Atwater Park Area At Your Own Risk!

Editorial




Most of us Nunavimmiut are very well aware of the problems that have been reported in the western part of Ste Catherine street near Atwater Park but you truly have to witness it to believe it and understand it better. One sunny afternoon last week I was visiting a patient at the children's hospital and spent a few hours in the park with a relative and I did see a few things that kind of made me understand the situation a little better. Middle aged men both white and black appear to be pimping girls forcing them into a life of prostitution, drugs, std's and many other problems. One Qallunaat with wrinkles on his face that looked as thou he was hit by a bulldozer was sitting with two girls that looked as thou they were in their early twenty's. They were sitting maybe fifty feet away from me and I was able to understand their conversation. The two girls spoke to each other in Inuktitut and sounded as thou they may be from Kangiqsualujjuaq but I could be wrong. They were being exploited by this wrinkled scumbag that was pocketing the money he made from them selling their bodies and he was paying the girls with drugs which I presume must have been crack. I thought to myself, now these girls must have families that are worried sick about them. They might have brothers and sisters that miss them nieces and nephews or cousins that are wondering what ever happened to......? I felt like telling these two young girls to get the hell out of that place and get some help but I did not get a chance to speak with them and I feared for my own safety If the white scumbag heard me. They eventually left and walked towards the McDonald's at the next corner. I waited around thirty minutes to see if the girls would come back alone and maybe I can talk with them but they never came back. I then came across a girl from Salluit that I haven't seen in years. She noticed me and I believe she may have remembered me, she was with a tall black guy and didn't end up talking to her, she did not look very happy but shoock her head as a hello. I then went back to the hospital for a bit and walked home afterwards with a sad feeling that we need to do something for these poor girls. I say girls because the homeless and drug problem near Awater is mostly young women from Nunavik and not men.

I have read some of the newspaper articles and of course I have heard about what goes on in that area but to see these things happen with my own two eyes and to witness it made me sick and I started to think about it more and more in the days after.

What can we do?

We need to educate our kids and young people about some of the risks because at some point it's too late and at that point there is a risk that they can fall into that pattern of drug and alcohol abuse. These things do not tend to get better with time but I have seen some success stories and it feels good to hear em' and to see, believe me! If you have young adult in your family going to Montreal, take the extra time to stay in touch with them. Ask them what they're up to, where they're going. We don't need to see any more Nunavimmiut or Nunavummiut fall into this pattern down south far awar from their families and their communities. The lure of the big city is just too much for some people sometimes and there are very serious life threatening consequences that are sometimes associated with that. Do not trust anyone in the south that may go out of their way to be friends with you because you are inuk or first nation. These pimps and drug dealers have years of experience sometimes and know exactly what to say to make their wallet bigger or feed their sickening habit. The friendliness is very often a trap it sometimes difficult to judge the situation but I am suspicious of anyone that goes out of their way to be extra friendly because of not who you are but what you are. At Atwater park and on the nearby streets, there is a very unfriendly reminder of the concequences for someone that falls it that trap.

In conclusion, it is almost impossible for anyone not to care about these kind of issues because it concerns every single one of us. There are no words that can explain the sympathy and sadness I feel for the families of these young people that are in that situation. Imagine raising a child with all the love and responsabilities you were brought up with as a kid and just when you think they are old enough and responsable enough to make the right decicions in life, they meet a piece of shit that changes their life more ways then one. This happens way more then we would like to think, it's time to get tough on drug abuse and the dealers.

LINKS

I have linked an article that was published by Jane George of Nunatsiaq News a few years back, it goes to show how things haven't changed.
http://www.nunatsiaqonline.ca/archives/nunavut000131/nvt20121_08.html

Interesting Gazette article about the area we discussed
http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Residents+hold/2705248/story.html

Chez Doris
1430, Rue Chomedey
Montreal, QC H3H 2A7
514-937-2341
www.chezdoris.ca

NunatsiaqOnline 2010-06-23: NEWS: New centre helps Montreal Inuit nourish their urban dreams

NunatsiaqOnline 2010-06-23: NEWS: New centre helps Montreal Inuit nourish their urban dreams

‘Don’t Taze My Granny!’

Online News Feeds

‘Don’t Taze My Granny!’

Oklamoma City Oklahoma

Lonnie Tinsley of El Reno, Oklahoma made a nearly fatal mistake last December 22 when he went to check on his grandma, Lona Vernon.

Concerned that Lona hadn’t taken her medications, Lonnie called 911 in the expectation that an emergency medical technician would be dispatched to the apartment to evaluate the bedridden 86-year-old woman.

Instead, that call for help was answered by nearly a dozen armed tax-feeders employed by the El Reno Police Department.

Understandably alarmed — and probably more than a little disgusted — by the presence of uninvited armed strangers in her home, Lona ordered them to leave. This directive, issued by a fragile female octogenarian confined to a hospital-style bed and tethered to an oxygen tank, was interpreted as “aggressive” behavior by Officer Thomas Duran, who ordered one of his associates : “Taser her!”

“Don’t taze my granny!” exclaimed Tinsley. According to a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court, Tinsley’s “obstructive” behavior prompted the police to threaten him with their tasers. He was then was assaulted, removed from the room, thrown to the floor, handcuffed, and detained in a police car. At this point, the heroes in blue turned their attention to Lona.

The tactical situation was daunting; at this point, the police had only a 10-1 advantage over a subject who — according to Duran’s official report — had taken an “aggressive posture” in her hospital bed. The sacred imperative of “officer safety” dictated that the subject be thoroughly softened up in order to minimize resistance.

