Dear Editor,
James Bay area First Nations are enduring living conditions that would be shocking in underdeveloped parts of the world: buckets as toilets, ditches as sewers, tents and moldy shacks without running water as the only shelter available from sub-Arctic winter conditions for families with young children. This is in Canada, one of the world's richest and most privileged countries, where our tax money was diverted from border security to provide $274,000 for public toilets and $100,000 for a gazebo as G8 “legacy projects” in the riding of a federal cabinet minister, Tony Clement.
The Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario state, “We are deeply ashamed that federal officials refuse to take responsibility, particularly as children and elders of Attawapiskat face life-threatening conditions and as winter approaches we are profoundly concerned about the dangers of fire, freezing, infectious diseases, skin conditions, and mental health challenges that arise when people are forced to live in inhumane conditions.”
Canada doled out millions of dollars to manicure Ontario cottage country for the G8 summit last year as the world was watching but we now refuse to act for our most vulnerable population living far from the international spotlight.
Larry Mackillop
Nanton
