Mother’s Day is just days away.

OK Radio contacted all of the Department of Health and Social Development’s (DHSD’s) along the coast to see what they will be offering the mothers in their communities.

The DHSD in Postville will be hosting a Mother’s Day Café on Friday, May 11th at 6:30 pm.

In Hopedale, the DHSD will be having a Brunch consisting of toast, eggs, bacon sausage, etc. at 12 noon on May 14 at the afterschool program building.

Afterwards, the DHSD team will be hosting a spa for the mothers.

The 9th annual Heritage Forum will take place in Hopedale this year.

Andrea Proctor is a researcher with the Tradition and Transition project. (piusituKaujuit amma assianguvialliajuillu suliami)

Jamie Brake is the Archeologist for the Nunatsiavut Government.

Proctor says the Heritage Forum planning committee is still making plans.

She adds the main issues on the agenda include language programs, archeology work, and a proposal to make Hopedale a UNESCO Heritage site.

Stay tuned for AtjiKangitut tomorrow when Proctor and Brake will give you a few more details on the Heritage Forum.

Nunatsiavut Elections Officer Nannette Blake confirmed yesterday, May 8, 2018 that Carlene Palliser has been declared elected in the Constituency of Rigolet, following an official recount of the May 1 general election for Ordinary Member.

Ms. Palliser received 95 votes, three more than the other electoral candidate, Charlotte Wolfrey.

She will be sworn in as a member of the Nunatsiavut Assembly on May 16, 2018 in Hopedale.

A recount will be held today in Postville, where the vote count has incumbent Tyler Edmunds ahead by three over Glen Sheppard.

As per the Nunatsiavut Elections Act, an automatic recount is conducted when there are 10 or fewer votes separating the first and second candidates.

OK Radio will have more coverage on the recount in Postville once the information becomes available.

Sarah Anala is a senior who is originally from Nain, and now lives in New Brunswick.

She remembers one of her first trips away from her hometown in the 1960’s.

Anala says she went to take a nursing course at Memorial University in St. John’s.

She talks about her first experience at the big city, and later in the years when she moved to New Brunswick.

Anala still works at the penitentiary, where she is an Inuk Liaison for Inuit, Innu and Metis inmates.

To hear Anala talk about her experiences in St. John’s, and now in New Brunswick, click HERE.

LLPs Protest on Parliament Hill on May 7, 2018
Photo Courtesy of Dr. Peter Stockdale

A group protesting the Muskrat Falls megaproject, including three prominent Labrador Land Protectors, was arrested and detained on Parliament Hill yesterday.

Matthew Behrens is a member and coordinator of the Ontario Muskrat Solidarity Coalition, and one of the people detained.

He says the group entered Prime Minster Trudeau’s office yesterday, but were removed from the area.

Angus Andersen was able to deliver bottles of methyl mercury water from Muskrat Falls, and the group delivered pictures of people they say are at risk as a result of the Muskrat Falls project.

They held a rally on Parliament Hill and spoke to three MP’s, including Labrador MP Yvonne Jones.

15 of the protestors ended up being arrested and detained by Parliamentary security and RCMP; they ranged in age from 28 to 92 years.

Those arrested were given Ban and Bar Notices stating that they weren’t able to go on Parliament Hill for the next 90 days.

According to Behrens, Labrador Land Protectors Marjorie Flowers, Jim Learning, and Eldred Davis led the actions that resulted in their arrest by crossing a line established by police and security personal.

Marjorie Flowers, however, was the only one put in handcuffs.

The group arrested were read their rights by police.

However, in the end, none of the protestors were charged.

To hear an interview with Behrens describing what happened yesterday, click HERE.

The Labrador Doc Project has chosen four artists to produce documentaries.

The organizers say Nakummek to everyone who submitted story ideas.

And they greatly appreciate the effort that every applicant put into their submissions.

They reviewed 17 submissions with producers at the NFB, along with their co-producer at LJH Films, and a Labrador community member.

It was no easy task to make a selection, as there were many great submissions.

They are pleased to announce the acceptance of the following four submissions that are starting the development phase; production will start in the fall:

First artist Heather Campbell from Rigolet, with the idea of First Inuk Teacher.

Second artist is Jennie Williams from Nain, with the idea of Nalujuk Night.

Third artist Holly Andersen from Makkovik, with the idea of Hebron Relocation.

And the Fourth artist is Ossie Michelin from North West River, with the idea of Drum Dancers.

For more information, you can check out the website at www.nfb.ca.

Torngat Fish Producers Cooperative held their Community Meetings last week.

Keith Watts is the General Manager.

He says they travelled to each of the North Coast Communities in Rigolet, Postville, Makkovik and Nain.

Watts says the issues they discussed were the minutes of last year’s meeting, finance, the two fish plants, and the fishery.

He says they elected some new directors and re-elected others for the board.

They also elected delegates for the Annual General Meeting that takes place in Hopedale on Wednesday, May 23, 2018.

To hear Watts give you more details on issues they talked about, click HERE.

Nunatsiavut Elections Officers Nanette Blake has released the official results of the May 1 election for the Ordinary Members to the Nunatsiavut Assembly.

