The constitution of the Beardy’s & Okemasis’ Cree Nation states that “members have the right to feel safe and secure in their community”.

Sadly, too many members do not feel safe. And even more disturbing, is Council’s failure to take common-sense steps to make our community safer.

We have seen too much drugs, too much violence, and too much loss. Solutions for these challenges exist but require leadership, and community effort.

As Chief, Community Safety will be one of my priorities. As a community, we can work together to have a safer community. And as a Council, we must demonstrate leadership by:

  • Indigenous Community Safety Planning Initiative (ICSPI) – we will immediately subscribe to the ICSPI with Public Safety Canada. We will engage our community members to find solutions to our most challenging issues and begin the critical work of implementing solutions to meet our needs.
  • Community Safety Officer Program (CSO) – we must enroll in the CSO program with the Province of Saskatchewan and hire, train, and properly equip Community Safety Officers that will have a specific mandate to enhance community safety, and prevent crime. Community Safety Officers are far more than just security, and they will provide a critical link between Leadership, and the Community in the implementation of our Community Safety goals.
  • Community Safety Council Task Force – Councillors with areas of responsibility for Youth, Culture, Recreation & Sport, Emergency Management, Health, Justice, and Education will be appointed to the Community Safety Council Task Force and lead the Community Safety Planning Initiative. This Task Force will report back to the membership and to Council and recommend the common-sense solutions, and steps that we can take to improve Community Safety.
  • Stray Dogs – One dog bite. One dog attack… is one too many! The simplest, easiest thing leadership can do to have real, immediate impact on community safety is address the stray dog problem. The Lands department will be immediately instructed to construct a compound and round-up stray dogs. If your dog is not tied up, your dog will be rounded up and housed safely for a short duration. Pictures of stray dogs will be posted and owners will be provided an opportunity to claim them. If you haven’t claimed your dog, it will be provided to the SPCA or put down by veterinary staff.
  • Community Safety Act – a Community Safety Act will formalize the Community Safety Task Force to ensure that Community Safety remains a governance priority for Leadership; and will establish community led goals: educational and awareness programs – and the mechanisms necessary – to address the safety challenges we face as a community.
  • Emergency Management –
    1. Fire Department – there is no doubt the Blazing Bunnies are the best fire crew around — but they’re only hired through the summer. This needs to change. Our safety is not seasonal, and it’s not part-time. We will work with the federal government to properly train, equip, and staff a Fire Department that meets the safety needs of our community.
    2. Emergency Medical – We have seen and experienced blatant racism when it comes to addressing our health needs. Our Council will develop a Memorandum of Understanding to establish positive relationships with the Rosthern Ambulance and Rosthern Hospital with the goal of reducing wait-times, enhancing care, and ensuring the medical needs of our community members are met in a timely, professional, and respectful manner.
    3. Emergency Response – we will continue to have the best Emergency Management program around! Through communication, and dedication we can educate our community on the importance of being prepared if and when disaster strikes.
  • Youth – youth in our community require access to consistent, creative, supervised, and structured activities that engage them emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and physically. We will build upon the success and work of previous leadership in this area and ensure that our sporting, cultural, recreational, mental health, and language revitalization programs have access to the resources they need to ensure the collective needs of our youth are met. Ensuring adequate youth programming will have a dramatic and positive affect on our Community Safety priorities.

Pride & Leadership