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.


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