Terry Fox Foundation encourages virtual participation for the 40th Annual Run.

This year marks the 40th annual of Terry Fox’s Marathon of Hope.

The Atlantic Provinces are coming together virtually to compete in the 400 for the
40thchallenge. Like many big events planned for this year, the normal Terry Fox
walk or run will not be able to go ahead.

Provincial Director of Terry Fox Foundation Newfoundland and Labrador, Kirk Leach, said in July, they hope to have at least 400 participants who can show support for Cancer Research in any form they chose.

Leach said they can participate in any way- whether that be walking in your neighbourhood or up and down the stairs in a home. He explained that the fundraising needs to continue because cancer is not waiting for COVID-19 to be over.

The Foundation is encouraging participants to upload photos and videos to social media and tag them at Terry Fox Foundation. The big day is Sunday, September 20th and all funds raised goes towards Cancer Research- something Terry Fox never gave up on.

The Take Back the Night Walk in Postville will be going ahead this year.

We spoke with Candy Jacque who is the Community Health Worker for the Postville DHSD.

She says weather permitting, the walk will be held on September 25th, 2020.

The walk will start at the DHSD building, route to be determined.

Jacque says they usually does a walk and end with a fire pit.

She adds that they will also do a vigil in memory of loved ones who survived violence.

The OK Radio will have information on the Take Back the Night from the communities of Nain, Hopedale, Makkovik and Rigolet once they become available.

Yesterday, Sunday, September 13, Newfoundland and Labrador had no new confirmed cases of COVID-19. The province has two active cases.

The department is providing an update to the public about the positive case of COVID-19 detected at the Iron Ore Company of Canada (IOC) mine in Labrador through their staff and contractor screening protocols.

Additional testing through the provincial Public Health and Microbiology Laboratory is completed.

The test result is negative. The individual will continue to self-isolate, out of an abundance of caution, and has been following Public Health guidelines.

Public Health will continue to follow this case and will advise if further action is required.

266 people have recovered from the virus and to date, 35,222 people have been tested.

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

Daily preventative actions can help to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

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

Raise Your Voice is a collaboration Education campaign that have been developed through the SHIELD Project, Violence Prevention Labrador, Nunatsiavut Department of Health and Social Development and the NL Sexual Assault Crisis Prevention Centre.

Denise Cole is the SHIELD Project Coordinator.

The goal for this campaign is to increase the awareness of and to help prevent the online luring and sexual exploitation of children and youth of Labrador.

This campaign will be going on all week, this week since it is Sexual Violence Awareness week from Today, September 14th to September 18th.

Tune into the Labrador Memories show at 3pm to hear more about this Campaign with Denise Cole.

The English River Fish Count in Postville is busy with their numbers this year.

We spoke with Todd Broomfield who is the Director of Renewable Resources with the Nunatsiavut Government.

He says that they still have two crews of six beneficiaries who will be working until October.

Broomfield adds that they are seeing some very good returns to English River and the fence will continue operation until probably the first week of October.

Click here to find out more on the English River Fish Count with Broomfield.

The owner, John Terriak of the Nain Jewelry Studio is now offering help to anyone who would like to learn how to make crafts and or jewelry.

The hours of the studio for Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays are from 9 to 11:30am and for Tuesdays and Thursdays are from 1:30 to 4 pm.

He says that he received more Labradorite for the jewelry making.

To enter the studio, you must call in advance to make an appointment.

Terriak says there are new regulations put in place; two people are only permitted into the building besides Terriak and you have to wear a mask depending on how small the bubble is.

You must sanitize your hands, and disinfect everything when done.

For questions or concerns or to make an appointment, you can call Terriak at the studio at 922-2045.

The Nunatsiavut Department of Language, Culture and Tourism are once again looking for one apprentice in each of the 5 Nunatsiavut communities to take part in the Master-Apprentice Program for 2020 to 2021.

Shirley Jararuse is the Language Program Coordinator with the NG.

She says the Master Apprentice program first began 4 years ago in 2016.

If you are interested in learning Inuktitut and want to pursue your language more, this is the program for you.

Interested applicants will have to submit a letter stating why you want to take part in this program.

The deadline for submissions will be on September 24, 2020 and can be sent by email to Shirley Jararuse.

Here are the Master Instructors in each community:

Nain – Nancy Ikkusek
Hopedale – Gus Semigak
Makkovik – Hulda Fox
Rigolet – Paul Jararuse
In Postville, the Master must be from Hopedale is yet to be determined.

This Master Apprentice program will run for 20 hours a week.

For more information please contact Shirley Jararuse at 709-922-2052 or by email at shirley.jararuse@nunatsiavut.com.

September 10th was World Suicide Prevention Day.

The Mental Health and Addictions Workers along the coast have hosted these events:

In each community they walked from the DHSD buildings to the docks, they handed out T-shirts, lit candles during the walk, set off Chinese Lanterns.

To end of the event each community held a ticket draw for a Fire Pit.

Frances Boas is with the Hopedale DHSD.

Boas had help from Teri Winters along with sixty people; they went from the Mental Wellness and Healing Building down to the American Dock.

Julianna Winters is the winner for the fire pit.

In the Rigolet DHSD, we spoke with Stephanie Morris who is the Child Service Worker.

Morris had some help from Lisa Palliser Bennett, the Community Health Worker. Jarvis House was the winner of the fire pit.

Elsie Russell is the Mental Health and Addictions Counsellor in the DHSD here in Nain.

There was a just about 70 people who attended; Sue Webb said a speech in Inuktitut about World Suicide Prevention Day.

Daniel Suarak is the prize winner of the fire pit.

In Postville, they handed out t-shirts and lit candles at 8pm, unfortunately, the walk and Chinese lanterns have been postponed to sometime this week.

NGC Solutions Inc. (NSI), a subsidiary of the Nunatsiavut Group of Companies, announced today that as of September 30, it will cease its operation of the gas station at Rigolet.

NSI signed an agreement with the Rigolet Inuit Community Government in June, 2019 to operate the gas station until November 30, 2019. The intention was that this would allow RIGC and the Nunatsiavut Government time to find a new operator. When a new operator could not be found before last fall’s deadline, NSI agreed to extend its operation until September 30.

“We always said this would have to be a temporary arrangement for NSI,” says NGC Chief Operating Officer, Sarah Leo. “NSI has undertaken significant financial and environmental liability to be involved in the operation. We understand the importance of the gas station to the community and have shown our good faith by operating the facility for more than a year. We have informed all of the parties involved that we cannot continue. NSI will continue to provide information to assist any future operator.”

Yesterday, Thursday, September 10, Newfoundland and Labrador had no new confirmed cases of COVID-19. The province has one active case.

266 people have recovered from the virus and to date, 34,239 people have been tested.

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

Daily preventative actions can help to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

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