Newfoundland man takes solitary confinement cell to Ottawa to protest statute of limitations
Jack Whalen says he won't stop until N.L. removes limitations on all child abuse lawsuits
Jack Whalen — a man who says he spent more than 700 days in solitary confinement as a child in a Newfoundland youth detention centre — has taken his protest to the nation's capital.
Whalen made news in June when he attached a makeshift solitary cell to his pickup truck and parked it outside the Confederation Building in St. John's.
Now he's taken the truck to the Canadian Tribute to Human Rights monument in Ottawa.
"A lot of people are crying when I tell them my story," Whalen said. "It doesn't make me feel good that people are crying, but it sure makes me feel like people are listening."
He's protesting the Limitations Act in Newfoundland and Labrador, which imposes a time limit on victims of childhood physical abuse. The law is being used against Whalen in court, blocking his attempts to sue the province for his treatment at the Whitbourne Boys' Home.
Whalen estimates he spent about 730 days in solitary confinement between the ages of 13 and 17. He made numerous escapes from the institution, located about an hour away from St. John's, and would be thrown back into solitary upon being recaptured.
Under the Limitations Act in Newfoundland and Labrador, Whalen had until his 21st birthday to come forward with a claim, or his 29th birthday if the abuse had been discovered later in life.
Only Newfoundland and Labrador and New Brunswick have limitation periods for victims of childhood physical abuse. There is no such limit for victims of childhood sexual abuse.
Whalen made a four-day stop in Fredericton on the way to Ottawa, encouraging people there to call on the New Brunswick government to change its legislation as well.
"When was the last time this law was looked at?" Whalen said. "Is it necessary? Why is it just the citizens of Newfoundland and New Brunswick who don't have the same rights as everyone else?"
WATCH | Jack Whalen describes what solitary confinement meant a child held at the Whitbourne Boys' Home:
Messages of support along the way
Whalen said it's been difficult to rehash his story to every person he meets but he's had encounters along the way that have buoyed him.
"It is very comforting to know that people are listening and people are actually getting something from what I'm doing," he said.
"I had a lady contact me and say that for 60 years she's been living with what happened to her, and she said, 'It doesn't go away, does it?' And I said it hasn't for me, but you've got to keep trying. So I think I am reaching some people."
Newfoundland and Labrador Justice Minister John Hogan hinted at a review of the legislation when asked about Whalen's story in June, though nothing has been announced thus far.
"With any piece of legislation we always review them to see what's appropriate, to look at other jurisdictions across the country, and this is one we will continue to look at as well," Hogan said at the time.
Whalen said he knows his cause is a provincial one, but he hopes someone in the federal government will take up his cause and help him advocate for change.
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