Missing Women Forum this Friday

Monday, January 17, 2011 03:56 AM

Prince George, B.C.- Members of the public are being encouraged to attend the Missing Women Commission of Inquiry community engagement forum set for Prince George this Friday. It will be the second of two such forums set to take place before the actual inquiry gets underway.

"The main purpose of the community forums is to help me and the Commission staff understand the full impact on communities of the tragedy of the murdered and missing women. We will then be able to focus our work during the public hearings much more clearly on the most important issues,” says Commissioner Wally Oppal.

The Prince George forum will take place Friday at the Prince George Civic Centre from 4:00 to 7:00 P.m.. It follows a similar forum that will take place in Vancouver on Wednesday.

While the forums are open to anyone who wishes to attend, Oppal says he is particularly interested in hearing from family members of the murdered and missing women and other people who were directly impacted by the tragedy.

“We know that a disproportionate number of the missing and murdered women were from the Aboriginal community and we definitely want to hear from that community, but we would also appreciate representatives of other communities coming forward to tell us their stories.”

Oppal will spend some time at the start of each forum describing the role of the Commission and clarifying its terms of reference. “As I’ve said previously, I hope to encourage feedback that can be realistically covered within the Commission’s mandate.”

The formal hearings of the Commission will start in Vancouver later this year.

The Commission will hold two days of public hearings in Vancouver on January 31 and February 1 to hear presentations from most of the 21 groups that have applied for standing to participate in the inquiry.

Standing has already been granted to the Department of Justice (representing the RCMP), the City of Vancouver (representing the Vancouver Police Department), Crown Counsel for the province of British Columbia and the family members of the Downtown Eastside victims as represented by Mr. Cameron Ward.

A list of the applicants has been posted on the Commission’s website – www.missingwomeninquiry.ca

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Posted on Monday, January 17, 2011 03:56 AM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: whatintheheck on January 17 2011 6:01 AM

I would like to offer a couple of suggestions for the Highway of tears. If we cannot stop women from hitchhiking along that deadly stretch, can we not swing a deal of sorts between greyhound and aboriginal bands and or gov't to have their trips back home (wherever that happens to be) covered by the band so they could catch a ride when they needed one.
Another suggestion; Could the native bands come together and perhaps purchase a van or small bus. Hire drivers to cruise the highway from here to Prince Rupert and be available for women with no other means of getting from point A to point B.
These are just ideas! I would have to idea how to implement them, I just thought I would put it out there....

Posted by: whatintheheck on January 17 2011 6:07 AM

Sorry, I meant to say "I would have no idea how to implement them".