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The Sioux Lookout Anti-racism Committee's REsolve program is hosting a variety of activities during November including a conference in Sioux Lookout on November 16th entitled "Building Conflict Resolving Communities in the North". The conference will address programs and practices from communities across the north that deal with racism and discrimination through conflict resolution, restorative justice, celebrating diversity, relationship building, aboriginal awareness, youth recognition, etc.

REsolve is a Sioux Lookout Anti-Racism Committee initiative charged with  building a Community Based Conflict Resolution Model for the town.  Wava Fox and Don DeGenova are working on this project together.  

REsolve's goal is to build and nurture a conflict resolving community where ultimately hurtful conflict does not exist.  A community that welcomes all people regardless of race, faith tradition, colour, disability, sex, age, language, political or other opinion, social origin or sexual orientation by providing a safe and secure community where all peoples can live, converse, work and travel without fear of discrimination, racism, bigotry, or prejudice in a community that embraces diversity by celebrating our differences, respecting our traditions and nurtures our commitment to each other.

In the project's early stages, it was soon realized that REsolve was likely to be precedent setting in that Sioux Lookout would be the first Canadian community of its size to adopt a CBCRM for all citizens.  On August 10th, REsolve announced a strategic partnership with the Canadian Institute for Conflict Resolution (CICR) which put the project on the fast track.  CICR is offering Sioux Lookout years of experience in helping citizens build conflict resolving communities. 

For more information, contact

Don DeGenova, REsolve Project Manager OR
Wawa Fox, REsolve Coordinator
Sioux Lookout Anti-Racism Committee
Sioux Lookout  807-737-7492

Steve Jacko (steve.jacko@gmail.com) wrote the following e-mail on Saturday (Oct 22) after his son's memorial walk in Kenora.

+++++++++++

The walk on Saturday when very well !!!

There were a lot of people taking part with the walk (approx. 300 people).  Kenora's Mayor Dave Canfield and one of his Councillors Rory Mcmillian were present.  Canfield made a speech and talked about the safety of our children in school and was very supportive with the petition. Canfield has signed the petition along with his council.  Terry Greene and Nancy Morrison did the Opening Prayer for Jordan.  The Grassy Narrows Women (Drummers) sang the travelling song for Jordan Jacko at the Cemetery.  After the walk, we all went to the Travel Lodge Hall and had a lunch.

I had four people videoing taping the Walk. I will mail to Diane and she wil have played it on the Wiky TV.

Talk to you later.  I am very tired and going to sleep.
 
Take care
 
Right now I have at least  4, 000  signatures!!!  Hurray.
 
Steve

---
Steve Jacko
Box 654
Kenora, On
P9N 3X6
Kenora Home:   468- 4017
Cell:      466-7183
 
*********************************************************************************
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – ATTENTION MEDIA

JORDAN JACKO FAMILY WORKING TO RAISE AWARENESS OF CHOKING HAZARDS IN THE SCHOOL TO PREVENT FURTHER TRAGEDIES

Public Appeal for Petition for Inquiry

Memorial Walk Planned for Oct 22 2005

October 18, 2005 – (Kenora, ON)   A public appeal and petition is being brought forward by Steve Jacko who has asked the Regional Coroner for an inquest into the tragic choking death of his and Shelley’s beloved son, Jordan.  The Regional Coroner in Thunder Bay has refused an inquest and Steve and Shelley have been encouraged to launch this appeal in the hope to have the inquiry process initiated and completed to assure other parents of children’s safety in the public school system.  

Steve and Shelley want to prevent further incidents of this from occurring by:

• Ensuring all supervision staff, teachers, and support staff at schools are mandated to have First Aid and CPR training;
• That lunch time supervision and emergency response is reviewed; and
• That all other issues of question that arose from this incident are answered to the satisfaction of the general public accessing services from the public education system.

“Everyday across Ontario, we entrust our children to the schools they attend.  In our case, our son did not come home due to tragic events and it is our interest to help the school system identify positive solutions and action plans to protect all Ontario school children across the board.” says father Steve Jacko.

An online petition can be accessed by Ontario residents at:

http://new.petitiononline.com/09jordan/petition-sign.html

The online petition has the 657 signatures of concerned residents who support the call for the inquiry as of this morning.  The deadline for the online petition is October 21 2005.  It is at this time the Jacko family wishes to obtain as many signatures as possible to raise awareness of this issue which should be of concern to all parents, grandparents and caregivers in Ontario to prevent further tragedy.

Memorial Walk for Jordan Jacko

A memorial walk is planned for Jordan Jacko on October 22 2005 at 1:00 pm, starting from the King George School to the Kenora Cemetery.

For more information please contact:

Steve or Shelley Jacko (807) 468 –4017 Cell (807) 466-7183

Tomorrow is the deadline for nominating this year's Nishnawbe Aski Nation Business Award.

SUBMIT A NOMINATION BY OCTOBER 24, 2005. Click here to download a copy of the nomination form.

The 15th Annual Nishnawbe Aski Nation Business Awards is scheduled for November 30, 2005 at the Ballroom, Valhalla Inn, Thunder Bay, Ontario.

Symposium - 5:30 to 6:15 -- Dinner - 6:30 pm followed by key-note address and awards ceremony.

Tickets are $90 ($84.11 plus GST $5.89) each or reserved tables of 10 for $810 ($757.01 plus GST $52.99)
Contact Colleen Martin at (807) 623-5397 or (800) 465-6821

Hosted by Nishnawbe Aski Development Fund (NADF), the event honours outstanding Aboriginal entrepreneurs, businesses, partnerships and organizations across Northern Ontario.

