Friday July 24, 2020 ~ DUNCAN, BC
~ West Shore Voice News
MP ALISTAIR MACGREGOR WELCOMED THE HONOURABLE JODY WILSON-RAYBOULD, MP AND COMMUNITY LEADERS FOR VIRTUAL TOWN HALL ON ISSUE ON RACISM
On Tuesday July 21, MP Alistair MacGregor (Cowichan-Malahat-Langford) hosted the Honourable Jody Wilson-Raybould, MP for Vancouver Granville, and community leaders for a virtual public town hall to discuss issues facing racial minorities in Canada.
In addition to Wilson-Raybould, residents of Cowichan-Malahat-Langford were able to interact with: Bob Chamberlin, former Vice-President of the Union of BC Indian Chiefs; Tariro Murwira, Director of the Students of Colour Collective at UVic; and Jared Williams, Traditional Foods Program Manager at Cowichan Tribes.
Some key quotes:
“We as a society will be defined by how we treat the most vulnerable among us, and until we treat everybody with the respect, dignity, equality, and inclusion that they deserve, Canada will not become what we should be as a country. That’s my vision for this country.” ~ The Honourable Jody Wilson-Raybould
“I understand today that there are 45 supreme court rulings that have yet to be implemented that empower First Nations. This is supposed to be the last stop for justice for Canadians. When it hits the number of 45, how is that not systemic racism?” ~ Bob Chamberlin
“There was always pervasive racism even before the tragic death of George Floyd. This is one element of our work that we really try to show people, racism is underlying, it’s not just overt, and is reflected in multiple aspects. It’s important to make anti–racism work focus beyond large systems, government, and politicians, and to give all of us that accountability. It’s important to do what we can in whatever organization or space that we find ourselves in to bring awareness to these issues.” ~ Tariro Murwira
“The loss of salmon and halibut from over fishing is huge. When you lose your foods you lose everything. We all enjoy thanksgiving turkey dinner, but what if there were no more turkeys? In our culture, we lost that over a hundred years ago, and we’re still fighting to rejuvenate it.” ~ Jared Williams
Comments from Alistair MacGregor:
“On Tuesday, we had a good discussion on what the problems are, but I also think that there were solutions proposed. I hope that everyone who joined us could take something positive away from the evening’s discussion,” said MacGregor this week.
“Canada is a very diverse and regional country, but, over recent months, Members of Parliament are being confronted with these issues from their constituents and I’m starting to see this reflected in the House of Commons. It is my hope that through discussion such as Tuesday’s town hall, we as a community, and as a country, can bring about real change to ensure that every Canadian has the opportunity to achieve their true potential,” MacGregor said.
