Radio Briefs

  Moose Licenses Drawn Oct 31, 2011, 3:20 PM Beneficiaries of the Labrador Inuit Land Claims Agreement in the five Nunatsiavut communities and the Upper Lake Melville Region have been given Moose Licenses. James Goudie is the Wildlife Manager for Nunatsiavut. He says there were quite a few beneficiaries interested in moose licenses and they received a considerable number of applications. The deadline for applications was Thursday, October 27th and Goudie says the draw went smoothly. Five licenses each were available for beneficiaries in Nain, Hopedale, Postville, Makkovik, and Rigolet. Upper Lake Melville beneficiaries had three licenses. Beneficiaries in Hopedale, Postville and Rigolet were given one extra license making that six. All license holders have until March 31st, 2012 to get their moose. Goudie adds the moose hunting season opened on September 1st, 2011 but they were late getting the licenses. We hope to speak with Goudie at a later date to get a better idea of the proce...

  New MHA for Lake Melville Priorities (Audio to be added later) Oct 31, 2011, 3:19 PM Since the Provincial Elections, we finally reached Keith Russell who is the new MHA for the Lake Melville District. He says since the elections he has received many calls from his constituents congratulating him and wishing him well. Russel l says in the next few weeks he will be attending lot of meetings and schedule up his travel arrangements. He will be dealing with a lot of issues of concern brought to him by members in the Lake Melville area. Some issues include transportation, pavement of roads and many others. Russell adds one his priorities right now is setting up his office and starting to work on files. Stay tuned to AtjiKangitut to hear Russell will join us to talk about what his priorities are as a new MHA.

  Hallowe’en Activities in Nunatsiavut Schools Oct 31, 2011, 2:29 PM Today is Halloween ( Hallowe’en) an annual holiday that is celebrated on October 31with activities such as children trick or treating, school parades, parties, haunted houses, telling ghost stories. We spoke with schools from Nain, Hopedale, Makkovik, Rigolet, and Postville to see what’s happening for K-12 students this year. The Jens Haven Memorial School will be holding a Halloween parade at 1pm for all grades K-12. We spoke with Janelle Barbour who is the Secretary. She says there are prizes for best dressed for Levels K-3, 4-6, 7-9 and 10-12. Later each classroom will hold Halloween parties, play games, have treats. Liz Evan Mitchell is the principal at the JC Erhardt Memorial School. She says the Primary and Elementary Students will have Halloween activities in the afternoon. Mitchell says from Halloween games to making slime, having treats and telling ghost stories. The Junior and Senior high school students...

  A Colder Winter for Nunatsiavut (Audio to be added later) Oct 31, 2011, 10:31 AM People in Nunatsiavut and Labrador as a whole maybe still reeling from the warmer than normal winter we had last year. We remember the rainy and warm weather up to Christmas time and later. We also remember the “Cains Quest” snowmobile race up to the Labrador coast having to be cancelled because of no snow and poor ice conditions. It may be a little different this year. David Philips is a Senior Climatologist with Environment Canada in Ottawa. He says in the forty years he has observed the weather patterns, he hasn’t seen the weather being the way it has been in Labrador, especially last year. He adds a weather pattern called “La Nina” in Spanish is causing warmer than normal temperatures in Labrador and colder than normal temperatures in western Canada. Philips says this pattern is bringing warmer than normal water temperatures off the Labrador coast which is causing these extreme weather conditions...

  Hopedale Dog Society Oct 28, 2011, 3:04 PM The Hopedale Dog Society was launched at the beginning of 2011 by Joyce Morouney who is the team leader. She says they applied for funding for the dog society from three different sources to build kennels for animals and for an office shed. Morouney says children and youth are helping with the care work and are training to prepare pups for new homes for in the community. She says when they find pups or dogs that are abandoned, The Dog Society will treat and care for the animal then send it off to the SPCA in Happy Valley if needed. Puppies are being cared and looked after by youth; they are learning new skills along with compassion, empathy, and veterinarian care. This is a great way to keep pups in the community; and for children to work with one another. She says they encourage young individuals in the community to work as a team and encouraged activities such as getting exercise by walking with the dogs. They requested for a small pie...

