After 17 years of talking you’d expect somebody would get the message. After 17 years of talking you’d expect that somebody would understand the message. After 17 years of patience you’d expect more than a slap in the face.
That is in effect what the Liberal government did when they tossed $1.8 million in Chisasibi’s lap and said this is for the airport. Chisasibi wanted a runway that air ambulances could land on. Will a portion of the $1.8 million be spent on that? Nope, not a snowball’s chance in… well, you know.
Chisasibi was looking for a building for passengers, crew and airport equipment. Is a portion of the $1.8 million going to do that? Nope, not by the hair of the Liberal’s chinny chinny chin.
Chisasibi wanted night lights in case they had to send out emergency patients during the night. Will a portion of the money go towards that? Yessiree, but… An awfully big butt in this case. You see, however, you really don’t because there isn’t any transmission lines to power up the lights!
Great shades of not seeing the runway in the night. Great shades of government ineptitude, stupidity, witlessness, feeble-mindedness, boondogoling… Well, I think you can get the idea without running on about it for 17 years or so.
What witless wonder came up with the idea this was going to solve problems in Chisasibi? To be sure the $1.8 million is no doubt welcome and will goto improve the airport but the sad fact remains that it isn’t more than a baby step towards dealing with the true problems of the Chisasibi airport.
Let’s face it, Judge Paul said it all when he said Crees lives are at stake. Chisasibi has the main hospital for the Crees and they may need to be med’evaced out by air ambulance. A trip to Radission airport in uncertain conditions is no solution.
Radission itself is doomed to become nothing more than a ghost town, according to the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement. Wouldn’t true intelligence say to serve the permanent population in the area rather than the transient one?
Perhaps this is why Hydro-Quebec hasn’t rushed forward to install a transmission line. They hate the thought of losing the town of Radission to a footnote in the history books let alone losing Cree dependency on them in any way. Of course, it could be something as crass as not wanting to spend money even though Hydro pulls lots and lots and lots of money out of the Cree territory each and every year. Spare change must be used for top management bonuses, good-bye parties and in the past for Solar Temple coffers.
The feds say to go to Quebec for the needed moneys. What ingratitude!
After all the help the No campaign received from the Crees during the sovereignty referendum. If there ever was an English/Indian conspiracy that some Quebecois talk about, I think it’s time to end that relationship.
But there is no go news from the PQ’ists either. Quebec laughed when asked if there was any money for that (see story, page 5).
Well there isn’t anybody laughing in Chisasibi, just 17 years of patience starting to wear thin.
