On April 7th, 2020, as part of Ontario’s Action Plan: Response to COVID-19, the Ontario government announced $37 million to support outbreak planning, prevention, and mitigation efforts to ensure the health and well-being of Indigenous people and communities. Out of this $37 million, the Ministry of Children, Community and Social...
Important facts and information in going forward
HEALTH UPDATE
EMERGENCY ORDER On May 6, 2020, Ontario announced an extension of its emergency order to May 19, 2020. This is an extension from the previous order extending the order to May 12, 2020. The state of emergency order mandates the closure of outdoor amenities including parks and recreational areas, the...
Canada Emergency Student Benefit
On May 1, 2020 legislation authorizing $9 billion in financial aid for Canadian students and recent graduates was passed by royal assent. The legislation creates the Canada Emergency Student Benefit (CESB) which will provide income support to post-secondary students who have lost work opportunities as a result of COVID-19 and...
Education-School Closure Extension
School Closures Extended On April 26, 2020, the Education Minister Stephen Lecce announced that publicly-funded schools will be closed until May 31, 2020.If schools are allowed to be reopened in the future, employees will have access as of May 29, 2020.Private schools, First Nation schools, licensed child care centres and...
A GREAT LOSS FOR ONEIDA AND AIAI AS AN ELDER LEAVES THIS WORLD
London, Ontario April 29th, 2020 – Lois Cornelius touched many lives and it is with great sorrow that she left the world this morning. Lois sat on the Oneida Council, served as Oneida’s band administrator, and she was an elder with AIAI for over 20 years. More than anything she...
AIAI HONORS OUR MOTHER EARTH ON EARTH DAY
London, Ontario April 22nd, 2020 – In the midst of the Coronavirus the Association of Iroquois and Allied Indians would like us all to remember upon who we live and walk upon in our day to day lives. The earth has long been referred to by the Indigenous people as...
COVID-19 – Education (iPads & Internet Access)
The Government of Ontario announced on April 17, 2020 that they have partnered with Rogers Communications and Apple to assist students in obtaining access to online learning by providing iPad devices to Ontario school boards for distribution. The iPad devices will be pre-equipped with free Rogers LTE wireless data for...
COVID-19 Issues Update – Indigenous Business Supports
The Government of Canada has announced up to $306.8 million in funding to help small and medium-sized Indigenous businesses, and to support the 59 Aboriginal Financial Institutions that offer financing to these businesses. It is estimated that these measures will help 6,000 Indigenous-owned businesses. It was acknowledged that many Indigenous...
COVID-19 Issues Update – First Nations By-Law Enforcement
Solicitor General Sylvia Jones and Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Commissioner Thomas Carrique have responded to a number of concerns Ontario First Nations leadership have raised related First Nations policing and COVID-19. PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT First Nations Policing Program constables will be provided full access to Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) by...