OKâlaKatiget Society had an update from the Newfoundland and Labrador Fisheries and Agriculture.
There is a forest fire located near Nain due to the lightning that occurred early last week. We spoke to Brad White, the Regional Duty Officer.
Over night the fire had grown spreading to the North area of 2400 hectors.
White says they are working on a plan to inspect the area, and they are still monitoring the fire through satellite.
White will have more updates once it becomes available.
The OKaalaKatiget Society briefly spoke with Michael Mitsuk about the Hebron Trip for Youth.
This trip is aimed for youth ages 15-30, and will be taking place August 16th to the 23rd 2023.
Michael Mitsuk, and Keryn Andersen met through phone, to discuss applicants, and selected 8 youth to have an opportunity to travel to Hebron.
Mitsuk says they will be doing a lot of activities that include fishing, site seeing, touring, having boil ups, and many more things, but just a few to mention.
Mitsuk adds that they will also be touring, and exploring other areas around Hebron as well.
Mitsuk mentions how land-based programs are important because it helps with mental health, and to lower the levels of stress.
If you want further information, you can contact Michael Mitsuk ay 709 933 3894.
On July 5th, 2023 Public Health has made updates to the COVID-19 Dashboard.
These changes include an update to how deaths are reported, which will provide clarity on when the reported deaths occurred, and a new graph will help the public understand trends in COVID-19 related deaths over the past year.
While the COVID-19 situation has improved locally and intentionally, Public Health would like to remind the public to keep informed on COVID-19 news, and stay up to date on COVID-19 vaccinations.
Collections and monitoring will be happening by Public Health, and they will be changing the frequency in which it issue public reporting in trends of COVID-19 in the province on the last Wednesday of each month by 3pm. This will begin on Wednesday, July 26, 2023.
Hopedale has been experiencing frequent power outages in the last couple of days.
We spoke with Hydro customer service for any updates, and as of 9am today, July 6th 2023 here is the latest update we have.
Hydro said that the first report for a power outage in Hopedale was on July 5th at 1:15pm. It was temporally restored, but the investigation of the problem is still underway.
Hydro adds that as they continue to investigate, Hopedale residents may experience some short power outages, or flickering lights.
The investigation is ongoing, and we will be announcing information as it becomes available.
This year marks the 18th annual Rhubarb Festival for Hopedale.
They will begin their events on Monday, July 10, 2023, with a Photo Scavenger Hunt starting at 9am-6pm, a community BBQ sponsored by Franks at lunch hour, and in the evening at 6pm they will have carboard boat race.
On Tuesday, they have lumber jack and jill challenge outside of the Nanuk Community Center for ages 18+ starting 1pm. At 6pm there is fear factor for ages 12-15 located at the playground.
Wednesday there is toddlers social starting 1pm at the nanuk Center, fear factor for ages 16+ at the American dock starting 6pm. Mixed partners from ages 16-39, and 40+.
On Thursday there is a senior’s luncheon during lunch hour at the DHSD building, a smoked fish and Rhubarb contest located at he NCC starting 3pm. And there will be a giant radio bingo starting 7pm.
Friday, there is a radio spot mystery sound at 11am, a community social at the NCC at 5pm, merchandise bingo, with a deal of soup and sanamajuk and refreshments. You must bring an item to the merchandise bingo and the jackpot is a grocery box.
On the last day, Saturday, July 15, there is a fishing contest starting at 6am-7pm, at 7pm there will be a community bonfire and announcement sleepover located at NCC from 9pm-9am for ages 10-12 years.
More details on each event will be announced when it become available. If you have any questions, please contact Doris Dicker, Darlene Winters, or Danielle Mitsuk.
Last month the town of Rigolet had a Bird Research project with Birds Eye Inc.
We spoke with Jacqueline Winters who is the Iuit Research Coordinator for Dalhouse Univerysity who is with the sustainable Nunatsiavut Futures project on the Bird Research program.
