Couple's 25% TD car loan called 'predatory'

A B.C. couple are speaking out about how they feel they were misled into a 25 per cent vehicle loan from TD, which has left them paying more than double the price of their car.

"We're paying $21,000 for the loan — then $23,000 in interest," said Angie Hauser of Kelowna. "They're making money off of people who have no money."

"We've been robbed by a bank with the help of a car dealer. I mean, that's the only way I see it," said her husband Enzo Gamarra.

The Dodge Avenger the couple financed for $21,000 will end up costing them $44,000 if they don't get a break on the loan. (CBC)

"Why would I want to pay $44,000 for a car that's now only worth $15,000?"

Hauser and Gamarra are among a growing number of Canadians without adequate credit who are being signed up for subprime bank loans by car dealerships.

"I went in willingly to get the loan, because we needed a car. But, from what I was told and what I was promised when I went in — now I feel like I've been lied to," said Hauser, who insists they were assured their interest rate could be lowered, substantially, after a year.

"It's been more than 30 months. We never missed a payment, and we still have the same car and we still have the same high interest," said Gamarra.

Banks in the business

Increasingly, Canada's major banks are behind high-interest loans such as theirs. TD has become one of the bigger players in recent years, since acquiring car financing companies in Canada and the U.S.

Dealers typically take a cut when the financing is approved, by marking up the loan amount, or from referral fees paid by the lender.

TD says its auto finance division now has $14.3 billion in "indirect" loans brokered by dealers on its books, which is up three per cent over last year.

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That money was loaned to both regular and subprime borrowers, the latter being people who don't have adequate credit ratings to qualify for regular financing.

"Subprime" became a household term after the economic crisis of 2008, which was partly caused by defaults on high-risk mortgages in the U.S.

Hauser and Gamarra declared bankruptcy in 2010 over credit card debt. The following year, they saw a sign at a Kelowna dealership offering financing for people with bad credit.

"We wanted to get a reliable car for our family," said Hauser.

No other financing available

She manages a beauty supply company and her husband is a courier. They have a four-year-old daughter.

At the time they got the loan, they said, their car had broken down beyond repair.

According to the customers, Okanagan Chrysler assured them they could get refinancing at a much lower rate, if they made their payments for a year. (CBC)

They said they had no money saved for another car, but they needed one to get to work, so financing was their only option.

"I know it's our fault we got into it, but it's ridiculous. It's like rich people getting rich off the poor," said Hauser. "It's a way to loan-shark, legally."

They said Okanagan Chrysler Jeep Dodge sold them a 2010 Dodge Avenger, by promising them if they made their payments faithfully for a year, the dealer would then secure another TD loan, perhaps on a trade-in, at a much lower interest rate.

"We had to get the car they wanted … we didn't even get to choose the car that we purchased," said Hauser, despite their preference for a lower-priced model.

The sign outside the dealership advertises "No Problem" financing for people in bankruptcy. (CBC)

"We worked so hard to make these perfect payments so we could get refinanced."

After a year, records show the couple went back to the dealership and directly to TD, asking for better terms.

They said they were shocked when they were told they still couldn't get an affordable rate, because of their bankruptcy.

"How can you deny me refinancing when I've been in bankruptcy when you gave me a loan in bankruptcy? It doesn't make sense," said Hauser.

TD loans officer surprised

At first, Hauser said, the loan officer they met with at the local TD Canada Trust branch didn't even believe the bank could charge 25 per cent interest.

"And then he went through the paperwork we had, and said 'I can't believe TD did a loan like this,'" she said.

The annual percentage rate charged on the TD loan, which includes all fees, is 25.44% over a seven-year term. (CBC)

TD Auto Finance then sent a letter denying their request for refinancing.

The couple also went to another dealership, asking for a trade-in and new financing. They said that dealer arranged another loan, also from TD, at 15 per cent interest, including the dealership's cut.

The loan term was shorter, however, with higher monthly payments, so they couldn't afford that either. That left them locked into the full term of the original 25 per cent loan — a total of seven years.

"It's grocery money, it's money for my daughter. It's just so stressful I can't even explain what it does to us," said Hauser, in tears.

She said the payments eat up one-quarter of her take-home pay.

"We are talking about a big Canadian bank. And I mean for them to do that to us … that just makes me angry," said Gamarra.

