APTN National News: July 20, 2026

[00:00:02]Live from Treaty One Territory, this is APN National [music] News recognized as Canada's best national newscast.

[00:00:18]Welcome to APN National News. Many in the dog rescue community are grieving as a woman was found dead in the Sandy Bay Ojiway First Nation after an apparent dog mauling. The Manitoba First Nations Police Service says the matter does not appear to be suspicious and that multiple aggressive dogs were roaming the area where she was found.

[00:00:39]Sandy Bay is about 175 km northwest of Winnipeg. A call was made to the Manitoba First Nations Police Service detachment before 1:00 a.m. on July 17th. The caller asked to help locate their friend Amanda Nobus, who was in the community doing work for a nonprofit animal rescue organization. Police say her phone was still pinging in Sandy Bay. Officers went to the area and had a drone assist in the search. However, Nobis was not located. Around 6:00 a.m., a local maintenance worker located No, deceased in the same area as the ping.

[00:01:11]K9 Advocacy Manitoba confirmed later that day in a Facebook post that one of their volunteers had died, adding, "Anytime we suffer the loss of a valued member of our community, it calls us to pull together to honor the work, dedication, and commitment that they have contributed to our mission." Over the weekend, Sandy Bay Chief and Council also shared a statement saying they have been trying to tackle the long-standing issue of stray and aggressive dogs. They believe the advocate entered the community after business hours and attempted to retrieve dogs, saying this process is a reminder to inform authority of entry to community. In a statement, leadership said in part, "An animal retrieval activities within the community are not authorized without the prior approval of Sandy Bay Ojiway First Nation and the oversight of the Manitoba First Nations Police Service or First Nations Security Officers. The police, the advocacy group, and the First Nation all send condolences to Novvis's family, friends, and community. The Southern Chief's organization shared her photo in a statement on the weekend as well, saying, "Amanda was dedicated to saving the lives of dogs. Please join us in extending prayers of comfort to the family, loved ones, and friends of Amanda as they grieve the loss of a brave, dedicated, and caring individual." MFNPS say the cause of death remains under investigation and is pending the results of an autopsy.

[00:02:27]Now, to the latest on the wildfire situation in Canada. There are 955 of them burning across the country with hundreds considered out of control. 191 of those fires are burning in Ontario and Premier Doug Ford says everything possible is being done to contain them.

[00:02:45]>> We're doing absolutely every resource we can possibly throw at this, including bringing people in from Alberta, firefighters and water bombers from uh the Yukon and any other jurisdiction that's uh willing to help.

[00:03:00]Thousands of people in Ontario have been forced to evacuate their homes with more communities preparing to leave.

[00:03:06]Indigenous communities have been hit the hardest with leaders saying the government's response has been slow, something Ford denies. More than 6,500 square kilometers have burned so far.

[00:03:19]A First Nations community in northern Ontario got a first look at video of the devastation caused by a massive wildfire. This came as the Anisha nation calls out senior levels of government for not supporting the community as it struggles to pick up the pieces. APN's Mike McDonald reports.

[00:03:40]Footage taken from an Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources helicopter shows the aftermath of the wildfire that destroyed the community of Naga Sagan First Nation, also known as Collins.

[00:03:50]Chief Helen Pava says she was shown the footage during a meeting with ministry officials. They did a preliminary fly over of the community and I heard of the video. Um, so going into the meeting, they wanted to give me an overview of the provincial fires. That's not what I was there for. So I just straight away asked, I know there's a video, show me.

[00:04:15]So that's where we went right into the video. And unfortunately, and you know, I did uh break down. Chief Pavla reiterates that it was members of the community that facilitated the evacuation.

[00:04:27]>> It was just a matter of minutes before my members would have died and you know even during that whole time there was no help. We had no help. They had no help and they had to do it on their own and they did.

[00:04:39]>> Naagan does not have official ban status which has seemingly placed the community in a jurisdictional gray area. On Thursday at the AFN's chief's meeting, Anishnab Nation Grand Council Chief Linda Dbosigi called out the Ontario and federal governments for not acting.

[00:04:54]>> They're being treated as a jurisdictional pinball between both the federal government and provincial government. There have been no financial or human resource supports to support this community presently and throughout the entire week. us on our own, our first nations in Ontario, the Inishnabek nation have been the only support to this community, a community that has been devastated and left to ashes.

[00:05:21]>> The Islamabic nation has been at the you know right there since like right at the beginning and they have they have given us overwhelmed support. The chiefs have called the chiefs are donating you know uh they stood up there, you know, standing up for us at the assembly. Uh the Islamic nation has given us overwhelming support.

[00:05:41]>> Donations have been arriving at the community's Thunder Bay office. This collection of donations being delivered by the Nokiwin Tribal Council. The Inishname Nation's seventh generation charity is accepting monetary donations to help displaced residents. Mike McDonald, APN National News, Thunder Bay.

