By Bryan Eneas

Montreal Lake Cree Nation implements youth curfew

Jun 29, 2016 | 12:49 PM

Starting Canada Day, Montreal Lake Cree Nation youth will be under curfew.

After a six-and-a-half hour meeting with residents and chief and council, a 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. curfew bylaw was implemented by Chief Edward Henderson and council.

Health clinic administrator Stanley Bird said implementing a curfew is a good start to ending some of the vandalism which has occurred on the reserve.

“The 16 and under kids have been running rampant in the community, smashing windows and breaking into homes,” he said. “They need proper supervision… a curfew would be the best (way to do that). A curfew will make the parents accountable for their children.”

Bird works with Montreal Lake’s child services department and has a hand in reserve security gathering the names of youth vandals. He said there are roughly eight names on the list who are repeat offenders.

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He said it’s not an issue of bad children; it’s an issue of poor parenting.

“We’re trying to find a way so that the parents can be accountable to help the child,” Bird said. “It’s not that these kids are bad, it’s because no one is looking after them… we’ve got to deal with these parents — they’re the ones causing this damage in my eyes.”

The community would like to see the parents pay for damages caused by the youth.

During the meeting, Bird said a band member asked why they were sending kids away when they should be sending the parents away.

The bylaw still needs some fine-tuning, according to Bird. Some parents may not be able to afford to replace a window, or repair the damages their child has caused. The last details will be finalized July 19.

“If their children are not being looked after, there’s parental issues (to address). We’re going to work with (the) Indian Child Family Agency to see what we can do to help these parents,” Bird said. “They’re not good parents, period. We want to get to (the kids) before they start teaching others how (vandalize).”

Band administration will put pamphlets in mailboxes and post flyers around the community to notify residents of the upcoming changes. In the future, a billboard will be posted on reserve land to notify newcomers and to keep the curfew top of mind.

Bird said nearly everyone in Montreal Lake Cree Nation, barring a few individuals, was on board with the curfew.

“The people are sick of it, they’re sick of these break-ins,” he said.

On top of implementing a curfew, Montreal Lake is also looking at a bylaw allowing them to ban gang members, drug dealers and bootleggers.

Crime Stoppers introduced a $1,000 bounty on these individuals which Bird said yielded positive results.

“According to the people, the drug dealing has really shut down…they’ve made three house busts and arrested quite a few known drug dealers. It’s made a big difference,” he said.

Montreal Lake administration is looking to set up a gang panel through its justice committee to deal with problems as they arise. So far, at least one ex-gang member has stepped forward to help interact with gangsters on the community.

“If you don’t want to be an active part of this community, we’re going to vote to get you out of our community. If that’s what you want, that’s what’ll happen to you,” Bird said.

He said administration is going to look at all possibilities for dealing with criminals, such as pulling social service cheques to denying them housing and job opportunities on the reserve.

“We’re going to take our community back,” Bird said. “We’re not going to put up with it no more.”

Bryan.Eneas@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @BryanEneas