The next regular meeting of Chief and Council will take place on Saturday, September 23 at the Days Inn in Stephenville. The meeting is scheduled from 10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and will be streamed live through the ginu membership portal.

To register to attend this meeting in person, please contact Suzanne at 709-643-5111

Youth in grades K-12 are invited to submit their original poem commemorating the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation.

One poem will be selected to be read aloud at the gathering in Corner Brook on September 29th, and published in our weekly newsletter, Maw-pemita’jik Qalipu’k (the caribou are travelling together).

Submit your poem to lswift@qalipu.ca by 4:00 PM on September 22, 2023.

To recognize the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Qalipu First Nation will once again host a logo contest.  This contest is open to both Indigenous and non-Indigenous children in Grades Kindergarten to Grade 12 within Canada. Contest submissions must be received by September 28th, 2023, 4:00pm NST.

The logo contest winner will receive a cheque for $250.00 as well as prizes including swag, books, and cultural supplies. In addition, the winner’s school will be presented with a donation of $500.00 towards their school breakfast program. The winning logo will also be featured on orange shirts produced by the band in time for next year’s National Day of Truth and Reconciliation.

Contest entries and the accompanying media release form signed by a parent/guardian must be received by September 28, 2023 at 4:00pm NST. All entries and media release forms must be scanned and emailed to communications@qalipu.ca, or mailed to:

Attn: Alison Muise
Qalipu First Nation
PO Box 460
St. George’s, NL
A0N 1Z0

Click on the link below for full contest details.

Media Release Form
Full Contest Details

Tuesdays at 10:00 AM on Bay FM

The Band is excited to share that starting this coming Tuesday, September 19 at 10:00 a.m. we will be live on air with Bay FM for the new radio talk show, Qalipu Today.  The weekly recurring broadcast will feature guests from various members of the staff team along with our Chief, Band Manager, and community members.  It will focus on a variety of topics relevant to the membership and broader Indigenous community including information about benefits, programs, and services, new projects, top news and all the latest about upcoming events and gatherings.

Listeners can tune in to Bay FM at 100.1 FM in the Corner Brook area or from anywhere by selecting “listen live” on the station’s website, www.bayfm.ca.

Past programs will also be available at www.bayfm.ca/player/podcasts.

Last year, Qalipu First Nation launched its first annual logo contest for the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation.  Students across Canada from grades K-12 were invited to create artwork that represented the theme, goals and purpose of Truth and Reconciliation.

Kali Gill, a grade 9 student from Corner Brook Intermediate, was the winner of the 2022 logo contest whose prize included $250, books and cultural supplies, and a $500 donation to her school breakfast program.  Kali would also have her winning logo featured on orange shirts produced by the Band the following year.

Kali explained her logo design and the impact of the residential school system on families and through generations.

“My artwork can be interpreted in different ways. It could show a mother remembering when her child was taken from her, or it could be a memory of herself as a survivor of the residential school. It represents the sadness and loss of so many innocent lives, like this little girl walking into the school with false hope. I drew the lady as an elder because even though time passes and we age, our teardrops hold memories that will never be forgotten.”

A limited number of orange shirts featuring Kali’s winning design now available for sale by calling Jason at 709-634-0411.

The shirts cost $15 each and all profit will be donated to an organization or charity that supports Truth and Reconciliation.

Keep an eye out for the 2023 logo contest which will be launched this week!

Qalipu First Nation invites band members in the Port au Port East area to meet them at the Twilight 50+ Club on September 20^th at 6:30 PM.  Staff members from all departments will be on hand to share information about programs and services, talk about upcoming opportunities, and gather feedback for the Band’s future direction.

Band Chief Brendan Mitchell noted that this is the beginning of a series of community gatherings that will move across the territory, visiting areas where the Band has not yet hosted a meeting.

“There are nine wards making up our territory, and more than 100 communities.  Often, we pick central locations to hold meetings or community engagement but this fall, we’ve decided to set out to visit more people in more places, off the beaten path.”

The First Nation is hoping to meet many of its Band members on the community tour.

Additional details regarding dates and locations will be shared on the Band’s website www.qalipu.ca.

Qalipu’s Annual General Assembly will take place on Sunday, September 24, 2023, in Stephenville at the Days Inn from 2:00-4:00 PM.  All Band members in the area are encouraged to attend.

Qalipu staff Departments (Environment and Natural Resources, Health, Housing, Education and Training, Culture, Tourism and Community Development) will have information tables, and Indian Registration staff will offer FREE passport-style photos and take care of your SCIS renewal if needed.   There will also be prize giveaways, music, a light lunch and an annual report that includes a presentation on the bands’ audited financial statements. 

There will also be a special door prize provided by a local artist!

Chief Brendan Mitchell and the team hope to see you there.

One of the greatest barriers to continuing education beyond high school is cost.  Through Registered Education Savings Plans (RESPs) and the Canada Learning Bond (CLB), the Government of Canada can help youth aspire to attend post-secondary.

The Canada Learning Bond (CLB) is money that is deposited directly into a RESP from the Government of Canada.  The initial payment is $500.00 for the first year the child (beneficiary) is eligible, plus $100 for each additional year of eligibility up to the age of 15, for a maximum of $2,000.00.  Once a child turns 18, they can become a subscriber of their own RESP and request the CLB themselves, until the day before they turn 21.  Children in care, for whom a Children’s Special Allowance is payable, are also eligible for the CLB.

Personal contributions are not required to receive the CLB.  However, if you do make personal contributions to the RESP, the Government of Canada may match up to 20% as part of the Canada Education Savings Grant (CESG).  The lifetime limit for the CESG is $7,200.

To be eligible for the CLB, the beneficiary must:

• Be a resident of Canada
• Have a Social Insurance Number (SIN)
• Be named as a beneficiary in an RESP
• Be from a modest income family

The primary caregiver of the beneficiary must:

• Have filed income tax returns for each year they wish to request the CLB for the beneficiary
• Be eligible to receive the Canada Child Benefit (CCB)

If the beneficiary does not pursue post-secondary education, the CLB is returned to the Government.

Qalipu First Nation has a limited number of $500.00 participant bonuses for members, or children of members, who open a RESP and eligible for the Canada Learning Bond.

The process is easy, just contact Kevin Green, CLB Project Coordinator and he will support you through every step.

Contact Information:
Kevin Green – CLB Project Coordinator
Phone: (709)643-3191
Email: kgreen@qalipu.ca