Nishnawbe Aski Nation Annual Business Awards was established in 1990 by NADF to recognize the efforts of individuals, groups, and corporations that have worked hard to bring positive change to their communities through business ventures.  This annual event allows individuals to nominate businesses and business people who meet the eligibility criteria and fall into one or more of the award categories (see below).

Categories include:

• Youth
• Executive
• Businesswoman
• Businessman
• Partnership
• Development Corporation
• Building Communities Award

From CBC News - Last Updated Fri, 21 Oct 2005

Ottawa not fully liable for residential school claims: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court of Canada ruled Friday that Ottawa should not be held fully liable for damages suffered by students abused at a church-run school on Vancouver Island.

INDEPTH: Residential Schools Timeline

The court also said charities such as the United Church of Canada cannot claim immunity from damage claims because they try to do good work.

"Parties may be more or less vicariously liable for a wrong depending on their level of supervision and direct contact," said the unanimous ruling in the case known as Blackwater v. Plint.

RELATED: A Lost Heritage: Canada's Residential Schools

The United Church carried out most of the day-to-day operations at Port Alberni Indian Residential School, where six aboriginal students claimed they were abused by a dormitory supervisor from the 1940s to the 1960s. The federal government appointed the school's principal and owned the land on which the building was located.

Originally, a British Columbia judge said vicarious responsibility for the students' physical, sexual and mental abuse should be split 75-25 between the federal government and the church. The provincial Court of Appeal then ruled that Ottawa held 100 per cent vicarious liability for damage claims by the former students.

Friday's ruling restored that portion of responsibility to 75 per cent, assigning 25 per cent of the liability to the United Church of Canada.

As employer, church had no immunity

The Supreme Court said people who worked at the school were employed by the United Church of Canada, so the church must accept some responsibility for their actions.

The justices rejected the B.C. Court of Appeal finding that the United Church held charitable immunity from vicarious responsibility in the case.

"Exempting non-profit organizations when government is present would not motivate such organizations to take precautions to screen their employees and protect children from sexual abuse," the ruling said. "The presence of the government does not guarantee the safety of children, particularly where, as in this case, the non-profit organization has day-to-day management of the institution."

Lead claimant to get $200,000

As a result of the decision, the United Church will have to pay one quarter of roughly $200,000 in damages awarded to the lead claimant in the case, Frederick Leroy Barney.

The ruling has implications for other Canadian churches that ran residential schools for native students throughout the 20th century, including the Roman Catholic, Anglican and Presbyterian churches.

Many religious organizations have warned that having to pay damages in abuse cases will leave them severely short of funds, meaning they may have to sell off church buildings and restrict operations.

AFN Press Release on this ruling - OTTAWA, Oct. 21, 2005

Supreme Court Blackwater v. Plint Decision Re-Affirms Federal Government's Liability in Residential Schools Cases

The National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations acknowledged the Supreme Court of Canada' decision today in Blackwater v. Plint, commonly known as the Barney case.

The decision, written by Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin, reaffirmed that the federal government and the church are both individually and jointly liable for damages in residential schools cases. A plaintiff in the Barney case can recover 100% of his losses against either the federal government or the church. If the federal government compensates a plaintiff in full, it can, if it wishes, recover 25% of its payment from the church.

"Today's decision confirms our belief that the federal government must now accept 100% liability for the tragic circumstances of the residential schools," stated National Chief Phil Fontaine. "While churches may have run many of the schools, they did so at the behest of and with the approval of the Crown. Ultimately, the federal government established the residential schools, was in a supervisory position for the schools, and is responsible for what happened at the schools. The Supreme Court affirmed the trial judge's finding in Barney that the federal government was actually in a better position that the church to supervise the situation and prevent the loss. This Supreme Court's decision makes it clear that the government has no excuse for not paying damages in legal actions on residential schools."

The National Chief also reiterated his call for the Government of Canada to move swiftly to settle residential schools claims in a fair, just and expedient manner.

"We prefer negotiation over litigation when it comes to resolving this tragic legacy of the residential schools, but it is increasingly clear that there is going to be resolution one way or another," stated the National Chief. "The abuses many of us faced, as well as the loss of our languages, cultures and sense of community, affect us not only as individuals but as First Nations as a whole. There is a clear need for compensation, reconciliation and truth-sharing, but it must be done soon, because the average age of survivors is nearing 60 and the effects on our lives and communities continue to this day. There will be a First Ministers Meeting on Aboriginal Issues at the end of November. We want to talk about the future, and this compels us to resolve this outstanding legacy of the past so we can move forward together. The time to debate is over. We need resolution now."

The Assembly of First Nations is the national organization representing First Nations citizens in Canada.

-30-

For further information: Don Kelly, AFN Communications Director, (613) 241-6789 ext. 320, cell.: (613) 292-2787; Ian McLeod, AFN Bilingual Communications Officer, (613) 241-6789 ext. 336, cell.: (613) 859-4335; Nancy Pine, Communications Advisor, Office of the National Chief, (613) 241-6789 ext. 243, cell.: (613) 298-6382

From the Thunder Bay Chronicle Journal, Friday, October 21, 2005

High court decision denounced by chief

Regina (CP) - Aboriginals say the Supreme Court's refusal to review the sentence of a Saskatchewan man who sexually assaulted a 12 year old native girl is another example of a racist justice system.

"The justice system has never given Indian people a fair shot at anything." said Robert Whitehead, chief of the Yellow Quill First Nation, the girl's home reserve.

"If anybody from my community did that to a 12 year old girl it would be an automatic jail sentence - and it wouldn't be a lenient one, either."

Dean Edmondson escaped prison time when he was sentenced to two years of house arrest in 2003.

