Corey O’Soup, originally from the Key First Nation. Photo by Manfred Joehnck
For the first time in the province’s history, a First Nations person has been named as the Advocate for Children and Youth.
Corey O’Soup, originally from the Key First Nation, has accepted the five year appointment. He says he is up to the challenge and will not be hesitant in criticizing the government when the needs of aboriginal children are not being met.
O’Soup is an educator, he has worked with FSIN, and his current role is special advisor on Metis and First Nations for the provincial department of education. In that role he has also had to deal with tragedy and crises management.
He was the lead for the government team last January in La Loche when four people were killed and seven were injured during a shooting rampage.
“La Loche changed me as a person,” he said. “It really gave me a new perspective of the challenges that are children and youth face as well as our educators, so lots of lessons learned.”
The speaker of the assembly, Corey Tocher, took part in the official signing ceremony with O’Soup in his office at the legislature.
Tocher says there were more than 100 applicants for the job, but O’Soup stood out.
“I think his proven ability to help at a time of crises,” he said. “He brought to the table the assets and pool of resources that made it pretty clear that he was the candidate we needed in the province.”
Both Tocher and O’Soup praised the work done by outgoing advocate Bob Pringle.
His five-year term was not extended. He will stay on until the end of October. He is expected to release at least one or two more reports before he steps down.
Pringle was disappointed his term was not renewed, but says he accepts the wishes of the MLA committee that appointed him.
He has said he hopes to continue doing social work involving children.