100 Mile House Free Press, December 24, 2015

Page 1

$1.30 ST

Includes G

100 Mile Free Press Thursday, December 24, 2015

www.100milefreepress.net

DECEMBER 24, 2015

Two Sections, 52 pages

100milefreepress.net

B3

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS

Joy TO THE

WORLD

SEASONS GREETINGS FEATURE B3

MELLOTT LIVING THE HOCKEY DREAM A19 Martina Dopf photo

Santa Claus and Kim Baechmann as Cindy Lou Who spread Christmas cheer at the annual Santa Claus Parade in 100 Mile House.

INSIDE

opinion A8 letters A9 entertainment A18 sports A19 community B1 classifieds A22

The voice of the South Cariboo since 1960 How to reach us: Ph: 250-395-2219 Fax: 250-395-3939 www.100milefreepress.net mail@100milefreepress.net

Liberals questioned on First Nations file Cathy McLeod: Liberal policy towards reconciliation is ‘irresponsible’ Gaven Crites Free Press

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Liberal government must be clear with Canadians about the costs and impacts of their policies aimed at rebuilding Canada’s relationship with First Nations, says Cathy McLeod, Conservative Party Critic for Indigenous Affairs. The Kamloops-ThompsonCariboo MP released a joint statement with deputy critic

Todd Doherty in response to the release on Dec. 15 of the final report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). The report formally documented the tragic legacy of Canada’s notorious residential school system, and made 94 recommendations on how to improve relations between indigenous and non-indigenous people in this country. In completing its nearly 4,000-page report, titled “Honouring the Truth,

Reconciling for the Future,” the six-year TRC investigation heard thousands of hours of emotional testimony from indigenous women and men who were abused as children in the governmentand church-run residential schools. Some of the TRC recommendations include more education funding for aboriginal students; addressing the overrepresentation of aboriginal people in the criminal justice system; the

preservation of aboriginal languages; the creation of a public inquiry into missing and murdered aboriginal women and girls; and the creation of a statutory holiday and memorials to honour residential school survivors. Speaking on behalf of the Official Opposition, McLeod and Doherty say that while the TRC made “many positive recommendations” the Liberal government’s acceptance of all 94 recommendations

is irresponsible “with no detailed impact analysis or comprehensive costing.” McLeod and Doherty are also critical of the Liberal plan to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which calls on governments to obtain “free, prior and informed consent,” when making decisions regarding land use and natural resource development on Continued on A4


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