Accordingly, one of the officers approached Lona and “stepped on her oxygen hose until she began to suffer oxygen deprivation,” narrates the complaint, based on Lona’s account. One of the officers then shot her with a taser, but the connection wasn’t solid. A second fired his taser, “striking her to the left of the midline of her upper chest, and applied high voltage, causing burns to her chest, extreme pain,” and unconsciousness. Lona was then handcuffed with sufficient ruthlessness to tear the soft flesh of her forearms, causing her to bleed.

After her wounds were treated at a local hospital, Lona was confined for six days in the psychiatric ward at the insistence of her deranged assailants from the El Reno Police Department.

It has long been established that the worst thing to do in an emergency is to call the police. In this case, Lonnie Tinsley didn’t call the police, yet they barged in anyway and quite nearly “helped” his grandma to death.

The situation is still being investigated.

Melting permafrost threatens Arctic housing projects

CP Tuktoyaktuk, N.W.T

MONTREAL — An Arctic community that has seen its fire hall sink and roads buckle in the melting permafrost is now shifting future building projects away from town.

The effect of vanishing permafrost -- soil normally frozen year round -- is now being felt across Canada's North, and the Quebec village of Salluit is just one of many Arctic towns trying to adapt to an increasingly warmer climate.

Rising temperatures are being blamed for natural disturbances in the North, such as the rapidly eroding coastline of Tuktoyaktuk, N.W.T., and unprecedented floods that knocked out two bridges in Pangnirtung, Nunavut.

Salluit even considered relocating the whole town. One of Quebec's northernmost communities, Salluit saw its local fire station sink into the softening ground a year after it opened.

Across town, paved roads have crumpled, foundations of buildings have cracked and now even summertime grave-digging isn't what it used to be.

A few years ago, it took considerable effort just to dig a foot into what was once ice-solid earth, says one resident of the Nunavik village.

"We used to need hammers and all that because it was frozen solid all the way through," said Noah Tayara, a local representative for Makivik Corp., northern Quebec's governing body.

"(Today), we don't need those. We can shovel to six feet without having to go through the permafrost."

For years, the people of Salluit, shielded by a bunker-like valley on Sugluk Inlet off the Hudson Strait, faced the prospect of uprooting their town to move away from the defrosting turf.

Following two years of scientific studies, experts have concluded the village can stay put. But the community's much-needed expansion will have to go elsewhere and follow specific construction guidelines.

"We can safely say that there's no relocation of houses that are sitting permanently right now," said Michael Cameron, a Salluit municipal councillor.

Instead, he said the village hopes to secure government funding to build up to 500 two-bedroom homes at several chosen sites within a few kilometres of the community. Cameron noted the shift to outlying areas is partly due to a lack of space in the town of 1,100.

The new housing developments, which aim to ease overcrowding that often sees three generations living under one roof, will be constructed in sturdier areas that feature a mix of bedrock, clay, sand, gravel and permafrost.

The plans were presented at a public meeting two weeks ago, helping calm fears the town was under the threat of mudslides.

"There is permafrost beneath us and it's changing, but they said it's not so big a problem that we would . . . suffer a landslide into the sea," said Paul Okituk, general manager of Qaqqalik Landholding Corp. in Salluit.

Most homes sit on stilts that keep them about a metre off the permafrost, so many of the posts will have to be adjusted annually to reduce warping, Okituk said.

Locals started questioning the stability of the area when a small landslide struck a 17-unit housing development in 1998, he said.

"A unit that was close to the river almost got taken away by the slide," Okituk said.

He says the region has seen extreme weather patterns in the last decade -- including warmer summers and shorter winters that barely see temperatures dip below -30 C when they've been known in the past to hit -60 C with the windchill.

The brief winter last year shortened the window of opportunity for local hunters to reach caribou herds, impacting the local way of life.

"Salluit has had to order out for food from other communities that have (meat) because of the early thaw and late freeze-up," Okituk said of game shipments that arrived through a hunter-support program between northern communities.

"We enjoyed the good weather. (But) it was too long, because bad weather also brings in good stuff, too."

NunatsiaqOnline 2010-06-17: NEWS: Neighbour opposition could delay or kill Nunavik Inuit patient home

NunatsiaqOnline 2010-06-17: NEWS: Neighbour opposition could delay or kill Nunavik Inuit patient home

CBC News - Montreal - Montreal officials defend Inuit health centre

The Villeray affair continues CBC NEWS FULL REPORT

CBC News - Montreal - Montreal officials defend Inuit health centre

Montreal region - 18 arrested in major drug bust

Major drug Bust involving Asian criminal gangs in Montreal

-Eighteen arrested in Montreal area
-Thousands of pot plants seized
-Accused face a range of charges related to producing cannabis, and possession with intent to traffic.

Police were conducting a wide-ranging operation Wednesday morning on Montreal Island but were being very tight-lipped about what it involves.

“We don’t want to give any details,” Montreal police Constable Daniel Lacoursière said. “The safety of our officers is most important.”

Meanwhile, an unrelated operation by Longueuil police Wednesday morning netted thousands of marijuana plants that may have a street value of hundreds of thousands of dollars or more, Longueuil police Constable Martin Simard said.

Eighteen people were arrested, including men and women, and raids were conducted in 15 locations, including 10 homes in Brossard, three warehouses in Montreal, one residence in Old Longueuil and one in home in Candiac, he added.

An unspecified amount of cash was also seized as well as hydroponic equipment for growing the plants. The plants range in maturity, Simard said.

The network got its hydroponic equipment from the same supplier in Longueuil, he added. The group is not considered part of any other known organized crime organization.

As many as 125 police officers were involved in what is known as Operation Container.

Those arrested are mainly Asian in origin and do not speak English or French, so police will need interpreters to obtain more information about them, Simard said.

As the situation continues to unfold, we will publish additional information.

