Monday, May 31, 2010

Nain Women's Group Back in Action

The Nain Women’s Group has started up again.

The Group which was formed over 30 years ago, has not been active for a number of years.

Zippie Nochasak is trying to revive the group.

She says the idea was brought forward during the Community Healing Project last week.

24 women showed interest in starting up the group again.

Some of the major issues they will touch on include transportation for elders and the construction of a senior’s home.

Hopedale- Hebron Trek Update

Hopedale residents are still on their journey to Hebron.

The Trek started in mid-March.

Of the 112 people originally registered for the 840 kilometer trek, 63 people remain.

Christine Vincent is the Community Health Worker for Hopedale.

She says of those registered, the most active is the 36-49 age group.

One person has completed the Trek so far.

Each person who does complete the Trek is entered to win the grand prize.

The winner will be announced during Hopedale’s Canada Day celebrations.

The grand prize is a mini laptop.

The purpose of this event is to promote a healthy lifestyle.

Jens Haven Memorial Offering Aboriginal Sheild Program

Students of Jens Haven Memorial in Nain are taking a course that isn’t usually offered in the regular school year.

Heather Angnatok is the Youth Administrator for the Nunatsiavut Government.

She says that she and the RCMP are delivering the Aboriginal Shield Program.

The program is being delivered to grade seven and eight students.

It teaches students to live a healthier lifestyle.

Angnatok says it is a pilot project and Jens Haven is the only school in Nunatsiavut to offer the program.

The curriculum was developed by the RCMP.

Angnatok received training in Ottawa on how to deliver the program.

The course teaches students to make wise decisions when it comes to things like self-esteem, substance abuse and addictions.

The program has a total of 11 classes.

Students will receive credits upon completion of the course.

Angnatok adds that it seems that the students are really picking up on the course material.

Torngat Fisheries Board Meeting

The operation of the Torngat Fish Producers Cooperative fish plants topped the agenda during the meeting of their board.

The Board met last week in Happy Valley- Goose Bay.

Keith Watts is the General Manager.

He says the board had to decide what they would do in the plants at Makkovik and Nain.

They decided both plants will operate similar to last year.

Nain will be landing char for about a month.

But Watts hope to bring in about 100,000 lbs of turbot for processing.

That would be up from the 30,000 lbs last year.

The Makkovik plant will process crab and turbot this summer.

The crab season opens on June 14th.

Watts also said they’re looking into getting something started with the fishery in Postville and Rigolet.

Friday, May 28, 2010

Nutrition North Canada to Benefit Nunatsiavut Consumers

A new program will oversee the subsidization of healthy foods to northern communities and benefit Nunatsiavut consumers.

Leo Doyle is a member of the Food Mail Review Team.

He says the new program is called Nutrition North Canada.

It will replace the current Food Mail Program.

The new program will cut out the middle man: Canada Post.

Doyle says that by doing so there will be more savings going directly to the consumers.

The new program will be introduced in phases.

The Department of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada hopes to see the final phase completed by April, 2011.

Daycare Closed for the Rest of the Summer

The recent flood at the Pigutsavik Centre (Daycare) in Nain has forced an early closure.

Toby Andersen is the Acting Property Manager for the Nunatsiavut Government.

Andersen says as of May 27th the Daycare is officially closed for the summer.

Engineers were flown in to determine the severity of the damage.

The conclusion is that the flooring of the building had shifted, causing the waterlines to bust.

Andersen says that the Department of Health and Social Development (DHSD) will not know the details until a final report is submitted.

He adds that the materials to repair the Centre won’t likely arrive until the freight boats start running.

The DHSD will determine if they’ll cover the costs after that final report is received.

After today, the Daycare Centre’s childcare workers will be laid off for the summer.

Nain Volunteer Fire BrigadeMembers to Receive Honorariums

The Nain Volunteer Fire Brigade members will begin to receive honorariums for their services.

Sarah Leo is the AngajukKak for the Nain Inuit Community Government.

She says that it was decided in this year’s budget to provide the volunteers with an honorarium.

The fire brigade members will receive their payment on a quarterly basis.

Leo says the honorarium shows the community’s appreciation for all the valuable and essential work the fire brigade members do.

In order to receive the payments, the recipients must attend all training sessions, brigade meetings and of course fire calls.

Leo adds that honorariums are common and there are other communities on the north coast that provide the same thing to their members.

Coastal Ice Condtions

The spring season has come earlier this year.

The result of this is an early breakup in some communities on the north coast.

To find out more of what ice conditions were like we contacted each community.

Henry Boase of Hopedale says the harbour has been ice free for about a week.

He says the residents can travel about 50kilometers into the bay by speedboats.

But due to heavy ice they are not able to go further outside.

Herb Jacque is the AngajukKak of Makkovik Inuit Community Government.

He says a few boats have been made it into the bay, but the harbor has been packed with drift ice for about a week.

And for a couple of days there’s been no wind to move out the ice.

Keith Decker is the AngajukKak in Postville.

He says the harbor is clear of ice.

And they can travel by speedboats about 20 miles into the bay.

But they cannot go north or south of the community due to heavy ice conditions.

Sherry Wolfrey is the town clerk in Rigolet.

She says it’s been ice free in their community since April.

And speedboats have been travelling to Goose Bay for the past two weeks.

True North Aid

Remember True North Aid?

Well, they didn’t get off to a good start here in Nain last year.

Yet, they still plan to help the community in any way they can.

And they also have plans to help other communities along the coast as well.

The town of Hopedale contacted them to help with the community centre.

After their insensitive remarks last year, True North Aid apologized.

Stating that they only had good intentions for us and just wanted to help those in need.

OKâlaKatiget radio will continue to follow-up with True North Aid throughout the summer.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Harald Paul and wife return to Nain

A very familiar boat has broken its way through the ice in order to get to Nain yesterday.

Harald Paul and his wife Silvia are the boaters who had spent their entire winter season aboard the vessel.

Paul dropped by our studio this morning to talk about their adventure.

He says they were anchored approximately 30 kilometers north of Nain.

In an area near Webb’s Bay.

Paul says the only troubles he faced was minor engine problems while breaking through the ice.

Now he has to do some minor paint touch-ups.

He says after that, they'll be sailing to Newfoundland.

But will return afterward.

Paul adds that once he returns to his homeland of Germany, a return to Nain would depend on his financial future.

Emotions run high at a community project in Nain

Emotions ran high this morning during the second day of the community healing project in Nain.

The project is an effort to promote togetherness and well-being.

The community hall was packed with concerned residents who came together to share their stories of healing.

Evelyn Winters is the Project Coordinator.

She says this morning discussions focused on women’s issues and youth concerns.

The delegation was brought to tears when Elizabeth Ittulak shared her emotional story of substance and spousal abuse.

Winters says this afternoon the participants will address issues concerning men.

The project wraps up this evening with a community celebration.

Winters is urging any concerned community members to join them in their discussions.

Nain startled by another community fire alarm

Yesterday evening the town of Nain was again startled by the sound of fire alarm.

Constable John McBride is with the Nain RCMP detachment.

He says the call came in at around 6:40pm.

Constable Mike Kenny was on scene for the RCMP.

According to Kenny, the fire started in a bedroom.

A mattress and chair were destroyed by the blaze.

The fire was extinguished before the fire department arrived.

He says there is some smoke damage to the walls.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

McBride says it looks like it may have been started by a lit cigarette.

The scene of the fire was declared safe in under an hour.

Labrador Interpretation Centre agenda

The Labrador Interpretation Centre in North West River will have a special presentation.

We spoke to Mina Campbell-Hibbs, the Curator for the Centre.

Campbell-Hibbs says Stan Nochasak will present and discuss Inuit spiritually and drum dancing.

She says this presentation will take place on Friday, May 28th.

Nochasak is originally from Nain, and now lives in St. John’s.

In other news, Campbell-Hibbs says the Centre will be hosting a new exhibit this summer.

Shirley Moorehouse will be working on wall hangings and inviting the public to participate.

