Offering a better licence to drive - Canada - Macleans.ca
Friday, October 29, 2010
Monday, October 25, 2010
Thursday, October 21, 2010
CBC News - North - Inuit dog killings no conspiracy: report
It has been alleged that about 20,000 Inuit sled dogs were killed in the eastern Arctic through the 1950s, '60s and '70s.
CBC News - North - Inuit dog killings no conspiracy: report
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Globe and Mail (Toronto) Editorial
CRISIS IN CAPE DORSET
Answers for Cape Dorset’s violence
The rampage of violence that caused Cape Dorset's entire RCMP detachment to be sent on stress leave this month is a symptom of a greater ill afflicting Nunavut. The federal and territorial governments are already armed with proposed solutions that could offer hope to those in despair. They have a responsibility to act.
Young men in Cape Dorset, a Baffin Island community of 1,200, are charged with two murders and are involved in a suspicious death, as well as in a series of shoot-'em-ups on the streets. In each case, they demonstrated a wanton disregard for the well-being of others. More often, though, young men in small Northern communities turn guns on themselves.
The federal government, and the government of Nunavut, must confront the underlying cause of their despair, and address the complex mental health issues that drive youths to self-destructive acts. Nunavut not only has a rate of sexual offences 10 times higher than the rest of Canada, and the highest homicide rate in the country, but its suicide rate for 15- to 24-year-old men is 28 times higher.
In any other part of Canada, these dismal outcomes would be declared a national emergency. Yet there has been little public outrage, or political will to deal with the crisis. Nunavut has no alcohol treatment centre – or suicide prevention strategy. Some community leaders are loath to speak of suicide.
The government of Nunavut has an opportunity now to do the right thing. A special committee spent 18 months researching how others treat the underlying causes of self-harm. They found that by investing in mental-health services, Australia managed to reduce by half some types of suicide among men.
The committee's suicide prevention strategy recommends: building mental-health treatment and addiction centres; providing parenting and anger management classes for youth, and early childhood development programs; training people in suicide intervention. “We are not yet addressing the underlying causes,” says RCMP Chief Superintendent Steve McVarnock, a committee member, along with government officials and members of the land claim organization.
All societies have a base level of suicide, caused by mental illness. When the rate spikes in a sub-population, the causes are socially determined. Fifty years ago, suicide among the Inuit was almost nil. Rates began to climb when the Inuit way of life was disrupted through a coerced movement into settled communities, and the imposition of residential schools, says Jack Hicks, a suicide researcher at the University of Greenland. While today some Inuit are excellent parents, others never had the opportunity to learn this skill, resulting in an intergenerational transmission of historical trauma.
Canada has the resources to reverse these shameful outcomes. The government must overcome a historical reluctance to acknowledge the significance of mental health, and swiftly implement a suicide prevention strategy. The youth of Nunavut must know they are not forgotten.
Answers for Cape Dorset’s violence
The rampage of violence that caused Cape Dorset's entire RCMP detachment to be sent on stress leave this month is a symptom of a greater ill afflicting Nunavut. The federal and territorial governments are already armed with proposed solutions that could offer hope to those in despair. They have a responsibility to act.
Young men in Cape Dorset, a Baffin Island community of 1,200, are charged with two murders and are involved in a suspicious death, as well as in a series of shoot-'em-ups on the streets. In each case, they demonstrated a wanton disregard for the well-being of others. More often, though, young men in small Northern communities turn guns on themselves.
The federal government, and the government of Nunavut, must confront the underlying cause of their despair, and address the complex mental health issues that drive youths to self-destructive acts. Nunavut not only has a rate of sexual offences 10 times higher than the rest of Canada, and the highest homicide rate in the country, but its suicide rate for 15- to 24-year-old men is 28 times higher.
In any other part of Canada, these dismal outcomes would be declared a national emergency. Yet there has been little public outrage, or political will to deal with the crisis. Nunavut has no alcohol treatment centre – or suicide prevention strategy. Some community leaders are loath to speak of suicide.
The government of Nunavut has an opportunity now to do the right thing. A special committee spent 18 months researching how others treat the underlying causes of self-harm. They found that by investing in mental-health services, Australia managed to reduce by half some types of suicide among men.
The committee's suicide prevention strategy recommends: building mental-health treatment and addiction centres; providing parenting and anger management classes for youth, and early childhood development programs; training people in suicide intervention. “We are not yet addressing the underlying causes,” says RCMP Chief Superintendent Steve McVarnock, a committee member, along with government officials and members of the land claim organization.
All societies have a base level of suicide, caused by mental illness. When the rate spikes in a sub-population, the causes are socially determined. Fifty years ago, suicide among the Inuit was almost nil. Rates began to climb when the Inuit way of life was disrupted through a coerced movement into settled communities, and the imposition of residential schools, says Jack Hicks, a suicide researcher at the University of Greenland. While today some Inuit are excellent parents, others never had the opportunity to learn this skill, resulting in an intergenerational transmission of historical trauma.
