Another update, thanks to Carolyn J for keeping us in the loop...
Alberni Valley Times
Published: Tuesday, April 14, 2009
THE EDITOR:
Your headline article on Monday, April 6 quoted the new chief councillor of the Hupacasath First Nation as saying she wants to step back from the transformation centre and do an analysis of it.
The Transformation Society has a board of directors that oversees the project and makes decisions with respect to the project, not the chief and council. The new chief councillor is not on that board as of yet. The Hupacasath membership are the members of the society. At the First Nation level any decisions have to be made by two of the three council members, the chief councillor cannot make decisions on her own. Proper processes must be followed for decision making
The new chief councillor said as well the community had not been involved. The new chief councillor needs to be briefed that many community consultations have occurred. First to approve the project, then to develop business plans and the key messages document. Then to design the building. Every step has involved the community. Financing is in place based on the business plan. Obviously the funding would not have been given without that.
For those of you who got your hopes up that the transformation centre project may slow down based on the new chief councillor's comments will be disappointed to find that will not happen.
Judith Sayers
Port Alberni
Little bit of sour grapes? Problem with this letter is that ONLY the Hupacasath community were consulted, NOT the community of Port Alberni. The new Hupacasath council as part of their due diligence to not only their community, but also the community of Port Alberni needs to thouroughly analyse this project as members of the Hupacasath that make up the society IMO.