The girl's uncle, who can't be named to protect her identity, said the teen has turned to alcohol since the 2001 attack and has attempted suicide.

In an interview with the Canadian Press, he called the decision by the Supreme Court "awfully disappointing."

"The gilr's life is ruined, there is just no two ways about it," the uncle said.

From CBC News - Last Updated Oct 20 2005 12:42 PM CDT

High court declines to hear sex assault case 

Canada's highest court will not look into a high-profile Saskatchewan sexual assault case.

Dean Edmondson was convicted of sexually assaulting a 12-year-old Cree girl in 2001.

During his trial, court heard Edmondson and two other men picked up the young girl.

Everyone was drinking, and eventually the men tried to have sex with the 12-year-old.

Edmondson was convicted and was given two years for his crime, to be served at home. He spent no time in jail.

The trials captured the public's attention across Canada, raising issues of racism and women's rights.

Saskatchewan's appeal court suggested that Edmondson should have gone to jail, but that it had no power to change the sentence.

That's why Saskatchewan's attorney general wanted the Supreme Court of Canada to look at the case.

On Thursday, the Supreme Court dismissed the appeal application. As is the normal court practice, no reasons were given.

Meanwhile, although the application to appeal was dismissed, the case is not over.

Two other men, Jeffrey Kindrat and Jeffrey Brown, face a trial next June.

Originally they were acquitted, but a new trial was ordered by the courts.

A Community in Crisis: National Chief Calls for Urgent Action on Unsafe Drinking Water in Kashechewan First Nation

AFN Press Release - OTTAWA, Oct. 19, 2005

Assembly of First Nations National Chief Phil Fontaine today called for immediate action by the federal government on the water crisis in Kashechewan, a remote First Nation community in northern Ontario. There has been no action by the federal government even though the community has been under a boil water advisory since 2003.

The situation is so bad that community members are calling for an immediate evacuation.

"Kashechewan is in an emergency situation," said National Chief Fontaine. "I have already spoken with Kashechewan Chief Leo Friday and, based on that discussion, I am today contacting the federal Ministers of Indian Affairs and Health to set-up an immediate meeting so we can take action on this deplorable situation. The first step is to deal with the crisis in Kashechewan. Then we must map-out a comprehensive plan to address this issue on a national basis because this situation occurs in far too many First Nations communities in Canada."

Currently, over 100 First Nation communities must boil their drinking water. Health Canada indicates that more than half of those communities are located in rural and remote locations in Ontario. Indian and Northern Affairs identified that over one quarter of the water treatment systems in First Nations communities remain at high risk to contamination. A report by the Office of the Auditor General issued less than one month ago (September 29) concluded that the federal government's unregulated and poorly coordinated approach to First Nations water treatment poses a very real and dangerous threat to First Nations citizens.

"The situation nationally has been known for many years," stated the National Chief. "I have personally seen the effects of inadequate treatment on communities from coast to coast. I saw a similar situation when I visited Gilford Island in British Columbia".

The situation is echoed across the country and it's a ticking time bomb. Any community under a boil water advisory could at any time find themselves in a situation like the one in Kashechewan. It is absolutely appalling and completely unacceptable that the federal government allows these conditions to fester and plague a community, while boasting of a federal surplus."

The National Chief noted that a First Ministers Meeting on Aboriginal Issues is to be convened in late November, and that a comprehensive plan is required that deals with immediate priorities as well as long-term goals to address productivity and self-government.

"I have issued a 'Ten Year Challenge' to the First Ministers to work with us to close the gap in the quality of life between First Nations and other Canadians," said the National Chief. "One of the first steps is addressing these critical and urgent priorities to ensure we have healthy citizens and healthy communities. Band-aid solutions will not lead to sustainable communities. We need a stable foundation to build on so we can invest in education, spark economic opportunities and create our own capable governing institutions. This is crucial to the future of First Nations and the future of the country."

The Assembly of First Nations is the national organization representing First Nations citizens in Canada.

-30-

/For further information: Don Kelly, AFN Communications Director, (613) 241-6789 ext. 320 or cell (613) 292-2787; Ian McLeod, AFN Bilingual Communications Officer, (613) 241-6789 ext. 336 or cell (613) 859-4335; Nancy Pine, Communications Advisor, Office of the National Chief, (613) 241-6789 ext. 243 or cell (613) 298-6382

From the Thunder Bay Chronicle Journal

Indian Affairs Minister visits reserve battling waterborne hazards
By The Canadian Press
Oct 20, 2005, 01:04
 
OTTAWA — Indian Affairs Minister Andy Scott headed for a remote First Nation plagued for years by dirty water as the Opposition demanded answers for a third straight day.

“The minister believes that in order to really understand the situation on the ground, he’s got to see it first-hand,” said spokesman Dan Brien.

Staff scrambled Wednesday to book travel to the fly-in community about 450 kilometres north of Timmins, on James Bay. About 1,900 residents of Kashechewan First Nation have been under a Health Canada boil-water order for more than two years.

Reported illnesses blamed on polluted water include scabies, chronic diarrhea, headaches and fevers. Related deaths are more difficult to prove.

The situation descended into crisis last week when federal officials warned of high E. coli levels in tap water. The bacteria can be deadly for young children, the elderly and those already sick.

Seven people died and more than 2,000 became sick in 2000 after drinking water with high E. coli counts in Walkerton, Ont.

Kashechewan’s water treatment plant, funded 10 years ago by Indian Affairs, was designed by out-of-town consultants. It was placed downstream from an existing sewage lagoon. That means contaminants flow past the intake pipe that feeds raw water into the complex system to be treated for drinking.