  NICG Celebrates 40 Years (Audio to be added later) Oct 28, 2011, 1:27 PM It will be a big day for the Nain Inuit Community Government when they celebrate their 40th anniversary tomorrow. Tony Andersen is the AngajukKak of NICG. He says the office staff has organized something for everyone for the day. Andersen says the celebration will start with a parade around town at 11 am and return to the town office for an open house. He says there will be tickets given out to everyone who pays a visit and they will have a chance to win a door prize. Andersen says the office and staff are very thank full for the many prizes they received from businesses, organizations and other community governments in town and out of town. Stay tuned to AtjiKangitut to hear Andersen join us with more on what has been organized by the staff with a lot of help from different businesses as well.

  NICG Capital Works Delayed Oct 28, 2011, 1:27 PM The work that was supposed to be done in Nain on the Trouser Lake Project this year is put on hold for this fall, and will now get started next spring. Tony Andersen is the AngajukakKak of the Nain Inuit Community Government. But, he says there is some work that has to be done on the road to Trouser Lake before the next spring thaw. And that is to make a ditch with line of rocks to make sure there is no run off of muggy water into the reservoir. Andersen says everyone remembers how dirty and muggy their running water was in their homes last spring, so they are trying to avoid the same disaster to happen. Meanwhile the other capital works projects in Nain that has started include interior repairs on the Husky Center. He says the repairs were started by Budgell’s Equipment Rentals a couple of weeks ago, and there is still a lot of work to do before everything is completed in 2012. He added the NICG had a lot of reports from the resid...

  Hallowe’en Safety Tips Oct 28, 2011, 1:26 PM Hallowe’en is just around the corner; all parents and children should be aware of some safety tips for Hallowe’en. We spoke with Constable Graham Dawe from the Nain Police Department. He says it’s important for parents to make sure the child is dressed in bright colors so they can be seen, especially be vehicles. Be visible to drivers by having reflectors on bicycles as well, so drivers can be aware of your child. And for drivers to be extra cautious as children are on the roads, going door to door around the community. Dawe says it’s important for parents to look in the children’s Hallowe’en bags when they arrive home; check the candy or food to make sure the candy is safe to eat. He says every now and then we get instances where there are objects in the treats that should not be there. He says keep an out for your children; parents should be aware of where your child is at all times.

  Happy Valley-Goose Bay Approved for Age-Friendly Grants Oct 28, 2011, 1:25 PM The Provincial Government approved funding for the Age-Friendly Newfoundland and Labrador Grants Program. This grant goes towards the community and the seniors for physical and social environments designed to enable older individuals to live in a secure setting, enjoy health and continue to participate fully in society. The Happy Valley-Goose Bay Parks and Recreation received a grant of ten thousand dollars from the Age-Friendly NL Program. We spoke with Kevin Lane who is the Parks and Recreation Director with the town of Happy Valley Goose Bay. He says Parks and Recreation is offering the seniors planned activities once a week. They plan to have a day trip to Churchill Falls for a tour, have a boil up and other fun activities. He says they provided a Seniors Corner at the Melville Library. This is for seniors to hold meetings and discussions. Lane says they hold meetings with seniors on what they want ...

  Fish Count in Postville (Audio to be added later) Oct 27, 2011, 11:04 AM The English River Fish Count in Postville was near completion for this summer last week. Glen Sheppard is the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources for Nunatsiavut. We spoke with Sheppard last Thursday, and he says the crew were at the river dismantling the fence for counting salmon and char. He says there has been an increase of small and larger salmon going up the river this summer compared to last summer, which he added was same with the count of char. Sheppard says during the fish count salmon scales samples are also taken for biological purpose for DFO. He says the samples are used to determine the health and the age of the salmon. Stay tuned to AtjiKangitut to hear Sheppard join us to talk about the English River Fish Count near Postville.

Uranium Consultations Begin This Week Oct 27, 2011, 10:41 AM A special committee of the Nunatsiavut Assembly will begin hearings today on the working, mining, milling and production of uranium on Labrador Inuit Lands. The committee will be visiting each of the Nunatsiavut communities as well as Upper Lake Melville and St. John’s between now and early-November. The first hearing takes place in Postville today. The hearings will wrap-up in St. John’s on November 3. The special committee of the Nunatsiavut assembly is made up of the Ordinary member for Nain, William Barbour, the Ordinary Member for Makkovik, Denise Lane, and the Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Carl McLean. The committee is chaired by the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Glenn Sheppard. Also joining the committee is Grant Feasby of SENES Consultants Limited. Feasby will be on hand to discuss the uranium mining cycle.