Questions unanswered

TD refused to discuss this case, citing privacy, even though the couple were willing to give their permission.

It also refused to answer Go Public's questions when we asked how many subprime auto loans it has issued in recent years, how much money it makes from them — and how it justifies charging 25 per cent interest, particularly when there is a vehicle for collateral.

"TD Auto Finance offers a full spectrum of auto lending options, including non-prime loans in some markets," said a statement from the bank.

"In Canada, we have a mature non-prime business … we have rigorous lending criteria and we only lend to those who fit within our risk appetite and satisfy thorough qualification criteria."

According to Canadian Auto World magazine, subprime loans make up 25 to 40 per cent of all auto loans arranged by dealerships.

If 25 per cent of TD's $14 billion in indirect auto loans are subprime, with roughly the same terms Hauser and Gamarra have, the bank would stand to make approximately half a billion dollars a year, in interest payments alone — if all of the customers made their payments.

"I mean, not even credit cards charge that much," said Gamarra, who said the fact they've made all their payments should count for more.

Risk low to banks

According to the Canadian Auto Dealers Association, delinquencies on all auto loans are at an all-time low.

The industry attributes that partly to relatively low monthly payments, stretched over terms as long as eight years. That also means many people owe — and pay — much more than their cars are worth.

The Canadian Banker's Association refused to answer questions about rates, but sent a statement also stressing that default levels are low.

Hugh MacKenzie, a Toronto-based economist and public policy consultant, says a 25 per cent interest rate is "predatory." (CBC)

"Banks in Canada are prudent lenders, and manage risk carefully and make sure borrowers are properly qualified and can withstand economic fluctuations," said CBA spokeswoman Kate Payne.

"Banks only lend to those who they believe can pay the money back, and the numbers back this up."

"A 25 per cent interest rate is predatory," said Hugh MacKenzie, a Toronto-based economist and public policy consultant.

"That's a ridiculous interest rate to be paying, particularly for a car, because a car can be repossessed if you don't make the payments."

He said low default rates are another reason why the high interest isn't justified.

MacKenzie is the former chair of the Atkinson Foundation, which promotes social justice. It recently funded research — and education for shareholders — about the Canadian banks' involvement in the subprime lending industry.

An "issue brief" from that research said, "There are significant risks, particularly for banks, of being associated with subprime lending activities leading to negative public perceptions and increased distrust of these financial institutions."

MacKenzie said Ottawa should step in to regulate the interest rates, especially given the finance minister's expressed concern about record consumer debt levels.

"[The couple] would have gotten a cheaper loan if they had used Visa to buy the car. And yet people are complaining — and the federal government is expressing concern — about high credit card interest rates."

Ottawa will 'monitor'

The federal Finance Department sent a statement indicating the government is not considering any action.

"The government will continue to carefully monitor the types of financial products and services available to Canadians in the marketplace, including those related to vehicle financing," said the statement.

In the meantime, auto sales in every Canadian province increased from 2012 to 2013. The industry is attributing some of that to subprime lending. 

Since Go Public got involved in the Kelowna couple's case, Hauser said the dealership has called several times and has offered them a new loan — for a new car — at 4.99 per cent interest.

Okanagan Chrysler's general manager declined an interview, but in a statement he said he will do what he can.

"We are willing to work with this customer and the lender to see if their rate can be improved, and shall do so, but as we do not control the rates we can only do our best," said Clayton Andres.

Hauser, meanwhile, thinks the subprime market needs closer regulation.

"I think that the government should regulate these loans or regulate these banks and watch what they are doing a little closely. Because the banks don't even know what's going on with their own loans," said Hauser.

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Sudden mass outage plunges Newfoundland back in dark

A power outage that is gripping much of Newfoundland moved into its fifth day today, with schools and university classes cancelled, businesses urged to turn off their lights and tough questions facing Premier Kathy Dunderdale.

Some 30,000 households and other Newfoundland Power customers were without power early Monday morning. Newfoundland Power, the private company that distributes energy it buys from Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro, said 18,000 of those customers are in the St. John's area, with the rest on the Avalon Peninsula. 

An incident Sunday night at the already-hobbled Holyrood generating station west of St. John's had knocked out power for as many as 100,000 households and businesses.

Hydro said the incident — which involved a massive blow of steam in the plant's switchyard — did not damage any generating equipment, but would take hours for service to be brought back to where it had been.

