MAKING PEACE VIGIL Newsletter - July 27, 2025

[Oscar]

MAKING PEACE VIGIL Newsletter - July 27, 2025


SPECIAL CAMPAIGN--TO CHANGE THE NAME OF DEWDNEY AVENUE, SPONSORED BY BUFFALO PEOPLE ARTS INSTITUTE -
REASONS NAME MUST BE CHANGED
One of the longest roadways in Regina, Dewdney Avenue is named to honour Edgar Dewdney, who from 1879-1888 was both Indian Commissioner and Lieutenant Governor of the North West Territories which included what is now Saskatchewan.
In those roles:
Dewdney carried out Prime Minister John A. Macdonald’s starvation policy, with-holding food from Indigenous Peoples until they moved onto reserves, thus clearing the plains for European settlement. Thousands of Indigenous People died as a result of this policy.
Dewdney violated Treaty promises by not allowing First Nations to select reserve locations.
Dewdney oversaw the establishment of the residential school system in what is now Saskatchewan.
Dewdney initiated policies to restrict the movement of First Nations. These policies led to the establishment of the Pass system, which lasted from 1885 to the 1950s, making what is now Saskatchewan into an apartheid state—and a model for South Africa when it was implementing its own apartheid policies in the 1940s.
Dewdney advised Prime Minister John A. Macdonald to make an example of Louis Riel by having him executed for his part in the North West Resistance to colonial occupation. The execution took place on a public gallows right here in Regina in 1885.
In addition, Dewdney was an opportunist and schemed to ensure he benefitted financially from his land investments when, in 1883, Regina was, at his urging, made capital of the North West Territories.
So this is Dewdney’s legacy: genocidal policies; apartheid policies; policies promoting white supremacy. This is not to mention his involvement in corrupt practices.
Why would we want to continue to honour Dewdney by maintaining his name on one of our roadways? Ten years after the publication of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s damning report, we still have a major roadway named Dewdney!
ACTION
Please contact Mayor Bachynski and your City Councillor and ask them to change the name of Dewdney Avenue:

Mayor Chad Bachynski 777-7339     mayor@regina.ca
Ward 1: Dan Rashovich 520-5014 drashovich@regina.ca
Ward 2: George Tsiklis 520-5015 gtsiklis@regina.ca
Ward 3: David Froh 520-5016 dfroh@regina.ca
Ward 4: Mark Burton 537-4411 mburton@regina.ca
Ward 5: Sarah Turnbull 520-5021 sturnbull@regina.ca
Ward 6: Victoria Flores 520-5022 vflores@regina.ca
Ward 7: Shobna Radons 520-5024 sradons@regina.ca
Ward 8: Shanon Zachidniak 552-5932 szachidn@regina.ca
Ward 9: Jason Mancinelli 519-0078 JMANCINE@regina.ca
Ward 10: Clark Bezo 520-5025 cbezo@regina.ca



GOOD READING & VIEWING & LISTENING

REGINA SET TO OPEN NEW PERMANENT EMERGENCY SHELTER—It has space for the same number of people as The Nest. When will Regina start spending money on providing social housing?
[ https://www.sasktoday.ca/regina-today/r ... r-10992562 ]


'I THINK IT WAS A SHOCK FOR EVERYBODY,' REGINA'S EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE DEBATES $285.1M COST FOR INDOOR AQUATIC FACILITY
[ https://www.sasktoday.ca/regina-today/r ... y-10984167 ]


‘NEVER GOING TO FEEL GOOD ABOUT THAT’: REGINA COUNCILLORS BACK $40M IAF BUDGET OVERRUN—Where is the money for social housing?
[ https://leaderpost.com/news/local-news/ ... et-overrun ]


SPSA DEFENDS DECISION TO WAIT UNTIL NOW TO REQUEST FEDERAL WILDFIRE ASSISTANCE
[ https://leaderpost.com/news/saskatchewa ... -wildfires ]