Canada has the resources to reverse these shameful outcomes. The government must overcome a historical reluctance to acknowledge the significance of mental health, and swiftly implement a suicide prevention strategy. The youth of Nunavut must know they are not forgotten.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Teen arrested in new Cape Dorset gun incident
CRISIS IN CAPE DORSET
A teenage boy in Cape Dorset, Nunavut, has been arrested after allegedly threatening to use a firearm on another youth, marking the third gun-related incident in the Baffin Island community in just over a week.
RCMP in Cape Dorset say they received a call at about 8:50 p.m. ET Friday about two youths fighting.
"One of the youths had threatened to obtain and use a firearm to harm the other," police said in a news release Monday.
Police said officers found the teen and arrested him before he could obtain a firearm. They also seized "a number of unsecured firearms that the youth had access to." The firearms were seized for "safety and storage reasons."
South Baffin MLA Fred Schell, whose constituency includes Cape Dorset, said he knows two 15-year-olds were involved in the incident.
"I can't mention any names but I guess they had a fight and the one kid that lost said, well, he's going to go home and get his grandfather's gun," Schell told CBC News on Monday.
"We have to deal with these youth and explain to them what's right and what's wrong. It's a serious issue."
The arrested teenager appeared before a justice of the peace in Cape Dorset on Saturday and was released on strict conditions, RCMP said.
Police did not indicate what charges he faces but he is to make a court appearance Nov. 3.
Friday's incident was the third alleged firearms-related offence in a week in Cape Dorset, a community of about 1,200.
On Wednesday, two youths were taken into custody after a shootout with RCMP.
Three days before that, on Oct. 10, police charged a 19-year-old man after a 3½-hour armed standoff at a Cape Dorset home. After the standoff ended, RCMP found the slain body of the man's older brother inside the house.
Community groups in Cape Dorset held a meeting Thursday to discuss the spate of recent gun violence.
Nunavut RCMP Chief Supt. Steve McVarnock told CBC News on Thursday that alcohol appeared to be a factor in the two earlier gun-related incidents. However, police said neither drugs nor alcohol played a part in the latest incident.
A teenage boy in Cape Dorset, Nunavut, has been arrested after allegedly threatening to use a firearm on another youth, marking the third gun-related incident in the Baffin Island community in just over a week.
RCMP in Cape Dorset say they received a call at about 8:50 p.m. ET Friday about two youths fighting.
"One of the youths had threatened to obtain and use a firearm to harm the other," police said in a news release Monday.
Police said officers found the teen and arrested him before he could obtain a firearm. They also seized "a number of unsecured firearms that the youth had access to." The firearms were seized for "safety and storage reasons."
South Baffin MLA Fred Schell, whose constituency includes Cape Dorset, said he knows two 15-year-olds were involved in the incident.
"I can't mention any names but I guess they had a fight and the one kid that lost said, well, he's going to go home and get his grandfather's gun," Schell told CBC News on Monday.
"We have to deal with these youth and explain to them what's right and what's wrong. It's a serious issue."
The arrested teenager appeared before a justice of the peace in Cape Dorset on Saturday and was released on strict conditions, RCMP said.
Police did not indicate what charges he faces but he is to make a court appearance Nov. 3.
Friday's incident was the third alleged firearms-related offence in a week in Cape Dorset, a community of about 1,200.
On Wednesday, two youths were taken into custody after a shootout with RCMP.
Three days before that, on Oct. 10, police charged a 19-year-old man after a 3½-hour armed standoff at a Cape Dorset home. After the standoff ended, RCMP found the slain body of the man's older brother inside the house.
Community groups in Cape Dorset held a meeting Thursday to discuss the spate of recent gun violence.
Nunavut RCMP Chief Supt. Steve McVarnock told CBC News on Thursday that alcohol appeared to be a factor in the two earlier gun-related incidents. However, police said neither drugs nor alcohol played a part in the latest incident.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Volkswagen’s all new pick-up the Amarok, inuit for wolf
Volkswagen’s all new pick-up the Amarok, inuit for wolf, has been honoured with the International Pick-up Award 2011.The accolade, awarded for the first time this year, was judged by the highly regarded panel, representing 23 countries, that elects the prestigious International Van of the Year awards.
During the judging process, the Amarok was praised by the jury for its ‘effortless off-road abilities’, while its capacity on-road was judged to be the best against all other competitors. The jury was also impressed by the Amarok’s interior, in particular, the layout and generous space for both front and rear passengers in the double-cab cabin.
