Michael MacDonald

78 Articles

Descendants of Canada's only all-Black battalion to receive apology

Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan paid tribute on Sunday, March 28, 2021, to Canada’s only all-Black unit to serve during the First World War, saying the 600 members of No. 2 Construction Battalion and their descendants are owed an apology for the racism they faced despite their willingness to serve.

By Michael MacDonald | News, Politics | March 29th 2021

The dispute over Nova Scotia's Indigenous lobster fishery, explained

Tensions remain high in the dispute over the Indigenous lobster fishery in Nova Scotia. Here are five things to know about the situation.

By Michael MacDonald | News | October 20th 2020

First Nations in New Brunswick file lawsuit to seek declaration of Aboriginal title

Six First Nations in New Brunswick have filed a lawsuit seeking a declaration of title for their traditional lands, which include much of the western half of the province.

By Michael MacDonald | News, Politics | October 6th 2020

Workers, medical examiner, body, gas bar, Enfield,

Groups 'shocked' by minister's approach

A coalition of groups devoted to eliminating gender-based violence across Canada is urging Ottawa and Nova Scotia to refrain from using a restorative justice approach for a promised inquiry into the mass killing that claimed 22 lives in the Maritime province.

By Michael MacDonald | News, Politics | July 8th 2020

Top Indigenous leader demands zero tolerance for police excessive use of force

The only way to overcome racism in Canada's policing agencies is to impose systemic change and a zero-tolerance policy aimed at eliminating the excessive use of force, the head of the country's largest Indigenous organization said on Monday, June 15, 2020.

By Michael MacDonald | News, Politics | June 16th 2020

Police lack mental health training, according to a former New Brunswick ombudsman

A former provincial ombudsman says the recent police shootings of two Indigenous people in New Brunswick have left him feeling distraught over the lack of police training on dealing with mental health issues, like those presented by the two victims.

By Michael MacDonald | News, Politics | June 14th 2020

Seeking to explain Nova Scotia shootings: shooter an "injustice collector"

More than seven weeks after a man disguised as a Mountie killed 22 people in rural Nova Scotia, the RCMP have finally hinted at what may have motivated one of the worst mass killings in Canadian history.

By Michael MacDonald | News, Politics | June 8th 2020

RCMP investigator, inspects, house, destroyed, fire, Alanna Jenkins, Sean McLeod,

RMCP chief defends 'dynamic and fluid' response to Nova Scotia massacre

Under fire for how they alerted the public to a 12-hour massacre that took the lives of 22 people, the Nova Scotia RCMP defended their actions on Wednesday, April 22, 2020, saying their use of Twitter was effective.

By Michael MacDonald & Keith Doucette | News, Politics | April 23rd 2020

RCMP officer among 17 confirmed dead in Nova Scotia killing spree

RCMP say 17 people are dead, including one of their officers, after a man who at one point wore a police uniform and drove a mock-up cruiser went on a rampage across northern Nova Scotia in one of the deadliest killing sprees in Canadian history.

By Michael MacDonald | News, Politics | April 20th 2020

Woman in Newfoundland arrested for refusing to self-isolate

The arrest of a woman in Newfoundland for refusing to stay inside after she arrived from outside the province is raising questions about the extent to which law enforcement agencies can limit basic freedoms to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Coronavirus in Canada

By Michael MacDonald | News, Politics | March 26th 2020