THUNDER BAY -- The city needs to do more to make students coming in from the North feel more welcome.
A room at the Airlane Hotel was full Wednesday morning with school, emergency, city and Nishnawbe Aski Nation officials as NAN kicked off its Facing Challenges of Tomorrow Today Roundtable. Deputy Grand Chief Goyce Kakegemic said after the murder of 20-year-old Daniel Randall Levac last November, NAN chiefs wanted to get together with the city to figure out how to make Thunder Bay safer and more welcoming for youth.
"Our people are concerned about the well-being of our youth and the safety for them," he said.
For children in 34 NAN communities, there is no choice but to leave home in order to get a high school education. Educational challenges can lead to social challenges, like drugs, gangs or alcohol, especially when there aren't many extra-curricular activities available to them.
"When they don't do well they get involved in other activities so that's where the social challenges come from," he said.
Deputy Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler said there's a perception in Northern communities that Thunder Bay isn't a welcoming place for First Nations people. Recently when Kashechewan needed to be evacuated due to flooding, many people wanted to go to Timmins, Kapuskasing or even Windsor due to the things they read about Thunder Bay on social media.
"I think that just speaks to Thunder Bay's reputation that it's not a very welcoming place right now for First Nations people," Fiddler said.
Coun. Joe Virdiramo said he was disheartened to hear that and that the city needs to do more to make itself a welcoming place.
"I think we need to take responsibility for the students that come down. We can't say that it's a federal government issue, it's a provincial issue, it's a municipal issue. It's a humanity issue," he said.
All agree that the all-day meeting is turning out some good ideas so far.