[00:05:59]>> Canon. Mike, after eight days at a hospital here in Winnipeg, a mother and daughter have returned home to Brandon.

[00:06:06]APN's Kira Stevens explains.

[00:06:08]>> In Brandon, Manitoba, on July 7th, Faith Flet was at a marked pedestrian crosswalk on her way to work.

[00:06:15]>> I was walking. I just pressed the button like four times because there was like cars speeding and all that. So, I was like, "Okay, I'll just press this four times." And then the car the other car stopped and then I was like, "Okay, maybe I'm safe to go." So, I start walking and then all of a sudden I that car I don't even remember what the car looked like. I just all I remember is just getting ramped and my boss seen it all go down.

[00:06:41]>> Christa McFersonson is Faith's mom. She was at home waiting for a ride when Faith's boss called her.

[00:06:47]>> My coworker and he drove me right straight to the scene. I got out. They had her in the ambulance already and wouldn't let me see her. wouldn't let me in the ambulance.

[00:07:01]Um, I was just I think I was in shock. I didn't I thought the worst right away. I thought my baby was gone.

[00:07:09]>> McFersonson found her own way to the emergency room. When she got there, >> she was hysterical. She was in pain. I could hear her screaming the second I entered the ER entrance.

[00:07:21]So, I just went right to the room. I knew I I just followed her cries.

[00:07:26]Faith says she can't understand why a Brandon police officer arrived so quickly to take a statement. They're trying to ask more questions, but I was like I I really can't I can't even I I didn't even understand what they were saying cuz everything was moving so fast. My body was aching and like I couldn't feel my I couldn't feel my legs. That was the big thing. I couldn't feel my legs. I couldn't I couldn't move. I couldn't like do anything. So, I was just laying there just kind of like selfish and all that. Like it it felt like I was dead.

[00:07:58]>> The investigating officer was just it was unbelievable. I was in shock still from the accident, but then even more shocked by how I was being spoken to by the person that I thought was going to be helping us.

[00:08:14]>> Faith had nine broken ribs, two punctured lungs, a fractured spine, and her pelvis was broken in three places.

[00:08:22]But in spite of this, she's recovering fast at home. She was discharged from the children's hospital on July 15th.

[00:08:29]>> Since then, it's just been ongoing. Face been the most strongest, resilient person I know. She's she's shocked the doctors, the surgeons, her physio. She shocked myself.

[00:08:42]>> Before the accident, Faith enjoyed being outside, going for walks, playing badminton. And now I'm even I'm just too scared to even step outside. Now when my mom would push me when my mom would take me out in the wheelchair, I would I wouldn't even like want to like go close to the road like I don't I still don't want to.

[00:09:06]Since the accident, Christa McFersonson quit her job to look after Faith full time. Both mother and daughter hope this story teaches drivers to keep their eyes on the road. According to Brandon police, the driver who hit Faith remained at the scene. They say the case is still under investigation and no charges have been laid. Kira Stevens, APN National News, Winnipeg.

[00:09:29]>> Tapuei Jakira. We're always looking for your feedback or story ideas. Here's how you can connect with us. If you have a story you want to share, send us an email to newsap.ca.

[00:09:40]To read and watch our stories, go to apnnews.ca. [music] Never miss a story by downloading the new APN News app. You can find us online on your favorite social media sites, including Tik Tok, YouTube, LinkedIn, and X. Follow [music] APN News to join the conversation and see our latest stories.

[00:09:59]And we hear from an Inishab research scholar who studied [music] data of indigenous women's birthing experiences.

[00:10:05]That story when we come back. Tesqua.

[00:10:17]>> [music] >> Come on in. Beat the gu. The Canada Child Benefit has increased for the 2026 2027 benefit year. The payments are going up about 2% for eligible parents.

[00:10:31]That means those who have children under six will receive up to 8,157 per child and up to 6,883 per child for children between 6 and 17 years old. It works out to increases of between 135 to 160 annually. The benefit has been adjusted to inflation and roughly $3.6 million Canadians will see the increase.

[00:10:59]New data examining respectful maternity care reveals indigenous women in Canada are experiencing widespread mistreatment and disrespect during pregnancy and childirth. The study examined over 6,000 mothers experiences with 309 of them self-declaring as first nations inuit or matei. An inishnab woman from the hollow water first nation in Manitoba studied the data.

[00:11:24]>> Moon.

[00:11:25]who wouldn't know it now watching McKenzie Mori play with her energetic 5-year-old son, Jacobe.

[00:11:32]She had a long recovery after an emergency C-section birth in November 2020 when she was 16.

