INTERESTING NEWS Canada’s Oldest First Nations Newspaper - Serving Nuu-chah-nulth-aht since 1974 Canadian Publications Mail Product Vol. 47 - No. 14—July 23, 2020 haas^i>sa Sales Agreement No. 40047776
From gangster to gardener Without a vehicle or a licence, Kenneth Joe runs his landscaping business on foot By Denise Titian Ha-Shilth-Sa Reporter Port Alberni, BC – It has been nearly 20 years since Huu-ay-aht man Kenneth Joe was dubbed ‘The Pimp of Port Alberni’ in the media, but a lot has changed since then. The soft spoken, polite Joe invited HaShilth-Sa into his home to talk about how much his life has changed since he was part of the gangster life. Kenneth Joe, 41, came to Port Alberni in 1999, having been born and raised in Nanaimo, B.C. Life was rough for Joe as a young adult. He admits to belonging to a gang and was addicted to alcohol and drugs. He has spent time in jail, about 17 years ago. “I got my Grade 10 in jail,” said Joe. And that is why he believes he cannot get a regular job. He has taken training to be a firefighter, a traffic control worker and even a professional cook but if he gets to the job interview stage, the doors close when they hear about jail and Grade 10 education. But Joe doesn’t blame employers for that. It is just another barrier that he must overcome. When asked what made him want to turn his life around he nodded to his wife, Matilda. “She helped turn me around,” he said. The couple has four daughters ranging in ages from three to 23. The eldest daughter is from Kenneth’s previous relationship. They live in a basement suite in the middle of town. Because Joe can’t get a regular job, the family lives on social assistance. But their suite costs $1,500 a month, taking their entire assistance cheque and even leaving them $5 short every month. So, Joe has to hustle to provide food and clothing and everything else a family needs. He began ‘canning’ about 10 years ago, going door-to-door to ask for recyclable beverage containers. “I would knock on doors, politely introduce myself and explain my situation,” Joe shared. Besides asking for donated recyclables, he would tell people he was available for odd jobs like walking dogs, washing cars or even washing the dishes. “I’d even offer to scrub their toilets with my toothbrush,” he said with a chuckle. Last October Joe was going door-todoor looking for work and donated beverage containers when someone took a picture of him and posted it on social media. It appeared on a community watch-type
Man dies after release from police custody By Denise Titian and Eric Plummer Ha-Shilth-Sa Reporters
Photo by Denise Titian
Kenneth Joe says his wife Matilda is the reason he turned his life around. Facebook page. drains and general yard maintenance – “The man didn’t accuse me of anything, anything that he has the equipment and there were no racial slurs,” said Joe. All the muscle for is on the table. He said he the man said was “watch this man walkwill do household chores too. ing around and knocking on doors,” Joe With his hard work and dedication to go added. out every day, Joe says he can make $100 But the post got hot with accusations of to $120 a day to support his family. racism. Joe says having his driver’s license Joe said he commented on the post. would make things easier but that was “I told them my situation – no job, no one of those things he messed up in his skills, no education; I’m just asking to younger days. Some of his earnings are bum pops cans,” he said. going towards paying off $6,000 in acJoe said things were said that probably cumulated traffic tickets. He has paid it shouldn’t have been said and, in the end, down to $600. the man and Joe both took their posts His advice to young people heading down and eventually became friends. Joe toward a life of addiction and crime is even received more donations of empties don’t do it. after the exchange. “There’s no life there,” he said. “There’s “I don’t consider it a racial thing; I think someone out there struggling with the maybe people looking at me, maybe they same mindset as me back then; I hope I see an addict scouting their neighborcould help them turn it around.” hood,” he said. It’s been 17 years since jail, 14 years Starting out with a donated lawn mower, since he quit heavy drinking and he Joe began doing yardwork. With hard works hard everyday to reverse the damwork and the help of his wife, he was age…bad credit, bad reputation. able to buy a high-quality lawn mower He says he sometimes needs a hand and weed trimmer. when he’s working and he hopes that His yardwork season begins in March he could help someone by having them and he can only take four or five jobs a come work with him to earn a living. day because he has no transportation. He “I would tell them to believe in themwalks around Port Alberni in his Hi-Viz selves and call KAJ Grunt Force for vest pushing his lawnmower from job to work,” he said, adding that is what he job. calls his business. He gains clients through word-of-mouth Joe hopes to someday have a big work and takes bookings through Facebook, facility filled with all the tools and equipphone or text. ment he needs to keep working. “One time this lady posted that she As his little girls prepare to head out needed someone to weed her garden; I for a walk with their big sister they stop did way more than she asked me to and to hug their father, telling him they love she was pleased, she promoted me on him. For Joe, they are worth all his efFacebook,” said Joe. forts. Joe offers to dig ditches, perimeter
Inside this issue... Chantel Moore investigation update..........................Page 3 New fish farm trial.....................................................Page 7 Tsunami gap project.................................................Page 10 Nuu-chah-nulth scholarship winners........................Page 17 MMIWG gathering at Buttle Lake...........................Page 23
Duncan, BC – A Nuu-chah-nulth man has died in a Duncan homeless shelter after being released from police cells. James Williams, 52, of Tla-o-qui-aht and a father of five, was found dead in his unit at Warmland House on the afternoon of Thursday, July 16. For family members there are many questions surrounding the sudden death, which occurred 14 hours after he was released from police custody for public intoxication. According to police, Williams was picked up off a Duncan street about 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 15 for being drunk in public. He was released from cells at about 1:30 a.m. on Thursday morning after spending nine hours in jail. Fourteen hours later he would be found dead in his shelter unit. Kevin Touchie, Williams’ older brother, says he doesn’t know what happened for sure, only what he’s heard from family and read on social media. He was on his way from Nanaimo to Duncan to be with other family members to gather more information and to plan services for his younger brother. “There were five of us in the family and he was the youngest; there are only two of us left,” he told Ha-Shilth-Sa. Kevin said that his father Dave Williams was from Tla-o-qui-aht and his mother Linda came from the Touchie family in Yucluthaht. Both parents have passed on. Public intoxication isn’t an offence under Canada’s Criminal Code, but often police will take someone into custody if it’s determined that they are a danger to themselves, said Corp. Chris Manseau of RCMP media relations. “For the most part it’s so that someone can care for that person if we feel that they’re unable to care for themselves,” he said. “Maybe they’re going to walk into traffic or make a bad decision. They could choke on their vomit or what have you.” There isn’t a set amount of time someone would be kept in a cell, but police make a judgment call based on how the incarcerated person is responding, added Manseau.
If undeliverable, please return to: Ha-Shilth-Sa P.O. Box 1383, Port Alberni, B.C. V9Y 7M2
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