Move towards reconciliation

Dear editor,
The following is in response to Nick Beyak’s letter dated April 3, 2019.
An inquiry report under the Ethics and Conflict of Interest Code for Senators concerning Senator Lynn Beyak was release on March 19, 2019 confirming letters published on her website did indeed contain racist content.
On March 25, 2019 town councillor, Doug Judson addressed Lynn Beyak’s failure to comply with the remedial measures set forth by the Senate Ethics Officer Pierre Legault. Doug Judson’s timing was in proximity with the release of the report.
Nick Beyak, I appreciate the fact that you come to the defense of your mother, Senator Lynn Beyak. Trying to protect ones mother is admirable. However, one must ask themselves as a “tax payer” and a “business owner” in Fort Frances, “What am I defending?” Can I defend the Senator’s ideology or is it mine as well?
Those ideas being that not all experiences had at residential schools were bad. Sure there are letters of support on her website and even from Indigenous people. While there may have been a handful that say they experienced some benefit, the fact is, many did not. The 6,000-plus children that died due to neglect, malnutrition, unethical nutritional experiments and disease speak otherwise.
Nick Beyak, I must agree with you, actions do speak louder than words.
The many children that ran away from the residential schools and died from exposure due to the harsh elements, it’s their actions that speak much louder than any words. I’m certain Chanie “Charlie” Wenjack’s family can attest.
Mr. Doug Judson has chosen to use his platform to bring forth matters of concern from his constituents, concerns from the district, concerns from those in northern Ontario and Ontario as a whole. This concern just happened to include your mother.
I encourage Mr. Judson to stand grand on the platform in the face of racism and to continue to help take the necessary steps towards reconciliation.
Sincerely,
Christine Jourdain
(also a taxpayer)