OPP_bomb squad evacuates Little Current neighbourhood

Police charge three male teens with making and igniting explosives

by Lindsay Kelly

LITTLE CURRENT-About 50 residents in Little Current were evacuated from their homes for more than 12 hours on Saturday, after OPP officers discovered a residential garage with a cache of dangerous materials that had been used to make explosive devices, some of which police believe may still be circulating in the community.

Police were led to the residence after investigating an earlier incident from which three local youths were charged with manufacturing explosive devices for unlawful purpose.

The evacuation, which affected 15 homes in the vicinity of Cherry Lane and Robinson Street, was put into effect early on Saturday morning and was lifted at 11:45 pm. During the evacuation, barricades were set up limiting access to the street and traffic was redirected around the area. Members of the OPP's Provincial Emergency Response Team (PERT) and Explosive Disposal Unit (EDU), who were called in to assist with the investigation, disposed of the dangerous substances.

"We have lifted the evacuation and people are able to return home," Constable Al Boyd, Manitoulin OPP community services offer, reported on Sunday. "The area has been rendered safe."

Constable Boyd confirmed that explosions heard around 6 pm on Saturday were the result of a controlled burn undertaken by the explosives disposal unit-a practice carried out when officers come across a substance that is too volatile to transport.

"A lot of substances and materials can be set off by various means-static electricity would be one; they can be set off by friction, and they can be set off by vibration," Constable Boyd explained. "Rather than transport and dispose of these substances in a large area-the danger with this is that just driving down the road it could ignite and create hazards-they took an area adjacent to the residence, dug up the ground, put the substances in there and purposely detonated them."

Residents who had been evacuated were tight-lipped following the incident, with those reached by the Expositor declining to comment about their experience over the weekend. Most suggested the incident had scared them and implied they did not want to inflame the story further.

Police were tipped off to the stored chemicals at the Cherry Lane home following an incident on October 31 at 8:11 pm, when two youths allegedly set off one of the explosive devices in the parking lot of Acme Motors on Worthington Street.

The explosion-characterized by a loud bang and smoke-was heard within a six-block radius and neighbours in the immediate vicinity reported their windows rattling from the impact, Constable Boyd noted.

"We had officers filling up with gas at the Hilltop Shell and they heard the explosion and rushed down to the scene," he said. "It was a huge bang."

A 16-year-old youth sustained non-life-threatening injuries as a result of the explosion.

Following an investigation, three youths-one 15-year-old and two 16-year-olds-have been charged with making or possessing an explosive device for an unlawful purpose. The 15-year-old and one 16-year-old were released on a promise to appear in court; they will appear in Youth Court in Gore Bay on December 11 at 10 am. The third youth was taken to Bail Court in Gore Bay and released on a recognizance with conditions. He will appear in Youth Court on December 5 at 10 am. The names of the youths cannot be released under the Youth Justice Act.

The explosives were made using cardboard tubing, with the chemicals housed inside and grey plasticine capping the ends. They measure two and a half inches in length-similar in size to a roll of nickels or quarters. The chemicals used are ordinary household materials that can be purchased at hardware stores and drug stores, Constable Boyd noted.

"We're not looking at manufactured explosive materials," he said. "These are basic household chemicals that, when mixed together, become volatile and dangerous."

Reports that "hundreds" of these devices remain in the community are inaccurate, Constable Boyd said, and he suggested that, while there is still a cause for concern, there is no cause for panic.

"As a result of some of the other media reports, unfortunately, it's been kind of blown out of proportion," he said. "There was a quantity of products and chemicals used to manufacture these devices, but there weren't hundreds of explosive devices."

No details are available on the amounts of the substances found at the residence; however, Constable Boyd said quantities were "fairly substantial."

"When they call in the provincial-level emergency explosives disposal unit, there is a big concern," he said.

Officers from Sault Ste. Marie who are trained in explosives disposal were initially dispatched to deal with the situation; however, after assessing the scene, they quickly called in the provincial units, Constable Boyd noted. The majority of people asked by OPP to evacuate were compliant and police did not have to enforce an evacuation. While the evacuation was implemented as a precaution, Constable Boyd said when it comes to public safety, the OPP would rather be overly cautious than regret not being cautious enough later on.

