WINDS OF CHANGE STILL BLOWING

It's a beautiful, sunny, Pemberton summer morning. Walking out of the
post office, I run into an acquaintance I haven't seen in months.
Standing at the corner next to the Esso station, we catch up in the
shorthand common to such relationships. Within a few minutes, we've
covered the essential territory: work, kids, partners, summer plans
and the quest for more downtime.

"You look great!" I say with all sincerity, because she does. There's
an energy and a freshness to her that I have never noticed before.

"I've been on the sobriety train since January," she says,
matter-of-factly. "And I've lost 20 pounds."

Two women, who marginally know each other, candidly discussing an
issue long kept in the dark, literally in the light of day. Maybe the
winds of change really are blowing.

The effects of substance abuse extend far beyond the user. Families,
sometimes generations of families, can be affected by having to cope
with an alcoholic or drug addict. In the '80s, this was well
documented through the literature of the ACOA (Adult Children of
Alcoholics) movement. People raised by them share a distinct set of
traits, from having to "guess" at what normal behaviour is to being
extremely loyal, even in the face of evidence that loyalty is
underserved. These people have an increased likelihood of either
becoming substance abusers or partnering with them -- in some cases,
they do both.

Failing that, these people may adopt other compulsive behaviours,
such as food or work addiction. More importantly, adult children of
addicts tend towards insecure relationships because they parallel
their childhood relationship with their alcoholic or dysfunctional
parents. Thus, the chaos addicts create impacts another generation.

While an addict's family may most keenly feel the effect of the
individual addict, communities also feel the effects. These run the
gamut, from teachers having to deal with young children whose
academic/social performance in school may be impaired by living in an
unpredictable, unstable environment to tragedies of far greater
magnitude. A horrible, heartbreaking event brought the issue of
substance abuse in the Pemberton Valley to the forefront of community
concern in May 2002.

Ross Leo was just 15 years old when he died. The Mt. Currie youth was
brutally beaten to death by two adult men in an altercation over
alcohol. The teenager had come across two men "sleeping it off" in a
wooded area of BC Rail lands near the local elementary school.
Nicknamed "The Jungle", the densely treed area was a well-known
drinking spot among alcoholics who went there to consume the alcohol
they bought a few blocks away at the government liquor store.

The men awoke when Leo was trying to steal their alcohol. A fight
ensued that left the boy dead. Both Pemberton and Mt. Currie
residents were stunned by the shocking murder.

Making matters even sadder was the fact Leo and his two assailants
were from the 1,800-person First Nations community. While the Leo
family had lost a brother, nephew, son and grandson, all three
families had been severely damaged -- and being a small town everyone
knew someone involved in the tragedy.

That is one of the downsides of living in a small town; it is often
impossible to escape the pain. On the upside, it is often easier to
mobilize people in a small town. And that's what the communities of
Mt. Currie and Pemberton did in the wake of the tragedy, bringing the
issue of substance abuse to public discussion.

Understanding a problem and coming to possible solutions is dependent
on open discourse. Pemberton's Healthy Communities committee held a
number of public forums to address and assess community concerns that
Leo's death brought to the forefront. From those meetings the joint
Pemberton-Mt. Currie Drug and Alcohol Task Force was created. The
12-member task force consisted of the elected representatives from
the Village of Pemberton and Mt, Currie Band Council and their
respective administrators, the Mt. Currie and Pemberton health
centres, Pemberton RCMP and Stl'Atl'Imx Tribal Police. The task force
met twice monthly to explore the issues, solutions and funding
possibilities. Given the fact that two communities, one predominantly
white and one First Nation, were working together to examine the
problems related to substance abuse, federal money came quickly. The
group received a $20,000 grant from the National Crime Prevention Centre.

The task force hired Brandon Hestdalen, who had worked as a
counsellor with the Xit'oclaw Community School and Sea to Sky
Community Services, to gather data and develop a strategy for dealing
with substance abuse issues in both communities. The document he
produced, the result of nearly a year-and-a-half of research, was
published in November 2004 as The Winds of Change: A Healing Vision.
The 14-strategy report featured 13 recommendations designed to
improve the health of both communities.