While recounts will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively for Rigolet and Postville, the results are as follows:

Constituency of Nain: Tony Andersen had 11 mail-in votes, 38 advance Poll Votes, 179 ordinary poll votes, with a total of 228 votes.

Henry Broomfield had 2 Mail-in votes, 12 advance Poll votes, 88 ordinary poll votes, and a Total of 102 votes.

Jim Lyall had 6 Mail- in votes, 58 advanced Poll votes, 187 ordinary Poll votes, with a total of 251 votes.

There were 828 Eligible voters with a total of 279 ballots cast, for a 33.7% voter turnout.

Constituency of Hopedale: Greg Flowers had 1 mail-in vote, 1 advance Poll vote, 68 ordinary poll votes, with a total of 70 votes.

Rachel Saunders had 0 mail-in votes, 2 advance poll votes, 145 ordinary poll votes, with a total of 147 votes.

James Tuttauk had 0 mail-in votes, 0 advance poll votes, 25 ordinary poll votes, with a total of 25 votes.

There were 437 eligible voters with 243 ballots cast, for a 55.6% voter turnout.

Constituency of Postville: Tyler Edmunds had 0 mail-in votes, 23 advanced poll votes, 33 ordinary poll votes, with a total of 56 votes.

Glen Sheppard had 0 mail-in votes, 12 advance poll votes, 41 ordinary poll votes, with a total of 53 votes.

A mandatory recount will take place on Wednesday, May 9, as per the Nunatsiavut election Act.

There were 151 eligible voters with 109 ballots cast, for a 72.1% voter turnout.

Constituency of Rigolet: Carlene Palliser had 0 Mail-in, 4 advance poll votes, 91 ordinary votes, with 95 total votes.

Charlotte Wolfrey had 0 mail-in votes, 15 advance poll votes, 77 ordinary poll votes, with a total of 92 votes.

A mandatory recount will take place on Tuesday, May 8, as per the Nunatsiavut elections Act.

There were 235 eligible voters with 187 ballots cast, for a 79.6% voter turnout.

Constituency of Upper Lake Melville: Belinda Andersen had 6 mail-in votes, 35 advance poll votes, 127 ordinary poll votes, with a total of 168 votes.

Gerald Asivak had 14 mail-in votes, 77 advance poll votes, 370 ordinary poll votes, with a total of 461 votes.

Sharon Cormier had 1 mail-in vote, 14 advance poll votes, 65 ordinary poll votes, with 80 total votes.

Marjorie Flowers had 16 mail in votes, 24 advance poll vote, 179 ordinary poll votes, with a total of 219 votes.

Rosina Pamak had 2 mail in votes, 10 advance poll votes, 45 ordinary poll votes, with 57 total votes.

Marlene Winters-wheeler had 8 mail in votes, 59 advance poll votes, 293 ordinary poll votes, with a total of 360 votes.

There were 1,933 eligible voters with 684 ballots cast, with a 40.5% voter turnout.

Constituency of Canada:

Selina Adams had 90 mail in votes, with a total of 90 votes.

Edward Blake-Rudkowski had 477 mail in votes, with a total of 477 votes.

Lela Evans had 234 mail in votes, with a total of 234 votes.

Roland Saunders had 258 mail in votes, with a total of 258 votes.

Charlotte Winters-Fost had 194 mail in votes, with a total of 194 votes.

There were 2,128 eligible voters with 764 ballots cast, for a 35.9% voter turnout.

The Labrador Land Protectors (LLP) are protesting the Muskrat Falls megaproject in Ottawa today.

Matthew Behrens is a member and coordinator of the Ontario Muskrat Solidarity Coalition.

Behrens says the coalition is a group across the province of Ontario who work alongside with and support the LLP.

The LLP and his coalition have gathered together on Parliament Hill in Ottawa today.

The gathering is called “See Their Faces, Hear Their Voices”.

They are attempting to non-violently enter the House of Commons and place pictures of those they feel are at risk from the effects of the Muskrat Falls megaproject on all 343 MP’s desks.

LLPs expected to be in attendance included Elders Jim Learning and Eldred Davis, as well as Marjorie Flowers.

Angus Andersen is handing out water bottles of Muskrat Falls’ water containing methyl mercury to MP’S as a statement against methyl mercury poisoning from the project.

The action is in response to the 9.2 billion dollars in funding that the federal government has invested in the Muskrat Falls mega-dam project.

Labrador MP Yvonne Jones met with the group of protestors outside the House of Commons a short time ago.

To hear an interview with Behrens on the group’s plans for today, click HERE.

UPDATE: Members of the Labrador Land Protectors and other members of the Muskrat Falls protest group, including Matthew Behrens, have been arrested on Parliament Hill. LLP’s arrested include Jim Learning, Eldred Davis, and Marjorie Flowers.

A char net-making and mending course originally scheduled for this week has been postponed until June, 2018.

The Nunatsiavut Government, in partnership with the Marine Institute, is sponsoring the course.

Additional information will follow once the date is confirmed for June, 2018.

Meanwhile, there are still seats available for June.

If you are interested, or want your name added to the list, please contact Rutie Dicker, Community Liaison Officer, at the Nunatsiavut Government in Nain by phone at (709)-922-2942, extension 222.