Attawapiskat

During the early 1930’s it was the discovery of gold that created a rush to the Porcupine Camp and made names like Hollinger, McIntyre, and The Big Dome a symbol of wealth. Today the Porcupine Camp is the thriving City of Timmins – with a diversified economic base, and status as a regional economic centre.

In the early 2000’s it was the discovery of DIAMONDS that made the news. DeBeers announced the discovery of 18 kimberlite pipes, 16 of which are diamond bearing. Construction of the Victor Mine started in 2006 and will employ more than 1100 people during construction, and about 375 permanent positions will be created during mining and processing operations.

The Victor Kimberlite has a surface area of 15 hectares and consists of two of the pipes that coalesce at the surface. It will be the first diamond mine in Ontario and the second in Canada for DeBeers. (Click on Photos to enlarge)

DeBeers has successfully negotiated an Impact Benefit Agreement with Attawapiskat outlining business, employment and training opportunities created by the construction and operation of the Victor Mine.

In the year 2002 DeBeers funded the construction of an $800,000 training centre in Attawapiskat to assist community members prepare for employment at the Victor Mine Site. More recently DeBeers has cooperated with the Attawapiskat First Nation Education Authority in providing another Training centre as an addition to Vezina Secondary School. These training facilities will contribute to Attawapiskat’s economic viability, resource employment and community development.

With this resource development, just as in the Porcupine, Attawapiskat can look forward to a period of unprecedented growth and economic viability.

BUT, the extent to which the young people of Attawapiskat will participate in this growth depends entirely on their ability to receive an education that will lead to an Ontario Secondary School Graduation Diploma. Without adequate elementary school facilities this will be impossible. Investment in a new elementary school is, therefore, an investment in the future potential of these children and to their place in the future of our great nation.

This school is a vital investment not only to Attawapiskat but to Canada as a whole.

The Ontario Government has recently announced their plan to Energize Ontario Education. This follows their recently announced plan to increase their educational funding by $3.1 billion annually for the next 3 years.

During the next 4 years they will focus on three core priorities:

1. Higher Level of Student Achievement. Strong literacy and numeracy skills are the critical foundation for all academic achievement and for a lifetime of success
2. Reduced Gaps in Student Achievement. Some students struggle for a variety of reasons. Equity and excellence go hand in hand. We need to work together to help all students.
3. Increased Public Confidence in publicly funded education. A key goal will be to build confidence in the publicly funded education system

Some of the factors they identify as having to be in place to achieve the above goals include:

• - Early childhood learning – full day learning for all four and five year olds
• - Parent engagement
• - School buildings – upgrade facilities and improve buildings and grounds
• - Small class size – goal to have 90% of primary classrooms with 20 students or less
• - Character development and student engagement – where students and staff treat one another with respect and students thrive
• - Arts education fostering creativity, innovation and critical thinking
• - Safe and healthy schools

In making this announcement the Premier indicated:

“We must work together to help all students reach their full potential, and promote their participation in our society.
Today’s students are the workforce and citizens of tomorrow. They represent our future prosperity.”

When advised of this announcement Steve Hookimaw, Chair of the Attawapiskat First Nation Education Authority just shook his head and said:

“You know, INAC says that they want to provide our students with the same educational standard as in the rest of Ontario. But they will not give us a real school, their finances fall far short of those provided to other Ontario schools, and they will not provide many of the educational services other parents in Ontario have come to expect. How can we possibly measure up? Our teachers are doing the best they can with the resources they receive. But our students are isolated in draughty portables; we have no special areas like a library, workshop, or home economics room. Our kids have to walk about 700 feet in the freezing cold just to get to the arena for Phys. Ed.

They say they have no money, but they did not spend all the money they were given. I am told that the Government will have a $10 billion surplus, and INAC gave them back over $100 million!

We arranged a loan to build the school, but they will not sign a tuition agreement, or any other arrangement, so that we can proceed on our own.

The Auditor General says that they screwed up so bad that it will take us 28 years to catch up to the Ontario Standards. In the meantime we have a diamond mine opening that will provide all sorts of opportunities for our kids, but they won’t be able to take advantage of them because they can’t get the necessary education. So much for our Treaty Rights!

All our kids, and their parents, want is a real school! And how do we give them that?”

Early in the year 2000 the Education Authority learned that an oil spill was endangering the school, and making it unsafe for staff and students. From what the Authority has been able to learn, a major oil spill occurred in the winter of 1979, resulting from a break in the underground oil distribution line to the school. The break was, apparently, caused by frost heave in the silty, sandy, clay soil. This soil is readily weakened by minor moisture content changes, and is highly frost susceptible. Why underground distribution lines were used in such soil, without adequate safeguards, or monitoring, we have been unable to discover. (Click to enlarge images)

At the time of the rupture, and subsequent leakage, the school and its maintenance was under the direction of the Federal Department of Indian Affairs (INAC). They installed, operated, and maintained the feeder line to the school. The length of time the rupture went undetected is not certain, however it is estimated that 25,000 to 30,000 gallons of fuel oil was spilled - making this one of the largest spills in Northern Ontario.

