More Indigenous kids in group homes
In the legislature on Monday, Premier John Horgan said the idea of taking Indigenous children away from their families and teaching them to be white was “unimaginable today.”
One has to presume he knows nothing about the actions of his own government in this regard, because there are more First Nations children “in care” now than there were in the days of the residential schools.
The ministry just keeps them in group homes instead of large institutions.
This is hard to believe, I know, but it is absolutely true.
My own grandson, who is three quarters Tsimshian, was taken by the Ministry of Child Abduction and kept from his family for more than three years.
We hired a lawyer and paid more than $30,000 to get him back in a process that saw government workers submit openly dishonest “assessments” in order to justify their actions.
While lingering in waiting rooms at their various offices, his white relatives discovered that our own was not an isolated case; the difference was that we had enough money to buy representation, while most First Nations families do not.
These scoundrels speak of truth and reconciliation, but that is lip service so long as they continue the ruthless theft of children whose parents’ main disqualification is poverty.
As a lifetime New Democrat voter and volunteer, I am appalled that our premier seems unaware that his government is simply applying new paint to the same old structure.
John, please spare us your apologies and return the children, then close the entire Ministry of Children and Families long enough to see if a total absence of “help” does not improve the situation.
David Lowther
Mesachie Lake
Residential schools and accountability
It is not enough to “remember” these children and the many others yet to be found. There must be a full investigation and then education about the findings.
There must be forensic DNA testing to return these poor souls to their ancestors for a proper burial, where they will be treated with the respect and dignity that was so callously taken from them.
And most importantly, anyone still living who had anything to do with these atrocities must be held accountable for their actions or inaction.
I am heartbroken and ashamed. I am ashamed that I lived on Vancouver Island during some of the years these schools were in operation and can honestly say, I did not know.
I would like to think that we did not know because we did not have access to the same media we have today, but so many knew!
Our political leaders, religious leaders, so called “teachers” and “administrators” in these institutions knew! They chose to remain silent and carry out horrific atrocities to the most innocent of all: those unable to defend themselves, the children.
I cannot even imagine the pain and suffering endured by these children, not to mention their families.
Well, we have access to many media outlets today. We all know, now, so what are we going to do about it?
I am going to start by writing some letters, and I will keep writing until I see some acknowledgment, restitution and accountability.
Kelly Perry
Saanich
Many diseases swept through schools
The untimely death of anyone is tragic. My great-grandmother lost five children to diphtheria in one week.
This infection no doubt swept through many boarding schools, along with many other diseases.
So, without knowing what killed the Aboriginal children in Kamloops, there is no reason to suspect that there was criminal activity.
If we walk through cemeteries and look at headstones, the number of young non-Aboriginal children who died at an early age years ago is staggering.
Bill Wilson
Saanichton
Shiny geranium is a dangerous invader
Thanks to the Times Colonist, everybody is talking about European wall lizards, an invasive species that is out of control in this region and beyond.
Why is it that most people have not yet heard of shiny geranium, another invasive that is relatively new to this region?
It has devastating ecological impacts, and potential for economic impacts as well, once established in natural areas and working forests.
And it is getting established in this region, especially in Saanich. Just look south of the border, in Washington and Oregon, to see what’s happening there.
Early detection and rapid response is the key to its control and containment, but I don’t see either happening.
How can you detect shiny geranium early if there are not enough informed eyes on the ground? How can you respond rapidly if there is not a co-ordinated effort and enough resources to tackle this growing, spreading problem?
Colleen O’Brien
Saanich
Bateman Gallery supports vibrant spaces
Re: “Waterfront home for museum is a priority,” editorial, May 29.
It is encouraging to see this discussion about what the future may hold for many of Victoria’s cultural institutions, like the Maritime Museum of B.C., Art Gallery of Greater Victoria and the Bateman Gallery.
The post-pandemic world of real estate is going through its own disruptive phase, and with it are opportunities for public discourse on what role museums and galleries can play in building this community’s cultural profile.
At the Bateman Foundation and Gallery, we look forward to being part of this ongoing discussion.
Presently, we have no immediate plans to depart from our gallery space at the Steamship Terminal building in the Inner Harbour and we are excited to continue serving the community from this wonderful location.
We are proud to be an integral part of Greater Victoria’s cultural offerings and look forward to working with our gallery and museum partners to create vibrant spaces that meet all our future needs.
Peter Ord, executive director
Bateman Foundation and Bateman Gallery
Victoria
Location matters when getting a shot
I just booked second vaccinations for my wife and myself, and on my confirmation email, I was given the address of 1151 Admirals Rd.
That is an empty field. The correct location is the Rexall drugstore at 1511 Admirals Rd.
This strikes me as serious. There could be folks showing up on the bus who are over 70 years old, and so on. I hope this is corrected, and emails are sent to those who have already received the incorrect information.
Stephen Pierrot
Saanich
A rich history that must be told
Kudos to the Times Colonist editorial calling for a new home for the Maritime Museum on the water in downtown Victoria.
