The OKâlaKatiget Society still has two employment opportunities for the positions of a full-time permanent Executive Director and Television Producers.

Under the direction of the Board of Directors, the Executive Director co-ordinates all administrative and policy activity to ensure that the OKâlaKatiget Society meets its goals and objectives.

The television producer films and produces television shows for broadcast via APTN.

For more information or if you would like to apply, you can call our office at 922-2955.

The Department of Justice and Public Safety continues its ‘Tis the Season to Practice Fire Safety campaign providing tips on how to protect yourself and your family this holiday season.

Choosing a real Christmas tree is a staple of the holiday season for many families in Newfoundland and Labrador. Before you start ‘Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree’, here are some tips to help protect your property and loved ones from potential hazards:

When choosing a real tree, ensure its fresh and the needles do not drop when touched
Ensure the tree is placed a safe distance with a minimum of one metre from any sources of heat
Always make a fresh cut about two inches from the base of the trunk before placing the tree in it’s stands
Add water to the tree stand daily to slow the drying out process and reduce the risk of fire, and
Dispose of your tree properly as soon as possible after the holidays

Once a week during December, the department is issuing a Public Advisory to ensure residents keep fire safety top-of-mind as they celebrate the holidays.

The provincial government’s latest numbers, released today at noon, showing 11 people in hospital, including 4 in critical care, and 6 people have died in the last week, raising the province’s total deaths to 285 since the pandemic began in March 2020.

Hospitalizations have fallen since last week, when 15 people were in hospital, with 5 in critical care.

The province has also recorded 142 new cases of COVID-19 since last week’s update, but the numbers don’t reflect the true prevalence of the disease, since it records only positive PCR tests done by provincial health authorities, and doesn’t include rapid tests done by the public on their own.

Last Thursday marked the 1,000th day of the pandemic in Newfoundland and Labrador, which registered its first presumptive positive case of COVID-19 on March 14, 2020.

The Nunatsiavut Housing Commission offers the Affordable Rental Program within the Labrador Inuit Land Claims Area in recognition of the need of households with low and fixed incomes for flexible rental housing with fixed costs and utility supports.

The target demographics of this program are Inuit who are low and moderate-income, and especially seniors 55 and up, youth ages 18-30, families and individuals who can live independently, and/or those living with, or at risk of, homelessness, disabilities, violence ay home, and/or facing the separation of children due to an inadequate housing assessment.

The NHC is now accepting applications for the following properties:

19A Airstrip Road in Hopedale (three bedroom-building code HOP-100)
19B Airstrip Road in Hopedale (three bedroom-building code HOP-101)
23 Blake’s Waterfront Street in Rigolet (Furnished- 3 Bedroom- Building Code RIG-100)

Anyone may apply for these units; however, demand will exceed supply of available housing and an application in not a guarantee of assignment. Selection of successful applicants will follow the NHC policies and preferences will be given to those who most completely meet the target demographics of the program eligibility. In the event that you are not selected for the above units, you will be added to the NHC waitlist for future availabilities.

The application round for these units is now open, effective immediately, upon publication of this notice. Applications will be accepted for 30 days (close date of January 8, 2023, at 11:59pm). A hard copy of the application form is available at every NG and DHSD office front desk. PDF copies may be obtained by email through the Director of the NHC (contact below). Please indicate the building code listed above of the building(s) you are applying for under question 10.1 of the application.

For more information, please contact Brenna Jarrar, Director of the Nunatsiavut Housing Commission at 709-896-4081 or by email at brenna.jarrar@nunatsiavut.com.

MHA for Torngat Mountains, Lela Evans is demanding that the public utilities board follow it is own policy on price differential for the price of fuel on the North Coast of Labrador.

“This summer the PUB enforced a price freeze on our fuel forcing us to pay up to 80 cents more a litre than other Zones, including the Avalon. This created much hardship and disparity for people in my district,” says Evans. “Finally, on Friday December 9th the freeze is lifted but instead of getting relief my residents are still being gouged by the failure of the PUB to follow their own policies. I am calling for an immediate price correction.”