NunatsiaqOnline 2010-06-15: NEWS: Salluit’s future to be built on bedrock foundation

NunatsiaqOnline 2010-06-15: NEWS: Salluit’s future to be built on bedrock foundation

Les gens qui viennent se faire soigner, c'est tout nous explique une jeune fille d'origine Inuit

Daisy Sivurapik, 17 ans, est allée visiter sa tante hier après-midi au centre d'hébergement du Module du Nord québécois, dans le quartier Notre-Dame-de-Grâce.
Le Module du Nord québécois est l'organisme qui coordonne les sept centres inuits qui pourraient être regroupés dans un seul et unique immeuble du quartier Villeray.

La tante de Daisy, Lucy, habite au village de Puvirnituq, au Nunavik. Elle doit venir à Montréal pour les suivis de sa grossesse. Entre ses visites à l'hôpital, elle réside au centre d'hébergement de NDG, rue Saint-Jacques Ouest.

Daisy Sivurapik ne comprend pas la levée de boucliers de certains résidants de Villeray, qui redoutent l'impact négatif de l'ouverture d'un tel centre dans leur quartier.

«Ce sont des gens qui viennent se faire soigner, c'est tout», a dit la souriante jeune fille, avant d'entrer dans le centre.

Daisy n'est pas la seule à penser ainsi. La plupart des résidants de NDG interrogés hier n'avaient aucun problème avec la présence du centre, qui est situé dans un quartier commercial et résidentiel.

«Les patients sont très discrets et sont presque toujours à l'intérieur», a souligné Meran Momenpour, gérant d'un concessionnaire d'autos d'occasion situé en face du centre.

«Ce sont de bons voisins, a ajouté Kelly Paneccia. Parfois, on les voit marcher ivres dans la rue, mais ils sont de bonne humeur.»

Abdul Alshamari, qui habite l'immeuble adjacent, est plus critique. «Le problème, c'est la consommation intense d'alcool», a dit le locataire de 20 ans.

M. Alshamari affirme trouver fréquemment des bouteilles de bière sur son terrain. Il dit avoir été témoin de bagarres impliquant des visiteurs inuits.

«Entraînés dans le crime»

Certains patients ont été «entraînés dans le crime» au centre d'hébergement de NDG, a convenu hier Jeannie May, directrice de l'agence de santé et des services sociaux du Nunavik.

«Le quartier a entraîné beaucoup de problèmes pour les patients, a-t-elle dit. On y trouve beaucoup d'activité criminelle qui existe indépendamment de la présence des Inuits dans le centre.»

D'ailleurs, a souligné Mme May, la criminalité dans NDG est l'une des raisons qui incitent les autorités du Nunavik à chercher un nouvel emplacement pour le centre. Le bail vient également à échéance, a-t-elle indiqué.

«J'aurais cru qu'on faisait une fleur au quartier Villeray en disant que nous voulons déplacer notre centre dans un quartier sécuritaire pour les patients», a conclu Jeannie May, qui se désole de la réaction des résidants.

http://www.cyberpresse.ca/actualites/regional/montreal/201006/02/01-4286000-les-gens-viennent-se-faire-soigner-cest-tout.php


This article/interview with Daisy from POV published a little over a week ago in La Presse had a very big impact in Villeray and in Montreal. There appears to be a lot less opposition within Villeray and local media have mostly dropped the subject. La Presse reaches close to 200,000 readers every day. Words like people are only here to get medical treatment calmed a lot of people down in Montreal and Daisy's interview made big progress on this subject that we have focused on for months now. Good job Daisy!

CBC News - Nfld. & Labrador - N.L. to report on site left polluted by U.S.

Nunatsiavut

CBC News - Nfld. & Labrador - N.L. to report on site left polluted by U.S.

NunatsiaqOnline 2010-06-10: NEWS: Nunavik sees four drownings in three days

Breaking News NunatsiaqOnline 2010-06-10: NEWS: Nunavik sees four drownings in three days

De la grande visite d'Aupaluk

(Trois-Rivières) C'est un véritable retour aux sources que vit actuellement une jeune enseignante de 25 ans, Pascale Alarie-Vézina, originaire de Pointe-du-Lac.
La jeune femme, qui enseigne depuis maintenant deux ans dans un petit village du Nunavik a choisi de revenir chez elle et d'y emmener ses élèves, le temps d'un voyage de fin d'année de quelques jours.

Ainsi, une délégation de huit jeunes Inuits et trois professeurs sont débarqués hier soir à la station de plein-air Ville-Joie pour y passer les deux prochains jours. Au programme: visite de différents attraits touristiques, dont la Cité de l'Énergie à Shawinigan ainsi que l'activité d'Arbre en arbre au parc de l'Île Melville.

«Les élèves de ma classe sont très curieux de nature. Ils veulent savoir d'où je viens, comment c'est, chez moi. Quand nous avons monté le projet, j'ai trouvé que c'était une belle occasion de leur montrer», raconte la jeune enseignante. Les élèves devaient donc faire preuve d'une bonne assiduité et d'un comportement exemplaire à l'école pour mériter le droit de partir «dans le sud» à la fin de l'année scolaire.


«Ce sont tous des élèves qui apprennent le français en langue seconde, alors c'est aussi une occasion pour eux de pratiquer le français», note Pascale.

La délégation a toutefois dû trouver du financement pour pouvoir se permettre le voyage des élèves vers la Mauricie. Le groupe a pu bénéficier de l'aide financière de programmes tels que «Nouveau sentier pour l'éducation», «Ungaluk» et «Brighter future», en plus d'obtenir un rabais sur les billets d'avions de la part d'Air Inuit.

Les élèves du secondaire ont aussi collaboré au projet en organisant des soirées cinéma à l'école et en vendant des collations pour amasser des fonds.

