Our Featured Celebration

Chanteuse Avril Lavigne is more than just a pretty face and a catchy string of pop hits. Her commitment to the environment has been marked by a series of understated personal gestures demonstrating her commitment to the development and promotion of alternative fuel sources. She is pictured here at the opening of Napanee’s very first fuel station for hydrogen-powered vehicles.

Her home community has reciprocated by declaring that today, April 1st, will henceforth be celebrated as Avril Fuels Day.

NEW FACES

In a desperate, last ditch attempt to fill the vacant Birthday section of the February and March newsletters, the Consilium Consulting Group (CCG) has embarked on an aggressive recruiting campaign to hire at least one new employee per month until the crucial months are represented. We are delighted to introduce you to Galin Kora, newest addition to the CCG team. Galin obtained his M.Sc. in Rural Planning and Development from the University of Guelph, and has worked in First Nations communities, Africa, South East Asia, and Latin America on community and stakeholder engagement, program and project evaluation, needs assessment and demand analysis, with a focus on rural and remote areas. His talent, humour, skills are experience are wonderful: his sense of timing, however, is not. Galin was born in December. Sigh. Stay tuned for next month’s New Face. By the way, if you were born in February or March…

NEW BEGINNINGS

Jennifer David will be returning to her alma mater, working with Aboriginal Services at Carleton University on a variety of communications projects, including updating the Centre’s promotional materials and developing a communications plan to raise the profile of all the Aboriginal initiatives and services at the university.

“Cross-cultural training” IS “cross-cultural training”, regardless of the setting. Consilium partner Ron Ryan has been engaged to provide instruction in cultural sensitivity to the 2010 NASA Shuttle crew. “It’s like any cross-cultural workplace”, Ron explained. “People from different cultures behave in different ways. You have to tolerate other people’s behaviour in a space shuttle, and be mindful of your own cultural quirks. Kinda like having to share a room in Arctic Bay with four forklift operators in their way into a DEW Line site. One adapts.” Ron’s key concern was whether he gets to collect Aeroplan points for the workshop, which will be conducted approximately 220 km above the earth’s surface.

ONGOING PROJECTS

The national “Claiming Our Future: Implementing Land Claims Agreements for Social and Economic Prosperity” conference is attracting national buzz in media. Patti Black is working with Jennifer David and Patty Saulis to coordinate this important event on behalf of the Land Claims Agreements Coalition. Scheduled for May 12-15, 2009 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Ottawa, the conference will attract over 450 land claims stakeholders from across Canada and internationally. Agenda and registration information is available on the Coalition website or simply click here to register online.

In 2006, the Nunavut Housing Trust received $200 million dollars from the Federal Government to construct up to 725 new housing units. An additional $100 million dollars was added in February of 2009 to extend and continue the investment. An Aarluk team led by Project Manager Chuck Gilhuly and including Terry Forth, Terry Rudden and Denis Simard, reviewed the procurement and marshalling procedures in the first two years of the program. The report, completed in May 2008, laid the groundwork for the development of a comprehensive evaluation framework to measure the progress of the Nunavut Housing Trust Delivery Strategy in meeting its goals and objectives. The team is currently completing a supplementary update report to include the results of the 2008/2009 construction season and is working on the first draft of the full evaluation framework with our new Program Evaluation Specialist Galin Kora, our Senior Economist Fred Weihs and Researcher Christian Cloutier. The draft framework will be used to invite input from all the stakeholders directly involved with or affected by the implementation of the Delivery Strategy. Work will continue through April and May, with a final report due in early June.

2030 NORTH online registration is open! This national planning conference, coordinated by Patti Black on behalf of co-hosts Canadian Arctic Resources Committee, Centre for Military and Strategic Studies and Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK), is scheduled for June 1-4, 2009 at the Ottawa Marriott. Session chairs include Dr. Rob Huebert, Dr. Oran Young, John Donihee, Dr. David Hik and Dr. Franklyn Griffiths, who will be joined by many high profile northerners, academics and bureaucrats to discuss themes of climate change, pace of change, land claims agreements, science policy and a new strategy for Canada’s north. Click here to register online or log on to the 2030 NORTH Conference website for more information.

