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NEW WAREHOUSE Located at: 1317 SPEERS ROAD, OAKVILLE -MLHLIQUIDATIONS.COM AMAZONLIQUIDATIONS.CA 1-416 910-0798 We Carry: New TV's 32" to 65" New mattress sets New One Of A Kind Seating Samples From Hotel Model Rooms New Appliances Freezers, Mini Fridges, Microwaves Too Many To Name Shop MLH LIQUIDATIONS Today! WE PAY the HST on NEW TVs and APPLIANCES OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK 10AM TO 5PM Stephen Paquette feels he has no choice but to go to court. He is afraid for his young daughter's future as he believes the federal system he entrusted to support her has in fact, failed her. "This requires me to fund a Goliath vs David process as a sin- gle father raising two daughters," said Paquette. "The government has unlimited funds and resourc- es to fight me on this quest for not only my daughter, but for all In- digenous children." Paquette's youngest child has "experienced trauma in her jour- ney" and requires complex med- ical treatment, which has been provided for the past two years by Indigenous Child Services Man- agement (ICSM), based out of St. Catharines. Under ICSM, the "Cadillac" of services for its comprehensive, holistic and preventative ap- proach "that should be the bench- mark of support to Indigenous children," his daughter was re- sponding, said the Oakville fa- ther. Funding for this treatment was provided through a federal program known as Jordan's Prin- ciple, which ensures all First Na- tions children in Canada, wheth- er on or off the reserve, can ac- cess "the products, services and supports they need, when they need them," states the website. It's not just a matter of receiv- ing the services his daughter re- quires, but receiving them through an Indigenous service provider, said Paquette, Indige- nous Knowledge Guide for the Halton District School Board, known throughout the region for his work with numerous commit- tees and organizations. "There are lots of services and supports out there (but) I find the struggle, the challenge, is that they don't understand or appreci- ate the Indigenous world view and lived experience." This past June, Jordan's Prin- ciple abruptly cut funding for his daughter's treatment, saying it was "too expensive," said Pa- quette. "That is the first issue. Second- ly, they have acknowledged that they have no funding formula up- on which to base their decision. I have repeatedly asked them for a budget in which to work within, to no avail." "You give me that budget and, as much as I don't want to and I don't think I have to, I will work with that budget. They have to this day, they have refused to give me that number, they have re- fused to give me a funding formu- la." His repeated emails to Minis- ter of Indigenous Services Cana- da, Marc Miller, went unan- swered, said Paquette, and dis- cussions with Oakville North- Burlington MP Pam Damoff fiz- zled out. "As much as she (Damoff) was willing to help out, I think it reached a point where she felt that she couldn't help anymore, so unfortunately that door has closed." When contacted for a com- ment, Damoff's office deferred to a response from Indigenous Ser- vices Canada (ISC) media rela- tions: "To protect the privacy rights of the individuals involved, we cannot comment on any case spe- cifics. However, the government of Canada has made immense progress in ensuring Jordan's Principle is accessible to First Nation children who need care. Since 2016, Indigenous Services Canada has provided over 717,000 services, supports and products under Jordan's Principle to help advance the well-being of chil- dren across this country," said Rola Tfaili, spokesperson for ISC. Each child and each request is unique and is reviewed with vari- ous criteria to ensure substantial equality, which means giving ex- tra help when it is needed so First Nations children have an equal chance to thrive, said Tfaili, add- ing that the process includes: ISC staff reviewing the re- quest or discussing with the child's parent or guardian what is needed to start a request; once a request is submitted with the needed information, ISC staff re- view the request and a decision is sent to the parent/guardian in writing; if a request is denied, the parent/guardian can appeal the decision for up to one year from the date the request was denied. Time is of the essence for his daughter, but the judicial review he has instigated could take months, said Paquette. A judicial review is a court process which looks at adminis- trative body decisions to ensure they are fair and lawful. In the meantime, his daugh- ter's treatment is on hold. Recent- ly, however, Paquette's lawyer was able to negotiate interim funding from Jordan's Principle for four weeks of treatment with ISCM, but not for the number of hours his daughter requires, said Paquette. ICSM, a private organization, is unique in that it offers services around the clock in a manner consistent with Indigenous be- liefs, said Paquette. "We work hard for each of our children and youth we service as we are accountable to them," said Lacey Lewis, director/commis- sioner ICSM. He is taking legal action not just for his daughter, but for all Indigenous children, he said. "Because when you look at Jordan's Principle, one of the things on the website they con- stantly talk about is that they are there to ensure the children not only survive but thrive." "Going to court is not who I am. It's costing me money and anxiety. It's overwhelming. Un- fortunately our issue is not a sin- gular issue. My first priority is my daughter, but this story is so much larger than just us." FIGHTING FOR HIS DAUGHTER, AND OTHERS IN NEED Stephen Paquette, shown at an unveiling ceremony for a Truth and Reconciliation mural, is known throughout the region as a community builder. Going to court is not who he is, he said. Graham Paine/Torstar KATHY YANCHUS kyanchus@metroland.com NEWS TREATMENT EMBODYING INDIGENOUS WORLD VIEW VITAL, SAYS PAQUETTE "My first priority is my daughter, but this story is so much larger than just us." - Stephen Paquette