The Red Harp in Acton was recently the setting for an occasional speakers’ series, “Pubtalk”, sponsored by the local liberal riding association.
The evening’s guest speaker was Tauni Sheldon, Inuit Ambassador for the Halton Hills Inuit Outreach Project.
Sheldon spoke about social justice, advocacy and the need to offset the high cost of living in remote regions of Canada, like the far North.
The project provides two airplane shipments a year to the Arctic with gently used clothing and much-needed food provisions.
Attendees were surprised to learn that a bag of milk in Canada’s Arctic is $17, one can of pop $4.50 and a mangled head of lettuce $11. Baby formula and diapers are in very short supply as are frozen and canned fruits and vegetables.
Halton Hills Outreach Project members, who meet regularly at St. Paul’s Anglican Church in Norval, believe that the more Canadians engage in dialogue about indigenous peoples, the better they will all understand one another and the issues facing First Nations, Metis and Inuit.
Sheldon, of full Inuit descent, told the crowd, “I have a foot in both worlds – both the North and the South.”
Raised and educated in Halton Hills, she worked for five years as a pilot for Air Inuit based in Nunavik, then went on to a career in the federal prison system counselling incarcerated indigenous people.
“I’ve seen it all,” Sheldon said. “And I can tell you that we are all more hopeful now that the federal Liberal government seems to be paying attention to issues surrounding indigenous peoples.”
The audience asked many questions of Sheldon and learned volunteer help and donations of clothing, food or funds are welcome. Contact the Halton Hills Inuit Outreach Project at hhinuitoutreach@gmail.com.
