Canada’s Version of Third World

By: F.A.Patel

Aboriginals living in Attawapiskat are living in conditions like a third world country (such as India, Kenya, or Bangladesh) residents like, Beverly Koosetachin who lives in Attawapiskat, Ontario, takes medication for mental illness and has an alcoholic mother.  She lives in northern Ontario with running water, a one room shed as a shelter, heated by a wood burning stove. At the age of 30, she is living ‘okay’ but not as well as many other Canadians. She lives with her boyfriend and father, a pastor In a Pentecostal church. Koostachins income consists of her government disability allowance of $1342 a month.

Since the local chief Theresa Spence declared a housing emergency last month. The Red Cross has rushed in with aid such as; winter sleeping bags, warm clothing, and electric space heaters. The residents of Attawapiskat were forced to leave their homes and are camping out in crowded sheds without running water and tents. This has been happening for years.

27 year old Lisa kiokea – linkarter, her husband, and 4 children have been living in a tent for the last 2 years. She moved into a tent when her in-laws house (where she had been living) was over crowded with 27 people. The band council supplied the family with the tent. Kiokee – Linklater kept the fire burning in her home through severe weather conditions last winter (-40 c) Wood was used as fuel and is not cheap. Firewood in Attawapiskat is sold for $150 - $200 a cord. She says money is not the problem; it’s the lack of housing. Her children go to school in portable classrooms. It is the only elementary school in Attawapiskat; it has been 12 years since the former school was closed down due to diesel – fuel spill. The spill still needs to be cleaned up and the school needs to be properly replaced.

Do you see a different between the people of Attawapiskat and the residents of downtown Toronto? We would never even dream about living in a building without running water. Their lives could be totally different if they had government funding for their homes. But they are still grateful. They have roof over their heads and firewood for the stove. That is the good life these days in Attawapiskat!