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NWTcallsforendtoviolenceagainstAboriginalwomenScholarsharesresearchonmissingandmurderedvulnerablewomenHealthWellnessWomenHealthWellnessSeniors9TuesdayJune242014Pleaseleaveamessageat872-5543fordetails.WESCLEANNORTHERNSALESLTD.Billieisacuteandcuddlygirl.Sheiseasygoingwithothercatsandpeopleandenjoysanicenapinthesun.Billiewillmakeagreatadditiontoanyfamily.FemaleYoungAdultGreyandwhitemixLookingforanewhomeByMARIACHURCHRidingthewaveofpoliti-calattentionformissingandmurderedindigenouswomenacrossCanadacallstoendviolenceagainstwomenintheNWTreverberatedacrosstheterritorylastweekwithmultiplepresentationstopoli-ticiansandthepublic.TheNativeWomensAsso-ciationoftheNWTwasinvitedtoshareamessageduringameetingoffederalprovincialandterritorialministersrespon-siblefortheStatusofWomeninDettahlastweekchairedbyNWTPremierBobMcLeod.LizaPiepervicepresidentoftheassociationfortheNWTbroughttheissueofviolenceagainstAboriginalwomenandgirlsintheNorthforwardonbehalfoftheorganization.Itriedtobringevery-thingtothetabletomakethemunderstandwherewearecomingfromPiepertoldTheJournalfollowingherpresentationThursday.NWTwomenweallwerebroughtupinourtraditionalandculturalways.Thoseval-uesandbeliefsneedtoberestoredandrevivedsothattheycanhelpthemselvestobuildontheirstrengthtopro-tectthemselvesshesaid.Culturallysensitiveeduca-tionandproperservicesforstrugglingwomentopreventabusearestillmissingintheterritorytoalargeextentPiepersaid.WhilethereisapositiveworkingrelationshipwiththeterritorialgovernmentandRCMPtoeducateandofferservicestoendviolenceagainstwomenintheNorthmuchmoreneedstobedone.ItshouldberequiredtohavetheRCMPandgovern-mentofcialstrainedintheculturalandtraditionalwayoflifeforAboriginalpeople.ThatwassuggestedandImhopingsomethingwillcomeoutofitshesaid.Piepersaidshewaspleasedwiththeministerspositiveresponsetoherpresentationbutnotedthatdespitethein-ternationalandnationalatten-tionontheissueverylittleconcreteactionhascomeofit.Wehavetospeakforourwomenoutthere.Thishastobedealtwithandhopefullywewillgofurthershesaid.Theministersmeetingwasclosedtothepublichowevercallsforactionechoedacrosstheterritorylastweek.DuringtheDeneNationalAssemblyinFortSmitharesolutionwaspassedfortheDeneNationtoimme-diatelyconductanindepen-dentinquiryintomissingandmurderedAboriginalwomen.Theresolutionalsosupportsaninquiryatthenationallevel.ThemotionwasmovedbySaltRiverFirstNationChiefFriedaMartselosandsecondedbyLutselKeDeneFirstNationChiefFelixLock-hartfollowingapresentationbythechairoftheAssemblyofFirstNationswomenscouncilTerryVilleneuvewhoalsositsontheNativeWomensAssociationoftheNWT.PressingtheDeneNationtomaketheissueofmissingandmurderedindigenouswomenaprioritizeditemonitsagendafornextyearsassemblyVil-leneuvereiteratedthesober-ingstatisticsthatshowthedisproportionalrateatwhichAboriginalwomenareim-pactedbyviolenceinCanada.IntheNWTtherewereupto20casesofmissingandmurderedwomeninthepast30yearsand17ofthosewereAboriginal.Thatmeans85percentwereAboriginaleventhoughonly50percentofthepopulationismadeupofAboriginalpeopleshesaid.AcrossCanadathenum-bersaremuchhigherthanpreviouslythoughtwith1181recordedcasesofmissingandmurderedwomen.Atotalof1017Aboriginalwomenwerecountedasmissingandmurderedbetween1980and2012.Atleast225casesareunresolved.Morehastobedonetopreventviolenceandtoholdpeopleaccountablewhenvio-lenceisdoneVilleneuvesaid.ScholarsharesresearchinYellowknifeMaryannePearcehasbeenresearchingtheCanadianjusticesystemsconnectiontomissingandmurderedvulnerablewomenAb-originalwomeninparticu-larforsevenyearsnowforherdissertationwhichwaspublishedlatelastyear.PearcewhoisofFirstNationsandEuropeande-scentsharedherresearchandthoughtsonthecurrentsituationinCanadaatapublicpresentationinYellowknifelastweek.IfeellikethereschangeintheairshesharedwithTheJournalafterherpresentation.Pearcesaidwhenshestartedherdissertationpeo-plequestionedthetopicofmissingandmurderedAb-originalwomen.Nowitdoesntmatterwhereyouareinthecountrytheydontevenhavetoasktheyknowwhatitmeansshesaid.WiththelistofnamesformissingandmurderedAb-originalwomeninCanadamadepublicearlierthisyearPearcesaidtheissuecannallymovepastade-bateaboutnumberstoacon-versationaboutcausesandsolutions.Becausetheinformationistherenowitsnotadisputeaboutnumbers.Wecanstarttalkingaboutactionsandpre-ventionshesaid.withlesfromMeaganWohlbergByMARIACHURCHPlanningforanewlong-termseniorscarefacilityinYellowknifeisprogressingfullsteamaheadbutmorenancialsupportisneededforthe33-millionprojectbeforeitcanlaunchconstruc-tionthisyear.Avensthegroupbehindtheprojectheldapublicinformationalmeetinglastweektoupdatepartiesontheprojectwhichwouldcreateanew60-bedfacilityandretrottheexisting29-bedAvenManor.JeffRenaudAvensCEOsaidlong-termcareavailabil-ityisbecomingincreasinglyurgentacrosstheNWT.Thereiscurrentlyaneight-monthwaitlistforAvenManorandcottageswhicharelong-termcareanddementiabedsanduptoasix-yearwaitlistfortheindependentlivingunits.WhenpeoplehavetowaitthatlongforcareitmeanstheyarentnecessarilygettingthebestcareelsewhereduringthatinterimRenaudsaid.Lastweekspublicmeet-ingwastherstheldsinceAvensannouncedtheproj-ectlastsummerwhichwasfollowedby19engagementsessionsandacommunitymeeting.WhilethepricetagfortheproposedAvenPavillionisstillpeggedat28millionthedesignforthenewfacilityismoreambitiousthanoriginallyannounced.Thesquarefoot-agehasjumpedfrom55000to60000andtheunitwillhave60bedsinsteadof55.Thefacilitywillalsoincludepalliativecareequipmentandhavecapacityforrehabilita-tionprogramming.TheNWTcurrentlyhasnoindependentpalliativecareorhospicefa-cilitiesRenaudsaid.Phasetwooftheprojectistoretrottheexisting27-yearoldAvenManora5-millionundertaking.Itsfallingapart.Itwasntbuiltforlong-termcareitwasntdesignedforthatandthereissomeneedforsig-nicantstructuralelectricalandplumbingrenovationstobringituptoparofwhatalong-termcarefacilityshouldbeRenaudsaid.Avensfacilitiesareavailabletoseniorsterritorywidewith35to40percentofcurrentresidentsfromcommunitiesoutsideofYellowknife.StantecandNahanniCon-structionhavebeenchosenastheprojectsarchitectandbuilder.Theprojectcommitteewashopingtobreakgroundonconstructionthissum-merbutwithnancingstilluncertainitwilllikelygetpushedbackRenaudsaid.Throughapplicationstofederalgrantsthecommitteehopestobringin15millionaswellas2millionfromfund-raisingeffortsinthecommu-nityandthroughlocalbusiness.TheUnionofNorthernWorkerswerethefirsttodonatetotheprojectwitha50000chequemadeouttoAvenslastweekfollowedbyYellowknifeChryslerwhodonated12500.Renaudsaidthenancingcommitteeiscurrentlycon-sideringseveralmethodstocomeupwiththerestofthemoneyincludingborrowingfromtheGNWTandintro-ducingauser-paymodel.WhileRenaudapplaudedtheGNWTforitssupportforseniorsdemonstratedbythenewcarehomefa-cilitiescomingtoNormanWellsandBehchokobothofwhichare18-bedunitsitisntenoughandthereisaneedforthegovernmenttodomorehesaid.ThenumberofseniorsintheNWTovertheageof75isprojectedtoincrease300percentby2026.MoresupportneededforAvensseniorscarefacilityDr.MaryannePearcepresentsherresearchonmissingandmurderedvulnerablewomentoapackedroominYellowknifelastweek.PhotocourtesyoftheNativeWomensAssociationoftheNWT