Stories From the River's Edge
For aboriginal kids from reserves in northern Ontario, a high school diploma is a ticket to a better future. But a shocking number of these students have ended up dead before graduation.
the fifth estate's Gillian Findlay presents an extremely up-close and personal look inside the native secondary education program in Thunder Bay, Ont., where seven students have tragically died in the past ten years. Five of the victims died apparent alcohol related deaths -- their bodies were pulled from local rivers amid swirling suspicions and rumours about what pushed them over the edge. Another two teens suffered troubling and unexpected deaths that have left lingering questions.
Filmed by a local crew with close connections to the community, with unprecedented access, the fifth estate takes viewers inside the school halls, the homes where the kids are billeted, the mall where they hang out, and onto the dark streets where their dedicated teachers and mentors run nightly patrols in a desperate bid to try and get them all home safe.
the fifth estate's Gillian Findlay presents an extremely up-close and personal look inside the native secondary education program in Thunder Bay, Ont., where seven students have tragically died in the past ten years. Five of the victims died apparent alcohol related deaths -- their bodies were pulled from local rivers amid swirling suspicions and rumours about what pushed them over the edge. Another two teens suffered troubling and unexpected deaths that have left lingering questions.
Filmed by a local crew with close connections to the community, with unprecedented access, the fifth estate takes viewers inside the school halls, the homes where the kids are billeted, the mall where they hang out, and onto the dark streets where their dedicated teachers and mentors run nightly patrols in a desperate bid to try and get them all home safe.
I G.I.G.G.L.E. in Canada
I GIGGLE in CANADA began in the spring of 2011 after I read a plea from Lloyd Fournier. I felt compelled to get involved and offer as much support as I could...
There is a great need to get educational resources, learning tools and positive learning experiences to these remote communities. I believe GIGGLE shows that there is hope, and that people outside these remote communities truly care. By supporting I GIGGLE in CANADA, we affirm that our Canadian Aboriginal people are indeed part of our much larger family called ‘Canada’ and that they are not forgotten about.
There is a great need to get educational resources, learning tools and positive learning experiences to these remote communities. I believe GIGGLE shows that there is hope, and that people outside these remote communities truly care. By supporting I GIGGLE in CANADA, we affirm that our Canadian Aboriginal people are indeed part of our much larger family called ‘Canada’ and that they are not forgotten about.
Third World Canada
Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug (the people of the lake) is a remote Native community bound by reserve laws in the forgotten North of Ontario. This Nation dates back to 7,000 years where bones of their ancestors were discovered on the shores of Big Trout Lake. Today this proud Nation is deeply impoverished in 3rd World conditions bound by Treaty laws signed, by their non-English speaking ancestors.
Set in the backdrop of the aftermath of the suicide of three parents, the documentary explores the impact of 3rd world conditions on the children left behind and a community’s courage in looking after them. In her fifth film, Gemini-nominee, Andrée Cazabon brings to light the impact of reserve conditions through the poignant testimonies of community, children and youth. Filmed with the participation of the Nation of Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug, Ontario and funded by the Ontario Arts Council, Laidlaw Foundation, The Law Foundation, the Atkinson Charitable Foundation and Wasaya Airways.
Set in the backdrop of the aftermath of the suicide of three parents, the documentary explores the impact of 3rd world conditions on the children left behind and a community’s courage in looking after them. In her fifth film, Gemini-nominee, Andrée Cazabon brings to light the impact of reserve conditions through the poignant testimonies of community, children and youth. Filmed with the participation of the Nation of Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug, Ontario and funded by the Ontario Arts Council, Laidlaw Foundation, The Law Foundation, the Atkinson Charitable Foundation and Wasaya Airways.
Still Waiting in Attawapiskat
Article in Canadian Geographic: A Cree community on James Bay has been fighting for a new elementary school for more than a decade. Will Indian and Northern Affairs Canada fail the next generation?
The North "Like Darfur"
Article in Canadian Medical Journal. "The aid worker compared what he saw in Canada with regions that had endured years of conflict. "In a natural disaster, hope is a vital thing. People lose family and possessions, but society is united with those who can help. What I felt in northern Canada was like Darfur. The reasons are different, but there is a hopelessness,a despair, a sense of despondency."