When the School was turned over to the Authority in August of 1990, the extent and seriousness of the problem was not made know to them, and so, with the approval of INAC several additions were made to the school during the 1990’s.

The Authority is aware of the following studies of the situation. These studies and reports indicate the extent of the problem:

1) January, 1985 - Report by Hydrology Consultants entitled, Investigation of Fuel Oil Leak in Vicinity of the J. R. Nakogee School Attawapiskat. This report was financed by INAC.
Results:
This report indicated that in the winter of 1979 a fuel leak from an underground distribution line, at the rear of the town house teacherages, spilled about 25,000 - 30,000 gallons of fuel oil.

2) September 1990 - Report by B. H. Martin Consultants entitled Oil and Creosote Odours - Attawapiskat Three Unit Teacherage. This report was financed by INAC.
Results:
This study was confined to the 3 unit teacherage. Odours and staining were present. Measurable concentrations of oil were found in soil and water samples collected from beneath the basement floor of the teacherage.

3) October, 1990 - Report by Independent Test-Lab Limited for Courtnage and Company, entitled Report on Subsurface Investigation for the J. R. Nakogee School and Teacher Residences. This report was undertaken by the Mushkegowuk Council.
Results:
The soil is a sandy/silty clay which is readily weakened by minor moisture content changes, and is highly frost susceptible. They found some settlement of the foundations, and indicated that foundation movements and differential settlement movements can be expected.

4) June 1995 - Report by Acres International Limited entitled Attawapiskat First Nation Community Subsurface Investigation and Preliminary Remediation Plan. This report was financed by INAC.
Results:
Evidence of Hydro carbon impact observed extending up to 6 metres below grade. Estimated that contamination covered an area of 15,000 square metres. Estimated that 30,000 cubic metres of soil had concentrations exceeding the selected criteria.

5) December 1996 - Report by Bovar Environmental entitled Oil Spill Remediation Project for the Attawapiskat First Nation - Final Design Report. This report was financed by INAC.
Results:
Bovar chose the Residential/parkland criteria. Estimated that only 3,100 cubic metres needed to be removed and felt that removing contaminated soil beneath school was impractical. Recommended the installation of a vapour barrier.

6) October 1999 - Anebeaaki Environmental Inc. entitled Environmental Inspection and Sampling Program - Draft. This report was commissioned by the A.F.N.E.A.
Results:
Hydro carbon odours detected in the west end of the school crawlspace. Measurable concentrations of total petroleum hydrocarbons were detected in all air samples collected in the school. Several holes were noted in the vapour barrier previously installed.

The National Classification System for Contaminated Sites (NCSCS) is used to assist in the determination of the need for further investigation, risk management, or site remediation. The NCSCS is a qualitative risk assessment designed to evaluate the impact of site contamination on human and environmental health. Based on known or estimated contaminant characteristics, exposure pathways, and potential receptors, sites are scored out of 100. The school received a total score of 89 out of 100 where the threshold for Class 1 is 70. Classification as a Class 1 site indicates that the risk potential for adverse impact on human or environmental health is high, with action required.

The town house teacherage received a score of 85 and Health Canada ordered that it be closed and demolished.

The main contaminants identified include Benzene, Toluene, Ethyl Benzene, and Xylenes. All of these have very serious health effects on humans. At least one of these is an admitted carcinogenic agent. Some or all of them are known to have impact on human skin, blood, immune system and the nervous system. Several students have exhibited symptoms such as those that might be expected from exposure to these chemicals. In any event there is more than enough evidence for parents to be concerned about the health and safety of the students in these surroundings.

With the information supplied by the Anebeaaki Report, the parents, staff and students became very concerned. Following a spontaneous demonstration, the Chief and Council, on the recommendation of the Education Authority, ordered the school to be closed.

This is the story of a struggle – a David and Goliath story if you will – pitting some 400+ elementary school students in Attawapiskat against the Bureaucracy of the Federal Department of Indian and Northern Affairs.

It is the story of a group of elementary aged Children that would like to go to school in an actual school, like they used to have. They currently are forced to go to school, if they wish to go to school at all, in a collection of portables without any of the amenities, or specialized facilities, that other children in Ontario take for granted. The illustration shows the collection of portables currently being called a school! (Click Image to enlarge)

The story begins with two quotations: The first is taken from the Federal Government Website http://ainc-inac.gc.ca. It reads:

“The objective of the Elementary/Secondary Education Program is to ensure that eligible Indians have access to the education programs and services available in public schools in the province in which the reserve is located.”

