The Postville ICG has been very busy with their projects since the last update.

Glenn Sheppard is the AngajukKâk for Postville.

He says they had 6 additional land lots were completed by Budgell’s a couple of weeks ago.

The next plan for the ICG is to come up with a new subdivision as they have no other area for land lots.

He also says the next step is the waste disposal site; they have just about 80% completed but got some old wrecks and tires to get rid of.

Click here to hear more from AngajukKâk Sheppard.

There are 9 scholarships available to Innu and Inuit students graduating high school and going on to or continuing to pursue post-secondary education.

The following criteria will be considered in the selection process for awarding these scholarships:

• Academic achievement
• Leadership, school or community involvement
• Financial need
• Must be enrolled as a full-time student

$4,000 scholarships are available for two Innu students from the communities of Natuashish and Sheshatshiu (one per community), and $1,000 for five Inuit students from the communities of Nain, Hopedale, Makkovik, Postville, and Rigolet (one per community).

The deadline for applications is September 15, 2022.

For more information on these scholarships or for an application form, please contact Vale’s Aboriginal Affairs Department at vbaborignalaffairs@vale.com.

There will be a bike rodeo happening here in Nain on September 9, 2022.

We spoke with Corporal Pine who is the NCO of the Nain RCMP Detachment.

He says children in grades K-6 are welcome to attend the bike rodeo.

There will be prizes given out to children during this event, including bicycles.

There will also be a BBQ and refreshments.

The time and place on the bike rodeo is yet to be determined.

The Nain Fish Plant has fish products available for residents to buy.

Here is the list of the prices:

Scallops- 1 lb bags- $15.
Smoked char- 1 lb bags-$16.50.
Fresh char fillets- $11.50 per lb.
Char steaks- $8.00 per lb.
Crab claws- $25 per lb.
Whole char- $6.50 per lb.

Next week will be the last week for sales at the Nain Fish Plant.

According to figures provided Monday to CBC Radio’s ‘On The GO’, the provincial government has approved a total of 17,491 travel exemption requests between May 4 and August 27.

In that same time frame 3,539 travel requests were denied.

There are still 50 exemptions that are under review, according to the numbers provided by the health department.

With month winding down, attention turns to students returning to classes, with school restarting Wednesday, September 9 on the Island. It will have been nearly 6 months since students saw the inside of a classroom, as the provincial government announced March 16, that schools will be closing to try to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

On, Friday, August 5, Minister John Haggie said there could be an announcement within the next 4 weeks about the province moving to Alert Level 1, of its phased re-opening plan. Wednesday, August 10, marked the 4 weeks since his comment.

Alert Level 1 is what the provincial government calls “the new normal” living with the virus, while considering:

• Transmission patterns of COVID-19
• The availability of vaccine and or treatment
• A strong public health system

Newfoundland and Labrador reports 4 more deaths, all seniors, due to COVID-19 in weekly update for a total of 24 this month, and 229 since the pandemic began.

According to the provinces weekly Wednesday update, 3 people who died were in their 80’s and 1 in in the 70’s.

1 was in the Eastern Health area and 1 in Central, and 2 in the Western region.

Hospitalizations are down this week from 14 on August 24 to 11 on Wednesday.

Two people are in critical care.

The province also reported that 265 cases of COVID-19 over the last week: 52 on Thursday, 53 on Friday, 36 on Saturday, 30 Sunday, 11 Monday, 43 on Tuesday, and 40 on Wednesday.

That data however, is not a true reflection on the spread of the virus in NL since the province restricts testing and only counts cases from tests administered by its health authorities.

The Nunatsiavut Housing Commission held an Open House in Nain on Monday.

Brenna Jarrar, Director of Housing held the session to provide beneficiaries information on the work that is currently underway.

For example, setting up bank accounts, finalizing policies and by-laws, preparing to hire staff, etc.

Jarrar adds that they are currently discussing with TRHA about the transferring of assets to Nunatsiavut Government.

Click here to hear more of the Open House that was held in Nain.

“While Inuit women’s organization like Pauktuutit are now invited to some decision-making tables, most often Inuit women are denied a seat, and a vote at the same decision-making meetings,” Rose Cooper, Executive Director.

Pauktuutit is ensuring Inuit women’s voices are heard at the 2022 Arctic Circle Forum in Greenland.

Rosemary Cooper, Executive Director, and Lema Itjimaye, Manager of Social and Economic Development, are taking part in the Forum to highlight the key correlation of between climate, infrastructure, Inuit women’s political leadership, and their wellbeing.

Concrete action is environmental health is improved, climate vulnerability is reduced, and food insecurity and infrastructure gaps are narrowed.

The Nunatsiavut Assembly is looking for two Labrador Inuit Land Claim Beneficiaries who are grade school students, thirteen (13) years of age or older, to provide Page services during the next Sitting of the Assembly.

These two students will experience what happens in the Assembly, how work is conducted, and get to meet the Ministers, Ordinary Members and AngajukKât representing each community in the land claim area, Upper Lake Melville and the Canadian Constituency.

A Page’s responsibility is to receive and deliver notes and papers between the Clerk and other Members of the Assembly, provide water to people while they work, and on direction of the Speaker, use the bell to call Members to the Assembly Chamber.

Hopedale, Labrador is the Legislative Capitol of the Nunatsiavut Government and the Assembly generally meets 4-6 times per year to conduct its business.

The successful applicants for Page services will be paid $15 per hour and have travel, meals, and accommodations paid for by the Nunatsiavut Government.

If you have any questions, please contact Tabea Onalik, Assistant to the Clerk of the Assembly, at 709-933-3769 ext.222. Applications can be submitted via fax to 709-933-3746, or by email at tabea.onalik@nunatsiavut.com.

There will be an extraordinary Assembly Sitting on Tuesday September 6, 2022. At this extraordinary sitting, the Pagers will be from Nain.

There is an application process to become a Pager at the Nunatsiavut Assembly.

If you are from Nain, a student aged 13 and up, and are interested in the business of the Nunatsiavut Assembly, please reach out to Roxanne Barbour, Ordinary Member of the Nunatsiavut Assembly for Nain; she can print and provide a copy of the Page’s Application Form, and help you submit your application to the Assistant to the Clerk of the Nunatsiavut Assembly.

Please call 922-2942 ext. 224, or by e-mail at roxanne.barbour@nunatsiavut.com.

It is one week away for students to return to their classes.

Jens Haven Memorial School in Nain has 4 teacher positions left to fill.

The K to grade 12 still have vacancies.

Some schools like Nain, apply to potential teachers through social media, Juanita Skanes, who is the Deputy Principal said last Thursday, August 25th, the school is still trying to fill 4 vacancies and will need to make contingency plans soon.

And said there’s still room for improvements, and hoping to be in better position this year.

Some of these job postings close on Friday, September 2, but that does not mean they’re being filled. Skanes said if a position at JHMS receive no applicants it will re-appear on the job board.

She said the school had 12 vacancies this year, an unusual number, wasn’t sure why the school had such a turnover. She added, “I don’t think they left because of specific issue in the community or school. Some teachers left to pursue a career, a job closer to their hometown, family or spouse.”