Even then, the Holyrood plant had been operating at less than 40 per cent capacity, in just one of numerous problems that Hydro, a division of Crown-owned Nalcor Energy, has been dealing with. Nalcor said its aging infrastructure has been struggling to keep up with a growing consumer demand.

Meanwhile, Newfoundland Power resumed a pattern of rolling blackouts, in order to distribute electricity from its significantly reduced supply. These scheduled blackouts typically last an hour. (Newfoundland Power has been urging consumers with longer distruptions to contact the company in case it is a local issue.)

Nalcor Energy CEO Ed Martin said the disruption happened on Sunday night as workers were trying to bring the last of three generators online. That work caused a fault in the switchyard in which the whole plant shut down with a loud bang and a massive release of steam. 

The noise was so loud that some people in nearby communities thought there had been an explosion. 

Martin said getting all three machines back in operation will take time. 

"We had crews and experts out there last night going through data and issues in the switchyard, and until we understand exactly what's happened, we won't give a time frame on [restoration]," Martin said. 

Schools closed, some surgery cancelled

The government has echoed calls for conservation, and has restricted operations at its offices. Schools have closed and hospitals have cancelled elective surgery. 

Newfoundland Power has been struggling to reconnect its customers after losing much of its supply from Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro. (CBC )

Still, Dunderdale said Monday that most people are going about their day-to-day lives. 

"We've got 30,000 people who are inconvenienced, who are uncomfortable, who a number of them might have issues with their place or with daycare because our schools are going to be closed for two days," Dunderdale told CBC News.

"[But] the province is not shut down. None of our municipalities have invoked their emergency plan ... For a large segment of the population, life is going on as per normal."

The problems of the last week have highlighted Newfoundland and Labrador's equipment, which has long been dogged by maintenance problems. 

In an interview, Martin agreed much of Hydro's infrastructure is old and prone to breaking down. 

Nalcor, in fact, has been planning for years to decommission the fuel-burning plant at Holyrood, particularly as the Muskrat Falls hydroelectric project in Labrador comes onstream within the next four years. 

NDP, Liberals insist there's a crisis 

NDP Leader Lorraine Michael said a public inquiry should be called through the Public Utilities Board to determine what went wrong in a cascade of problems that saw rolling blackouts start last Thursday, even before a blizzard struck the province and two days before a fire at the Sunnyside substation knocked out power across almost all of the island.

Michael strongly disagreed with Dunderdale, who insisted on Sunday afternoon — before the latest incident at the Holyrood station — that the power outages did not constitute a crisis, but rather a serious challenge.

Only lights from cars were visible on streets in many parts of St. John's early Monday. (Anthony Germain/CBC)

"The people of the province believe there is a crisis," Michael said.

"I wish the premier would start using the language of the experience of the people of the province.  We have a crisis when we cannot meet peak moments during the year."

Opposition Leader Dwight Ball said Dunderdale's conclusion is wrong.

"This is a crisis, there's no doubt about that," Ball told CBC News.

"Any time that you have to take this kind of generation out of service in January, I would consider that a crisis."

Energy demand passed supply 

Peak demand in Newfoundland last week hit 1720 megawatts, well above historic averages as well as what Hydro — which generates the lion's share of the island's energy — could cope with.

With rolling blackouts still in the cards, officials have made unusual moves. All public schools are closed for Monday and Tuesday, as are Memorial University and most campuses of the College of the North Atlantic. Education institutions in Labrador are not affected by the provincial government's decision.

As well, the Newfoundland and Labrador government will send employees home on Monday at 5 p.m., to ensure the energy demand at government buildings is as low as possible.

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Economy, Northern Gateway pipeline on agenda as PM goes west

Prime Minister Stephen Harper will begin the first full week of 2014 trying to keep public attention focused on the economy and touting the benefits of Canada's booming natural resources sector.

The PM is expected to highlight the recently signed Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement with the European Union when he speaks to business leaders today in Vancouver.

An agreement in principle was inked by Harper and European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso in October. However, ratification of the deal could take another two years.

On the first day of a swing through Western Canada, Harper will take part in a question and answer session with the CEO of Vancouver's Board of Trade.

In what has become a common event for Harper, the prime minister will sit down to an informal chat with the board's Iain Black, but is not expected to take any questions from the media.