The exhibit is titled Northern Lights Reflections.

She says this exhibit will be featured all summer.

OKalaKatiget Society Board Nominations

The OKalaKatiget Society welcomes three members to its board.

The nominations closed at 12 noon Tuesday.

Nominations included two for Nain, and one each for Postville and Makkovik.

Leah Ikkusek is the Executive Director for the Society.

She says Joe Dicker of Nain is the new board member, while Lucy Ikkusek was re-elected.

Brenda Colbourne of Postville was also re-elected.

Ikkusek says there were two candidates nominated for the town of Makkovik.

Carol Gear and Katie Haye received those nominations.

An election will take place on Monday, May 31st, 2010.

The voting will be at the community’s local radio station.

All Nunatsiavut Beneficiaries are eligible to vote.

Board Nominations are still open for North West River.

The deadline to nominate a resident is 12 noon tomorrow.

Fuel prices drop, but Labradors coast still in fuel price freeze mode

Fuel prices have dropped as residents of the north coast anticipate the price freeze lift.

Effective today, the price of gasoline has decreased by 3.5 cents per liter (cpl).

The price of home heating fuel has also dropped by 2.87 cpl.

David Hillier is a Research Analyst with the Petroleum Pricing Office (PPO).

He says that they’re anticipating an early date in June for the lifting of the price freeze on the south coast of Labrador.

Hillier says the anticipated date isn’t out of the norm for the region.

The PPO and department of Transportation and Works are continuing to monitor the situation here on the north coast.

The price of gasoline is currently locked at $1.39 a litre.

Home heating fuel is $1.04.

The price freeze was lifted here on the north coast last year on July 02.

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Boat Licensing Refresher

This is the time of year to register and license boats on the North coast.

This process has been created by search and rescue to ensure the safety of boaters.

Registration is required in all Canadian waters.

Natasha Fudge is the Boating Safety Officer for Transport Canada.

She says any boat owner who has not registered or licensed their boat can still get an application.

They are free of charge and available at the local RCMP detachments.

Nain Residents Upset with TRHA Housing Selections

The recent TRHA housing selections have Nain residents questioning the process.

A resident, who asked to remain nameless, feels that TRHA needs to review its selection criteria.

That person feels that it’s who you know and how much money you make versus the actual need for a new home.

Margie Fox is the Chairperson for TRHA.

She says criteria used for selection of recipients in each of the communities are concrete.

The major factor when choosing a recipient is their net income.

A recipient must meet a certain income ceiling level to be eligible for a home.

Other factors that when selecting recipients include overcrowding in the home, safety issues and whether or not that person is a senior.

Fox says that if a conflict of interest does exist between an applicant and a member of the housing committee, that member will not be allowed to sit on the selection committee.

She says the Board of Directors for TRHA is aware of the selections that are made.

If they feel that any by-law has been broken, they will step in.

Fox says that for any changes to be made to the criteria, they have to go through the TRHA assembly.

They would need to pass a motion changing the by-laws.

She adds that they run into the same conflicts every year and it is impossible to please everyone.

Labrador Marine Vessel Update

Unfortunately, an early ice break-up doesn’t mean an early arrival of vessels to Labrador.

Dave Layden is the Terminal Manager for Labrador Marine Inc.

He says both vessels are still on schedule with no talks of any changes.

The Northern Ranger is scheduled to depart Goose Bay, ports to Nain on June 14th.

While the Astron will depart Lewisporte for Nain by mid-June.

Layden adds that any changes would have to be made through the Department of Transportation and Works.

We spoke with Jerden Bennett, Manager of the Big Land Groceries in Hopedale.

He says this was anticipated and on par with what was planned last Fall.

Bennett adds this is a learning experience and all you can do is prepare from past experiences.

John Halligan Presentation

Last evening a very powerful presentation took place in Nain.

About 40 people attended the presentation, most of whom were parents.

John Halligan from Vermont, USA told the story of his son, Ryan.

Ryan was bullied throughout most of his life.

This ultimately resulted in his death by suicide at the age of 13.

Bullies ridiculed him online, cursing horrible profanities through online IM(instant messaging).

After his death, his father took it upon himself to make stricter anti-bullying and suicide laws.

Laws were passed seven months after Ryan’s death.

John also gave out good tips about how to deal with cyber-bullying and what to do if your children have social networking accounts.

He has done over 800 presentations all over North America.

He even appeared on the Oprah Winfrey show in February.

John will be back in Hopedale tonight after a trip throughout the north coast of Labrador.

To learn more of Ryan’s story, visit www.ryanpatrickhalligan.org

Tukisinnik Event Coordinator

Sarah Karpik is the new Special Event Coordinator for Torngat Arts & Crafts Inc. in Nain.

She started the new position Thursday at the craft centre.

Molly Shiwak is a board member for Torngat Arts & Crafts Inc.

She says the coordinator will help organize activities for the upcoming Tukisinnik meeting June 1-4th.

Karpik’s other duties include planning, coordinating events and catering.

She will also assist with the craft shop as needed.

Karpik’s contract is for one month.

Makkovik Prepping for Labrador Cup

Makkovik residents are busy training for the upcoming Labrador Cup 2010.

John Andersen is the coach of Makkovik’s Ladies team.

He says that this will be the second time that the ladies will be competing.

They have been busy training for the last three weeks.

Andersen says that he’s feeling pretty confident as the competition approaches.

The training has been taking place in the school gym thus far.

But the weather has recently allowed for the players to begin training at the ball field.

There are a total of 12 women on the team.

Andersen says the men are busy at work training as well.

The twelve-member team is being coached by Rob Kennedy.

The Labrador cup has had a men’s team participate from Makkovik since the cups creation.

Labrador Cup 2010 is scheduled to begin on June 2.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Glen Sheppard- Ordinary Member for Postville

On May 4th, all Nunatsiavut beneficiaries elected Ordinary Members for Nunatsiavut Government.

This morning we spoke to Glen Sheppard of Postville who was elected in his community.

The newly-elected member had eighty-four votes.

Sheppard says one of his first priorities would be employment in his community.

He says another of his priorities would be senior’s health care.

For example getting seniors to and from the airport.

Suspension of SAR Service Not a Problem

The suspension of the military’s search and rescue (SAR) services in Goose Bay isn’t a cause for concern for Nunatsiavut communities.

The combat support squadron in central Labrador has stated that it would no longer respond to search and rescue calls.

This is due to a lack of personnel.

Sid Paine is the Coordinator for Nain SAR.

He says that the majority of searches carried out in the region are done by local SAR teams.

They have a better understanding of the land which gives them an advantage in the search.

When outside resources are needed the first response comes from Gander.

He adds that there are other resources that exist in the communities.

For example, Vale Inco has an agreement with the community of Nain to provide its resources in a search effort if need be.

Paine says his only concern would be for the disruption of medical evacuation services.

Alison Dower is the Regional Director of Communications with Labrador Grenfell Health.

She says that in the past the SAR squadron in central Labrador has assisted in medical evacuations.

They are called in when the weather conditions will not allow for a plane to get in.

Dower says that there is no need to worry because they have a contractual arrangement with commercial companies in case the emergency service is needed.

Daycare Closure

The recent flood at the Daycare centre in Nain has forced an early closure.

Nicole Dicker is the Pigutsavik Operator.

Dicker says as of Friday, May 28th the Daycare will be laying off its Childcare Workers.

She says the staff will have enough hours for their Unemployment Insurance benefits.

The decision was made by their Human Resources department and the Program Developer for child care at the Regional Office in Goose Bay.

Dicker says she is still waiting on word back from Toby Andersen the Acting Property Manager for the Nunatsiavut Government.

She says the repair crew from Goose bay still hasn’t arrived.

Dicker adds she’ll be working till June 25th to catch up on some Administration work and other files.

Healthy Baby Club Shower Update

The Healthy Baby Club Shower went really well in Hopedale on Thursday.

We spoke to Judy Voisey, the Resource Mother for the Healthy Baby Club Program.

