World Energy GH2 held a drop-in session yesterday in Stephenville at Dymond International Airport to share an update regarding an amendment to the company’s environmental assessment submission for their proposed wind energy project.  In November of last year, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador said it needed more information from the company before it could decide on the future of the project in western Newfoundland.  Interim Chief Jenny Brake attended the session on behalf of Qalipu First Nation.

“I’m happy about the additional work being done with the environmental assessment,” she said, “I know a lot of folks feel that shovels should be in the ground by now, but this is a major project, and we need to consider the impacts on the next seven generations.  This due diligence by World Energy can only lead to better outcomes.”

She noted that one example of that includes an updated plan to relocate 12 of the proposed wind turbines in Cape St. George to avoid water areas, along with a number of other adjustments to the original plan.

The gathering demonstrated a continued high level of interest from surrounding communities and was attended by local Chiefs, municipal leaders and many other stakeholders.  Interim Chief Brake noted that it was a good opportunity for her to connect and better understand the concerns of communities.

“I’m committed to understanding the unique needs of communities and I’m pleased to be engaged in the conversation.  It’s important that we move forward together, in a good way.”

Interim Chief Brake invites interested Band members to tune in to Monday Mornings Live this coming Monday at 9:00 AM on the Qalipu First Nation Facebook Page where she will chat with host Paul Pike about the event and what is coming up next for this significant project in our territory.

Earlier this fall, Qalipu launched its second annual logo contest in commemoration of the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation.  Children in grades K-12 were invited to reflect on the lost children and survivors of residential schools and their families and design a logo that demonstrated their thoughts and feelings about this tragic part of our history as Canadians.

We’re pleased to share that Naoise White, a grade seven student from Corner Brook Intermediate, is the winner of this year’s logo contest.  Naoise will receive a prize of $250, along with cultural supplies and books and a $500 donation to her school breakfast program.  In addition, Naoise will have her winning design featured on orange t-shirts produced by the Band for sale in advance of the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation in 2024.

Naoise shared some details about her design.

“My drawing is about all Canadians being united and being committed to freedom, trust and healing.  The circle represents all Canadians, Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal, living in harmony together. They are strong and united. Their orange shirts show that every child matters whatever their background is. They care and respect the people who went to residential schools.

 

In the middle of the circle, there is an eagle feather. It is a powerful symbol of connection, freedom, trust and wisdom. Freedom for all Canadians, trust that their lives are equal and wisdom not to allow it to happen again. This is what the feather means for my drawing.

 

The background is a medicine wheel. It is about health and healing for everyone no matter what. The four parts of the wheel are, physical, mental, spiritual and emotional. This is what my truth and reconciliation drawing is about.”

Congratulations to Naoise and all the children who took the time to participate in this contest and grow their understanding of Truth and Reconciliation.

Qalipu and the RCMP are working together to offer a unique work experience for Indigenous youth who are interested in a career in policing and/or justice. This job opportunity will give youth an insightful look at the RCMP and may help them decide if this is a career opportunity they wish to pursue.

These summer jobs are nine weeks in duration, running from June to August 2024.

Successful applicants will attend a one-week training session at the RCMP Headquarters in St. John’s, (all expenses paid) before being placed at the RCMP detachment closest to their location. This program is a great stepping stone for individuals interested in pursuing a career with the RCMP.

Visit our Youth Programs page for more information and to find the application form: https://qalipu.ca/youth-programs/

During the early days of the Qalipu First Nation, we relied on the Mi’kmaq Online Dictionary as one of the main Mi’kmaw language resources that was readily available.  We referenced this fantastic online resource when we developed our membership database.  To say “we” or “us”, we used the word “GINU”.

It wasn’t long before someone pointed out that the spelling system for that online dictionary was Listuguj, used primarily in Quebec, while Nova Scotia and Newfoundland officially use another system known as Smith-Francis.  In the Smith-Francis writing system, that same word is spelled with a K, as in “KINU”.

We held on to GINU for a while anyway but felt it was time to update to the spelling with which our membership is most familiar and to reflect our official orthography.

The next time you log in to your membership profile, you may see KINU instead of GINU where we were able to make the change (the web link and a couple of other instances can’t be changed).

The words are pronounced identically [ghee nu], and it still means “we” or “us”.

Did you Know?

Every member of the Band has a profile on the KINU database? It’s how we reach you for Elections, and how we understand the demographics of the people we represent.  Please take the time to make sure your profile is up-to-date: https://mala.qalipu.ca/ginu/login.aspx

Members who avail of Non-Insured Health Benefits (NIHB) are advised that our offices will be closed for Christmas holidays starting at noon on Thursday, December 21st and will reopen at 9am on Wednesday, January 3rd.

During this office closure time, new pre-approval requests for medical transportation will not be completed.  If members wish to have pre-approval bookings for appointments that are scheduled during the holidays until January 12th, it is required that your pre-approval request and all supporting documentation are received prior to 4pm on December 12th.

Please note that the NIHB medical transportation program is not an emergency service and eligible expenses can be reimbursed by completing a claim form and returning it along with supporting documentation.  If you have any questions, please contact the Manager of Health and Wellness at 709-634-4399 or email ageorge@qalipu.ca.

ISO 9001 is the international standard for Quality Management.  The standards look at a company’s level of excellence in leadership, attention to process, evidence-based decision making, engagement, relationship management, customer focus and demonstrating a commitment to continuous improvement.

The Band recently renewed its commitment to this standard following an extensive three-day external audit.  Originally achieved in 2015, maintenance of ISO certification requires an annual audit and a certification renewal every three years.

Band Manager Charles Pender celebrated the accomplishment in an email to the Qalipu team.

“This is a great achievement for QFN and was made possible by the work of our dedicated ISO Internal Audit Team and all staff who regularly work to ensure that we maintain the highest standards.”

Rod Bennett, Director of Operations, leads the team of internal auditors.  The team conducts scheduled audits to ensure performance and compliance and together, they help the Band prepare for the annual microscope on how well it’s meeting the standards.

“This accomplishment has been a team effort, and I would like to say thank you to our internal audit team for all the hard work that they have done this past year.  These folks have taken on these duties outside their regular scope of work and that is commendable.”

Paula Colombe, Administrative Assistant for the Education and Training Department is one of Rod’s key people.  She shared some details on what it means to be part of the team.

“Our main objective is to gather information by asking employees to demonstrate, with records and other documentation, that they are following set processes.  After we conduct our audit, we prepare a report that outlines non-conformance or opportunities for improvement.  It’s demanding for everyone involved, but it’s rewarding when we see ourselves get to the other side achieving what we set out to do.”

2023 Internal Audit Team

Rod Bennett (Operations Dept.), Paula Colombe (Education and Training Dept.), Annette George (Health and Wellness Dept.), Allyson Robbins (Culture, Tourism and Community Development Dept.), Travis Hulan, (Housing division); Karen Tiller (Finance Dept.) and Ryan Matthews (Operations Department).

Applications are now being accepted for the Marathon Gold—Qalipu First Nation Scholarship. There are five (5) scholarships available, and each is valued at $1,000.00

The Marathon Gold – Qalipu First Nation Scholarship is designed to encourage and support Qalipu band members with their career development and growth as they attend post-secondary education institutions.

Please click here for further details and to complete the application

Applications are due by January 31, 2024.