According to the PUB website the price zone differentials between the Avalon (Zone 1) and Coastal Labrador North (zone 14) is set at 27.81 cents more a litre. Therefore, residents should be only paying $1.83 not the $2.26 per litre that they are currently being charged. That is a gouging of 42.59 cents per litre.

“We have suffered enough, living all summer under the crushing price freeze that reduced our ability to hunt and fish. I always believed that the PUB’s mandate was to ensure fairness, not to help ensure businesses make a profit. Not following their own price differential policy is an action that benefits businesses while forcing my residents to continue to ration fuel needed to hunt for food and to heat their homes.”

“Not being able to afford a tank of gasoline for your snowmobile on the North Coast means not being able to gather wood to heat your house nor able to hunt and provide food for your family. The PUB must consistently apply its own policies to ensure price fairness for people living on the North Coast.”

We will interview Evans on the fuel prices in the near future.

There was another article written in the kinatuinnamut ilingajuk magazine from December 2001 by Hilary Pijogge.

It is about how Christmas is celebrated around the world, and how Advent is celebrated to remember the birth of Jesus.

Tiny trees are decorated, and children hang up their stockings on Advent Eve, Candlelight services are held, and a Christmas crib is alos displayed in different churches.

Click here to hear the article from December 2001.

The Youth Center will have a bingo night at 8:30pm for ages 13-30.

We spoke with Kim Oliver who is the Youth Outreach Coordinator.

She says Amy Maggo have been holding the mitt making along with Simeonie and Maria Merkuratsuk, and says they are still making mitts at the Youth Center.

Susan Saksagiak is also still doing the Kamutik making and is open to ages 18 and up.

Youth are welcome to attend the Christmas activities until December 19, and are open from 8:30pm to 8:30am.

The Recreation Department will have a best decorated house contest for the community of Nain.

The contest will be on December 23, 2022, with judging starting at 7pm.

Judging is not solely based on lights, but the creativity used in decorating your house, and judges will be looking for items made by the homeowners.

Houses will be judged by the attractive use of light and color, originality and creativity, use of non-lighting decorations, overall effect, creating a theme, novelty or use of music, festivity, and most effective use of lights.

1st place winner will get a $150 Franks gift certificate and a $150 Northern gift card, 2nd place winner will get a $100 Northern gift card and a $50 Franks gift certificate, and 3rd place winner will get a $50 gift card donated by Northern.

To register your house, call the Nain Inuit Community Government Office at 922-2842 by December 23 at 4:30pm.

It’s just 7 days away for Air Inuit to arrive Nain for the Christmas holidays.

They recently released their schedule for the 2022-2023 Special Holiday flights to Nain.

The first flight is scheduled to depart George River on Tuesday, December 20th at 10:45am and will arrive in Nain at 12:30pm.

On the same day, it departs from Nain at 12:40pm and arrives back to George River at 2:05pm.

Air Inuit returns to Nain on Tuesday, December 27th and arrives to Nain at 12:10pm, and departs to George River at 12:40pm.

And the last flight to Nain for the Christmas holidays will be on Wednesday, January 8, 2023.

It departs George River at 10:45am then arrives to Nain at 12:10pm.

Lastly, it will depart from Nain at 12:40pm, and arrives back to George River at 2:05pm.

With 30% Christmas discount for Nunatsiavut beneficiaries from Nain to George River or kuujjuaq, return tickets are $858.05 for adults, and $611.40 for children ages 2-12, and Seniors ages 60 and up.

From Nain to Kuujjuaq, adult return tickets are $1,255.67, and $895.42 for children ages 2-12, and Seniors 60 and up.

To book your flight, you may call the Air Inuit reservation desk at 1-800-361-2965.

During today’s Christmas activities, the Recreation Department will end it off with a Giant Christmas bingo at the Jeremias Sillitt Community Center.

Cards are being sold with $100 booklets along with 50/50 tickets for $1 from 9am-4:30pm and bingo starts at 6pm.

There will be $200 games, $1000 mini jackpot, and $5000 jackpot to go.

For more information contact Recreation Department at 922-2690/2691.