I am a Torontonian who is spending my summer in Nelson House, Man. Being 850 kilometres north of Winnipeg, I never thought that something of this magnitude could happen here but unfortunately it has.
The funeral for Dakota Hunter happened on Friday - the entire community closed down for this funeral and the turnout was impressive.
I have told people here about the gang problems in Toronto and such senseless slayings as Jane Creba, who was shot to death while shopping in downtown Toronto, and Jordon Manners, shot to death in school, also young victims of gang violence. Many of the core issues that lead to gang violence are prevalent here as they are in certain neighbourhoods in Toronto (i.e. poverty, lack of father figure in family, drugs, gangs).
There must be a national campaign to stop gang activity and end youth violence; our elected leaders should co-operate to develop a gang prevention strategy; and we must remember that gangs are no longer an urban issue. The real shocker of this murder is that this community is 850 kilometres north of Winnipeg - I fully expected it to be a quiet community with the police spending their time investigating barking dog complaints. How sad it is that one cannot feel safe in small communities anymore.
Tyler Craig
Nelson House
