Moose
Cree First Nation is looking at banishing people who sell illegal drugs
and alcohol in order to protect the James Bay community from addiction.
(Rafferty Baker/CBC)
A northern Ontario First Nation is looking to banish drug dealers and alcohol bootleggers from its community.
Moose
Cree First Nation held a membership meeting this week to discuss how
criminal traffickers could be kicked out of the isolated community on
Moose Factory Island in Ontario's far north.
Chief Mervin Cheechoo says the details of exactly how dealers would be identified and removed still needs to be worked out.
"I
think it's well-known who they are, but sometimes it's tough to deal
with the situation from a police perspective," he says.
"But I
believe with the community support and all the community rallying to
deal with this issue, I believe it's going to go somewhere."
Moose
Cree Chief Mervin Cheechoo says the First Nation still has to figure
out exactly how it will go about banishing drug dealers. (Erik White/CBC )
Cheechoo,
who was elected chief three months ago, says drug and alcohol addiction
has long been a problem in the community, but he says it's gotten much
worse in recent years with the rise of opioids.
"Elders are
suffering. There's a lot of elder abuse, violence toward elders and
money being taken from them. Children are neglected and hungry and a lot
of them are missing school," he says.
"It's real bad here. People are struggling here."
Cheechoo says he knows that it won't be easy to banish drug dealers.
One
challenge is that while Moose Cree could kick criminal traffickers off
their territory, they don't have control over all of Moose Factory
Island, which they share with the Moocreebec First Nation, as well as
some private land owners. The dealers could also move across the river
to the sister community of Moosonee.
Exactly who is targeted for
banishment and whether or not they need to be convicted of criminal
charges before that happens is another question that needs to be
answered.
"I think the courts will play a big part in it. We're
not really fully there with every detail yet," says Cheechoo who does
remember a few Moose Cree members being banished in decades past.
First
Nation staff will now work to refine the band council resolution that
was passed earlier this year and discussed at the membership meeting
this week.
Cheechoo says another membership meeting would need
to be held to ratify the finished policy, which he thinks can happen
within a few months.
"It's a tough decision, but we want a healthy community here," he says.
We've been mandated by our elders, we've been mandated by our grandmothers to deal with this issue."
Saturday 20 July 2019
Local Insight: July 2019 saw a third drug-related stabbing in Moose Factory. That is the third drug-related stabbing in about seven months. The act was carried out likely by a small group of individuals who were owed money from previous drug dealings. The perpetrators were likely sending a message to the victim and others who have drug-related debts. Events such as these create ripple effects throughout the community and may embolden others to similar criminal acts. Hopefully they will embolden others to take stock of the situation and resolve not to get involved in drug-related activity.
Moose Factory, ON – On June 1, 2019, Nishnawbe Aski Police Service (NAPS) Drug Enforcement Unit with the assistance of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Organized Crime Enforcement Bureau, NAPS Emergency Response Team, OPP Moosonee Detachment & Marine Unit, and the members of the NAPS Moose Factory Detachment, executed two drug warrants under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act which resulted in two persons being charged and a seizure of several illegal substances. Another male was also arrested in an unrelated arrest warrant.
The drug warrant execution resulted in police seizing various amounts of Fentanyl, Cocaine, MDMA (Methylenedioxymethamphetamine),Crystal Methamphetamine, Methamphetamine, Oxycodone, and Hydromorphone. Police also seized approximately eighteen thousand ($18,000.00) dollars in Canadian currency. The estimated street value of the seized drugs is approximately twenty-four thousand nine-hundred eighty ($24,980.00) dollars.
A 24 year-old female from Toronto was charged with Possession of Property Obtained by Crime Over $5000.00 and six counts of Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking. The female was released on conditions and will appear in court on August 6, 2019 in Moosonee, Ontario.
A 38 year-old male from Moose Factory was charged with Possession of Property Obtained by Crime Over $5000.00 and six counts of Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking. The male was released on conditions and will appear in court on August 6, 2019 in Moosonee, Ontario.
A 25 year-old male was found in at the location who was wanted for Robbery by the OPP Orillia Detachment. The male was turned over to the OPP and remained in custody pending a bail hearing.
Published on: September 19, 2018 | Last Updated: September 19, 2018 3:00 PM EDT
Medical patients and their escorts travelling between Southern Ontario and Northern Ontario are responsible for some of the illegal opiates being smuggled into First Nations communities on the James Bay coast, according to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).
Three persons suspected of supplying opiate drugs to James Bay communities have been arrested and charged with several offences said the RCMP on Wednesday
The RCMP said its Serious Organized Crime (SOC) team arrested drug traffickers who had been supplying prescription opiates to Northern communities. The arrests took place on Monday and Tuesday in Kingston, Ontario.
In October 2017, the Mushkegowuk Tribal Council which consists of First Nations in James Bay Region of Northern Ontario declared a state of emergency as a result of rampant opioid use, said the RCMP news release. At the same time, Health Canada requested that the RCMP investigate the trafficking of opiates between Kingston and Northern Ontario communities.
As it turned out, the investigation uncovered a criminal network in Kingston that was involved in illicit drug trafficking to Northern residents.
Police said the drugs were being transported to the area they called the Moose Factory Zone which included Attawapiskat, Fort Albany, Kashechewan, Moose Factory, Moosonee and Peawanuck.
“The drugs were being transported by patients and escorts for the patients arriving in Kingston, Ontario from the Moose Factory Zone (communities listed above) for medical treatment,” said RCMP Sgt. Penny Hermann, a media relations officer with the RCMP’s O Division. She said First Nations patients and escorts would use a medical charter flight that would make a round trip from the remote communities to Kingston daily between Monday to Friday.
Police said this led to the arrest of the following individuals:
Joshua Burtch, age 31, of Kingston, Ontario, is charged with:
-Trafficking a substance included in Schedule I – contrary to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA);
-Conspiracy to Traffic a substance included in Schedule I – contrary to the Criminal Code of Canada (CCC);
-Possession of Proceeds of Crime – contrary to the CCC.
Pearl Friday, age 40, of Kingston, Ontario, is charged with:
-Trafficking a substance included in Schedule I – contrary to the CDSA;
-Conspiracy to Traffic a substance included in Schedule I – contrary to the CCC;
-Possession of Proceeds of Crime – contrary to the CCC.
Michael Eric Loone (Ashamok), age 48, of Kingston, Ontario, charged with:
-Possession for the purpose of trafficking a substance included in Schedule I – contrary to the CDSA
“The RCMP combats criminal elements that exploit and take advantage of the remote geography of some Indigenous communities. This investigation shows how partnerships are essential in helping to get illicit drugs off of the streets and out of these communities,” stated Superintendent Ivan Verdurmen, RCMP North East District Commander.
Two of the accused persons, Pearl Friday and Eric Ashamok, both live in Kingston but are originally from the James Bay communities said Sgt. Hermann.
Police said all three accused will appear in court at 279 Wellington St, in Kingston, Ontario on October 3rd, 2018.