The second is taken from a response by the Honourable Chuck Strahl, Minister of Indian and Northern Development on January 31^st, 2008:

“Education is one of the keys for first nations communities, as it is for all Canadians, as is economic development opportunities.” >.

It is interesting that Mr. Strahl combines education and economic development opportunities in the one sentence. No one in Attawapiskat would disagree with him

But something His Excellency, John Raulston Saul, said in March, 2002 might have some relevance here. He said:

“Something that exists does not go away because we pretend it isn’t there. Much of the last 150 years of our history has been troubled - indeed hobbled - by an almost childlike head-under-the-blanket approach towards the central role of Aboriginals in the ongoing shape of Canadian society.”

So, remove the blanket!

On January 22, 2008, Phil Fontaine, Grand Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, visited Attawapiskat and the Victor Project, a diamond mine that is in the process of opening, and which will employ about 400 workers. The elementary school children took the opportunity to ask the Grand Chief for help. The picture of the children greeting the Grand Chief tells the whole story (click image to enlarge). The text of their address follows:

“Dear Mr Phil Fontaine, national chief for the Assembly of First Nations:

My name is Nelleon, And my name is Chris. We are both Grade 8 students at JR Nakogee School.

On behalf of the students of JR Nakogee school, we thank you for coming to Attawapiskat today to discuss the problem about our new school.

As you can see, we attend school every day in portables. We walk outside to go to gym, computers, and library, even yesterday when it was minus 43 degrees. Not only us, the Grade 8s, but even the students in Junior Kindergarten, who are only 4 years old, have to face this weather every day.

In 2000, we were moved to the portables, and we were told to wait until 2008 for a new school. We were patient, and last week, we were told to wait ANOTHER 5 years. By the year 2013, many of the students of Attawapiskat, will have spent their whole elementary education in portables.

Please, bring our message to the government. Is it not fair that we have to wait so long. We have been patient. But we want a new school.

Mr Phil Fontaine, we thank you again for listening to us today.”

The children do not blame the Minister! No, two Ministers have promised them a new school and Mr. Strahl’s predecessor, Jim Prentice, in a visit to Timmins, said that he would strongly support a new school.

Who then, is delaying the Project?

Is it the Bureaucracy that is miscommunicating with the Minister?

For example, a recent newspaper article quoted a Tony Prudori as saying that in Attawapiskat “we’ve invested more than $3 million for temporary school accommodation there as well as more than $250,000 to modify space in the high school to allow elementary school students to also use the space.” When asked about this statement John Nakogee, Chief Administrative Officer of the Education Authority said,

“I do not know this man, and to the best of my knowledge he has never been at any of the countless meetings we have had on this project. However, it is fact that the $3 million dollars he refers to, did come from the Federal Government, but it was earmarked for repairs to the roof of the contaminated elementary school. It was used by Indian Affairs for the construction of the portables, which was given to a contractor without tender, and without any site preparation, because they said they were only temporary.

As far as the $250,000, I do not know what he is talking about. Certainly, our secondary school was not modified to accommodate elementary school students. Our secondary school is crowded and we have just completed an extension. It is not part of the elementary school.”

When asked about Health and Safety, Mr. Nakogee said that he had thought the inspection was done during the summer when the children were not in school. In any event he does not believe that it will pass a fire inspection, and has asked for one. More on that later!

Other Opinions

It is perhaps relevant that in 2001, an external team of education experts came into the community to do a Comprehensive Assessment of the School Programs offered by the Authority. Their assessment of the temporary accommodation at that time was:

“The temporary accommodations are acceptable as buildings, but totally unacceptable in terms of providing a broad inquiry-based, student-centered, integrated and seamless program. . . . These teaching/learning compromises are a great disservice to the students and teachers, and totally unacceptable in today’s educational environment.”

That was 7 years ago! This past year, a team, involving a former Director of Education and a past president of the Ontario Association of Education Administrative officials, and another former Superintendent of Secondary Schools, were asked to assess the programs at the local Vezina Secondary School. Their conclusion regarding the portable school was:

“The team is of the opinion that the current portable elementary school facility contributes greatly to the age/grade delay of the students. If something is not done quickly, all graduating grade 8 students will have spent their entire elementary school career in portables. This is unconscionable and would not be tolerated by parents in a non-native community. A new elementary school with all student learning and support services integrated under one roof would contribute immeasurably to reducing the age/grade delay, and the ongoing success of the students.”

A collection of temporary buildings MAY not have any health or safety concerns; but health and safety is not the only criteria for a building(s) that can be used as a school for 400+ pupils! The ability of children to obtain a quality education in the buildings provided is still the key criteria!