  Marine Sampling for PCBs in Hopedale Oct 27, 2011, 9:40 AM The marine sampling of PCB’s in the harbor of Hopedale is complete. But there is still more work on the go by doing video graphing in the harbor. Wayne Piercy is the AngajukKak of the Inuit Community Government. He says Stantec and another company RJG collected samples from shellfish, rockcod, sculpins and cod, and some fuel impacted soil. Piercy says the collected samples are gathered in a sealed place in a bile pile or landfill down at the dumpsite. He says they are waiting to hear what happens next with the collected samples, and or how and when they will be shipped out. Piercy says the company did not get any samples of caplin and herring, but they are looking at next year to get samples of those small fish. The marine sampling of PCB contaminants project was started over a month ago in the harbor in Hopedale. We will have more information about the PCB cleanup on Friday.

  Katimavik Volunteer Program Recruiting Oct 27, 2011, 9:39 AM The Katimavik Volunteer Program provides services and fosters sustainable communities through challenging national youth learning programs. We spoke with Mathieu Foran, Communication and Development officer for Katimavik. He says Katimivik is a volunteer program for youth ages 17-21. The experience with their work and team help youth make future decisions about what they want to do with their life. Foran says the youth are allowed up to three choices in the category at which they volunteer 35-40 hrs a week. Katimavik has 104 groups with each group consisting of 11 people. After their volunteer day the youth return to their group to discuss and present on what they have learned. He says the youth are led and consulted by a team leader. Inuit youth are strongly encouraged to apply. There is an entry fee of $225 but consideration is required for lower income families. For more information about applying find Mathieu in Kat...

  MV Astron Will Assist with Freight Oct 24, 2011, 3:36 PM The MV Astron will be assisting with the delivery of freight to the north coast. A representative for the Department of Transportation and Works says the vessel was in Lewisporte loading freight bound for the region on Monday. The Astron is scheduled to make at least two full cycles up and down the north coast. The vessel will be working alongside the MV Dutch Runner and MV Northern Ranger to ensure that all winter supplies are delivered to the north coast communities.

  Uranium Consultations Begin This Week Oct 24, 2011, 3:35 PM A special committee of the Nunatsiavut Assembly will begin hearings today on the working, mining, milling and production of uranium on Labrador Inuit Lands. The committee will be visiting each of the Nunatsiavut communities as well as Upper Lake Melville and St. John’s between now and early-November. The first hearing takes place in Postville on Monday. The hearings will wrap-up in St. John’s on November 3. The special committee of the Nunatsiavut assembly is made up of the Ordinary Member for Makkovik, Denise Lane, Ordinary Member for Nain, William Barbour, and the Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Carl McLean. The committee is chaired by the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Glenn Sheppard. Also joining the committee is Grant Feasby of SENES Consultants Limited. Feasby will be on hand to discuss the uranium mining cycle.

  Moose Licenses Available to Nunatsiavut Beneficiaries Oct 24, 2011, 3:33 PM Moose licenses are available to Nunatsiavut beneficiaries this year. The Nunatsiavut government has issued a notice that says there are 28 moose licenses available. The licenses have been allocated to each of the Nunatsiavut communities as well as Upper Lake Melville. Each of the Inuit communities has five licenses available to them. There were only five licenses issued in the whole Nunatsiavut region last year. This year that amount was increased by 20 licenses. There are also three licenses available to beneficiaries in Upper Lake Melville. The deadline to apply for a moose license is October 27. You can contact your local Conservation Officer for more information.

  Inuktitut Training Mini-Pilot Program Begins this Week (Audio to be added later) Oct 24, 2011, 3:31 PM The Torngasok Cultural Centre is testing out a Labrador Inuktitut Training Program mini-pilot in Nain over the next two weeks. Toni White is the Inuktitut Language Coordinator for the centre. She says the pilot project began Monday. 12 students will be taking part over the next two weeks. They will be instructed by two of the Labrador Inuktitut Training Program’s Curriculum Developers. The pilot project contains modules that will be part of the centre’s two-year Labrador Inuktitut curriculum. The curriculum is currently under development. Stay tuned to AtjiKangitut to hear White discuss what the students will be learning through the pilot project.

  MHA-Elect Edmunds Urges Government to Act on Shipping Issues Now Oct 21, 2011, 3:16 PM MHA-Elect Randy Edmunds is calling on the provincial government to provide assistance with shipping on the north coast sooner rather than later. The official opposition member made his call in a press release on Thursday. In his first official act, The MHA-Elect points out the inadequacy of the MV Dutch Runner and the backlog of freight bound for the north coast it has caused. Edmunds echoed the concerns residents in this area have been raising regarding the lack of products on the shelves of the north coast retailers. Minister of Transportation and Works, Tom Hedderson, stated in an interview with OKâlaKatiget Radio earlier this week that both the MV Astron and MV Sir Robert Bond are available to assist with the shipment of freight if needed. The MHA-Elect believes the assistance is needed immediately to ensure the delivery of winter supplies to the north coast communities.

