Attawapiskat: Move Is An Option

The incidents of attempted suicide at Attawapiskat are alarming. The suggestion that skateboard parks and cinemas will help, as cited in an April 13th Ottawa Citizen editorial, is not a long-term solution. A remedy for the ongoing tragedies associated with life in some of Canada's isolated communities will only come from objective analysis when the affected stakeholders decide to set aside outcomes that are influenced by subjective considerations. An enduring prosperity cannot be achieved without an economic base that will provide the advantages stemming from regular employment. Even though an unbiased problem-solving cost-benefit approach may yield a result requiring some communities to relocate, it is an option that needs to be considered. Going from fire to fire, as we are now doing, is clearly not working.