The following statement was issued today by Roger Grimes, Minister of Health and Community Services. It was also read in the House of Assembly:

I rise today to update Members of the House of Assembly on the situation with respect to the Innu children of Davis Inlet.

You will recall that Chief Simeon Tshakapesh called upon the federal and provincial governments to help children who are gas sniffing in Davis Inlet.

Since that time, provincial officials from Health and Community Services, Aboriginal Affairs and Health Labrador - as well as federal officials - have met twice. The first meeting took place, at the request of the Innu leaders, last Friday and Saturday, Dec. 1^st and 2^nd . On Tuesday and Wednesday of this week the parties met in Happy Valley-Goose Bay. The focus of these discussions has been to work with the Innu community to decide how to assess, detoxify and treat the gas sniffing problems of the children in Davis Inlet.

The Province is committed to responding to the needs of the children and have requested from the Innu, the numbers and ages of the children in need of help. The Province has also requested an opportunity to visit Davis Inlet to meet with community leaders, parents and children. Meanwhile, community monitors have been hired at the request of the Innu and are currently in place in Davis Inlet.

The Province has also begun the process of re-commissioning the former Grace Hospital to receive the Innu children for their detoxification and medical and psycho-social assessments. The use of the former Grace Hospital is the requested option of Innu leadership.

It is recognized that other forms of support, treatment and counselling will be necessary in the longer term for adults and families if the children are to return to a safe and nurturing community.

The Innu leaders have indicated that, until the Federal Government commits to future programs, plans, and the necessary infrastructure, they do not wish the children to leave Davis Inlet to begin treatment.

We understand the Federal Government is willing to discuss and plan for the future, but wants to ensure that help to the children is not delayed while those discussions continue.

The Province is prepared to receive these children now and to provide them with the help they need.

We urge the Innu leadership and the parents of the children needing help to allow us to begin the medical assessment, detox process and treatment of these children now.

We urge the federal government and the Innu leadership to work together to resolve their differences as quickly as possible.

We should not wait.

2000 12 07                                 1:35 p.m.