By Thia James

Award honouree calls on City to improve housing, tolerance

Apr 14, 2015 | 6:44 AM

Prema Arsiradam, this year’s Prince Albert Council of Women Hall of Fame inductee, implored members of city council to make positive changes in the community – particularly improving inclusion of aboriginals and housing for all.

Arsiradam made this plea to members of city council during her acceptance speech for a merit award from the City on Monday evening. The City honoured her for her work with the disabled and in the community.

She said the results of the 2015 social progress index, which rank Canada sixth out of 133 countries based on factors such as access to health care, education, shelter, water, food and sanitation. And even amongst the countries that ranked in the Top 10, there were “striking weaknesses,” she said.

Applying this at a municipal level, she said Prince Albert is lacking when it comes to shelter and housing as well as with tolerance and inclusion.

“Prince Albert is a place of growing poverty, with a growing population and serious problems with shelter. We see homelessness, starvation, destitution, and consequently, the perpetuation of a lack of dignity.”

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She said the city has one the highest rates of homelessness in the country.

“If there is one thing that needs to be addressed and supported tirelessly at the municipal level here in Prince Albert, it is the problem of housing …,” she said.

The city is also a place rife with stereotypes and stigma, aimed mainly at Aboriginal Peoples, she said.  In the course of her work, she sees there is an underrepresentation of aboriginals in political and leadership positions, as well as in higher education. She also sees that there is an overrepresentation of aboriginals in the criminal justice system.

Arsiradam said this is a community that has the potential to be inclusive of all people, especially Aboriginal Peoples.

“It is imperative for City officials and community leaders to attend community events and presentations on issues and topics pertaining to aboriginal culture, so that they learn the real history of its impacts on Aboriginal People and other oppressed people.”

Arsiradam, who has lived in Prince Albert for nearly two decades, grew up in apartheid South Africa. She explained that she always finds herself attracted to the struggle of any group that is marginalized. On this day, she thought it was important to draw attention to the big problems in Prince Albert.

“And I thought I’d focus mainly on Aboriginal People, because that is the reality. Aboriginal People is a group that is marginalized and oppressed in Prince Albert,” she said, and added they should have a big say at all levels in the country.

Her challenge to City officials to attend events in the community regarding aboriginal culture came after speaking with aboriginal community leaders. She said city councillors weren’t seen at meetings involving aboriginal affairs.

She said they need to be involved to learn about the culture, treaties and oppression, so that aboriginals are better understood and included in all aspects of society.

After the council meeting, Mayor Greg Dionne said that when members of council are invited to events, they go. But a lot of the time, they are not invited, he continued.

Every time he’s been invited to the grand chief’s meetings and trappers conventions, Dionne said he has attended.

“So it all boils down to invitation. But we’re going to open up that communication up better.”

tjames@panow.com

On Twitter: @thiajames