$19,000

That's what the Kitchenuhmaykoosib reserve in Northern Ontario receives every year to pay for gas and repairs to keep their fire truck in working order.  And that's over-and-above the rest of the millions the band routinely receives. 

But guess what?  The fire truck was not in working order when a fire on the fly-in location killed a woman and four children the other night.  "Just because they have a fire truck on paper doesn't mean it's up and running.  There's not a lot of money given for maintenance," complained Richard Kent, v-p of the Aboriginal Firefighters Association of Canada.  What a bizarre thing to say while the band pockets $19,000 a year for this very expense.  Obviously, they are spending that money on other things -- what we don't know, but not the fire truck.  "Indigenous Services Canada provides money for firefighting, but communities may choose to use fire protection funding on other projects," said the department wimpily. 

Once again, it's the rest of us and the feds who have caused this problem.  It's never the bands' fault.  Well, I'm here to tell you it is.  "The way I feel right now, I don't know how to explain it?" the band chief inexplicably said.  CMHC said fires on reserves are caused by poorly-built housing, a shortage of smoke alarms (would have been useless when the truck wasn't working), arson (there's a good one!) and the use of wood stoves -- all items the responsibility of the bands who have taken over everything, including the firefighting itself.

Why are these people still living on fly-in reserves?  Oh yeah, I forgot, money.  Sorry, but someone has to say it.