[00:11:39]>> They inserted my epidural and it wasn't inserted right. It I felt everything on this side of my body. I felt them cutting me open. I felt my baby come out of me. and I felt them putting me back together.

[00:11:56]>> McKenzie says she was isolated for over a week from her baby's father, family, and didn't get much help from hospital staff.

[00:12:03]>> Couldn't walk or nothing. I was in a lot of pain. And I didn't really get help from the the the night staff. I guess [snorts] they actually starved my baby.

[00:12:18]I don't want anybody go through that again. I don't want to let anybody go what I went through.

[00:12:24]Jacobe was born at St. Anony's Hospital in the Paw, Manitoba. In 2025, McKenzie's doctor was found guilty of professional misconduct by the College of Physicians and Surgeons, not for her, but for four other patients.

[00:12:38]>> I don't know. I wish I had the other doctor, honestly. But I didn't really have a choice.

[00:12:44]>> New data from Canada's first national survey examining respectful maternity care shows McKenzie's experience isn't isolated. Here are our seven teachings.

[00:12:53]>> Wanda Phillips Beck is a nurse and research scholar. She reviewed the experience of 309 indigenous mothers out of 6,000 in the study which ran between July 2020 and February 2022.

[00:13:05]>> We can make a huge difference in our healthcare system when we just spend a little bit more time explaining and being sensitive to their needs and being aware that, you know, these women are already under a great deal of stress, especially women that are coming from our northern communities. Nearly 75% of the indigenous mothers in the study say they were disrespected, faced discrimination, left unattended, and did not get the care they needed.

[00:13:30]>> Having procedures uh performed on them without having adequate consent or being coerced into to certain procedures that they didn't necessarily um have enough information about. And some of those are unfortunately sterilizations and C-sections. Phillips Beck says the study offers solutions including the importance of indigenous midwives.

[00:13:54]>> Doesn't necessarily mean that we deliver our babies in every community because we just don't have the resources to support that in every community. But what we can have is a midwife and that culturally um sensitive care that uh would go a long way.

[00:14:12]>> And having a midwife could have made a difference for McKenzie and Jacobe in 2020. I didn't see anybody. Basically, I was practically by myself.

[00:14:23]>> While McKenzie wasn't in the study, she believes it's numbers after an experience that's left her scarred and scared to have another baby.

[00:14:34]The United Church of Canada has a 9year, $81 million project opening its doors Monday in Vancouver, British Columbia.

[00:14:43]called First United. The facility will be a major investment in supporting people in Vancouver's downtown east side. The 40,000 square foot space offers free low barrier services in the form of community gathering spaces, climate refuge during extreme weather, spiritual care, and dedicated programming for women. First United has been offering services to the downtown east side since 1885. The new facility has indigenous footprints all over it to welcome the highly represented indigenous population living in the area.

[00:15:17]So, First United is part of the United Church of Canada and we have a history of running residential schools and we have since apologized, but it is a very clear goal of ours to continue this work of reconciliation. We know there can be no reconciliation without the truth and we also know there can be no reconciliation without action. And that is why we embarked on tearing down a church to show that commitment to this work. You can come in, you can have a coffee, you can get your filtered water, you can get harm reduction, you can go to our community hub and pick up your mail. You can pick up socks and toiletries. You can have a shower. You can have one of the best meals. You can go get legal services for free. You can file your taxes. You can have a nap. You can sit and just be and charge your phone and not be shued away.

[00:16:04]>> [snorts] >> The government of Nunavv has decided not to buy a minority ownership in Canadian North after completing a year-long review.

[00:16:13]The option to invest in the airline was included in a 10-year commercial airline agreement signed in July 2025 between Nunov and Airline Owner Exchange Income Corporation. Canadian North is the only commercial airline serving Nunov. After reviewing financial and strategic impacts, the government concluded it can achieve its goals of reliable and sustainable air service without becoming part owner of the airline. The existing agreement remains in place and the government says it will continue working with Exchange Income to improve long-term stability for air travel in the territory. Exchange Income backs several northern community airlines such as Perimeter, Bearskin, and Wasaya Airlines.

[00:16:54]We now want to give you the results to last week's web poll questions. Our first question was, what should carry more weight in determining an inmate's likelihood [music] of reaffending? 8% said past criminal history, 32% said current behavior and rehabilitation progress, and 60% said both equally.

[00:17:14][music] Our second question was, should the Mount Poly mine expansion proceed despite the site's [music] 2014 Tailings Dam collapse? 15% said yes, and 85% said [music] no. And our final question was, "Does your home have air conditioning?"

[00:17:30]66% said yes. 24% said no, but I need it, and 10% said no, and [music] I don't need it. Thanks to everyone who took the time to vote. Check back on our website to see this week's new web poll questions at a [music] newsw.ca.