Band leaders say they have never received proper training or enough funding to run the plant, which needs 24-hour maintenance. Indian Affairs spent $500,000 last year for upgrades but didn’t move the intake pipe.

New Democrat MP Charlie Angus, who represents Kashechewan, says the reserve is “the unfortunate poster boy of federal indifference on First Nations.”

He has visited the tiny Cree community — the name means “flowing water” or “swift current” — several times since he was elected last year.

Angus also planned to be on the reserve Thursday with media in tow after Scott tours the water plant. It will be the minister’s first visit.

Angus says Scott should be prepared for the kind of oppressive squalor that calls to mind “a prisoner of war camp.”

The Cree community was forcibly relocated in 1957 to the notorious flood zone. Rows of overcrowded houses are surrounded by a faulty dyke system made of dirt. It has repeatedly failed, most recently last spring when 40 homes had to be evacuated because of flooding, Angus said.

“These people are kept in a box, out of sight and out of mind for the rest of Canadians. It’s a box that keeps the federal costs down because they just do the bare minimum, continually. “It’s always putting cheap Band-Aids on a septic wound.”
Indian Affairs has spent more than $250,000 since last April flying bottled water into Kashechewan. An emergency evacuation advisory was called off late Tuesday by Deputy Chief Rebecca Friday when Ottawa refused to foot the bill, she said.

© Copyright by Chronicle Journal.com

Conditions on reserve 'atrocious,' doctor says Sewer water flowing from taps leads to illness and social unrest
Source: GAM - Globe & Mail
Oct 24, 2005 4:19

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Page: A5
Section: National News
Edition: Metro
Byline: JAMES RUSK

A doctor who visited the sick on a Northern Ontario reserve last week said the remote community struggling with E. coli problems should be relocated.

"Nothing here is worth saving," Dr. Murray Trussler said in an interview from the Kashechewan reserve, where 1,700 people live on the shore of James Bay, 400 kilometres north of Timmins.

"The homes aren't worth saving. The nursing station is way outdated. We need a hospital here, not a nursing station. It needs to be run to provincial standards, not federal standards, which are totally substandard. And we need to have a proper water- treatment facility . . . and the school needs to be replaced." 

Dr. Trussler, chief of staff at Weeneebayko General Hospital in Moose Factory, the base hospital for 12,000 people on the James Bay coast, is part of a delegation from the reserve flying to Toronto to meet with Premier Dalton McGuinty tomorrow to plead for help. 

Last week, the plight of the reserve became an issue in Parliament, but all Ottawa has done so far is to send bottled water and officials to the reserve. 

Leo Friday, the reserve's chief, said that the 26,000 litres of bottled water provided by Ottawa are not enough for the school to reopen and for people who are ill to be bathed properly. 

The chief worries that the reserve's young people may resort to violence if its problems are not resolved soon. 

"I don't know what is going to happen next week if nothing is functioning. They [the youth] are talking about burning 10 houses every month," Chief Friday said. 

E. coli has been found in the reserve's water supply and the local school was closed as a result. "I think people are getting upset, especially the youth," Chief Friday said. "They were talking last year when the treatment plant wasn't working, they were going to blow it up." Although threats have been made in the past, nobody has followed through. 

Dr. Trussler, who described living conditions on the reserve as atrocious, said "we've got drainage ditches in the community draining into the water supply." He said the ditches drain into a creek and all the refuse that collects floats downstream and is then sucked into the water-treatment plant. 

The problems at the plant, whose intake is located 135 metres downstream from the release point of the community's raw sewage, are also influenced by the tides in James Bay. 

"What's happening is that all the E. coli is sort of slopping down toward the water-treatment plant, then we have an incoming tide and it goes back up river again, and then we get E. coli coming in and more spilling back." 

In the current episode, "because the water treatment plant wasn't working properly for at least a week, we had people with basically sewer water coming out of their taps," Dr. Trussler said. 

Dr. Trussler said that because of the problems of E. coli, the level of chlorine in the water, which is routinely extremely high, had to be jacked up to "shock levels." 

This has aggravated skin diseases, which are endemic at Kashechewan. "[High chlorine] just irritates and dries the skin further, so there is more itching and scratching, which just spreads things like scabies and impetigo." 

He said that he had examined children who, for more than a year, have had impetigo, a bacterial skin disease that can cause the formation of pustules and a thick yellow crust on skin, commonly on the face. 

He also said that he had seen cases of gastroenteritis, probably due to E. coli, but this cannot be confirmed until testing is completed. 

"We ran across a lady who reportedly had hepatitis A. This is a virus. We don't normally screen for that. When we do a water sample, we look at E. coli and coliform counts, but we don't look for viruses," Dr. Trussler said. 

He said that when he asked about protecting people from hepatitis A, Ontario offered to provide 100,000 doses of a vaccine against it, but the federal government turned it down, saying there was no hepatitis A problem in Northern Canada. 

"This is absolute rubbish. There's 100 native communities in Canada currently under a boil-water advisory. Any time you are under a boil-water advisory, there's probability you are going to run into hepatitis A sooner or later," Dr. Trussler said.

Stories about the crisis in Kashechewan reaching the world ...

Ottawa 'missing in action' on Kashechewan tainted-water crisis ... Macleans, Canada - 16 minutes ago TORONTO (CP) - Ottawa has been "missing in action" from a tainted-water crisis that has forced the Ontario government to start evacuating residents of a remote ...

Tainted Water Forces Airlift from Canadian Village Planet Ark, NY - 16 minutes ago TORONTO - Ontario will airlift about 1,000 residents out of a remote northern community because of contaminated water on the native Indian reserve, a ...

