The Nunatsiavut Government first assembly sitting for 2021 has been postponed.

Roland Saunders is the acting speaker for the assembly he says that the assembly sitting is being postponed due to weather.

Saunders adds that the sitting will be going ahead next week on February 2nd and the 3rd. Representatives will be flying to Hopedale on February 1st.

There are many agenda items to be discussed, including a selection of a Speaker and a deputy speaker, reports from each Nunatsiavut Government departments and from each of the Inuit Community Government’s.

We will have more information for you once the assembly has its first sitting for 2021.

An emergency shelter run by First Light has closed after becoming financially unsustainable.

First Light had been running the Shanawdithit Shelter on Water Street, but had to close the facility on Thursday.

Arrangements were made with funders to ensure that clients were moved to other emergency accommodations.

Director of Housing and Social Supports at First Light, Andrew Harvey, says the emergency shelter system in St. John’s has moved away from the per-diem model, under which the Shanawdithit Shelter operated.

He says it also reflects changes in the housing environment in the city which is seeing more and more transitional, affordable and supportive housing options for people, which Harvey says is the real solution to homelessness.

First Light is exploring more permanent housing options for Indigenous people in St. John’s, who they say are “grossly over-represented” in the homeless population.

Twenty-one people have been housed since the summer through the help of the group’s new Indigenous Housing Team.

A further announcement is expected on their plans to meeting housing needs in the urban Indigenous population.

Story courtesy of the VOCM News.

The Nunatsiavut Government is accepting applications for a housing repair program for 2021.

The 2021 housing repair program is available to all Beneficiaries of the Labrador Inuit Land Claims Agreement residing in the Inuit Communities of Nain, Hopedale, Postville, Makkovik and Rigolet.

Completed applications must be submitted by 4 pm on Wednesday, February 3, 2021.

Applications can be picked up from Community Liaison Officers:
Nain- Rutie Dicker- 922-2942
Hopedale- Ethel Hunter – 933-3777
Postville- Betty Vincent – 479-9880
Makkovik – Carol Gear – 923-2365
Rigolet – Paula Sheppard McLean-Sheppard – 947-3383

Applications are also available online at www.nunatsiavut.com

For additional information please contact Brian Lyall in Happy Valley Goose Bay at 709-896-8582.

Statistics Canada will be going ahead with Census 2021 this spring.

This year’s questionnaires will begin in March and end in July 2021.

Kim Hipkins is the Recruitment Clerk for Census 2021 and she says they are looking for crew leaders and enumerators.

Crew leaders train, supervise, and motivates a team of enumerators, while enumerators complete questionnaires with residents.

Benefits of the 2021 census for indigenous peoples across Canada help communities and governments plan for the development of Indigenous language programs, school programs, and community and social services.

Census data are used to evaluate programs and new service needs such as housing.

Anyone interested can apply online at www.census.gc.ca or call toll free at 1-833-830-3106.

There are 6 candidates running in the election to choose an Ordinary Member to represent the Constituency of Canada in the Nunatsiavut Assembly.

The by-election will be held on Wednesday, February 17, 2021.

Yesterday we aired three of the candidates with their platforms that are running. They were Zippie Nochasak, Diane Gear White and Susan Onalik.

Nanette Blake is the Nunatsiavut’s Electoral Officer; she says that mail in ballots were sent out on January 15th, and that they need to be received by February 17th.

Blake adds that she has already received a few ballots, and that there is no advance election for this By-Election.

Today on our AtjiKangitut program we will hear from Sabina Jung and Patricia White to hear more about their platform.

There are 6 candidates running in the election to choose an Ordinary Member to represent the Constituency of Canada in the Nunatsiavut Assembly.

The by-election will be held on Wednesday, February 17, 2021.

We will air three of the candidates with their platforms that are running. They are Zippie Nochasak, Diane Gear White and Susan Onalik.

Stay tuned to AtjiKangitut today to hear Nochasak, Gear-White and Onalik at 3:30 pm today.

Selena Legge has put her name forward to run for the Constituency Seat of Canada, but we were unable to get a recording from her due to personal reasons at this time.

She states, “I have been confirmed as a candidate in the election.”

First, I would like to express my gratitude and thanks to those who nominated me.

As most of you know, I have been residing in the Constituency of Canada and have personally dealt with the issues that face most of our Constituents.

Whether it’s homelessness, trying to navigate the system on education, health or judicial issues.

With my experience as co-founder and past secretary of the Toronto Inuit Association and as a member of the Survivor led, Volunteer, Board of Directors of the Sixties Scoop Healing Foundation, if elected I will make sure your needs and personal issues are brought forward and met with urgency.

Legge can be reached on Facebook or on her cellphone at 647- 967- 3351 if anyone has questions or concerns.

She added, “Good luck to all Candidates who put their name forward.

It is the Young Men’s Traditional Festival Day in Nain today.

There are 11 young men celebrating their day; some are first timers and some had their day last year.

Joan Dicker is the Manager of the Illusuak Cultural Centre.

She says they attended their first church service at 10 am.

Dicker says the cooks are busy at the fire hall cooking the meals for the day.

The young men are planning on going to go to the school for visits, and will have a free afternoon before church service at 3pm; that will be without a love feast.

The parents and guardians will be going to Illusuak for a meal at 3 pm, the closing church service will be held at 5 pm, and after that, the Nain Brass Band will go down to play some tunes at the Illusuak Cultural Centre, there will be no hand shaking during that time.

The young men will have supper after that and close off for the night.

Tune into today’s Labrador Memories when we re-air the interview we had with Gordon Obed on what he remembers from Young Men’s Day.

Candidate nominations closed January 23, 2021 at 2 p.m. for Newfoundland and Labrador’s upcoming provincial General Election.

The following is the list of official candidates for the election:

Lela M. Evans, Progressive Conservative Party
Patricia Johnson-Castle, New Democratic Party
Devon Ryan, Liberal Party

The following key dates apply to this election:

Election Day – Saturday, February 13. Polls will be open from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m.
Advance Poll – Saturday, February 6. Polls will be open from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m.

All times listed above is half an hour earlier in most of Labrador.

Electors are encouraged to visit the Elections Newfoundland and Labrador website at www.elections.gov.nl.ca for information pertaining to mail-in voting, early voting, voting qualifications, Election Day voting locations, Advance Poll locations and more.

Inquiries can also be made by calling Elections Newfoundland and Labrador toll-free at 1-877-729-7987.

Today, Monday, January 25, Newfoundland and Labrador has no new confirmed cases of COVID-19. The province has five active cases.

There have been no new recoveries since yesterday.

386 people have recovered from the virus, one person is in hospital and to date, 78,257 people have been tested.

In Alert Level 2, Newfoundlanders and Labradorians should continue to practice good infection prevention and control practices.

People are reminded that COVID Alert is available for download free through the Apple or Google Play app stores. Public Health is encouraging people to download the app to help reduce the spread of the virus.

For the most up-to-date information related to COVID-19, please visit: www.gov.nl.ca/covid-19.

Work is re-started on the four new homes in the two north coast communities of Hopedale and Rigolet after Christmas.

William Lucy is the Coordinator for Torngat Regional Housing Association.

He says in Hopedale, the electrician is hooking up switches in one and the crew is painting the interior in the other.

Lucy says in Rigolet, the crew is doing final touches on one home and waiting on the electrician to go and hook up wiring.

At this point and time Lucy couldn’t say when the 4 new homes will be completed.