À l'aventure

L'aventure de Pascale Alarie-Vézina dans le grand nord a débuté il y a deux ans, alors qu'elle terminait son quatrième stage de son bac en adaptation scolaire.

«J'avais une amie de mon bac qui enseignait dans le nord et qui me parlait que les besoins d'enseignants étaient grands. J'ai donc décidé de tenter l'expérience», explique l'enseignante, qui s'est retrouvée à enseigner dans une classe de 3e, 4e et 5e année de l'école d'Aupaluk, un village de 170 habitants un peu au nord de Kuujjuaq. Un choc culturel que Pascale a toutefois pu surmonter sans trop de difficulté.

«C'est de l'adaptation, mais on s'y fait. Il n'y a pas de magasins de vêtements, pas d'épicerie. On a une coop, et la plupart des gens commandent certains articles par la poste. C'est un autre style de vie, où on est moins axé sur la consommation. Ça change certaines valeurs, on se rend compte bien vite qu'on n'a pas besoin de toutes ces choses qu'on achète sans réfléchir», constate l'enseignante.

Forte d'une expérience de deux ans, Pascale Alarie-Vézina entamera sa troisième année d'enseignement en septembre. «On prend ça une année à la fois. Pour le moment, j'aime ça. Je ne sais pas si j'y serai encore dans dix ans, mais en ce moment ça va bien», souligne celle qui a aussi rencontré son conjoint, originaire des Maritimes, à Aupaluk.

Read more at
http://www.cyberpresse.ca/le-nouvelliste/elections-provinciales/201006/09/01-4288176-de-la-grande-visite-daupaluk.php

Proposed Inuit hospital in Villeray

Editorial

In case you haven't heard yet, there's been a lot of commotion in Villeray this past week over plans to turn the abandoned Chinese hospital on 7500 St-Denis into an Inuit health facility. The centre would be used for patients coming to Montreal to get medical care unavailable in northern Quebec.

A citizen's petition (online version: "danger-imminent.com") whipped up a panic about crime going up in the neighbourhood with Inuit passing through, and drew lots of negative press for its racist overtones.

Though the people behind the site say it was designed to create a sense of urgency before the June 1 town meeting - and though they took down its content early in the week after getting so much negative press - it's disturbing how much racist shit was said in the process, particularly by elected officials.

Part of the problem seems to have been the general lack of information made available to neighbourhood residents about the project. There's been a lot of he-said, she-said going on for the past few weeks, with little advance notice about plans for 7500 St-Denis coming from Health and Social Services. It doesn't help that Villeray's mayor, Anie Samson, has been fanning the xenophobic flames.

There might be links to Nunavik tourism sites up where danger-imminent site used to be, but now that the smoke's cleared, we still haven't heard a lot about why a new Inuit health centre is needed in the first place.

Linda Gyulai wrote a great article in the Gazette a couple months ago on the Inuit homeless population in Shaughnessy Village, and the factors that lead them from Nunavik to Montreal's streets. The article gives you an idea of why almost 200 people in Nunavik signed a petition to move one of the existing Inuit health facilities on St-Jacques to a new location. The idea is that adequate housing in a safe environment will decrease the risk that people who come down for care are exposed to drugs, alcohol, and violence.

Braden
Montreal, Quebec

It's time for a cruise to Canada's majestic north

Canada's majestic north has many bewildering and pristine coastlines and landscapes. If you want to truly get away this summer without leaving the country, Exclusive Tours -representing Inuit owned-and-operated Cruise North Expeditions -has savings of $1,000 U.S. to $2,000 U.S. per person on low deck cabins on two northern Labrador and Arctic cruises if you book by June 15.

The Spirit Mountains tour sails July 2-13 and departs St. John's, NL, and travels to Kuujjuaq, Que. Along the way, you'll visit the 1,830-metre high Torngat Mountain range with its uncharted fjords, narrow channels and breathtaking views of sea ice and icebergs. On zodiac boats or hiking, the journey into the Hudson Strait also offers close encounters with polar bears, seals and whales. You can get a one-way flight from Montreal to St. John's for around $250. The tour company can arrange for a flight back to Montreal from Kuujjuaq for $570 U.S. With the savings, the total price for this trip -with flights -would be about $3,215 U.S. Taxes are extra. The High Arctic trip sails Aug. 19-29 from Kuujjuaq to Resolute Bay, Nunavut. (The company offers flights from Montreal to Kuujjuaq and back from Resolute Bay to Montreal for $1,740.) This adventure takes you to the top of the world, and features some of the Arctic's most spectacular scenery, including jagged mountain peaks, treeless valleys and cascading glaciers. You'll also probably see seals, walrus, beluga whales and the rare narwhal. The trip, with the savings and airfare included, comes to $7,335 U.S. Both trips are on the Lyubov Orlova, an expedition vessel with a capacity of 122 passengers and 63 crew. Average temperatures in the summer hover between 9C and 18C. Food and shore excursions are included in the price. For more details, contact your travel agent or Exclusive Tours at 800-268-1820, or visit www.exclusivetours.ca.

Coming soon

In a few weeks we will feature a new series featuring Life In Montreal as an Urban Inuk.

NUNAVIMMIUT INTERNET NEWS

NunatsiaqOnline 2010-06-07: NEWS: KMHB, Quebec eye beefed-up homeownership for Nunavik

Nunavik Housing


Important article published by journalist Jane George in Nunatsiaq News

NunatsiaqOnline 2010-06-07: NEWS: KMHB, Quebec eye beefed-up homeownership for Nunavik

Un centre qui déchaîne les passions - Actualités - Progrès Villeray

News article published in Le Progres Villeray (Villeray's community news voice) FR Un centre qui déchaîne les passions - Actualités - Progrès Villeray

Nunavik news story in Alaska's largest daily newspaper

News from around the world


Inuit children in Quebec learn better and have better self-esteem when taught longer in their Native language, a Canadian researcher says. Psychology professor Don Taylor of McGill University in Montreal has been studying children in the village of Kangiqsujuaq since its school made Inuttitut the language of instruction through Grade 3, reports
Nunatsiaq Online.


