A caribou presentation was held in Nain last Tuesday, November 19th, 2019.

We had one of our Radio Producers attend this presentation.

Jason Dicker is the Wildlife Manager with the Nunatsiavut Government.

He delivered his research results on the George River Caribou Herd hunting ban and received quite a few questions and concerns on the update since the ban.

He will be travelling to Hopedale on Monday, November 25th and to Makkovik on Tuesday, November 26th, and will then be going on to Postville in the 2nd week of December.

Dicker says that he’s been doing research for a year and a half and is glad that he is able to release this information for the coast of Labrador.

Stay tuned to our Sunday show on November 24th, 2019 to hear Dickers presentation that was held last Tuesday at the Nunatsiavut Government.

The Nunatsiavut Government in Happy Valley Goose Bay will be holding a Meet and Greet this Sunday.

Gerald Asivak is the Ordinary Member for Upper lake Melville area.

This meet and greet will be held at the Labrador Friendship Center on Sunday November 24th, 2019.

Please drop by and meet your Nunatsiavut Government Ordinary Members for Upper Lake Melville at 2 pm to 4 pm.

The Ordinary Members for Upper lake Melville area are: Marlene Winters-Wheeler & Gerald Asivak.

For more information please call 896-8582.

Refreshments and a door prize to be drawn.

Everyone is welcome.

Nunatsiavut President, Johannes Lampe along with members of the Nunatsiavut Government Officials and a youth and elder from Hopedale and Labrador MP Yvonne Jones and Residence of Nain took part in a ceremony to officially open a new state-of-the-art cultural centre in Nain.

Due to poor weather conditions, not all elders and youth from each of the other community’s that was invited could not make it into town, including Government of Canada.

Illusuak, which in English means (”sod house”) will serve as a centerpiece for the community, allowing Inuit opportunity to gather and strengthen their connections to each other and to their culture.

It houses a permanent exhibit, aimed at broadening Inuit History, culture, traditions and shared experiences. Its multi- purpose theatre will support audio/visual performances, film screening, lectures and live music and dance performances. A facility’s gift shop will serve as a showcase for regional artists and craftspeople to display and retail their goods, and its café will offer traditional and wild foods and serve a place for people together to share stories. Parks Canada will occupy office space through a long-term lease agreement as part of a $2 million contribution to the project.

Illusuak will help bridge the generation gap between elders and youth, encouraging open dialogue, the sharing of traditional knowledge and the vision for the future, says Nunatsiavut President, Johannes Lampe. “The stories that will be told in Illusuak will make Labrador Inuit proud. By understanding here we came from and how we survived as people, Labrador Inuit will have a better appreciation of who we are as individuals and as a culture continuing to evolve in a modern world.”

Funded through financial contributions from the Nunatsiavut Government, the Government of Canada and the Tessiujatsuak Trust, construction of the 13,700 square foot facility began three years ago at a cost of more than $18 million.

The Illusuak grand opening was held in Nain yesterday.

The Grand Opening went ahead at 1 pm.

The Nunatsiavut Assembly arrived from Hopedale yesterday for the Illusuak Ceremony.

Belinda Webb is the Deputy Minister of Culture, Recreation and Tourism.

OKâlaKatiget Radio was there to record this special event.

Click here to hear more of the Grand opening of the Illusuak.

Due to the weather conditions along the coast, the Grand Opening of the Illusuak Cultural Centre was delayed this morning at 11 am.

So with this the Grand Opening went ahead at 1 pm today.

The Nunatsiavut Assembly was delayed in making their flight to Nain from Hopedale, once they arrived the Illusuak Ceremony was started.

Belinda Webb is the Deputy minister of Culture, Recreation and Tourism.

OKalaKatiget Society’s radio producer was down to the Illusuak Cultural Center to speak with Webb of what will be happening at the Grand Opening.

Click here to hear more of what will take place.

The Torngat Regional Housing Association is quite busy this year with construction on new buildings and homes.

William Lucy is the Coordinator for TRHA.

He says contractors are quite busy yet in all communities on the north coast.

Lucy says they are still doing construction work in Makkovik on a couple buildings.

In Rigolet there will be three new buildings and constructions will continue in the New Year.

And construction in Hopedale will also continue in the New Year.

Lucy says the Inspector Richard Boase will be traveling to Nain today.

He adds that the construction in Nain still need houses completed, such as plaster work.

In the community of Postville they now have all their building material to carry on their last repairs.

We will have another update from Lucy next week.

This year marks the 29th year that Santa Claus and his elves will be coming to the North Coast communities on Air Borealis.

Santa has partnered up with Air Borealis and the Happy Valley Goose Bay Rotary Club to make visits to the communities in Nunatsiavut.

Phillip Earle is the Vice President and CEO of Air Borealis.

Earle says Santa and his elves will be traveling to Nain and Natuashish this year.

Weather permitting, Santa will be traveling from the North Pole and landing in Labrador next month on Saturday, December 14th, 2019.

Santa will bring gifts to the little children when he arrives.

The Nain Department of Health and Social Development will be holding a community Advent Brunch next week.

This brunch will take place on Friday, November 29th, 2019 at the DHSD building from 9 am to 11 am and all are welcome.

The Nain Recreation Department will also be holding an Advent Sale on Saturday, November 30th, 2019 at the Jeremias Sillitt Community Center at 12 noon.

They will also hold a rummage sale and tables are available at a cost of $10 each and a $1 admission fee.

All monies raised will be going to the Nain Huskies.

For more information about the Advent Brunch, you can contact the DHSD here in Nain at 922-2126.

Or for more information about the Advent Sale or Rummage sale you can contact the Nain Recreation Department at 922-2690 or 922-2691.

The Labrador Friendship Centre in Happy Valley Goose Bay Men’s Carving Course went really well.

Jenny Rose Campbell is the Community Service worker the LFC.

She says three men participated in this course and John Neville was the instructor.

Campbell says one man made a necklace and he is wearing it.

The other two men made a small carving for their wives.

She adds the materials were provided for this course.

The 2nd Annual Gussie Bennett Memorial Ball Hockey Tournament will be taking place this weekend from November 22nd to the 24th, 2019 here in Nain.

William Flowers is the Director of Minor Hockey with the Nain Recreation Department.

He says in the adult division, there are 4 teams, and 2 teams in the 12 and under division.

The 12 and under division are called the Husky Teachers Fortnite Warriors and Xbox Junkies.

And the 13 and up division teams are called Gus bus, Thrashers, Christians team, and kikkajâks.

The tournament will be a 4 on 4 tournament, must have two female or more per each team.

Flowers says the registration fee for each player is $10.

He wishes to advise kids under 19 that you must wear a full cage helmet and gloves and you must wear indoor sneakers only.

The hockey sticks must be in good condition for the tournament, which means must be a plastic blade, one piece wooden sticks, no tape, no chips, or broken blades.

He also says that he is looking for 2 women for the 13 and up division and women who would want to play with the hockey moms for 12 and under.

Flowers adds that he would like to honour our friend Gussie Bennett once again and have a good fun weekend of ball hockey here in Nain.