Our Featured Celebration

Decembro 15a estas la naskotago de oftalmologo Dro. Ludovic Lazaro Zamenhof,the inventinto de Esperanto. Dro. Zamenhof-a celo estis la kreo de universala lingvo anta?enigi pacon kaj internacia interkompreni?o. estis bela ideo. Tamen, se vi estas legado la dekstra mano kolumno anstata? la maldekstra mano kolumno, vi ver?ajne jam sci* ?in ne funkciis el.. tiel bone. efektive, de reala kalkulo, pli homoj lEsperanto.

December 15th is the birthday of ophthalmologist Dr. Ludovic Lazarus Zamenhof, the inventor of Esperanto. Dr. Zamenhof's goal was the creation of a universal language to foster peace and international understanding. It was a nice idea. However, if you're reading the right hand column instead of the left hand column, you probably already know it didn't work out so well. In fact, by actual count, more people in 2007 speak Klingon than Esperanto.

WHAT'S HAPPENING AT CONSILIUM, AARLUK and STONECIRCLE... In this corner of our site we'll be posting notes on new people, new projects, and new online materials you may find interesting. Enjoy, and come back often.

NEW NAME

After some serious brainstorming (including the enlistment of a Facebook contingent of friends and colleagues, and a late night-night TWO-flipchart session at Econiche) on the new name possibilities for ARDOS, we are happy to announce that the wait is over.  As of September 1, ARDOS has officially changed its name to Stonecircle Consulting.  We think it better reflects the fact that we are an Aboriginal company and the communities that we serve.  Coming up shortly: a new logo and a redesigned website.  And thanks to all those who contributed ideas to our company name ideas (Tamarax and ABC--A Bucket of Consultants being the most interesting alternatives – both now available to interested purchasers, never been used, reasonable terms...). We now have three staff members working specifically for Stonecircle, so feel free to contact us if you would like more information.  Please contact, Jennifer David through e-mail at jdavid@stone-circle.ca, or by phone at 613-237-3315.

NEW PROJECTS      

 

Chuck Gilhuly worked with the Nunavut Municipal Training Organization and the Department of Community & Government Services to prepare the Fifth Annual Nunavut Municipal Performance Measurement Report (2006/07 Data). The report should be ready for distribution in December. Municipalities in Nunavut continued to improve their financial position for the sixth year in a row.

As of March 2007 there was only one municipality in Nunavut showing a deficit.

ONGOING PROJECTS

Stonecircle Consulting Inc. (formerly known as ARDOS Consulting Inc.) has begun work on another major evaluation project for HRSDC. This is the Summative Evaluation of the AHRDAs (Aboriginal Human Resource Development Agreement Holders), working jointly with TNS Canadian Facts. Stonecircle will be responsible for the qualitative evaluation component. This will include 20 focus groups throughout Canada with clients of AHRDAs, 40 key informant interviews and a literature and document review. In December the first test focus groups and interviews will be conducted, with the main fieldwork rolling out in January and February. As usual, Greg Smith is project manager, with a large team of experienced researchers including David Boult, Ryan Lotan, Jennifer David, Stephanie Irlbacher-Fox, Ian Kenney, Terry Rudden, Alex Ker, Fern Assinewe, James Arreak, Sonya Howard, and Kent Brown. Most of the team members have been involved in previous evaluations for HRSDC and other clients involving fieldwork in Aboriginal communities. They provide the ability to work across the country in a variety of Aboriginal languages. The project will continue until June 2008.

Two more workshops for the Alliance of Sector Councils are planned, under Jennifer David’s direction. Coming up:   Finance, facilitated by Ron Ryan, and Project Management, facilitated by Chuck Gilhuly.

One of the most important sectors in Nunavut is represented by the network of Hunters and Trappers Organizations, who work at the local level to deliver programs and services, implement the Land Claims Agreement, and represent community interests on Wildlife-related matters. Terry Rudden has been working with Richard Connelly (Nunavut Inuit Wildlife Secretariat) and Bert Dean (Nunavut Tunngavik) on strategies to support this critical sector.

