Last Saturday’s Walk for Peace was a powerful symbolic beginning to a long-term, ongoing effort to help one of our aboriginal communities reclaim its freedom from drugs, gangs and violence. It was easy to see the many supportive community individuals who marched down Wellington, including the Mayor and the RCMP.
It is also important to make mention and to thank those organizations and agencies that with their support made this event possible. They include the City of Chilliwack staff which included the Mayor and council, engineering dept., Communication dept. and all the staff that supported the cause including the front desk clerk. Other contributors include, Sto:Lo Nation, Fraser Health Authority, CAPS, PCRS, Hub-Barton Insurance, A&D Flagging, Wal-Mart, Ann Davis, Salvation Army, UFV, Career Tracks Grimestoppers, Stream Global Services, Booster Juice, Coast Chilliwack Hotel, and several local reserves as well as all the local news media. Starbucks graciously provided free coffee to shivering participants.
The City of Chilliwack and RCMP are very supportive of the Skwah community, as is my agency, Triangle Community Resources inc. and a number of others that are prepared to enhance the community in which we live by working collaboratively to reduce the amount of suffering that is caused by crime and the use of drugs and alcohol in our community both on and off reserve.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you
Austin Underwood