While Harper has used such events to insist that his government remains focused on creating jobs and steadily rebuilding the economy, the politics of pipelines is sure to be top of mind in Vancouver.

Regulators have approved Enbridge's proposed $8 billion Northern Gateway pipeline that would see Alberta crude flow to Kitimat on the west coast, so long as 209 conditions are met.

But the federal government has not yet said whether it will allow the project to go ahead. Construction of the pipeline faces legal challenges from First Nations communities, and stiff opposition in B.C.

New Democrat Opposition Leader Tom Mulcair has also predicted that the project will never be completed.

Later today, Harper will take part in a photo op with Industry Minister James Moore at the Village Museum in Burnaby, B.C.

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Winter weather blasts Central, Atlantic Canada

The relentless weather is causing misery this morning across much of Canada, with southern Ontario hit with freezing rain, wind-chill warnings in some parts of the Prairies and 30,000 Newfoundlanders still in the dark after a mass power outage on the weekend.

In Ontario, parts of the province were hit with massive snowfalls, while other areas, including the Toronto region, were pelted with snow and freezing rain.

Snow plows prepare to clear slushy streets in Toronto on Monday as forecasters warn freezing rain will turn roads in much of Southern Ontario into ice paths. (Tony Smyth/CBC)

"In southern Ontario, that temperature is starting to drop and quickly," CBC meteorologist Jay Scotland said Monday morning. "That slushy mix on the roads is icing up quickly."

Both drivers and pedestrians are urged to be aware of a possible flash freeze during the morning commute. A flash-freeze warning comes when a steep temperature drop causes water from rain or melted snow to quickly freeze.

The weather wreaked havoc at Pearson International Airport in Toronto on Monday morning, with hundreds of flights cancelled or delayed. Both Air Canada and WestJet advised customers to check their flight status before heading to the airport.

"I wasn't five minutes here at the airport before people started telling me horror stories of being stuck on an airplane for hours on end," CBC reporter Linda Ward said from the airport.

"Passengers are telling me their planes just couldn't get to the gate because of so many cancelled planes, so it's definitely a very frustrating scene here this morning ... The people who were on those planes [are] very angry, very tired, very hungry ... They say all in all this was just a horrible travel experience."

Environment Canada extended wind-chill and flash freeze warnings for the Toronto area on Monday morning, warning temperatures will feel as cold as –35 C to –40 C Monday night and into Tuesday morning.

A pedestrian braves the blizzard conditions in Halifax on Friday. The region is in the grip of unseasonably cold temperatures with heavy snow and high winds. (Andrew Vaughan/Canadian Press)

The City of Toronto issued an extreme cold weather alert Monday morning, which is called to trigger additional services for the homeless.

A mix of snow and rain in Toronto, and snow further north, produced hundreds of accidents on the roads and highways Sunday evening, including one crash in Brampton that left one man dead.

Local school boards warned parents to check online Monday morning to see if any schools cancelled classes for the day. The Toronto District School Board said all schools would be open but warned of potential delays, while the Toronto Catholic District School Board said all facilities would be open.

Northwestern Ontario, meanwhile, was under a wind chill warning, where icy winds were making it feel as cold as –45 C.

Much of Quebec was also facing adverse weather warnings Monday morning. Environment Canada issued winter storm, freezing rain and wind warnings for most of the province.

Storm wallops Atlantic Canada

The winter weather blast also left much of Atlantic Canada under weather advisories.

A woman shovels out after a winter storm hit St. John's. N.L., on Sunday. (Paul Daly/Canadian Press)

"Atlantic Canada is a real mess ... where I see the risk of freezing rain continuing this morning as a warm front pushes north," Scotland said.

"For much of the Maritimes, this will switch over to rain through the morning and early afternoon ... and further east warnings are out for Newfoundland who deal with this mess tonight through tomorrow — gusty wind, freezing rain and heavy rain."

Environment Canada issued freezing rain warnings for most of New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. Nova Scotia was under freezing rain and rainfall warnings, while Newfoundland was under freezing rain, blizzard and wind warnings.

In Newfoundland and Labrador, about 30,000 Newfoundland Power customers were still without electricity Monday morning after a power plant went offline in the latest power problem to hit the province in recent days.