She says there was a good turnout of mother’s, babies, elders and Nunatsiavut Government staff.

About thirty people attended this event.

She says they had a wonderful time.

Voisey adds she would like to thank Public Health and everyone else who was involved in this event.

Friday, May 21, 2010

New First Minister

The newly appointed First Minister says the Nunatsiavut Government lacks communication with its beneficiaries.

Darryl Shiwak is the First Minister.

Shiwak says during his past 3 ½ years in office, he has noticed that the NG doesn’t do enough of that.

He says this has to change and more communication will happen.

But before any of this can happen, the newly appointed Ministers are meeting with their Deputies.

These meetings are to update Ministers with the latest in each department.

Shiwak also spoke about the Assembly sittings and more.

Hopedale TRHA Update

The community of Hopedale and its housing selections are just about complete.

William Lucy is the Coordinator of TRHA.

He says the selection for the three new houses is finished.

- Abe and Ruth Flowers will receive a 2 bedroom unit
- Jackie Basto Dicker and Freddie Winters a 3 bedroom home
- Sybella Bennett and Albert Jararuse also a 3 bedroom house

Lucy says Sybilla Hunter and Mike Goudie will receive a rebuilt 2 bedroom unit.

He also mentions that a home that was turned back over to TRHA has yet to be allocated.

Lucy adds there are no selections for home repairs either.

Nain Relay for Life Update

Nain has started planning for its first ever Relay for Life.

The Nain Relay for Life will be held on July 18th.

Annie Solomon is the CYN Fieldworker.

She says a meeting was held last night at the hall.

A group of about 12 people attended the meeting.

They picked the date and brainstormed a few ideas.

They plan to hold a meeting every Thursday at the hall.

Solomon says they will soon make posters and send out letters to various businesses.

She says a lot more planning has to be done before the Relay.

If anyone has any suggestions for the Relay post them to the Facebook group Nain Relay for Life or call her at work.

Roots of Empathy

The Roots of Empathy Program is nearing the end of another school year.

Lora-Dawn Angnatok is a teacher at Jens Haven Memorial.

The Program is aimed to school-aged children and helps them to gain knowledge from the babies in the program.

The babies are Alex Andersen, Avery Janes and Darcel Lidd.

Just this morning, little Alex paid a visit to the Grade 2 class.

Angnatok says the theme today was feelings.

The children learned that Alex’s development has a lot to do with his upbringing and how much love and praise he is shown by his parents.

The children were impressed that Alex can say a few words and walk with the help of others.

Angnatok says the Roots of Empathy Program will continue next year.

And that the Program is now being recognized and will soon be branched out to other schools in Labrador.

Lynx Still Developing Cellular Service

Lynx Mobility is still in the process of bringing cellular service to Hopedale and Nain.

David Torres is a Regional Sales Manager with Lynx Mobility.

He says they are now in the process of establishing a local partner for the venture.

Organizations that have expressed interest are the Labrador Inuit Development Corporation and a local private company.

He says they were originally partnering with the Inuit Community Governments (ICG) in Nain and Hopedale.

The ICGs have since pulled out of the partnership.

Kitora Abel is the Town Manager with the HICG.

She says that the HICG has other, more important, priorities right now.

But they still continue to support the idea of cellular service coming into their community.

Torres says that Lynx Mobility has already completed a sight survey for both of the communities.

And once a partner is found, the process should speed right along.

The partner will be responsible for operating the service, selling the products and providing investments among other responsibilities.

He says developing a partnership ensures that more of the revenue from the service will stay in the region rather than going to an outside party.

Torres hopes to see the service up and running by this fall or sometime in 2011.

Thursday, May 20, 2010

NL Moravian Church news

The upcoming Moravian Music Festival topped the agenda during the Moravian Church boards teleconference.

Joan Andersen is the Chair of the NL Moravian Church Provincial board.

She says the Festival is scheduled to take place June 29 in Makkovik.

Music teachers and students from Nain, Hopedale, Happy Valley and Makkovik will join representatives from MUN for the celebration.

There will be workshops on playing brass instruments, the violin and hand chimes.

The participants will also perform Inuktitut and English Moravian hymns.

Andersen says the Moravian Church board held their teleconference last week.

Other agenda items included proposals for a Moravian Manse in Nain, Beatrice Hope's Internship and the Makkovik Merit Awards.

3 missing men

Pieces of debris have been found in the search for the 3 missing Labrador men.

Sgt. Guy Caines is with the RCMP Detachment in Goose Bay.

Caines says a running shoe and an aluminum piece of the boats stern have been found.

A family member has confirmed that the shoe does belong to one of the missing men.

He says the debris was found further down the river below a second water fall.

Caines says now the Canadian Rangers are offering their help in the search.

Two days ago three young men went missing at Muskrat Falls during a canoeing incident.

Caines says the RCMO, DFO, the EMO (Fire and Emergency) teams are still continuing the extensive search.

Healthy Baby Club Shower

The Healthy Baby Club Program held their baby shower last night in Nain.

We spoke to Judy Voisey, the Resource Mother for the Healthy Baby Club Program.

There were twelve to thirteen mothers and babies that attended the event.

She says they had a good time and everything worked out really well.

The Northern Store provided the meals and it was excellent.

She says she would like to thank the Nunatsiavut Government and Department of Health and Social Development for her welcoming.

Any mother who is pregnant and would like to join the healthy baby club program can contact Judy Voisey at the Aboriginal Family Centre in Happy valley Goose Bay.

Nain Working Group

Dina Maggo of Nain is the newest addition to the Nain Working Group.

She is the second elder to join the group along with Julius Ikkusek.

Evelyn Winters is the Community Healing Project coordinator for Nunatsiavut.

She says DHSD received 3 nominations.

The voting took place yesterday and it was decided that Maggo would join the team.

She will be responsible to offer her input and advice for the Healing Project in Nain.

Winters says a Community Healing Project gathering will be taking place on May 26 & 27.

Everyone is invited to attend the "Let's Work Together Community Gathering".

The event will be at the Community Hall.

Opportunities for Business

Many residents of Nunatsiavut question the lack of services in our communities.

An even higher number of residents are likely unaware of the assistance available from the Nunatsiavut Government.

Molly Shiwak is the Business Development Officer with the Nunatsiavut Business Centre Incorporated (NBC).

She says the NBC has many resources available to assist Nunatsiavut beneficiaries with business development.

The NBC provides up to a $180, 000 loan to any beneficiary who is trying to develop a business.

That loan is available to any beneficiary within Canada.

To be eligible for that loan, the applicant must provide a sound business plan as well as 10 per cent of the start-up capital.

The business plan must then be approved by the NBC's board of directors.

Shiwak says they also provide assistance in developing the business plan.

The NBC was created in 2004.

Since then it has assisted in developing many businesses such as Aivek Holdings in Nain and Lyall's Drafting and Design in Happy Valley-Goose Bay.

Shiwak adds that they are constantly encouraging and inviting people to apply for their services.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Torngat Fisheries Board Meeting

The Torngat Fish Producers Cooperative is having a board meeting next week.

Keith Watts is the General Manager.

He says they’ll meet in Happy Valley – Goose Bay on the 26th and 27th.

The agenda items include an overview of the operation of the fish plants in Makkovik and Nain last year.

Watts says the plants in Makkovik and Nain will likely process the same species of fish this summer.

There will be snow-crab and turbot in Makkovik.

The Nain plant will process char and turbot.

3 Young Men Missing

An extensive search and rescue is ongoing for three young men in the Happy Valley-Goose Bay area.

Sgt. Guy Caines is with the RCMP Detachment in Goose Bay.

He says last evening at approximately 7:00pm the young men went missing during an incident at Muskrat Falls.

Located just west of Goose Bay.

Caines says one young man is from Goose Bay, another from Cartwright and the other from Charlottetown.

All are between the ages of 18 and 19.

He says a witness caught the last moment the men were seen.

