Waterloo students focus on needs of northern First Nations community

The Global Issues Team at Sir John A. MacDonald Secondary School in Waterloo is wrapping up a year-long focus on a northern Ontario community almost two thousand kilometres away, raising awareness and funds for a First Nations community with few services and even less access.

The "Voices for Fort Hope" fundraiser Thursday night hopes to raise awareness about Fort Hope, 300 km north of Thunder Bay.

The key person behind the project is Janaki Mehta. The student became inspired to help the people of Fort Hope after working with indigenous children at a day camp last summer. Janaki's initial pitch to the school group was to start a winter coat drive.

The young student activist contacted the Canadian military to ask them if they would fly those coats to Fort Hope, which is about 300 kilometres north of Thunder Bay, and is only accessible by plane or by frozen roads.

No ice roads formed this year, making it impossible to bring the clothing via vehicle or snowmobile.

"People began to collect clothing….so there are coats to go. But it sort of has morphed into something more than that," said teacher advisor Heather Berry.

"We decided to make it more of an awareness piece about life on a First Nations reserve."

Berry added it was the first time the club focussed their efforts on a domestic issue.

Acknowledging a domestic issue

Janaki Mehta said every year the Global Issues Team focuses their annual event on an issue that is relevant and in the news.This school year, the group focused on Canada because so many First Nations issues were being discussed.

"They are struggling right now to have clean water in most homes [and] adequate food.They don't have a high school on the reserve so a lot of the students don't have the opportunity to complete their education. Similar to Attawapiskat, they have an overwhelming suicide crisis now. So we want to support them."

Most recently this year the community saw its community centre burn to the ground.

Voices for Fort Hope

Thursday's event includes student performers and speakers including residential school survivor Lila Bruyere.

Bruyere will tell recount her experience at a residential school in Fort Frances, Ontario where she spent her formative years. 

Thursdays event runs from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Sir John A. MacDonald High School in Waterloo.