"We did not have to enforce the evacuation," Constable Boyd said, noting that a few residents did elect to stay in their homes during the incident. "When the provincial explosives disposal unit shows up in bomb suits, they know we're evacuating them for good reason."

Constable Boyd said the remaining materials have been sent to Toronto for further analysis, and a report will be issued upon its completion. That likely won't occur until the evidence is presented in court, as the release of information to the public could prejudice the case, he noted.

While the dangerous materials have been removed from the home, Constable Boyd said the OPP believe a small quantity of these devices is still circulating within the community. He said police are urging parents to discuss with their teens the dangers associated with these devices, and if anyone finds a device to not touch it and call police immediately.

Though there was talk of a search being conducted at Manitoulin Secondary School (MSS), a search did not actually occur. The explosive-sniffing dogs that would be on hand are only trained to detect substances like gun powder, plastics and dynamite, but are not trained to pick up substances such as the household materials that were used to make the devices, Constable Boyd explained.

The community services officer was to make a special presentation to the students at MSS on Monday afternoon about the dangers associated with the devices, and will continue to work with the school to ensure myths surrounding the devices are dispelled.

These devices should not be described as "bombs," as there is no explosive material or shrapnel enclosed inside them, and they are not powerful enough to destroy a structure, he stressed.

"If someone is in very close proximity to them-within a foot or two-it could result in  burns, or injury to their eyesight or hearing," Constable Boyd explained. "Can it cause injuries? Yes. Can it blow up a building? No, it can't."

The OPP is asking youths who may be in possession of these devices, or who have information about the devices, to contact the OPP or Crimestoppers. Anyone who provides information will not face repercussions for coming forward.

"There is no longer a concern about public safety in relation to more devices being made; police believe the alleged persons responsible have been identified," Constable Boyd emphasized. "Initially, there were some devices put out in the community and our concern now is that if anyone has a device and plays with it, they could be seriously injured."

Northeast Town's emergency plan

again worked well,CAO_observes

by Lindsay Kelly

LITTLE CURRENT-The weekend incident involving the discovery, analysis and disposal of a stockpile of explosive materials at a Little Current home provided an opportunity for Northeast Town staff to implement its emergency response plan, and by all accounts the measures taken went smoothly and successfully.

"The presence of these materials posed a direct threat to our community and we greatly appreciate the quick and professional response of the OPP," Mayor Jim Stringer said in a press release issued on Sunday. "The handling of this situation is a testament to the quality of the responding officers and the level of training they receive within their organization."

The town staff was notified early on Saturday of the presence of explosive materials at a Little Current home, and Mayor Stringer and town CAO Dave Williamson, along with the support of council, town staff and local organizations, immediately put the town's emergency plan into action.

"Dave and I met with police first thing on Saturday and got the lowdown on what was happening," the mayor explained in a subsequent interview. "At 11 am they knocked on doors to let people know what was going to be taking place."

The town's plan comes under the Emergency Management Act, 2003-which is filed under the Emergency Management Ontario, Ministry of Public Safety and Security-and provides measures for protecting the community against "forces of nature, an accident, an intentional act or otherwise that constitutes a danger of major proportions to life or property."

Under the plan, the emergency response effort is coordinated by the members of the Community Control Group, comprised of the mayor; the chief administrative officer (CAO); representatives from the police, fire department and EMS; the medical officer of health; the community management coordinator; the head of the town's public works department; and a representative of Ontario Clean Water Agency (OCWA), the company overseeing the municipal water supply.

The list of representative organizations involved may be tailored to deal with specific scenarios, and in this case, the town utilized several resources to enact the plan. Staff with the public works department helped erect and man barricades set up at the entrances to the evacuated area, while the fire department was put on standby in case of an explosion, Mayor Stringer noted. The fire department was later called to the scene as the OPP's provincial explosives disposal unit held a controlled burn to dispose of the substances found on the site, he added.

"Staff were in the municipal office manning the phones, because we were fairly certain people would be calling with questions," Mayor Stringer added. "The rec centre was set up as an emergency evacuation centre, and it was manned all day, but, to my knowledge, it wasn't used as much as we thought it would be."

The local OCWA representative was also on hand to ensure that the municipal water system was not breached in the event of an explosion, the mayor noted.

