The Nunatsiavut Heritage Dog Team Race is taking place here in Nain, NL this Saturday, March 17th, 2018 at 1 pm.

There will be eight or nine dog teams altogether, coming from Goose Bay, Rigolet, Makkovik, Hopedale, and one team from here in Nain.

The Heritage Dog Team Race Committee would like to remind anyone who may want to plan and prepare to sell food or any other items down on the ice, you are welcome to do so.

The course of the race usually takes up to 2 hours to complete, so there will be lots of time for you to prepare.

That way people will want to stick around to see the teams make it to the finish line.

Kim Howland, a Research Scientist with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), is in Nain today presenting a workshop and information session on Marine Diversity and Invasive Species until 4 pm.

Youths from ages 16 to 30 who have an interest in environmental studies are attending the workshop.

The location is the Nunatsiavut building.

Any youth interested in the workshop can come and join in this afternoon.

Howland is also hosting a community information session tonight at the meeting room upstairs in the Atsanik Lodge at 7 pm.

Everyone is welcome to attend.

To hear more from Howland on the youth workshop, and the community information session taking place in Nain tonight, click HERE.

The New Prototype Building for seniors and youth in Nain should be ready for occupancy sometime in April.

The rental applications are available at the Nunatsiavut Government office and the Department of Health and Social Development.

The application deadline is March 19, 2018.

The Nunatsiavut Government is currently accepting applications for a housing repair program for 2018.

The 2018 Housing Repair Program is being made available to all Beneficiaries of the Labrador Inuit Land Claims Agreement residing in the Inuit Communities of Nain, Hopedale, Postville, Makkovik, and Rigolet.

Applications can be picked up from your local Community Liaison Officer (CLO).

Completed applications must be submitted to your CLO by 4 pm today- Wednesday, March 14, 2018.

Applications are also available online at www.nunatsiavut.com.

For more information, you can contact Brian Lyall in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, NL at (709)-896-8582.

The Nunatsiavut Government’s 2018-2019 Budget was released a week ago.

Tyler Edmunds is the Finance, Human Resources and Information Technology Minister for NG.

He says the budget includes investment in Housing, Language and Culture, Health and Well-being of Inuit, and its Land and Natural Resources.

To hear Edmunds talk about the funding for Housing and Language and Culture, as part one, click HERE

Stay tuned for more tomorrow, when we will air Edmunds on the funds for Health and Well-being, plus Land and Natural Resources, as part two.

The minor hockey department in Makkovik, NL will be holding its 1st Annual Cape Makkovik Cup Ice Hockey Tournament from March 23rd to the 25th, 2018.

The tournament will start at 6 pm.

The event will take place at the Makkovik Arena.

There are three tournaments that you can register a team for.

The Men’s tournament is ages 17 and older; you must have six players minimum, and a maximum of nine, including a goalie.

The Women’s tournament is ages 14 and older; you also must have six players minimum, and a maximum of nine, including a goalie.

Minor hockey aged children: Atom/Peewee/Bantam/Midget tournament; children interested in playing can submit their name and they will be placed on a team.

Children do not have to be registered in minor hockey to play in the tournament.

There is a registration fee of $20 for both the men’s and women’s divisions.

There is no registration fee for the children’s division.

The deadline to register your team is Wednesday, March 21st, 2018.

To register your team, contact Chantelle Evens at 923-2358, or Kerry Mitchell at 923-2454, or email makkovikminorhockey@gmail.com.

Kim Howland, a Research Scientist with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), will be in Nain on Wednesday March 14th, 2018.

She will be presenting a workshop and information session on Marine Diversity and Invasive Species from 9 am to 4 pm.

Youths from ages 16 to 30 who have an interest in environmental studies are encouraged to attend.

Refreshments will be provided for a morning break and afternoon break.

Everyone may leave for dinner break from 12 to 1 pm.

The location is yet to be determined.

For anyone interested, please call Heather Angnatok at 922-2126, extension 241, or message her through Facebook.

According to an ITK news release, it is encouraging and constructive that this year’s budget utilizes an Inuit Nunangat fiscal policy based on direct federal allocations to Inuit.

Natan Obed is the President for Inuit Tapariit Kanadami (ITK).

The following Inuit-specific investments proposed in Budget 2018 are notable:

$400 million over 10 years to support an Inuit-led housing plan in the Inuit regions of Nunavik, Nunatsiavut and Inuvialuit. This is in addition to the $240 million over 10 years announced in Budget 2017 to support housing in Nunavut, where additional funding was provided for Inuit housing.

$27.5 million over five years to eliminate tuberculosis in Inuit Nunangat, including through support of ITK’s Inuit-specific approach to tuberculosis elimination.

And $82 million over 10 years, with $6 million per year ongoing, for the co-creation of a permanent Inuit Health Survey.

To hear more information on the recent ITK news release on the federal budget, click HERE.

The Nain airstrip has been a topic of discussion for many years.

There is money available for the Nain airstrip, but there is more work to do.

Joe Dicker is the AngajukKak of the Nain Inuit Community Government.

He says there is an upcoming Capital Works project for this year.

Dicker adds the other issues are the moose hunt on the Island, and the meetings that were held in Nain on char fishing in Nain Bay and TikKoatokKak.

To hear Dicker talk more about these issues, click HERE

The Nunatsiavut Government is currently accepting applications for a housing repair program for 2018.

The program is being made available to all Beneficiaries of the Labrador Inuit Land Claims Agreement residing in the communities of Nain, Hopedale, Postville, Makkovik and Rigolet.

Applications must be completed and submitted to the Nunatsiavut Community Liaison Officer in each community by March 21, 2018.

To obtain an application, please contact the Community Liaison Officer in your community.