Kangiqsujuaq was the first community in the region to do this, and the Kativik School Board wanted to know what the impact was on students' learning and self-esteem, then, and as the school made the move to English- or French-language instruction in Grade 4.

"There's no question that having an extra year of Inuttitut improves their language skills," Taylor said. "It provides a more solid base."

When students transition into English or French studies in Grade 4, the first year is difficult, Taylor said. But by Grades 5 or 6, they've caught up, he said.

Read more, including comments
http://www.adn.com/2010/06/07/1311827/inuit-students-benefit-from-schooling.html

I would like to add a few personal comments because this is worldwide news. Some Alaskans (including Inukpiak) have a hard time believing kids in Nunavik can be educated in their Inuktitut mother tongue, take a few moments to register and let them know that Nunavimmiut are proud of their heritate and that this information is accurate. In the United States, the English language and media has sussesfully assimilated many native Americans, let them know that in Nunavik, Canada we are very proud of our inuit heritage and we will never lose our language and culture.

Villeray's reaction to hostel's move outrages Inuit

An Inuit village in Nunavik is pictured in a file photo. Canada's First Nations, Inuit and Metis lived 17 years less, while Guatemala's Amerindians had spans shorter by 13 years, and New Zealand's Maoris died 11 years younger than non-indigenous citizens.

Read more: http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/montreal/
Villeray+reaction+hostel+move+outrages+Inuit/3120917/story.html#ixzz0qC75CFZe


(From Canwest News Service, Montreal Gazette)

On the radio in Kuujjuaq, QC

Kuujjuaq, QC (CBC) COMMUNITY RADIO


Pita Aatami President of Makivik touched on the issue of the relocation of Nunavik House in Montreal. He told listeners he was very disappointed with the situation and made it clear he did not accept the apology from borough mayor of Villeray. There will be an update shortly.

NEWS

It's time for a cruise to Canada's majestic north

Canada's majestic north has many bewildering and pristine coastlines and landscapes. If you want to truly get away this summer without leaving the country, Exclusive Tours -representing Inuit owned-and-operated Cruise North Expeditions -has savings of $1,000 U.S. to $2,000 U.S. per person on low deck cabins on two northern Labrador and Arctic cruises if you book by June 15.

The Spirit Mountains tour sails July 2-13 and departs St. John's, NL, and travels to Kuujjuaq, Que. Along the way, you'll visit the 1,830-metre high Torngat Mountain range with its uncharted fjords, narrow channels and breathtaking views of sea ice and icebergs. On zodiac boats or hiking, the journey into the Hudson Strait also offers close encounters with polar bears, seals and whales. You can get a one-way flight from Montreal to St. John's for around $250. The tour company can arrange for a flight back to Montreal from Kuujjuaq for $570 U.S. With the savings, the total price for this trip -with flights -would be about $3,215 U.S. Taxes are extra. The High Arctic trip sails Aug. 19-29 from Kuujjuaq to Resolute Bay, Nunavut. (The company offers flights from Montreal to Kuujjuaq and back from Resolute Bay to Montreal for $1,740.) This adventure takes you to the top of the world, and features some of the Arctic's most spectacular scenery, including jagged mountain peaks, treeless valleys and cascading glaciers. You'll also probably see seals, walrus, beluga whales and the rare narwhal. The trip, with the savings and airfare included, comes to $7,335 U.S. Both trips are on the Lyubov Orlova, an expedition vessel with a capacity of 122 passengers and 63 crew. Average temperatures in the summer hover between 9C and 18C. Food and shore excursions are included in the price. For more details, contact your travel agent or Exclusive Tours at 800-268-1820, or visit www.exclusivetours.ca.

Vermont culture and heritage days. Our stateside neighbours are celebrating their past and current traditions through July 5 with a range of activities that will make you want to roll out your Ben & Jerry's ice cream T-shirt, or buy one. On Vermont Days, June 12-13, all state parks and historical sites offer free admission, and June 12 is the one day of the year when residents and non-residents can fish in the state without a licence. Other events to look for: the Strolling of the Heifers, the Vermont Dairy Festival and Independence Day celebrations throughout the state. The Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing will be offering tickets and products on Facebook ( www.facebook.com/VermontTourism).For more information and lodging suggestions, visit www.VermontVacation.com.For other lodging specials, like a room for two at the Stowe Inn & Tavern for $105 U.S. per night or a room for two at the Essex Resort & Spa with a bottle of chilled wine awaiting you in your room, a three-course dinner and breakfast for $284 U.S. per night, visit www.vtliving.com/lodging/packages.

Quebec bed & breakfasts and

country inns. A group of 365 Quebec B&Bs and inns has a website with nifty vacation ideas. Say you want to get away for some rest and relaxation. Just click on the appropriate box and indicate the region you want to visit. You could book a room for two nights at the Baker's Inn just downstream from Quebec City for two people for $132.95, including a five-course gourmet meal. Built in 1840, the five-room Baker's Inn has been carefully restored; each room has a private bathroom and antique furniture. Or, if you want to spend your days bicycling in the Laurentians, you could book two nights at the Maison de Baviere in Val David for two people for $200. The inn is next to the Riviere du Nord and borders Le P'tit train du Nord, a 230-kilometre linear park and bikeway along an old railway. For more B&B and country inn ideas, visit www.inns-bb.com.

Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe. Father's Day is June 20, but the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa and Casino has designated June "Father's Month" with three dad-friendly packages. Nestled in the Sierra Nevada chain, the Hyatt is the only resort directly on the shores of Lake Tahoe. Thirty golf courses are within a 45-minute drive. Spend three nights at the Nevada resort and enjoy your fourth summer night free. Room rates begin at $245 U.S. per night. And for boating enthusiasts, the 28th Annual Concours d'Elegance (June 18-20, www.laketahoeconcours.com)is North America's premier wooden boat show and includes more than 100 meticulously restored "woodies." As an official sponsor, Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe is offering a weekend rate of $199 U.S. per night. For more on the resort's summer leisure packages, call 775-832-1234 or visit www.laketahoe.hyatt.com.

Canadian hotel savings. Great-CanadianHotels.comis offering discounted rates and free nights at 24 hotels and resorts across Canada with its "Wake Up to Canada" promotion through Sept. 8. Stay for two nights or more and receive a free night on your next stay at that hotel. Vouchers are transferable to family and friends. And if you book by June 30, you receive a $40 food and beverage credit to spend in the hotel restaurant, lounge or room service. The nightly hotel rates start from $89. Popular vacation destinations include Victoria from $125, Edmonton from $95, Ottawa from $119 and Quebec City from $109. For more information, visit www.GreatCanadianHotels.comor call 888-422-6232.

Crackdown on illegal fishing in Montreal's St-Lawrence river. Fish was sold to restaurants in Chinatown.

MONTREAL - Quebec wildlife protection officials have laid 150 charges against fishermen accused of illegally catching fish in the St. Lawrence River and the restaurateurs who allegedly bought them.

The fishermen caught more than 2,000 fish in Montreal's Old Port and then sold them to restaurants in nearby Chinatown, according to Quebec's Ministry of Natural Resources and Wildlife.

Ten fishermen and seven restaurant owners were questioned by wildlife officials on Wednesday. A ministry spokesperson was unable to say how many of the 17 are facing charges in what authorities have dubbed Operation Dragon.

The accused will face charges including fishing without a licence, illegal possession of fish, exceeding fishing quotas, and the illegal sale and purchase of fish caught during sport fishing.

A fisherman with a licence can fish up to three kilograms at a time but some of the fishermen were leaving the wharf with up to 50 kilograms, said wildlife officials.

Fish caught in Montreal's Old Port are safe to eat, despite containing traces of mercury, according to Environment Canada.

Wildlife officials said they will seek fines of up to $125,000 for the fisherman and merchants.

Statement from residents of Villeray

MESSAGE IMPORTANT


Cette initiative à pour objectif de corriger une grave erreur qui a été commise dans le contexte du dossier de conversion de l’ancien Hôpital chinois de Montréal en centre d’hébergement pour personnes venues du Grand Nord.

L’approche initiale de la campagne qui vous à probablement mené ici, contrairement à ce qui a été interprété par plusieurs personnes et publié dans certains médias, n’avait rien à voir avec l'origine des patients mais plutôt avec une mécompréhension de la nature et de l'imminence du projet tel que transportée par la rumeur locale, faute d’information adéquate de la part des autorités concernées.

Les informations qui ont été circulées par la suite sur la nature du dit projet, combinées avec l’approche alarmiste du texte de la campagne, préméditée afin de mobiliser rapidement et massivement les citoyens et citoyennes concernées à quelques heures de la réunion du conseil, ont créé la perception que le message était de nature raciste : ce n’était nullement l'intention.

Le résultat étant ce qu’il est, nous tenons donc à transmettre nos plus sincères excuses à nos concitoyens et concitoyennes qui habitent ou qui proviennent du Grand Nord, ainsi qu’à tout autres personnes ayant pu être blessées ou offensées par la maladresse et le dérapage de cette démarche.

Nakurmik. Merci.

http://www.rapprochement-imminent.com/

Villeray residents object to Nunavik House proposal

Nunavik House is a home-away-from-home for Inuit receiving medical treatment in Montreal, and their families (June 2, 2010)





Updated: Thu Jun. 03 2010 9:56:53 AM

ctvmontreal.ca

People living in Montreal's Villeray district are upset that a centre for Inuit-Canadians is moving into their neighbourhood.

Nunavik House is a home away from home for many Inuit who are getting medical treatment in Montreal, but the aging facility is outdated, and too small to care for patients and house their relatives.

Betsy Putugu, who has been staying in Nunavik House for the past three weeks, says it is better than facilities in the far north.

Her daughter is pregnant, and at risk of having another premature baby. Coming to Montreal for treatment was the best option.

"We have no choice," Putugu said. "We have a small hospital up north from, where I live, but it doesn't have what she needs after giving a premature baby."

However Putugu and her daughter would like to be in a quieter neighbourhood than Nunavik House's St. Jacques street location.

"It's a very busy street. It's busy at some hours," said Putugu.

That's just one of the reasons a move is in the works to a former Chinese hospital in Villeray.


Villeray residents concerned


But this week, people who live in Villeray packed a borough council meeting to voice their objections.

Karen Bernier, a grandmother who lives in Villeray, is worried that re-opening the hospital as a care centre for northern residents will bring drugs and crime to the area.

"Why is it they always put it in Villeray or places like that, and not in Westmount or Outremont?" asked Bernier.

Notary Nicholas Polyzos is afraid his neighbourhood's cohesion will be threatened by the change.

"We are now going to take the people who are having the problem and move them to a safer neighborhood in expense of the neighborhood," protested Polyzos.

Patients and staff at Nunavik House don't understand why they're seen as a threat.

Anne Hickie believes that it's the neighborhood, and not the people, that is the cause of any problems.

"That's what we need for our people. That's been a plan for years now to get a safer location," Hickie said.

The move is far from a done deal, but just the hint of the centre moving has some people saying "not in my backyard."


