Pauktuutit, Inuit Women of Canada joined a panel about homelessness and housing vulnerability yesterday.

Rosemary Cooper is the Executive Director for Pauktuutit.

She said the collaboration between Inuit Organizations, governments and stakeholders will address the complex and difficult challenges that Inuit across Canada face every day.

Cooper added thank you for including them in the important work.

Christmas is just around the corner and Air Inuit will be arriving Nain for the holidays.

They will be offering Kangiqsualujjuaq and Kuujjuaq residents a chance to visit Nain this year from December 20 to January 8, 2023.

People from Nain will have a chance to visit either Kuujjuaq or Kangiqsualujjuaq.

The flights will be from December 20-27, and 27-January 8, 2023.

The last flight for New Years was usually until January 3, but this year, they decided to extend it to January 8 for people from Kangiqsualujjuaq and Kuujjuaq to experience Nalujuk Night.

You can use your beneficiary number, but if you don’t have one, there will be a 30% discount.

You can call reservations at Air Inuit to book a reservation at 1-800-361-2965.

So, residents from Nain, please inform others that it will only continue if enough people reserve a seat.

The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, Government of Quebec and the Nunatsiavut Government jointly conducted the seventh biannual census of the George River Caribou Herd in July 2022. This year’s census results indicate the population remains at a vulnerable low, with an estimated 7,200 caribou. Overall, the population has declined by 11% since 2020, and by more than 98% since 2001.

Although overall population size decreased, the adult proportion of the population increased an average of 7% per year from 2018 to 2022, which is cause for optimism for the persistence and eventual recovery of this vital caribou herd.

The 2020 census results showed the first George River caribou population increase in over 25 years, from an estimated 5,500 caribou in 2018 to 8,100 caribou in 2020. Wildlife officials were cautiously optimistic about the increase, while noting it was mainly due to a summer of high birth rates and a population consisting of 35% calves, which had to survive their most vulnerable two years before maturing and contributing to population growth.

The herd’s range is remote, with low levels of human-related habitat disturbance and currently low wolf densities. The recent census indicates calves make up 22% of the total population, relatively similar to calf proportions in 2018 and 2016. Recent years have shown considerable improvements in both adult female survival and fall calf recruitment when compared to the years leading to the implementation of the hunting ban on George River caribou in 2013.

Despite these gains, the continued illegal harvest of George River caribou by a relatively small number of people continues to delay and threaten herd recovery. The goal of the current hunting ban is to prevent the complete loss of George River caribou, and to allow the herd to recover so Indigenous communities can practice caribou-related traditional activities without jeopardizing the sustainability of the herd for future generations.

The Resource Enforcement Division of the Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture works closely with wildlife enforcement from the province of Quebec and the federal Canadian Wildlife Service to make all reasonable efforts to protect Labrador’s caribou herds.

The Department of Education is expanding its current review of assessment in the province’s K-12 schools. As that review is ongoing, a decision has been made to cancel public exams for the 2022-23 school year.

The public exam system as it existed pre-COVID 19 may no longer meet the educational needs of students. The Department is expanding its review of the current public exam system, with a view to creating an innovative, up-to-date system of evaluating high school students.

The Department of Education continues to support teachers in the evaluation and assessment of students, and thanks them for their commitment to high-quality learning.

The Makkovik Inuit Community Government got most of their projects done during the summer months.

Barry Andersen is the AngajukKâk in Makkovik.

He says they are waiting for the playground stone to arrive on the Kamutik W.

They have a coordinator for the Labrador Winter Games which is Gemma Andersen.

Andersen adds that they will have their annual Christmas tree lighting on December 3rd, 2022.

Click here to hear the update from AngajukKâk Andersen on Makkovik ICG.

17 people are in the hospital, including 5 in critical care.

Three people have died due to COVID-19 in Newfoundland and Labrador over the last week, raising the total to 273 since the pandemic began in March 2020.

Two people were 80 years old or older and one was in their 60s.

One person was in the Eastern Health area, one was in Western Health and one was in Central Health.

As of Wednesday’s update, 17 people are in hospital – up from 13 last Wednesday – including five in critical care, up from three last week.

The province also reported 149 positive cases within the last week: 29 on Thursday, 19 on Friday, 19 on Saturday, 27 on Sunday, 15 on Monday, 19 on Tuesday and 21 on Wednesday.

However, those numbers aren’t a true indicator of the spread of COVID-19 since the province reports positive tests administered by the Health authorities.

Newfoundlanders and Labradorians are facing extremely difficult circumstances in the current global environment. It is with this in mind that, Premier Andrew Furey have advocated again and again for flexibility regarding the carbon tax.

Yesterday we were disappointed that the Government of Canada is imposing its federal carbon tax backstop and taxing home heat fuel, as well as other fuels. Premier Furey said they will continue to advocate to ensure that province is treated fairly.

“As a result of the carbon tax backstop, residents of the province will now see a carbon tax on home heating fuels. The change will also limit the Provincial Governments financial capacity to provide related programs to residents instead rebates will directly go to residents from the Federal Government,” said Sioban Coady, Deputy Premier and Minister of Finance.

“This disappointing news that will impact many. As a government, we are committed to addressing climate change and we have done so and will continue to, through the many initiatives and actions we have implemented to date. We will continue to work hard in all areas to achieve emissions reductions, including through annually increasing reduction targets for large industrial facilities, massive investments to power or electrical grid with clean energy and residential, municipal, institutional and transportation fuel switching programs,” said Bernard Davies, Minister of Environment and Climate Change.

Christmas is just around the corner and Air Inuit will be arriving Nain for the holidays.

They will be offering Kangiqsualujjuaq and Kuujjuaq residents a chance to visit Nain this year from December 20 to January 8, 2023.

People from Nain will have a chance to visit either Kuujjuaq or Kangiqsualujjuaq.

The flights will be from December 20-27, and 27-January 8, 2023.

The last flight for New Years was usually until January 3, but this year, they decided to extend it to January 8 for people from Kangiqsualujjuaq and Kuujjuaq to experience Nalujuk Night.

You can use your beneficiary number, but if you don’t have one, there will be a 30% discount.

You can call reservations at Air Inuit to book a reservation starting today at 1-800-361-2965.

So, residents from Nain, please inform others that it will only continue if enough people reserve a seat.

The Ullapitsâijet committee announced that they will be holding the annual Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony.

Carla Pamak is one of the committee members.

She says the tree lighting will be this Sunday, November 27, 2022 at 7pm, beside the Nunatsiavut Government building.

There will be Christmas caroling and refreshments.

For more information, you can contact the committee member, Pamak.

Ordinary Members Roxanne Barbour and Tony Andersen will be hosting the second Constituency meeting for Nain Beneficiaries of the Labrador Inuit Land Claims Agreement, in partnership with the Nain Inuit Community Government.

This will be held in Nain on Friday November 25, 2022 at 6pm at the Nunatsiavut Government Admin Building main boardroom.

This will be an opportunity for community members to ask question and voice concerns.

For more info, contact Roxanne Barbour, Ordinary Member for Nain at Roxanne.barbour@nunatsiavut.com.