Daniel MacIsaac
Northern News Services

NNSL (Feb 22/99) - A special commission attempting to inspire a Canada-wide circle of healing over the tragedy of institutional child abuse paid a visit to the NWT on Thursday.

"We have to learn the lessons of the past to do what is possible to heal the harm that has passed, and assure that abuse won't take place again in future," guest speaker Stephen Owen told an audience at the Yellowknife Inn.

A member of the Law Commission of Canada, Owen is helping complete a year-long project and April report proposed by federal Justice Minister Anne McLellan, examining methods for addressing the harms caused by physical and sexual abuse of children in government institutions.

Lawyer Katherine Peterson said the Law Society of the Northwest Territories and the NWT branch of the Canadian Bar Association invited Owen to host the meeting.

"These issues have particular meaning in the NWT," she said. "And we're hoping to learn from the experience of those in the North."

Owen said while institutions like residential schools may no longer exist, modern equivalents where children's rights must be protected include group homes, foster families and even sports teams.

Owen said the novelty of this commission is that it was directed to take a non-legalistic approach. It must examine social issues before making recommendations.

Among the points examined Thursday was the means of helping survivors cope -- whether through apology, compensation, legal action or memorials. But Owen stressed that open discussion is key to any meaningful solution.

"Our position is 'Wake up Canada,'.... We've allowed a major abuse of our children to take place," he said. "It's not the image of Canada generally held by society, but recognizing what's taken place is a big part of understanding who we are."

Owen said traditional approaches to righting past wrongs through prosecutions, civil suits, public inquiries and compensation schemes have not always proved successful.

Victim advocate Harold Cook seconded Owen, describing the horrors, including suicide, that victims of abuse experienced acting as witnesses at trials involving institutions like Grollier Hall residential school in Inuvik.

"We need more therapy," said Cook, who added that a ceremonial demolition of the school was scheduled to occur Sunday. "We left our heart and soul there, and we're going to get it back."

Owen said Inuvik represented an example of where a community might design its own healing process.

"We have a lot to learn from traditional culture in terms of community and healing," he said.