Mr. Williamson, who was with staff at the municipal office on Saturday, said the majority of the calls coming in were from organizations like Emergency Management Ontario, the Ministry of the Environment's spills action centre and the health department, who check in regularly once an emergency is reported with the Emergency Management Ontario.

"We had very few calls from citizens," he said, noting that the town "did receive a number of calls from people asking if there was anything they could do to help."

And although the rec centre only hosted three residents who had been displaced from their homes, the evacuation centre plays an essential part in the success of an emergency evacuation.

"Even though it wasn't used a lot, it has to be there in the event that it's needed-we have to have a place for citizens to go," Mr. Williamson said. "We had three individuals, and we're very fortunate in that way; however, the key is to always have an evacuation centre for people to go in these situations."

There is always a chance, he added, that the situation could escalate, in which case the rec centre would be further utilized. For example, if the Manor had been evacuated-it was on standby in case of an explosion-residents would have been relocated to the rec centre to ensure their safety.

In the case of water safety, if a six-inch water pipe had been breached, water pressure could have been lost and the priority for OCWA would have been to maintain the infrastructure to the balance of the community, Mr. Williamson noted.

The CAO was pleased with way the situation was handled, commending those who were involved in the effort.

"Everything went very, very well," he said. "There wasn't one person we called who didn't step up to help out, and that extends from the fire department to the public works crew to the rec centre staff and the administrative staff."

The town's emergency response plan has been used on two other occasions: the windstorm in August 2006 and the boat fire at Spider Bay Marina in July 2005. Following each incident, the town undergoes a debriefing session to determine what worked well and what could be improved upon. With the exception of a few minor items, such as having extra radios or additional signs, Mr. Williamson said everything went very smoothly. "It's always nice to see that something works and works well," he said. "I can't say enough good things about our staff.'

The mayor echoed his praise for both town staff involvement and the response of the OPP, saying he was "absolutely" pleased with the way the situation was handled.

"The police did an exceptional job," he said. "Everyone was very calm and everything was well-controlled and well-regulated. Our own staff, as well, did a great job."

No charges laid, no questions asked

for return of other explosive devices

by Lindsay Kelly

LITTLE CURRENT-Though the immediate danger associated with the manufacture and distribution of explosive devices has been removed from a Little Current home, the Manitoulin OPP warn that some of the devices may still be in the community, and they are offering immunity to anyone who returns the devices to the police or comes forward with information relating to the case.

Constable Al Boyd, community services officer with the Manitoulin OPP, said there is still a danger associated with the devices, as anyone within close proximity to a device when it detonates could suffer eye, ear or facial injuries, as well as burns to their hands.

"We just want them off the street," he said. "As further time goes on, they could become more volatile."

The OPP is working closely with Manitoulin Secondary School and other community organizations to dispel myths associated with the devices and ensure that Island youth are aware of the consequences of handling the dangerous devices. Constable Boyd was to visit the high school on Monday to speak to an assembly of students about the situation.

He emphasized that people who come forward with information or who drop off any devices to police will not face any charges.

"If anybody has any information, call the police or Crimestoppers," Constable Boyd urged. "There will be no further criminal proceedings-nobody will be held responsible and no further charges will be laid. If anybody is in possession of the devices, call police immediately."

If you have information that may assist with this investigation, contact the Manitoulin OPP at 368-2201, or Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

Sudbury Regional Hospital shuts down as N.E. Ont. referral centre

Cites too many long-term care patients tying up beds as problem

by Jim Moodie

SUDBURY-The Sudbury Regional Hospital has shut its doors to all but the most urgent referrals from Manitoulin and other outlying areas in order to deal with a bed crisis.

"We had a situation on Monday (November 6) where we had 25 or 26 patients in the emergency department awaiting acute-care beds," said hospital spokesperson Sean Barrette. "And in the surgical program, we had to cancel 50 percent of elective in-patient surgeries because we didn't have post-op beds."

The crunch, he said, owes to a disproportionate number of beds being taken up by alternative level of care (ALC) patients whose needs could be served in long-term care homes or through homecare services. "On any given day we have 120 ALC patients who don't require acute care," said Mr. Barrette. "They should be in long-term care."

With capacity pushed to the point that critical cases were being neglected, "the decision needed to be taken to close the hospital to regional patients unless it's a life or death situation," he said, adding that "the decision was not made lightly."

