As I watched the Canada Day parade in North Vancouver last Sunday, I saw dozens of floats and trucks go by with people of all ages standing on the displays and waiving to the crowd. It's a good thing that the Sechelt detachment of the RCMP wasn't present or a pursuit, arrest and pepper spraying incident could have happened. What's the difference between the lame excuses offered by the RCMP for their actions in Sechelt and what everyone witnessed on Canada Day? Is a parade by aboriginal people in celebration of a soccer victory different from any other parade? CBC reported that: "RCMP Const. Annie Linteau said Tuesday police saw 10 youths standing in the back of a pickup truck, and tried to stop the vehicle." The constable didn't allege that the pickup truck was speeding, or being driven in a manner that was different from what you see in any parade, although that was implied.

On Global's noon news on July 4th, another RCMP spokesperson apologized for pepper spraying children but didn't apologize for making an arrest or pepper spraying the adults. That's not good enough. The Sechelt people are to be commended for attempting to work with the RCMP to improve working relations, but one has to wonder whether it is possible when training appears so inadequate. In other news reports, an RCMP spokesperson admitted that the responding officers were not aware of the traditional victory parade, even though the RCMP had provided escort for it in previous years.

According to the Vancouver Province, local MLA Nicholas Simons participated in a meeting with the community and the RCMP. The RCMP are lucky that their attack on children came four days after the National Day of Action rather than before it. Premier Campbell issued a statement on the National Day of Action, but he's missing-in-action on the RCMP's abuse of the Sechelt people. Why haven't the media obtained a reaction to the Sechelt incident from the Premier, the Solicitor General or the Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation?