Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6
Page 7
Page 8
Page 9
Page 10
Page 11
Page 12
Page 13
Page 14
Page 15
Page 16
7TuesdayMay202014FortChipcelebratesopeningofelderscarecentreByMARIACHURCHThecommunityofFortChipewyanisthrilledwiththeopeningofitselderscarecentrethatwillmeanvulnera-blemembersrequiringassistedlivingorendoflifecarecannallystayintheirhomecom-munitysayprojectorganizers.TheMikisewCreeFirstNationorganizedacele-brationfortheKahkiyowKeykanowEldersCareHomeopeningonThursdayhostingmorethan300com-munitymembersandy-inguestsforanopeningprayerdrumceremonyandcommu-nityfeastatthelocalhall.Itsveryexciting.Werereallyquitethrilledbyitall.ItsoneofthosethingswhereitsadreamcometrueTrishMerrithew-MercredisenioradvisortochiefandcouncilofMikisewCreeFirstNa-tionandprojectleadtoldTheJournal.Ithinkpeoplereallydidntthinkitwasgoingtohappenbutnowthatithashappenedtheyarebesidethemselvesshesaid.The12-million12-roomfacilitythatwastheremnantsoftheoldcommunitynursingstationjust15monthsagowasbuiltwithnogovern-mentfundingthroughprivateMikisewCreefundsandgen-erousindustrycontributionsMerrithew-Mercredisaid.Atotalof5millionwasdonatedbyindustryinclud-ingShellCanadaandCeno-vusbothoilsandscompaniesoperatingupstreamofthecommunity.Mikisewinvitedseniorin-dustryexecutiveswhocon-tributedtotheprojectinclud-ingTotalSyncrudeHuskyandSuncortojointhemfortheopeningcelebrationswithsomecomingfromasfarawayasFrancetoattendtheceremony.ItsahugedealforthewholeregionMerrithew-Mercredisaid.Ithinkitshowsthatthiscommunityisthekindofcommunitythatwhenitsaysitcandosomethinginfactitcandoit.Itsaveryforwardlookingcommunityandaverydeterminedcommunity.FortChipewyanhaslongdesiredtohaveacarefacilityforeldersintheregion.Cur-rentlycommunitymemberswhorequireassistedlivingorpalliativecaremusttraveltoFortMcMurray.Theycouldntbeathomearoundfamilywithfamilialconditions.TheycouldnteatfamiliarfoodbeingwiththeirfriendsandchildrenthepeopletheyvespentalloftheirliveswithMerrithew-Mercredisaid.Moreoftenthannottheywouldcomehomeincofns.GiventheneedandthecommunityssupportMer-rithew-Mercredisaidsheisnotsurprisedbyhowfasttheprojectcametogether.Wehadareallygoodprojectteamandsomenemanagement.Whenwesaidthatwaswhatweweregoingtodothatisexactlywhatwedid.Wecertainlyhadthebackingofthechiefandcouncilshesaid.Thenewbuildingboastsatopofthelinegreenenergyadditionof44solarpanelsinstalledontherooftooffsetthefacilitysenergyneedsaninitiativepromotedbytheKeepersoftheAthabascaWatershedSociety.ThefamilyroomoftheelderscarehomehasbeendedicatedtothelateWil-lieCourtoreilleaMikisewCreebandcouncillorwhowaskilledtragicallyinacarcrashlastDecember.Withthegrandopeningbe-hindthemMerrithew-Mer-credisaidsheexpectstoseeoccupantstowardstheendofJune.Thebiggestproblemnowishavingenoughspaceforthedemand.Wevealreadygotatleasttwiceasmanyapplicationsactuallyclosertothreetimesasmanyapplicationsaswehavebedsshesaid.Thecentrewillbeaccept-ingapplicantsaccordingtoAlbertaHealthregulations.PhotosTrishMerrithew-MercrediHealthWellnessEldersNWTplanstorolloutwellnesscourtthisfallAlternativecourtsystemtoconsideroffenderstreatmentachievementsByMEAGANWOHLBERGWhilethenaldecisionsitswiththecourtsystemtheNWTdepartmentofJusticeexpectsitspilotdiversionaryWellnessCourttoconvenethisfall.Worktoestablishthealternativecourtcreatedtoreroutepeoplewithad-dictionscognitivechal-lengesormentalhealthissuesawayfromthecon-ventionalcourtsystemiswellunderwayfollowingrecommendationsmadelastyearbytheMinistersForumonAddictionsandCommunityWellness.Theforumwhichheardfromresidentsacrosstheterritoryonwhattheywouldliketoseedonetoaddressmentalhealthandaddictionstoldgovernmenttoimple-mentadiversionarycourtsystembasedondatashow-ingalargeportionofoffend-ersgoingtojailsufferfromaddictionsmentalhealthproblemsorimpairmentslikefetalalcoholspectrumdisorderFASD.AWellnessCourtisap-propriateforindividualswhoseneedsmaybemetalternativecourtincludinghowandwhichindividualswillberedirectedfromthestandardcourtsystem.TheWellnessCourtwillbemuchlikeothercourtsrecommendedbytheircasemanager.DuringthetreatmenttimethejudgeiscontinuallyoverseeingandmonitoringtheprogressoftheindividualshetoldTheJournalinanemail.mayspeakatthehearingaswellincludingcommunityrepresentativesthevictimsthroughthereadingofaVic-timImpactStatementandcounsel.UnliketheregularcourtsystemshesaidthefocusoftheWellnessCourtwillbeonwellness-basedserviceswheresuccessfulparticipa-tioninwellnessprogram-mingisseenasahighlysignificantfactorwhenimposingasentenceorad-dressingcharges.Asinconventionalcourtclientsappearbeforethecourtfordispositionofthechargesorsentencing.Thecourtwilltakeparticipationinthewellnessprogramandclientachievementsintocon-siderationwhenaddressingchargesaswellasanytreat-mentaclienthastakenshesaid.SuccessfullycompletingtheWellnessPlancouldre-sultinthechargesbeingwithdrawnorastayenteredorinanabsoluteorconditionaldischargeasuspendedorconditionalsentenceratherthanafullchargeorasen-tencewhichmightbegivenhadtheclientnotundergonesuccessfultreatment.Shouldatreatmentpro-gramnotbecompletedtheindividualwillreturntotheregularcourtsystemforsen-tencingalthoughanyprog-resstheyhavemadewillbetakenintoconsiderationMouldsaid.WhiletheWellnessCourtisprimarilyinthehandsofthejudiciaryandthedepart-mentofJusticeMouldsaidexpectedpartnersincludeHealthandSocialServicesthedepartmentofEduca-tionCultureandEmploy-menthousingagenciestheRCMPPublicProsecutionServiceofCanadatheNWTDefenceBarandcommunity-basednon-governmentalorganizations.inappearance.Ajudgepre-sidesoverthecase.Theper-sonchargedneedstoadmittheirguiltorresponsibilityfortheiractionsandagreetoabidebyconditionsandenterintotreatmentprogramsasOnceaclienthascom-pletedtheirwellnessjour-neytheyappearbeforethecourtforthedispositionwherewellnessteammem-bersspeaktothecourtabouttheirachievements.Othersthroughcommunity-basedservicessaidAnnMoulddirectorofcourtserviceswiththeGNWT.MouldsaidJusticecurrentlyhasateamworkingtodenemanyoftheprocessesfortheAsinconventionalcourtclientsappearbeforethecourtfordispositionofthechargesorsentencing.TheCourtwilltakeparticipationinthewellnessprogramandclientachievementsintoconsiderationwhenaddressingchargesaswellasanytreatmentaclienthastaken.AnnMouldNWTdepartmentofJusticeHealthWellnessMentalHealthAfter15monthsofpriorityconstructionFortChipewyansKahkiyowKeykanowEldersCareHomehasopenedinthecommunity.The12-millionenvironmentallyconsciousfacilityhas12roomstohouseeldersrequiringassistedlivingorendoflifecare.