Former Pemberton mayor Elinor Warner was one of the co-chairs of the
task force. At the report's launch, Warner admitted that the report
had taken longer to prepare than anticipated, citing the mutual
learning that had to take place.

"We had to learn to trust each other. As communities our people were
going to have to come together to tackle this problem," said then
mayor, Warner. "I think this report is better because we took the
time to get to know each other and each other's culture."

Nearly two years later, Warner and her co-chair Joanne John, a
councillor with the Mt. Currie Band, are still addressing the issue
of cultural differences in reference to developing drug and alcohol strategies.

"We're speaking in Lillooet on Oct. 10 with the First Nations and
Area D, to let them know about our experience. What we did, what we
could have done better," says Warner.

Warner, who has been an advocate for youth, sees the establishment of
a joint Mt. Currie-Pemberton Youth Council as being one of the most
positive changes the Winds of Change have brought about.

"The Youth Council will be meeting with Mt. Currie and Pemberton
councils two or three times. I think that's really positive because
you've got to talk to youth and youth have to be able to talk to
people in power," says Warner. "They can probably tell more than
anyone what's happening out in the streets."

As for some of the other initiatives undertaken by the Winds of
Change project, Warner isn't sure that they meet the task force's
original mandate.

"Joanne (John) and I spoke at a seniors' luncheon. Did that address
drug and alcohol abuse? I don't think so," says Warner.

However, she concedes that the event definitely got people together
and talking, some of the important bridge building that both
communities had to initially do in the aftermath of Leo's death.

It Starts With Understanding

As outlined in the Winds of Change report, the task force adopted a
comprehensive approach to dealing with the associated problems of
substance abuse by endeavouring to understand the community and its
socio-economic factors, committing to strategy development, acting on
strategies and implementing an evaluation process to establish the
value of various strategies.

Theses strategies were to be developed based on the criteria outlined
in the report, which calls on both communities and associated
governments to promote healthy lifestyle choices, increase awareness,
improve services and promote community leadership and responsibility.

Warner's co-chair, Joanne John, believes the report is meeting its
mandate and has now taken on a life of its own. The potential effects
of the Winds of Change are something John sees in both her life and
her work. A Mt. Currie Band council member at the time the report was
undertaken, John now is the Director of Community Advancement at the
Ts'Zil Learning Centre.

John has warm memories of putting the report together.

"I enjoyed being able to contribute to make a difference, to let
people know there was someone who cared enough to takes risks.
Someone who cared enough to say, 'Let's get real.'

"We got to work with Pemberton, putting our historical differences
aside to work on something we had in common. We removed the judgment
- --ignorant preconceptions -- and worked together.

"I believe the Winds of Change is evolving from the work of people
who want to be champions in the community. It's taken on a life of
its own," says John.

The ripple effect of the report can be felt in John's current workplace.

"All I can say is in the department we've incorporated personal
growth and it's taking everyone to a (new) level. Leading by example
is the only thing that will work. There are 18 frontline workers in
my department and we can show people healthier alternatives."

Some of those healthier alternatives will start with drug and alcohol
education in the elementary grades and early career planning in hopes
of making Social Assistance the last resort instead of the first choice.

John, who has been sober for five years, lives her beliefs. Today,
both of her daughters are sober as well. Staying sober hasn't been easy.

"There's a lack of support mechanisms in our community. There are
safe places like hand-drumming and community gatherings. But unless
someone steps up to the plate to run an AA, Al-Anon, NA or CODA
meeting, it doesn't happen," says John. "We don't have a safe place to go.

"It's time we came out of the closet and quit being in denial."

John believes one of the most effective ways to break down the closet
door would have youth and elder outreach workers in both communities,
to stay in touch with these two vital demographic groups.

Events bring people together

July's Elders Conference brought seniors from both communities
together to talk about a time when the Pemberton Valley was really
one community. The event received tremendous support from both the
elder population and community at large. For example, Across the
Creek Organics donated salad fixings that were prepared by a group of
women in Mt. Currie. The Pemberton Library loaned out a number of
archival photos that complemented pieces from the Lil'wat7ul Lil'wat
Cultural Centre collection. At mixed tables elders reminisced about a
time when the communities depended on each other for commerce,
recreation and socializiation. The event showed organizers Carrie
Terchinetz and Lucinda Phillips what was possible.