Way back in February Aarluk’s Chris Grosset and Marla Limousin travelled to Kugaaruk with Becky Torretti of the Government of Nunavut’s Parks and Special Places Division. The team is working with the residents of Kugaaruk to study the cultural and landscape resources in an area on the west side of Pelly Bay, where the community would to see the establishment of a Territorial Park. Working with a local Project Coordinator, Jessie Apsaktaun, and Translator Nick Amatinuar, the team interviewed residents on the study area. Follow-up community visits are planned for May and August 2009. The project is being guided by a Park Steering Committee of residents committed to establishing this park since 2001. (Pictured left to right: Kugaaruk Park Steering Committee - Mayor Macabie Nartok, Barthelemy Nirlungayuk, Otto Apsaktaun, Zachary Oogark, Jessie Apsaktaun)

In June of 2008, the Government of Nunavut and the Nunavut Employees Union signed MOU # 9, creating a joint Employer-Union Committee to review the Nunavut Northern Allowance. Chuck Gilhuly and associates Victor Tootoo and the Hay Group have been working with the Joint Committee since January 2009 to gather data and report on northern and isolated post allowances provided by government and private sector employers across Nunavut, the NWT, the Yukon, Northern Quebec and Labrador. The project team is scheduled to provide a summary report on initial findings in April with a final report expected in May.

Aarluk continues to support the Centre for Indigenous Knowledge and Nutrition study on the impact of diet on Seasonal Affective Disorder in northern, rural and remote communities. Dr. Valerie Assinewe of Health Canada is heading up the team, which is currently reviewing the effectiveness of a traditional Mayan dietary supplement rich in alkaloids (including theobromine and phenethylamine) known in their language as “xocolatl”. Administered orally in 49 gram rectangular doses, the supplement has demonstrated great promise as a mood enhancer, although researcher Helen Klengenberg has identified concerns about potentially addictive properties.

Aarluk is working with the City of Iqaluit to provide support for the preparation of a new Community Economic Development (CED) Plan. Aarluk’s team is conducting research and preliminary interviews for the City to gather information that will be used to prepare a three-year CED plan. Project Manager Chris Grosset, Terry Forth, Chuck Gilhuly, Marla Limousin, James Forth, Geoff Rigby, Christian Cloutier, and Cindy Rennie are hard at work to complete a summary report for the City of Iqaluit’s Economic Development Officer, Erin Gordey, and the Community Economic Development Committee.

Nunavut’s new Language Legislation, the Official Languages Act and the Inuit Language Protection Act, represent a historic initiative to protect one of Nunavut’s most important cultural treasures – the Inuit Language. Terry Rudden is working with the Department of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth on communications strategies to help inform Nunavummiut about their historic new legislation.

The National Aboriginal Health Organization (NAHO) will be holding a conference at the end of November, 2009. Stonecircle is currently developing the agenda, sponsorship packages, web site and promotional material for the event.

HAPPY ENDINGS

The Nunavut Wildlife Symposium was held March 16-19 in Rankin Inlet, facilitated by Terry Forth, John Hicks and Joanasie Akumalik. This year’s Symposium saw 125 wildlife management delegates representing every Nunavut community meet, addressing the theme of bringing biologists, Nunavut hunters and elders together. A bound report of the symposium proceedings will be prepared by Terry Rudden, with assistance from Terry Forth, for distribution sometime this summer.

Stonecircle’s Jennifer David wrote an article for the Alliance of Sector Councils on “Innovative Aboriginal Projects” as part of a series of articles on innovative sector council initiatives.

