The following letters and replies were posted in the "Letters to the Editor" sections of such newspapers as the Nunatsiaq News and on-line news services such as the CBC News and CTV News and therefore are considered to be in the public domain.
Disclaimer:
Three Cord Ministries does not have any control over the replies to letters written by other authors and presents them merely as opinions freely expressed by the individual authors on those topics already in the public discussion.
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CTV News Online - August 13, 2007
Quebec Inuit community aims to run own government
Quebec's large Inuit community living in the northern region of Nunavik will soon have greater autonomy, according to a new agreement-in-principle the community has made with the province and Ottawa.
The community of about 11,000 Inuit living in the area will soon have its own self-governing region with its own elected assembly. The new government will be responsible for some of the community's social services such as health and education while receiving assistance from the province to run its programs.
The changes in Nunavik are expected to be set in place by 2009. Within the next few years, it is expected the government will have the authority to collect taxes, adopt laws and take out loans. While it will be considered a territory within the province, Nunavik will have to adhere to Quebec laws.
"It will not only be symbolic,'' Benoit Pelletier, Quebec's aboriginal affairs minister told The Canadian Press. "It will be the opposite. We are really heading towards a regional government in Nunavik that will be well-structured with a certain number of entrusted powers."
The new assembly will be made up of 21 members, including the mayors of the territory's 14 villages, five elected representatives and the chief of the Naskapi First Nation plus the region's leader, who will have more power than a mayor but will not have as much authority as a premier of a province.
The move sets a precedent for aboriginal communities in Canada. While British Columbia has a self-governing agreement with the Nisga'a community, Nunavik's agreement is different in that it is the first to have successfully claimed such a large region and to adopt the British-inspired parliamentary system.
Pelletier said he hopes Nunavik's new powers will become a model for passing powers to aboriginal communities.
The creation of Nunavik's regional government, which will be known as Nunavimmiut Aquvvinga, was supposed to be made official by the end of August during a forum in Kuujjuaq.
However, Ottawa's cabinet members still need to officially approve the agreement before that can take place.
Negotiations between the province and its Inuit community have been going on for decades. It has been stalled by a number of setbacks, including Quebec's own referendums for sovereignty. The 25-page agreement-in-principle does not address what would happen to the region if Quebec were to separate.
My Reply:
Posted on August 13, 2007
This is long overdue yet I am saddened that it has taken the Quebec Government so long.
This is no different though than the situation in Labrador with the creation of the autonomous region called Nunatsiavut in Central and Northern Labrador.
They also waited far too many years for us "Southerners" to finally come to ours senses and stop just thowing $$$ at these people and let them govern themselves as they had for many hundreds of years.
Some aspects of their community may not fit the "Canadian Image" - nor fall neatly into the "Charter of Rights and Freedoms" but they are still an integral part of Canada.
I have had the priveledge of spending some time in several of the communities in Nunavik [Salluit, Kuujjuaq, Puvirnituq] and can call many of the Nunavimmuit there - my friends.
Anglicans vote No on blessing same-sex unions - CBC News, June 25, 2007
Canadian Anglicans voted against blessing same-sex unions late Sunday afternoon.
Church delegates voted on the issue at their general assembly or synod in Winnipeg.
Earlier in the day, delegates voted in favour of a motion that decreed blessing the unions does not violate core doctrine of the Anglican Church of Canada.
But another motion, which would have allowed individual dioceses to choose whether to perform the blessing, was rejected by the bishops of the church late Sunday afternoon.
Supporters and opponents of same sex blessings called the decisions confusing.
"It is a very confusing message to be sending. It's taking with one hand and giving with the other," said Chris Aimbidge, President of Integrity Canada, a lobby group that supports same-sex blessings.
My Reply:
It is a shame that the stance by the Anglican Synod was not more definitive.
My personal feelings are that many Christian Churches (if they are really assemblies of those professing Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour) have bowed to the worldly 'norms' to such an extend that they have, as another writer said - "shot themselves between the eyes".
Regardless of what ones believes, if he (or she) professes something as personal as their faith, then they should profess that to the end.
Many lovely Anglicans have bowed to society and allowed society to 'run' and 'dictate' policy in their church.
Even though churches can allow or not allow whatever they want within their walls - surely these must be based on the fundamental tenants of their faith.
Once they bend those tenants or even throw them out completely - then they should no longer call themselves part of that faith.
I am a Christian who believes in the fundamental Christian principles of loving God first and then loving my neighbour.
I also belive that we are responsible for our actions and choices in life. Loving my neighbour does not mean condoning their actions or allowing them to twist and warp the fundamentals of my beliefs.
God loves me even in my sin but His heart is to have me turn around from that sin.
By saying that the blessing of same-sex marriages does not contravine tenants of the faith, the Anglican Church of Canada has clearly shown that they no longer "love the sinner and hate the sin". They now embrace the sin and to say to h**l with the sinner!
Ian Ridpath
Posted June 25, 2007 11:23 AM
Links to other "letters to the editor".
1) Nunatsiaq News June 2, 2006 - Teaching of 'evolution' in Salluit.
2) Nunatsiaq News July 22, 2005 - Freedom of opinion matters.
3) Nunatsiaq News November 28, 2003 - Nunatsiaq News blinded by agenda.
4) CBC News April, 2007 - PM's snub of charter anniversary 'shocking': Chretien.
5) CBC News August, 2006 - Removing Hezbollah from terror list.
6) CBC News September 8, 2006 - Pope scolds Canada on SSM issues.
7) CBC News October 24, 2006 - Opponents lobby MPs on SSM legislature.
8) CBC News June 9, 2004 - Georgia Binks - women's rights to choose.
9) CBC News June 23, 2004 - Michael Moore doesn't belong in Canada.