NDP leader slams PM's Attawapiskat response
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Next thing they will want is electric lights and a phone in every house.......;-)
2000 is pretty damned close...............................................
Attawapiskat First Nation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
I think one of the biggest problems is that many of the people offering opinions which they think at valid are those people who have spent their entire life living in the South (probably within 150 miles of the U.S. border) As a person who has spent time in the North (relatively speaking) I have found that the whole mindset is far different there. One of the main differences are costs are MUCH higher. Needs are also much greater as you just can't hop across the road to a corner store or a department store in a moment's notice. When you place an order up there you just don't need an outlay of cash for what you need, but also for what you, under extreme circumstances might need. I'm guessing that $90 million in the north probably equates to about $25 million in the south.
Where did all the money go; well lets start with the company that wins the bid to service the community. As we know anything delivered to such an area over quadruples in price. Anyone ask what does a regular weeks groceries cost a household up there?? What about much needed supplies to do the repairs?? I'd bet a $30 sheet of plywood here costs them $120 or better. Anyone knows when a company bids on an insurance job or government contract to bid high!! they make a fortune doing so and noone questions it.
Yes lets just send up more modular housing at what cost??? And to boot most of such prefab structures are not made to standards that should be set for such climates. Modular generally comes in sections that are put together in place they are to go. Thus even if the main parts are made to certian standards the joints from putting them together are not as air/moisture tight as should be thus leading to the mold/rot issues they face. Lets be real and use better sence in resolving the issue!! Maybe try the container housing that has been used in BC for housing!! those steel containers will not draw the moisture into frame and rot as wood, the foam spray insulation gives a better barrior to the elements they are prevy too up there. From some views they are a cheaper alternative to modular. So why not do a trial of a couple to see if that is a better alternitive to the modular homes sent up that require a substancial maintanance schedual, if you wish to have them last.
Or even as one said send up some people in need of work up to build better structures! Being built with R2000 standards tyveck seams to be sealled via tuck tape, interior vapor barriors sealed with acoustic caulk and tuck tape use the blue lumber that is to be mold resistant and blue board drywall, for heat use the infrared heating tech. safer cleaner and efficiant! Find an efficiant way to get goods to the community, where compitition makes rates for goods a little more realistic!
This goes for all northern communities with such issues!! Even those that are serviced by the iceroads! there are several who make untold fortunes catering to such methods! Yes some that take the risks shoud recieve a reflecting amount.
Just a rant as Harpers corporate executive buddies seem to be enjoying thier fancy drinks in the south, while many whom they make the fortunes from struggle to survive day to day events.
Well where are the modular homes coming from? It is most likely extreme to the building standards used where they are being designed and manufactured. As well it is my understanding that they cannot put in a foundation as a basement that places like Winnipeg and such use in building. I had spent time in Tompson Man. so can say that its gets cold up there.
Not to mention Winnipeg is a concrete jungle where Attawapiskat is a wooden shack town
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I hope these modular houses are not the standard, off the shelf units. The outside walls should all be 2 X 6 rather than 2 X 4
construction. When they put these things together, the vapour barrier is very important. I would also like to know what these
houses are going ti sit on. Will it be a foundation around a crawl space or slab on grade. The floor has to be really well insulated.
‘Stop playing Pinocchio’ on Attawapiskat, NDP tells John Duncan
OTTAWA — A he-said-she-said debate over what was, or wasn’t said about the ongoing crisis on Attawapiskat continued Monday, as the minister overseeing the file had his competency publicly questioned.
Aboriginal Affairs Minister John Duncan came under fire for his handling of the crisis, which has seen 25 families on the remote northern Ontario reserve living in tents and sheds.
The federal government promised more supplies for the community, but when much-needed temporary homes will arrive is subject to the weather.
Delivery could happen as early as January, or as late as February depending on how long it takes for rivers to freeze enough to handle the weight of a transport truck. “The modular homes are currently being pre-constructed so as to deliver them as soon as possible when the winter roads to the community open,” said Moira Wolstenholme, a spokeswoman for Duncan.
On Monday, band council officials and Red Cross workers looked over the community’s healing lodge to determine what renovations are needed to turn it into a temporary shelter to house the 25 families living in tents and sheds.
Aboriginal Affairs wouldn’t say Monday how much it might cost, although the government has said it was willing to spend $500,000 to renovate shelters.
There are sanitary and water issues that need to be addressed in the building, said John Saunders with the Red Cross, but other issues may reveal themselves after the inspection. Saunders said he didn’t know when renovations would begin.
Emergency supplies, including 20 high-efficiency wood stoves, 10 compost toilets and plastic sheeting, were delivered Saturday, and more supplies were scheduled to be airlifted into the community Monday night. Saunders said there has already been an improvement in the living conditions for families living in tents and sheds.
