Our Featured Celebration

    March 5, 1960, 9:15 AM

From our bulging “Forty Year Old Pop Culture Iconosynchronicity” Files.

On March 5, 1960, at approximately 9:15 am, Alberto Korda, Fidel Castro’s personal photographer, took this snapshot of Che Guevara at a memorial service in Havana, Cuba, at a distance of about 30 ft. The iconic photo hung on his wall, unpublished, for seven years.

On March 5, 1960, at approximately 9:15 am, an unidentified fan took this snapshot of Staff Sergeant Elvis Presley at Fort Dix, New Jersey, in his last moment as a soldier before receiving an honourable discharge after two years of service. Coincidence? I think not. Yeah, probably.

UPCOMING EVENTS

AFN National Chief Shawn Atleo will be the guest speaker at the launch of the IBA Community Toolkit: Negotiation and Implementation of Impact and Benefit Agreements, a resource for First Nation, Inuit and Métis communities negotiating agreements with mining companies. The publication is a special project of the Walter and Duncan Gordon Foundation. The launch will be on March 15, 2010 at the Fairmont Chateau Laurier hotel in Ottawa. Please email Kory if you would like an invitation: kgoulais@stone-circle.ca

 

NEW BEGINNINGS

Stonecircle Consulting is evaluating a manual on adult abuse and neglect for the First Nations and Inuit Health Branch (FNIHB) of Health Canada. The manual was developed for British Columbia First Nation communities by Vancouver Coastal Health. The Re:Act resource manual is a tool for community workers to prevent and respond to abuse. Greg Smith will help to evaluate the manual through interviews with current BC users and facilitation of a workshop in Toronto in early March.

 

Jennifer David returns briefly to a former incarnation when she has the opportunity to work for the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network this month. Jennifer, along with Qajaaq Ellsworth in Iqaluit, will be facilitating focus groups with Aboriginal people in selected communities across the North, to get feedback on APTN’s programming. The communities are still to be finalized, but it looks like Jen will be going to Whitehorse, Yellowknife, Dawson City and Inuvik.

 

Dave Boult, working through Stonecircle, is conducting research and developing a bibliography for the Public Health Agency of Canada on Aboriginal injury prevention.

 

Jennifer David is working with the Assembly of First Nations to research and write a report on the state of Information and Communications Technology across First Nations in Canada. (right, Jennifer demonstrating her mastery of information and communications technology.)

 

Stonecircle is subcontracting under AECOM, an environmental consulting company, to ECO Canada, a sector council working in the environmental sector. Ron Ryan and Kory Goulais will assist in developing and conducting surveys and interviews for an environmental scan. The project will determine employer awareness of and interest in ECO Canada’s Aboriginal training initiatives offered through the BEAHR program (Building Environmental Aboriginal Human Resources)

Jennifer David is working again with the Alliance of Sector Councils. She completed an article for an international audience on Canadian sector councils and the work they do. She is now working on an article that focuses on Sector Councils and provincial initiatives.

Chris Grosset and Marla Limousin were in Coral Harbour in February to begin working with local organizations to plan for development opportunities and inventory heritage resources in the Duke of York Bay area of Southampton Island. This initiative of the Hamlet of Coral Harbour involves planning for how development and protection should occur in the area, which is rich in natural and cultural resources. The first stage of the project involved planning sessions with the Hamlet Council, local Kivalliq Inuit Association, Hunters and Trappers Association, and consultations with local residents. (Pictured: Chris Grosset works with Board members of the local HTO.)

ONGOING PROJECTS

The Integrated Community Infrastructure Sustainability Plan Project team travelled to four communities in February. Project Manager Chris Grosset and Marla Limousin were in Coral Harbour and Repulse Bay, while Fred Weihs and Christian Cloutier travelled to Pangnirtung and Qikitarjuaq. The project will give the Government of Nunavut valuable guidance in setting priorities for future investments in community infrastructure to promote sustainable economic. environmental, social and cultural well being. In March the teams will be consulting in Pond Inlet, Clyde River, Kimmirut, Arctic Bay, Grise Fiord, Resolute and Arviat. (Above, left to right: Repulse Bay Community Centres: ICISP planning meeting; Marla and the Arctic Circle Below, Qikiqtarjuaq, mid-afternoon; Pangnirtung hamlet garage with SAO Ron Mongeau; Qikiqtarjuaq horizon.)

Alex Ker is lining up site visits to three Nunavut communities as part of the evaluation of the Nunavut Community Wellness Project (NCWP), which is being managed by Greg Smith for Aarluk. Greg and Alex have provided an interim report on the project, and will be conducting community interviews and discussion groups in March and April in three of the six pilot communities - Kugaaruk, Igloolik and Arviat. The final evaluation report on the wellness planning project will be presented to NTI and the project Steering Committee in June.

