Delia Opekokew is a woman of firsts. She was the first Indigenous women to be admitted to the bar in both Saskatchewan and Ontario, and the first women to run for national chief of the Assembly of First Nations. And she's also been an advocate, fighting for justice for residential school survivors such as herself.
"I'm most proud of that I have been able to retain my language. I still speak Cree," Opekokew told CTV National News.
At age seven, she was sent to Beauval Residential School in Saskatchewan, but says she's blocked away her memories of her early years there.
"I have no memory of that. And I have since talked to a psychiatrist and he told me I probably disassociated, and it's better that I don't recall because whatever happened to me must have been not good," Opekokew said.
Opekokew's mother also went to the same school and passed down horrifying stories. In 1927, a fire at Beauval killed 19 boys after they were locked in a dormitory.
These experiences have driven Opekokew to become the advocate she is today.
After decades of practising law, she became an adjudicator with the Indian Residential Schools Adjudication Process, tasked with putting a dollar amount on the abuse after the federal government reached a class-action settlement agreement with residential school survivors.
"The stories that I heard were just mind-boggling," she said. "I had hundreds of hearings. I had hearings right from the Northwest Territories, British Columbia, each province to Nova Scotia."
Opekokew says her own healing journey gave her the strength to help other survivors, as she continues to fight to ensure they receive proper support.
"I had dealt with a lot of my issues, and so I was able to handle hearing these very tragic stories of physical and sexual abuse and other abuses, because of the counselling I had taken and continue to take," she said.
In an effort to level the playing field for young people, in the 2024 federal budget, the government is targeting Canada's highest earners with new taxes in order to help offset billions in new spending to enhance the country's housing supply and social supports.
Five thousand public service jobs will be cut over the next four years, while underused federal office buildings, Canada Post properties and the National Defence Medical Centre in Ottawa could be turned into new housing units, as the federal government looks to find billions of dollars in savings and boost the country's housing portfolio.
With a variety of fiscal and policy measures announced in the federal budget, winners include small businesses and fintech companies while losers include the tobacco industry and Canadian pension funds.
From plans to boost new housing stock, encourage small businesses, and increase taxes on Canada’s top-earners, CTVNews.ca has sifted through the 416-page budget to find out what will make the biggest difference to your pocketbook.
The Liberals are proposing new charges for the use of violence while stealing a vehicle and for links to organized crime, as well as laundering money for the benefit of a criminal organization.
Police say that arrests have been made in connection with a $20-million gold heist at Toronto Pearson International Airport one year ago.
Three teenagers were arrested in connection with a pair of alleged hazing incidents on a Manitoba hockey team, police say.
The federal government is providing up to $5 billion in loan guarantees to help Indigenous communities invest in natural resource and energy products. But when it comes to a promise to close what advocates say is a sprawling Indigenous infrastructure gap, Ottawa is short more than $420 billion.
The Ottawa Police Service will receive $50 million in new federal funding over the next five years to "enhance security" around the Parliamentary Precinct.
British Columbia's highest court has upheld a manslaughter conviction against a Vancouver man who shoved a senior outside a busy Costco store, rejecting his argument that the trial judge failed to consider how his claustrophobia and fear of crowds led to the fatal altercation.
Unifor says it’s temporarily withdrawing its applications to represent workers at two Vancouver-area Amazon facilities, accusing the e-commerce giant of providing a “suspiciously high” employee count.
A Metro Vancouver developer is once again teaming up with TransLink to give users of one of its new buildings free access to transit and study the impact of the subsidy.
Police say that arrests have been made in connection with a $20-million gold heist at Toronto Pearson International Airport one year ago.
A Toronto woman is warning others to be on the lookout after a coyote approached her while she was sitting on a park bench near Ontario Place last weekend.
In an effort to level the playing field for young people, in the 2024 federal budget, the government is targeting Canada's highest earners with new taxes in order to help offset billions in new spending to enhance the country's housing supply and social supports.
