Our Featured Celebration

 

The third Sunday in July is Ice Cream Day. Although associated primarily with the US, the world's most innovative Ice Cream Nation is (wouldn't you know it?) Japan. If you consider yourself an Ice cream gourmet because you can actually spell "Häagen-Dazs" correctly, you may want to experiment with exciting new flavours like (l to r) Chunky Horsemeat, Cactus, Freshwater Eel, Garlic, and Chicken Wing. (Attention, sceptics - these are for real, cross our hearts.)

WHAT'S HAPPENING AT CONSILIUM, AARLUK and ARDOS... 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 PROJECTS      

 

One good publication deserves another: Patti Black, with the editorial assistance of Terry Rudden, will be writing and designing the 2005-6 Annual Report of the Nunavut Implementation Panel.

ONGOING PROJECTS

Here's Ron and his daughter Anna Claire hard at work with the AHRDCC project team (left to right:  Peggy Berndt, Susan Jarvis, Colleen Ostlund and Sandy Stevens) gearing up for the 4th Workforce Connex Forum which took place in Happy Valley Goosebay, Labrador on June 19th. The forums are designed to build strong Aboriginal private sector partnerships for employment of Aboriginal people. Forum V will take place in Membertou, Nova Scotia on June 29th.

The formative evaluation of the AHRDAS has begun in earnest, under Project Manager Greg Smith. This ARDOS project is being undertaken for the Audit and Evaluation branch of the federal department of Human Resources and Skills Development (HRSDC). The AHRDAS (Aboriginal Human Resources Development Agreement holders) administer a range of labour market and employment services for Aboriginal clients in their regions. The team for this project is a large one, and includes ARDOS partners Valerie Assinewe, Jennifer David and Ron Ryan; Consiliumites Fred Weihs, David Boult, Ryan Lotan and Ian Kenney; Mira Svoboda, Ken Innes, and Daniel Morris of EKOS Research Associates; as well as James Arreak, Kim Ghostkeeper, Alexandra Ker, Fern Assinewe and Bill Vass. Included will be an international literature review and 14 case study reports, with a summary of roll-up findings from the research. Completion date is August 2007.

HAPPY ENDINGS

Greg Smith attended the national conference of the Canadian Evaluation Society in Charlottetown PEI June 4-7. As our resident 'evaluationologist', he has been involved in managing many major evaluation projects over the past twelve years. These have included evaluations for several federal and territorial government departments, Aboriginal organizations and the private sector, and is currently managing another major evaluation for HRSDC (see above). Following the conference, he and Marianne toured Cape Breton and Nova Scotia in the rain and fog for a few days, passing through the towns of Mulgrave and Guysborough, home turf of fellow partner Ron Ryan. (Above: Greg doing his celebrated Hemingway imitation).

 

 

This newsletter is being written some days before the Achieving Objectives Land Claims Conference, June 27-30 - we prepared it earlier than usual because we knew no-one would have an ounce of energy left after designing, coordinating and co-facilitating a conference of 400+ leaders, scholars, journalists, bureaucrats and policymakers, working to establish a new framework for Land Claims implementation in the year of Berger and Caledonia. Watch for a report and pictures in next month's edition.

 

 

 

Terry Rudden completed the revision of policies, procedures and bylaws for the Nunavut Implementation Training Committee and presented the final manual to their Annual General Meeting in Iqaluit. (Right: NITC Annual General Meeting. L-R Paul Quassa (Chair), Mary Jane Adamson, Peter Kritiqlilerk, Brenda Jancke, Charlotte Pilikapsi, Lorne Kusugak, and Justin Merrit)

 

This is not a Consilium "Happy Ending", per se - but Thursday June 22 did mark the culmination of years of work by Consilium friend and associate Yew Lee. Prime Minister Stephen Harper formally apologized to the Chinese people of Canada for the discriminatory policies of the past. These included a "head tax" collected from some 81,000 Chinese immigrants, and a twenty-five year ban on immigration from China. Yew has been one of the leaders in the movement seeking redress. Our congratulations to him, and all his associates, on their historic achievement in righting an old wrong. (Right: Yew Lee at rally on Parliament Hill, 2002)

TEN YEARS AGO THIS MONTH

Greg, Fred and Terry planned, coordinated and directed a live videoconference event for the IUCN. The conference linked the Canadian Museum of Nature, Montreal, and Iqaluit, connecting scientists, Inuit, elders, and schoolchildren at each end to discuss traditional and scientific knowledge, as well as co-management of environments and wildlife.

 

 

BIRTHDAYS

Conference organizer, report writer, fundraiser, and the only person in all of Consilium who can actually figure out how our expensive and incomprehensible graphics program works...yes, it's Patti Black, celebrating an unspecified birthday on the 12th.

GOSSIP       

 

Finally - one down, four to go. Ron's oldest son Tim graduated from Carleton University with highest honours in Accounting. Tim took a few detours to complete his studies - including a year in Australia at the University of Southern Australia. Then he joined his sisters Anna and Erica in Halifax to complete his final courses. Tim is continuing his studies to become a chartered accountant with Scott, Gardiner and Rankin in Ottawa. Congratulations Tim!

 

 

 

 

We promised three months ago that if Joanassie Akumalik managed to quit smoking for three months, we'd announce it to the world. Well, he did it, and we're pleased to keep our part of the bargain. Here is the first actual photograph of the newly cleansed and purified Mr. Akumalik.

 

 

 

 

 

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