Aging infrastructure, a terminal station fire and a blizzard that ripped through the province Friday night combined to overburden an already stretched electricity grid, according to Premier Kathy Dunderdale.

She said it is hoped power will be restored to all customers at some point Monday.

"We're asking people of the province to conserve. The response was immediate when we made the request yesterday and we saw an impact almost immediately with demand decreasing," Dunderdale told CBC News.

"We want life to be as normal as possible during this period but, you know, if you're not using rooms in your house, close the door and turn down the heat ... We want to treat the system calmly, but we want to keep life normal too."

Dunderdale stood by a statement she made over the weekend in which she said the ongoing power outages are not considered a "crisis."

"Words are important. We certainly don't want to alarm people or describe a situation as more than it is," she said.

"We are going through a critical time here in the province because of an unfortunate series of events ... People are uncomfortable. They are inconvenienced, there's no doubt about it. But all services are being provided ... I don't know how others describe a crisis, but this isn't the circumstance that I would describe in this way."

At the peak of the power outages Saturday morning, about 190,000 customers were in the dark, Newfoundland Power said. Rotating outages lasting about an hour were also back in effect Monday morning, to conserve energy and help in the widespread power-restoration work.

Prairie deep freeze

Meanwhile, much of Saskatchewan and Manitoba are under extreme wind chill warnings, where residents are facing temperatures that feel as cold as –40 C with wind chill.

"To the east, wind chill warnings are out from Hanna in eastern Alberta through southern Saskatchewan [and] Manitoba," Scotland said.

"Across this warned area, current temps are well into the –30s C with wind chills well into the –40s."

CBC reporter Chris Glover said the frigid weather made for a hectic commute in Winnipeg on Monday morning.

"There's a lot of traffic, a lot of icy road conditions and a lot of people are late for work today because of it. But it's not just that. These temperatures are also quite dangerous," he said.

The potentially record-low temperatures are heightening fears of frostbite and hypothermia.

"When the wind chill values are into –40 C, and in some places –50 C, it can be very dangerous for people ... and in these conditions, exposed skin can freeze in as little as five minutes," said Glover. "So people have to bundle up, they have to be careful."

[PHOTOGALLERY]

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Pot-smoking Mountie Ron Francis to learn psychiatric results

An RCMP corporal who made headlines for smoking medicinal marijuana while in uniform will be back in a New Brunswick court today on an assault charge.

Cpl. Ron Francis was sent to the Restigouche Hospital Center in Campbellton last month for a 30-day psychiatric assessment following a confrontation with police officers in downtown Fredericton.

Lawyer T.J. Burke, who represents Francis, says Monday's hearing in Fredericton provincial court will determine whether his client goes on trial on the charge of assaulting a police officer.

"I believe you'll see a much different Mr. Francis than we did on Dec. 7 when he was sent to the facility, and the results will come back with respect to what the psychiatric assessment recommends," said Burke. "And that's one of two things – whether he's criminally responsible for his actions, or not criminally responsible for his actions."

In November, Francis was stripped of his RCMP uniform and placed on medical leave for smoking marijuana on video in his ceremonial gear. Francis had a prescription for the drug to treat his post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

On. Dec. 6, Francis was arrested in Fredericton after a confrontation with fellow Mounties and Fredericton police officers.

The RCMP had a Form 1 document, signed by a police doctor, that allowed Francis to be detained temporarily under the Mental Health Act.

Burke has previously questioned the RCMP's motives for seeking a psychiatric assessment of Francis.

"Was it a legitimate document? Was it a valid document?" asked Burke.

"Was it a document that was just created by the RCMP to see Mr. Francis sent away for 30 days so he would stop speaking about his issue with regards to medicinal marijuana to the press?"

While Francis has been stripped of his RCMP uniforms, he remains a police officer and has been placed on leave.

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Newfoundland power outages may continue until Tuesday

Some people in Newfoundland may be without power until Tuesday after outages were reported across the island for close to 190,000 customers on Saturday morning.

Michelle Caughlan, with Newfoundland Power, said there were still approximately 25,000 customers without power Sunday morning after the island was hit with the severe power outage.

Caughlin said the majority of customers still without power are located on the eastern portion of the island.

Power was initially knocked out to 190,000 customers, but crews have been working to trim that number down significantly.

A fire at the Sunnyside substation at around 9 a.m. NT on Saturday caused an outage at the Holyrood Generating Station, throwing much of the island into darkness.