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More info at
http://montreal.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20100603/mtl_nunavik_100603/20100603/?hub=MontrealHome

CBC News - Montreal - Montreal Inuit housing faces opposition

CBC News - Montreal - Montreal Inuit housing faces opposition

Not in my backyard

Montreal residents worry a new Inuit treatment centre in their part of the city will bring trouble

A significant number of residents of Villeray, part of a Montreal borrough in the north of the city, don’t want Inuit patients in their neighbourhood. Reacting to provincial government plans to turn a vacant hospital into a treatment centre for 150Inuit natives from the northern reaches of the province, a flyer was distributed to homes warning of “imminent danger” in the form of increased crime and prostitution should the Inuit patients be brought in. “There is a primary school, a high school and several kindergartens in the area,” says resident Nicholas Polyzos. “Why put the centre here? Just because they have a vacant hospital?” For her part, Jeannie May, head of Inuit health and social services agency, says the neighbours are confusing Inuit with homeless natives. “Most of the patients arriving in Montreal aren’t in very good health, and aren’t in shape to run around the city and party,” she says.

Article available at the following web adress.
http://www2.macleans.ca/2010/06/02/not-in-my-backyard/#idc-container

Rima Elkouri (La Presse) FR

Cachez vos enfants, ne sortez plus dans la ruelle, verrouillez vos portes. Il paraît qu'il y a des toxicomanes du Grand Nord qui vont débarquer au coin de votre rue, menacer votre quiétude et faire baisser le prix de vos maisons. Si on se fie au tract qui circule dans le quartier Villeray ces jours-ci, le danger est «imminent». Le projet de conversion de l'ancien hôpital chinois en centre d'hébergement pour Inuits serait, selon le tract, une menace à la sécurité des enfants du quartier. Et il pourrait aussi faire baisser le prix des propriétés.

Pour avoir «un aperçu de l'ampleur de la catastrophe à venir», allez voir un peu ce qui se passe à l'angle du boulevard Saint-Laurent et de l'avenue Viger, conseille l'auteur anonyme du tract. Prenant mon courage à deux mains, je suis allée voir pour vous. J'y ai vu de mes yeux vu deux piétons traverser la rue au feu jaune. Et quelques touristes perdus devant ces lions à l'air bougon qui font le guet devant les arches du Quartier chinois. Vous avez dit «catastrophe»? Le mot est faible.

La controverse autour de la conversion de l'ancien hôpital chinois de la rue Saint-Denis en centre d'hébergement pour Inuits est née d'un énorme malentendu, amplifié par les ragots et les préjugés. Je ne dis pas que les questionnements des citoyens ne sont pas légitimes si un centre de désintoxication ou un refuge s'installe dans leur quartier. Mais avant de monter au créneau, il faudrait au moins savoir de quoi on parle.


Dans le cas qui nous concerne, contrairement à ce que dit la légende urbaine, on ne parle pas d'un centre de désintoxication ni d'un refuge pour sans-abri. On parle d'un centre d'hébergement pour 150 citoyens du Nunavik ayant besoin de soins médicaux de pointe. Des soins auxquels ils ont droit mais qu'ils ne peuvent recevoir dans ce tiers-monde qui est le leur et que l'on préférerait ne pas voir. Il y aura donc des cancéreux, des femmes qui ont une grossesse à risque, des enfants qui ont besoin d'opérations spécialisées... Des patients pour la plupart très discrets qui monteront dans un autobus le matin pour aller à l'hôpital. Ils rentreront le soir. Ils passeront en moyenne de cinq à dix jours à Montréal, avant de reprendre l'avion pour le Nunavik.

Où est donc le danger? Un nouveau gang de rue sera-t-il créé dans la ruelle après le traitement de chimio ou en sortant du bloc opératoire? Dans l'imagination de certains, tout est possible. Le péril inuit est à nos portes. Voyez ce que dit le tract: «Le danger est imminent. Votre quiétude, vos familles et vos enfants sont en péril.»

Hier, la mairesse de l'arrondissement de Villeray-Saint-Michel-Parc-Extension, Anie Samson, a dit déplorer le fait qu'un tract «aussi discriminatoire» circule. J'avais l'impression en l'écoutant d'entendre une pyromane heureuse d'éteindre le feu qu'elle avait elle-même allumé. Dans un reportage diffusé à Radio-Canada il y a quelque temps, la mairesse a dit: «Quand t'amènes 125 personnes qui sont dépaysées, c'est le nouveau, c'est la grande ville, c'est le party. C'est sûr qu'il va y avoir des choses qui vont se passer. Me dire qu'il n'y aura aucune incivilité, c'est nous mentir.»

Quand on amène une mairesse qui se permet de dire n'importe quoi, c'est sûr aussi qu'il va y avoir des choses qui vont se passer... Mme Samson, qui a depuis changé de discours à propos de ce projet, a avoué qu'elle avait commenté une affaire qu'elle ne connaissait même pas. «À l'époque, il n'y avait aucune communication avec l'agence de la santé et des services sociaux.» Elle se fiait, a-t-elle dit, au «bouche à oreille». Une mairesse qui se fie au bouche à oreille, voilà qui est très rassurant.

Cela dit, même si la mairesse a induit ses citoyens en erreur en commentant un projet qu'elle ne connaissait pas, elle n'est pas la seule à blâmer dans cette histoire. L'agence de la santé et des services sociaux aurait pu elle aussi éviter une controverse en informant correctement les citoyens et l'arrondissement concernés dès le départ.

Que répond l'Agence au tract qui circule? Rien du tout, voilà le problème. «On ne fait pas dans l'opinion. On regarde les faits», s'est contentée de me dire Guylaine Chabot, porte-parole de l'Agence.