And that they then jumped out of the canoe-type boat before being swept over the falls.

The witness told the RCMP that the young men were not wearing any life preservers.

Caines says a grounds search and rescue team continued its search last night until it was too dark to continue.

And this morning when it was light enough, the team recommenced the search.

He says DFO has supplied a rescue boat, while Goose Bay’s fire and emergency team has provided a helicopter.

There are approximately 25 searchers made up of the RCMP, DFO and a Fire and Emergency Team known locally as EMO.

Local and Regional TRHA Update

The selection process for the final home in Nain is over.

Janelle Barbour and Kenny Dicker Jr. are the new homeowners.

This decision was expected to be made this Friday.

Margret Fox is the Chairperson of the Torngat Regional Housing Association (TRHA).

Fox says the home is a previous TRHA house that was turned back over to them.

The house was formerly in the name of Sam Ford.

In other TRHA news.

Fox says they have received a response from the Nunatsiavut Government on the final $1 million.

So far they’ve received $300,000.

Then on July 1st they’ll get another $500,000.

And the remaining $200,000 will be allocated on October 1st.

In October 2008, the Provincial Government allocated $8.2 million to all of the provinces aboriginal groups.

The province called it the Off-Reserve Aboriginal Housing Repair Program.

The monies will be used to build a new duplex apartment in Nain.

Municipal Awareness Day

Today is Municipal Awareness Day.

Town councils across the province are inviting the general public to learn more about what they do.

Shirley Goudie is the Town Manager with the Postville Inuit Community Government (PICG).

She says they are holding an open house at their office all day.

The PICG is also hosting a lunch for residents of the community.

There are displays all around the office which describe the role and duties of the PICG.

Goudie says young students from B.L Morrison have some of their artwork on display as well.

The children created images depicting what they would do if they were the mayor of the town.

Their ideas include paving the roads, constructing a sportsplex and theatre.

Other ideas include banning alcohol in the community and placing a full time police force in Postville.

Goudie says the PICG is also inviting the public to check out the town garage.

There the children will have a chance to get their picture taken with some of the equipment.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Local and Regional TRHA Update

The remaining applicants for Torngat housing in Nain just got a little more anxious.

All that is left is the one home.

A decision won’t be made till Friday.

Margaret Fox is the Chairperson of the Torngat Regional Housing Association (TRHA).

Fox says the home is a previous TRHA house that was turned back over to them.

She says TRHA received a response from the Nunatsiavut Government on the final $1 million.

So far they’ve received $300,000.

On July 1st they’ll get another $500,000

Then the remaining $200,000 will be allocated on October 1st.

In October 2008, the Provincial Government allocated $8.2 million to all of the provinces aboriginal groups.

The province called it the Off-Reserve Aboriginal Housing Repair Program.

Spring Clean-Up a Breeze

It’s that time of year again.

The snow has pretty much disappeared in each of the communities and it’s soon time for spring clean-up.

Cleaning crews in Nain can expect a much easier job this spring.

Sarah Leo is the AngajukKak for the Nain Inuit Community Government.

She says Nain’s plastic bag ban has made a dramatic difference in the amount of trash found around town.

As the snow melts and reveals the collected litter below, there is a lot less to be found around Nain.

Leo says she flew into the community yesterday and couldn’t believe the difference in the amount of trash.

Especially in areas such as the airstrip and the point near the dump that are usually covered in trash.

This is the first spring clean-up since Nain’s plastic bag ban was enforced.

DFO Building

The new Department of Fisheries and Oceans(DFO) office in Nain is now occupied.

Garnet Blake is the Fishery Officer.

He says he is still in the process of moving in, but he is glad to be in the new building.

A grand opening will take place for the building, following the final inspection.

The inspector is due in on the 27th.

Blake says he has some new maintenance and preventative maintenance equipment for the building.

But, other than that the Office will run the same as before.

With very little administrative staff.

Bachelor of Social Work Program Update

The students of the Inuit Bachelor of Social Work Program are now into their 2nd semester.

Sandy Kershaw is the Program Coordinator.

She says of the 26 of the 32 students who enrolled in January are continuing.

Kershaw says the students have done extremely well and had very good marks for the first semester.

The 2nd semester will run right through summer and end on the 14th of August.

Kershaw says the next big step is the admission to the faculty.

Each student must meet a 65% minimum requirement in their social work and non social work studies to qualify for admission.

Each will then have to write a 4 page resumé stating all their experiences.

An admissions test will also determine if the students make it into the faculty.

It’s a lot of work, but Kershaw feels confident that the students will do very well.

Grads on the North Coast

Summer is just around the corner, and the students on the north coast are getting ready for their holidays.

We contacted each of the schools and asked the how many students will be graduating this year.

First we contacted Northern Lights Academy School in Rigolet and we spoke to Wendy Pottle, the secretary for their school.

Pottle says two students will be graduating on June 24th.

They will have church service first then head to the hall for their ceremony.

We contacted John Christian Erdhart School in Makkovik.

And spoke to Rick Plowman the Principle for their school.

Plowman says seven students will graduate in their school, on May 29th.

He says they will have church service and have their ceremony at the school gym.

The Amos Comenius Memorial School in Hopedale will have five students graduating.

We spoke to Dean Coombs the Principle in Hopedale.

He says the ceremony will take place at the gym on June 5th.

And in Nain we spoke to Jake Larkin the Principle for Jens Haven Memorial School.

Larkin says ten students will graduate this year on May 22nd.

Church service will take place at 3pm, and the prom will be at the gym at 6pm.

In Postville at the B.L Morrison school there will be three students graduating on May 20th.

We spoke to Joanne Jacque the secretary for their school.

Jacque says they will have church service at 3pm.

And the prom takes place on Friday at the school gym.

Congratulations to all the students.

Monday, May 17, 2010

Tukisinnik Workshop

A research workshop will take place next month in Nain from June 1st to 4th.

Tom Sheldon is the Director of Environment for Nunatsiavut Government (NG).

Sheldon says NG will host a special community forum on research in Nunatsiavut.

He says the workshop is called Tikisinnik.

It will include what research projects are happening, and the results.

Sheldon adds there will be many delegates attending from out of town.

TRHA - Nain local housing selections continue

The Nain local housing committee has made some housing selections.

Margret Fox is the Chairperson.

She says of the 5 new houses, the following will be receiving new houses:

- Heather Ivany and William Dicker
- Margaret Obed
- Annie and William Lidd
- Michelle Solomon and Samuel Ittulak
- Josephine Semigak and Martin Jararuse

Fox says Silpa Suarak will be getting her Atatsiaks (Grandfathers) house.

While April Andersen and Andrew Hamel will receive Judy Ford’s home.

She says the remaining home that was turned back over to TRHA has not yet been announced.

Selections will continue throughout this week.

We also spoke with Heather Ivany, one of the successful applicants.

She says she is extremely happy and thanks everyone on the housing committee for picking her family for a new home.

Ivany says she has been trying to get a place for the past four years.

Keep tuning into OK Radio this week as we will reveal the remaining Nain housing selections.

Flood at Nain Daycare Centre to undergo renovations

It’s nearly a week since the Daycare Centre in Nain has been shutdown from a flood.

Nicole Dicker is the Pigutsavik’s Daycare Operator.

She says the Daycare Centre will now undergo renovations to the damaged parts of the building.

Dicker says a crew will be flown in from Goose Bay today.

As for when the renovations will commence, Dicker is unsure because everything will have to be assessed.

The main assessment will be based on having materials flown in from Goose Bay.

Dicker says she is in the process of sending an email to all parents and guardians.

The letter will include; who they can contact if they have any questions or comments concerning the situation.

Dicker adds because of this misfortune, parents or guardians will not be charged any fees.

Labrador School Board - Update

New housing units will be constructed for teachers this coming summer.

Bruce Vey is the Director of Education for the Labrador School Board.

Vey says Postville and Rigolet are the communities that will get the new houses.

And right now they’re in the process of sending out tenders.

He says the units will hopefully be completed by September.