A photo of a reported fire at the Sunnyside station on Saturday morning. (Courtesy of Tor Fosnaes)

The fire began hours after a blizzard hit the region, dumping up to 40 centimetres of snow.

"Our crews have been working hard, they're out and about, ready to reconnect those customers as soon as the generation becomes available," Caughlan said.

She said 60-minute rolling blackouts resumed on Saturday to conserve power to help restore services to more customers.

"Our focus this morning is starting to rotate that power — that's for two reasons, of course. One is the limitations on the generation that we've been able to receive from Newfoundland and Labardor Hydro, and it's also focused on getting some of the power restored to our customers who have been without power since yesterday morning," Caughlan said.

Many businesses in the St. John's region have opened, or are scheduled to open, on Sunday. But Caughlin said Newfoundland Power is advising companies to conserve as much energy as possible while the company works to restore power to other customers.

She said if residents notice their neighbours have power but their home is still without, it is likely an isolated incident that the company needs to look into and to contact them at 1-800-474-5711.

Newfoundland Power is bringing in workers from Prince Edward Island on Monday to help assist with restorations.

Metrobus Transit operations in St. John's are running normally Sunday morning, and flights at St. John's International Airport are also back to normal after yesterday's service interruptions.

Marine Atlantic crossings between Port aux Basques and North Sydney, N.S. are pacing possible delays, but otherwise operating normally. The company is advising customers to continue to check for updates.

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Aboriginal communities in cyberspace

Tehoniehtathe Delisle's thumbs flew furiously as he took on his rivals.

The 21-year-old Kanien'kehá:ka youth was deeply immersed in a computer game called Skahiòn:hati: Rise of the Kanien'kehá:ka Legends — a digital adventure that tells the story of a man who must fight a Stone Giant, Tree People and the Flying Head on his path to becoming a warrior.

Delisle isn't just good at the game. He helped invent it. He gained the skills to bring legends to life as a producer, writer, and junior research assistant of a video-game design workshop at Concordia University called Skins, which he first attended five years ago.

The Skins program is an initiative of Montreal-based Aboriginal Territories in Cyberspace (AbTeC)—a research network that aims to expand an indigenous presence online.

"Skins came to Survival, the high school I went to, and asked if we wanted to make video games," Delisle explained. "The goal was to make a video game that showcased our culture and got it out there."

The workshop series is aimed at giving youth gaming design skills — but it's also busting stereotypes.

The curriculum begins with the basics of traditional storytelling, then teaches participants how to tell a story through virtual environments and video games.  Students learn skills for video-game production such as game design, art direction, 3D modelling and animation, sound and computer programming.

Tehoniehtathe Delisle said creating the games gave him the opportunity to see his people represented in an accurate way. (Clark Ferguson )

To date, Skins has produced four different games over four workshops from 2008 to 2013, first hosted by Kahnawake Survival School (KSS) and then later by Concordia University. During the three-week intensive workshop, participants worked as a team, taking on game-industry roles to turn one of their stories into a playable video game.

Delisle said creating the games gave him the opportunity to see his people represented in an accurate way.

"The latest game is called Lenién:te and the Peacemaker's Wampum," he said. "It's about a female archeologist, who comes back to her town. She has to relearn her culture to get back to her community, and save them from people who are trying to steal the peacemaker's wampum."

'This kind of project is really to help the rest of the world understand us, so these games are extremely important'- Owisokon Lahache, Skins cultural adviser and teacher

That story came from a student's imagination and research. But Owisokon Lahache, a teacher, talented artist and highly regarded knowledge keeper, also provides stories to the youth. She has been a cultural adviser and teacher in the Skins workshops from Day 1.

"This kind of project is really to help the rest of the world understand us," Lahache explained, "so these games are extremely important."

Culture and identity through gaming

The idea of carving paths to culture, home and identity through gaming came from Kanien'keha:ka artist Skawennati Fragnito.

"For the first time, with this new medium— with the internet, with computation — we are able to get in on the ground floor of a new technology and represent ourselves," said Fragnito in a telephone interview.

"We wanted to see more native people being not just the consumers of, but the producers of the [cyber] space," Fragnito said. "We wanted to have youth doing what they like to do — playing video games, for one."