They had great outcomes for the research, and they succesfully surveyed 8 sea bird species on 16 different islands.
Winters also adds theat they had two community engagement events on their sea bird engagement project.
Click here to hear more on Winters Sea Bird Research in Rigolet.
Nain’s Nunatsiavut Department of Health and Social Development will be hosting a Summer Community Event July 11th, 12th, and 13th 2023.
This Community event is a Summer Community Picnic Celebration.
Nain’s NDHSD is asking public to join them for 3 days of activities starting July 11th with a Community brunch from 12-2pm and the DHSD building.
July 12th, from 1-3:30pm for a small craft day at the Nain’s DHSD building, and on July 13th for a community picnic, and bat playing over to the ball field.
Children are to be supervised, and all are welcome.
The Department of Health and Social Development in Hopedale held there Celebrate Life event yesterday with a community breakfast at 9am.
We spoke with Teri Winters who is the Mental Health and Addictions Worker.
She says during the community breakfast they served 75 people.
Winters says today starting at 1pm they will be holding a Mental Health and Addiction bingo for ages 18 years and older, and the bingo prizes will be household items.
She adds tomorrow they will be holding a Crafts day.
With assorted crafts, such as wool, sewing machine, beads for making earrings, and painting at the DHSD start at 9am to 12 noon and 1 to 4pm.
Winters says on Friday they will be holding for all age groups “Fun Family games” at the Nanuk Center from 6-8pm, games such as tug of war, bean bag toss, musical chairs and Inuit games.
She adds that a “tik Tok” challenge started the challenge is “create a video anywhere in the community”.
Prizes will be for ages 12 and under they can win a brand new peddle bike donated from the Mental Health Department.
For ages 13-25 they can win a complete fishing package sponsored by youth outrage department and for ages 26 years and older can win a $150 Franks gift card or a $150 gift card from Woodwards.
Winters adds they hope everyone can come out to the celebrate life events planned for this week, and they encourage everyone to do the Tik Tok challenge.
Update on the forest fire near Nain.
Newfoundland and Labrador Fisheries and Agriculture are monitoring the forest fire by satellite imagery.
This forest fire began due to a lightning storm that occurred 3 days ago in Nain.
We spoke to Jason Glode, the Regional Duty Officer for Newfoundland and Labrador Fisheries and Agriculture.
Glode says the forest fire was pretty good last evening on the satellite imagery, and the fire is now by timber on the hills.
He adds there is no risk to any cabins.
The forest fire is located 30 kms inland, and 54 kms Northwest of Nain.
Glode said they will continue to monitor the fire by satellite.
The Government has offered the one-time grocery rebate payment that was in effect today July 5, 2023.
The Government handed out this to roughly 11 million low- and modest-income households.
This One-time grocery rebate payment is meant to help offset rising food costs for low-income Canadians.
It repeats the temporary boost to the GST rebate the government offered last year to address growing cost-of-living concerns.
Those eligible for the GST rebate as of January 2023 will be eligible for the one-time top up; no application is required.
The payment amounts are based on net income and family size.
Eligible families of four will receive up to $467 by direct deposit or cheque from the Canada Revenue Agency. Single people without children will get up to $234 and seniors will see a rebate of up to $225.
The Canada Revenue Agency has said some Canadians may be eligible for the July GST rebate but not for the grocery rebate, and vice versa.
That’s because the grocery rebate is calculated using 2021 income tax returns, while the GST rebate is based on 2022 tax returns.
The amount Canadians will get from the GST rebate depends on the level of family income and make up of the family. The federal government has published a chart detailing the different payments.
Canada’s inflation rate dropped to 3.4 per cent in May, Statistics Canada said last week.
That’s the lowest the country’s inflation rate has been since June 2021.
Despite the overall slowdown, the price of food continued to rise at a fast pace in May.
Grocery prices went up almost nine per cent on a year-over-year basis — barely lower than the 9.1 per cent rate clocked in April and still almost three times the overall inflation rate.