Some homes on the north coast have been completed.

We last spoke with William Lucy who is the Coordinator with Torngat Regional Housing Association in December of 2019 for an update.

He says 3 homes in Nain are now handed over to the new owners and one home in Makkovik.

In December, two new homes were handed over in Nain; a one bedroom home went to Elias Obed and Liz Dicker and a 4 bedroom home was handed over to Bill Webb and Shirley Harris, and just recently Miriam Lidd was given her keys to her new 4 bedroom home.

He says two more homes are being worked on and are almost completed.

He adds that they are waiting on the finished work and will be handed over to the owners, Ephraim Jararuse and Sheldon Kalleo and Anna Obed.

A 4 bedroom home in the new subdivision will be done and completed this spring and will be handed over to Kitura Solomon.

Lucy says they will have another update this Friday on the new homes allocated for Nain.

Larry Penny is the electrician for TRHA; he will be traveling to Hopedale this Monday to complete wiring in two homes.

One home needs the plaster and painting completed, and in another home, gyp rock will be put up and two ready for wiring.

The workers in Makkovik and Postville are now all laid off for the winter season, they will return back to work in the spring.

In Makkovik, a 3 bedroom home was handed over to Paulette Rice.

He also adds that the two homes are completed and are now in the first phase of electrical in Rigolet.

Lucy says the wiring in one home in Rigolet is completed and is working on to do another home.

The TRHA will only be completing housing repairs later in the spring.

The Nigivik Centre posted their schedule for activities for the month of January.

And here are the events for this week’s schedule activities for January 23rd and 24th.

Tomorrow, Thursday the 23rd, the Nigivik is scheduled for an Adult Cooking making Skillet Pork Chops and Fried Potatoes.

And on Friday the 24th, they are scheduled for a Kids Day from 3-4:15 pm and are planned to make Oreo Truffle Balls.

OK radio will have more of the Nigivik’s activities next week.

It is day 2 of the 1st Nunatsiavut Assembly Sitting in Hopedale of the New Year.

The Assembly sitting resumed at 9 am this morning.

Here are the agenda items for the day:

They started the morning off with a prayer, then recognition of Visitors in the Gallery.

Followed by Ministers Statements, Members statements, returns to Oral questions, Oral questions, and return to written questions, petitions, and responses to petitions.

Reports of Standing and Special Committee, Tabling of documents, notices of motion, notices of motion for first reading of bills and motion.

Remuneration of moderator – COW discussion on moderator applicants, appointments of the moderator.

First reading of bills, to second reading of bills and assent to bills followed by adjournment.

A ceremony took place this morning in Hopedale to swear in the newest member of the Nunatsiavut Assembly. John Andersen was the lone candidate to file nomination papers for a by-election for Ordinary Member for the Constituency of Makkovik, set for February 4th.

While nominations closed on January 20th, Mr. Andersen could not be acclaimed the winner until Nunatsiavut President Johannes Lampe had the opportunity to try and recruit a female candidate, as per Section 33 (1) of the Nunatsiavut Elections Act, which states:

If, at the close of the time for nominating candidates … there is not at least one female candidate for election in each constituency, the Returning Officer shall immediately notify the President and the Nunatsiavut Electoral Officer in writing and the President shall take reasonable steps to nominate a female candidate for election in each constituency no later than 48 hours following the close of the time for nomination of candidates…

President Lampe attempted to find a female candidate, but was not successful in doing so.

The 14th Annual Darren Lee Memorial Volleyball Tournament took place in Natuashish this past weekend.

Gwen Dyson was helping out with the Nain team.

The tournament went from Friday, January 17th to Sunday, January 19th at the Mushuau Innu Recreation Centre.

Communities along the coast that participated in the tournament were Nain, Natuashish, Postville, Makkovik, Hopedale and Sheshatshiu.

The prize for 1st place was $6000, 2nd place, $2500 and 3rd place, $600.

And here are the winners for the men’s division:

1st place went to Team Darren Lee with Michael Dyson as captain
2nd place went to Team Flash with Draper Penunsi as captain, and
3rd place, Team Skoden with Paul Rich as captain.

The winner’s for the Women’s division were:

1st place went to Team Hit Heads with Charlene Gear as captain
2nd place, Team God Squad with Keryn Andersen as captain, and
3rd Team, Orlando with Dawn Rich as captain.

Congratulations to the teams that won in the 14th Annual Darren Lee Volleyball Tournament for 2020.

The upcoming Nain Festival Days at the Moravian Church for this month and March 2020 are as follows:

Saturday, January 25th – Young Men’s Day

Sunday, February 2nd – Widows Day

Wednesday, February 19th – Moravian Church Anniversary Day

Sunday, February 23rd – Estomiche

Wednesday, February 26th – Ash Wednesday

Friday, February 28th- Married Couples Day

Friday, March 6th – Young Women’s Day

The new high school text book for Inuit-specific course launched a high-school text book – InukKutivut IlukKusivut Our People, Our Culture – to accompany the Labrador Inuit Society and Culture course being offered at schools within Nunatsiavut will be officially launched during a ceremony at Amos Comenius Memorial School in Hopedale this evening.

“The course has been offered for the past five years in our schools, but this is the first year that students actually have a text book to accompany the course,” notes Education and Economic Development Minister, Greg Flowers.

The Labrador Inuit Society and Culture course was developed by the Nunatsiavut Government in partnership with the Newfoundland and Labrador English School District.

The two-credit course satisfies the Provincial high-school graduation requirements under the Canadian Studies and Fine Arts requirements, giving students in Nunatsiavut more flexibility when choosing courses.

The course has been offered in Nunatsiavut schools since 2015 as well as in schools in other parts of Labrador.

The 1st Nunatsiavut Assembly Sitting is taking place in Hopedale of the New Year.

The Assembly started this morning at 9 am.

Here are some of the agenda items for Day 1.

They started off with a prayer, then opening address by the President, recognition of Visitors in the Gallery.

Selection of First Minister, Ministers Statements, Members Statements.

Returns to Oral Questions, Oral questions, written questions, returns to written questions, Petitions, responses to petitions, Reports of Standing and Special Committees.

Tabling of Documents- 2016-17 Annual report of the Department of Nunatsiavut Affairs.

Notice of Motion.

Remuneration of the Moderator- COW Discussion on Moderator Applicants, Appointment of the Moderator.

Notices of Motion for First Reading of bills, Motions, Second Reading of Bills, Assent to Bills and adjournment for the day.

Members of the Nunatsiavut Assembly have elected Tyler Edmunds, the Ordinary Member for Postville, to serve as First Minister of Nunatsiavut. The election took place today during sitting of the Nunatsiavut Assembly in Hopedale.

The First Minister oversees the running of the Nunatsiavut Executive Council, and acts as the Minister of the Department of Nunatsiavut Affairs, responsible for:
(a) implementation of the Labrador Inuit Land Claims Agreement;
(b) the administration of justice and the legal services required by the Nunatsiavut Government;
(c) eligibility and enrollment of Beneficiaries of the Labrador Inuit Land Claims Agreement;
(d) the management of Nunatsiavut Government public property; and
(e) housing for Inuit.

Mr. Edmunds replaces Kate Mitchell, who resigned last month as Ordinary Member for Makkovik.

The Deptpartment of Language, Culture & Tourism has been busy with a few programs.

Shirley Jararuse is the Language Program Coordinator with the Nunatsiavut Government.

She says the Master Apprentice program has been going very well and explains a few more programs that she has planned until March.

Click here to hear more of Jararuse’s programs with the Department of Culture and Tourism.