'Old Metis warrior' fights program closure

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Senator Thelma Chalifoux is concerned that Metis-specific programs are being unfairly shut down and she plans to address the federal Liberal Party's national caucus on the issue.

Chalifoux, who is the Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Aboriginal People, personally involved herself when she heard that the Prince George Awasisak Cultural Development Program in British Columbia had been shut down by Health Canada on June 1.

"It appears to me that when you look at the whole story that it almost appears like an attempt to take and shut down Metis-specific programs," said Chalifoux. "There was one shut down in Saskatoon, and one in Prince Rupert. It makes me wonder why. So even if there were personality difficulties, that program didn't have to be shut down. It was classed the top Aboriginal Head Start program in Canada a year ago, and all of a sudden it isn't?"

The Awasisak program, a Metis-specific preschool program, opened its doors in 1995 and was funded by Health Canada through host agency Apehtaw Kosisan Metis Child and Family Support Society.

Murlene Browning, the former executive director of the program, claims the termination of the program stemmed from jealousies and personality conflicts with Health Canada officials.

Browning wrote letters to the host agency, Health Canada and Health Minister Allan Rock and requested an investigation of Health Canada officials in the Vancouver office.

"Our program was not out a penny. There was nothing wrong with it, and then they (Health Canada officials) got a hold of some parents who were disgruntled. And three parents were able to get us shut down. A lot of politics in here," said Browning. "It's very ugly and very sad, and we are now working on a kit to go to human rights. We were the only Metis-specific site still operating. They shut down the other two in Vancouver and we were the only one left."

Three weeks prior to their complaints, these same parents had sent glowing reference letters in regards to the program and only three weeks later they had a complete change of attitude after talking to Health Canada, said Browning.

"We were jammy enough to challenge the management in Health Canada's Vancouver office and this is what they did to us, get rid of the program. In doing so they killed a program that was servicing so many Metis families and people that really needed it," said Browning. "We always did all of our reports on time, everything was perfect. They fabricated many, many things," Browning said.

Browning is requesting mediation by an unbiased outside group to do an investigation of the closing of the program.

"What good does it do us to have Health Canada staff do an investigation?" said Browning.

Browning claims a Health Canada official had a personal goal of making sure the Awasisak program was shut down.

"She had a vendetta for us to get us shut down. I guess because we challenged their abuse of power and authority," said Browning. "They said that our site was unsafe for parents and children, that we suspended children. That is not true."

Over the last six months, Health Canada received letters from parents claiming that the program lacked parental involvement, said Rose Sones, a program consultant.

Last March, Health Canada went through a compulsory consideration of the three-year renewal contracts for all Head Start programs.

"We sat down and discussed what were the issues and we gave them a three-month extension with very clear details of what needed to be improved within those three months. We renewed them on April 1 for three months," said Sones.

Within the three months, Sones said Health Canada received additional complaints from parents, some in regards to bus safety.

"We had promised that we would let them know before the end of June because the contract did go to the end of June. Basically, if we had seen the issues of bus safety and parental involvement improve, then we would have gone through a renewal process...and gone on to kep on funding," said Sones. "The issues did not seem to be resolved and were actually getting worse, so we did terminate them without notice on June 2nd."

When asked if there was a personal vendetta against the program, Sones said no.

"I wanted to see that site succeed. I wanted to. The interesting thing though is the other sites in B.C. also, there are eight sites in B.C. and they all have a good positive peer pressure, and it got to the point where the other sites in B.C. recommended that this one be closed. They have written a letter to that affect to the Minister of Health Canada and such. They have made it publicly known they recommended the closure of the site."

Sones said they have started to look at a replacement project.

"It looks like there is a very strong community support for it."

On June 28, Senator Chalifoux issued a press release requesting Minister Rock to personally involve himself in what Chalifoux said "has become an embarrassment to his department."

"I have talked to the minister's people and negotiated and argued and they are very, very arrogant and they really don't care," said Chalifoux. "I have done what I could and have brought it to the attention of everybody. I will be bringing it to the attention of the national caucus on what they are doing with Metis."

Chalifoux said that she is an "old Metis warrior" and that she is in a position to open doors and create interest on behalf of Aboriginal peoples.