Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor,

With aboriginal rights under attack from the Harper government, the First nations people on the North Island and in Canada need our support. These people have been oppressed for far too long by assimilation policies enforced by the federal government.

One of the most violent policies with ongoing effects was the forced removal of  First Nation children from their families to have their native language and culture beaten out of them in residential schools. This practice occurred across Canada for over 100 years. These families also endured the suffering of being forced to leave their homes and communities to live on reservations and were treated inhumanely. Evidence of this still stands in Alert Bay in the form of the old residential school where unmarked graves of unnamed children are laid.

Memories continue to haunt many former students. Ignorant racism continues to hurt these people and we all need to look inside to see if we are part of the problem or solution. As a Canadian of only a few generations, I support the Idle No More movement.

I wish to thank the leaders and supporters of the Idle No More movement as they are also voicing concern over the sweeping changes to legislation that once protected rivers and lakes in Canada. These changes will affect all Canadians and I am thankful that these people are wise enough to know and care about these issues. Without clean water, none of us can be well on this planet. This movement gives hope for a better future for all.

Holly Tracy

Hi Sointula Angel here again. Me and Marty want to thank all those people who helped us get our film together for those SNL folks at Winterfest. They say it takes a hole village to raise a goat and boy oh boy did we ever have help. I don’t know how this little town manages to get such big name talent here but that night was a hoot wasn’t it?  We had people following us for days with cameras starting with that artist lady Kathlean Bloom and that tall gal who goes by the name of Mitch. The guy who did the time lapse thingy is a photographer named Daryl who talks with a funny voice and I think he might be from somewheres else. The other guy was Jeff who says hes a lawyer and another guy named Greg whose new to town and lives with some really big black dogs and a lady with purple hair. He also helped us string the film together because hes such a computer wiz. Me and Marty worked real hard but he worked harder. We had lots of people want to be in our film and all kinds showed up for the Flash Mob part too. There were so many it would take up the whole paper to list them so thanks to everybody who showed up in the rain and the sunshine to help us. We couldn’t have done it without you guys. After the Winterfest showing Marty got to thinking that maybe we should take our little film to that festival in Cans, it’s somewheres in Italy, but I keep telling him that it’ll cost too much money what with new clothes and make-up and stuff but he says that maybe our friends Carmen and Betty might do a pot luck to help us raise the money or we could even ask those Fin Fund guys to give us a hand. Who knows maybe our film will land us a spot on Ellen or something?  Little dreams just land you in a wheelchair with someone else wiping drool from your chin so Dream Big my Marty always says!

Diggin’ the Co-op!

Dear Editor,

My hat is off to Stephanie Rockman and the Whale’s Rub Pub for bringing such a wonderful mix of talent and fun to Sointula this summer. I might not have caught every act, but I sure enjoyed those I stayed up for. And to Stephanie’s number one supporter, hubby and wordsmith Fred Middleton – thank you for all the work supporting the musicians and writing those well-crafted articles for the Sointula Ripple. And those quick phone call reminders were extremely helpful – that’s really working it!
You guys have earned a big Thank You from me and I’m sure many others on our little island.

Ros Bangham

~ by Jim Rosgen

(with apologies to Hunter S. Thompson)

Canada has always been known as a benign country, full of friendly, polite people who generally don’t strike fear into the hearts of others. more »

by Alex Morton ~

The recent headlines “Draconian chinook cuts loom for anglers, Restrictions raise fears for future of southern Island sport fishing” includes statements like “root causes are habitat loss and water extraction,  “DFO should be looking at the commercial and First Nations fisheries.” more »

by Jim Rosgen ~

A revolution can be defined as:

1. A dramatic and wide reaching change in conditions, attitudes, or operation.
2. A fundamental change in power or organizational structures.
3. A total or radical change. more »

by Jim Rosgen ~

Hello,

I am writing to pass on news that yesterday a 20-year, 24% duty was lifted on Norwegian farm salmon by the US International Trade Commission.  Norwegian farm salmon producers will be able to sell to the US  without threat of anti-dumping duty. more »

Halleluiah! Praise the Lord! Thanks be to whatever God looks after depressed fishing villages. more »

by Jim Rosgen ~

The Northern Gateway Pipeline, or an Ode to Stupidity ~

Sometimes a project comes along that is so wrong on so many different levels that it makes you wonder how it has managed to see the light of day. more »