From foster homes to homeless.
Kiona Fontaine speaks out.
After a blatantly obvious show trial, Tina Fontaine's alleged killer returned to the streets of Winnipeg. Less than a month later Tina’s cousin and close friend Kiona was left to fend for herself on those very same streets. She was given the address of a local homeless shelter and 2 bus tickets. They advised her to contact the welfare office and that completed the transaction. She turned 18 at the beginning of March and was no longer in C.f.s care, now she was alone and homeless in one of the most dangerous cities in Canada. If you haven’t personally dealt with C.f.s you most likely know some one who has. Sometimes children are apprehended due to legitimate safety concerns, others are taken on no more than questionable complaints or unsubstantiated suspicions. Many People in Manitoba are aware of the problems at C.f.s and some even believe the apparent incompetence and ineptitude is actually a cover for some kind of criminal conspiracy. It could certainly appear that way when C.f.s continues to make the same damaging and deadly mistakes over and over again. After apprehension youth are placed in potentially unpredictable and often volatile environments. I’ve witnessed the problems faced by people in C.f.s first hand. Families and siblings separated, mental health issues, substance abuse and suicide. Victimization, exploitation and prostitution. Gangs, guns and drug money. Jails and other institutions. Homeless shelters. Death. This is not fabricated or exaggerated in any way. This is where C.f.s places some of our societies most vulnerable people. In this place paranoia is essential for self preservation. The predators responsible for the cover up, murder and exploitation of Tina Fontaine still stalk the cold, dark streets of Winnipeg. These streets lured Tina into the sex trade, and left her body in the river. Kiona has been homeless on these same streets for less than a week, she was already robbed and assaulted at the shelter C.f.s recommended. She’s in a part of Winnipeg that’s notorious for violence, a part of Winnipeg where intoxicants of all kinds are consumed openly. Serious mental illness is common here and vice thrives. People are scared to talk about it, and it wasn’t easy for Kiona to come forward. I couldn’t help but admire this terrified young woman, instead of letting the system break her down she decided to speak up! She told me she’s “scared and confused” in this place and that she hopes her story can help make a difference, “C.f.s is shady, they play games. They need to be straight up, These are peoples lives not just case numbers. Social workers are over worked and under paid, resources are out of date and can’t meet the cities needs. Where’s the over sight? (She Laughs) where are the police?” She shakes her head And ends the interview “ Take a walk from the museum of human rights to Dufferin at Main. See what’s really happening in Winnipeg.”
The cold and murky currents
Lethal as
The dark and dirty streets
Is all of this connected
In the city where the rivers meet
-Mickey Mongoose, 03/15/18
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