YEARS HAVE gone by in Vernon Fowl

ee

ers efforts to be paid for a house he

built on the Kispiox reserve in the Hazeltons. One of his problems is that there are No provisions for private property rights under the reserve system.

Band took away man’s house, refuses to pay up

By ROD LINK A MAN who built his own house on the Kispiox re- serve near Hazelton says he can’t get compensation for it from the band coun- cil there.

Vernon Fowler, who now lives in Terrace, built the house over several years in the 1980s from money he made while working.

He isn't asking for his labour to be paid, but is asking for the $30,000 in materials he spent. ~

Fowler's story begins when he and his family were living in a small and inadequate one-bedroom cabin on the reserve.

Faced with a long wait- ing list for, a new house to be built by the band, Fow- ler decided to build his own. He.did that and lived in it for eight years.

When that house be- came too small for Fow- ler’s expanding family, he asked for but was refused financial assistance to ex- pand it.

_And when the band did build Fowler a house, he

rejected it, saying it had only one door and was in- adequate for his needs.

And on-going dispute with the Kispiox band caused Fowler and his fa- mily to mave to his wife’s village at Iskut where there would be more room.

He left his house locked and says he was promised $30,000 from the band council to purchase it.

After moving to Iskut, Fowler then discovered his Kispiox ‘hause was occu- pied and that the locks had been changed.

“T’ve received nothing from the band council. Not even rent,” says Fowler.

Fowler adds that while the band council told him it did send him $27,000, he never received the money.

“If I did, I'd have to have a receipt. | have nothing at ail.”

Fowler has spent the in- tervening years trying to get his money.

Unable to read or write, he’s relied on others to prepare,correspondence to various federal depart-

ments. He’s also filed frew dom of information re- quests.

Skeena Canadian Al- liance MP Mike Scott did take up Fowler’s case in the mid-1990s and accom- panied him on two visils to Kispiox but was unable to come reach a resolution.

“At first I had thought the band would be open ta assisting Wernon,” said Scott.

The overriding problem is that that the reserve sys- tem doesn’t permit situa- tions such as Fowler’s be- cause there are no provi- sions for private ownership of buildings or land, said Scou.

And because of that, there’s no way to for people to reclaim cquily, he added.

“Tt’s a real Catch-22. Vernon made a personal investment on the reserve for that dwelling but he does not own the land and the benefits accrue to the band,” said Scott.

“Vernon .made a mis-

take and he’s, going to

have to pay for it.”

- \

|

Youth Addiction

Youth Supportive/Recovery Residential Program Terrace & District Community Services Society Northwest Addiction Services

The youth supportive recovery residential facility is a new concept of recovery from alcohol & drug addiction for youth in the northwestern area of British Columbia, This program is a residential supportive recovery program with one bed set aside for non-medical withdrawal management and is not a detox house. The beds are designated to youth who need a safe and comfortable place to continue abstaining from alcohol and drugs. No longer would youth continue substance misuse due to a lack of resources available to them in their community, but would be able to access youth services closer to home.

Northwest Addiction Services is the only accredited Alcahol & Drug Facility in the Northwest and is in compliance with Ministry for Children & Families Policy Directives and meets Alcohol & Drug Provincial Standards.

The Actual Program: * Youth enter the program voluntarily and are not mandated _ by the courts or other agencies to attend. * The program will consist of blended clinical, vocational and recreational activities. ¢ This program was designed to meet the needs of the client and back yard activities will be the same as any other family. backyard activities. * The program uses the Bio/psycho/social Spiritual Model for intensive therapeutic groups. eThis is not a detox program but a 5-bed youth supportive recovery program with one bed set aside for a non-medical withdrawal management portion, to provide a safe, supportive, quiet place in which the youth can regain some balance and personal health. ® The youth are supervised 24-hours per day. ‘s Staff are trained and experienced in working within addictions and/or residential setting. * Staff members receive the required Ministry for Children

Training.

Terrace and District Community Services Society and “Northwest Addiction Services along with facility staff and clients take pride in maintaining an attractive facility that will be a credit to the communily.

The Board of Trustees of Terrace and District Community Services Saciety.

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