But more housing is needed in all the Labrador coastal communities.

Vey says there are also teaching vacancies that need to be filled for the upcoming school year.

He adds that the Adult Basic Education (ABE) classes in Nain and Hopedale have been a success.

Meaning there is a higher ABE graduation rate for returning students at the College of the North Atlantic (CNA).

For those students that do graduate, they generally continue onto other programs with CNA.

2nd Annual CYN & Mr. Volleyball Tournament Results

The 2nd Annual CYN & Mr. volleyball tournament finished last night.

Despite the fact that all the teams weren’t able to attend, the tournament was still a success.

Annie Solomon is the CYN Fieldworker.

She says the first place for the female division went to the team ‘Bullet Proof’, second went to ‘Mission Unblockable’ and third went to the ‘Tupaiks’.

For the male division, first place went to the ‘Hurricanes’, second was ‘X Factor’ and third went to the ‘Strikers’.

The Most Valuable Player awards went to Samuel Dicker and Kristie Holwell.

And the Most Sportsmen-like players were Boas Mitsuk and Sarah Karpik.

While the Most Sportsmen-like team went to the ‘Sugar and Spikes’.

Some teams from out of town didn’t arrive until around suppertime on Saturday.

Solomon adds a big thank you to everyone who made the tournament possible.

And to the teams that tried to make it in, but couldn’t.

Solomon added a special thanks to Mr. Obed, who the partial tournament is named after.

Atlantic Family of the Year

A Goose Bay family received an honorable award on Friday.

The Hopkins’ family (Martha, Ian, Karyn and Kelly) received the Atlantic Family of the Year award.

The award was given on behalf of Muscular Dystrophy Canada.

The recognition is given to a family of a person with a neuromuscular disorder.

David Hopkins, their son and brother passed away in February from Duchenne muscular dystrophy at the age of 27.

Karyn Hopkins, David’s sister is the organizer of the David J. Hopkins Memorial Walk for Muscular Dystrophy in Goose Bay.

It will take place on June 5th at 1pm.

Hopkins hopes attention will be given to this cause and more sponsors will be recruited.

To date the Hopkins’ family and other volunteers raised over $1000.

They hope to raise more than $9000.

To make a donation visit www.muscle.ca/walk

Friday, May 14, 2010

Crosshair Exploration-Mark Morabito

The moratorium on uranium mining in Nunatsiavut is in effect until 2011.

OK radio talked to Mark Morabito about the moratorium.

Morabito is the Executive Chairman of Crosshair Exploration and Mining.

He talks about the potential lifting of the moratorium on uranium mining in Nunatsiavut.

He also mentions how he thinks the lifting of the moratorium would affect the company’s plans.

New Executive Council

A new Executive Council of the Nunatsiavut Assembly was selected yesterday.

The selection took place during the first sitting of the newly elected Ordinary Members in Hopedale.

First, President Lyall selected the new First Minister: Rigolet Ordinary Member Darryl Shiwak.

Then the two decided upon the remaining members of the executive council.

Daniel Pottle, Ordinary Member for the Canadian Constituency has taken the portfolio of Minister of Finance and Human Resources.

The role of Minister of Health and Social Development was assigned to Keith Russell of Happy Valley-Goose Bay.

William Barbour has once again been assigned to the portfolio of Minister of Lands and Natural Resources.

Johannes Lampe of Nain is the new Minister of Culture Recreation and Tourism.

And Susan Nochasak of Hopedale has been given the position of Minister of Education and Economic Development.

Also during the sitting, Patricia Ford, Ordinary Member for the Canadian Constituency, was selected as speaker of the house.

ITK Developing Inuit Youth Magazine

Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK) is developing a new medium for Inuit youth to share their stories and experiences.

Shelly Watkins is the Youth Project Coordinator with ITK.

She says they have issued a call for submissions for a national Inuit youth magazine.

The magazine will be titled “Nipiit,” which translated means “Voices.”

This publication will be the first of its kind.

Watkins says they are now calling for Inuit youth from across the north to submit articles, photographs and artwork for the first edition of the magazine.

She is hoping to launch the first 24-page edition during the National Inuit Youth Summit in Inuvik in August.

The magazine will be published twice a year.

Watkins says they will distribute the magazine to high schools and youth centers across the North.

Funding for the first edition of Nipiit came from various departments within ITK.

Watkins hopes to acquire full time sponsors for each succeeding edition.

The magazine will also look for revenue through ad sales.

You can email your submissions for the magazine to watkins@itk.ca before June 1.

Trainee Program Causes Big Opportunity for Nunatsiavut Youth

A trainee program has lead to some very exciting opportunities for a Nunatsiavut youth.

Jenna Andersen of Makkovik will be hitting the arctic seas again this summer as part of Cruise North Expeditions.

The cruise line is owned and operated by the Inuit of the Canadian Arctic.

It gives passengers the ability to experience the Arctic through community visits and excursions on the land.

Andersen started with Cruise North back in 2008 as a trainee.

She joins the expedition team again this summer as Assistant Expedition Leader.

Andersen says she’s a little overwhelmed by Cruise North’s decision to have her assume her new role.

The new position will make Andersen second in command for the expedition staff.

Her duties include deciding the ships course, planning the passenger excursions and monitoring the expedition staff.

Andersen just received her diploma in the Community Recreation/Leadership program from the College of the North Atlantic in St. John’s.

Following her summer on the seas, Andersen will be heading to Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario.

There she will begin working towards her degree in Outdoor Recreation, Parks and Tourism.

She says it’s somewhat of a sacrifice to have to give up her summers but it’s definitely worth it.

Andersen sets sail on August 2.

Housing Update II

Last Monday, the Nain local housing committee held a meeting for the screening process of housing applications.

Margaret Fox is the Chairperson of the Torngat Regional Housing Association (TRHA).

She says all 5 of the committee members were there:

- Herself
- Duane Dicker – Co-chair
- Jerry Hapgood – Secretary
- Beni Andersen – Member
- Jake Larkin – Member
- Rod Pilgrim – Member

Fox says they’ve broken down the current list to verify all income levels.

And says when making final selections, this is the most difficult part of the process.

A lot of applicants don’t understand what the selection committee is looking for.

Then the stressful part is to decide if applicants qualify or not.

As of Friday, Fox says all selections for each unit have been made.
But since a bit more verification needs to be done, the selections will not yet be made public.

Fox says that the new home owners will be notified sometime next week.

Piguttuk Update

The Piguttuk Family Resource Centre will resume normal operations on Monday.

The Centre had to close due to flooding in the basement two weeks ago.

The electrical units were turned off for safety precautions.

The radiators also had to be shut off leaving the building with no heat.

Rosina Brown is the Coordinator.

She says the staff has been cleaning up for the past couple of weeks.

Brown says a local electrician was there to check out the freezer outlets, lights, and radiators in the basement.

New lights will soon be installed and the outlets will have to be placed higher.

But Brown says she and her staff are really happy everything is finally getting back to normal.

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Sarah Townley-Master's Degree

It’s good to hear success stories about people.

Especially someone who’s been taking educational courses for years.

One of these success stories, is receiving her Master’s Degree in Education.

Sarah Townley is the Curriculum Inuktitut Program Specialist of the LSB.

Townley was recently told that she will receive her Master’s Degree this month.

She has been involved with the School Board since the 1990’s.

NG Assembly Swears in New Ordinary Members

President Jim Lyall has appointed a new First Minister.

The newly sworn in Ordinary Members voted on who would hold the title.

The vote came down to an 8-8 tie between Daniel Pottle and Darryl Shiwak.

Lyall broke the tie by appointing the position to Shiwak.

Olivia Edmunds of OK TV gave us a report this morning.

Edmunds says Shiwak will appoint new Ministers for each Department this afternoon at 1pm.

Nain TRHA Housing Selection Update

Last Monday, the Nain local housing committee held a meeting for the screening process of housing applications.

Margret Fox is the Chairperson of the Torngat Regional Housing Association (TRHA).