A Crown prosecutor making the case against three men charged with mischief at the border blockade at Coutts, Alta., told jurors Tuesday they don’t have to determine the accused were kingpins of the protest in order find them guilty.
Marda Loop business owners are expressing concern over revenue losses after the City of Calgary announced construction in the area is expected to continue several months longer than planned.
Calgary police say the driver of a BMW was given a summons for a mandatory court appearance after being caught travelling more than double the speed limit.
Five thousand public service jobs will be cut over the next four years, while underused federal office buildings, Canada Post properties and the National Defence Medical Centre in Ottawa could be turned into new housing units, as the federal government looks to find billions of dollars in savings and boost the country's housing portfolio.
In an effort to level the playing field for young people, in the 2024 federal budget, the government is targeting Canada's highest earners with new taxes in order to help offset billions in new spending to enhance the country's housing supply and social supports.
CTVNewsOttawa.ca looks at four things in the federal budget that will have an impact on the city of Ottawa.
Quebec's education ministry says it is working on clarifying directives on when officials can communicate with the public in a language other than French.
Teenagers are showing post-pandemic improvements when it comes to screen time, according to a new study published Tuesday by Montreal Public Health.
In an effort to level the playing field for young people, in the 2024 federal budget, the government is targeting Canada's highest earners with new taxes in order to help offset billions in new spending to enhance the country's housing supply and social supports.
Staff caring for frail babies at hospitals in the Edmonton area are asking for help from the province.
Three people have been charged after police recovered nearly half a million dollars worth of stolen property.
A pipeline was involved in a wildfire in western Alberta on Tuesday, Yellowhead County says.
A Celebrity Apex cruise to the Caribbean this month turned into a rocking Newfoundland kitchen party when hundreds of people from Canada's easternmost province happened to be booked on the same ship.
The Nova Scotia RCMP says four people have been charged following a man’s homicide two years ago.
A portion of Barrington Street has reopened after a three-vehicle crash Tuesday morning.
Three teenagers were arrested in connection with a pair of alleged hazing incidents on a Manitoba hockey team, police say.
In an effort to level the playing field for young people, in the 2024 federal budget, the government is targeting Canada's highest earners with new taxes in order to help offset billions in new spending to enhance the country's housing supply and social supports.
One Winnipeg sports memorabilia shop has been the target of multiple break-ins and is now looking to recover some stolen property.
Winter weather seemed to be in the rear view mirror for Saskatchewan the past couple weeks, but now Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) is forecasting as much as 30 centimetres of snow for some parts of the province.
Municipal Hail Insurance and the Hospitals of Regina Foundation (HRF) has teamed up to raise money for upgrades to the Mosaic Heart Centre at the Regina General Hospital (RGH).
Saskatchewan NDP Leader Carla Beck highlighted concerns around mental health, addictions and infrastructure as she addressed the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association (SUMA) conference.
Grand River Rocks will have limited time in their new home on Victoria Street North, after Kitchener City Council officially approved the rezoning of the property to allow for a condo development.
Waterloo Regional Police Services has released the estimated total cost for the St. Patrick’s Day weekend in the city of Waterloo.
A two-vehicle crash between a pickup truck and a transport truck on Highway 401 south of London, Ont. has resulted in one fatality Tuesday afternoon, with police warning motorists to expect delays in the area.
The founders of a Saskatoon real estate investment company that left investors with millions of dollars in losses have reached a settlement with Saskatchewan’s financial and consumer watchdog.
Two men accused of beating and tying up a mentally ill man on a Saskatchewan farm have pleaded guilty to assault causing bodily harm.
Winter weather seemed to be in the rear view mirror for Saskatchewan the past couple weeks, but now Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) is forecasting as much as 30 centimetres of snow for some parts of the province.
Rescue crews are searching for a man reported missing on the weekend after the vehicle he was driving was pulled into a creek near the Quebec border in northern Ontario.
The YMCA of Sault Ste. Marie is selling its building and ceasing operations in May.