Over the weekend, the federal government announced that it had agreed to a request from the community for additional modular homes. Duncan said Sunday the government would send 22 homes to Attawapiskat, rather than the 15 he announced two days earlier.
Duncan also said in the release that Chief Theresa Spence had acknowledged the necessity of working with the manager hired to oversee immediate needs on the reserve — an assertion that Spence quickly rebuked.
“This statement is completely false and untrue and the Minister has been misinformed,” Spence wrote in an open letter. “You have my full co-operation. Frame it however you see fit, but not as third-party management.”
Spence wrote she was willing to work with an auditor to review band finances. The government has made claims of financial mismanagement, but said Monday that an audit would be required to verify that claim.
“If there are problems identified, the government will take action to address them,” said Wolstenholme. “The auditor will be appointed by the minister as soon as possible.”
Duncan didn’t back down from the government’s position Monday, telling the House of Commons the third-party manager has already been doing work in the community and wouldn’t be leaving anytime soon.
“We act in good faith and full transparency. We urge the chief and council to join us,” Duncan said.
NDP MP Charlie Angus said Duncan should “stop playing Pinocchio” because the community was taking the lead. “The third-party manager is not co-ordinating relief. That is fiction,” Angus said.
http://news.nationalpost.com/2011/1...occhio-on-attawapiskat-ndp-tells-john-duncan/
http://www.thestar.com/news/cityhal...s-councillors-push-back-against-flawed-budget
OTTAWA — A he-said-she-said debate over what was, or wasn’t said about the ongoing crisis on Attawapiskat continued Monday, as the minister overseeing the file had his competency publicly questioned.
Aboriginal Affairs Minister John Duncan came under fire for his handling of the crisis, which has seen 25 families on the remote northern Ontario reserve living in tents and sheds.
The federal government promised more supplies for the community, but when much-needed temporary homes will arrive is subject to the weather.
Delivery could happen as early as January, or as late as February depending on how long it takes for rivers to freeze enough to handle the weight of a transport truck. “The modular homes are currently being pre-constructed so as to deliver them as soon as possible when the winter roads to the community open,” said Moira Wolstenholme, a spokeswoman for Duncan.
On Monday, band council officials and Red Cross workers looked over the community’s healing lodge to determine what renovations are needed to turn it into a temporary shelter to house the 25 families living in tents and sheds.
Aboriginal Affairs wouldn’t say Monday how much it might cost, although the government has said it was willing to spend $500,000 to renovate shelters.
There are sanitary and water issues that need to be addressed in the building, said John Saunders with the Red Cross, but other issues may reveal themselves after the inspection. Saunders said he didn’t know when renovations would begin.
Emergency supplies, including 20 high-efficiency wood stoves, 10 compost toilets and plastic sheeting, were delivered Saturday, and more supplies were scheduled to be airlifted into the community Monday night. Saunders said there has already been an improvement in the living conditions for families living in tents and sheds.
Over the weekend, the federal government announced that it had agreed to a request from the community for additional modular homes. Duncan said Sunday the government would send 22 homes to Attawapiskat, rather than the 15 he announced two days earlier.
Duncan also said in the release that Chief Theresa Spence had acknowledged the necessity of working with the manager hired to oversee immediate needs on the reserve — an assertion that Spence quickly rebuked.
“This statement is completely false and untrue and the Minister has been misinformed,” Spence wrote in an open letter. “You have my full co-operation. Frame it however you see fit, but not as third-party management.”
Spence wrote she was willing to work with an auditor to review band finances. The government has made claims of financial mismanagement, but said Monday that an audit would be required to verify that claim.
“If there are problems identified, the government will take action to address them,” said Wolstenholme. “The auditor will be appointed by the minister as soon as possible.”
Duncan didn’t back down from the government’s position Monday, telling the House of Commons the third-party manager has already been doing work in the community and wouldn’t be leaving anytime soon.
“We act in good faith and full transparency. We urge the chief and council to join us,” Duncan said.
NDP MP Charlie Angus said Duncan should “stop playing Pinocchio” because the community was taking the lead. “The third-party manager is not co-ordinating relief. That is fiction,” Angus said.
http://news.nationalpost.com/2011/1...occhio-on-attawapiskat-ndp-tells-john-duncan/
http://www.thestar.com/news/cityhal...s-councillors-push-back-against-flawed-budget
Depressing rerun for anti-native stereotypes
Lazy. Incompetent. Dead weight. Basically, a burden on the taxpayers. Harsh descriptives for anyone to swallow, yet it’s par for the course for First Nations in this country. Especially when a major issue hits mainstream news like the state of emergency in Attawapiskat First Nation over inadequate housing.