Referrals from regional hospitals like the ones on Manitoulin will now be considered on a "case-by-case basis," said Mr. Barrette, and if the individual's life is at risk, they will be accommodated. Otherwise, patients will be transferred to another Northern hospital or a facility elsewhere in the province.

"If you go to another hospital you'll still receive excellent care," said Mr. Barrette. "But we understand full well the impact of this-we know that someone from Manitoulin can't easily travel to Ottawa to visit a loved one."

Derek Graham, CEO of the Manitoulin Health Centre (MHC), said the restriction "is definitely going to make things difficult for us." Already, he noted, "we've had cases where we've had a struggle to find a place for someone."

Island physicians regularly direct patients to the Sudbury hospital, which acts as the referral centre for the region and offers tertiary care. Issues commonly dealt with at the bigger hospital include "complex-cardiac-care patients who need ICU, surgery consults, cancer-care surgeries and orthopedic consults," said Mr. Graham.

Now, "if the case isn't urgent, we will either need to find a place within the region, like North Bay or the Soo," said the health centre CEO, "or we will have to contact central dispatch and arrange a transfer through them to a different hospital, whether by ambulance or air."

Whether or not a case is considered critical "will depend on the assessment of clinicians," said Mr. Graham. And while he's confident Sudbury will make room for people who are in desperate need of attention, he worries about others who may not be quite as ill but could experience serious complications if their health concerns aren't dealt with promptly. "Any time there's a delay in treatment there are risks involved in that."

News that the Sudbury hospital would be screening out regional admissions came as a shock, but not entirely as a surprise. "This has been brewing for a while," said Mr. Graham. "We've had intermittent communications that we should expect delays in surgery, or that elective surgeries would have to be cancelled if they couldn't free up a bed."

Hospital administrators have also known for some time that "the system is straining under alternative-level-of-care issues," said Mr. Graham. "A lot of patients are waiting for care elsewhere, and if there isn't a long-term care bed available, they're staying in the hospital longer."

It's a particular problem in Northern Ontario, where a quarter of the beds in hospitals are consumed with people awaiting placement in nursing homes, said Mr. Graham.

Mr. Barrette agreed that the crunch did not occur overnight. "It's at least five years now that we've been dealing with an ALC crisis," he said. He pointed to a decision made four years ago to distribute long-term care patients among nursing homes outside of Sudbury, including the Manitoulin Lodge in Gore Bay, since Pioneer Manor in Sudbury and other nearby options were full to capacity.

That move wasn't very popular with families in the Nickel City who wanted to keep their loved ones closer to home, but it was one of several interim strategies that needed to be explored.

"We've made attempts at temporary solutions," said Mr. Barrette. "But it's essentially reached its peak now. This closure is a rare step to take but it had to happen."

Mr. Barrette assured that Sudbury Regional will be "reviewing this every 24 hours to see if we can free up beds," and as soon as space is found, the hospital will reopen to regional admissions. "We're doing everything we can to rectify the situation."

There is the physical capacity among the facilities associated with Sudbury Regional to accommodate more patients, but not enough funding at present to activate this space. And even if money can be found to create a new ward, it won't happen instantly, said Mr. Barrette.

"One of the proposals put forward to the Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) was to immediately open 24 interim beds," he said. "We could operationalize rooms and hire staff, but it would still take upwards of five weeks to do that."

Mr. Graham believes one way to relieve the pressure could be to accommodate some of Sudbury Regional's long-term care patients on Manitoulin. "Especially if the patient in Sudbury is from this area, or the region, they could be transferred back here for their convalescence period, which would free up a bed," he said.

Manitoulin is only one of many communities across the region that will be impacted by this decision, and most are much farther away from Sudbury. As Mr. Barrette pointed out, "in our LHIN, we go as far afield as Hearst, Chapleau and Kapuskasing."

In all, 24 small hospitals in outlying areas will be scrambling to find centres other than Sudbury to send patients in need of specialized care.

A number of people in the health sector have pointed to a "wraparound model" of health-care delivery, as has been recently applied in Timmins on a test basis, as a possible solution to the ALC issue.

"They received $2 million in funding to work at ways to keep patients in their homes or to provide assistance so they can be transferred to seniors' residences," said Vickie Kaminski, CEO of Sudbury Regional, in a Northern Life story. "So far 51 patients have been helped to keep them at home at a far cheaper cost than having them in a hospital bed."

