BRIDGE-BUILDING ABORIGINAL YOUTH INITIATIVE KICKS OFF
Thunder Bay - Superior North MP Bruce Hyer
MP Bruce Hyer joins other Canadians to ‘walk a mile in their shoes’ in remote fly-in reserve
THUNDER BAY, ON — MP Bruce Hyer joined 25 other Canadians today flying to Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug (KI), a remote First Nation community 600 km north of Thunder Bay. The initiative, started by KI youth, will give participants the opportunity to live in the community with KI families and firsthand experience of everyday life on the reserve.
“This innovative program will help bring together Canadians from different walks of life,” said Hyer, Independent MP for Thunder Bay-Superior North. “It gives ordinary citizens the chance to understand the challenges faced by First Nations peoples living in remote communities. I’ve paddled the Fawn and Severn Rivers, and am eager to get to know people the who have lived off the land there for thousands of years. I look forward to walking a mile in their shoes and hope to learn not just about the challenges they face, but also their hopes and ideas.”
Like many reserves in Northwestern Ontario, KI is facing unique challenges such as:
- A high cost of basic supplies & groceries. For example, three bags of 2% milk at $14 or $2/L gas;
- An elevated rate of youth suicide, averaging 5-6 times that of non-Aboriginal youth;
- A 200+ name waiting list for housing, in a community of approximately 1,400;
- Flooding exacerbating drinking water and housing challenges.
“We are a poor people. Only few of us are fortunate enough to move from poverty to middle class,” said Justin Beardy, a KI youth leader with the initiative. “And with this, I am extending an invitation to Canadians to my home, so you may see; even with what little we have, we are still willing to share. I would like for you to see the beauty of our land and our culture. To see from your eyes and your hearts that we are rich. Not in the terms of money, but heritage.”
