Plight Beneath the Northern Light : The Right to Meet and Form Groups with Friends, Neighbours and Family

After an oil deposit is found in a town on Hudson Bay, the mayor sees his chance to get rich. He becomes consumed with greed, ignoring the voices of his community. In an effort to continue the advancement of the oil project, he imposes the ?Two-Bears Rule'. This rule prevents the bears from meeting to protest the oil project. Through creative problem solving, the characters must find a way to meet and band together.

This story seeks to teach children about the freedoms of assembly and association. Freedom of association provides individuals with the right to establish, to belong to, and to maintain an organization. Freedom of assembly is closely linked to freedom of association and provides individuals with the right to meet as members of a group or organization.

The Charter for Children introduces children to the basic principles of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Each story is set in a different province or territory of the country and each addresses a different right or freedom in the Charter. The series seeks to empower children by providing them with a basic awareness of their rights and by fostering a respect for the fundamental values that Canadians cherish.

Dustin Milligan is a native of Tyne Valley, Prince Edward Island. He received a Bachelor of Social Sciences degree from the University of Ottawa and a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Civil Law (LL.B./B.C.L.) from McGill University. He has worked in the field of constitutional advocacy and litigation in Canada, South Africa, and Burma. He was called to the bar of Prince Edward Island in 2011.

The idea for The Charter for Children first emerged when Dustin was a student at the Faculty of Law at McGill University. After his first year of studies, he was concerned about the ability for the common citizen to access the complicated legal system of our country—one that he himself had only begun to understand. Furthermore, he believed that children are some of our most vulnerable citizens, having limited voice, strength and knowledge of their rights. These concerns, combined with Dustin's love for literature and the law, led to the creation of The Charter for Children.