Today is the last day of 2019 and here’s the Year End Review for February, 2019.

An information session was held in Nain in regards to descendents of Okak on Saturday, Feb 2nd this year.

Patty Way a genealogist through Tradition and Transition was in town to conduct information from descendants for a family tree.

Nunatsiavut Government received 12 Polar Bear licences for the north coast communities on Feb 5; the hunting was open on the first of February. That included 3 bears for Nain, Hopedale and 2 each for Makkovik, Postville and Rigolet.

The Combined Councils held their 47th Annual General Meeting in Goose Bay on February 7th and 8th.

Theoren Fluery a former Professional Hockey player was in Nain on Friday, Feb 8th. He presented a wealth of knowledge to the topics pursuing excellence, personal growth, overcoming sexual abuse and trauma.

He went to present the students at the JHMS for Grades 7 and up. He also was at the JS community centre at 6:30 and signed autographs with a feast of seafood.

It was the last and final 28th annual Billy Quak Memorial Ball Hockey tournament in Makkovik on February 16th and 17th, it took place at the JC Erhardt Memorial School gym.

The Nain Moravian Church celebrated its 248th year anniversary on February 19th.

The Nain Inuit Community Government applied for monies to purchase firewood for seniors aged 65 plus.

We spoke with Joe Dicker AngajukKâk with NICG.

He says 25 pallets of wood were purchased from Newfoundland.

Dicker had to get permission by council to apply for money and was approved.

Click here to find to hear the interview with Dicker about the wood distribution.

The community of Nain did a farewell event for MV Northern Ranger final run up to the north coast communities. The boat was last in Nain on Monday, November 19th, 2018.

The MV Astron also made its final run to Nain on Friday, November 23rd last year.

The OKâlaKatiget Society’s phone lines went down last year on Sunday, December 9th. There was a lot of frustration within trying to get out of town news for OK radio news briefs.

OK radio staff did well in getting news and interviews from our town, Nain, and of course thanks to emails we got, some news from through CBC, NTV and Labradorian and Facebook.

The phones were down for a month till Bell Aliant finally got in on Thursday, January 10th, 2019 and hooked up two phones lines.

Here are some of the Year-End news and events of December 2018 and January 2019:

In December 2018, The Cree Nation Government voted to ban harvesting of the George River Caribou Herd on December 6th.

Anne Budgell came to Nain on December 11th, 2018.

Budgell held a public event on that day to launch her book “We all Expected to die”.

The Indigenous Groups from Quebec agreed with our Nunatsiavut Government to ban on all harvesting of the George River Caribou Herd on December 17th, 2019.

In January, Michele Wood, a Researcher/Evaluator with Department of Health and Social Development was awarded with an ITK Inuit Research Recognition Award for 2018.

Wood had the award handed during the ArcticNet’s annual science conference in Ottawa in mid-December 2018.
The very first one of the series of the Labrador Doc Project was filmed in Nain on Nalujuit Night.

The Ferry Kamutik W replaced MV Northern Ranger and the MV Astron last New Year.

Toby Andersen retired as the Deputy Minister of Lands and Resources.

Andersen retired last New Year.

Seamus O’Regan was hired and was appointed to the position from the Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as the federal Indigenous Services Minister.

O’Regan was been appointed the position on January 14th, 2019

The IlinniaKatigennik Show went back on air January 15th, 2019 for the New Year.

We also spoke with President of NG, Johannes Lampe, about the issues dealt with for the New Year.

There are also many concerns included.

He said the housing situation is always one of the big issues particularly for the communities of Nain and Hopedale.

Lampe said the other two issues are the Major Muskrat Falls Project, and the health subject on Tuberculosis (TB) in Nain.

The 16th Annual Inuktitut Speak-Off will was held in Makkovik on January 16th, 2019 at 7 pm at the John Christian Erhardt Memorial School gym.

There were nine students participating from the four communities.

The Jens Haven Memorial Huskies went to Sheshatshiu for the 2018-2019 Table Tennis Regionals and came back with Gold.

A commemorative plaque ceremony was held on January 18th, 2019 at the Pulâpvik Community room here in Nain.

This event was held to honour the former residential school students, their families, and communities with a commemorative plaque and ceremony followed by a supper.

January 25th was Young Men’s Festival Day here in Nain and there were 10 boys who celebrated their day.

Professional NHL Player Jordan Tootoo came to Nain and Makkovik.

Tootoo was sponsored by the Nunatsiavut Group of Companies and attended the Hockey Camp with the Minor Hockey Program on January 24th 2019.

There was a house decorating contest in Nain on December 23rd, 2019.

And here are the winners:

First place winner was Nancy Ikkusek and she won $250.00 gift certificate from Northern store.

Pauline Dicker won the second place winner and she took home $150.00 gift certificate from Franks.

Third place winner was Dina Maggo and she won $100.00 gift certificate from Northern and $50.00 sponsored by Haynes store.

And fourth winner was Rutie Dicker and she won a $50.00 gift card from Northern.

The Annual Jens Haven Memorial School Christmas Concert in Nain, was a great success again this year.

The Kindergarten to Grade 3 students of the Primary School Students performed at the gymnasium on Wednesday, December 18th, 2019.

Click here to hear the children perform, maybe some parents did not make it to their child’s concert.

The Nain community freezer hours for the Holidays:

December 27th, 2019, opens 1-4:30 pm today.

December 30th, 2019, 8:30-12 pm and 1-4:30 pm.

January 3rd, 2020, opens 8:30-12 pm and 1-4:30 pm.

Closed on January 1st and 6th, 2020.

The Department of Health and Social Development in Nain hosted a Christmas window decorating contest and judged yesterday.

People around town have decorated their window to participate into the contest and we have the results on who won.

Jane Merkuratsuk is the Community Health Worker with Nain DHSD.

She says there were 7 participants in the window decorating contest, and the winners were:

First place went to Pauline Dicker who won $100 Northern gift card

Second place went to Michael Dyson Jr who also won a $100 Northern gift card;

And Dina Maggo won third place with $75 northern gift card.

The Recreation Department in Nain will be hosting a Christmas Best Decorated House Competition this week.

Judges will go around town on December 23rd 2019 at 7pm.

You will win prizes based on your rewarded place, the prizes will be:

First place will get a $250 gift certificate sponsored by the Ulapitsaijet Steering Committee.

Second place will get a $150 gift certificate from Franks.

Third place will get a $100 gift card from Northern and $50 sponsored by Hanyes’ store.

And fourth place will get $50 gift card from Northern.

Criteria for this competition include:
-House must be completed and lit up by 7pm on the judging day.
-The judging is based on creativity not on the lights.
-Judges will be looking for items made by the homeowners.

Houses will be judged by the following:
-Attractive use of lights and colors.
-Originality and creativity
-Use of non-lighting decorations
-Overall effect, creating a theme, novelty or use of music.
-Festivity
-And most effective use of lights.

You must register your house by 4:30pm on Monday December 23rd by calling the Nain Inuit Community Government office at 922-2842

Haynes’ General Store is having a tax free day on everything today; excluding cigarettes, furniture and major appliances, the store is also open 7-9pm.

And purchases of $40.00, you can have youre name entered to win a ham or a turkey.

The draw will take place today, Friday, December 20, 2019 at 4pm.

Here’s the store hours list till Tuesday, December 24.

Saturday, December 21, 9-12, and 1-5pm.
Sunday, December 22, 1-5pm.
Monday, December 23, 9-12 and 15pm.
Tuesday, December 24, 9-3 pm open through dinner hour only for this day.

Closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, December 25 and 26.