Canada in Brief, Aug. 18-24

Indigenous leaders praise Gord Downie for calling attention to their plight

TORONTO—Leaders of Canada’s indigenous community say they feel stunned and grateful to Tragically Hip frontman Gord Downie for training the spotlight on issues plaguing First Nations.

Downie spoke passionately of struggles in Canadian native communities during what was widely presumed to be the iconic band’s final performance on Aug. 20 in Kingston, Ont.

Addressing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who was in the audience, Downie said he believed the PM could help bring about meaningful change for Canada’s beleaguered indigenous peoples.

Indigenous leaders thanked Downie for taking time to speak up for their communities in the midst of his own struggle battling brain cancer, and said his words are yet another powerful call for change that they hope both politicians and regular citizens will heed.

May to stay as Green leader, party to revisit Israeli boycott issue

OTTAWA—Elizabeth May will remain Green party leader despite a controversy over the Middle East that has divided members.

May says she wants to continue her work on electoral reform and will have more credibility as a party leader. She spent the last several days pondering her future during a vacation in Cape Breton.

She firmly squelched suggestions she was considering joining the NDP or the Liberals. She also says party members will be asked to reconsider their support of a movement to boycott Israel.

At the party’s recent convention, members voted to express support for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel—a move May opposed and which Jewish groups swiftly denounced.

Doctors want minimum age set at 21 for marijuana use and possession

VANCOUVER—The Canadian Medical Association says 72 percent of doctors who responded to a survey it conducted want the federal government to regulate THC levels in recreational marijuana.

A total of 788 doctors, or 19 percent of the association’s membership, responded to the survey earlier this summer.

Nearly 87 per cent of the physicians who took part in the survey also say they need updated research on the harms of cannabis, while more than a quarter of the respondents say a minimum age of 21 should be set for anyone who buys or possesses pot.

The association surveyed its members before the government introduces legislation expected next year to legalize marijuana.

Alberta says no charges for US hunter who killed bear with a spear

EDMONTON—An Alberta government spokesperson says a U.S. hunter who posted a video of himself baiting and then killing a bear with a spear will not face charges.

The spokesperson with Alberta Justice said the investigation into the video, posted on YouTube in June by hunter Josh Bowmar, is done and there was no evidence to suggest any law was broken.

The video by Bowmar, who runs an Ohio-based fitness company with his wife, set off a deluge of outrage before it was made private.

The spokesperson also said the province is looking at changing hunting regulations, with a ban on spear hunting expected in the fall.

Extra-terrestrials, psychic powers: Most Canadians believe, poll finds

A new Angus Reid public opinion poll finds more than three-quarters of Canadians believe that certain things that happen on Earth cannot be explained by science.

Four in five Canadians believe intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe, and almost half believe extra-terrestrials have already visited this planet.

When it comes to paranormal phenomena, nearly half of Canadians believe some people have psychic powers that enable them to predict future events—the majority being women.

However, Canadians are less sold on other paranormal phenomena like ghosts and cryptids—animals that have not been proven to exist, like the Sasquatch or the Ogopogo. Three-quarters say these animals either probably or definitely don’t exist.

Royals to visit Vancouver, Victoria, Whitehorse during Canadian visit

Kensington Palace tweeted on Aug. 22 that Prince William and his wife, Kate, will visit Vancouver, Victoria, Bella Bella, Haida Gwaii, and Kelowna in British Columbia as well as Whitehorse and Carcross in Yukon. The trip will take place between Sept. 24 and Oct. 1.

This will be the royal couple’s second visit to Canada. Their first, following their 2011 wedding, drew large crowds wherever they went, including a packed Canada Day gathering on Parliament Hill.

The couple’s children, George and Charlotte, are reportedly slated to accompany their parents on their upcoming trip.

Quebec health minister sorry for comments in reaction to PQ shooter verdict

Quebec’s health minister is apologizing after suggesting that convicted election-night shooter Richard Bain acted partly out of frustration with the political rhetoric in the province.

Gaetan Barrette said Wednesday, Aug. 24, that citizens can act violently when people stir things up too much in society. He was reacting to Tuesday’s conviction of Bain on one charge of second-degree murder and three counts of attempted murder.

Bain started shooting outside the venue in 2012 where Parti Quebecois supporters had gathered to celebrate their election victory.

Barrette offered his apologies to anyone who might have been offended by his comments. PQ leadership candidate Martine Ouellet is calling for Barrette to resign.

With files from The Canadian Press and Epoch Times