Terchinetz and Phillips are two of the six members of the current
Winds of Change steering committee. They are also paid employees
vested with the challenge of creating a number of community events to
bring both Mt. Currie and Pemberton together. Both women have been
active in their respective communities.

Phillips has been long involved in recreation and is a member of the
Mt. Currie Band council. Terchinetz is a paramedic with B.C.
Ambulance and for the past two years has organized the Lillooet Lake
Christmas Toy Drive.

The two women were hired earlier this year when the Winds of Change
received a $30,000 grant to begin implementing the report's
recommendations. Both women have found the opportunity rewarding,
professionally and personally.

"I've learned that I can take on things that I never thought I
could," says Terchinetz.

Phillips echoes this sentiment. "We've met a lot of challenges."

The main challenge the two faced was how to take recommendations
outlined in the report and make them into interesting events that
would bring both communities together. So far, they have succeeded.
Having targeted both the general community and the elders, the next
event the two women are producing is an October film night for youth
around the issue of substance abuse. The evening will also feature
speakers and be open to youth throughout the valley.

"Drugs are being used in the bathrooms at the high school," says
Terchinetz. "I have kids tell me this. It's a problem. I think our
programming can have a positive impact on youth."

But there's something aside from the professional rewards the project
has given the two women.

"We've had a great time working together, I've learned more (from)
this project than I did as a council member and I've made a friend,"
Phillips says of Terchinetz.

Working side by side

The value of personal connections the people engaged in the Winds of
Change have made cannot be underestimated. Village of Pemberton
councillor Jennie Helmer goes to a lot of meetings, it's part of her
job and her commitment to larger community politics. For Helmer, one
of the best offshoots of the Winds of Change is the quarterly joint
Village of Pemberton-Mt. Currie Band council meeting. She recently
attended her first meeting.

"Hands down it was the best meeting I have ever attended. It was
amazing. We all sat at one huge table. It was friendly. Casual. We
had a loose agenda. We broke off into small groups to discuss issues
and we came back and shared them. We had a lot of common issues.

"I walked away from there feeling a sense of accomplishment. We had
targeted common issues and concerns and things we were proud of, we
discussed how to maintain that or make it better."

Helmer believes that positive change has been ongoing for both
communities since the Winds of Change was published nearly two years ago.

"I think quite a bit has happened and there's been a lot more
discussion of what should happen at a council, staff and community
level," says the first-term councillor. "I think we're becoming a
stronger community. Together we have more resources and insights."

She believes that the rolling out of the project, which began with a
community-wide softball game, has made sense.

"It's all about communication and collaboration and the logical place
for that was recreation. Although it sort of seems very non-substance
abuse oriented, it's a way to bring people together is a non-drinking
environment.

"When you're playing sports together, fighting floods together, you
start to care about each other. We can fight for each other's causes
and they became our causes."

Helmer sees bringing people together as an important first step in
reaching one of the long-term goals: a treatment centre.

"There's no centre now. For the most part, people are ending up in
the city. If we can keep it at a local level I am confident we can
better address their needs and keep them closer to their families and homes."

Helmer credits much of the success of the Winds of Change project
with the ongoing work of both communities' administrators.

"Lori (Pilon) and Sheldon (Tetreault) are working hard to make the
idea of a treatment centre more tangible. What do we need to make it
happen? Hopefully, in the early new year the ideas will be more concrete."

Broadening membership

Lori Pilon, chief administrative officer for the Village of
Pemberton, is adamant that whatever form any treatment service or
centre takes will come from community input, not government.

"We have an upcoming meeting with Coastal Health, the RCMP,
Pemberton, Mt. Currie -- all of the major stakeholders -- to explore
existing services and see what we can do to enhance them," explains Pilon.

"What we think, or hope, will come of that is the recognition of the
need for some treatment service/facility. That could be anything from
Rediscovery to bricks and mortars."

Pilon explains that Rediscovery is a First Nations model that's been
in use since the '70s and works for both youth and adults by offering
cultural reconnection.