The James Bay community in Northern Ontario made the declaration in late October, yet people in the community have lived in makeshift houses since 2009. Some residents are facing the onslaught of a third winter without proper homes. And in Ontario’s Far North, winter is harsh and unforgiving, It’s a situation that can tug at the heart strings of most people. But when Aboriginal Affairs Minister John Duncan exercised his ministerial right to put the community under third-party management, suddenly the spotlight was on band finances. Where has the money gone?
Others have done a good job of breaking down the numbers, so I won’t dwell on it. Rather, as a First Nation person, the public backlash has weighed heavy. Instead of compassion, First Nations were suddenly generalized and told we don’t know how to fend for ourselves. Funny, considering I have an education, have a job, own a home and I’m raising a family. But wait, “you’re okay, I like you. It’s those other Indians I don’t like.” Words I have actually heard before.
I can’t imagine the toll the backlash has taken on the people of Attawapiskat. But sometimes the weight of the outside world isn’t very apparent in the day-to-day lives of people living in remote isolated communities. Life is a struggle to survive. Poverty. Social and health issues. Expensive food. Lack of potable water. The list goes on. Yet, the onslaught of voices can penetrate the thickest barrier.
Suddenly, everyone is an expert and knows what’s best. And more often than not, that advice tends to focus on the usual uninformed, misguided diatribes of “get a job” or “take care of yourselves and stop depending on taxpayer money.” And even the most well-intentioned advice can be unwarranted.
Why does it bother me? Because it’s the same old attitude that has brought on the problems that exist and fester in every corner of Indian country. Father knows best. And you best heed his advice. Paternalistic attitudes and policies that have done more harm than good. Basically we are being told, “those Indians can’t take care of themselves so we best step in and make things right.”
On a personal level I’m deeply offended that government and certain segments of the Canadian public would even think of stepping in. In the case of Attawapiskat, the community reached out for help. Instead, they were told “you don’t know what you’re doing so move aside.”
Well, frankly, the community does know what it’s doing. It has stable leadership. It’s one of the rare communities to post its financials online. It has emergency management plans in place. It has operated a school for years without a proper building. No one is looking at those positives.
But like almost every other First Nation in Canada it operates on limited financial resources for health, education, infrastructure and housing. To compound that, it is stuck dealing with the bureaucratic juggernaut that is Aboriginal Affairs, one of the federal government’s largest ministries. It’s a lot to ask of any competent leader to deal with. But it’s the reality of First Nations.
We’re a resilient people. My grandparents survived the mess that was the Indian residential school system and did their best to raise a family of 16 children. They succeeded. All we want today is the same comforts as any other Canadian, but it’s up to us to figure out how we are going to accomplish that goal of self-sufficiency. The only thing we want is a bit of help to ensure we get culturally appropriate education, housing and infrastructure. All things the rest of society needs. It’s not always easy to ask for help, so when a community like Attawapiskat ends up getting ostracized, it doesn’t sit well.
Canada has a choice. Get the relationship right with First Nations. Help with any means possible. Or continue the status quo and watch what happens when an underlying resentment among First Nation people begins to boil over. It’s not a threat, but when a people are pushed and repeatedly knocked down, something has to give.
Depressing rerun for anti-native stereotypes
Lazy. Incompetent. Dead weight. Basically, a burden on the taxpayers. Harsh descriptives for anyone to swallow, yet it’s par for the course for First Nations in this country. Especially when a major issue hits mainstream news like the state of emergency in Attawapiskat First Nation over inadequate housing.
The James Bay community in Northern Ontario made the declaration in late October, yet people in the community have lived in makeshift houses since 2009. Some residents are facing the onslaught of a third winter without proper homes. And in Ontario’s Far North, winter is harsh and unforgiving, It’s a situation that can tug at the heart strings of most people. But when Aboriginal Affairs Minister John Duncan exercised his ministerial right to put the community under third-party management, suddenly the spotlight was on band finances. Where has the money gone?
Others have done a good job of breaking down the numbers, so I won’t dwell on it. Rather, as a First Nation person, the public backlash has weighed heavy. Instead of compassion, First Nations were suddenly generalized and told we don’t know how to fend for ourselves. Funny, considering I have an education, have a job, own a home and I’m raising a family. But wait, “you’re okay, I like you. It’s those other Indians I don’t like.” Words I have actually heard before.
I can’t imagine the toll the backlash has taken on the people of Attawapiskat. But sometimes the weight of the outside world isn’t very apparent in the day-to-day lives of people living in remote isolated communities. Life is a struggle to survive. Poverty. Social and health issues. Expensive food. Lack of potable water. The list goes on. Yet, the onslaught of voices can penetrate the thickest barrier.
Suddenly, everyone is an expert and knows what’s best. And more often than not, that advice tends to focus on the usual uninformed, misguided diatribes of “get a job” or “take care of yourselves and stop depending on taxpayer money.” And even the most well-intentioned advice can be unwarranted.
Why does it bother me? Because it’s the same old attitude that has brought on the problems that exist and fester in every corner of Indian country. Father knows best. And you best heed his advice. Paternalistic attitudes and policies that have done more harm than good. Basically we are being told, “those Indians can’t take care of themselves so we best step in and make things right.”
On a personal level I’m deeply offended that government and certain segments of the Canadian public would even think of stepping in. In the case of Attawapiskat, the community reached out for help. Instead, they were told “you don’t know what you’re doing so move aside.”
Well, frankly, the community does know what it’s doing. It has stable leadership. It’s one of the rare communities to post its financials online. It has emergency management plans in place. It has operated a school for years without a proper building. No one is looking at those positives.
But like almost every other First Nation in Canada it operates on limited financial resources for health, education, infrastructure and housing. To compound that, it is stuck dealing with the bureaucratic juggernaut that is Aboriginal Affairs, one of the federal government’s largest ministries. It’s a lot to ask of any competent leader to deal with. But it’s the reality of First Nations.
We’re a resilient people. My grandparents survived the mess that was the Indian residential school system and did their best to raise a family of 16 children. They succeeded. All we want today is the same comforts as any other Canadian, but it’s up to us to figure out how we are going to accomplish that goal of self-sufficiency. The only thing we want is a bit of help to ensure we get culturally appropriate education, housing and infrastructure. All things the rest of society needs. It’s not always easy to ask for help, so when a community like Attawapiskat ends up getting ostracized, it doesn’t sit well.
Canada has a choice. Get the relationship right with First Nations. Help with any means possible. Or continue the status quo and watch what happens when an underlying resentment among First Nation people begins to boil over. It’s not a threat, but when a people are pushed and repeatedly knocked down, something has to give.
Depressing rerun for anti-native stereotypes
Not the CPC, but the Government of Canada. There is a difference. The CPC make the laws, but the Government of Canada carries them out.
To take what you said at face value would mean that CPC headquarters ought to take care of this.
And then education, and jobs! My God! We don't have enough jobs for the rest of us?!
^
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Just being sarcastic.
Totally unfair. I don't know the situation in Attawapiskat specificaly, but in Nunavut, Statscan indicates about 15% of the population is functional in neither of Canada's official languages. Just consider how difficult it is for French-speakers and English-speakers (both speakers of European languages) have in learning each others' languages. Now imagine a native speaker of a language from a completely separate language family trying to learn English or French.
Then add to that that the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees access to Federal Government services in both official languages from coast to coast to coast, creating plenty of jobs for those who know both official languages and also giving easy access to government services canada-wide for those who know either language, usually their mother tongue.
Nunavummiut must learn at least one of these European languages as a second or, in some communities, foreign language, education is often in English or French and not the mother tongue, likely making it difficult for some children to follow, then if they fail to learn either language they'll have little to know access to government services beyond their territorial boundaries.
If we consider language as the key to access to a nation's economic resources, it's pretty clear whom the Official Languages Act benefits.
And this is just the tip of the iceberg. Then there is the cultural issues. If for example, first Cultures were the dominant cultures in Canada, clearly those who would know those cultures would have the clear advantage in the job market, but of course the situation is in reverse.
I could go on, but just on the linguistic and cultural fronts alone, many members of First Nations are at a legislative disadvantage.
I live in a modular with 2x6 walls,the vapour barrier would be the most important aspect becaue the biggest problems I have seen in houseing up there is the condensation in the insulation,most dont have a suitable way for it to dry out.
As for foundations you are on permafrost so the last thing you want to do is have it melt,stripping down to bedrock or excavating is very costly and time consuming so most buildings are on blocking and away from the ground so the heat from the house does not melt the ground. You dont really have a lot of options when building in that country.
Being built in NB to the same standards as they build for Nunavit; apparently the factory can make 3 a day.
My modular was made on the kainai reserve by natives in southern Alberta,it's just regular code but it would last just as long in the arctic except for maybe the siding and window trims,plastic and vinyl doesnt fare well up there. Same with Aluminum,you dont want to touch an aluminum door handle at -60.They usually break right off anyway at that temp.
Yes,it just gets uglier the farther north you go,around Thompson or Churchill we used to put on our arctic gear,farther north they wont even let you on the plane without winter gear.
The snow crystals are different up there and smaller,they will make there way through any tiny little hole or crack,machinery has to have a burlap sack or cheese cloth over the air filter intake to keep them fro plugging the filters solid in minutes,if you have to shut down a machine you tape up all the exhaust and air filters with tape or they will be packed solid in hours.
Totally different snow,it sounds like your walking on styrofoam and sets up hard as rock in a day.