CAW Volunteer Tradesmen to Donate Skills to Improve First Nations Communities

By Tobi Cohen, THE CANADIAN PRESS

TORONTO – With an eye toward a brighter future for the country’s indigenous peoples, the Canadian Auto Workers and Assembly of First Nations announced Thursday they are teaming up to “make poverty history” for aboriginal communities through a series of joint infrastructure initiatives.

“It demonstrates to Canadians that it’s possible to do good work without government support,” National Chief Phil Fontaine said of the project.

“We see the CAW as one of our allies, if not the strongest ally, in this major, major challenge we face as a country.”

The partnership’s initial projects include building a wheelchair ramp and children’s play area at a Toronto aboriginal centre, and repairing contaminated wells on the Carmacks First Nation in the Yukon, where residents have been living with a boil-water advisory for two years.

CAW tradespeople will also volunteer their time and skills to help renovate a women’s shelter in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.

While the Toronto and Vancouver projects are expected to begin immediately and be completed within weeks, repairing wells on the Carmacks reserve will likely take until the spring.

The Yukon community of about 320 has been struggling with E. coli contamination since 2003, but was denied government funding to repair about 90 wells.

“I’m just disgusted that different levels of government wouldn’t have a team on the ground that looks at those projects immediately,” CAW president Buzz Hargrove said.

“Why would we give a family making $100,000 a year $700 in income-tax cuts when we have these kinds of problems? … It’s just beyond my comprehension.”

Hargrove said he hopes the partnership will encourage others in the labour movement, the business community and other organizations to get involved in similar projects.

The initiative should also serve as a catalyst for the government to step in and at least match the contributions being made by groups like the CAW, he said.

“It’s beyond understanding why the government wouldn’t want to take the leadership role,” Hargrove said.

“Hopefully this will shame the federal government into saying, ‘Yes, we want to be part of supporting those who want to make poverty history on First Nations.”‘

One of the good things about the lack of government involvement, Hargrove said, is that there’s no bureaucracy, which means CAW volunteers – including electricians, pipe-fitters and carpenters – will be able to “hit the ground running.”

While the first three projects were selected based on need and geographic location, the Assembly of First Nations and the CAW plan to work together in the long term to identify feasible projects.