'He's in our hearts': Family and friends still seek answers one year after Nathan Wise’s disappearance
It’s been a year since Nathan Wise went missing and his family is no closer to finding out what happened to him.
Rising rates of COVID-19 in the remote Ontario community of Kashechewan is highlighting just how hard the virus has hit First Nations.
The current rate of positive COVID-19 cases on First Nations reserves as of June 1 is 188 per cent of the rate of the Canadian population -- although the fatality rate is 61 per cent of the rate of the Canadian population, according to Indigenous Services Canada.
“It’s not surprising that more people in First Nations communities are affected by COVID-19,” Lynne Innes, Weeneebayko Area Health Authority’s president and CEO, told CTVNews.ca. “I’ve worked in many remote First Nations and I’ve seen the issues and the struggle with the lack of infrastructure, overcrowded housing, and water issues.”
A report released Thursday shows that since the start of the pandemic, there have been more than 31,300 COVID-19 cases on First Nations reserves and over 1,400 hospitalizations. There are also currently 868 active COVID-19 cases in these communities, with the proportion of cases in Kashechewan taking up approximately 25 per cent of all active cases on First Nations reserves.
“That community was hit hard with COVID-19,” said Innes. “In our region [northern Ontario], the majority of the cases -- I say at least 80 per cent of our cases -- are children between the ages of 12 to 17.”
Alberta reported the most cumulative cases so far, with a total of nearly 8,800 cases and followed closely by Manitoba. Although Ontario has cumulated a total of just over 2,600 cases, there were 56 positive COVID-19 cases reported this week in First Nations communities in the province and 212 cases last week.
Federal Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller said that these communities were highly impacted during the second wave, and though cases are starting to slow down, it’s important to stay vigilant.
“Knowing what the science was pointing to, generally speaking, Indigenous peoples [are] 3.5- to five-times more susceptible to getting COVID-19 and then suffering worse effects of that,” Miller told CTVNews.ca. “There is a pretty bright light at the end of the tunnel, but we're not out of the woods yet.”
Throughout the pandemic, individuals in First Nations communities between the ages of 20 and 39 years of age reported the highest number of COVID-19 cases, accounting for more than 30 per cent of cases. Positive COVID-19 cases were particularly seen in females in this age category.
Breakdown of COVID-19 cases by age and sex in First Nations communities.
Currently, 687 First Nations communities are receiving vaccinations. As of Friday, nearly 589,000 doses have been administered, with 39 per cent of shots administered being a second dose.
Miller said that more than 80 per cent of adults have now been vaccinated with a single dose, and approximately 72-73 per cent for individuals 12 years of age and older. But, there’s still concern for the younger population who have been contracting the virus and are unable to get the vaccine.
“We’ve worked with Chief Leo Friday and his community to get isolation tents and medical tents, and the Armed Forces where the Rangers have been activated since June,” he said. “We will stop at nothing to help them.”
As vaccinations continue in First Nations communities, more than 40 per cent of individuals have been vaccinated with two doses. With the support from the Rangers and the continued vaccination efforts, Miller said that he hopes to have all who are willing to get their shot fully vaccinated by the fall and to curb the spread of the virus in First Nations reserves.
It’s been a year since Nathan Wise went missing and his family is no closer to finding out what happened to him.
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
The fire burning near Fort McMurray grew from 25 hectares to 5,500 hectares over the weekend.
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin began a Cabinet shakeup on Sunday, proposing the replacement of Sergei Shoigu as defence minister as he begins his fifth term in office.
Police are searching for a male suspect after a man was “slashed in neck” on Sunday morning in downtown Toronto and died.
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.
Health Canada announced various product recalls this week, including electric adapters, armchairs, cannabis edibles and vehicle components.
English, history, entertainment, math and geography: high school trivia teams could be quizzed on any of it when they compete at the Reach for the Top Nationals in Ottawa in June.
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
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.
The threat of zebra mussels has prompted the federal government to temporarily ban watercraft from a Manitoba lake popular with tourists.
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.
Just as she had feared, a restaurant owner from eastern Quebec who visited Montreal had her SUV stolen, but says it was all thanks to the kindness of strangers on the internet — not the police — that she got it back.