SASK. LOOKING AT INVOLUNTARY DRUG TREATMENT, DETAILS EXPECTED IN THE FALL—Really!
[ https://www.cjme.com/2025/07/23/sask-lo ... -fall-moe/ ]


SASKATCHEWAN SURVIVOR’S GUIDE, with Tammy Roberts & Paul Dechene
Tammy and Paul dive into the continued aftermath of a historic federal election, including Paul’s thoughts on why he voted Liberal for the first time.
[ https://tammyrobert.substack.com/p/sask ... ide-ep-141 ]


THE FIGHT TO GET COPS OUT OF SCHOOLS IN ONTARIO & BEYOND—including Regina
[ https://breachmedia.ca/the-fight-to-get ... nd-beyond/ ]


BE ANGRY AT THE SYSTEM, NOT HOMELESS PEOPLE, ADVOCATE URGES AHEAD OF CK ENCAMPMENT MEETING
[ https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/ ... -1.7593670 ]


CONTROVERSIAL SO-CALLED STREET PREACHERS CHARGED WITH HATE CRIMES IN BRITISH COLUMBIA
[ https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british- ... -1.7591134 ]


PEOPLE ASSUME I CAN'T BE A DOCTOR BECAUSE OF MY DISABILITY
[ https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/first-pe ... -1.7593679 ]


WHY DO WE KEEP LETTING CANADA’S ULTRA-RICH USE TAX HAVENS TO STASH WEALTH?
[ https://www.theglobeandmail.com/busines ... -loophole/ ]


NATO SPENDING’S FIRST CASUALTY: PHARMACARE, by Steve Staples
[ https://www.peacequest.ca/p/nato-spendi ... pharmacare ]


CANADA’S BOYCOTT IS FREAKING MAGA OUT, by Charlie Angus
[ https://charlieangus.substack.com/p/mag ... irect=true ]


CRISIS OF EVERYDAY LIVING, Letter by Ed Lehman—scroll down
[ https://leaderpost.com/opinion/letters/ ... gina-stage ]


CARNEY CALLS ISRAEL DENYING HUMANITARIAN AID IN GAZA 'VIOLATION OF INTERNATIONAL LAW'
[ https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/carney ... -1.7593698 ]


BEN CRUMP ON BREONNA TAYLOR, WILLIAM MCNEIL, SANIYAH CHEATHAM & DEMAND TO RELEASE MALCOLM X FILES
[ https://www.democracynow.org/2025/7/25/ ... nna_taylor ]


THE INSIDE STORY OF LAITH MAROUF'S ARREST AND DETENTION
[ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7miLmFDzgjo ]


SYSTEMATIC, COMPREHENSIVE, CONCRETE RESPONSE BY STATES TO GAZA DESTRUCTION IS NEEDED NOW
[ https://www.ceasefire.ca/systematic-com ... eeded-now/ ]


TWO MILLION PEOPLE ARE BEING STARVED TO DEATH IN GAZA AND WE ARE THE ALLIES OF DEATH, by Josh Paul
[ https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/ur ... 848751105/ ]


FROM THE WARSAW GHETTO TO GAZA, STARVATION IS A WEAPON OF WAR
[ https://www.democracynow.org/2025/7/24/ ... to_to_gaza ]


ISRAEL IS NOW BLAMING THE UN FOR ITS FAMINE. HERE’S THE REALITY
[ https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/famine-g ... ed-nations ]


FORMER UN CHIEF CALLS GAZA GENOCIDE “WORSE CRIME OF THE 21ST CENTURY”
[ https://www.commondreams.org/news/martin-griffiths-gaza ]


“WHY IS THE WORLD LETTING IT HAPPEN?”: U.K. SURGEON, BACK FROM GAZA, ON STARVING CHILDREN
[ https://www.democracynow.org/2025/7/25/ ... ynard_gaza ]


