Here is the list for the Christmas events for the Town of Hopedale.

The Christmas concert will take place at the Amos Comenius Memorial School today, Wednesday, December 12th, the concert starts at 6 pm for all grades.

There will be Christmas parties for ages 5-8 years old and 9-12 years old on Thursday, December 13.

The Christmas Tree Lighting will be held on Tuesday, Dec. 18 and judging for the Best Decorated house.

The 13-18 and 19-49 Christmas parties are set for Wednesday, Dec. 19th.

A Giant Bingo is scheduled for Thursday, December 20th.

On Christmas Eve, Monday, Dec. 24th, Santa will make a visit; that will be at the Moravian Church.

A New Year’s Eve Ball takes place on Monday, Dec. 31st.

These events were received before the phones went down at OKâlaKatiget Society last weekend.

The Nigivik Centre held their first Mitt making workshop in Nain this week.

Shelly Dicker is the Community Food Coordinator for the Centre.

She says the workshop started on Monday, December 10th.

Dicker says they had over 20 individuals who were interested in the mitt making workshop but with only limited seats and limited seal skins they had 7 participants enrolled.

Right now they are looking for youth to participate in the Seal Skin Cleaning workshop for in the New Year, this is for youth from ages 16 years to 35 years.

Dicker says they have 5 to 6 space available for youth to learn how to skin a seal.

To hear more from Dicker when she tells you more of the mitt making workshop, click HERE.

The Phone lines are still out of service at the OKâlaKatiget Society office.

We are uncertain of when they will be repaired due to not knowing when the next date the Bell Aliant Technician will be in town.

There may not be a possibility that there will be a Santa on air until we have more information when the technician will be coming to the office.

If you would like to send in your Christmas greetings, you can do so by emailing them to okradio@oksociety.com;

Or Drop them off at the office or write them to:

OKâlaKatiget Society
P.O. 160
Nain, NL
A0P1L0.

Vale Newfoundland and Labrador issued a shipping notice to the public yesterday, Monday, December 10, 2018.

The summer shipping season for 2018 in Edwards Cove has completed.

Further shipping information will be available through the information phone number at 1 877-922-SHIP (7447), the Vale shipping information number:

709-922-4437, or the Vale website:www.vale.com/canada.

Fire extinguishers are a great way to quickly put out small fires before they become larger. Here are some tips regarding when to use fire extinguishers and how to use them safely and effectively.

When to Use a Fire Extinguisher:

Always remember fire extinguishers are a secondary element of a fire safety plan. The first priority is always to get everyone out of the building safely.
Only use a fire extinguisher after everyone else has evacuated the home and 911 has been called;
Only use a fire extinguisher when a fire is confined to a small area, such as a pot or wastebasket; and
Never use a fire extinguisher in a room that is already filled with smoke.

Choosing a Fire Extinguisher:

For the home, select a multi-purpose extinguisher that is large enough to put out a small fire, but not so heavy as to be difficult to handle.
Have your fire extinguisher inspected and serviced annually;
Thoroughly read the instructions for the use of your fire extinguisher and ensure all adults in the home know how to use it and operate it; and
Mount your fire extinguisher on a wall near an escape route. Never install a fire extinguisher adjacent to a potential fire hazard.

Learn How to ‘PASS’:

PULL the pin to activate the fire extinguisher;
AIM the nozzle at the base of the fire;
SQUEEZE the handle; and
SWEEP from side-to-side at the base of the fire while discharging the contents of the fire extinguisher.

The Department of Municipal Affairs and Environment wishes all residents a safe and happy holiday season.

Yesterday, December 10, 2018, the federal government announced changes to the Nutrition North Canada program.

The government’s announcement involves updating its list of subsidized food and increasing subsidy rates, including a targeted subsidy towards frozen fruits and vegetables, milk, infant food and infant formula.

Following the 2018 Fall Economic Statement, the government proposes to invest an additional $62.6 million over five years starting in 2019-20, with $10.4 million ongoing to introduce a Harvesters Support Grant.

Yesterday’s announcement was made outside of the newly established bi-lateral Inuit Crown food security working group through which Inuit positions specific to food security and Nutrition North Canada will be addressed in a participatory approach with the federal government.

ITK President Natan Obed responded with the following by e-mail:

“Approximately 70% of households in Nunavut are food insecure (Inuit Health Survey, 2007-08). There are similar rates across Inuit Nunangat. All but one of the 51 Inuit communities is eligible for subsidies under Nutrition North Canada. Approximately $4 out of every $5 of the subsidy is directed to Inuit communities.

