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Northern
www.northernsentinel.com
Volume 58 No. 02
Idle No More comes to town Supporters of Idle No More took to Kitimat’s streets, stopping traffic at the Lahakas/Haisla Boulevard intersection, before taking to the halls of City Centre Mall, while Haisla dancers performed to traditional drums. The now global movement which supports First Nations rights and sovereignty touched down in Kitimat on Sunday, December 30, thanks to the efforts of Burton Amos, who was born and raised in the area, although he currently calls Vancouver home. While in town for the holidays he felt there needed to be a local demonstration for the Idle No More movement and organized the Sunday march with less than 24 hours notice, though by his count he still had over 80 people come out. “The whole idea was to address the environmental issues that are happening because of the government actions, like [Prime Minister] Harper especially, pushing legislation forward to help China get their oil,” said Amos. The environment was clearly the top issue for supporters in Kitimat, which is potentially the place of a number of industrial projects, most controversially the proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline which will bring in bitumen from the Alberta oil sands. “One oil spill will end our ability to live off the land. All it’s going to take is one oil spill because oil doesn’t leave,” said Amos. He believes that an oil spill in the channel would cause a devastating chain reaction, from killing fish stocks to affecting land-based animals. “To the government and the people involved it’s all about money but to us it’s all about our future.” Amos added he hopes the movement, at least locally, doesn’t end here. People had approached him to do many more such rallies, but being that he lives in Vancouver he said it would be up to the people here to keep the torch going. According to the official Idle No More blog, the movement began with Nina Wilson, Sylvia McAdam, Jessica Gordon and Sheelah McLean, who “felt it was urgent to act on current and upcoming legislation that not only affects our First Nations people but the rest of Canada’s citizens, lands and waters.” The four ladies began organizing Teach-Ins starting in November which were geared to aim awareness of Bill C-45, the government’s omnibus bill which has altered the classification of some protected waters as well as made some changes to the Indian Act. Idle No More rallies are also inspired by the actions of Attawapiskat chief Theresa Spence, who is on a hunger strike until she can meet with senior members of the government to discuss First Nations issues.
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
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At left, Burton Amos among the crowd at the Lahakas and Haisla Boulevard intersection. Above, a supporter of the rally holding a sign during the march. Cameron Orr photos
Unforgettable New Year’s rescue A Kitimat family could sleep soundly on January 1 knowing they still had their pets with them. The Calkins family nearly lost their two dogs, Brody and Duke, when they fell into the water during a family hike along Hirsch Creek at Hirsch Creek Park. Shane and Sharmin had taken three of their four kids, along with a friend, for the walk when the two dogs were allowed to run free after they had finished their lunch. But the hike suddenly took a turn for the worse when the two dogs unknowingly walked onto thin ice and fell into the chilly waters. The Calkins’ 10-year-old son shouted for his parents to call 9-1-1, and would eventually wait at the entrance of the park for police to arrive to guide them to the distressed dogs.
The older dog, Brody, was able to get himself free from the water on his own, but the situation looked grim for Duke. By the time police officers arrived, which was a good half hour after the dogs first fell in the water, it looked almost certain that Duke wasn’t going to make it. He had all but given up trying to get out of the water and was just hanging on. “There was no way we could get out to them,” said Sharmin. “We would have fallen in too.” She said that Duke looked ready to just give up and that the officers arrived at just the perfect time to make the rescue. As the two officers and another man, who was in the area snowshoeing, prepared for the rescue, Sharmin took the kids away.
“It was very upsetting,” she said. From the perspective of Cst. Andrew Johnstone, who arrived with Cst. Dan Kelly, the situation was an example of an officer never knowing how a day is going to go. Johnstone and Kelly arrived around 1:30 p.m. to the park to find a 10-yearold in tears. In the distance they could hear Duke crying in the water. To get out to the dog the officers and the snowshoeing bystander tied together 100 feet of rope in order for someone to reach the distressed pet. (The Sentinel hasn’t been able to confirm the name of this person, but feel free to contact us if that was you.) It was Cst. Dan Kelly who donned a life jacket and carefully walked out to the water and the dog. Continued on page 2
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