Our harbour has a rich and colourful history that should be showcased for visitors and locals alike. Our tourism industry needs another high-quality attraction downtown.
We don’t need another restaurant or another condominium tower. We need another reason for visitors to come to Victoria and for locals to come downtown.
Maritime museums around the world are much-sought-after tourist attractions. They are money-makers in the visitors they attract.
The Halifax Maritime Museum of the Atlantic is a prime example, telling the history of Canada’s East Coast.
Victoria needs to tell its history, starting with the Lekwungen-speaking people, the Hudson’s Bay Company, the gold rush years, the Esquimalt naval base, the exploration of our coast, the war years and on to our current dynamic harbour.
When the museum was forced out of Bastion Square in 2014, it should have been moved to the Canadian Steamship Terminal Building. Instead, the collection was warehoused and a paltry storefront of a museum was created in Nootka Court.
Now is the time and the opportunity to rectify this mistake. Let’s get on with it. Let’s tell our story.
Tony Gooch
Oak Bay
Parking in fire lanes is simply wrong
I work in a care home that has had to display no-parking, fire-lane signs at the front of the building, even though it was already clear that it was for ambulances, fire trucks and other emergency vehicles.
I have to tell a dozen or so people a day to move. I get the following comments: “I am just gonna be a minute.” “Is an ambulance coming?”
It is beyond rude. We cannot predict emergencies and neither can you! Do not park in emergency-vehicle parking. I pray you do not need it.
Jen Popovich
Victoria
Goal achieved on the backs of taxpayers
In October 2016, John Horgan promised $10-a-day daycare if the New Democrats won the provincial election in 2017. I feel it was that promise that got them elected.
Other than a few very small pilot projects, they are a long, long way from delivering on that promise.
And what about their promises to save the old-growth forests? Another failure, as we watch the last two per cent of old growth teetering on the brink.
With that as a background, I read with incredulity Labour Minister Harry Bains saying “they” have “surpassed and achieved the goal” of delivering a $15-an-hour minimum wage by June 2021.
They? Excuse me. Those who have achieved it are the employers out of whose pockets the workers are being paid. No credit here to the NDP.
Ted Daly
Saanichton
Public buildings must be accessible
Use of the downtown conference centre for COVID-19 vaccinations highlights the need to upgrade old public buildings to the reality of today’s society.
When the centre was built in 1989, the rules required there to be disabled ramps for wheelchairs, and this was done. There are two ramps at the centre’s main entrance to allow access for wheelchair users.
However, the ramps are too narrow to be used for standard-size mobility scooters. Hence the ramps go unused when those who depend on mobility scooters cannot enter the centre. The building does not meet today’s needs.
The presence and participation of persons with mobility disabilities in our community is substantial and has increased dramatically since 1989.
Society has changed. There are more and more persons with mobility disabilities that rely on mobility scooters to get around.
Today, new public buildings are required to ensure there are ramps for mobility scooters, which will also provide access for those who are dependent on wheelchairs.
But the old public buildings should also conform to the needs of today’s community and modify their entrance ramps so that they permit access for people who require mobility scooters.
Roger Cyr
Victoria
Homeowner grants should not be online
I opened my tax notice and found out that the homeowner grant is now applied for online.
Why was notice not given about this? I can imagine hundreds, maybe thousands completely flummoxed by the lack of notice, and the requirements to respond to an online registry.
I am not an online person. Yes, I can type this letter and get it sent. But online applications, forms, submissions usually are a complete disaster.
Witness the COVID registration. Two hours of attempting to register online. No luck. Turned aside at every attempt.
A phone call was finally accepted and a nice person booked me and my wife in five minutes.
I do not have a smartphone. I do not text. So that avenue of response for homeowner grant application is out.
No explanation of how, if I am successful in getting my homeowner grant online, the grant money is transferred to my tax account. I have visions of going to city hall and finding I am liable for the whole thing until the grant comes through.
And even more sinister: The requirement for my Social Insurance Number.
Why? It was never asked for at the city hall. I can just see the scammers and charlatans rubbing their hands in glee — a new avenue to tap into personal information and begin scamming money out of the people even more computer-challenged than I am.
Premier John Horgan, have your financial people lost sight of who they are serving?
Gordon McLaughlin
Campbell River
Don’t let campers wreck the park again
Re: “Helps urges two-year ban on sheltering in Beacon Hill Park,” May 29.
There’s a breathtaking disconnect in Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps’ proposal to ban sheltering in Beacon Hill Park for two years.
Her goofy logic is to give the park enough time to recover from the damage caused by campers. Then what? As soon as the park has recuperated, let the tenters back in to wreck it all over again.
Give your head a shake.
Steve Housser
Shawnigan Lake
SEND US YOUR LETTERS
• Email letters to: [email protected]
• Mail: Letters to the editor, Times Colonist, 201-655 Tyee Rd., Victoria, B.C. V9A 6X5
• Submissions should be no more than 250 words; subject to editing for length and clarity. Provide your contact information; it will not be published.
