Pearson gold heist suspect arrested after flying into Toronto from India
Another suspect is in custody in connection with the gold heist at Toronto Pearson International Airport last year, police say.
Indigenous leaders in Saskatchewan are calling on Catholics to stand in solidarity with residential school survivors by not attending church services.
Felix Thomas, chief of the Kinistin Saulteaux Nation northeast of Saskatoon, asked Friday for Catholic worshippers to make their feelings known by praying at home instead.
"Something that everybody and every Christian can do is have that show of solidarity and not show up for church on Sunday," said Thomas.
"If it's not this Sunday, pick a Sunday."
It would send a message to the church that congregants care about what happened in residential schools and want a meaningful apology, he said.
"You can pray at home in your own way. You don't need a middleman to pray to the Creator, to God."
David Pratt is vice-chief of the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations, which represents 74 First Nations in Saskatchewan. He said "anything that would help pressure the (Catholic) Church to do what's right would be good."
He said Pope Francis needs to apologize for the church's role in residential schools.
Last Sunday, the Pope expressed his sorrow following the discovery of the remains of what are believed to be 215 Indigenous children found buried at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School site in British Columbia.
He stopped short of a full apology for the Catholic Church's involvement in Canada's residential schools.
"We don't think he's gone far enough," Pratt said. "They (the Catholic Church) have to apologize. I know some people say it's not important, but we believe it's really important. There has to be an acknowledgment of the wrongs done by the Catholic Church.
"There is no excuse for them not accepting their role."
Pratt said the discovery in Kamloops has "reopened the hurts and the pains and the trauma" of residential school survivors, and the Pope's non-apology is prolonging that pain.
"Many of our people are practising Catholics as well," said Pratt. "They need (an apology) for their own healing, because of some of the things they suffered and endured. They need to hear the leader of their church recognizing the harms that they've done to them.
"We call on all members of the Catholic Church to talk to their bishops, talk to their archdeacons, talk to their pastors and their ministers (and) put as much pressure as they can on the Pope to do what's right and to apologize."
The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops did not respond to a request for comment.
Pratt, who expects more bodies will be found at residential school sites, said continuing to wait for an apology from the Catholic Church is a moral issue.
"As far as I'm concerned, if you cannot recognize the harms and impacts that you and your organization have done to individuals, you've lost the moral leadership to be able to address and speak on behalf of your congregants."
Thomas said staying home from church is something people can do "to support the 215 that were found in Kamloops."
"I think every Canadian and every Christian would understand that event, and they could understand we need that support and solidarity."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 11, 2021.
--
If you are a former residential school student in distress, or have been affected by the residential school system and need help, you can contact the 24-hour Indian Residential Schools Crisis Line: 1-866-925-4419
Additional mental-health support and resources for Indigenous people are available here.
Another suspect is in custody in connection with the gold heist at Toronto Pearson International Airport last year, police say.
Hailey and Justin Bieber are going to be parents. The couple announced the news on Thursday on Instagram, both sharing a video that showcases Hailey Bieber's growing belly.
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
A B.C. man has been convicted of assault with a weapon after using a skid-steer Bobcat to chase two homeless people from his lawn, injuring one of them in the process.
A Conservative government led by Pierre Poilievre would not legislate on, nor use the notwithstanding clause, on abortion, his office says, as anti-abortion protesters gather on Parliament Hill.
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Miss Teen USA resigned Wednesday, sending further shock waves through the pageant community just days after Miss USA said she would relinquish her crown.
A grieving mother is speaking out after her 36-year-old son was shot and killed in North Preston, N.S., Wednesday night.
A small Ajax dessert shop that recently received a glowing review from celebrity food critic Keith Lee is being forced to move after a zoning complaint was made following the social media influencer’s visit last month.
A Listowel, Ont. man, drafted by the Hamilton Tigercats last week, is also getting looks from the NFL, despite only playing 27 games of football in his life.
A small Ajax dessert shop that recently received a glowing review from celebrity food critic Keith Lee is being forced to move after a zoning complaint was made following the social media influencer’s visit last month.
The Canada Science and Technology Museum is inviting visitors to explore their poop. A new exhibition opens at the Ottawa museum on Friday called, 'Oh Crap! Rethinking human waste.'
The Regina Police Service says it is the first in Saskatchewan and possibly Canada to implement new technology in its detention facility that will offer real-time monitoring of detainees’ vital health metrics.
The stakes have been set for a bet between Vancouver and Edmonton's mayors on who will win Round 2 of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
A grieving mother is hosting a helmet drive in the hopes of protecting children on Manitoba First Nations from a similar tragedy that killed her daughter.
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
A P.E.I. lighthouse and a New Brunswick river are being honoured in a Canada Post series.
An Ontario man says he paid more than $7,700 for a luxury villa he found on a popular travel website -- but the listing was fake.