  Nunatsiavut Youth Gathering in Postville This Weekend for the Youth Symposium Oct 21, 2011, 3:14 PM Youth from throughout Nunatsiavut and the Upper Lake Melville region are gathering in Postville this weekend for the 18th Annual Labrador Inuit Youth Symposium. Sandra Dicker is the Youth Coordinator for the Nunatsiavut government. She says the attendees will cover a number of topics over the weekend. Presentations are planned for the topics of bullying, alcohol, respect and social networking. Dicker says a career fair is also planned for the second day of the symposium. Around 50 youth are arriving in Postville today for this weekend’s event. A meeting of the Nunatsiavut Rising Youth Council is also planned. Dicker says they’re hoping to fill a number of vacancies within the council.

  Torngat Joint Fisheries Board Talks Nunatsiavut Fishery (Audio to be added later) Oct 21, 2011, 3:13 PM The Nunatsiavut fishery was up for discussion during a meeting of the Torngat Joint Fisheries Board in Happy Valley-Goose Bay last week. Jamie Snook is the board’s Executive Director. He says representatives from the Nunatsiavut, provincial and federal governments sit on the Torngat Joint Fisheries Board. They gathered to review the results from a survey on the commercial crab fishery in the Makkovik area. Also up for discussion was a workshop on the commercial char fishery which is planned for next month in Nain. Snook says they’re hoping local char harvesters will join the workshops and share their input on the fishery. Stay tuned to hear Snook provide more details from last week’s meeting.

  E.J Broomfield Memorial Arena Getting an Upgrade Oct 21, 2011, 3:06 PM Renovations to the E.J Broomfield Memorial Arena in Happy Valley-Goose Bay will begin later this month. Kevin Lane is the Parks and Recreation Director with the Town of Happy Valley-Goose Bay. He says they received over $800,000 to carry out a number of renovations on the facility. Included in the renovations are a new conference room, a new audio/visual system and upgrades to the facility’s floors and roof. Lane says the renovations will begin in a couple of weeks. They will continue into the New Year.

  Hearings on Draft Land Use Plan Continue (Audio to be added later) Oct 20, 2011, 2:49 PM The Regional Planning Authority for the Labrador Inuit Settlement Area has been conducting hearings in Nunatsiavut communities on the draft Land Use Plan for the Labrador Inuit Settlement Area throughout this week. Thursday is the day they are hearing from Nain residents and stakeholders. The Commissioner for the Regional Land Use Plan, Bob Warren, dropped by our studio Thursday morning. He says they will be meeting with residents and stakeholders in Nain Thursday afternoon and evening. The authority will be accepting input on the draft plan from those in attendance. Warren says the plan will guide development and the use of land, water, and resources within LISA. Stay tuned to AtjiKangitut to hear Warren discuss why it’s so important for people to come out and share their thoughts on the draft Land Use Plan.

  Fuel Prices Up Again As Price Freeze Nears Oct 20, 2011, 2:37 PM Fuel prices took a jump across the province Thursday as the date for the implementation of the winter price freeze in this region approaches. The price of gasoline has taken a small jump of around a half a cent. Gasoline is now a little over $1.61 per litre on the north coast. The price of stove oil also saw an increase across Newfoundland and Labrador Thursday. The price of that fuel has risen by nearly 2.9 cents per litre. Consumers in this region are now paying nearly $1.30 per litre of stove oil. The price of gasoline was frozen at around $1.40 per litre when the price freeze went into effect last year on November 4. That’s more than 20 cents less than the price of gasoline today. The price of stove oil was frozen at nearly $1.09 per litre when the price freeze went into effect last year. That’s also considerably less than the $1.30 this region is currently paying per litre of stove oil. This year’s price freeze...

  Date Set for ULM Ordinary Member By-Election Oct 20, 2011, 2:34 PM A date has been set for a by-election to fill a seat in the Nunatsiavut government left vacant by the newly-elected MHA for Lake Melville, Keith Russell. The by-election is set for November 29. A new Ordinary Member for Upper Lake Melville will be chosen on that date. The seat was left vacant when Keith Russell was elected to the provincial House of Assembly last week. Nominations for candidates will be accepted until November 14.