Initial recommendations were presented by Chuck Gilhuly to a meeting of wildlife personnel in Rankin Inlet last week. The NIWS was very supportive of providing administrative and management support to HTO’s across the territory and will follow up with Regional Wildlife Organizations on the recommended strategy to make this happen.

Chris Grosset recently travelled to Gjoa Haven, Inuvik and Whitehorse to facilitate meeting for the National Roundtable on the Environment and Economy (NRTEE) concerning “Climate Change and Disaster Management in Northern Canadian Communities”.  Working with Gartner Lee Limited, Chris supported two day workshops in all three communities.  The findings from these sessions will be presented as case studies when the work is completed in March 2008.

Ian Kenney travelled to Kuujjuaq, Québec for a few days in mid-November, to facilitate a symposium on youth recruitment and retention initiatives. More than 65 representatives from governments and other organizations from across Nunavik, as well as youth representatives from the Nunavik region, met for two days in the cavernous Municipal Hall to collectively develop a workplan towards real progress in better integrating young people into the economy. Pictured are two of the small group discussions in action. The materials for the symposium were developed by Ron Ryan, Chris Cloutier, Sonya Howard, Geoff Rigby and Ian Kenney.

Aarluk teams have been working hard with several communities across Nunavut to prepare five year economic development plans.  Chris Grosset and Geoff Rigby recently delivered the first report on development options to the Hamlet of Whale ove; and David Boult has been continuing research on the economic opportunities for the Hamlet of Arviat.  Meanwhile, Chris Grosset and Christian Cloutier are putting the final edits together for the Coral Harbour Community Economic Development Plan – the plan should be completed in time to presented to the Hamlet as an early Christmas gift.

Fred Weihs, Ryan Lotan and Christian Cloutier recently completed and submitted a comprehensive business plan to Naegha Zhia Inc. the development arm of the Katlodeeche First Nation to establish Hay River Castle Building Supplies in the community of Hay River, Northwest Territories. In addition to supplying building materials and services in the NWT, HRCBS will also become a registered EMERCOR dealer of Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs), a cost effective, energy efficient and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional building construction in the North.

The Land Claims Agreements Coalition is holding a high-profile leadership reception and meeting on December 5 and 6 in Ottawa. MPs and other dignitaries will be invited to discuss land claims implementation issues and the Coalition's development of a new national policy for implementation. The two events will conclude with a press conference and launch of the Coalition's website. Contact Patti Black black@consilium.ca for details.

HAPPY ENDINGS

 

Terry Forth is just back in Iqaluit, returning from facilitating a meeting of the Nunavut Regional Leadership Summit. The Summit is a group comprised of senior political and staff representatives from the Regional Inuit Associations, who gather twice ever year to agree on joint needs, priorities and strategies. (Left to right: Thomas Alikatutktuk -QIA, Joe Kaludjak – Kiv-IA, Donald Havioyak – Kit IA, Terry Forth – Aarluk Consulting Inc.)

 

 

Earlier in November, Terry spent an exciting week in Resolute Bay working with the Community Economic Development Committee and other organizations helping to develop an Implementation action plan based on the draft Community Economic Development (CED) plan submitted to the Hamlet Council in August and developed over the past several months by Fred Weihs, James Arreak, James Forth and Terry Forth. Finalization of the CED plan comes at an opportune moment as the community prepares for the newly announced High Arctic Military Training Centre announced this past summer by the Prime Minister. (Back row from left to right – Nathaniel Kalluk (Chair), Philip Manik (CED Officer) and Terry Forth. Front Row: Janis Kalluk, Simeonie Amagoalik and Her Worship, Mayor Susan Salluviniq)

BIRTHDAYS

Is it just a coincidence that David Boult, whose twin passions are travel and fine dining, celebrates his birthday (December 17th) on the same day as American Master Chef Duff Goldman, AND the anniversary of the Wright Brothers first flight? Well, yeah, probably. Happy Birthday anyway, Houng Dog.