Ottawa 'missing in action' on Kashechewan tainted-water crisis ... Vancouver Province (subscription), Canada - 19 minutes ago TORONTO (CP) - Ottawa has been "missing in action" from a tainted-water crisis that has forced the Ontario government to start evacuating residents of a remote ...

Dirty Water, Dirty Land: It's Only Indians PEJ News, Canada - 53 minutes ago CBC - The government of Ontario, which flew about 450 people out of the Kashechewan First Nation for medical care on Wednesday, is criticizing the federal ...

McGuinty raps Ottawa over bad water LaSalute.net, Italy - 1 hour ago The federal government has been "missing in action" during a water-contamination crisis at a remote northern Ontario reserve and should take its ...

E. coli found at Ontario reservation philly.com, PA - 3 hours ago TORONTO - Ontario began evacuating about 1,000 residents of a remote northern Ontario Indian reservation on Wednesday after drinking water was found to have ...

Ottawa 'missing in action' on Kashechewan tainted-water crisis ... Macleans, Canada - 4 hours ago TORONTO (CP) - Ottawa has been "missing in action" from a tainted-water crisis that has forced the Ontario government to start evacuating residents of a remote ...

E. Coli Found at Ontario Reservation CBS News - 4 hours ago (AP) Ontario began evacuating about 1,000 residents of a remote northern Ontario Indian reservation on Wednesday after drinking water was found to have ...

E. coli found at Ontario reservation Kentucky.com, KY - 4 hours ago TORONTO - Ontario began evacuating about 1,000 residents of a remote northern Ontario Indian reservation on Wednesday after drinking water was found to have ...

Years of government neglect and infighting lead to another Ont. ... 940 News, Canada - 4 hours ago TORONTO (CP) - The deadly Walkerton tainted-water tragedy five years ago did little to resolve a jurisdictional clash between Ottawa and the province that ...

Years of government neglect and infighting lead to another Ont. ... Canada.com, Canada - 4 hours ago TORONTO (CP) - The deadly Walkerton tainted-water tragedy five years ago did little to resolve a jurisdictional clash between Ottawa and the province that ...

Ottawa 'missing in action' on Kashechewan tainted-water crisis ... Canada.com, Canada - 4 hours ago TORONTO (CP) - Ottawa has been "missing in action" from a tainted-water crisis that has forced the Ontario government to start evacuating residents of a remote ...

Years of government neglect and infighting lead to another Ont. ... Canoe.ca, Canada - 4 hours ago By KEITH LESLIE. TORONTO (CP) - The deadly Walkerton tainted-water tragedy five years ago did little to resolve a jurisdictional ...

E. Coli Found at Ontario Reservation phillyBurbs.com, PA - 4 hours ago TORONTO - Ontario began evacuating about 1,000 residents of a remote northern Ontario Indian reservation on Wednesday after drinking water was found to have ...

Ontario begins evacuation of residents of E. coli-stricken Indian ... San Diego Union Tribune, United States - 4 hours ago TORONTO – Ontario began evacuating about 1,000 residents of a remote northern Ontario Indian reservation on Wednesday after drinking water was found to have ...

Years of government neglect and infighting lead to another Ont. ... Brandon Sun,  Canada - 4 hours ago TORONTO (CP) - The deadly Walkerton tainted-water tragedy five years ago did little to resolve a jurisdictional clash between Ottawa and the province that ...

Ottawa 'missing in action' on Kashechewan tainted-water crisis ... Macleans, Canada - 4 hours ago TORONTO (CP) - Ottawa has been "missing in action" from a tainted-water crisis that has forced the Ontario government to start evacuating residents of a remote ...

Years of government neglect and infighting lead to another Ont. ... Macleans, Canada - 4 hours ago TORONTO (CP) - The deadly Walkerton tainted-water tragedy five years ago did little to resolve a jurisdictional clash between Ottawa and the province that ...

E. coli found at Ontario reservation Monterey County Herald, CA - 4 hours ago TORONTO - Ontario began evacuating about 1,000 residents of a remote northern Ontario Indian reservation on Wednesday after drinking water was found to have ...

E. Coli Found at Ontario Reservation New York Newsday, NY - 4 hours ago By Associated Press. TORONTO -- Ontario began evacuating about 1,000 residents of a remote northern Ontario Indian reservation on ...

E. Coli Found at Ontario Reservation Ocala.com, FL - 4 hours ago Ontario began evacuating about 1,000 residents of a remote northern Ontario Indian reservation on Wednesday after drinking water was found to have potentially ...

E. coli found at Ontario reservation Tallahassee.com, FL - 4 hours ago TORONTO - Ontario began evacuating about 1,000 residents of a remote northern Ontario Indian reservation on Wednesday after drinking water was found to have ...