[00:17:45]And we take you to the Fringe Festival in Winnipeg for an updated [music] play about the founder of Manitoba. That story right after the break. Chesqua.

[00:17:53][music] [music] Wow. Welcome back. Starting on the east coast, Halifax 22, Frederickton 21 over to Wuktuak 14, Kuak 10.

[00:18:13]Sean A 19, Quebec City 21 down in Sarnia 25, Sus Staint Marie 24, Big Trout Lake 19 and Capis Skasing 20, Churchill 10, Pucket Wagen 15, Gimley and Winnipeg 22, Princess Harbor 24, North Battleford 19, Regina 18, Stony Rapids and Uranium City 18, Lange 14.

[00:18:45]Eggua moving west. Peace river 14. Grand Prairie 16.

[00:18:50]Redier [music] 15. Lethbridge 18.

[00:18:54]Over to Campbell's 21. Campbell River and Tofino 17.

[00:18:59]These lake also 17. Smithers 20.

[00:19:03]Rock river 20. [music] Mayo 15.

[00:19:07]Fort Leard 18. Normanwell 17.

[00:19:12]Takto Toyaktuck 17, Kula Lake 19.

[00:19:16]Over to Cambridge Bay 11 and Chesterfield 16.

[00:19:21]Up in Arctic Bay 3, Annie Called [music] 4.

[00:19:25]A new production has taken to the stage in Winnipeg for the annual Fringe Festival. The seven lives of Louis Realel tells the story of his life from seven different perspectives. With more again, here's APN's Kira Stevens.

[00:19:44]There's no Louis Realel play like this.

[00:19:46]>> The Seven Lives of Louis Realel is meant to tell the history of the Matei leader while keeping it light with added humor.

[00:19:53]Cory Wchic is both a writer and an actor in the play.

[00:19:56]>> It makes me very proud because the history's around us. We we can go out on the street, we'll see uh the street names and like we mentioned that there's Louis Rail's names all over this place.

[00:20:07]And so to to know that I have ancestors that come from these stories and now like Louis Realel says 100 years later I get to be a part of that and I get to be one of those. We get to be one of those artists that are bringing the spirit back, helping to bring the spirit back.

[00:20:22]I feel very proud to be able to be doing it.

[00:20:24]>> The play was originally written by Ryan Gladstone, a non-Matei man until he gifted the script to Walchick. This isn't a one-man show. Wic shares the stage with Katie German who was also involved in the writing process.

[00:20:37]>> All of us uh got together on Zoom and we recreated it. We reinvisioned it. We reimagined it. Um so we tried out a whole bunch of different versions, a whole bunch of different stories. Um and so we've been working on it since uh the spring I guess until now. Um so it's been quite a a long process and a wonderful process. Jeanv Peltier joined the team as the director and with plenty of experience in the theater world helped create the story.

[00:21:03]>> So it was really important for us to take this play that had been written by a white dude uh really really brilliant intelligent uh really intelligent piece but we wanted to tell it from our perspective. And so I feel that we took the time to be able to do that so that we can tell history but the way that we want to tell history. And also I think it's really important for indigenous folks to reclaim their stories.

[00:21:28]>> The whole crew is made up of five people who are all matey.

[00:21:31]>> I hope somebody goes, "I didn't know that. I I'm I'm a little bit curious."

[00:21:34]And then through that you'll you'll find more about this about our history and then maybe there'll be some matey folks out there who are starting their journey and be like, "Wow, uh this is absolutely about me."

[00:21:45]>> Sorry.

[00:21:46]>> Oh no, we've been colonized.

[00:21:49]>> [laughter] >> I I was not super enthralled by Louis Realel because the way that it was taught to me was through books and very like dry and boring. And so coming to this play, I found it really exciting to hear um who he was as a human and hear all these different stories and being able to play them out on stage I think is really fun. The cast says they feel proud to be performing in the homeland of the Red River Matei. Pelte hopes the Winnipeg Fringe is just the starting place for the play. We're we're we're doing the French version. Uh it'd be great to be able to to, you know, have a real set designer, have a real lighting designer, you know, it'd be great to do this play in a more grandiose way, I guess, but this is really fun to do it this way. It's a really quick.

[00:22:34]>> Kira Stevens, APN National News, Winnipeg.

[00:22:39]>> Get an Ask in Kira. The Seven Lives of Louis Realel has a show every day from now until Sunday, July 26th at the Prairie Theater Exchange in downtown Winnipeg. And that's all the time we have for this Monday Midday Cast Mino Punapo Gizagawan. For news anytime, go to our website at anews.ca or go and download our news app. I'm Tier Wheatley. It's been a pleasure to be here with you. Join us again at 6 p.m. Eastern. Until then, from all of us here to all of you out there, [music] Heat. Heat.

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