An election was held recently to fill vacant positions within the Board at the Qalipu Cultural Foundation (QCF), the Band’s charitable foundation whose focus is on raising funds to support and promote Mi’kmaq culture in the province.

Candace Simon of Stephenville was elected to Chair the group with the support of newly elected Vice-Chair Jennifer Brake Strickland, Secretary Toby Penney, and Treasurer Brittany Pittman.

Other team members include Odelle Pike (Elder and Council Liaison), Lorraine Stone, Mildred Lavers, Sherry Dean, Jeff Young, Nicole Travers (QFN Support) and Tara Saunders (QFN Support).

Candace noted that she was honoured to be chosen to lead. She said, “I am very honoured and humbled to accept the position of Chair of Qalipu Cultural Foundation. I know that this position is a very important one. Our culture and traditions are at the core of our First Nation Band; when we embrace who we are, our potential is magnified and there truly are no limits to what we can accomplish for our communities.”

Candace added thanks and congratulations to outgoing Chair Sherry Dean who will stay on as a volunteer with the Foundation. “I would like to congratulate our outgoing Chair, Sherry Dean, and thank her for all of her hard work and dedication. She is a tough act to follow!”

One of the main objectives of the Foundation is to apply for and fundraise monies that can be distributed to grassroots organizations for community cultural programming. More than $10,000 is distributed annually through the Mi’kmaq Cultural Heritage Program Grant.

Band Chief Brendan Mitchell looks forward to the energy and ideas brought to the table by new volunteers like Candace Simon, while maintaining continuity with those returning members of the board.

“It’s positive to see new volunteers stepping up to share their energy and ideas alongside those who will continue in support of the Foundation. Together, in collaboration with Qalipu, we take on the important job of nurturing our cultural community. We are committed to working collaboratively with the QCF Board on stimulating and supporting cultural growth across all our communities.

Candace noted that the Foundation could always use more volunteers. She said, “Many hands make light work. We invite any interested band members to contact us for more information.”

To contact the Qalipu Cultural Foundation, please visit their website at http://qalipuculturalfoundation.ca/ or contact Candace at csimon.eiwfsc@gmail.com

Please be advised, the regular meting of Council originally scheduled to take place this Saturday, November 28, in Corner Brook has been postponed to December 12.

Band Manager Keith Goulding explained that recent news regarding the pandemic gave cause for concern to Council members about meeting face to face.

“In the Nov 23rd news conference regarding Covid-19, Dr. Janice Fitzgerald indicated that, while there is no evidence of wide-spread community spread, gatherings will need to wait until a vaccine is in place. While she stopped short of elevating the alert levels; the Chief and Council discussed the upcoming Council meeting and decided to defer the meeting in the interest of being mindful of the recommendations of the Chief Medical Officer for NL.”

The face-to-face meeting will take place in December if the epidemiology of the virus warrants it.  An additional update will be made at a later date.

Aboriginal Sport and Recreation Circle (ASRCNL) wishes to advise all interested coaches that the Coaching Association of Canada is currently accepting applications for one (1) Indigenous Coach Apprentice position for Team NL at the Canada Summer Games in 2022. This position is open for either male or female applicants of Indigenous heritage. The sports for which an Indigenous Coach Apprentice position is possible for Team NL is as follows:

Athletics, Baseball, Basketball, Beach Volleyball (male), Bicycling (Road & Mountain), Diving, Golf, Rowing, Rugby Sevens (female), Sailing, Soccer, Softball, Swimming. Tennis, Triathlon, Volleyball, Wrestling
Please see the attached application form for further details.

The deadline for applications is December 18, 2020.

All applications should be submitted to:
Doug Halliday
S4L/Coaching NL Project Leader
Sport NL
1296A Kenmount Road
Paradise, NL
A1L 1N3

T 709-576-4979
F 709-576-7493
e-mail: dhalliday@sportnl.ca
website: https://sportnl.ca

https://qalipu.ca/about/office-and-e-mail-addresses/

Journey Across the Island is an initiative of the Provincial Cancer Care Program (PCCP) of Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) in collaboration with Indigenous partners located on the island portion of the province (Miawpukek First Nation and Qalipu First Nation). The purpose of this project is to improve the quality and accessibility of care provided to Indigenous cancer patients and their families throughout their cancer journey. This goal will primarily be achieved by increasing the amount of relevant resources and information available to health care providers and Indigenous community members and developing action plans to address any identified issues with cancer care.

The main areas of focus for the project will include: Transitions in Care – Cancer Care Journey, Burden of Cancer – Scorecard, and the development of a Provincial Indigenous Cancer Care Strategy. The importance of understanding how cancer affects a community is part of developing supports and resources, and for the community it helps in the allocation of resources and how they can better support the patient and family.

If you would like to take part in community engagement sessions, talk about your cancer journey, or have any questions in general about this project, please feel free to contact the project lead: Rebecca Whalen Rebecca.whalen@easternhealth.ca, or (709) 725-0736.

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On October 22, 2020 the Qalipu First Nation announced $150,000 in funds available to small member-owned businesses in the form of non-repayable grants of up to $10,000.  Following the call for proposals, 60 businesses applied for the fund and 23 grants were distributed throughout the province.  The fund has now been fully allocated and we wish to advise our membership that applications are no longer being accepted.

We thank all those who applied and look forward to the many developments and work being done by small business owners as a result of receiving the support grant. Proposed activities for this fund include increased online marketing, purchase of tools and equipment to increase business capacity, relocation to reduce rent costs, and new technology equipment to keep up with virtual demands.