NLIS 3
April 12, 2005
(Executive Council)
The following statement was issued
today by Joan Burke, Minister Responsible for the Status of Women
and Minister of Human Resources, Labour and Employment. It was also
read in the House of Assembly:
I rise today to update my honourable colleagues on Into the North, a
project of the Federated Women's Institutes of Canada or FWIC. I
would also like to take this opportunity to report that the Women�s
Policy Office is contributing $5,000 to this very worthy effort.
Into the North is intended to help women and children and to improve
the lives of families in Northern Canada. Our Labrador communities
of Hopedale and Sheshatshui were the first to be selected. Hopedale
has approximately 610 residents, of which 250 are 18 or under.
Sheshatshui, which is in the process of becoming a First Nation
Reserve, has approximately 1,300 residents. Many in these two
isolated communities strive to live their traditional lifestyle on
the land in harmony with nature.
However, as my colleagues on both sides of the House are aware, the
people of our Aboriginal communities face many challenges such as
teen pregnancy; access to infant and early childhood care; access to
medical care; family violence; substance abuse and unemployment.
Last summer, both myself and the Premier had the opportunity to see
and hear about these challenges first-hand. We visited many
communities on the north coast of Labrador, including Hopedale. I
have also had the opportunity and pleasure to speak several times
with Anastasia Qupee, Chief of the Innu Band of Sheshatshui.
This government recognizes the many needs that exist in Labrador�s
Aboriginal communities and how necessary this kind of support is to
help these communities move forward.
Government has recently announced several initiatives to benefit
this region including $250,000 for additional social workers;
$70,000 to reopen a group home for adolescents; $210,000 to continue
supporting family resource programs; $100,000 to target
community-based awareness and education activities for violence
prevention and $70,000 for a women�s shelter in Hopedale.
The $5,000 I am announcing today, in addition to other monies raised
by FWIC, will be used to meet a list of needs identified by the
community leaders of Hopedale and Sheshatshui. These include funding
for nutritional food, water and supplies for new moms and their
children; funding for breakfast programs; supplies for women�s
shelters; books for children and women; educational resources and
baby items.
FWIC is now in the process of collecting the money and items which
have been donated and expects to have them delivered to this
province in July.
I would like to thank the Federated Women�s Institutes of Canada
once again for their interest in providing support to our northern
region. I wish them well on their project and on all the good works
being done by the various Women�s Institute branches in this
province and across the country.
2005 04 12
2:00 p.m. |