Kingston News, January 29, 2018

Truth and Reconciliation Proposal

A Kingston author and Indigenous activist is challenging the Mayor and Kingston City Council to extend a hand of Reconciliation to the Native population of Canada from Sir John A’s hometown.

Rick Revelle has written a letter to Mayor Bryan Paterson and councillors suggesting the city take the statue of Sir John A. Macdonald off its pedestal in City Park.

Revelle would like to see it put on a base with statues of Louis Riel, Molly Brant and a Native girl with their hands out as an offer of forgiveness and a new start.

Revelle says he doesn’t want the statue removed from City Park.  He says while Macdonald was an important person to Colonial Canada…he also created a lot of pain and suffering among the Indigenous population.

He got the idea from a group of school children who made a similar suggestion about the Cornwallis statue in Halifax.

Reconciliation – CAS

Family and Children’s Services of Frontenac, Lennox and Addington has started Indigenous Cultural Training for staff as a beginning to its Reconciliation Process.

The Children’s Aid Society acknowledged its history with Indigenous communities last year…including its role in things like the 60’s Scoop, the lack of respect and the loss of culture.

A one day training workshop for Board members and staff was recently held.

The agency says it is the beginning of a long journey to regain the trust of Indigenous peoples.

Carfentanil – Kingston Area

An opioid that is 100 times more deadly than fentanyl has turned up in the Kingston area.

KFL&A Public Health says Carfentanil has been found in all types of street drugs.

Drug users are being advised to have someone with them if they are going to be using drugs and to have a naloxone kit.  Naloxone can reverse the effects of an overdose for a short period of time.

Missing Man

Kingston Police are hoping to speak with a man who found the wallet of a Kingston man who has been missing since Christmas.

James Switzer’s wallet was turned in to staff at Little Texas on Thursday night.  The man said he found it in a snowbank outside the bar.

Switzer was last seen by his girlfriend on December 24th at a Castell Road apartment.  He was also seen just after midnight on December 26th at a convenience store…but hasn’t been seen since then.

Police are hoping the man who found the wallet will contact them so they can determine exactly where it was found.

Commons – Resumes

Parliamentarians get back to work today as the House of Commons resumes sitting after a six-week break.  Prime Minister Justin Trudeau used a speech to his Liberal caucus Sunday to rally the troops ahead of a debate on legislation to strengthen sexual-harassment protections for federal employees.   The speech followed a wild week that saw the resignations of the Conservative leaders of both Ontario and Nova Scotia.  Trudeau’s own cabinet minister, Kent Hehr, also stepped down as sports and disabilities minister over sexual-misconduct allegations.