The jury commented: ‘The new Volkswagen Amarok distinguishes itself by fantastic driving qualities, both on- and off-road. It sets new standards in the pick-up category in respect to load capacity, payload, interior room, comfort, ergonomics and fuel consumption.’
Battle-hardened by being involved in the 2010 Dakar Rally as the official support vehicle, the VW Amarok will finally arrive in the UK during 2011, and boasts the largest load dimensions in its class with a load area of 2.52 m² (1,555 mm long, 1,620 mm wide, with width between wheel arches of 1,222 mm), a maximum payload capacity of 1,057 kg and maximum towing limit of 2.8 tonnes.
Packed with advanced features the double-cab includes EDL (Electronic Differential Lock), ASR (Anti-Slip Regulation), ESP (Electronic Stabilisation Programme) with Hill Hold Assist, Hill Descent Assist and off-road ABS designed to significantly shorten stopping distances on loose surfaces.
UK prices and specifications for the Amarok will be released nearer the launch, with a single cab option Amarok following soon after.
Author: Richard Lawton, October 13, 2010
Mounties pulled from Nunavut hamlet after rash of gun violence
Gloria Galloway
Ottawa— From Saturday's Globe and Mail
Published Friday, Oct. 15, 2010 8:32PM EDT
Last updated Friday, Oct. 15, 2010 9:27PM EDT
A spate of armed standoffs in the tiny Nunavut community of Cape Dorset began months before it was decided that the four RCMP officers stationed there had to be pulled out this week for what their commander says is “advanced health intervention.”
There were two homicides in the past month alone in the hamlet of 1,200 that is a world-renowned Inuit art colony. The most recent occurred on Sunday when a 19-year-old man is alleged to have fatally shot his 23-year-old brother.
More related to this story
•Cape Dorset violence demands action
•An apology for the Inuit five decades in the making
•The year artists made big splashes in small ponds
In that particular volley of gunfire, one round – either by accident or design – was shot through the wall of an RCMP officer’s home and lodged itself in his bathtub while he and his wife and two small children were attending a Thanksgiving celebration elsewhere.
The force decided at that time that the four Cape Dorset Mounties had to be removed to deal with the trauma, “because of the threat, and risk that they were exposed to,” Chief Superintendent Steve McVarnock told a news conference in Iqaluit on Friday. The plan was to fly them out to Iqaluit on Wednesday.
But in the wee hours of the morning before they were to leave, two 15-year-olds fired shots in a residential street. Three of the officers responded and one of the youths took a shot to his side. An external team of officers is now in Cape Dorset to investigate allegations that the bullet came from an RCMP gun.
The young man will recover from his wound, for which Chief Supt. McVarnock said he and his officers are grateful. The injured teen’s friend is in custody and another team of officers investigating whether the boys should be charged.
Meanwhile, a third team is still working on the Sunday homicide.
In total, there are now 17 officers in the town, five of whom will stay to replace the four who were taken out.
It’s not easy being part of a four-man force in one Canada’s remote northern communities.
“They have had more of their share in the past four months,” said Chief Supt. McVarnock. “And this recent incident this weekend when a round actually went through the house ... I guess I would ask you to put yourself and your spouse, and your family in that situation,”
An investigation into another unrelated killing that occurred Sept. 19 has yet to be completed, though an 18-year-old has been charged with second-degree murder. Police say alcohol was a factor in that death – as it has been in much of the mayhem in the community over the years.
But there was none consumed prior to shootings this week, officials say. And, in some ways, that is even more frightening because there is no demon to blame.
Mayor Cary Merritt called town leaders to a meeting on Thursday night to come up with ways to handle the crisis. They will meet again over the weekend and present solutions next week.
Fred Schell, the local MPP, was at the Thursday gathering. The first resolution, he said, was that the many guns lying loose in homes in the community of hunters must be locked away. “One suggestion, of course, was to get cabinets or trigger locks,” said Mr. Schell, “which I have volunteered to supply if anybody can’t afford it.”
Mr. Schell said he knows all of the young men involved in the shootings this week. Like so many others in Cape Dorset, they are all sculptors.
“In general they are good kids and good people. It’s just that they made a wrong decision, something sparked it and they got into an argument or something, and this happened,” he said. “I think it would help if, definitely, the guns were locked up.”
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
My Montreal: Inuit students adapt to life at college
John Abbot College is helping Inuit students cope with the challenges of being on their own
Students in Montreal's colleges are settling into regular routines in what for many of them is their first time living on their own.
The culture shock for Inuit students coming from the Far North is much greater than for students heading downtown from the suburbs.
Sapina Snowball, in her final semester at John Abbott College in Ste. Anne de Bellevue, says everything is feeling somewhat alien to her.
"I'm stuck in two worlds right now," said Snowball.
Part of her is focused on studying and socializing with fellow students. The rest is thinking about her home town of Kangiqsualujuaq in Nunavik.