City officials in Sudbury say construction season started early this year thanks to the warm weather this spring.
A two-vehicle crash between a pickup truck and a transport truck on Highway 401 south of London, Ont. has resulted in one fatality Tuesday afternoon, with police warning motorists to expect delays in the area.
It’s an issue affecting local high schools across the Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB) and the London District Catholic School Board (LDCSB).
A driver from London will have to find alternative transportation after an OPP officer clocked them travelling nearly 200 km/h on Highway 401 over the weekend.
One of the nation's most beloved and decorated curlers, Glenn Howard, officially announced his retirement on Tuesday.
Two new shows are coming to Casino Rama's Entertainment Centre for fans of country music and 80s rock.
Fire officials say a lithium-ion battery inside a vacuum cleaner sparked a fire at an apartment complex Sunday afternoon in Gravenhurst.
A group of landlords contesting the city’s new residential rental licensing bylaw is appealing a recent court decision.
In an effort to level the playing field for young people, in the 2024 federal budget, the government is targeting Canada's highest earners with new taxes in order to help offset billions in new spending to enhance the country's housing supply and social supports.
The ‘faint hope’ hearing of Ali Al-Shammari, 38, continued Tuesday in Superior court.
A moulting seal who was relocated after drawing daily crowds of onlookers in Greater Victoria has made a surprise return, after what officials described as an 'astonishing' six-day journey.
British Columbia's highest court has upheld a manslaughter conviction against a Vancouver man who shoved a senior outside a busy Costco store, rejecting his argument that the trial judge failed to consider how his claustrophobia and fear of crowds led to the fatal altercation.
In an effort to level the playing field for young people, in the 2024 federal budget, the government is targeting Canada's highest earners with new taxes in order to help offset billions in new spending to enhance the country's housing supply and social supports.
British Columbia is planning to add 240 new units to its complex-care housing program, providing homes for people with mental-health and addictions challenges that overlap with other serious conditions.
More than 80 residents from a low-income apartment building in Kelowna, B.C., have learned they won't be able to return to their homes for at least another two weeks.
Mounties are investigating a reported "road rage" incident in Kelowna, B.C., that left two men injured last week.
Lethbridge West MLA Shannon Phillips is calling on the province to reinstate funding for the Lethbridge Elder Abuse Response Network.
If you’re planning to head to the coulees this weekend to enjoy the nice weather, don’t forget to look down.
With the weather starting to feel like spring is really here, more kids will likely be outside enjoying the sunshine and warm temperatures, which organizers of the Slow Your Roll campaign say is a perfect time to re-launch the campaign.
The YMCA of Sault Ste. Marie is selling its building and ceasing operations in May.
Police in Sault Ste. Marie have charged a 26-year-old with stunt driving following an incident Tuesday morning.
Here is a look at how some northern Ontario colleges are being affected by the new Canadian immigration policy that has reduced the number of new international students.
A Celebrity Apex cruise to the Caribbean this month turned into a rocking Newfoundland kitchen party when hundreds of people from Canada's easternmost province happened to be booked on the same ship.
A pricing agreement has been reached between crab fishers and seafood processors that will allow for Newfoundland and Labrador's annual crab fishery to get started.
Longliners across Newfoundland and Labrador are tied up once again, as a new protest by the province's fish harvesters threatens to derail the crab fishery for a second straight year.
Just steps from Parliament Hill is a barber shop that for the last 100 years has catered to everyone from prime ministers to tourists.
A high score on a Foo Fighters pinball machine has Edmonton player Dave Formenti on a high.
A compound used to treat sour gas that's been linked to fertility issues in cattle has been found throughout groundwater in the Prairies, according to a new study.
While many people choose to keep their medical appointments private, four longtime friends decided to undergo vasectomies as a group in B.C.'s Lower Mainland.
A popular highway in Alberta's Banff National Park now has a 'no stopping zone' to help protect two bears.
B.C. resident Robert Conrad spent thousands of hours on Crown land developing an unusual bond with deer.