She says all 5 of the committee members were there:

- Herself
- Duane Dicker – Co-chair
- Jerry Hapgood – Secretary
- Beni Andersen – Member
- Jake Larkin – Member
- Rod Pilgrim – Member

Fox says they’ve broken down the current list to verify all income levels.

And says when making final selections, this is the most difficult part of the process.

A lot of applicants don’t understand what the selection committee is looking for.

Then the stressful part is to decide if applicants qualify or not.

Fox says they will be meeting again within the next couple of days, to make the final selections.

They will also start reviewing applicants who have applied for home repairs.

Of the regular TRHA budget, 5 new units and 2 apartments are to be built.

3 more will be turned back to TRHA.

Fox adds she’ll get back to us about the final $1,000,000 TRHA is to receive from the Nunatsiavut Government.

Labrador Groomers Better Prepared

Groomer operators from the North Coast are better prepared to deal with their risky occupation.

John Edmunds is a Groomer Operator from Postville.

He says that he and seven other groomer operators from Nunatsiavut took part in a safety training course last month.

The training was delivered in Labrador City by Safety One International.

Edmunds says the participants learned a range of skills including what to do in the case of a groomer break down.

The participants also learned how to deal with the possibility of hypothermia, map-reading skills and groomer maintenance skills.

Those skills can come in handy for the operators.

A few years ago the groomer went through the ice multiple times on the Postville area of the groomed trail.

Edmunds adds the training was very productive and well delivered.

Linguistics Program

The Linguistic Program in Happy Valley Goose Bay started their classes on May 11th.

We spoke to Martha McDonald the Associate Director for Labrador Institute.

McDonald says there are fourteen students who are enrolled in this program.

Doug Wharram is the Instructor and the Inuktitut Instructor is Selma Jararuse.

The students are learning vocabulary and how grammar works.

This program will run for six weeks.

CYN & Mr. Tournament

A volleyball tournament is scheduled to take place in Nain this weekend.

Annie Solomon is the CYN Fieldworker in Nain.

She says there are 11 female teams registered.

And 7 teams for the men’s division.

Teams participating from out of town are: Natuashish, Hopedale, Postville, Makkovik, and Sheshatshiu.

The Tournament starts this Friday at 6:00pm at the gym.

Prizes will include t-shirts, medals and trophies for MVP Male and Female.

Also, there will be prizes for the most sportsmen like male, female and team.

Solomon says helping with the tournament is Karrie Obed, who the tournament is partially named after.

This is the 2nd Annual CYN & Mr. Volleyball Tournament.

Solomon adds there will be hot dogs and soft drinks for sale at the tournament.

The deadline for registration was Wednesday, May 12th.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Darryl Shiwak re-elected Ordinary Member for Rigolet

Today all of the newly elected Ordinary Members will travel to Hopedale to be officially appointed.

Darryl Shiwak of Rigolet is one of them.

He says if he gets re-appointed Minister of Education and Economic Development, he’ll accept it.

Shiwak also says he’ll respect whatever decision President Lyall has in mind.

Whether that is to be the new First Minister, or not.

He says he is there for his people of Rigolet, the Nunatsiavut Government and all beneficiaries.

First assembly meetings for newly elected Ordinary Members

The newly-elected Nunatsiavut Ordinary Members will be holding their first assembly sitting this week.

Mary Sillett is the Clerk for the Nunatsiavut Government (NG).

She says the assembly will be arriving in Hopedale today.

The newly elected members will be sworn in tomorrow.

Sillett also says during the sittings is the selection of the NG Executive Council.

Those selections will be made by President Jim Lyall and the newly appointed First Minister.

Nain Daycare flood forces the centre to close for the remainder of the week

Once again, the Daycare Centre in Nain has been dealt another blow.

Nicole Dicker is the Pigutsavik’s Daycare Operator.

Dicker says a pipe that connected to the children’s sink in ‘Home Room 2’had broken open.

The crack is approximately an inch in length.

She says the water flooded their pre-school room, the infant room, the storage room and their staff room.

The hallway that connects all of those rooms was also flooded.

Dicker says the cold water line has been turned off and they are assessing the damage.

They’ve thrown out all damaged boxes and items.

They also sanitized all salvageable goods.

The daycare is expected to be closed all week.

Alcohol a contributing factor to the death of a Hopedale house fire

Cause of death to a victim of a house fire in Hopedale finds additional factors.

Sergeant Wayne Newell is the Media Relations Officer with the RCMP in St. John’s.

He says an autopsy was carried out on the body of the 50-year-old female victim.

The autopsy revealed that the cause of death was smoke inhalation.

Alcohol was found to be a contributing factor.

The cause of the weekend fire is still under investigation.

In respect of the family’s wishes, the victim’s name has not yet been released.

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Torngat Fisheries Update

Torngat Fish Producers Co-operative board members will meet in Goose Bay in a couple weeks.

Keith Watts is the General Manager.

He says one issue they’ll talk about is this summers’ fisheries, including fish prices.

Another topic is setting the dates for the upcoming Coastal Community meetings.

In other fishery news, the fish plants in Nain and Makkovik will be operated the same as the last two years.

There is a small amount of processed whole fresh char left from last year.

Torngat Fisheries’ markets are located in Europe, the United States and Newfoundland and Labrador.

Ushitau Maintance Employess Negotiating Contract

Another group of employees at the Voisey’s Bay mine site are negotiating a new contract.

Boyd Bussey is a negotiator with the United Steelworkers Union.

He says the contract with employees of Ushitau Maintenance expired recently.

Bussey says a conciliation officer was called in to assist in the negotiations.

The conciliator is filing their report to the Minister of Labour this week.

Employees are able to hold a strike vote 15 days from the time the report is filed.

Ushitau Maintenance is responsible for maintenance of the sites concentrator and loading dock.

There are about 50-60 people employed with the contractor.

Bussey adds that contracts for two other groups have also expired recently.

Those groups are Torngat Services Incorporated and Office and Technical workers with Vale Inco.

They are in the process of setting a date to begin negotiations.

Daycare Flood

Once again, the Daycare Centre in Nain has been dealt another blow.

Nicole Dicker is the Pigutsavik’s Daycare Operator.

Dicker says a pipe that connects to the children’s sink in ‘Home Room 2’had broken open.

The crack is approximately an inch in length.

She says the water also flooded the pre-school room, the infant room, storage room and their staff room.

The main hallway that connects all of those rooms was also flooded.

Dicker says right now the cold water line is turned off and they are assessing the damage.

So far they’ve thrown out all damaged boxes and items.

And now they are sanitizing the salvageable goods.

Dicker also added she is to meet with Toby Andersen the Nunatsiavut Governments acting property manager.

She will show him the piece of the pipe that was damaged.

From there they’ll get the correct replacement fitting.

If all goes well, they should be up and running tomorrow morning.

Assembly Sitting to Take Place in Hopedale

The newly-elected Nunatsiavut Ordinary Members will be holding their first assembly sitting this week.

Mary Sillett is the Clerk for the Nunatsiavut Government.

She says the assembly will be arriving in Hopedale tomorrow.

The newly elected members will be sworn in this Thursday.

Also taking place during the sitting is the selection of the Nunatsiavut Executive Council.

That selection will be made by President Jim Lyall and the newly appointed First Minister.

Monday, May 10, 2010

Final Results - Canadian Constituency Elections

Danny Pottle and Patricia Ford are the two new Ordinary members elected for the Canadian Constituency.

Jack Shiwak is the Chief Electoral Officer for the Nunatsiavut Government.

Shiwak says the mail–in ballots on election day were extended to Friday, May 7.

The bad weather played a big role in delaying the mail-in ballots from getting to their destination.

The final results of all 6 candidates are:

Catharyn Andersen received 204, Myrtle Banfield 266, Patricia Ford 387, Rob Lackie 24, Danny Pottle 552 and Belinda Webb with 100.

