Sask. First Nation refutes claims of forced COVID-19 vaccinations
A Saskatchewan First Nation is pushing back against baseless claims involving the community.
False claims circulating on social media alleged people in Black Lake First Nation were being forced to take COVID-19 vaccines, with people fleeing "into the bush" to avoid being vaccinated.
"Chief and council in Black Lake First Nation, Saskatchewan strongly refute statements made in a careless Facebook video," the First Nation's leadership said in a statement shared with media.
"Black Lake First Nation strongly supports the personal choice and freedom to choose to be vaccinated or remain unvaccinated."
The video also prompted a response from the Athabasca Health Authority (AHA), which serves the community.
"There is no dire situation in Black Lake," the AHA said in a statement issued after it became aware of the misinformation circulating online.
"We can confirm to you that no one is hiding nor forced to the bush for avoiding (vaccinations)."
According to the AHA, vaccine uptake is "steadily increasing by the day" in the community.
The First Nation was hard hit by a COVID-19 outbreak during the summer and the community's chief Archie Robillard died after testing positive for the illness.
In its statement, the AHA said there are no active COVID-19 cases in Black Lake or any other community served by the health authority.
Black Lake is one of two AHA communities where a tuberculosis outbreak was declared earlier this month.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
For the first time in report's history, Canada's air quality worse than U.S.
Air quality in Canada is now worse than in the U.S., according to the 6th Annual World Air Quality Report. Of the 15 most polluted cities in the two countries, 14 were in Canada.
A newspaper says video of Prince William and Kate should halt royal rumour mill. That's a tall order
Prince William and his wife Catherine have been filmed at a farm shop near their Windsor home, The Sun newspaper reported -- the first footage of Kate since she had abdominal surgery for an unspecified condition two months ago.
WATCH LIVE As former prime minister Mulroney lies in state, public tributes in Ottawa begin
Members of the public who wish to pay tribute to Brian Mulroney can visit his casket in Ottawa starting this afternoon.
BREAKING Roy McMurtry, former Ontario attorney general, dies at 91
CTV News has confirmed that former Ontario attorney general Roy McMurtry has died.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
'You ask for your money, they disappear': Ontario man loses $17K to AI crypto scam
A Toronto man is spreading the word of a cryptocurrency scam that lures victims using AI-generated news sites after he lost $17,000 in investments.
Images taken deep inside melted Fukushima reactor show damage, but leave many questions unanswered
Images taken by miniature drones from deep inside a badly damaged reactor at the Fukushima nuclear plant show displaced control equipment and misshapen materials but leave many questions unanswered, underscoring the daunting task of decommissioning the plant.
DEVELOPING February inflation rate slows to 2.8% as price growth unexpectedly eases
Canada's annual inflation rate unexpectedly fell to 2.8 per cent last month, amid sharp declines in cellular and internet services as well as slower grocery price growth.
High thoughts: The habits of Canadian cannabis users are revealed in a new StatCan report
Statistics Canada has conducted a series of surveys to measure the impacts of legalized cannabis since the Cannabis Act took effect in 2018. The latest one, the 2023 National Cannabis Survey, sheds light on users' preferences and habits last year.