For over two years, I've been working with Barb Harris, council woman, District 6, of the Six Nations, trying to put together a drug rehabilitation/ detoxification and animals for therapy centre for children 9 to 17 years old.
Barb, past-chief councillor Dave General, Francis Duck, myself and an Ontario real estate representative went through Burtch two months ago and chose about 10 buildings we wanted left up for the drug rehab centre.
I put together a budget and we would have employed 253 natives and non-natives. But we found out the natives plan to knock Burtch down. What a waste of taxpayers' money!
Our children and theirs are dying everyday because no one cares. Yet, everything I'm doing is planned around the seven generations of natives.
Two weeks ago, Dave Levac announced that the Trillium Foundation was putting $345,000 into his area, yet when I asked for funding, Dave said he couldn't find any money for us to help our children get off drugs, yet he was able to find money for lights for a church parking lot and the opera.
We still need $100,000, Dave Levac.
We pay taxes, we elect these people to work for us and our children and I have to get the natives' blessing before we can save our and their children's lives?
We will be teaching the native children their culture and working to incorporate holistic healing and nutrition. We would have dogs and cats for the children and a special place for abused and handicapped animals.
I am trying to get permission to train some dogs for the sightless and hearing impaired.
Unfortunately, we were unable to get Burtch. We have been asked to go to another area of Ontario. Barb and I had a meeting and things look good.
I asked a consulting firm if they could help us, explaining we were working on a shoestring budget. They said they would donate their time. That saved us just over $60,000.
Starting in February 2009, I have 157 meetings at service clubs around Ontario to ask if they will help buy and furnish a bedroom for up to three years at a cost of $3,000. In this way, we are saving the government and the taxpayers' money.
I would like to hear from anyone that has a family member between nine and 17 years old with a drug and/or alcohol problem.
Please write Don Grant, P. O. Box 496, Port Dover, ON N0I 0I0.
Don Grant
Port Dover