Canada Evacuates Residents of E. Coli-Stricken Indian Reserve FOX News - 4 hours ago TORONTO — Ontario (search) began evacuating about 1,000 residents of a remote northern Ontario Indian reservation on Wednesday after drinking water was found ... E. coli found at Ontario reservation Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, IN - 5 hours ago TORONTO - Ontario began evacuating about 1,000 residents of a remote northern Ontario Indian reservation on Wednesday after drinking water was found to have ... E. Coli Found at Ontario Reservation WTOP, D.C. - 5 hours ago TORONTO (AP) - Ontario began evacuating about 1,000 residents of a remote northern Ontario Indian reservation on Wednesday after drinking water was found to ... E. coli found at Ontario reservation San Luis Obispo Tribune, CA - 5 hours ago TORONTO - Ontario began evacuating about 1,000 residents of a remote northern Ontario Indian reservation on Wednesday after drinking water was found to have ... E. Coli Found at Ontario Reservation Times Daily, AL - 5 hours ago Ontario began evacuating about 1,000 residents of a remote northern Ontario Indian reservation on Wednesday after drinking water was found to have potentially ... E. coli found at Ontario reservation MLive.com, MI - 5 hours ago TORONTO (AP) — Ontario began evacuating about 1,000 residents of a remote northern Ontario Indian reservation on Wednesday after drinking water was found to ... E. coli found at Ontario reservation Bradenton Herald,  United States - 5 hours ago TORONTO - Ontario began evacuating about 1,000 residents of a remote northern Ontario Indian reservation on Wednesday after drinking water was found to have ... E. coli found at Ontario reservation The State, SC - 5 hours ago TORONTO - Ontario began evacuating about 1,000 residents of a remote northern Ontario Indian reservation on Wednesday after drinking water was found to have ... E. Coli Found at Ontario Reservation Washington Post, United States - 5 hours ago TORONTO -- Ontario began evacuating about 1,000 residents of a remote northern Ontario Indian reservation on Wednesday after drinking water was found to have ... E. coli found at Ontario reservation Aberdeen American News, SD - 5 hours ago TORONTO - Ontario began evacuating about 1,000 residents of a remote northern Ontario Indian reservation on Wednesday after drinking water was found to have ... E. coli found at Ontario reservation Duluth News Tribune, MN - 5 hours ago TORONTO - Ontario began evacuating about 1,000 residents of a remote northern Ontario Indian reservation on Wednesday after drinking water was found to have ... E. coli found at Ontario reservation Fort Wayne News Sentinel, IN - 5 hours ago TORONTO - Ontario began evacuating about 1,000 residents of a remote northern Ontario Indian reservation on Wednesday after drinking water was found to have ... E. Coli Found at Ontario Reservation The Ledger, FL - 5 hours ago Ontario began evacuating about 1,000 residents of a remote northern Ontario Indian reservation on Wednesday after drinking water was found to have potentially ... E. coli found at Ontario reservation Biloxi Sun Herald,  USA - 5 hours ago TORONTO - Ontario began evacuating about 1,000 residents of a remote northern Ontario Indian reservation on Wednesday after drinking water was found to have ... E. coli found at Ontario reservation Pioneer Press, MN - 5 hours ago TORONTO - Ontario began evacuating about 1,000 residents of a remote northern Ontario Indian reservation on Wednesday after drinking water was found to have ... E. coli found at Ontario reservation Fort Worth Star Telegram, TX - 5 hours ago TORONTO - Ontario began evacuating about 1,000 residents of a remote northern Ontario Indian reservation on Wednesday after drinking water was found to have ... E. coli found at Ontario reservation Seattle Post Intelligencer - 5 hours ago TORONTO -- Ontario began evacuating about 1,000 residents of a remote northern Ontario Indian reservation on Wednesday after drinking water was found to have ... E. coli found at Ontario reservation Grand Forks Herald, ND - 5 hours ago TORONTO - Ontario began evacuating about 1,000 residents of a remote northern Ontario Indian reservation on Wednesday after drinking water was found to have ... E. coli found at Ontario reservation Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, GA - 5 hours ago TORONTO - Ontario began evacuating about 1,000 residents of a remote northern Ontario Indian reservation on Wednesday after drinking water was found to have ... E. Coli Found at Ontario Reservation Dateline Alabama, AL - 5 hours ago Ontario began evacuating about 1,000 residents of a remote northern Ontario Indian reservation on Wednesday after drinking water was found to have potentially ... E. Coli Found at Ontario Reservation Tuscaloosa News (subscription), AL - 5 hours ago Ontario began evacuating about 1,000 residents of a remote northern Ontario Indian reservation on Wednesday after drinking water was found to have potentially ... E. coli found at Ontario reservation Wilkes Barre Times-Leader, PA - 5 hours ago TORONTO - Ontario began evacuating about 1,000 residents of a remote northern Ontario Indian reservation on Wednesday after drinking water was found to have ... Ottawa 'missing in action' on Kashechewan tainted-water crisis ... 940 News, Canada - 6 hours ago TORONTO (CP) - Ottawa has been "missing in action" from a tainted-water crisis that has forced the Ontario government to start evacuating residents of a remote ... Ottawa 'missing in action' on Kashechewan tainted-water crisis ... Macleans, Canada - 6 hours ago TORONTO (CP) - Ottawa has been "missing in action" from a tainted-water crisis that has forced the Ontario government to start evacuating residents of a remote ... McGuinty slams Ottawa over reserve's bad water CBC Ottawa, Canada - 6 hours ago The government of Ontario, which is flying 1,000 people out of the Kashechewan First Nation for medical care starting late Wednesday, is criticizing the ... PM says feds 'dealing with' Kashechewan water LaSalute.net, Italy - 6 hours ago Answering allegations he's been "missing in action" since a water-contamination crisis began on a northern Ontario Cree reserve two years ago, Prime Minister ... McGuinty slams Ottawa over reserve's bad water CBC Toronto, Canada - 7 hours ago The government of Ontario, which is flying 1,000 people out of the Kashechewan First Nation for medical care starting late Wednesday, is criticizing the ... PM says