The Power of Unity, The Dignity of Difference

THUNDER BAY, ON: Responding to the release of the Office of the Independent Police Review Director (OIPRD) report ‘Broken Trust – Indigenous People and the Thunder Bay Police Service’ and having met with the Thunder Bay Police Services (TBPS) Chief Sylvie Hauth on December 12, 2018 —the Matawa Chiefs Council offered the following statement:

“Having undergone a preliminary review of the OIPRD report released yesterday, we are not surprised in the findings that were provided by the many experts who contributed to it. We support its recommendations and wish to move forward on their implementation in an expeditious manner. We see them as a positive step for our students and for their families who want to have a better degree of comfort in having their children reside in the city while receiving their education. We wish to work with all parties who will implement them in a collaborative manner. We acknowledge that—while the report’s recommendations brings to light some hard issues that all parties have to confront—we are confident that getting to their core and putting concrete actions on them, will put us in a better place as people who share the space of Fort William First Nation’s traditional territory—the city of Thunder Bay. We will work in partnership with all who will be implementing the recommendations as our positive move forward together. Lastly, we are in support of the OIPRD’s recommendation to re-investigate the case of the late Jordan Wabasse in the manner recommended so that this family could receive the justice they felt they have been denied.”

Note to media: Thank you for your interest but there will be no media availability to accompany this statement.

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