THE GAZA RIVERA, with Chris Hedges
[ https://chrishedges.substack.com/p/the-gaza-rivera ]


FORMER US GREEN BERET SAYS ISRAEL COMMITTED WAR CRIMES AT GAZA FOOD DISTRIBUTION SITE | BBC NEWS
[ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72aZhsNMOWk ]


ISRAEL, U.S. PULL OUT OF GAZA CEASEFIRE TALKS AS MACRON SAYS FRANCE WILL RECOGNIZE A PALESTINIAN STATE
[ https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/france-ma ... -1.7593315 ]


FREEDOM FLOTILLA SAILS TO GAZA TO BREAK ISRAEL’S “ENGINEERED FAMINE”
[ https://www.democracynow.org/2025/7/25/ ... la_handala ]


ISRAELI MILITARY ATTACKS HANDALA IN INTERNATIONAL WATERS
[ https://freedomflotilla.org/2025/07/26/ ... al-waters/ ]


ARE ARAB AUTOCRATS IN DANGER OF BEING OVERTHROWN? With Vijay Prashad
[ https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=gFXRItdwdV4 ]


ALGERIA SOUNDS THE ALARM OVER ISRĄEL’S WEST BANK ANNEXATION VOTE!
[ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfXcl14E3Cw ]


HOW CHINA’S BRI INSPIRED THE GLOBAL SOUTH
[ https://www.youtube.com/shorts/rlKXpqC2iY0 ]


YOU CAN’T KILL A RIVER
[ https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0724- ... ll-a-river ]


CAN THE POORER NATIONS BUILD A NEW ARCHITECTURE FOR DEVELOPMENT AND SOVEREIGNTY?
[ https://thetricontinental.org/newslette ... niversary/ ]


THE PERSECUTION OF FRANCESCA ALBANESE
[ https://chrishedges.substack.com/p/the- ... banese-431 ]


EVENTS, WEBINARS, TV PROGRAMS, & FILMS

SUNDAY JULY 27, 4 pm; 80 YEARS HIROSHIMA NAGASAKI PHOTOGRAPHIC EXHIBITION (CANADA-WIDE)
[ https://simpli.events/e/hiroshima-nagasaki-80-years ]


MONDAY JULY 28, 5 PM: COMMEMORATE THE CATASTROPHIC A-BOMBING OF HIROSHIMA
[ https://secure.everyaction.com/-Qka2ep-zEOerQkoNzaEkQ2 ]


MONDAY JULY 28, 10:30 am: WAR AND CAPITAL PUNISHMENT
[ https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/registe ... gistration ]


WEDNESDAY JULY 30, 10 am: OUR WORK ON OUR TERMS: NIGINAN'S CULTURALLY-BASED APPROACH TO HOMELESSNESS PREVENTION
[ https://preventhomelessness.ca/webinar/ ... revention/ ]


WEDNESDAY AUGUST 6, 5 pm: HOW TO START A DIVESTMENT CAMPAIGN
[ https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/registe ... nMxkZieIag ]


WEDNESDAY JULY 30, 5 pm: RESISTING PACIFIC WAR PREPARATIONS
[ https://uvic.zoom.us/meeting/register/T ... gistration ]


WEDNESDAY AUGUST 6, 7 pm: COMMEMORATION OF THE BOMBING OF HIROSHIMA, CENTRAL LIBRARY CE-1
Sponsor: Regina Peace Council. For more information call Ed at 306 718 8010


WEDNESDAY AUGUST 27, 1 pm: MEETING OF REGINA CITY COUNCIL—CITY OF REGINA ENCAMPMENT RESPONSE WILL BE ON THE AGENDA
Administrations report to Council regarding an encampment strategy is on the agenda for the August 27 meeting of City Council. The report can be found at the following link, pages 68-71: [ https://reginask.iqm2.com//Citizens/Fil ... nline=True ]
The city’s recommendations look very insufficient to me. Below is a Citizens Encampment Strategy to compare to the City’s.
We need lots of folks presenting at the meeting. Presentations have to be submitted by noon on Monday August 25. To submit a presentation, go to: [ https://www.regina.ca/city-government/c ... y-Council/ ]