"My family is there. Of course I want to spend time with them, or the other me wants to stay here," she said.
No options in Far North
Inuit who want to attend post-secondary education almost certainly must leave home: there are no schools of higher learning in northern Quebec, and only one college in each of Canada's three territories.
Counsellor Gail Richardson says the homesickness takes a severe toll.
"Just being away from home, facing severe homesickness, being away from family and friends, being away from the land, the villages... It's a completely different life," said Richardson.
Melissa Ruston, who is set to graduate this year, knows the challenges all too well.
Back in Nunavik she was a top student.
"I was like the best in the class," said Ruston. "Sorry to brag but I always got the academic achievement, outstanding effort." At John Abbott she's maintaining a 70 per cent average.
"Oh my goodness its very challenging, especially the educational system up north is very low, it's very limited.
"When I came down here, I had to work twice as much," said Ruston.
Her twin brother could not handle the transition and dropped out.
Last year eight of the 21 Inuit students at John Abbott did the same.
So far this year, one student left after just a few days.
Helping students cope
John Abbott is a leader in helping aboriginal students adapt to life in the south.
First-year Inuit students must stay in a residence exclusively for aboriginal students, and they have free access to a resource centre staffed by Louise Legault.
"This room in itself is a place where they can do homework, use the computers, eat lunch meet their friends," said Legault.
They are also required to take two courses geared to improve their basic academic skills, improve their English, and helping them choose a career path.
"There's a lot of support," said Ruston. "They give us tips and advice on how to write essays. They give us tutors if we need any."
Students come back
While many students fail to thrive during their first exposure to urban life and rush back home, many do return.
Raingi Uquaituk first attempted to study at John Abbott in 1999, but dropped out when she became pregnant.
A decade later, and with a second baby at home, Uquaituk is back and determined to finish what she started.
"It's not really easy, especially when I got pregnant and I had to stop for what I was doing, but I always come back," she said.
Uquaituk is due to graduate in December, having finally accomplished what she could not do back home.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Monday, October 4, 2010
From Nunavut to Lourdes (A serious failure of our justice system)
Category: Religion
Posted on: October 4, 2010 10:51 AM, by PZ Myers
Eric Dejaeger is a Catholic priest and pedophile who benefited greatly from church policy: when it was learned that he was a child-raping monster, the Catholic Church did the upright, moral thing and kept him on as a priest, but simply shipped him off to the Canadian north where he'd only be raping the Inuit. When the law caught up with him even in that remote place, he fled…and guess where he found shelter and employment? Back in the arms of Mother Church, of course.
The Belgian-born priest, who became a Canadian citizen in 1977, is wanted for three counts of indecent assault on a male and three counts of buggery for incidents involving minors and alleged to have occurred between 1978 and 1982 in Igloolik. These charges were laid after he completed a five-year sentence in April of 1995 (a penitentiary stint, a halfway house then probation) for abusing children in Baker Lake, then part of the Northwest Territories, now part of Nunavut. Dejaeger left Canada before his first court date in June of 1995 and a bench warrant was issued for his arrest.
Six years later, the Interpol red alert was circulated. Nine years after that, in May of this year, Belgian journalist Douglas De Coninck published an article detailing Dejaeger's life on the lam. The priest worked with pilgrims in Lourdes and participated in masses. A member of the Oblate Order of Mary Immaculate, he was living at the order's villa in Blanden. Several months after the article appeared, Dejaeger voluntarily turned himself in at the Leuven police station.
Unfortunately, the Belgian police just turned him loose again, stating that there was no extradition order from Canada. He's on the run again. Given his history, I can guess where we'll find him: turn over a few churches, and he'll be found nestling amongst the friendly priests.
But let's not just blame religion! There's also another nasty story here, of secular authorities turning a blind eye to his activities. He'd been brought before a Canadian judge who didn't seem to think Dejaeger was such a bad fellow.
Oddly, Justice Ted Richard of the Northwest Territories Supreme Court wrote in his sentence decision that Dejaeger was not a pedophile even though "it does not appear that he stopped this activity on his own but only when he was caught." It's unclear how he was caught.
Dejaeger admitted to, among other sexual acts, having anal intercourse with boys and digital vaginal penetration with girls. Yet Richard seemed to praise the priest's restraint:
"Because of the age of the victims of these assaults, consent is not an issue or a factor to be considered. However, it should be noted in fairness to the offender here that no violence was used in committing these assaults," Richard wrote 20 years ago.
Priests don't use violence, usually. They've got the shackles of tradition and dogma to hold their victims down for them.
And of course the real crime here is that these monsters in dog collars were dumped on the native peoples of Canada to rip their way through several generations, and there is no sign of remorse for that from the Vatican.
article source
http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/10/from_nunavut_to_lourdes.php
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