Owisokon Lahache, a teacher, talented artist and highly regarded knowledge keeper has been a cultural advisor in the Skins workshops from day one. (Clark Ferguson )

Owisokon Lahache incorporated the Skins workshop into her classroom as part of a once-a-week extracurricular program at the Kahnawake Survival School. In her class, she would talk about traditional stories. Then AbTeC staff would launch into the tech component. About 10 to 15 students took part, working to create their own game. For some, this also included participating in AbTeC's intensive weekend courses, also held at KSS.

Fragnito said the workshop encourages youth to not just be consumers of cyberspace, but producers of it. She said it's empowering to draw links between old stories and new mediums.

"It gives rise to valuable skills in technology, all centred around the gaming industry," she said.

Skins has the potential to reach hundreds of youth — some who play and some who make the game.

The challenges

Through the youth participants and workshops, AbTeC has also realized what works, and what doesn't. Accessibility was one challenge they experienced. For example, some kids had the internet at home and others did not. Some didn't even have computers. This made getting in contact with the participants and assigning them homework difficult. Thankfully, this changed over time as technology became more readily available.

The idea of carving paths to culture, home and identity through gaming came from Kanien'keha:ka artist Skawennati Fragnito. (Clark Ferguson)

Fragnito also said they found participants were only mildly interested in programming, and as the most time-consuming aspect of working in a game engine, they had to find more user-friendly technology.

But Fragnito said the biggest challenge of Skins has been teaching youth all they need to know in just a few weeks. They've tried many different formats: a weekly class with intensive weekends; A 14-day-straight intensive; two separated one-week intensives with a couple of months of biweekly afternoons of instruction; and the last one, a three-week intensive with weekends off.

Delisle said he couldn't really play the first game on his home computer because it wasn't powerful enough. He said it would download, but play very slowly, and hence the character's movement was very choppy.

He feels now, although the game doesn't look as realistic in the 2D version, scaling it down makes it more accessible for their target participants — indigenous youth.

The future for Delisle

Delisle has contributed to four games. 

As a screenwriter, creative director and producer, he's considered a leader among his peers. He is working to bust stereotypes and paint or program a real picture of what Mohawks look, sound and act like. And he's doing so through one of the most popular and widely accessible mediums on the planet.

According to Delisle, creating and being a part of this game has led him one step closer to his dream. He's now returning to college in hopes of becoming a filmmaker.

This story was produced in partnership with Journalists for Human Rights. It is part of a JHR series, called Leading Together, that profiles innovative experiments in Aboriginal youth empowerment.

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Julie Paskall's death stirs demands for crime crackdown

In the days after a Surrey, B.C., mother was killed in a robbery outside a Newton ice rink, the mayor says a task force on crime has already been working, and will continue to work, to make the city a safer place.

On Sunday, Julie Paskall, 53, was attacked by a stranger in the parking lot of the Newton Arena, where she had been waiting to pick up her son from hockey practice. She later died in hospital on Tuesday with her family at her side.

Flowers, notes, candles and other tributes adorn a corner of the parking lot at the Newton Arena in Surrey, B.C., where hockey mom Julie Paskall was killed while waiting to pick up her son on Sunday evening. (CBC)

Now, residents of the central Surrey neighbourhood are coming forward with their fears about safety in their community, and a litany of complaints, including everything from inadequate lighting at night to the location of a bus loop that has become notorious for shady activity.

On Friday, Mayor Dianne Watts said her task force, which was announced in November following the city's 22nd homicide of 2013, has already taken strides to address those concerns. But the random and violent nature of Paskall's death has shocked the area's residents, and focused city hall's attention even more.

"That has surely shaken all of us. The community in Newton, across the city," Watts said.

Julie Paskall, 53, was attacked by a stranger in the parking lot of the Newton Arena. She later died in hospital on Tuesday with her family at her side. (Family photo)

Paskall's was the last of 25 homicides in Surrey in 2013. No suspects have been arrested in her death.

Investigators said earlier this week that, while the brutal attack is similar to an assault on a woman in the area on Dec. 16, they have yet to establish any links between the two incidents.

On Saturday, police officers canvassed the neighbourhood again, speaking with locals and putting up posters asking for information about the crime.

Watts said that as a result of the crime task force operation, nearly 50 RCMP officers have been redeployed to Newton and Whalley. She said there has already been a crackdown on illegal drug activity and that police have made dozens of arrests.