"For example, Rediscovery could be a cultural camp where youth go up
in the mountains and elders teach hunting/fishing and cultural
values. It could look like whatever our community wanted. The idea is
to get people away from the urban world, away from TV and other
media, take them up the mountain to experience nature and examine values.

"One part of Rediscovery is to stay up the mountain for a whole day
with nothing but yourself -- to essentially rediscover yourself."

Pilon is quick to point out that this is just one possibility that
may be entertained.

"Sheldon and I are working on a proposal for another grant. I don't
want to get ahead of the process, but we're thinking that it will
probably be more focused on a treatment centre. But we'll know more
once we meet with the stakeholders on Sept. 26, if (a treatment
service/facility) is not mentioned then it will be off the table."

Just as existing service providers will have their opportunity for
input into the next step for the Winds of Change, so will the public.

"I want to be careful not to impose what we think is important. It's
critical that the public have input. Our committee is relatively
small, everyone is so busy, we want to make it more sustainable by
broadening the membership on it."

While Pilon contemplates the possibilities of all the options, one
thing remains clear, she is a strong and determined proponent of the
Winds of Change.

"The document is hugely progressive and a model for the whole province."

More support needed

Sheldon Tetreault began his involvement with the Winds of Change
while serving as senior administrator for the Mt. Currie Band. He
recently moved to a provincial leadership position with the newly
formed Centre for First Nations Governance but is continuing his work
with the project. While he believes there is room for improvement, he
is impressed with the level of success the Winds of Change has experienced.

"The fact that the report got done is a success, because it was the
first time the two communities had ever worked together on such a
complex issue.

"We've had two crystal meth forums, a community-to-community forum on
recreation, we've had two fun days, an elders forum, we've
financially supported cultural awareness programs in the schools and
we're collaborating on youth forums in the fall. I look back to the
municipal elections and the Winds of Change report was held up and
cited during the campaigning, I think that is an indication of the
report's success," says Tetreault.

One area of improvement he would like to see is increased awareness
of what is being accomplished through the program.

"A number of positive initiatives have happened over the past two
years and it's not (generally) known that it's a Winds of Change
event or that it came about as a result of the report. We also need
to do a better job of giving opportunities for the community and
families to get involved."

He believes the key to increased involvement is to show people that
even a small amount of time they can contribute can help make events stronger.

The other change Tetreault would like to see has to do with
stakeholder engagement. For the Winds of Change recommendations to be
as broad reaching as possible, support needs to be forthcoming from
other groups serving the community.

"So far this has been really driven by both councils, in Pemberton
and Mt. Currie. But the problem is that we need more of the different
stakeholders in both communities actively engaged to have a
meaningful commitment to the committee's survival. We need the Tribal
(Police) back engaged, the RCMP, the Pemberton and Mt. Currie health
centres engaged. We need anyone touched by this issue engaged in
helping find solutions, we need them recommitted and back at the
table to execute the vision in the document."

While some stakeholders can just show up at the table, Tetreault
would like to see others bring their cheque books.

"I feel really disappointed by the regional funders. We need them to
step up and let us know how they can support this work. We have never
been supported by the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority or Sea to
Sky Community Services. These are big regional organizations that
provide service and have the funding and here is a community
initiative that sprang up independent of them that has community support.

"Maybe we need to find a better way of pulling them in. But I find it
upsetting that you have a community-supported initiative like this
and they are nowhere to be seen in it."

Tetreault worries that as time passes the issues become less urgent
and people become more complacent. He notes that the complexities of
substance abuse make it a long-term ongoing project and keeping the
issue current is difficult.

In the beginning, the project's emphasis was on building social,
political relationships and he sees that as essential groundwork.
However, the former Mt. Currie administrator thinks its time to move
more towards making it easier for communities to make healthier
choices. He points out that outside sobering up in a jail cell there
is nothing for people who are in need of detox or treatment.

Asked if he thinks the communities are healthier because of The Winds
of Change, Tetreault pauses before giving a thoughtful, cautious response.

"It's a long way from particular actions to outcomes like healthy
communities. I think we're taking steps in the right direction and
those are small, incremental steps. The reality is that there are
things happening every week in our community' we're not that far away
from another tragedy."