feds 'dealing with' Kashechewan water CTV.ca, Canada - 7 hours ago Answering allegations he's been "missing in action" since a water-contamination crisis began on a northern Ontario Cree reserve two years ago, Prime Minister ... Kashechewan being evacuated Wawatay News, Canada - 7 hours ago Citing a medical emergency, Ontario Minister of Indian Affairs David Ramsay has stepped in on the water crisis in Kashechewan and launched an evacuation. ... Tainted water forces airlift from Canadian village Leading The Charge, Australia - 7 hours ago By Scott Reycraft 1 hour, 21 minutes ago. TORONTO - Ontario will airlift about 1,000 residents out of a remote northern community ... Tainted water forces airlift from Canadian village Herald News Daily, ND - 8 hours ago By Scott Reycraft 1 hour, 21 minutes ago. TORONTO - Ontario will airlift about 1,000 residents out of a remote northern community ... Ontario premier criticizes federal role over water crisis at ... Canada East, Canada - 8 hours ago TORONTO (CP) - The federal government has been "missing in action" during a water-contamination crisis at a remote northern Ontario reserve, Premier Dalton ... Ontario premier criticizes federal role over water crisis at ... Macleans, Canada - 8 hours ago TORONTO (CP) - The federal government has been "missing in action" during a water-contamination crisis at a remote northern Ontario reserve, Premier Dalton ... Ontario premier criticizes federal role over water crisis at ... 940 News, Canada - 8 hours ago TORONTO (CP) - The federal government has been "missing in action" during a water-contamination crisis at a remote northern Ontario reserve, Premier Dalton ... Tainted water forces airlift from Canadian village Reuters AlertNet, UK - 8 hours ago By Scott Reycraft. TORONTO, Oct 26 (Reuters) - Ontario will airlift about 1,000 residents out of a remote northern community because ... Tainted water forces airlift from Canadian village Metro Toronto, Canada - 8 hours ago Ontario will airlift about 1,000 residents out of a remote northern community because of contaminated water on the native Indian reserve, a spokeswoman for the ... McGuinty criticizes Ottawa over reserve's water crisis Globe and Mail, Canada - 8 hours ago Toronto — Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty lashed out at the federal government over the contaminated water crisis at a northern reserve Wednesday, saying ... Tainted water forces airlift from Canadian village Reuters - 9 hours ago By Scott Reycraft. TORONTO, Oct 26 (Reuters) - Ontario will airlift about 1,000 residents out of a remote northern community because ... McGuinty criticizes Feds on water crisis Ottawa Citizen, Canada - 9 hours ago TORONTO -- The federal government has been "missing in action" during a water-contamination crisis at a remote northern Ontario reserve, Premier Dalton ... Tainted water forces airlift from Canadian village Dose.ca, Canada - 9 hours ago By Scott Reycraft. TORONTO (Reuters) - Ontario will airlift about 1,000 residents out of a remote northern community because of contaminated ... Tainted water forces airlift from Canadian village ABC News - 9 hours ago TORONTO (Reuters) - Ontario will airlift about 1,000 residents out of a remote northern community because of contaminated water on the native Indian reserve, a ... Tainted water forces airlift from Canadian village Reuters - 9 hours ago By Scott Reycraft. TORONTO (Reuters) - Ontario will airlift about 1,000 residents out of a remote northern community because of contaminated ... Tainted water forces airlift from Canadian village Dose.ca, Canada - 9 hours ago By Scott Reycraft. TORONTO (Reuters) - Ontario will airlift about 1,000 residents out of a remote northern community because of contaminated ... Tainted water forces airlift from Canadian village Reuters Canada, Canada - 9 hours ago By Scott Reycraft. TORONTO (Reuters) - Ontario will airlift about 1,000 residents out of a remote northern community because of contaminated ... Ontario premier criticizes federal role over water crisis at ... 940 News, Canada - 9 hours ago TORONTO (CP) - The federal government has been "missing in action" during a water-contamination crisis at a remote northern Ontario reserve, Premier Dalton ... Ottawa 'missing in action' over reserve's bad water: McGuinty CBC News, Canada - 10 hours ago The government of Ontario, which is flying 1,000 people out of the Kashechewan First Nation for medical care starting late Wednesday, is criticizing the ... McGuinty criticizes Feds on water crisis National Post, Canada - 10 hours ago TORONTO -- The federal government has been "missing in action" during a water-contamination crisis at a remote northern Ontario reserve, Premier Dalton ... McGuinty criticizes Feds on water crisis Alaska Highway News, Canada - 10 hours ago TORONTO -- The federal government has been "missing in action" during a water-contamination crisis at a remote northern Ontario reserve, Premier Dalton ... Ontario premier criticizes federal role over water crisis at ... Macleans, Canada - 10 hours ago TORONTO (CP) - The federal government has been "missing in action" during a water-contamination crisis at a remote northern Ontario reserve, Premier Dalton ... McGuinty raps Ottawa over bad water Toronto Star, Canada - 11 hours ago The federal government has been "missing in action" during a water-contamination crisis at a remote northern Ontario reserve and should take its ... Ontario premier criticizes federal role over water crisis at ... Macleans, Canada - 11 hours ago TORONTO (CP) - The federal government has been "missing in action" during a water-contamination crisis at a remote northern Ontario reserve and should take its ... Ontario premier criticizes federal role over water crisis at ... StarPhoenix, Canada - 12 hours ago TORONTO (CP) - Ontario's premier is lashing out at Ottawa over their handling of a water contamination crisis at a remote reserve. ... Ontario premier criticizes federal role over water crisis at ... Calgary Herald,  Canada - 12 hours ago TORONTO (CP) - Ontario's premier is lashing out at Ottawa over their handling of a water contamination crisis at a remote reserve. ... Ontario premier criticizes federal role over water crisis at ... Vancouver Sun (subscription), Canada - 12 hours ago TORONTO (CP) - Ontario's premier is lashing out at Ottawa over their handling of a water contamination crisis at a remote reserve. ... Ontario premier criticizes federal role over water crisis at ... Edmonto