Security is also being increased around Newton Town Centre, and trees and brush will be removed from behind the Newton Arena, to take away hiding spots. But Watts says there are limits to what the city and police can do to meet the area residents' and visitors' needs.

For example, residents have been asking the city to move the Newton bus loop, which has reportedly been a hub for criminal activity for years, but Watts says it's up to TransLink to make that happen.

Watts also told CBC News that the task force is also talking about the challenges the city is facing from specific communities. For example, a third of the population in Surrey is under 19 years of age, and Surrey is the largest receiver of refugees in the province, with many coming from troubled, war-torn countries.

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Prairies locked into extreme cold

Extremely cold, dense air has enveloped a wide swath of Saskatchewan, Manitoba, as well as parts of northeastern Alberta, and will be descending today upon much of the U.S. Midwest.

Over the next couple of days, the polar air will even reach as far south as the Gulf Coast, and also east to southern Ontario and the U.S. Northeast.

Wind chill warnings are also in effect for northwestern Ontario, as another blast of Arctic air invaded the region Saturday night. Temperatures are expected to plummet to –30 C to –35 C. With wind chills, it will feel more like –40 C Saturday night and into Sunday morning.

Much of Saskatchewan and Manitoba are under extreme wind chill warnings, where residents are shivering through temperatures in the -40s — feeling closer to -50 C in the wind.

The potentially record-low temps are heightening fears of frostbite and hypothermia.

The deep freeze in the Prairies is nothing new to residents of Winnipeg who have been hearing about frostbite warnings for four weeks now. The kind of cold people are experiencing can freeze skin in under 10 minutes.

One of the coldest places in Canada on Saturday night was Newfoundland, which was hit with a strong blizzard Friday, followed by temperatures reaching -30 C with the wind chill. To make matters worse, thousands of people were left without power following a fire at a substation.

While the provincial utility said it made a lot of progress overnight to restore power, some customers could be left in the dark and cold until Tuesday. About 25,000 Newfoundland Power customers remained without electricity Sunday morning. About 190,000 had lost power at the height of the outage on Saturday.

Newfoundland Power said 60-minute rolling outages are now taking place to conserve power as the system load grows.

Several flights were cancelled in St. John's and the city announced it was opening a warming centre after roughly half the island lost power. Other municipalities opened public buildings for people needing warmth as some coped with digging out from as much as 40 centimetres of snow.    

Elsewhere in the country, people in southern Ontario are bracing for another snow storm. Snow is already falling in some areas but it is expected to intensify later in the day and into Sunday night.

Some areas will be hit with mixed precipitation. Toronto and Ottawa are under a freezing rain warning. Areas northwest of both cities could see anywhere from 10 to 20 centimetres of snow.

South of the border, bitterly cold temperatures blowing into the U.S. Midwest and Northeast in the coming days are likely to set records.

The frigid air began Sunday and was expected last for at least two more days. The cold mass of air could be funnelled as far south as the Gulf Coast because of what one meteorologist called a "polar vortex," a counterclockwise-rotating
pool of cold, dense air.

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Saskatoon woman charged with murder in young boy's death

Saskatoon police are gathering evidence from a home in the 400 block of Avenue R South after a five-year-old boy was pronounced dead there Saturday morning. (Peter Mills/CBC)

Saskatoon police have charged a 35-year-old woman with first-degree murder after a five-year-old boy was found dead in a west side home. 

Initially investigators questioned a person of interest, who was charged late Saturday night. The 35-year-old woman is accused of first-degree murder in the boy's death.

In the early hours of Saturday morning emergency crews responded to a report of an injured child in the 400 block of Avenue R South. 

The boy was pronounced dead at the scene. Police said he was suffering from a fatal injury, and while they know the cause of death no details have been released.

"It's hard for our officers to deal with. I can't imagine what it is like for the family," said Alyson Edwards with the Saskatoon police at a press conference on Saturday afternoon. "Any type of homicide is tragic, but when you're dealing with a small child, five years old, it's awful." 

Police said three people, who were related to each other, were also in the home when officers arrived. 

The names of the accused, and of the victim have not been released. It's not clear if there is any prior connection between the two.

An autopsy will be conducted as early as Monday.

This is Saskatoon's first homicide of 2014.

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