(Derek Cornet/larongeNOW Staff)

By Ian Gustafson

public safety

Fond Du Lac councillor starts life jacket campaign

Jul 4, 2021 | 8:00 AM

A Fond Du Lac Denesuline First Nation councillor is looking to help the youth of their community stay safe when travelling from the reserve. She’s starting a kids life jacket campaign.

Councillor Colleen Whitedeer explained because of the high cost of flying from the community, in the summer many band members travel from the First Nation by boat due to the limited travel options. She explained many travel to Stony Rapids by boat and then drive from there to Prince Albert.

She said the community is isolated. Flying is available as transportation all year long, boats can be taken in the summer and ice roads used in the winter.

This led her to start the kid’s life jacket campaign, an initiative to help the band members with children keep their young ones safe when travelling by boat. She got the idea from another Indigenous community who travel the same way.

“After reading it, it seemed like a success,” she said. “And I thought because Fond Du Lac is about an hour and a half two-hour boat ride, I had noticed the last couple weeks that there were some kids who went on the boat without life jackets.

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“The feedback that I was getting from the organizations I’ve called they were excited for it and I think it’s going to be a success,” Whitedeer explained.

She wants to ensure every child on the reserve has a life jacket. If they end up with too many they will then give them to the neighbouring communities such as Black Lake and Wollaston.

They’re aiming at acquiring 500 life jackets for kids ages two to 18 years old. They can be gently used or brand new and they’re also accepting monetary donations for the cause.

There are two drop-off locations the public can visit to donate: the Athabasca Basin Development office in Saskatoon and in Prince Albert at Parkland Hall. The campaign will run until July 15.

Once the campaign ends, she said the jackets will be flown back to the Fond Du lac First Nation and she will set aside a day to have families come with their kids and get fitted out.

“Boat accidents [can happen] …. and it’s just to make sure that they’re safe and to make sure all the kids are taken care of,” Whitedeer said.

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Ian.Gustafson@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @IanGustafson12