 

In February, Stonecircle was asked by Moose Cree First Nation to investigate and recommend appropriate project management software. Chuck Gilhuly and Kory Goulais reviewed 115 potential software candidates, narrowed the selection down to three, set up online demonstrations by all three companies, and arranged a final recommendation and demo for the project team. And all in one short month. Now THAT’S Project Management.

 

Wanda Brascoupe-Peters and Jennifer David continue to work on the environmental scan on health promotion for the Chiefs of Ontario. They attended a Chiefs forum in Toronto to present initial findings and solicit more input into the survey.

HAPPY ENDINGS

  

 

Congratulations to Clootch on the successful completion of the Canadian Association of Management Consultants (CMC)’s Essentials of Management Consulting (EMC) course! The EMC course is the first of many requirements for the CMC designation.

 

 

Jennifer David, ably assisted by Kory Goulais, facilitated a one-day strategic planning session for the Education and Training Branch of the Métis Nation of Ontario, held in Ottawa in February.

     

Speaking of the Stonecircle Twins - they’ve been everywhere, man. Well, perhaps not everywhere, strictly speaking, but at least up and down the North Shore of Lake Huron in Ontario. Stonecircle’s Kory Goulais and Jennifer David hit the road for a three-day trip, visiting many First Nations located between North Bay and Blind River. They visited; Nipissing First Nation, Serpent River First Nation, Wahnapitae First Nation, Whitefish Lake First Nation, Mississauga# 8 First Nation, as well as the Union of Ontario Indians. The trip allowed Stonecircle to visit communities and form relationships with individuals working at the ground level. (Above: Jennifer David, Kory Goulais, and “Further”, the Stonecircle Official VW Bus, man.)

Over 350 teachers from throughout the Qikiqtani region descended on Iqaluit from Feb 22-26 for a packed week of professional improvement courses and workshops. “Kasuutiniq” the 2010 Qikiqtani Teachers conference, involved more than 165 break-out session selections in nine timeslots over the course of the event. Teachers enjoyed a keynote address by Premier Eva Aariak, meals on-site at Inuksuk High School, evening events and of course our friendly and efficient conference staff. Patti Black, Terry Forth and Geoff Rigby have been hard at work since October helping to coordinate this very successful event. Pictured Left to Right:  Geoff Rigby, Sheila Levy and Mark Caine (Conference Co-charis) Cindy Rennie, Shannon Hession (NTA Professional Improvement Coordinator) and Terry Forth.

We told you last month about the Northern Lights Trade Show and Conference, a showcase for businesses, suppliers and service providers from Nunavut, Nunavik, Labrador and Nunatsiavut organized by the Baffin Regional and Labrador North Chambers of Commerce. Above, we present the three lucky winners of draw prizes from Consilium, Aarluk and Stonecircle. Left, John Hussey, SAO of the City of Iqaluit, picks up the Consilium draw prize from Ron Ryan – green fees at one of four select courses. Centre, Jennifer David from Stonecircle presents a print by Yukon First Nations artist Brad Henry to Greg Johnson of Qikiqtaaluk Environmental. Right, Mark Bray of Nunavut Eastern Arctic Shipping receives a beautiful hand crafted necklace created by artist Matthew Nuqingaq from Aarluk Manager Victor Tootoo.

And one last, memorable moment from the Northern Lights Trade Show: the Consilium, Aarluk and Stonecircle team shown just before receiving the coveted “Best Dressed Consulting Group At The Show” Award from Hal Timar. (Pictured Left to Right: Geoff Rigby, Clootch, Jennifer David, Chris Grosset, and Chuck Gilhuly).

BIRTHDAYS

Incredibly, this is ANOTHER completely birthday-free month for all twenty people in our three companies. If you’re looking for an exciting new career with a swell bunch of people and your birthday is in March, give us a call. We need you.

GOSSIP

Overheard at Stonecircle:

K: Can you add my mom to the newsletter list?
T: Sure. What's her name?
K: (pause) I don't know. I just call her "mom".

 

THE CLOSER

Congratulations to Jennifer Bradshaw, pictured here receiving her Five Year Solid Gold Medal for Olympic-Quality Service to Consilium. To celebrate this important transitional moment in the lifetime of our esteemed and beloved office administrator, we are pleased to provide one factoid about J-Brad for each of her years with us.

She once actually weighed 7 1/2 lbs. Briefly. Her first dog, Max, was named after a Canadian Radio Personality, Max Ferguson; her second dog was named Ernest T. Bass after a character on the Andy Griffith Show. At 18 months she could identify ALL the species in the Audubon bird book. She once managed to persuade the entire executive of the School Board in Montreal to do a fashion show in drag, and has the photos to prove it. She is fascinated by everything about Mummies (be they Egyptian, Aztec, Franklin Expedition, Bruce Campbell, or Brendan Fraser.)

 

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