mlA report From
OPINIONS
OPINIONS
OPINIONS
nancy Heppner
Page 14 - AUGUST 25, 2016 - mArTenSville meSSenGer
Phone: 306-668-1093 Email: [email protected]
Efforts to Ensure Grain
Saskatchewan economy
Transportation
System
is
Creates 800 Jobs Year
68-1093
Email: [email protected]
ne: 306-668-1093
Email: [email protected]
However, let us also
acknowledge that there
are some in this province
who are both fearful of
and racists towards First
Nations people.
Lest there still be any
doubt of this, consider the
bar, coffee row or online in
the wake of the Pheasant
Rump First Nations and
the second-degree murder
charge against 54-year-old
Gerald Stanley.
So bad were the social
media
postings
that
Premier Brad Wall called
on the province to stop
“racist and hate-filled”
comments and allow the
RCMP and the judicial
system to do its work.
“None of us should
be jumping to any
conclusions about what
happened. We should
trust the RCMP to do their
work,” Wall noted. “I call
on Saskatchewan people
to rise above intolerance,
to be our best and to be
the kind of neighbours
and fellow citizens we are
reputed to be.”
The very fact that the
Premier felt it necessary to
call out his province on the
racist comments suggest
such racial prejudice from
a few may be a
bigger
problem
than we were aware
of. One can guess
that a lot of it comes from
fear that is quickly converted
to hate.
The rare occasions of violent
conflict between reserve
residents and those in
neighbouring farm or small
town communities seem
embedded. But that, too, has
to be an important talking
point in the conversation
we desperately now need to
have.
Any productive conversation
about race relations and how
to make them better begins
with discussing all such past
grievances and putting these
stories in perspective.
Of course past stories have
absolutely nothing to do
with what actually went on
in Biggar and certainly do
not merit the vile racism
we have seen. Again, we
don’t know what happened
in that farmyard, other than
a second-degree murder
charge has emerged from it.
And whipping up more hate
and anger with more hate
and anger is harmful.
with
Murray Mandryk
For
example,
notwithstanding
former
prime minister Stephen
Harper’s comment about
people having the right to
protect their property, you
point a gun at someone and
its considered assault. Nor is
there any constitutional right
to defend your property,
although common humanity
and decency will already
tell you that. After all, is
$30 worth of stolen gas an
exchange for a life? Or is it
worth a life of imprisonment.
But if we are to explore what
drives the fear, we need to
also explore the crime and
violence problem on reserves
and the impact it has had.
It is a reality that First
Nations leadership would
sometimes prefer to ignore
… or blame on other past
social injustices that go back
decades. But what simply
can’t be ignored right now
is the impact it will have not
only on First Nations people,
but also the surrounding
communities.
If something positive is to
emerge from the horrific
events in Biggar, it will be
because there was a frank
discussion why many rural
people - rightly or wrongly
- feel threatened by First
Nations
people.
These
problems aren’t going to be
solved on the end of a gun.
As Wall rightly told
those spewing their own
brand of racism and even
advocating more violence,
such comments are actually
against the law. “There are
laws that protect citizens
from this kind of hate. They
will be enforced,” Wall
noted.
The solutions will only come
if First Nations and non-First
Sadly, many people have an Nations people have a frank
odd view of what is legal or discussion about racism and
even appropriate.
violence issues.
Tragically Hip lyrics form Canadian flag
S a s k a t c h e w a n
farmers, ranchers and
agribusinesses are doing
their part to keep our
economy strong.
With
improved varieties and
agronomic
practices,
production levels are
growing and we are
encouraged to see that
crops across the province
are doing particularly well.
Saskatchewan’s diversified
economy continues to
show signs of strength
with the addition of 800
new jobs year over year,
according to numbers
released by Statistics
Canada.
Our government, along
with grain producers
and customers, continue
discussions
with
transportation
service
providers to prepare for a
large crop. The need for
enhanced
transparency
and accountability within
the grain handling and
transportation
system
remains a priority.
We hope all parties will
step up and do what is
necessary to ensure our
products get to market
in a timely and efficient
manner.
For example,
if there is a strike at the
Port of Prince Rupert,
we encourage the federal
government to consider
back-to-work legislation.
There have been numerous
requests to find solutions
to ensure producers get
their products to customers
safely, efficiently, reliably
and at a fair cost. We
continue to urge Transport
Canada
to
ensure
contingencies are in place
should issues arise this
season.
Despite
historic
and
long lasting commodity
sector
challenges,
Saskatchewan’s seasonally
adjusted unemployment
rate was third lowest
among the provinces at
6.3% in July.
Our government will
continue working hard to
create an environment that
encourages
businesses,
small, medium, and large,
to keep growing and
prospering in our province.
Saskatchewan Building
Permits See largest
Year Over Year increase
Among Provinces
Building
permits
in
Saskatchewan saw a big
increase in June, up 28%
over last year (seasonallyadjusted), the highest
percentage increase among
the provinces.
Non-residential building
permits in Saskatchewan
were up 57.5% in June
when compared to June
of last year, the second
highest
percentage
increase among provinces.
ABOVE: MLA Nancy Hepner
Saskatchewan
jumped
72.4% from May 2016,
a contrast from the 5.5%
decrease posted nationally.
Saskatchewan
innovation At Work
Saskatchewan’s Carbon
Capture
and
Storage
technology is essential
to cleaning up coal and
providing
opportunity
to reduce the effects of
climate change worldwide.
The Estevan Boundary
Dam 3 Carbon Capture
plant was online 100% in
July, and has now captured
over 1 million tonnes of
CO2 since startup.
Boundary Dam 3 is on
pace to meet its target of
capturing 800,000 tonnes
in 2016.
On a monthly basis
June building permits in
Letter to the Editor
Your Newspaper
Let us dispense with
the notion that rural
Saskatchewan people are
generally racists towards
First Nations people. Right
now, this seems an all-toocommon perception that
is neither true nor helpful
when it comes to finding
solutions.
Provincial
Politics
Over Year
Your City;
violence; racism
Scary Combination
ready to meet Demand
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