A small oversight – regretfully on account of his “Nouveau” status, we missed announcing the 25th birthday of Aarluk’s newest Researcher and former Iqaluit resident, Geoff Rigby. You would think with so much to do in Ottawa, Geoff would have elected to celebrate in the city – you would be wrong. Geoff chose to spend his birthday weekend at a secluded cottage in the wild wilderness of (just outside) Perth, Ontario. Geoff – you do realize that Ottawa does have more bars than just the Legion?

GOSSIP

 

 

Stonecircle Prez Valerie Assinewe, her loyal sidekick “Bubbles” Rudden, and Aarluk President Helen Klengenberg are, if all is going well, under roughly sixty feet of pellucid Caribbean water admiring coral and fishes and whale sharks and such like near the Honduran island of Utila. Valerie and Helen are simply enjoying the diving: Terry will be working with longtime friend, dive buddy and production partner George Hargrave on their third scuba DVD, “Dive the Bay Islands”, to be released next summer. He’ll also be experimenting with a monster of a new underwater camera – hopefully you’ll get to see the results in our next issue. (Left: a shot of George and friend from their last dive trip to the region.)

 

No-one’s quite sure how it happened. But talk on the second floor turned one day to facial hair, and the next thing you know, the whole (or most of the) Consilium team (male division) is engaged in a beard growing contest. Consiliumites will be shorn on November 25th, and one month later contestants will be judged on colour, fullness, sculpting, and of course most importantly – Does said beard contribute to the overall look of a weathered and well-seasoned Northern Consultant? 

 

 

 

Fred Weihs, ever the planner, has provided us with his SBV (Strategic Beard Vision) for the contest.

 

 

 

Here are the contestants, clean shaven, on Day #1 of the competition (Chuck Gilhuly not pictured)

                        

 

                                 

 

 

 

Stonecircle and Aarluk staff demonstrating the admirable cultural diversity in the workplace for which the Consilium Corporate Group is so justly renowned. Come to think of it, maybe it was just Halloween.

 

 

From the Sports Desk: we are delighted to announce that Chris Cloutier (“The Clootch”) scored his first goal and his third assist for his first two-point game of the hockey season. The goal sealed the Ice Bears' first victory since moving up a division with a score of 6-2, making them 6-2-1 overall. It must be noted, however, that this in no way compensates in the eyes of his fellow employees for his peculiar affliction (an unaccountable loyalty to That Team Which Must Not Be Named In Ottawa But Which Plays In The Shadow of the CN Tower).

 

This month, Consilium is celebrating it’s first “Titan of Technology” Award. This month’s recipient is Jennifer Bradshaw who just recently became the proud owner of a “Roomba”. Roomba’s are disc-shaped, free-roaming vaccuums – which, when activated, will navigate a room correcting itself when it bumps into an object or a wall… cleaning your floors at the same time! So lovable are these little robot vaccums that many owners feel compelled to given them their own names. Regardless of whether you have to do it yourself, or have a small robot do it for you – you can rest assured, vaccuuming still sucks.

 

Kathy Clarida Fry special friend and personal partner of Ron Ryan has done her bit for the environment by constructing a shed/artist studio from recycled building material. Also fiscally responsible, the used double window only cost $20, whereas a new one would have come in somewhere around $400 plus! The shed/studio does conveniently overlook Ron Ryan’s backyard putting green. Kathie designed and built the structure herself with some help from one of her sons, two grandsons and a few friends. She stated that this is test run for a cottage that she plans to build in the bush somewhere in Northern Ontario.

 

LAST MONTH....

We invited our readers to provide a name for this ensemble from Ian Kenney’s musical past (that’s Ian on the right). The winning entry, received from faithful reader RL of Ottawa, has been established by our blue ribbon panel of adjudicator. Ladies and gentlement, after twenty years wandering in the musical wilderness, please welcome…
HOMER AND THE LILYLADS.

Our winner will receive onstage seating for the kickoff concert of the Lilylad’s comeback tour, PLUS a Consilium Pen and Pad set…personally autographed by Ian.

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