  Vessels On Hand to Assist with Freight Delivery if Needed (Audio to be added later) Oct 19, 2011, 2:54 PM The provincial government has made arrangements to ensure that all of the winter supplies make it into the north coast communities before the shipping season is out. Tom Hedderson is the Minister of Transportation and Works. He says the MV Sir Robert Bond and the MV Astron are at the government’s disposal should they be needed. The arrangements were made following concerns that the MV Dutch Runner may not be able to do the job. It has been a season full of problems since the vessel began taking over freight-shipping duties for the north cost of Labrador. The season has been so problematic that the provincial government has announced that the Dutch Runner will no longer serve the region next year. Hedderson says they have approached the contract-holder, CAI Marine, to present a workable plan for the remainder of this season as well as next season. Stay tuned to AtjiKangitut to...

  Provincial Election Results Causes Shake-Up within the Combined Councils Oct 19, 2011, 2:46 PM Last week’s provincial election has caused a shake-up within the Combined Councils of Labrador. Janice O’Neill is the Executive Director of the CCL. She says the winners in two districts in Labrador were serving on the council. Nick McGrath, the newly-elected MHA for Labrador West, was serving a term as President of the CCL. Randy Edmunds, the newly-elected MHA for the Torngat Mountains district, was the Vice President for Labrador North. O’Neill says both of them had to resign from the council following their respective wins last week. Nath Moores, the former VP for the Labrador Straits, is now serving as the interim President of the CCL. He will fill the post until a President is chosen during the CCL’s Annual General Meeting in February. O’Neill says they’re in the process of trying to fill the seat left vacant by the newly-elected MHA, Randy Edmunds. She says they will be approachin...

  Break Out Your Christmas Lights for Caregivers Oct 18, 2011, 3:19 PM Staff of the Caregivers Out Of Isolation project are hoping Newfoundlanders and Labradorians will break out their Christmas lights a little early in recognition of caregivers in this province. Shelly Collins is the Coordinator for the Caregivers Out of Isolation project. She says Newfoundland and Labrador Caregivers of Family and Friends Week is being recognized from October 17-23. Their aiming to get people in this province to light their Christmas lights each evening of the week in recognition of the contributions caregivers make. Collins says a caregiver is someone of any age that provides unpaid care to a person whose ability to care for themselves is restricted. The idea is called ‘Glow with Us’ and was started in Nova Scotia. Participation has since grown around the world.

  Organizers Gearing Up for Labrador Creative Arts Festival Oct 18, 2011, 3:17 PM Organizers are gearing up for next month’s Labrador Creative Arts Festival. Fiona Andersen is the festival’s Coordinator. She says this is the 36th year for Canada’s longest-running children’s festival. The event will bring together student performers from all over Labrador in Happy Valley-Goose Bay in November. 17 artists and musicians will also join the participants. Andersen says their holding a couple of contests between now and the festival. They’re looking for submissions from students for their button design and writing contests. The winning submission from the button design contest will be displayed on the festival’s official button. The deadline for submissions this Thursday.

  Tenders Issued for Oil Tank Certification Program Oct 17, 2011, 2:52 PM The tenders have been awarded for the continuation of the provincial oil tank repair and replacement program. Three separate contracts have been awarded for the repair, replacement and certification of residential oil tanks on the north coast. The materials needed for the replacement and repair of oil tanks are already on their way to the communities. They are expected to arrive early next month. The maximum expense for participants of the program has been reduced because of the funds saved through awarding the contracts. The maximum expense for participants was first estimated to be $1,800. That cost been reduced to $1,000. Officials from the Department of Labrador and Aboriginal Affairs will be contacting people directly to provide details of their individual expenses in the near future.

  Survey Sheds Light on Issues Affecting Nunatsiavut Seniors (Audio to be added later) Oct 17, 2011, 2:48 PM A recent survey conducted in most of the Nunatsiavut communities has shed some light on issues affecting seniors in the region. Michelle Kinney is the Deputy Minister of Health and Social Development. She says the Nunatsiavut Government conducted the survey with seniors in Hopedale, Makkovik, Postville and Rigolet. The participants were asked about various issues such as housing, the cost of living and social issues. The results of the survey showed that many of the seniors interviewed in the communities have a hard time living on a fixed income of $20,000 or less annually. Issues of neglect, physical, verbal and financial abuse were also identified through the surveys. Stay tuned to AtjiKangitut to hear the Deputy Minister discuss the results of the surveys in detail.