It's an approach that has merit, in Mr. Graham's view. "It's a pilot project they've tried in Timmins, where homecare support services and nursing are available as part of a discharge plan, and the hospitals themselves are allowed to administer discretionary funds," he said.

The problem goes well beyond Sudbury and even if an interim solution is found to solve the current crisis, a broader plan needs to be put in place, according to Mr. Graham.

"Even if some beds are freed up in the short term, it's an ongoing thing that we're going to have to manage," he said. "I don't think it will be solved quickly. ALC statistics have gotten worse over the last year in our region."

Finding efficiencies in the system, with more streamlining among hospitals, nursing homes and homecare providers, would be one way to tackle the issue, he suggested.

But "it's mostly an issue of resources and capacity," said the MHC_director. "Unless we look at the kinds of patients blocking beds, and put some resources there to match that, we'll reach another crisis point again."

EDITORIAL

Sudbury hospital's no-vacancy policy quickens need for change

The sudden decision by the board and administration of the Sudbury Regional Hospital to shut the facility's doors to all but residents of Greater Sudbury and the most critical referrals and comes as a shock.

While the hospital's rationale for making this unprecedented move is valid-insufficient resources for Alternative Level of Care (ALC) patients requiring nursing home beds or assistance to be able to remain in their homes, as well as those needing rehabilitation services following surgery, a mishap or a debilitating illness-the ripples of this move will be felt from James Bay to Parry Sound as the 20-plus hospitals that routinely refer patients to the big Sudbury hospital for sophisticated treatment scramble to find other hospitals with beds to spare that will take on the needed treatments.

The Sudbury Regional Hospital's administrator, in her announcement late last week, suggested that these referring hospitals best bets would be to look to large hospitals in Toronto, London and Ottawa for additional care.

There has already been enough feedback to ascertain that this isn't just posturing by the Sudbury Regional Hospital. Manitoulin Island's two hospitals have already had to refer patients much further afield in order to access the required treatment.

At the very least, the bed backup at Sudbury Regional Hospital means that the referral system we've taken for granted for so long in Northeastern Ontario is broken and needs to be fixed.

So what does this mean?

More long-term care beds, like the ones in nursing homes, are the hardest order to fill quickly, of course.

But additional homecare throughout Northeastern Ontario would mean that if someone is treated at the Sudbury Regional Hospital, but needs additional care, then they could be sent home with a support system in place, rather than occupy a bed in the hospital and in so doing deny someone else from another community needed treatment relatively close to home.

We say "relatively" because for individuals needing treatment, and for their families who would visit, Sudbury would be a much more comforting option to someone from Sault Ste. Marie, Cochrane or Mattawa then would Toronto, Ottawa or London.

This closing of the Sudbury Regional Hospital as a Northeastern Ontario referral centre has the potential of being enormously dislocating to the entire region.

As a priority, the provincial government must task a group-whether it's the existing Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) or a special blue-ribbon panel to quickly come up with innovative solutions.

And it must do this before the problem becomes all-encompassing and a chronic worry to older people who may well wonder what will happen to them should their health decline or they require some major medical intervention.

The health system in our corner of the universe appears to have backed up on us, not because of a particular shortage of elite medical expertise but rather because of a shortage of medical real estate.

The problem is clear. The solutions are fairly obvious. Let's get going.

Letters to the Editor

Local veterinarian defends SPCA

Animal welfare group usually only seizes animals as last resort

To the Expositor:

I have been following the Expositor story of the 23 seized horses from a Mindemoya farm with some interest. As a large animal veterinarian in the Orangeville area, I was called upon by the SPCA to attend several on-farm investigations. The SPCA would usually call a vet in after their officers had visited a farm several times and animal husbandry conditions were still deemed unsatisfactory. That is to say, the person in charge of the animals had failed to act on orders from the SPCA to rectify deficiencies in feed, access to water, access to bedding or adequate shelter. If there were more serious health concerns, a veterinarian would usually be called in sooner by the SPCA, after the farmer had failed to contact a vet.

In my experience the SPCA acts very slowly and deliberately before animals are removed from a premise. From personal experience, the agency can only remove animals after a veterinarian has visited the property, inspected the animals and the facility, and signed a form stating that there is a serious health risk to the animals if they are left in place. That is to say, conditions are too far gone and the humane action is to relocate the animals.

