The Labrador Land Protectors (LLP) are heading to Ottawa.

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.

According to Behrens, the LLP and his coalition are planning on gathering together on Parliament Hill in Ottawa at 11 am on Monday, May 7, 2018.

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

They will then be 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 include Elders Jim Learning and Eldred Davis, as well as Marjorie Flowers.

Angus Andersen is expected to be 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.

OK Radio will have more on the event, including an interview with Behrens, in the coming days.

May 1, 2018 was general elections day for voting for Ordinary Members in the communities of Nain, Hopedale, Postville, Rigolet, Upper Lake Melville (ULM) and Canada.

Jim Lyall and Tony Andersen were elected for the Constituency of Nain.

Both have served previously as Ordinary Members, with Lyall being a past president of Nunatsiavut.

Rachel Saunders was elected for the constituency of Hopedale.

Tyler Edmunds was re-elected as the Ordinary Member for Postville.

Carlene Palliser was elected for the Constituency of Rigolet.

Gerald Asivak and Marlene Winters-Wheeler were elected as the Ordinary Members for ULM.

Edward Blake-Rudkowski was re-elected, and Roland Saunders was elected as ordinary members for the Canadian Constituency.

To hear us congratulate Andersen, and Winters-Wheeler on being elected, and Edmunds on being re-elected as Ordinary Members in Nain, Upper Lake Melville, and Postville, click HERE.

OK Radio will have more coverage from other Ordinary Members throughout the week, so stay tuned.

Yesterday, May 1, 2018 was general elections day for voting for Ordinary Members in the communities of Nain, Hopedale, Postville, Rigolet, Upper Lake Melville and Canada.

Here are the unofficial results:

Unofficial results for the Constituency of Nain (two seats):

Jim Lyall 251
Tony Andersen 228
Henry Broomfield 107

Jim Lyall and Tony Andersen are elected for the second time in their political careers.

Unofficial results for the Constituency of Hopedale:

Rachel Saunders 147
Gregory Flowers 69
James Tuttauk 25

Rachel Saunders will serve her first term as Ordinary Member.

Unofficial results for the Constituency of Postville:

Tyler Edmunds 56
Glen Sheppard 53

Tyler Edmunds is re-elected in Postville.

Unofficial results for the Constituency of Rigolet:

Carlene Palliser 95
Charlotte Wolfrey 92

Carlene Pallliser will represent Rigolet for the first time.

Unofficial results for the Constituency of Upper Lake Melville (two seats):

Gerald Asivak 461
Marlene Winters-Wheeler 360
Marjorie Flowers 219
Belinda Andersen 168
Sharon Cormier 80
Rose Pamak 57

Gerald Asivak and Marlene Winters-Wheeler will be representing ULM for the first time.

Unofficial results for the Constituency of Canada (two seats):

Edward Blake-Rudkowski 477
Roland Saunders 258
Lela Evans 234
Charlotte Winters-Fost 194
Selina Adams 90

Edward Blake-Rudkowski returns for a second term, and Roland Saunders will represent beneficiaries outside of Nunatsiavut for the first time.

To hear us congratulate Palliser, Lyall and Asivak on being elected and re-elected as Ordinary Member in Rigolet, Nain, and Upper Lake Melville, click HERE.

OK Radio will have more coverage from other Ordinary Members throughout the week, so stay tuned.

There were a total of approximately 5,500 beneficiaries eligible to vote in the Nunatsiavut Government election yesterday.

Out of the 5,500, 3,721 voted, for an impressive turnout of nearly 70 percent (67.65).

For the Canadian Constituency, there were approximately 2000 eligible voters and 1,253 that voted, or 62.65 percent voter turnout.

Other Constituencies:

Nain: 828 eligible voters and 586 that voted- 70.77 percent

Hopedale: 437 eligible voters and 241 voted- 55.15 percent

Postville 151 eligible voters and 109 voted- 72.18 percent

Rigolet: 257 eligible voters and 187 that voted- 72.76 percent

Upper Lake Melville (ULM): 1359 eligible voters and 1,345 votes- Percentage to be determined.

Correction: A previous version of this story said that 98 percent of voters in Upper Lake Melville voted. In actuality, the number of voters is to be determined. OK Society will have updated figures on voter turnout percentages when they become available.

Torngat Fish Producers Co-operative Society, Limited will be holding their Community Meetings and Annual General Meeting in Labrador on the following dates:

Community Meetings:

Makkovik: Today, Wednesday May 2, 2018 at the Community Town Hall beginning at 7 pm.

Nain: Tomorrow, Thursday May 3, 2018 at the Nunatsiavut Government Building Board Room at 7 pm.

Two delegates will be elected from each community to attend the Annual General Meeting.

The Annual General Meeting will be held in Hopedale on May 23, 2018 at the Nunatsiavut Assembly Building Board room beginning at 7 pm.

