Let's focus on public inquiry's positive outcomes

Cornwall Standard Freeholder

31 March 2008

To the editor:

As a community, I think some of us are missing the whole point of the Cornwall Public Inquiry. Ultimately, the inquiry is about healing and reconciliation within our community - it's part of the inquiry's mandate. Some don't think we need healing and reconciliation, but hear me out.

The main message from some of our political and opinion leaders is that the inquiry is too slow and costs too much. There is not very much being said about institutional response to allegations of abuse of our children and young people (phase 1 of the inquiry), and about healing and reconciliation (phase 2 of the inquiry). Let's be honest here, we know that inquiries generally are slow and cost a lot of money. That observation is not new, so why focus on only that?

It is the province that called the inquiry and it is the province that is paying the shot for it. In fact, the province is paying the city's legal bill at the same rate as everybody who asked for and received funding at the inquiry. The fact that the city may be paying a higher rate, for whatever reason, was as a result of a local decision made right here, independently of the inquiry and of the province. Why not also look at what potentially can come out of this inquiry in terms of how communities can better deal with allegations of child abuse? It seems to me that the few dollars each Ontarian is paying for our inquiry is well worth the investment, if the inquiry can recommend things that can better protect our children and youth. Why do some of us continue, after all these years, being in denial of what happened, and rest on the status quo premise that, "Well, we're just like every other community - so what." Well, we're not just like every other community. We're doing something about a problem. We're the only community to have an inquiry into a problem about how we are protecting our children.

Yet, some still want to concentrate on maligning the inquiry. But what if they get their wish and the inquiry is a failure? Well, then it's just another black eye for Cornwall. The message will be, "Cornwall unable to come to terms with its past."

But what if it's an unqualified success? Then the headlines will read, "Cornwall had a problem; came to terms with it; and is leading the way for other communities." Hey, I want to be there. I want to transcend the status quo and the negative parts of our past, and set the basis for a bright future. I want our community to heal and reconcile with itself. Let's not blow it.

Paul Scott,

Cornwall