Ordinary Member - Makkovik

OKâlaKatigêt radio is still continuing to speak with the newly elected Ordinary Members for the Nunatsiavut Assembly.

This morning we contacted Denise Lane of Makkovik.

Lane was elected on May 4.

She received 91 of the 261 eligible voters.

Her main priority is Youth and Elders.

Fatal fire in Hopedale

The investigation into a fatal fire in Hopedale is continuing.

OK radio spoke to Sergeant Wayne Newell of the RCMP this morning.

According to Newell, an investigator from the fire commissioner’s office is expected to arrive in Hopedale today.

The investigator will try to determine the cause of the weekend fire.

The lone victim in the fire is a 50 year old woman.

Her body is being flown to Goose Bay for an autopsy.

The family of the victim has requested that her name not be released at this time.

Keep tuning in to OK radio for further details on the investigation.

The Labrador Society's celebrates 20 years

The Labrador Society held their 20th Annual ‘Reunion Dinner & Dance’ for Labradorians on May 1st.

We spoke to Hannie Hettash-Fitzgerald, the Director for the society.

Hettash- Fitzgerald says there was a smaller turn out of Labradorians this year.

She says the ‘Dinner & Dance' was held at the St. Anthony Boys Soccer Club in Ottawa.

Hettash-Fitzgerald says there were a ‘Grub Box Auction’ and a ‘Silent Auction’ that day.

She adds they also had door prizes, a dance and held a ‘Step Dancing Contest ‘for entertainment.

A granddaughter of a Labradorian won the contest.

Friday, May 7, 2010

Ordinary Member of Hopedale, Susan Nochasak

OKâlaKatiget Radio is continuing to speak with the newly elected Ordinary Members of the Nunatsiavut Assembly.

Today, we spoke with Susan Nochasak, who was elected as Ordinary Member of Hopedale on Tuesday.

She was elected with 132 votes out of 443 eligible voters.

Nochasak will tell us how she feels about being elected.

As well as what her main priorities and future plans are as the new Ordinary Member.

Mail-in Ballots

The mail – in ballots for NG’s Ordinary member election are being counted as we speak.

Jack Shiwak is the Chief Electoral Officer for NG.

We contacted Shiwak this morning.

He says some of the mail-in ballots he was waiting for are back.

This includes the ones for the Canadian Constituency from across Canada.

Shiwak was ready to start the count at 1 o’clock.

The deadline for the mail- in ballots is today.

Nursing Access Program Update

There are five students graduating from the Nursing Access Program at MUN this year.

Lucy Brennan is the Nunatsiavut Government’s Program Director of the Post Secondary Student Support Program (PSSSP) in St. John’s.

Brennan says these students have been taking the nursing courses for 5 and a half years.

They have spent their last 2 years of the program in Corner Brook NL.

She says the graduation ceremony will be in Corner Brook next Friday.

We will have more information on the Nursing Access Program graduation at a later date.

Also an update on where the students go from there, so keep tuning in.

Piguttuk Family Resource Centre Update

On April 30th, the Piguttuk Family Resource Centre in Nain had an electrical fire in the basement.

This was caused by flooding in the basement.

And as of today the centre isn’t open yet.

We spoke to Rosina Brown the coordinator for the centre.

Brown says they are still pumping out water from the basement and there’s no heat yet.

She says they are trying to dry the radiators out, and are checking on it daily.

Brown adds that they are hoping to clean up the basement Monday.

As of now, all the programs are cancelled for next week.

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Elected Candidates

With the election fever behind us, OKalaKatiget radio will be trying to speak with all of the elected Ordinary Members.

Johannes Lampe has the most votes of the four candidates for Nain.
He leads the way with 344.

He says he had a good feeling when the Inuit were going to the polls.

He had visited almost every home during his campaign.

Lampe says as an elected Ordinary Member one of the first things he’ll look at is ground transportation for the elderly and the disabled.

He says the membership has pointed out that there is no transportation for going to the clinic and the airport to travel for medical reasons.

Nain Relay for Life

This summer, Nain will hold its own Relay For Life walk.

Relay for Life is part of the Canadian Cancer Society’s campaign to fight cancer.

It’s a way to celebrate cancer survivors and remember those who have lost their lives to cancer.

Annie Solomon, CYN Fieldworker started a Facebook group about the Relay for Life four days ago.

She says she heard from a friend about the walk and wanted to learn more about it.

A few nights ago, she saw the commercial and was inspired to start the Relay here.

She will be honoring her mother, along with other relatives who have passed away after battling with cancer.

First, a committee needs to be formed along with fundraising for the event.

The Relay will be the first of its kind for Nain.

Solomon hopes to have the Relay either in July or August.

For more information, go to the Facebook group Nain ‘Relay for Life’.

Or check out www.cancer.ca/relay.

Career Day at the Gym

This is the time of year when youth start to decide their future career goals and how to achieve them.

The Annual Youth Symposium provides a day of opportunity for local and provincial businesses to help with the decision making process.

The Symposiums ‘Career Day’ went as scheduled from 8:30 to 11:00am at the Jens Haven Memorial gym.

Some organizations that participated were: Aurora Energy Resources, Provincial Airlines, the Canadian Coast Guard, Vale Inco, Parks Canada and more.

Both the television and radio department from OKâlaKatigêt were there as well.

The youth were very intrigued with every booth displayed and showed a high level of interest of what was presented.

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Ordinary Member elections now waiting on more votes!

The Nunatsiavut Government’s Chief Electoral Officer is still waiting to declare the official Ordinary Member winners in the Nunatsiavut Election.

Jack Shiwak says they’re waiting for more mail- in ballots from across Canada.

He says out of 1700 ballots sent out, only 600 returned.

Shiwak says these mail-in ballots have to be in by Friday.

In the meantime, OK radio staff will be contacting the unofficial winners for interviews.

No 'Ordinary' Election

On May 4th people went to the polls to vote for the Ordinary Members to represent their community.

The polls were open until 8:00pm last evening.

The preliminary elections results are as follows:

Nain:

Johannes Lampe 344 votes, William Barbour 230, Tony Andersen 219 and Zippie Nochasak had 190.

Hopedale:

Susan Nochasak received132 votes, Wayne Piercy 85, Norman Broomfield 61, Ruth Flowers 29, Elizabeth Tuglavina 21 and James Tuttauk with 9.

Postville:

Glen Sheppard tallied 84 votes, while Diane Gear had 40.

Makkovik:

Denise Lane won 91 votes and Todd Broomfield had 50.

Rigolet:

Darryl Shiwak picked up 98 votes, Tony Wolfrey was awarded 45 and Richard Rich reached 19.

Upper Lake Melville:

Keith Russell had an astounding 768 votes, Max Blake was awarded 509.

Young Matthew Pike came in 3rd place with 362 votes, Stan Oliver penciled in 287, Ben Ponniuk 203, Beatrice Hunter 104 and Roy Gillette got 67 votes.

The newly elected Ordinary Members will be officially revealed on Friday, May 7th.

The selection for the Canadian Constituency will also be chosen May 7th:

They are: Catharyn Andersen, Myrtle Banfield, Patricia Ford, Rob Lackie, Daniel Pottle and Belinda Webb.

Keep tuning in for the official results!

RYC had elections of their own!

During the Youth Symposium yesterday, the Rising Youth Council (RYC) held elections of their own.

Last evening during our live coverage of the Ordinary Member Elections, we had a few visitors.

Donna Dicker, the newly elected President, along with the new Vice President Caitlyn Baikie and Paul Andersen, the new Secretary dropped by.

Dicker was voted in by the delegates of the Symposium.

OKâlaKatigêts Morrall Blake spoke with all three.

Tomorrow on the Teen Rockers show, Dicker, Baikie and Andersen will explain more of their new positions and a bit about the RYC.

We will also contact someone from the Youth Division to hear more of the Symposium once it wraps up.

So keep tuned in!

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Norway Rats in Nain

A strange rodent was found in Nain yesterday.

A Norway rat, was found dead by Abia Kohlmeister’s house.