If there are any questions, please contact the head office by calling (709)-896-3992.

Unofficial results for the Constituency of Nain (two seats):

Tony Andersen 228

Henry Broomfield 107

Jim Lyall 251

Unofficial results for the Constituency of Hopedale:

Gregory Flowers 69

Rachel Saunders 147

James Tuttauk 25

Unofficial results for the Constituency of Postville:

Tyler Edmunds 56

Glen Sheppard 53

Unofficial results for the Constituency of Rigolet:

Carlene Palliser 95

Charlotte Wolfrey 92

Unofficial results for the Constituency of Upper Lake Melville (two seats):

Belinda Andersen 168

Gerald Asivak 461

Sharon Cormier 80

Marjorie Flowers 219

Rose Pamak 57

Marlene Winters-Wheeler 360

Unofficial results for the Constituency of Canada (two seats):

Selina Adams 90

Edward Blake-Rudkowski 477

Lela Evans 234

Roland Saunders 258

Charlotte Winters-Fost 194

Torngat Fish Producers Co-operative Society, Limited will be holding their Community Meetings and Annual General Meeting in Labrador on the following dates:

Community Meetings:

Rigolet: Today May 1, 2018 at the Council Chambers beginning at 7 pm.

Postville: Wednesday May 2, 2018 at the Community Hall beginning at 10:30 am.

Makkovik: Wednesday May 2, 2018 at the Community Town Hall beginning at 7 pm.

Nain: Thursday May 3, 2018 at the Nunatsiavut Government Building Board Room at 7 pm.

Two delegates will be elected from each community to attend the annual General Meeting.

The Annual General Meeting will be held in Hopedale on May 23, 2018 at the Nunatsiavut assembly Building Board room beginning at 7 pm.

If there are any questions, please contact the head office by calling (709)-896-3992.

Alana Johns, Professor Emeritus in the Department of Linguistics at the University of Toronto, was in Nain last week.

She says she came to Nain to do two or three projects she and Rita Andersen are working on, including the Phrase Book project.

Johns says for one of the projects, they meet with people to collect stories, and have these stories translated.

Johns adds she has been awarded one of the 2018 National Achievement Awards by the Canadian Linguistic Association.

One of the reasons Johns was awarded is because of her substantial work with the Inuktitut language.

She will be presented the award on May 31, 2018 in Regina, Saskatchewan.

To hear more on the projects that Johns is working on, click HERE.

Today is voting day for beneficiaries to vote for Ordinary Members in their respective towns.

OKalâKatiget radio contacted the north coast communities to find out if they’re going to the polls to vote.

OK Radio did not ask for names when we contacted them.

The main question asked was: Are you going to vote – yes, no or undecided.

We contacted ten beneficiaries from each town.

In Hopedale, Postville and Rigolet all said they voted, or are going to vote.

In Nain eight said they’re voting, with one no and another undecided.

Seven beneficiaries said they’re going to vote in Upper Lake Melville, and two said no, with one undecided.

In the Canadian Constituency, where we polled over 10 people and counting, 83.3 percent said they’ve sent in their ballots.

Beneficiaries are heading out to polling stations to vote for Ordinary Members in their respective communities on the north coast, including Upper Lake Melville (ULM), Mud Lake, North West River and the Canadian Constituency.

Beneficiaries in the community of Nain and Upper Lake Melville region can vote for two candidates.

Beneficiaries in the Canadian Constituency also chose two candidates;
they already voted with mail-in ballots.

Here‘s the list of Candidates running in your community:

Upper Lake Melville: Belinda Andersen, Gerald Asivak, Sharon Cormier, Marjorie Flowers, Rose Pamak, and Marlene Winters-Wheeler.

Nain: Jim Lyall, Henry Broomfield, and Tony Andersen.

Hopedale: Greg Flowers, James (Jim) Tuttauk, and Rachel Saunders.

Postville: Tyler Edmunds and Glen Sheppard.

Rigolet: Carlene Palliser and Charlotte Wolfrey.

Canada: Edward Blake-Rudkowski, Selina Adams, Lela Evans, Roland Saunders, and Charlotte Winters-Fost.

The Polling Stations were open at 8 am and close at 8 pm tonight.

People in ULM can cast their vote at the Labrador Friendship Center.

People in North West River can vote at the Community Centre.

Voters on the North Coast can cast their ballots at the following locations:

In Nain at the Fire Hall,

Hopedale at the Inuit Community Government Office, Council Chambers,

Postville at the Recreation Hall,

And in Rigolet at the Strathcona Building.

OKâlaKatiget Radio will be on the air tonight at 8 when the polls close.

We will be on air until the election results are in.
2018 Eligible voters:

Total: approx 5500

Canadian Constituency: approx 2000

Nain: 828

Hopedale: 437

Postville: 151

Makkovik: 235

Rigolet: 257

ULM: 1359