with before are what it’s all about.”

                MacPhail said he credits the players in front of him for helping him do his job.

                “The guys are sacrificing their body blocking shots which is huge. The County has a good team and we have to bring the same mindset that won us these two games back to Sydney,” he said.

                “Game five” doesn’t have the same ring to it as “Game seven” but the feeling’s the same – it’s a do-or-die game and everything’s on the line this Saturday, 8 p.m., at the Membertou Arena.