This Inuit food insecurity happens despite Nutrition North being in place, and despite Canada being one of the wealthiest countries in the world. We welcome the federal government’s willingness to establish an Inuit specific food security working group.

Our expectation going forward is that the federal government will work jointly with Inuit through the recently announced Inuit Crown bilateral process on food security to make the necessary and foundational systemic changes to NNC so it evolves into an accountable, transparent social program that reduces food insecurity in Inuit communities.”

Makivik Corporation is asking Nunavik harvesters to do their part in protecting the regions vulnerable caribou population.

The Organization issued a news release on Dec 6 calling on both hunters and governments to “help preserve the future of caribou herds in the Inuit Territory”.

“Makivik will continue to monitor the situation, but in the meantime, we want everyone to do their part to protect the population levels of the caribou”, said Makivik Corporation President, Charlie Watt following meetings with chiefs of the neighboring Cree and Naskapi Nations.

The Quebec Government finally responded to calls from Indigenous Groups in Northern Quebec and closed the sports hunt of Leaf River Caribou, effective February 2018.

Measures have already been put in place to prohibit the harvest of any female caribou during the calving periods that include the months of March, April, May and June in Nunavik.

Makivik Board of Directors also voted in favour of a second resolution asking harvesters to voluntarily refrain from harvesting from the George River Caribou herd until that population recovers.

That herd that once numbered more than 760,000 have shrunk fewer than 9,000.

The decline of Northern Quebec’s caribou herd prompted the 2013 creation of Ungava Peninsula Caribou Aboriginal Roundtable or (UPCART) made up of 7 Indigenous groups that inhabit the region, with Makivik designated as a representative of Nunavik Inuit.

That group signed its own co-operative Wildlife Management Agreement in 2017.

Adamie Delisle Alaku is Makivik’s Vice-President of Environment, Wildlife and Research and who sits on the Roundtable.

He said, “Our caribou has sustained us for thousands of years and Inuit will continue to pressure governments and other interested parties to respect our preservation plan for the caribou.”

The new ferry boat Grete will be replacing the MV Northern Ranger and the MV Astron in the New Year.

Knowing there will be a big change in the New Year.

We wanted to get input and the public’s thoughts and concerns so we had two of our radio producers out on the field to interview people about the Northern Ranger not serving the north coast.

We all know this will be a big change in the upcoming Year.

We spoke with Herman Webb the owner at Hayne Store and Angijukak Joe Dicker.

To hear what their thoughts and concerns are about the new vessel, click HERE.

Anne Budgell is arriving to Nain today, December 11, 2018.

Budgell is a well known story writer.

She will be holding a public event to speak about her new book.

Budgell will also be going to the Jens Haven Memorial School to speak about her new book titled “We all expected to die” Spanish influenza in Labrador 1918-1919 to the grade 7, 8, 9 students on December 12 starting at 1pm.

She will then also hold a session at the JHMS for students and she will hold another public event in Nain.

Budgell will be holding a public event this evening at the Nunatsiavut Government boardroom starting from 7-9pm.

She also added that she will hold another public event on Thursday December 13, 2018 at the NG Boardroom starting from 2pm-4pm.

The Cree Nation Government voted in favour of a ban on Cree hunters harvesting caribou of the George River Caribou Herd last week on Thursday.

The decline has shown 99 % since 2001.

A resolution to limit the Cree hunt of the herd, which is down 5,500 caribou passed unanimously last week at a regular council board meeting of the Grand Council of the Cree/ Cree Nation Government, including community chiefs in Matagami, Quebec.

Nadia Saganash, Cree Nation Wildlife Administrator said “Let the population rest and replenish and build its strength again.”

He goes on to say, “We are concerned about the current harvesting still occurring with the herd, when populations reach such critically low levels the genetic fitness and diversity of the herd is reduced and it becomes less able to adapt to environmental stresses and changes.”

The Cree Government also passed a second resolution last condemning what it calls “unauthorized” hunting of the second herd of the caribou in Quebec – the Leaf Herd – by other Indigenous groups in Cree Territory.

According to Quebec Government Statistics the Leaf River Caribou herd population dropped by 70% between 2000-2016 down to 181,000, before slightly rebounding in 2017 to just over 209,000 caribou in February 2018.

Story Courtesy of CBC news.