A CITIZENS ENCAMPMENT STRATEGY
We, a group of concerned Regina citizens, call on the City of Regina to adopt an encampment policy/response/strategy that includes the following:
Commit to not removing encampments established on City property unless all residents have been provided with permanent, adequate, appropriate housing. To do otherwise, is to violate the Canadian Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms, “Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of the person and the right not to be deprived thereof except in accordance with the principles of fundamental justice.”
Provide support for such encampments. Support would include the provision of the following:
Bathrooms with handwashing capability
Potable water
Garbage disposal and collection
Easy access to public transportation
Repeal laws and policies criminalizing homelessness, including being in a City park after 11 pm and erecting tents and other such structures on public property without a permit or a license.
Continue to work to end houselessness in Regina so that encampments do not become a permanent feature of our city. Such work would include:
Commit to allocating $10 million annually, starting with the 2026 budget, to the construction of affordable rental units;
Work with other Saskatchewan municipalities to put pressure on the Government of Saskatchewan to make available for immediate occupation all empty Sask Housing units in Regina—and throughout the province;
Work with other Saskatchewan municipalities to put pressure on the Government of Saskatchewan to raise the rates of the province’s two income assistance programs above the poverty line—currently a person on the Saskatchewan Income Support program gets $1,005 a month, while a person on Saskatchewan Assured Income For Disability receives on average $1,382 a month—both well below the poverty line;
Work with municipalities across Canada to put pressure on the Government of Canada to restart the national affordable housing program, cancelled in 1993, which, for a period, starting in 1974, created up to 20,000 affordable housing units every year.


STARTING MONDAY SEPTEMBER 8, FIGHTING TO WIN: A 10 WEEK COURSE WITH JOHN CLARK
[ https://www.tickettailor.com/events/pan ... ol/1782334 ]


FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 19, 10 am: RAISING OF THE PEACE FLAG TO MARK INTERNATIONAL PEACE DAY, REGINA CITY HALL


THURSDAY OCTOBER 2, 4:30 – 11:30 pm: REGINA 2025 POINT-IN-TIME—PiT—COUNT OF HOMELESSNESS IN REGINA,
Volunteers are needed for Regina’s 2025 PiT Count, which will take place on October 2. Namerind Housing Corporation, as the Reaching Home Community Entity for Regina, will be leading the 2025 PiT Count of homelessness on October 2nd, and they need volunteers to make it happen.
To volunteer, go to: [ https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/call-for-vo ... tdtcreator ]


NEW PETITIONS & OTHER ACTIONS

EMERGENCY ROOMS WITHOUT EMERGENCY DOCTORS. DEMAND BETTER HEALTHCARE FOR SASKATCHEWAN
[ https://www.saskndp.ca/fixhealth ]


PROTECT CHILDREN FROM MEASLES. URGENT ACTION NEEDED
[ https://www.change.org/p/protect-childr ... ion-needed ]


NO CUTS TO PHARMACARE
[ https://win.newmode.net/canadianhealthc ... pharmacare ]


CALL FOR A NATIONAL WILDFIRE PLAN
[ https://act.naturecanada.ca/page/173783/action/1 ]


URGE CANADA TO PROTECT PERSECUTED TRANSGENDER AMERICANS
[ https://www.change.org/p/urge-canada-to ... -americans ]


STOP INVESTING PENSIONS & RETIREMENT FUNDS IN FOSSIL FUEL COMPANIES
[ https://act.stand.earth/page/84854/action/1 ]


FAST FASHION = PLASTIC POLLUTION
[ https://action.greenpeace.org.uk/fast-f ... pollution2 ]


- Making Peace Vigil