Kevin Wilson
Northern News Services
Yellowknife (May 30/01) - Graham Stewart was greeted with bannock and stew Thursday by local members and supporters of the John Howard Society.
About a dozen people turned out to welcome Stewart, the executive director for the national organization. He was in Yellowknife to kick off an information and volunteer recruitment session.
The John Howard Society of the NWT has been active in Yellowknife since 1992. According to Stewart, it was "a long time in coming."
An earlier attempt at establishing a territorial John Howard Society had taken place in the early 1970s, but was unsuccessful. Prior to the event, Stewart said that the national society would "really like to see a John Howard Society that's vigorous" throughout the territories.
To that end, the national office has provided funding of about $15,000 over the next three months.
"The national board saw this as a priority," says Stewart. He adds that while the North presents unique challenges to the establishment of such organizations. One problem is core funding for organizations. Presently, says Stewart, "it's easy to get program funding, but you need to have a board of directors, administration, accountability. Those things aren't covered under program funding."
Don Hunter, who retired in 1995 as a social worker from the Yellowknife Correctional Centre, told the gathering that the society "advocated and kept the government honest" when it came to acting on behalf of people who were in trouble with the law.
The mission of the John Howard Society is to provide "effective, just and humane responses to the causes and consequences of crime." In Yellowknife, they operate a fine-option program and community service orders.
