Up front: Our big stick immortalized in the Hockey Hall of Fame On stage: Canada’s Olympic poet gives you his word on it
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For all the news of the Cowichan region as it happens, plus stories from around British Columbia, go to our website www.cowichannewsleader.com Your news leader since 1905
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Is this a new beginning for Cowichan?
PPWC Crofton endorses revised Äve-year deal Slim margin: Catalyst says deal crucial to the restructuring sparked by initial union rejection
Truth and Reconciliation: Many hopeful event is an important step in the healing process, but bitter feelings remain Celina Albany
News Leader Pictorial
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t wasn’t all sunshine and kittens. But most who attended the Cowichan stop of the Truth and Reconciliation conference last week were optimistic it marked only the beginning of a new chapter to rectify the cultural catastrophe forced upon First Nations people here and across the country. “As we heard yesterday, we’ve got a lot of work to do. We’re in the midst of a historic opportunity,” said Commissioner Marie Wilson, who pointed out more than 2,500 people from 12 countries watched the Truth and Reconciliation Conference via the internet. She wasn’t alone. “It’s great to see all these people here listening, taking in stories, hearing and growing,” said Indian Residential School Survivor Committee member Barney Williams Jr., 72, who attended two residential schools in B.C. “I believe we, as a people, suffered together. We all have our own process. I support everyone that takes this journey and I’m glad to be healing with everyone.” Everything was well-presented and co-ordinated, according to Cowichan elder Tiny Williams. “I appreciated how everything was set up. It was good to see everyone looking after our elders and trying to understand what happened. I hope it continues on this path and I want to go to the one in Victoria,” said Williams. The positive tone was echoed by non-Natives as well. “This is absolutely essential. It should have happened sooner,” said Rev. Scott Pittendrigh of Saint John’s Anglican Church in Cobble Hill. “I appreciate being here with my brothers and sisters. I’m here to listen.” The tone wasn’t 100 per cent positive though. Many speakers shared words of animosity and resentment aimed at the Canadian government. Myrus James of Penelakut criticized Canada’s inability to cope with our history head-on. “They (the government) just want to leave it to die. And for the people talking to do the same
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Krista Siefken
News Leader Pictorial
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ulp, Paper and Woodworkers of Canada union members at Crofton’s mill have accepted a new tentative agreement. PPWC Local 2 members voted 55 per cent in favour of the new contract offer with Catalyst. The ¿ve-year contract goes into effect on May 1. The local, which represents approximately 380 employees at the mill, had previously rejected a contract offer that had been crucial to Catalyst Paper’s ¿nancial restructuring, which Catalyst bosses said contributed to the ¿rm having to apply Andrew Leong for creditor protection. Lyn Brown: An emotional Souie Gorup listens as survivor Raymond (Tony) Charlie of Penelakut shares his residential school story And in addition to the PPWC crucial deal during the Speaking Our Truth event at the Quw’utsun” Cultural Centre members, Catalyst has also thing.” Andrea Amos-Stone of the Nuu-chah-nulth na- reached ¿ve-year labour Residential school syndrome is in peoples’ tion praised Nyce for his courageous statement. agreements with ¿ve CEP locals representing 700 hearts and souls, according to James, who hopes “Mainstream society keeps our people hogtied. employees at three mills. something good will come out of the TRC. The ways the government has tried to help is Combined, the agreements mean a 10 per cent Charlie Thompson, another residential school just repackaging everything differently. In the reduction in hourly rates along with various adjustsurvivor, had similar thoughts. end, our people are still being pushed down. It’s ments to vacation, health bene¿ts and work rules, “We’ve been under the iron-¿st of Canada for always a Band-Aid job,” she said. and annual savings in the range of $18 to $20 too damn long. How can I reconcile with Canada “My key recommendations to the TRC are: million. when they gave nothing to me?” Thompson that the healing process should be ongoing, to “There are some differences (between the reasked, saying society is still manipulating the make more public awareness, no time limits, and jected and the approved contract) but basically it’s ongoing struggle of First Nations people. to restructure the education curriculum K-12 on still a concessionary offer,” Local 2 president Paul He used Merchant Law, a Calgary-based group First Nations history.” Zarry said on Monday. specializing in ¿ghting for residential school For audience members who never attended The major difference this time around, of course, cases, as an example. residential schools, the TRC offered a rare expe- is Catalyst’s move into creditor protection. “Merchant Law got $40 million dollars, I got rience and insight to Canada’s dark past. “The last scenario you want to have is the mill $95,000. How is that fair?” said Thompson, who “It might be more of a group of testimonies going down, and from my perspective the most imspent nearly a decade in and out of residential rather than being called a conference,” said Paul portant thing is maintaining the work for my memschools. Alphonse, an usher at the event. bers,” said Zarry. “And the spin-off effect from the Other speakers explained how they chose “It’s valuable for the victims to speak, so giving failure of this company means huge devastation for to turn their aversion for church and state into them the standard 15 minutes then saying ‘OK, all our communities. something positive. your time is up now. Next,’ in the middle of their “That’s what the membership had to weigh. I “I was culturally and traditionally starved. It life story isn’t really fair. This is a healing process believed this was the last kick at the can to be able was through artwork I began to ¿nd myself,” for them, you know? To open up like that takes to do that.” said Dennis Nyce, of the Nisga’a nation. “I use a lot. Still, Zarry said it’s not an ideal scenario either my art as a tool. I avoided my feelings; now I “Public speaking is a very hard to thing to do in way, and added there’s still no guarantee of emface them. This is how I take my anger out — the ¿rst place. More time and more money will ployment at the mill. how our forefathers taught us to.” make a more valuable outcome.” more on page 3
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