On March 3, the Land Claims Agreements Coalition publicly released its highly-anticipated national land claims implementation policy, "Honour, Spirit and Intent: A Model Canadian Policy on the Full Implementation of Modern Treaties Between Aboriginal Peoples and the Crown". Patti Black coordinated the release, which included a meeting with the Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC), the Honourable Chuck Strahl, and a press blitz which resulted in national coverage through both mainstream and Aboriginal media. Copies of the policy are available online at the Coalition website.

Stonecircle has just presented three draft reports to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH): a literature review on Aboriginal treatment centres, an environmental scan of smoking cessation programs aimed at Aboriginal people, and an environmental scan of provincial services and programs to Aboriginal people in the areas of mental health and addiction.

Stonecircle has added a new product to its conference support services - daily conference newsletters! Jennifer David produced full-colour daily conference summaries in the form of a newsletter at the recent Assembly of First Nations (AFN) Inter-Nation Trade and Economic Summit in Toronto. AFN and delegates loved it – one commented that it was more popular than the National Post. If you’d like to add something special to your conference, and guarantee that participants are really engaged in the proceedings, contact Jennifer. Stonecircle will also be preparing a formal conference report for AFN.

The Nunavut Implementation Training Committee is celebrating its fifteenth year of operation with the publication of a special Anniversary Training Report, summarizing the NITC’s accomplishments over the last year, and setting out its goals for the future. Copies can be obtained directly from NITC, or by contacting Terry Rudden at Consilium.

The Métis Nation of Ontario (MNO) held a strategic staff session on the Government of Ontario’s new Education Framework and MNO’s Education Action Plan. Jennifer David facilitated the main session, while Patty Saulis facilitated a breakout session and documented the proceedings. Stonecircle also provided MNO with a final workshop report.

GOSSIP

During their recent stay in Iqaluit, Chris Grosset and Marla Limousin (pictured right) were enlisted by Terry Forth to help the Rotary Club of Iqaluit host a gala dinner for over 100 local Elders. Terry was overheard remarking “it’s nice to see Chris and Marla working hard”. He quickly snapped the attached photo as evidence of the aforementioned hard work.

 

Two sure signs of spring in eastern Ontario: consultants in a state of near collapse in the wake of fiscal year end, and maple sap beginning to run. Here’s a picture of both: Greg Smith is shown collecting sap in his mini-sugar bush near Almonte. A total of 12 litres of syrup have been bottled and are currently on eBay until the end of the month.

 

From the Sports Desk: After finishing 4th in the regular season with a record of 9-8-1, Clootch and the Ice Bears improved to 3rd place in the round robin playoffs with a 2-1-2 record. Stay tuned for the finals!

BIRTHDAYS

This just in: 4 out of 5 of the longest standing Consiliumites prefer April as their birthday! April babies include Greg Smith and Leslie Sutherland on the 13th, Terry Rudden on the 23rd, and Ron Ryan on the 24th. However, since Greg and Marianne will be on vacation in South Africa on his birthday, his age will only increase upon his return as per international rules. Upon hearing this news, Greg announced that he would be spending the next twenty years on vacation.

FIFTEEN YEARS AGO

In April 1994, the cosmos trembled as a powerful disturbance in The Force ran through the Galaxy. The founding partners agreed to rent space at 257 Argyle Avenue from the nice people at Catholic Family Services. What the heck, we thought – we can do this for a couple of years, anyway. The two employee partners, Terry and Ron, cast their bread upon the waters and agreed to join the team full time, and the No Name Northern Consulting Firm was born.

QUOTE OF THE MONTH:

Grosset: Why are we getting rid of the old printer?

Leslie: It’s old, it’s slow, and it’s getting to be really annoying.

Grosset: Thank God we’re not applying those standards to staff.

THE CHALLENGE

For this month’s contest, as you may or may not have noticed, some rather “odd” statements were entangled with our news throughout the newsletter. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, list them! First correct response gets an autographed picture from Avril Lavigne!

CHECK BACK EVERY MONTH FOR MORE CONSILIUM, STONECIRCLE AND AARLUK NEWS, TOOLS, AND GOSSIP.