News

By: Jean Crowder, Special to The Citizen

After two years of meeting with Canadians, including stops in Nanaimo and Duncan, the NDP has released the results of its "Food for Thought" tour.

My colleague, Alex Atamanenko, visited 28 communities across Canada and spoke with farmers, civil society groups, retailers and others regarding the vulnerabilities that exist in our current system of food production.

As the commission on Indian residential schools struggles with firings and delays, victims are dying

By: Linda Diebel, Toronto Star

They're dying quickly now, the aged survivors of an Indian residential school system in Canada that yanked tens of thousands of aboriginal children from their families and sent them far away to Christian schools to be stripped of their identity. For more than a hundred years, it was Canada's official policy: "Take the Indian out of the Indian," as Sir Duncan Campbell Scott, head of the Indian Affairs department, defined his mandate early in the last century.

Dear Friends,

Please join Bill Routlety, MLA for Cowichan Valley, and I as we welcome a series of speakers for the Lyme Disease Forum. The event will be held Thursday September 9 2010 from 7:00 - 9:00 pm at the Duncan United Church (246 Ingram Street).

Speakers include Lana Popham, MLA for Saanich South, David Cubberley, director of the Canadian Lyme Disease Foundation, and Brian Butler, with his personal story.

We thank you for your support of the Lyme Disease Forum and the Canadian Lyme Disease Foundation.

Further information is available in the attached pdf phamphlet.

With regard to water efficiency and conservation programs in Canada: (a) who is working to ensure a budget will be issued specifically to water efficiency and conservation programs under the Building Canada Plan; (b) when will funds be allocated to supporting innovative municipal and federal water efficiency programs; (c) will programs be implemented to encourage the protection of freshwater resources, and to raise awareness about water efficiency and conservation; (d) what action has been taken thus far to establish goals and objectives regarding water efficiency and conservation; (e) what pl

Ms. Jean Crowder (Nanaimo—Cowichan, NDP): Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in the House today to speak to Bill C-9, the jobs and economic growth act. As the member for Outremont, our finance critic, has indicated, the New Democrats will be voting against this particular piece of legislation.

When pieces of legislation come before the House, we have responsibilities as members of Parliament to give them full consideration. Although we do support pieces of this legislation, there are other pieces of it that we are fundamentally opposed to. The Conservative government has decided to jam into this piece of legislation things that should properly be considered by other parliamentary standing committees and should have stand-alone legislation.

Ms. Jean Crowder (Nanaimo—Cowichan, NDP): Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to rise to speak to this emergency debate tonight. I am splitting my time with the member for Thunder Bay—Superior North.

I would like to acknowledge the member for Churchill for raising this very important issue in the House. I know the member for Churchill has been tireless in working on raising awareness of the importance of the Aboriginal Healing Foundation and I really want to acknowledge the good work that she has done.

Ms. Jean Crowder (Nanaimo—Cowichan, NDP): Mr. Speaker, since there has been much talk about Health Canada, I went to its website. It says:

...based on receipt of a completed treatment plan including the number of counselling sessions recommended and cost, from a recognized Health Canada service provider and with approval from the First Nations and Inuit Health Branch.

I wonder if the member could comment on the fact that it sounds as if one needs to be a hoop dancer to get through all these hoops in order to access a service.

NDP pursue tuberculosis strategy, vow to end suffering on First Nations - Winnipeg Free Press - December 23, 2009

By Jen Skerritt

Two Manitoba MPs will push for a new tuberculosis strategy to eliminate what they call Canada's "national embarrassment." Winnipeg North MP Wasylycia-Leis, Churchill MP Niki Ashton and the federal NDP's aboriginal affairs critic Jean Crowder have struck a committee to develop a national action plan to eliminate TB in First Nations communities. They plan to introduce their strategy as a private member's bill when Parliament resumes in late January, in addition to calling an emergency debate on the issue.

By Lexi Bainas

Local leaders behind bars! Phil Kent in the slammer as the Cowichan Gang hits the cells -- for a good cause, of course.

And he's not alone. Other offenders who'll be unceremoniously incarcerated on a host of amazing charges include Cowichan Chief Lydia Hwitsum, MP Jean Crowder, MLA Bill Routley, Hospital Chief of Staff Dr. Len Roy and Chamber President Candace Fontana, President of Duncan/Cowichan Chamber of Commerce plus Paul Slade who donated a kidney to his son and Stu Keeping who recently received a kidney from his son and others.

By Jean Crowder

For many years, mental health and wellness has been the forgotten part of our health care system.

Each year, up to one in five Canadians experiences a diagnosable mental health problem. In Lake Cowichan, that means more than 600 people a year need access to mental health services.

While some people will experience a short-term illness that is easily dealt with by their family doctor, other mental illnesses need the services of a specialist.