Last night on the National on CBC, Governor General Jean confronted the issue of suicide in Winnipeg in front of First Nation students, staff and parents at Children of the Earth high school.

From CBC.CA news on-line...

Governor General takes message to inner city youth
Last Updated Thu, 20 Oct 2005 21:59:51 EDT
CBC News

Students at Children of the Earth high school in Winnipeg's North End say they won't soon forget the visitor they welcomed on Thursday Governor General Michaëlle Jean.

The Queen's representative had an important message for the students in one of the country's poorest neighbourhoods. "Life is worth living. Your contribution is an important one," she told them.

The visit began with dancers, drummers and an honour song. But after being welcomed, Jean moved quickly from ceremony to serious business.

She's been paying attention to the news, she told the teens.

"I was very shocked to hear that a week ago, I think, a young girl, 11 years old, committed suicide. Kathleen, is that her name? This shouldn't happen. This should not happen. I think life is worth living. Your contribution is an important one."

It was not a boring visit from a boring dignitary.

"There are things that a black woman understands profoundly when we talk about prejudices, when we talk about feeling left out, feeling abandoned. There are things in my experience that are probably very similar to yours," she told the students.

It was a speech Jean felt her audience needed to hear from her.

Winnipeg's North End is a troubled neighbourhood. In February, just two blocks away from where the Governor General was speaking, police gunned down a teenager wielding a weapon. The shots were clearly heard at the school and triggered a lockdown to keep the students safe.

Robert Brass Belanger, a Grade 12 student at Children of the Earth, says the area is filled with crack houses. One night there was a murder next door to his family's apartment.

"Any given week you can see ... someone coming around the corner all bloody," he said.

The students at Children of the Earth couldn't believe the Queen's representative chose them as her first school visit. But the students know Jean was a refugee from Haiti and grew up poor, just like them.

"It's a real honour to meet her," said Belanger, "she's had a similar life like us."

But Jean chose her school for a reason. She wanted to show she understood and cared. "I think the best that I can do is maybe acknowledge their efforts."

Jean says she will speak to Prime Minister Paul Martin about Canada's inner city troubles and may even suggest solutions. "This position is great for that. Some people say that it is useless, but it's not. It's not. You have your say."

The students say they won't forget the visit.

"You don't have to have a lot of money. You don't have to come from a rich family or you don't have to come from anything and you can become something big. She made us aware of that, too," said Grade 12 student Chassidy Stevenson.

It was the kind of visit that Jean says Canadians should expect more of as she travels across the country.

I'm very pleased to invite you to participate in a webcast event this Friday featuring RICTA member Ricardo Ramirez.

Ricardo will be speaking about: "Broadband in rural and remote communities: Options for impact assessment" at the National Research Council of Canada in Fredericton. His talk will be webcast live at 13h EDT / 14h ADT on Friday, October 21, 2005. Dr. Ramirez' abstract and biography can be viewed at:
http://iit-iti.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/colloq/0506/05-10-21_e.html

During and after the talk, remote viewers will be able to participate via webcast. If you would like to view or participate in this event, please check out the webcast site soon to make sure your computer is configured compatibly with our Sametime webcast software.

To check compatibility, go to: http://webconf-en.iit-iti.nrc-cnrc.ca/  and then "Attend a meeting" and "test meeting." Note that full functionality for this software is only available under Windows. For the smoothest  collaborative environment, we recommend the following: Windows XP/2000/2003, Internet Explorer 6, Java 1.5 (must have Java installed for the webcast software to work). We recommend you check out your compatibility at least one-half hour before the event itself. Sometimes the test meeting will not work on first try and you will have to quit the browser and restart the test. Once you've had a successful "test meeting" future meetings are usually very smooth. We expect that most interaction between remote participants and those in Fredericton will be through the chat mode on the webcast software. However it will be possible to have audio exchange. In this case, remote participants must use a headset with mic (mic without headset causes feedback).

Come back to the webcast site on Friday, Oct. 21 at 14h ADT for the event:
http://webconf-en.iit-iti.nrc-cnrc.ca/stconf.nsf/vwCalendar?Openview

The meeting password is: broadband

You can also invite your friends!

Education Day will be Friday, November 25th, 2005 during the Canadian Aboriginal Festival at the SkyDome in Toronto. Click here for more information about this event.

Canada is a richly diverse country. Embracing our diversity and learning about the cultures that make up our great country helps us to appreciate and understand others.

Education Day is designed to give students a positive Aboriginal Experience and to instill in them a desire to learn more about Canada's first peoples.

Many Teachers have returned year after year as they value how important this experience is for their students. The Ontario Teachers' Federation recognizes the educational value that this outing holds for students.

"Understanding different cultures and their values are an important part of antiracist education. The Education Day offers an invaluable experience for students as they learn in an informal and interactive environment."

The Ontario Teachers' Federation, the Elementary Teacher's Federation of Ontario, Indian and Northern Affairs, the Historica Foundation and the Bank of Montreal all support and sponsor Education Day as they see the project as an instrumental and invaluable experience for students.

Education day is dedicated to teaching students about Canada's Aboriginal peoples. Students will learn about many aspects of First Nations, the Inuit and Metis in an intimate hands-on experience. Students will visit at least six teaching stations on a rotating basis around the SkyDome. A total of 40 stations will be mounted to accommodate all students.

Numbers will be restricted in 2005 and will be based on a first come, first serve basis. All fees must be paid to ensure your class is registered for this important educational experience.

Click here to download the 2005 Education Day registration form

For more information please contact Catherine Cornelius at: (519) 751-0040