On two or three occasions I signed that form to authorize the removal of animals. In every case the SPCA officers had visited the farm at least three times, discussing their concerns with the herdsman each time and providing them with sufficient time to rectify the poor living conditions of the animals under his or her care. In every case the herdsman ignored the SPCA orders and the neglect and disease continued. This is unacceptable.

I am glad that the SPCA officers are out in our counties, investigating complaints and improving the lot of neglected or abused animals. From personal experience, I really do not believe that their officers have too much power. Yes, they can come onto a farm following allegations of neglect or abuse, but that is basically where their "powers to do" stop. Once a case of neglect has been identified, the officers are faced with filling out forms, talking to the herdsman, filling out follow-up forms, and driving back and forth to the property over the course of weeks or months, rarely seeing substantial and sustained husbandry improvements in most cases.

Benign neglect is unacceptable when animals are confined (i.e. fenced or stabled) and are restricted from access to food, water and shelter. Horses aren't pets, but nor are they tractors, to be discarded at the back of a field when their job is done.

Dr. Neil Buie-Lawrence

Corbeil

Questions raised about MNR's sandhill crane research

Resident hopes consultation will include more than just hunters, farmers

To the Expositor:

The Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) is currently conducting research on the population and effects on local crops of the sandhill crane. How long will they perform this research? What are they measuring and how?

When will they share the research findings? Will they share the findings publicly in a town hall setting and invite media?

Are they seeking qualitative research as well-in other words are they surveying residents and speaking to them, asking about their observations of the crane population?

Is MNR only consulting with farmers and hunters? This will significantly skew the consultation process and findings. They need to speak to the significant number of residents of Manitoulin who base their livelihood on tourism, including eco-tourism. Many people are against the cull and would protest publicly.

How will the research findings be able to directly link the number of cranes with crop outputs or crop quality?

Does MNR have alternative solutions that do not involve a cull? Population control? Relocation? The International Crane Foundation is working with landowners and has developed a new technique of treating corn seeds with a deterrent that before the seeds are planted. In response, foraging sandhill cranes will not eat the treated seeds.

Isn't this an option? Isn't the sandhill crane a protected species?

The Audubon Society recognizes that hunting, pesticides and habitat alteration have contributed to this species' decline in the previous two centuries. Compared to historic numbers, all sandhill crane populations are low. Recovery is slow because successful pairs usually only produce one chick per year, and young cranes do not mate until their fourth year.

If the number of sandhill cranes is decreased, how will the MNR advise residents to deal with the consequences that will result from the increased numbers of insects, reptiles and amphibians that sandhill cranes consume?

Shelagh Saul

Spring Bay

Education is key to unlocking gifts all youths have

First Nations youth need support, not punishment, when they have done wrong

To the Expositor:

All First Nations youth have a right to an education even if that youth is not able to attend school because of something negative that he or she did. This in light of the following statistic: Aboriginal youth are more likely to go to jail than to finish high school. Unfortunately, and in some instances, the powers that be are all too quick to judge and add to the hardship that the student is already experiencing.

There are resources for the First Nations youth to complete high school should they not be able to attend their own high school. There are resources to assist the First Nations youth with barriers to accomplish their goals.

To get through the difficulties of teenage life, youth require support from family and the community. Deep down inside, youth want to succeed in life and overcome things like drugs, alcohol or a possible learning disability. Parents need to foster this innate need in our youth to do well. After all it is the parents who have the ultimate responsibility in providing a stable environment in which children can grow and develop. If there is stability, then a more in-depth search of what the youth needs is required. Should a youth have no parents, we as Anishinabek people have extended families and hold the responsibility to support and provide stability. It takes a community to raise a child. 

What youth do not need is punitive punishment; what they need is support and understanding. What adult didn't have problems in their young life? And some of these adults have positions of power. Possibly some of these adults struggled through their childhood/teenage years without support, thus possibly imposing their own struggles on the current situation.

Recently, a youth was kicked off the bus; he then hitchhiked to school every day. This tells us all something.

All youth whether Anishinabek or not have potential and hold various gifts that sometimes can be difficult to bring out, but adults need to pay attention and youth need to start standing up and display their gifts and goals they want to achieve and work towards them.

Marilyn Stevens

Whitefish River First Nation