A Sudbury woman said her husband was bringing the recycling out to the curb Wednesday night when he had to make a 'mad dash' inside after seeing a bear.
A school teacher who took part in the Quebec version of the Survivor reality TV show took time off work to be a contestant is now out of a job.
A young actor from Prince Edward Island is getting the chance to fulfill a childhood dream, playing the precocious and iconic Anne Shirley on stage.
In an effort to level the playing field for young people, in the 2024 federal budget, the government is targeting Canada's highest earners with new taxes in order to help offset billions in new spending to enhance the country's housing supply and social supports.
From plans to boost new housing stock, encourage small businesses, and increase taxes on Canada’s top-earners, CTVNews.ca has sifted through the 416-page budget to find out what will make the biggest difference to your pocketbook.
Small- and medium-sized business owners are set to receive a long-awaited refund from Ottawa, which was holding onto billions of dollars while it sorted out a way to deliver them their carbon pricing rebates.
For years, conventional wisdom in fitness culture has promoted the belief that stretching to become more flexible leads to better movement and injury prevention.
The strain placed on Canadian health care during the COVID-19 pandemic shows no sign of abating, and the top official of the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) is warning that improving the system will be a 'slow process' requiring sustained investment.
A group of doctors say Canadian cancer screening guidelines set by a national task force are out-of-date and putting people at risk because their cancers aren't detected early enough.
NASA confirmed Monday that a mystery object that crashed through the roof of a Florida home last month was a chunk of space junk from equipment discarded at the International Space Station.
Using genes from coffee plants around the world, researchers built a family tree for the world's most popular type of coffee, known to scientists as Coffea arabica and to coffee lovers simply as 'arabica.'
NASA is seeking innovative methods that could help retrieve samples collected by the Perseverance rover on Mars in the future.
Participant, the activist film and television studio that has financed Oscar winners like 'Spotlight' and socially conscious documentaries like 'Food, Inc,' and 'Waiting For Superman' is closing its doors after 20 years.
Classic characters, new stories, fresh mashups. Will it all be a bonanza for makers as classic works again begin entering the public domain?
A portrait of Winston Churchill by an artist whose work the British leader loathed went on display Tuesday at Churchill's birthplace ahead of an auction in June.
Unifor says it’s temporarily withdrawing its applications to represent workers at two Vancouver-area Amazon facilities, accusing the e-commerce giant of providing a “suspiciously high” employee count.
Shoppers Drug Mart is facing a proposed class-action lawsuit by current and former franchise owners at the retail chain who allege parent company Loblaw engaged in corporate practices that placed them in an “irredeemable conflict of interest” and put patient care at risk.
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. says the annual pace of housing starts in March declined seven per cent compared with February.
In Salman Rushdie's first book since the 2022 stabbing that hospitalized him and left him blind in one eye, the author wastes no time reliving the day he thought might be his last.
A Celebrity Apex cruise to the Caribbean this month turned into a rocking Newfoundland kitchen party when hundreds of people from Canada's easternmost province happened to be booked on the same ship.
The one thing 9-year-old Cal Clifford wanted more than anything since he was a toddler was a pet octopus.
One of the nation's most beloved and decorated curlers, Glenn Howard, officially announced his retirement on Tuesday.
Three teenagers were arrested in connection with a pair of alleged hazing incidents on a Manitoba hockey team, police say.
An Ontario woman says she never expected to be gifted a Blue Jays jersey for her ailing husband when she sat alone at the team’s home opener next to a couple of kind strangers.
Tesla has hit a series of roadblocks, including increased competition and declining sales. The company announced Monday it is slashing 10 per cent of its global workforce.
A driver from London will have to find alternative transportation after an OPP officer clocked them travelling nearly 200 km/h on Highway 401 over the weekend.
General Motors will move its Detroit headquarters to a new downtown office building next year and work to redevelop its iconic home along the Detroit River, company and city officials confirmed Monday.
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