Ce silence est forcément suspect pour les citoyens ameutés par le projet. En refusant de répondre aux questions, on laisse ici le champ libre à la rumeur et aux préjugés les plus tenaces. Aux dépens d'une population déjà malmenée qui n'avait vraiment pas besoin de ça.

Full article available at http://www.cyberpresse.ca/chroniqueurs/rima-elkouri/201006/02/01-4285975-le-peril-inuit.php

or in LA PRESSE newspaper June 2, 2010

Villeray: des craintes au sujet d'un centre d'hébergement pour Inuits

From Le Devoir Newspaper published in french

Marco Bélair-Cirino 2 juin 2010 Montréal

Le projet de l'Agence de la santé et des services sociaux (ASSS) de Montréal d'aménager un centre d'hébergement destiné aux Inuits au 7500, rue Saint-Denis suscite des craintes de la part de citoyens de l'arrondissement Villeray—Saint-Michel—Parc-Extension, notamment en matière de sécurité. Les élus ont fait face, hier soir, au conseil d'arrondissement, à un barrage de questions, auquel ils ont opposé très peu de réponses.

L'immeuble, sis à l'intersection des rues Saint-Denis et Faillon, qui abritait autrefois les patients de l'hôpital chinois hébergera, si le projet de l'Agence voit le jour, environ 150 Inuits — enfants et adultes — et leurs accompagnateurs pour une durée moyenne de cinq à 10 jours.

Il ne s'agit pas d'un centre de réadaptation d'alcooliques ou de toxicomanes inuits, a insisté la porte-parole de l'ASSS de Montréal Guylaine Chabot au Devoir, au fait des craintes des résidants de devoir affronter une montée des incivilités dans Villeray.

Les Inuits ayant des troubles de comportement dus à l'alcool ou à la toxicomanie sont dirigés vers des institutions établies au Nunavik ou dans des centres spécialisés ailleurs à Montréal, assure l'Agence.

Les patients qui séjourneront au 7500, rue Saint-Denis pourront recevoir des soins spécialisés au centre universitaire de santé McGill, notamment en gastroentérologie, pneumologie, neurologie, oto-rhino-laryngologie, et en cardiologie.

La mairesse d'arrondissement, Anie Samson, a remis en question le choix du site de l'ancien hôpital chinois pour le centre d'hébergement destiné exclusivement aux Inuits. «Est-ce que c'est la meilleure place? Nous, ça nous impose des responsabilités. On aimerait savoir à quoi s'attendre», a-t-elle dit, s'avouant du même souffle impuissante.

Une campagne de peur, qui a été menée au fil des derniers jours, a impulsé un souffle de méfiance autour du projet, et a, sans doute, contribué à ce que l'assemblée du conseil d'arrondissement fasse salle comble hier. «[Ce] refuge pour [...] plusieurs centaines de toxicomanes [...] menace de diminuer radicalement la qualité de vie de notre quartier, met sérieusement en péril votre sécurité ainsi que la sécurité de vos enfants et peux [sic] vous coûter des dizaines de milliers de dollars au niveau de la revente de vos propriétés», pouvait-on lire sur des tracts anonymes qui ont été largués autour du 7500, rue Saint-Denis. «J'ai eu peur quand j'ai reçu cette affaire-là. J'ai eu mal au coeur tellement c'est raciste», a lancé Geneviève Beaudet, une résidante de Villeray . «Je déplore cet acte de terrorisme. C'est inacceptable», a quant à elle déclaré la conseillère municipale du district de Parc-Extension, Mary Deros, qui est aussi responsable des communautés d'origines diverses au comité exécutif de la Ville de Montréal.

Article available at the following adress
http://www.ledevoir.com/politique/montreal/290080/villeray-des-craintes-au-sujet-d-un-centre-d-hebergement-pour-inuits

La Presse article/blog (Relocation of Nunavik House to Villeray)

New Developments

Article published in Montreal's La Presse newspaper. One resident explains how she is concerned about the new centre d’hébergement being located in her backyard she claims. The article was opened for commenting as of 06-01-2010 12:15PM.

Available in french at the following adress
http://blogues.cyberpresse.ca/granos/2010/06/01/pas-dans-ma-cour-les-inuits/

Canada Invests $9 Million For skills Training In Northern Quebec Mining Industry

The northern Quebec mining industry will get a boost in skilled labour as a result of a training and skills development project.

The Raglan Inuit Employment and Training Partnership Program is based on an agreement between the Government of Canada, the Government of Quebec, the Kativik Regional Government and Xstrata Nickel.

The Honourable Christian Paradis, Minister of Natural Resources, today announced that the Government of Canada is contributing $9 million towards this project.

The balance of the funding, which is more than $30 million, is coming from Xstrata Nickel, Emploi-Quebec and the Kativik Regional Government.

“In today’s environment, it is more important than ever that people have the skills that will enable them to participate and succeed in the job market,” said Minister Paradis. “Through the Raglan Inuit Employment and Training Partnership Program, our government is working with industry and Aboriginal organizations to help Canadians get good jobs in the northern mining industry. This is part of our overall strategy to create the best educated, most skilled and most flexible workforce in the world.”

Through this project, Aboriginal people will receive the skills training they need to build careers at Xstrata Nickel’s Raglan Mine. Once the project is finished, the participants will be able to use their transferable skills to obtain long-term employment.

The Government of Canada’s contribution to this training and skills development project is delivered through the Aboriginal Skills and Employment Partnership (ASEP) program.

The ASEP program promotes partnerships between the Government of Canada, other levels of government, local organizations and employers. It provides on-the-job training that leads to long-term jobs in high demand professions such as mining, hydro development, fisheries, tourism, construction and infrastructure.

Canada’s Economic Action Plan provided an additional $100 million in funding to ASEP to provide more and better opportunities for Canada’s Aboriginal people.