Val-d'Or sees 'hope' after police abuse allegations

Five months after a Radio-Canada Enqute report shook the town of Val-d'Or, people in the community are feeling a mix of emotions.

Last fall, the program reported several allegations of sexual abuse by provincial police officers against aboriginal women. Those allegations are currently under investigation by the City ofMontreal police.

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The outcome of that investigation is unknown, but the reverberations are still felt in Val-d'Or.

Quebec AM host Susan Campbell held a panel discussion to talk about the aftermath of the allegations as part of CBC Quebec's live broadcast in the community today.

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"There's still a lot of emotion going on depending on who you speak to anger, sadness, maybe a lot of frustration as to how things are going," said Sharon Hunter, community relations advisor with the Native Friendship Centre.

But she added, "there's also some hope there in terms of all the work that's going on, that's happening and all the mobilization around the situation."

Lorraine Morissette, a municipal councillor and riding assistant to MP Romeo Saganash, echoed those sentiments.

"We were stunned, but mostly we were so sad," Morissette said. She also agreed with Hunter: "There is hope."

Francis Lvesque, director of the aboriginal training unit at the Universit du Qubec en Abitibi-Tmiscamingue, however, said the allegations spurred change.

"People have started talking," Lvesque said. "The crisis put a face on things that everybody knew."

Improved housing, social programs

All three guests pointed to some positive steps that have been brought in to address some of the underlying social conditions affecting many aboriginal people in Val-d'Or, including homelessness andaddiction.

The provincial government committed $6 million in the fall in the wake of the allegations. Some of that money was used to reopena daytime drop-in centre calledWillie's Place in February.

Morissettenoted thata 56-unit housing development will be built in the fall.

"Yes. the money is great, money is needed, is required," Hunter said, whilestressing that many people in the community came together to work on solutions.

Lvesquealso noted some of these positive changes, but noted that some organizations are still struggling, including La Piaulea mission servingpeople who are living in poverty that he also works with."The needs are still there," he said.

"We took that crisis seriously, which is the first step," Lvesque added. "But we need to keep this going."