Gregg Hanson was originally from Saskatoon. When his father died while Gregg was still a toddler, his mother decided to raise her children herself, which eventually led her to move the family to Winnipeg in 1957. Here, Gregg attended St. Paul's H.S., then did a B.Comm at the U of M. He went on to become a Chartered Accountant in 1979. Gregg spent his professional career at Wawanesa Insurance Co., serving 15 years as its CEO until he retired in 2007.
Gregg was here tonight to talk to us about his activities since retirement. After consulting the likes of former P.M. Paul Martin and Justice Murray Sinclair, Gregg felt he had something to give back in the area of reconciliation in the relationship between indigenous and other members of society. Murray cautioned him that if he should do this, he must promise two things: that he commit to it, and that he focus himself to it. Gregg started by researching who was currently doing what.
The Winnipeg Boldness Project is striving to improve indigenous children's lives from pregnancy through preschool. They asked families with children what they thought was needed then compared these answers to research to see which ideas might have traction. After prototyping those that did, they passed it along to existing organizations that had a good fit with their own mandate.
He also spent a lot of time with the Bear Clan. He started by finding out their immediate needs which were hi-vis vests and cell phones. He used his connections to supply these items, then went on to lead a fundraising campaign. During this time, he went along on many of the patrols the Bear Clan does routinely. During one, they helped prevent a rape, during another they got an elderly man some much needed medical care. On one of the patrols, Gregg was taken inside a crack house. This was only possible due to the respect the Bear Clan has in the community. While inside, James Favel, the leader of the group did not scold the people in the house on their habit but instead asked them not to discard the needles where neighbourhood kids could get hold of them.
Gregg also went on some ride-alongs with the Winnipeg Police. These were eye-openers. During one such tour, they came across a man who was suffering from the effects of Lysol abuse. They called in the cadet unit who took him to The Main Street Project. Unlike other area shelters, this unit takes those who are currently abusing alcohol or drugs and has beds for both voluntary and involuntary (cells) intakes.
Roh asked for a future prediction on the issues. Gregg feels that while 40 to 50 years ago, most indigenous people were living on the reserves, the population has shifted to urban centers and that many reserves are now unsustainable. What we're seeing now is the struggles to cope with this shift. He feels we still have a long road ahead and it will take society as a whole to stop treating them as second class citizens.
Janet commented that there are currently 10,700 children in CFS care. Gregg feels that we need to find ways to keep as many as possible within the family.
Nancy mentioned that in New Zealand it is law to keep indigenous people within their community with family centered decision making.
Chuck asked if the Main Street Project is publicly funded. Gregg told us while being mostly funded through public grants, they are currently spearheading a capital campaign to raise funds to purchase another site to expand their operations.
Gregg finished by recommending a book on this subject: Wisdom From the Homeless by Dr. Neil Craton (available at McNally Robinson).