It had been killed by dogs.

The Norway rat is also known as the brown rat or the sewer rat.

We contacted Simon Kohlmeister, NG’s Conservation Officer to find out more.

He says he has no idea where it came from why it is here in Nain.

The rat was nearly a foot long from its head to the top of the tail.

And weighed just under a pound.

Apparently, this is not the first case of a Norway rat in Nain.

Two others have been sighted before yesterday.

One near the Atsanik Lodge and another near the Big Land Grocery store.

Both were sighted earlier this winter.

We hope to s peak to someone who can tell us why these rats showed up here.

Voting Day II

It’s voting day in the Nunatsiavut Communities and Upper Lake Melville.

Beneficiaries are electing Ordinary Members to represent them in the Nunatsiavut Assembly.

Jack Shiwak of Rigolet is the Chief-electoral Officer for Nunatsiavut.

He says the polls are open from 8 AM to 8 PM Labrador time.

Shiwak adds receipt of mail-in ballots for the Canadian Constituency of Labrador Inuit has been extended until Friday, May 7th.

The reason he says is, out of 1750 ballots that has been sent out, only about 600 have been returned to date.

He hopes to have the results of that election by Friday afternoon.

Voters Turn-Out

Polls opened this morning at 8am for those wishing to cast votes for Ordinary Members.

Residents ages 16 and over are eligible to vote.

We contacted each of the communities to get their voters’ turn-out.

Here are the results as of dinner hour:

NAIN: 170 of 849 voted, for a total of 20%
HOPEDALE: 152 of 443 voted, for a total of 34%
POSTVILLE: 36 of 156 voted, for a total of 23%
MAKKOVIK: 49 of 261 voted, for a total of 18%
RIGOLET: 51 of 234 voted, for a total of 22%
HVGB: 300 of 1680 voted, for a total of 18%
NWR: 59 of 276 voted, for a total of 21%.

Tune in later this afternoon, for an update on the voters turn-out.

Nain Junior Rangers

Soon, the youth in the community of Nain will have more to do.

Annie Solomon is the Nain CYN Fieldworker.

Solomon says she and the Canadian Rangers are in the process of starting up the Junior Canadian Rangers (JCR).

However, this process can take a few months to a year.

She says this is because of paper work to file.

An Adult Committee of eight needs to be established.

So far, four have been selected.

Solomon says once started, the Canadian Rangers will do training and host activities with the help of the CYN.

One of the activities is to strip a gun to its core, reassemble it and fire a shot.

And to fire a shot, a firearms license is required.

She says because of that requirement, she believes the process will be quicker through the JCR.

To join; you have to be between the ages of 12 and 18.

Solomon says they have all 35 spots filled and more on a waiting list.

The Canadian Rangers are currently in the process of creating a document that the CYN hasn’t received yet.

Solomon says once the document is received, she’ll provide more details.

Rising Youth Council Elections

Some of the delegates of the 17th Annual Inuit Youth Symposium will be casting their vote in two elections today.

Heather Angnatok is the Youth Administrator for the Nunatsiavut Government.

She says elections are being held for positions on the Rising Youth Council of Nunatsiavut (RYC).

Delegates of the symposium arrived in Nain yesterday.

Angnatok says nominations will be held this afternoon.

Those nominated candidates will then be given the opportunity to make a campaign speech.

Delegates will then cast their votes for the candidates.

Angnatok says there will be a newly elected President, Vice-President and Secretary/Treasurer.

They are hoping to fill some of the vacant seats on the council as well.

The RYC is made up of two representatives from each of the communities in Nunatsiavut and the Upper Lake Melville region.

Tune into our live coverage of the general election this evening when we will speak with the newly elected rising youth council members.

Monday, May 3, 2010

Voting Day

Nunatsiavut Beneficiaries go to the polls tomorrow to elect Ordinary Members to represent their communities in the Nunatsiavut Assembly.

Jack Shiwak of Rigolet is the Chief-Electoral Officer for Nunatsiavut
.
He says the hours for voting will be from 8AM to 8PM in the five Nunatsiavut communities including the Upper Lake Melville region.

All beneficiaries 16 and older are eligible to vote.

Ordinary Member Election Poll

Tomorrow, May 4th, is the election day for Ordinary Members of the Nunatsiavut Assembly.

We wanted to find out how everyone was voting in each constituency.

So, we called ten people at random from the phone book in each community to find out how they were going to vote.

In Hopedale 80% of the people we polled say they are going to vote with the other 20% undecided.

When asked who they were going to vote for, 40% were unsure, 30% said they were voting for Norman Broomfield.

The remainder didn’t want to say who they were voting for.

One resident said ‘I hope whoever gets in does more work than the last one. Four years; not much to show for it.’



Out of the people we called in Makkovik, here is the results we found.

70% will vote tomorrow, and 30% are unsure if they will vote.

Of those, 20% say they will vote for Denise Lane and 10% for Todd Broomfield.

The rest chose not to say who they were going to vote for or they were undecided at the time.

One resident of Makkovik said ‘I don’t think I’m going to vote, not going to be any difference anyway’.




We also contacted the residents of Rigolet to see how they were going to vote tomorrow.

90% said they were going to vote, while 10% said they were not going to vote due to a lack of interest.

Only 10% have decided who they are going to vote for, with 80% still undecided and 10% not voting.


Postville residents will also hit the polls tomorrow.

80% of the people say they will vote with the other 20% deciding not to vote.

A whopping 60% have their votes on Glen Sheppard, and the rest are unsure of how to vote tomorrow.


The Upper Lake Melville area has to choose two Ordinary Members.

90% of the people we spoke to said they will vote tomorrow, while the other 10% said they’re not voting.

50% have decided who they will vote for, with 40% undecided and 10% not voting.


OKâlaKatiget hit the road today to see just how residents of Nain will vote.

We spoke to Silpa Obed of Nain, she spoke about why she is not voting tomorrow.

Be sure to tune in to OK Radio tomorrow evening as the results roll in!

NG Election Canada Region

Voters for the Canada region in the Nunatsiavut election seem to be basing their voting on the candidates, not the issues.

OK radio talked to Alfred Dwight Anderson, a beneficiary in St. Anthony.

Anderson has already voted in advance by a mail-in ballot.

He says that he voted for the only candidate he knew.

Anderson met the candidate recently in St. John’s.

He didn’t bother voting for a second candidate.

Anderson also mentions that he is just getting informed about the issues.

He added that his daughter Amy has already voted as well.

Digital Storytelling Project Enters Second Year

Rigolet community members have been sharing their stories in a way that hasn’t been seen before.

A pilot project, has been collecting their stories in a digital format.

Charlotte Wolfrey is the AngajuKak for the Rigolet Inuit Community Government (RICG).

She says the project is now in its second year.

The title of the project is fittingly “My Word.”

Wolfrey says an elder of the community had inspired the title.

The project is part of the “Climate change and adaption in Northern First Nation and Inuit communities program.”

Funding for the project comes from Health Canada.

So far, the staff of the “My Word” has collected 22 stories.

Those stories tell how climate change has affected resident’s health and lifestyles.

Wolfrey says the stories have been collected using a fully equipped media lab.

The project has held multiple workshops teaching residents to use the technology.

She says the project staff will continue to collect the stories of the residents in the coming months.

This project is the first of its kind.

In the future those involved with “My Word” will travel to other First Nations and Inuit communities to teach them how to use the equipment.

The information will also be available as a resource for researchers.

Wolfrey invites people to hear some of the stories that have been collected so far.

Those interested can visit www.rigoletlab.ca.

She would also like to extend an invitation to residents of Rigolet to share their stories with the staff of the project.

First Aid Training

A First Aid and CPR training course is taking place here at the OKâlaKatigêt building today.

All staff from the Nain Safe House and three from the OKâlaKatigêt Society are participating.

The instructor is Sid Pain.

The course is one day of basic training.

We will speak with one of the OKâlaKatigêt Society’s staff member after the course is finished.

Keep tuning in.